Ketosis - What is Ketosis, Benefits, Risks, and Tips!
What Is Ketosis?
While there are several versions of the keto diet, there is one main goal: to burn fat. Putting your body into ketosis gives you the ability to unlock the power for unlimited energy, focus, and fat loss. The main question is what does that mean? We’re here to break it down for you.
There are three types of fuel that light the fire for energy in our bodies: carbs, proteins, and fats. Carbs, when eaten, give us a quick burst of energy, but it doesn’t last long, leaving us with a crash and constant craving for more. Proteins are the building blocks for muscles but can often become a barrier when trying to lose weight because of the breakdown that happens in our bodies. Fats, when being burned in the body, are what give us the longest and best source of energy.
It can be hard to get to the fat burning stage because of the carbohydrates we often crave. When consumed, they burn off quickly, which causes the energy drop, leaving us wanting more and enters us into a never-ending cycle. When you begin to add protein, your body can burn this factor as fuel a little bit longer, yet it still doesn’t compare to what happens when your body reaches the state of Ketosis.
The Science Behind It
We know that burning fats causes us to lose fat, but did you know that when you get to a state of burning pure fats, your body release” ketone bodies”. Ketone bodies are molecules that act as the body’s natural back-up fuel supply when glucose is scarce. Ketones are like thousands of little encouragers that give you energy and focus, which not only makes you feel incredible, but make the fat melt off your body. This is because it’s finally being burned off and no longer guarded by the carbs and the proteins. We normally only enter ketosis when we starve ourselves for multiple days at a time. It triggers our metabolism to switch to fat-burning mode and converts stored fat into ketone molecules that can power our muscles and brains since we have run out of glucose.
Thankfully, due to the keto diet, we don’t need to starve ourselves for days on end to trigger this switch in our bodies. All you need to do is remove carbohydrates from your diet. These include all carbs including complex carbs and starches such as whole grains, beans, oats, etc. Once our bodies have no source of glucose, your metabolism will go into ketosis in order to keep your brain and body functioning properly.
Benefits, Risks, Side Affects
The benefits of ketosis are not just weight loss (although that isn’t something to complain about) but people’s overall health has improved as well. It has been shown that ketosis improves heart health, protect brain function, can improve symptoms of those who struggle with PCOS, and can even reduce the risk of certain cancers.
The ketogenic diet can benefit many factors in one’s life, however there are risks to be aware of as well. If you are considering this lifestyle change, it is important to be aware of possible excess protein in the blood, kidney stones, mineral and vitamin deficiencies, and a build up of fat in the liver. If you are someone who knows they have diabetes, hypoglycemia, heart disease, or any other health conditions, we suggest seeking a consultation with a doctor to check if this choice is right for you.
Tips and Tricks for Longevity
Aside from consuming only keto foods and ingredients, some tips to work into your weekly routines may help with the longevity of this change in diet/lifestyle! One major way people find help through this is meal-prepping. It can be hard to stay on track when you have a busy schedule and all of a sudden become hungry in a surrounding with all your favorite non-keto foods are calling out your name. This is why we suggest always being prepared so your stomach is never ahead of your mind in making food choices. Another tip is to exercise! This will speed up the ketosis process in your body, and even a quick walk around the block will allow you to have a more focused and energized mindset. Next you can use a ketone meter to regularly check where you are at in ketosis. Our last tip is finding your keto community! Collaborating with other keto dieters offers support when you have questions, concerns, or struggles. It also gives you a space to share your accomplishments and makes it much easier to you to stay on track and get the results you’re looking for!
Keto has been catching fire (like the fat in our bodies) for a reason- it works! It also doesn’t include extreme changes to your lifestyle like not being able to go to your favorite restaurants anymore or having to keep a small list of foods you can eat. The keto lifestyle works because it allows us to work smarter, not harder- letting our metabolism do the majority of the work!