The Keto Diet: Everything you need to know
If you’re reading this article it probably means you’ve seen someone lose a ton of weight on keto or heard good things. But what is the keto diet?
If you’re a little confused about this diet, don’t worry, you are not alone!
There are way too many blog posts with difficult terms, videos that are confusing and they all mention strange words like ketosis.
That’s why we made this simple blog post explaining what the keto diet is, how it works and some great tips to help you stay on track.
Be sure to stick around until the end to learn how simple the keto diet really is.
What is a keto diet?
When you eat carbs, your body turns them into glucose (also known as blood sugar) which tends to be the main energy source for your body.
The keto diet helps you replace your body’s main source of fuel from carbohydrates to fat, turning your body into a fat-burning machine!
How does that happen?
The diet demands that you significantly reduce the number of carbs you intake and replace them with fat.
When your body is being deprived of carbs and sugar, it enters into a state known as ketosis and finds a new source for fuel. Fat!
What is ketosis?
Ketosis is the metabolic state that your body enters when your body begins to use fat for its main source of fuel.
In order to achieve this, usually, you have to limit your carb intake to 50 grams or less.
This usually varies per person since some people may need to eat fewer carbs than others to go into ketosis.
This leads to the next obvious question.
How do I know when I’m in ketosis?
Knowing whether you’re in ketosis or not can be tricky, but here are some telltale signs when you first enter ketosis (don’t worry, they can all be solved!):
- Short-Term Lack of Energy - When you first start your keto journey, you will most likely experience an initial drop in energy levels and feel tired before your body adapts to its new source of energy.
- Weight Loss - Carb restriction tends to support weight loss dramatically.
- Bad Breath - This is very common and usually happens as your body expels certain ketones via urine and breath.
- Loss of Appetite - As you go through the keto diet, you won’t feel as hungry and will tend to get full quicker.
- Increased Focus - Many people claim that the longer they stay on the ketogenic diet the more energy and focus they tend to have throughout the day.
- Digestive Issues - Some may experience stomach aches, constipation, and other digestive issues when you first make the switch to a ketogenic diet.
- Insomnia - When you first start, poor sleep and even insomnia can occur. Usually, after a couple of weeks, it disappears.
You’re probably thinking, “Yeah, that sounds terrible!”
The good news is that most of the downsides are short term or can be addressed - and the benefits of keto FAR outweigh the negatives!
Benefits of a Keto Diet:
In addition to rapid weight loss, here are some other key health benefits:
While these results can be life-changing, they come at a price. You have to be willing to change your lifestyle and be disciplined in eating the right things to make sure you actually get the benefits.
What to eat on a Keto Diet:
Your main focus should be finding delicious keto foods that make you feel satisfied. It’s not hard. Full-fat foods are delicious and satiating! But it’s critical to your journey.
The reason this is so important is that you want to make sure you enjoy this lifestyle change so you can stick with it -- and don’t kick yourself out of ketosis with cheat meals.
Now, let’s talk about macros.
There are different types of ketogenic diets, so we’ll break down the macros for each one:
Standard Ketogenic Diet (SKD)
This is the most common keto diet. It’s a low-carb, moderate amount of protein and high-fat diet broken down like this:
Cyclical Ketogenic Diet (CKD)
This version of the SKD has more flexibility involving phases of higher carb intake.
E.g. Having 5 keto days followed by 2 high carb intake days.
Targeted Ketogenic Diet (TKD)
This variation adds some carbs around your workout routine. Some people find that between 20g - 50g of carbs taken approximately 30 minutes before their workout gives them the best performance.
High-Protein Ketogenic Diet (HPKD)
This is similar to the SKD with some slight adjustments to the macros.
Remember, everyone is different so you’ll have to test out what works for you.
What is Keto Flu?
As you’re adapting to the keto diet, you might initially experience flu-like symptoms, also known as the keto flu.
Here are some of the symptoms:
How to get rid of the Keto Flu?
When you deprive your body of carbs, your kidney begins to expel more sodium causing your body to expel water more rapidly, and along with that water, essential minerals also known as electrolytes.
Some key electrolytes that your body flushes out are sodium, potassium, and magnesium.
This is why it’s especially important to make sure you include some electrolyte supplementation in your diet.
Hi-lyte's Keto K1000 supplement is specifically designed for a keto diet.
Dissolve one scoop in a 16-ounce glass of water which includes 1,000mg of potassium.
With no sugar or maltodextrin, it won’t increase your blood sugar levels which makes it one of the best keto-friendly products available today.
We also recommend the highest potassium electrolyte concentrate currently available.
Adapted Nutrition’s Keto IV has 500mg of potassium, magnesium, sodium & zinc.
This raspberry-flavored concentrate mixed with water includes all-natural seal minerals with no maltodextrin helping you recover those electrolytes.
Summary
Let’s summarize the core benefits of a keto diet:
Make sure to check out our store for the best products to help you maximize your keto journey.