Keto Diet
Based on our forum Muscle Mass Brothers will describe ‘Keto Diet’ or so called ‘fat diet’.
A keto diet is well
known for being a low carb diet, where the body produces ketones in the liver
to be used as energy. It’s referred to as many different names – ketogenic
diet, low carb diet, low carb high fat (LCHF), etc. When you eat
something high in carbs, your body will produce glucose and insulin.
Glucose
is the easiest molecule for your body to convert and use as energy,
so it will be chosen over any other energy source.
Insulin
is produced to process the glucose in your bloodstream, by
taking it around the body. Since the glucose is being used as a primary energy,
your fats are not needed, and are therefore stored. Typically on a normal, higher
carbohydrate diet, the body will use glucose as the main form of energy.
By lowering the intake
of carbs, the body is induced into a state known as ketosis. Ketosis is
a natural process the body initiates to help us survive when food intake is
low. During this state, we produce ketones, which are produced from the
breakdown of fats in the liver. The end goal of a properly maintained keto diet
is to force your body into this metabolic state. We don’t do this through
starvation of calories, but through starvation of carbohydrates. Our bodies are
extremely adaptive to what you put into it – when you overload it with fats and
take away carbohydrates, it will begin to burn ketones as the main energy
source.
This is how the keto
diet works now I will show how the macro nutrients are divided.
To start a keto diet, you will want to
plan ahead. That definitely means having a viable diet plan ready and waiting.
What you eat really depends how fast you want to get into a ketogenic state.
The more restrictive you are on your carbohydrates (less than 15g per day),
the faster you will enter ketosis. Normally, anywhere between 20-30g of net
carbs is recommended for every day dieting – but the lower you keep your
glucose levels, the better the overall results will be. If you need ideas for
food, there are plenty of keto recipes for you to choose from.
- Your nutrient intake should be
something around 70% fats, 25% protein, and 5% carbohydrate.
- You want to keep your carbohydrates
limited, coming mostly from vegetables, nuts, and dairy. Don’t eat any
refined carbohydrates such as wheat (breads, pastas, cereals), starch
(potatoes, beans, legumes) or fruit.
- Dark green and leafy is always the best
choice. Most of your meals should be a protein with vegetables, and an extra
side of fat. Chicken breast basted in olive oil, with broccoli and cheese.
Steak topped with a knob of butter, and a side of spinach sautéed in olive oil.
If you’re finding yourself hungry throughout the day, you can snack on nuts,
seeds, cheeses, or peanut butter to curb your appetite.
Example
from our forum:
The ideal meal breakdown for a man who
weighs 100 kg and has 173cm would be:
I
5 eggs + vegetables
II
Fatty meat 250g + vegetables
III
Fatty meat 250g + vegetables
IV
Chicken breast 200g + vegetables
V
Chicken breast 200g + vegetables
VI
Salmon fillet 200g
Fatty meat is for example pork neck, minced beef, minced pork etc.
- you can see it on a label of food that you are buying - the fat in it is
actually very high.
Here is what you should eat form
Wednesday to Friday. On Monday and Tuesday just simply remove the vegetables
from your diet so your carbs will be at 0.
On the weekends eat the same food but add 200g or rice to the meals. (I
split your daily needs to a 6 different meals but you can cook meal 2/3 and 4/5
together and just split the portion to a half)
Benefits of a Keto Diet
- Cholesterol. A keto diet has shown to improve triglyceride levels and
cholesterol levels most associated
with arterial build-up.
- Weight Loss. As your body is burning fat as the main source of energy,
you will essentially be using your fat stores as an energy source while in a
fasting state.
- Blood Sugar. Many studies show the decrease of LDL cholesterol over
time and have shown to eliminate ailments such as type 2 diabetes.
- Energy. By giving your body a better and more reliable energy source,
you will feel more energized during the day. Fats are shown to be the most
effective molecule to burn as fuel.
- Hunger. Fat is naturally more satisfying and ends up leaving us in a
satiated (“full”) state for longer.
- Acne. Recent studies have shown a drop in acne lesions and skin
inflammation over 12 weeks.
Dangers of a Keto Diet
There are a lot of misconceptions about low carb dieting which has
caused an infamous outlook on this type of diet. There have been tons of
studies published over the last 30 years that show how high amounts of fat and
low amount of carbs are beneficial.
People normally get this confused with high fat and high carb diets,
which are terrible for the body. Of course when you eat a lot of fatty foods
that are high in sugar, you’ll be getting yourself in trouble. Thinking of
going on a low fat diet? It’s been shown that a ketogenic diet is healthier AND
more effective than low fat dieting. When you eat foods high in carbohydrates,
your body naturally produces glucose. Carbohydrates
are the easiest thing for the body to process, and therefore it will use them
first – resulting in the excess fats to be stored immediately. In turn, this
causes weight gain and health problems that are associated with high fat AND
high carbohydrate diets, NOT a keto diet. As a precaution, you should always
check with your physician if you have any concerns about starting a keto diet.
You should especially be weary if your family has any pre-existing kidney or
diabetic conditions – as the higher intake of proteins will put strain on your
kidneys. High cholesterol, high blood sugar, and heart disease is not something
you need to worry about. High fat, low carb diets are well-known and documented
for their improvements in cholesterol, blood sugars, and reduction of heart
disease.
What Happens To My Body
Your body is used to the simple routine of breaking down carbohydrates and
using them as energy. Over time the body has built up an arsenal of enzymes
ready for this process, and only has a few enzymes for dealing with fats –
mostly to store them. All of a sudden your body has to deal with the lack of
glucose and increase in fats, which means building up a new supply of enzymes. As
your body becomes induced into a ketogenic state, your body will naturally use
what’s left of your glucose. This means your body will be depleted of all
glycogen in the muscles – which can cause a lack of energy, and a general
lethargy.
In the first few weeks, many people report:
- Headaches
- Mental fogginess
- Flu-like symptoms (known as the “keto-flu”)
- Dizziness
- Aggravation
If you would
like to find out more or would like Muscle Mass Brothers to create diet and training
just for you, contact us.
#MuscleMassBrothers
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social media for more.
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