Keto: Is This For You? Is It Safe For Woman? Things You Should Know About The Ketogenic Diet

Many women today are battling with self esteem issues and one of the known self esteem killers for women are unwanted fats and weight gain. Aside from preventing you to wear that flashy swimwear during vacations, weight gain if not controlled early on may result to being overweight that can lead to many other serious illnesses like diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease and stroke, fatty liver and kidney disease among many others.

Diet and exercise seemed to be the best combo to improve your health and well being, prevent sicknesses and achieve that healthy and balanced life style which in turn will make you feel and look good. All these years fitness and health enthusiasts never stop to develop workouts and diet that will be beneficial for different body types and needs and even medical condition.

The recent popular diet in America now that is also taking the internet by storm is the Ketogenic Diet

What is Ketogenic Diet?

Ketogenic  diet also known as Keto diet is a low carb high fat diet (LCHF) where the body produces ketones in the liver to be used as fuel or energy.

When you eat something high in carbohydrates (which normally are the case for a lot of people on a daily basis) your body will produce glucose and insulin. Glucose is the easiest molecule for your body to convert and use as energy that’s why it’s the main energy source for your body .Insulin is produced to process the glucose in your bloodstream by taking it around the body.

Our body cannot store that much glucose, so the ones that are not being used for energy source are then converted to fats and ends up being stored, reducing  the intake of carbohydrates  forces your body to use ketones for energy instead  of glucose which is your normal energy source.

Ketosis is a natural process the body initiates to help us survive when food intake is low. During this state, we produce ketones, which are produced from the breakdown of fats in the liver hence the name Ketogenic diet.

Ketogenic diet is developed by a Doctor named Dr.Russell  Wilder in 1921 for potential treatment for  Epilepsy and other diseases. This diet though not originally intended for weight loss is gaining popularity and are being used by a number of people recently.

So how do you get started on the KetoGenic Diet Plan and Is It Even Worth Trying?

So how do you start a keto diet? This is the part where challenges may arise since Keto  is less on carbs and more on fats you will  really have to be strict with what you eat and not eat (the eating plan consists of 70% fats, 25% proteins and 5% carbohydrates)

  Here are the foods you should eat:

• 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.

And the food you should not eat:

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

For recipes, there are a lot of options on the internet you can check, but BEWARE – not all advertised free ketogenic cookbooks are accurate.  I downloaded a free one recently and it’s recipes contained bananas, raisins, and oranges – all things forbidden on Keto.  I ended up wasting a couple days on the keto diet without realizing I had downloaded a “keto” meal plan that wasn’t really Keto friendly at all.

KETO DIET PRO’s:

• Rapid weight loss- much of what is water weight through the elimination of carbs and the use of fats as your body’s main source of energy this can be done.
• Better mental focus– the reason why you experience an increase in mental performance is that ketones are a great fuel source for your brain.
• Increased energy-provides your body with the energy you need for the day
• Minimize hunger-because your body takes more fats and protein it also increases your fullness.
• Epilepsy– since it is originally developed for such disease it’s proven to be a big help in controlling Epilepsy .

KETO DIET CON’s:

• Rapid Re-Gain of Weight – The fall out rate of those who try Keto is VERY high due to it’s complexity and sustainability.   Initial weight loss is rapidly regained because the body went into a starvation mode in the initial phases of the diet and when carbs are too quickly introduced, they are rapidly restored as fat and excess water weight.
• It Might Kill Your Thyroid – Scientific studies have shown that going on a Keto diet lowers your thyroid function and lowers a healthy bodies ability to convert T3 hormones to T4.  If you are already hypothyroid, OR if you are one of the many woman who have it and don’t know it (an estimated 40-60% of US woman do) then this diet could make things worse and further slow your metabolism down promoting more depression and fatigue than you had previously.   It’s worth researching this in depth before beginning the diet.
• Side effects such as Keto flu, which happens during the first to four weeks due to your body trying to adjust having little to no carbohydrates. Symptoms include: head ache, dizziness, fatigue, cramping, stomach pains, constipation and bad breath among others.

• Sustainability – it could be difficult to sustain since a diet that consists of large amount of carbohydrate is mostly what a lot of people consume on a day to day basis. Dedication and self control is very much needed to last in this kind of diet.
• It Can Lower The Leptin Levels In Woman Long Term – For woman, Leptin is one of the primary fat burning hormones for sustained weight loss.  Extremely low carbohydrate diets do cause rapid weight loss in woman, but over the long term, according to Brad Pilon who has studied female fat loss for years, it drastically slows Leptin production, inhibiting woman from sustaining any real fat loss. He also has a LOT of scientific facts and references to back up his claims.  Learn more about this here =>
• Some reputable doctors say it messes up woman’s hormones in the long term, leading to more weight gain!  To succeed, learn the truth about why people commonly fail on the Ketogenic Diet and the easy way for WOMAN to succeed in long term and easily sustained fat loss here=>

As cliché as it may sound, health is wealth and it is very important to find the diet and workout that will best suit you, popular doesn’t necessarily mean good.

It’s vitally important that you learn eat for health and NOT JUST FAT LOSS.

It is best to consult your Doctor, do your own research and consult experts regarding these matters. And when you finally decide on which diet plan and/or workout you will go through…Do it! And do it with discipline and dedication.

This article below may help you choose the right diet plan for FOR YOU which in the end, will ensure your ultimate health and fat loss success. 

Good luck on your next step!