Getting Lean for summer: Ketogenic diet (PART 2)

Hey there,
This is the second post of a chain of 3 posts, which will enumerate and go into some detail about the 3 most efficient weight loss methods, which aren't utilized enough.
In part 1 spoke about intermittent fasting, where this will go into detail about Ketosis.

What is Ketosis?
To start, I would like to say that ketosis is one of my all time favourite methods to burn off that excess, lingering belly fat.

In a normal, balanced diet, the body has no real need for lipolysis (breakdown of fat), as glycogen, and carbohydrates are much easier to breakdown, and utilize for energy. Hence, fat stores never really reduce. The ketogenic diet entails consuming below 30g of carbohydrates a day, which is substantially less than the bodies needs to maintain blood glucose levels. In such cases, the body enters a state called "Ketosis", which causes a production of ketone bodies in the liver. These ketone bodies are created using fats, and are utilized for the production of energy when carbohydrates are not available. Simply put, your body literally burns fat for energy.

How to get into Ketosis?

There are 2 conditions which HAVE to be met, in order to get into a state of Ketosis.

1. Carbohydrate consumption varies from individual to individual, but as a rule of thumb, must be kept below 25-30g a day

2. It takes around a week, to a week-and-a-half to enter the state of ketosis.

Pros:

1. Incredible weight loss
2. Diabetes management/ prevention, as it lowers overall blood sugar naturally!
3. Substantially increased menatl focus, as there are no sugar highs and lows
4. Increased energy
5. Normalized hunger
6. It is a well known symptomatic cure for epilepsy
7. Has been known to reduce LDL and increase HDL, and hence helps in Blood pressure management
8. Skin improvements have been noticed for patients with Acne

Cons:

1. Takes immense will-power, as even 1 cheat meal can take you out of ketosis, which might take a few days to get back into
2. The main danger with ketosis is a phenomenon known as "Ketoacidosis", in which there is an excess acumulation of ketone bodies. However, this condition is highly unlikely, as it is challenging for most people to even enter ketosis. The main exception is in the case of patients suffering from Type 1 Diabetes, in which insulin levels are severely low which is rare in someone with a normally functioning pancreas. High levels of ketone bodies, results in sevretion of insulin.
   3.Keto Flu- which will be explained later

As a precaution, please remember to consult your physician before embarking on any diet, or drastic lifestyle change. This article is merely a guide, and is not responsible for your wellbeing

The diet itself:

Avoid:

Grains – wheat, corn, rice, cereal, etc.
Sugar – honey, agave, maple syrup, etc.
Fruit – apples, bananas, oranges, etc.
Tubers – potato, yams, etc.

Acceptable:

Meats – fish, beef, lamb, poultry, eggs, etc.
Leafy Greens – spinach, kale, etc.
Above ground vegetables – broccoli, cauliflower, etc.
High Fat Dairy – hard cheeses, high fat cream, butter, etc.
Nuts and seeds – macadamias, walnuts, sunflower seeds, etc.
Avocado and berries – raspberries, blackberries, and other low glycemic impact berries
Sweeteners – stevia, erythritol, monk fruit, and other low-carb sweeteners
Other fats – coconut oil, high-fat salad dressing, saturated fats, etc.

Signs you have entered a ketogenic state:

1. Increased Urination- Keto is a natural diuretic, so you have to go to the bathroom more.

2. Dry Mouth- The increased urination leads to dry mouth and increased thirst. Hence, you should drink plenty of water.

3. Bad Breath- Acetone is a ketone body that partially excretes in our breath. It can smell sharp, but usually goes away long-term.

4. Reduced Hunger & Increased Energy- As mentioned above, after you get past the phase of lethargy, headaches, bad moods, and nausea, known as the "Keto Flu, you’ll experience a much lower hunger level and a “clear”, energized mental state.

Personal experience with the diet:

I have personally undergone a ketogenic died numerous times. It has never once failed me, since I adhered to its strict rules. I find that the most effective time to use it, is to get from that 10-12% body-fat, into the single digits. As i'm sure you've figured out, this genuinely works, and is one of my favourite and most high-yield diets.

Now that you know how to effectively impliment a Ketogenic diet, what are you waiting for?!
This concise guide took a fair amount of time to put together, please dont forget to upvote, resteem, and follow if this helped you in any way!

The third, and final installment of the series will be coming to you shortly, stay tuned, as I will be shedding light on one of the most obscure and underused methods of weight loss, which bodybuilders and physique competators alike dont want you to know!

Regards,
Doctor.fit