THE STEP BY STEP KETO COOKBOOK TO GAIN KETOSIS
TABLE OF CONTENTS
CHAPTER 1: THE SECRETS OF THE KETOGENIC DIET PLAYBOOK
CHAPTER 2: THE YES AND NO OF KETO FOODS
CHAPTER 3: A KETO HELPER: THE 28 DAY MEAL PLAN
CHAPTER 4: STEP BY STEP: HIGH FAT LOW CARB KETO RECIPES
FAT BOMBS, SNACKS AND DESSERTS
CONCLUSION: TIME TO TAKE ACTION AND GET KETOGENIC
APPENDIX A: THE
GROCERY LISTS APPENDIX B:
CONVERSION CHARTS
APPENDIX C: RECIPE
INDEX
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Have you been wanting to get to work on that physique but felt that you had to lose some weight first? Or could it be that the term “weight loss” has been hanging around in the back of your mind, just that you never really got down to working on it? Restrictive and strange diets, fanciful expensive machines, and the ultimate fat-burning, no-workout magic weight loss pill. These would be the many purported solutions that one would find whenever you seek an answer in the dazzling, multi-billion dollar weight loss industry.
The truth is, by coming to this book, you already have an inkling of what is truly needed to effect safe and lasting weight loss. It is a natural fact that only through watching what we eat, will we have the most impact on our weight.
This is where the ketogenic diet really shines and lets you enjoy automatic, effortless fat burning without all the usual calorie constraints of other diets.
Weight loss is an almost certain result you will enjoy once you start the ketogenic diet, but this is not the only benefit that you will enjoy. Think of all those activities you have always wanted to pursue, but shelved because you simply had no energy left after your usual day’s work. Well, time to dust off those hobbies and the things you enjoy doing, because on the ketogenic diet, you will have more energy for your daily work and play! The accompanying mental clarity and sharpness of thought are also positive effects which you will have as a direct result of the diet. A better health report card, by way of optimized cholesterol readings, normalized blood sugar and a corresponding lowered risk of cardiovascular diseases are also just some of the beneficial health effects experienced by most on the diet.
This book’s aim is primarily to give you the tools with which to let the ketogenic diet run more smoothly and seamlessly in your daily life.
Something that many learn is that a diet is almost only as good as the number of recipes it has in its repertoire. The benefits of a particular diet may be numerous, but if you are forced to have the same stuff every breakfast, lunch and dinner, even the most avid supporter of the lot would probably have problems sustaining the diet. This is where I am most happy to say that the ketogenic diet has quite some leeway for the concoction of various different recipes, and it is the purpose of this book to bring you some of the more delicious and easy-to-prepare meals for your gastronomic pleasure!
For the beginners as well as the adepts of the ketogenic diet, the recipes contained within are created specifically to be appealing to your palate while not requiring you to literally spend the whole day in the kitchen! Concise and to the point, the recipes break down meal preparation requirements in a simple step by step format, easy for anyone to understand. An additional 28- day meal plan is also structured to serve both as guidance as well as inspiration for the new and old adherents to the ketogenic diet. Grocery lists top it all off to give you the timely reminder on what to get on your next food shopping trip.
The very fact that you are here with this book, is sufficient proof that you are at least curious to know how the ketogenic diet can help you. Even better, maybe you are already quite well-versed with its benefits and are seeking diverse, rich, and savory recipes for a more delectable ketogenic journey.
Regardless of which is which, this keto diet cookbook will be well placed to provide you with actionable culinary ideas with which to spice up your daily meals.
I really hope that the value and ideas you find in this book will serve you well, and may you have a fruitful ketogenic journey!
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THE SECRETS OF THE KETOGENIC DIET PLAYBOOK
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE KETOGENIC DIET
The ketogenic diet, otherwise known as the keto diet, is not a new-fangled fad diet based on shaky nutritional science. It has been around since the olden times, with ancient Greeks utilizing the diet as part of a holistic treatment for epilepsy. In fact, over here in the States, it was an acknowledged means of treatment for childhood epileptic seizures throughout the 1920s.
