The ketogenic diet is outrageously popular and effective as anyone can attest by the sheer volume of success stories being relayed via social media. This plan is a high-fat, restrictive carb alternative to eating that is increasingly becoming the nutritional guide of choice. The food options are abundant and delicious with sites such as https://hekagoodfoods.com. This eating plan is touted as assisting in weight loss with the added benefits of lowering your cholesterol and suppressing appetite.
The craze makes it appear that keto is something new on the scene, but it has truly been practiced for over a century. It began as a natural treatment for epilepsy but was soon replaced with newer anti-seizure drugs that were both effective and simpler in treating the condition as compared to the diet.
Keto has been compared to Atkins which was a trend at the beginning of 2000. Atkins allowed the consumption of all the protein and fat that you desired but there was a required deficit in carbohydrates. Calories were not restricted with Atkins. It was soon put out of favor when it was found that people were eating unhealthy fats in large quantities including tubs of butter.
Mistakes to Avoid When Following Keto
The similarities between this diet and Atkins differ in that counting calories is encouraged with the plan and eating real food is advised as opposed to processed. If you don’t follow the principles of the plan, it’s easy to fall out of ketosis meaning there are things that you should avoid. Here are a few mistakes many people run into when they begin the diet:
- The idea with the diet is to bring the body to a point where its functioning using fat rather than glycogen which is called ketosis. If this is something you’re not used to, you may be underestimating the amount you’re consuming. You need to have up to 80% of your calorie intake from fat each day. To keep track of your macros and know if you’re in ketosis, you need to measure your ketones either through urine tests, breath tests, or blood tests. Read here on tests for measuring ketones.
- A common mistake that many beginners make with the plan is taking in too much trans and saturated fats. This is a high-fat diet but there is a difference in the type of fat that you should be consuming. Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats need to be what makes up a majority of your meals. These raise good cholesterol. It can be nearly impossible to eliminate saturated fat, but it should never be the majority of your intake.
- There are a lot of people involved in this process who are restricting their carbs so much that it results in their having no vegetables. Vegetables and fruits are a critical part of your nutritional health and having your daily intake are essential. There are lower carb varieties out there. But the carbs in these fruits and vegetables are good carbs for you. The overall consensus for the keto diet is that you consume whole, healthy foods as a general principle.
- Because there is a strict restriction on carbohydrates, you will lose a lot of the water in your body making it vital that you increase your intake of water to avoid dehydration. Constipation is a common adverse effect of the diet but can be prevented. If you’re having this effect, up your water consumption considerably. Go to https://www.everydayhealth.com/ketogenic-diet/diet/best-drinks-keto-diet/ to read about ways for staying hydrated while on keto.
While it may be true that you need to eat a lot of protein and a larger quantity of fat with very few carbohydrates, it isn’t implying that you can eat unlimited supplies of food. The success of keto is going to be dependent on your accomplishing a calorie deficit. The goal is to burn more calories than are consumed in an effort to lose weight-as is true with most diet plans. And the most important aspect is to do this safely and healthily.
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