What is the Keto Diet?
The Keto diet focuses on consuming foods that provide healthy fats, adequate protein, and limited carbohydrates. The goal is to get more calories from fat than from carbs.
This diet works by depleting the body’s sugar reserves, which results in it starting to break down fat for energy. This fat-burning process can help with weight loss without the need to count calories.
There are several versions of the Keto diet, including the Standard Keto Diet and the Cyclical Keto Diet.
The Keto diet has other positive health effects, such as lowering blood sugar levels. When following the Keto diet, your liver uses fat (from your body and diet) to produce ketones, which your brain can use for energy. Additionally, fat provides energy for your muscles.
The Keto diet is effective for weight loss and certain health conditions, as demonstrated by numerous studies. It is particularly useful for reducing excess fat without causing hunger and for improving type 2 diabetes or metabolic syndrome.
If your diet is easy, enjoyable, and provides essential nutrition, you'll be able to stick with it long-term to lose weight, improve your health, and maintain these benefits.
Supports Weight Loss Without Hunger Fitness experts note that the low-carb Keto diet is often effective for weight loss. In fact, compared to other diets, the Keto diet often results in more significant weight loss.
The process of adapting to this diet reduces insulin levels, making it easier for you to access and burn your body’s fat stores.
Controlling and Improving Type 2 Diabetes
The Keto diet can effectively manage blood sugar levels for individuals with type 2 diabetes. Since carbohydrates increase blood sugar levels more than protein or fat, reducing carb intake is essential. This is the mechanism by which the Keto diet works to potentially reverse type 2 diabetes.
The Keto diet plays a significant role in improving several markers of metabolic health, including blood pressure, blood sugar levels, HDL cholesterol, and triglyceride levels.
In non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), excess fat is stored in the liver. Recent research indicates that the Keto diet can help reduce or manage NAFLD effectively.
Following the Keto diet can provide additional health benefits, including:
- Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS)
- Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)
- Acne
- Epilepsy
- Mental Health
- Physical Endurance
- Migraine Relief