Unfortunately, this natural way of therapy had to give way to the modern advances of pharmaceutical science with its penchant for immediate effects.
Happily, the ketogenic diet has found its way back into the mainstream yet again and probably for very good reasons! You see, the basis of the diet is to essentially trigger your body’s own fat burning mechanisms in order to fuel what the body requires for energy throughout the day. This means that the fat that you eat, as well as the stored fat in your body, have all become fuel stores your body can tap on! Little wonder that this diet really helps you with weight loss, even for those stubborn, hard to lose fatty areas. That could be one of the reasons why you picked this book and looked into embarking on the ketogenic journey, or you may have heard stuff from your social circle about how the keto diet actually normalizes blood sugar levels as well as optimizes your cholesterol readings and you are intrigued. How about stories of type 2 diabetes being reversed just through following this diet alone, as well as tales of certain cancers being halted or the tumors shrinking due to the positive effects of the keto diet? We must also not forget the accompanying risk reduction of cardiovascular disease as a result of the diet!
All of the benefits mentioned above stem largely from a single important process in the ketogenic diet. Ketosis is the name of the game.
KETOSIS KNOW-HOW
Ketosis is a state where the body produces molecules called ketones which are created by the liver. Designed to give energy to the cells and organs, it can replace glucose as an alternate fuel source. In our traditional carbohydrate-rich diet, we get most of our energy from glucose, which is
converted from the carbs that we eat during meals. Glucose is a quick source of energy, where insulin is required as a sort of messenger that tells the cells to open up and allow glucose to flow in such that it can be used as fuel for the mitochondria, otherwise known as the energy factories in our cells.
The more carbs we ingest, the more glucose will be present in our blood, which then means the pancreas needs to produce more insulin in order to facilitate energy production from the available blood sugar. In a body where the metabolic function is still normal, the insulin produced from the pancreas is readily accepted by the cells, which then leads to an efficient usage of blood sugar as energy. The problem is that our cells can actually become insulin desensitized, leading to a situation where the pancreas is forced to pump more and more insulin into the body just to clear and normalize the blood sugar levels.
Insulin de-sensitivity or insulin resistance is created mainly due to the continual elevated presence of glucose in the blood, usually caused by the ingestion of carb-rich foods. Think of your body’s cells as a bouncer at a club, where entry to the club requires that you pay a fee. You play the role of glucose here, and the fee required to enter the club is insulin. If your frequency to the club is in line with the norm, the bouncer does not detect anything unusual and so does not raise the fee required for entry. However, if you show up just about every night clamoring to be let in, the bouncer knows your desperate need and correspondingly jacks up the insulin fee in order to let the glucose in. Gradually, the entry fee becomes higher and higher until such a point where the source of insulin, which in this case is the pancreas, no longer produces any. This is where the situation will be diagnosed as type 2 diabetes, and the usual solution would entail being on a lifetime of meds or insulin shots.
The crux of the matter here lies in the presence of glucose in the body system. Every time we take in a carb-rich meal, which isn’t difficult in this day and age of fast food and sugary treats, our blood sugar levels get elevated and insulin is activated for the conversion into energy as well as storage of the unused excess into fat cells. This is where the usual furor arises, with condemnations coming in for both glucose and insulin as being the root of many diseases and dreaded weight gain. I would like to take this opportunity to state that insulin and glucose are most definitely not the root of all evil, as some books have made them out to be. It would be far more accurate to point
to our current diet as being the leading cause of obesity and metabolic diseases plaguing the better part of the developed world.
Cue the ketogenic diet, which is where we can see the change for the better. The keto diet is a fat-based diet, with an emphasis on being deliberately low carb. This approach is designed so that we reduce our intake of sugary and starchy foods which are so conveniently available. Just a fun fact: sugar was actually used as a preservative in the olden days, and it is no coincidence that much of the processed foods we see today contain high amounts of sugar just because it allows for a lengthened shelf life. Foods high in sugar have also been shown to trigger the hedonic hunger response in the brain, essentially causing you to eat for the sake of pleasure rather than real hunger. Studies have shown that sugary treats are linked to the areas of the brain which are also responsible for gambling and drug addiction. Now you know why you can’t seem to stop popping those candied sweets into your mouth!
