Keto diet – what’s all the hype about?
According to the latest statistics, the number of obese people in the United States has reached record high level. Almost 40% of adult Americans are obese and more than 30% are overweight. The CDC has confirmed this. 
When it comes to genders, the situation is worse for women. This is quite natural because the female body works in a different way compared to the male body. In other words, due to female child-bearing abilities, their bodies are more prone to weight problems. The level of fat in women is usually higher because they have high estrogen levels and on top of that, they are experiencing hormonal misbalance from time to time. Just to be clear, obesity is a medical condition where the body mass index of an individual (BMI) is over 30%.
If you do some research, you will notice that there are many ways to address this issue. However, more and more people are turning to one specific weight loss method – the keto diet.
Keto diet – what’s all the hype about?
A ketogenic diet, or simply a keto diet, is an efficient type of diet that relies on low carb intake. Unlike many other diets, this one is a high fat and moderate protein intake diet. By following this diet, people can burn fat incredibly fast. The practitioner of this diet is practically forcing the body to create ketones in their liver that are used for the production of energy. On the other hand, you are probably aware that intake of foods rich in carbohydrates and sugars can lead to the production of glucose in the body and cause insulin spikes.
It is an interesting fact that even though keto diet has become a trending diet today, it was introduced back in 1920. Ever since then many scientific studies that have confirmed the positive effects of a keto diet. For instance, Mayo Clinic has suggested that practicing a keto lifestyle can help people manage the negative impact of serious health problems like diabetes.
If you want to get into ketosis, you will have to cut carbs to less than 50 grams per day. It would be perfect to take between 25 and 30 grams of carbs a day. Your meals should consist of 75% fat and 15% protein. Keep in mind that these percentages and amounts are different for different people (it depends on the body type and few other factors). Generally speaking, every person should be able to enter into ketosis after 3 to 14 days.
Whenever people are taking a higher amount of carbs, their metabolism is focused on burning carbohydrates for fuel. This means that the stored layers of fat will remain intact. However, once you cut the carb intake, your body will be forced to burning the stored fat.
So, how to get into ketosis?
- Keep the carb intake between 25 and 50 net carbs per day.
- Switch sunflower oil (or other oil) with coconut oil
- Increase your physical activity (30 minutes a day is enough)
- Boost healthy fats
- Practice short period of fasting
- Keep protein intake at the same level
- Check ketones levels
In case you are planning on starting a keto diet, it’s always a good idea to talk to your physician. Keto diet has proven to be effective for people who want to lose weight, but this is more than a simple weight loss strategy. With the help of keto diet, you can bring balance in your body and mind and preserve your health.