The ketogenic diet (keto diet) is suddenly in the spotlight and piqued the interest of people who want to lose weight fast. This is a very low-carb diet that has actually been used for about 100 years to treat epilepsy patients who don’t respond well to medication. There have been many diets in the past that were structured around the concept of a keto diet plan. You can also read the full keto plan summary at Fitbar.
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What is the ketogenic diet?
A ketogenic diet is a diet that limits carbohydrate intake, which causes the body to release ketones into the bloodstream by triggering ketosis. Carbohydrates are the main source of energy for every cell in the body. In the absence of carbohydrates, the body begins to break down stored fat and dietary fat into ketone bodies through the process of ketosis. In ketosis, the percentage of cells that use ketone bodies to produce energy increases until a person starts eating carbohydrates again.
This transition from using sugar to using ketone bodies as an energy source usually lasts for two to four days if less than 50 grams of carbohydrates are consumed per day. However, the process of ketosis is individual and not the same for everyone, which means that everyone can have their own point where ketosis is involved.
The ketogenic diet includes lots of meat, eggs, fish, processed meats, butter, cheese, oil, nuts and oilseeds, cream, coconut, avocados, and high-fiber and low-carb vegetables. Eating keto is the opposite of the Indian nutrition model we have had for years, where 55-60% of total calories come from carbohydrates in the diet.
Is the Ketogenic Diet Safe and Healthy?
The fact that the keto diet is so different from what most of us eat raises many questions about how it affects our bodies.
As mentioned earlier, the ketogenic diet was first introduced to treat epilepsy. Studies have shown it to be safe and have shown positive results in treating children with epilepsy who do not respond well to medication, thereby reducing the occurrence of seizures in these children.