The Keto diet is one of the most popular diets today, and it's certainly put low carb diets back on the map. But did you know that the Keto diet is actually over 100 years old?
Yes, that's right - the Keto diet was first developed over 100 years ago, making it one of the oldest diets around.
So if you're thinking of starting the Keto diet, you can be reassured that it's a tried and tested way of eating that has stood the test of time.
With thay in mind, lets find out in the following article how good the keto diet is.
The keto diet involves eating foods that are low in carbohydrates so that your body will enter a state of ketosis. In this state, your body will use stored fat for energy rather than carbohydrates. This change in your body's fuel source will cause your blood ketone levels to increase.
The human body is capable of using the fat we consume to create energy. If we are producing enough ketones in our blood, we don't need carbohydrates to do this. The protein we consume on a keto diet is only used when necessary to preserve function and muscle, as well as assist with some biological functions.
Please note that this does not mean you can do intense workouts or lift heavy weights, as your body won't produce enough carbohydrates to repair the muscle tears that come with high-impact workouts. Instead, try undertaking more gentle exercise and limiting the amount of time you spend working out.
A varied and well-balanced diet is essential for good health, so make sure to include foods from all the different food groups listed below. Meats - Poultry, Red Meat, + any meat is fine. Seafood, Fish and Shellfish, Eggs Vegetable and Leafy greens, a good rule of thumb is that green vegatble have the least amount of carbs Nuts and Seeds, Non-starchy fruits - Some berries are fine in moderation. All fat is generally fine, although like unhealthy food try and stick to the more healthy options when it comes to fats like coconut oil etc.
BENEFITS OF THE KETO DIET
A keto diet can help with weight loss, managing blood sugar levels and reducing inflammation, according to research. This type of diet can also help to ease symptoms such as aches and pains, and it may be helpful for people who suffer from chronic inflammatory conditions such as eczema.
It has also shown to strengthen the immune system and keep inflammation under control, be useful for addressing ailments such as ulcerative colitis or Crohn’s disease, have positive outcomes when it comes to managing some neurological disorders like epilepsy, and maintain healthy digestive health.
Let have a look at these in more detail
1. Keto's effect on weight loss
Weight loss is one of the amazing benefits you'll experience while on the keto diet - some people havelost up to 10 pounds within 2-3 weeks! varies depending on the person. The keto diet is still one of the most effective diets out there for weight loss.
When you start a calorie deficit diet, the first 4-6lbs of weight loss is often just fluid loss. This happens because your body uses up its glucose reserves and then has to replenish them. However, with the keto diet, you never give your body the chance to replenish these reserves. This allows for continued weight loss, rather than fluctuating glucose levels.
This initial weight loss is then followed by a slower weight loss, although this time you’re now losing body fat and not water weight.
Another benefit of the Keto Diets are lower blood pressure and higher good HDL cholesterol levels which were discovered during several month long blind trials.
The LCHF diet induced a rather modest increase in HDL cholesterol (effect size 0.32 mM) in the current trial.
2. Improved Blood Sugar
Carbs are an essential part of the human diet, but too many can lead to issues like blood sugar spikes, mood swings, and inflammation. Carbs are converted into glucose (your body’s preferred energy source) which can lead to weight gain and insulin resistance. Because carbohydrates promote a rise in insulin levels, eating fewer carbohydrates can help with reducing the likelihood of diabetes becoming unmanageable. Eating less carbs is particularly important if you’re trying to avoid diabetes or manage it efficiently, and it can be even more beneficial if you are already living with type 2 diabetes.
Switching to a low carb diet has been shown to reduce your blood sugar level and improve its stability, this has shown amazing improvements for people suffering from type two diabetes and in some cases has even been shown to cure the condition
3. Less Inflammation in the Body
People who want to improve their health should focus on reducing chronic inflammation by eliminating things in their life that worsen it. For example, you should stop consuming sweets or heavily processed foods because they can increase your level of blood sugar and cause spikes in energy and anxiety.
Eating too much processed food can sometimes cause inflammation as a result of glycaemic load. To be specific, carbohydrates that enter the blood stream too quickly and cannot be used fast enough to make it usable fuel known as glucose.
As such the Keto Diet has anti-inflammatory effects on the body due to the vast reduction in sugar that will be consumed.
Reducing your carbohydrate intake, especially sugar and refined carbs found in processed foods, can help improve your overall health and prevent disease.
4. Better health from Carb digestion problems
Some people have problems digesting carbohydrates in one form or the other, there is even a name for these type of carbs called FODMAP's (fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides, and polyols)
Many people experience digestive issues from consuming too many carbohydrates. This can manifest in symptoms such as bloating, diarrhoea, flatulence, constipation, or cramping. The same effects can occur from consuming high-carbohydrate alcohols such as beer.
The Keto diet helps to reduce this naturally by cutting the source of the problem "Carbs" and in this regard people that suffer from problems digesting carbs should consider a lower carb diet.
More about the Author
Dave Gorman is a digital brand manager who runs The Home Gym Store and The Keto Diet Store