The ketogenic or keto diet plan is high fat and low-carb diet that provides plenty of benefits to the person taking it. There are plenty of studies that prove that the keto diet plan can lead to better health and reduced weight. Ketogenic diets have advantages against diseases like diabetes, epilepsy, cancer, and even Alzheimer’s disease. This article will give you all the basics of the ketogenic diet.
Basics Of The Ketogenic Diet
Before diving into the details of the ketogenic diet, it is essential to go over the basics: You might be well aware of the keto diet plan or be completely new to it. Either way, we will be covering all about it from the beginning to the very end. you can also read my Keto Diet overview here.
The ketogenic diet is very similar to the low-carb diet or Atkins diet. It involves consuming very low amounts of carbohydrates and replacing them with fat. When one reduces carbs below a certain level, the human body goes into a metabolic state called ketosis.
During ketosis, the human body becomes efficient in burning fat for energy requirements for the body. Also, in the liver, fat is getting converted into ketones. The brain can use up this energy.
A ketogenic diet is great in reducing the insulin and sugar levels in the blood. Along with the rise in ketones, this reduction provides many benefits for the body. this is why it’s popular diet for diabetes
Despite the clear advantages of the Ketogenic diet plan you should always consult your physician before moving to ketogenic nutrition or any other major nutritional change for that matter!
What is ketosis?
Before we start with a 4-week keto diet plan, it is important to know what ketosis is.
The metabolic state in which your body where uses fat for fuel instead of carbohydrates is Ketosis.
Practicing the ketogenic diet is the best way to get your body into this state of ketosis. It usually involves limiting the carbohydrate consumption to only 20-50 grams for a day and eating fats for the rest of your meals.
You can consume healthy oils, fish, nuts, eggs, and meat & You will also have to keep your protein intake limited. It si required to keep it limited because if protein consumption can convert into glucose which can slow down ketosis.
Practicing something known as intermittent fasting is also a great way to quickly get your body into ketosis. There are a lot of ways that you can do intermittent fasting: The most common method is eating only for 8 hours a day and not eating anything for 16 hours.
There are many tests, such as blood and urine tests, to confirm if you have entered the metabolic state of ketosis. Some symptoms that can confirm ketosis are increased thirst, a dry mouth, pretty frequent urination, and a lowered appetite.
The 4-week diet plan
Now that we have discussed the basics of a keto diet, we can jump into the diet plan.
Week 1
For the first week of your ketogenic diet, we would advise going slow and simple. Since your body is not yet used to the diet, it is best to start simple. Therefore, for this week, keep the calorie count, size of portions, and concerns about getting into ketosis away from you.
The first week is about getting yourself trained to stay away from starchy food and sugars.
Cut off highly glycemic foods.
You need to stop consuming foods such as rice, pasta, and bread. There are many foods that you can replace these foods with.
Eat veggies that are not starchy.
Green leafy veggies, cauliflower, and broccoli are great vegetables to eat that are not starchy.
Keep your protein intake moderate.
Your protein consumption should be only 15 to 30 percent from healthy protein sources like beef, chicken, tofu, or fish.
Consume fats as the remaining foods
After consuming all the foods as mentioned earlier, consume fats. These should be coming from healthy fat sources like avocados, nuts, nut butter, cheese, and olive oil.
The important rules in week 1
Try to eat less pasta, potatoes, grains, rice, sugar, beans, and avoid too many fruits.
Start looking out for hidden sugar in the products you consume, like jellies, peanut butter, and pasta sauce. However, if you still want to eat fruits, stick to only berries.
Read more Keto Diet Week 2 & 3