So we cut down on the carbs, and this is where fats come in to replace the energy needed to sustain the body. On the standard ketogenic diet, you will be looking to take in 75% of your daily calories as fats, about 20% of it as proteins and the remaining 5% in the form of carbs. We do this because, as you remember, we want fats to become our principal source of fuel. Only with the combination of cutting down carbs and increasing our fat intake will we trigger the body to initiate ketosis. Its either we do it through the diet which allows long term and sustainable usage, or we actually starve ourselves into ketosis. Yep, you heard me right, ketosis is the body’s natural function that builds a buffer against those lean times when food is scarce.
KETO DIET A STARVATION DIET?
This has been also bandied around a lot in recent times, with some trying to cast a negative light on the keto diet by dint of associating it with starvation. To make things clear, the process of ketosis is triggered when our bodies sense we do not have sufficient glucose in the system. It then turns to our fat stores to convert them into ketones through the liver in order to maintain continued energy supply for our cells and organs. It does not mean that on the keto diet, you are actually starving yourself! I get a little worked up every time somebody says that. How can a person taking in 1,800 to 2,000 calories on a daily basis, which is what you will get on the meal plan, be effectively starving?
To be fair, ketosis came in really handy during the hunter-gatherer times of our human history. This was a period where agriculture wasn’t that wide spread, and the food you ate depended on what you hunted or found. This created a situation where there might be no food for days at a time, so when glucose found its way into the system, our bodies dispatched insulin to ferry it into our organs as well as hoard the unused glucose into fat cells for future use.
During the lean times when there really was no food to be had, the body then entered the state of ketosis by utilizing the stored fats to supply energy.
During this state, our hunger hormones like ghrelin, get their production reduced, and the hormones which control satiety, like leptin, see their levels elevated. All this is because our bodies are trying to make the best of things and allow us to be as comfortable as possible when it detects that food sources are scarce.
Now, fast forward to modern times, when food is literally just one or two blocks, or maybe just a car’s drive away, and we probably won’t face food shortages like our Paleolithic ancestors. Our bodies, though, still contain the processes and mechanisms which enabled them to survive. That is the key reason why, on the keto diet, we cut carbs and increase our daily fat intake. When we do that, the state of ketosis is induced, and we get to enjoy all the metabolic benefits which the diet confers. The fat that we eat also goes into replenishing the fat stores in the body, which is why I have to say again, you do not starve while on the ketogenic diet!
Once this point is made, some folks then zone in on the multimillion-dollar question. If eating fats get stored as fat, why do we almost always lose weight when on the keto diet?
HOW KETO BRINGS WEIGHT LOSS
One of the first things that we always lose when we embark on the ketogenic diet is most definitely water weight. The body stores glucose as adipose fats, but there is a small supply of glucose that is stored as glycogen, which consists of mostly water. Glycogen is meant to supply quick bursting energy, the sort that we need when we are sprinting or lifting weights. As we cut carbs, the body turns to glycogen as the first pool of energy supply, which is why water weight will be lost in the initial stages. This initial burst of lost weight can be a morale booster for many, and it is a good portent for what is
to come for folks who stick to the keto diet. On a side note, water weight is easily lost, and gained. This means that for folks who see some results on the keto diet initially and then decide to get off the bandwagon for some reason, the chances are their weight would balloon back up once carbs becomes the daily caloric mainstay.
For the rest who stick with the ketogenic diet, what happens next will be the body’s fat burning mechanism which is responsible for the astounding weight loss results seen by many. The basic premise is still the same, in that adipose fats are now activated as sources of energy by the body’s organs and cells, leading to a natural state of fat loss and hence accompanying weight reduction.
Fat burning is not the only reason why weight loss is seen on the keto diet. Hunger suppression and improve satiety after meals are also reasons why folks are able to lose weight better whilst on the diet. The adage of eating less and moving more has always been one of the long standing tenets in weight loss. The whole idea is to create a calorie deficit such that the body is required to rely on its stored supplies of energy to make up for the required expenditure. On paper, that sounds easy and simple, but for anyone who has been through situations where you have had to consciously curb your eating on a hungry stomach, it could be as difficult as scaling Mount Everest!
With the ketogenic diet, you know that you will have natural hunger suppression, due to the adjustment of the hormones which control feelings of hunger and fullness. Besides that, the food that we typically consume whilst on the diet also helps out with the weight loss. Fats and protein are known to be more satiating and fulfilling than sugary carbs. When we switch to a high fat diet while cutting down on the carbs, we achieve two things pretty much at the same time. Easing back on carbs, especially the sugary stuff, reduces the impulse to eat just because you feel like it, not because you are truly hungry. Jacking up the fat intake also creates the satiety effect much quicker and lets you feel full. This is part of the reason why many keto dieters say that they can go on two and a half or even two meals a day without feeling the slightest pinch of hunger.
On our keto meal plan, we account for a daily caloric intake that ranges from 1,800 to 2,000 calories, so we do not really utilize calorie restriction in order to reduce weight. The reality is that, when you are experiencing fullness and satisfaction from your meals, those tiny and innocent looking snacks that
occupy the time in between meals will not feature much in your life! Think about it: donuts, chips, and cakes, which are the typical go-to snacks, get cut out, simply because you are less likely to give in to hedonistic hunger caused primarily by those same sugary treats! That goes a really long way in cutting excess calories which would otherwise have been converted to adipose fat tissue.
To sum it up, the ketogenic diet allows for meals without the typical calorie restriction of other weight loss diets. It also gives a helping hand in creating hunger suppression effects so that you do not have to contend with those dastardly hunger pangs! There is also the absence of carb cravings, which can potentially derail any diet. This lets us enjoy natural weight loss with as little disruption to our daily lives as possible. No calorie counters need to be deployed, no need for a troublesome six to eight meals a day, and definitely no weird or funny exercise routines required. When you couple that with the fulfilling keto high fat meals, you reach a situation where hunger might get to become a stranger indeed.
Getting to relearn what true hunger is like also comes as another positive spin off. On a carb-rich diet, we get instances of hunger because our blood sugar levels tend to fluctuate wildly as our cells become gradually insulin desensitized. Sugar also increases the tendency to eat on impulse, which can really derail any diet! When we cut down on carbs and ramp up on the fats, we would really have to sit up and take notice when we feel any hunger pangs, because those would be proper signals that your body needs refueling.
HIGH FAT OR NO FAT
This topic is sure to come up when we are talking about the ketogenic diet. Fat has always been vilified as one of the main causes of cardiovascular disease. This was in no small part due to the Seven Countries Study done by Ancel Keys where he corroborated research findings from seven different countries that ultimately caused him to link consumption of fat with increased risk of cardiovascular ailments. It was a classic case of just focusing on research numbers which supported his hypothesis, and disregarding the other portions which might have contradicted his theory.
This study led to a literal worldwide clamp down on fat consumption and low fat diets, if you remember those, became all the rage. Thankfully, current research has at least debunked some of the link between fats and heart
problems. What most modern scientists and nutritionists can agree on is that there are some fats which are not harmful to the body. In fact, fats are termed as an essential macronutrient, precisely because our bodies need them to function. Let us now take a look at the fats which are deemed beneficial to the human system, because they will be important components of the ketogenic diet!
Monounsaturated fats, of which I shall not bore you with the stuffy chemical definition, are usually present in liquid form at room temperature in their purest state but will tend to solidify when you place them in chilly confines. You would be hard pressed to find anyone who gives a negative review on this particular fat these days, because it has been classified as a heart healthy fat. A little bit of irony is at play here, since it wasn’t too long ago that all fats were labelled as one of the main causes of heart disease, and right now, we have the monounsaturated type actually responsible for lowering the risks of cardiac problems!
Most of the monounsaturated fats that we consume come in the form of avocados as well as olive oil. It is also present in almonds, cashew nuts, as well as eggs. Another source of monounsaturated fat, which would probably become one of our intuitive choices of food, would be dark chocolate.
Remember, we are talking about chocolate where the cocoa content is at least 80% - the higher the better. Dark chocolate may take some getting used to, especially for folks with a sweet tooth who like milk chocolate. The difference in the impact on health, however, makes it all worthwhile to embrace the switch. Without the excess sugars present, and with a corresponding increase in the beneficial cocoa content, dark chocolate helps with lowering bad LDL cholesterol as well as improving the cardiac risk profile of the consumer. Besides the beneficial monounsaturated fats, dark chocolate also contains a rich level of helpful antioxidants which work to curb chronic inflammatory diseases as well as improve cognitive function.
Another fat which has received some positive scientific literature would be the polyunsaturated variety. Like its monounsaturated sibling, it is normally found in liquid form at room temperature, while refrigeration would generally solidify these fats. Polyunsaturated fats are much more susceptible to oxidation from heat and light, and this is where the crux of the problem lies.
Oils from soybean and corn, as well as the sunflower, are rich sources of omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids, and these fats are supposed to lower
your LDL cholesterol. However, it is common to have both heat and light in copious quantities when we examine most oil extraction methods. The same would also hold true for fish oils which are rich in omega-3, the other famous polyunsaturated fatty acid. Problems in processing, which entail too much heat and light, inevitably oxidizes the erstwhile healthy fats.
When oxidized, the polyunsaturated fat becomes a totally different animal. Oxidized fats are known as trans fats, or franken fats. They bring absolutely no health benefits to the body but dramatically increase cardiovascular risk incidence as well as boosting carcinogenic growth within the body. Free radical levels are also elevated when we consume trans fats. If there were a substance on earth that I would not recommend, this would probably top the list. To make things worse, trans fats only occur in infinitesimal quantities naturally, which means we probably wouldn’t suffer from its effects if we just left things to nature. Unfortunately, most of the trans fats wrecking their way into our body systems are of human construct, by way of oil extraction and processing. Most of the fried and processed foods available in the market are also derivatives of vegetable oil, due to its cheap and ready availability.
We would do ourselves a big favor if we were to really steer clear of these vegetable oils. Instead, there are certain oils and substances which are more suitable for high heat cooking and we shall definitely touch on those later.
For now though, our best bet for getting quality, unadulterated omega-6 and omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids would probably be through eating unprocessed pine nuts and pistachios. Fatty fish like trout and salmon would be great sources of omega-3, taken raw in the Japanese sashimi style or lightly grilled in Mediterranean flavors would also be good. For the folks who are thinking about getting omega-3 supplements like fish oil, it would be best if you could go for producers who use processes which involve as little heat and light as possible. In such situations, sometimes going old school and traditional might be better than any newfangled methods.
The key is to look out for the absence of heat, and light, as well as pressure, in the extraction method for the fish oil. Absence of chemical additives is also a big plus in ensuring you get organic, non-contaminated fish oil. It might seem a tall order, and I would have to say it is from no small amount of research on my part that I discovered this particular brand of fish oil which happened to be extracted in the traditional Viking manner, excluding modern impediments like light, heat, pressure and chemical additives. Just type
“Rosita fish oil” into any search engine and you should be able to get to the company’s website.
I would like to state here that this is what I use personally, and I have seen good results from sustained consumption of their extra virgin cod liver oil. I am by no means affiliated to the company nor am I endorsing it. This is just something I would like to share with anyone who is looking for quality fish oil supplements in a bid to boost their omega-3 intake. Omega-3 fatty acids are crucial for brain health, and studies have shown that patients who suffered from traumatic brain injuries saw enhanced recovery when eicosapentaenoic acid ( EPA ) and docosahexaenoic acid ( DHA ), two of the more prominent omega-3 acids, were directly introduced via the intravenous system. Omega-3 acids are also important in regulating the body’s inflammatory response.
Their presence produces anti-inflammatory substances which goes a long way in balancing out the harmful effects of sugar and trans fats present in the modern diet.
Omega-6 acids are necessary for proper inflammatory function as well, since they contain triggers which sets off the inflammation reaction in the body. A proper inflammatory response is needed in the body to act as a kind of firewall or defense against foreign pathogens and harmful substances that may otherwise hurt us. The key here is the balance between omega-3 and -6 acids, where the optimal ratio is seen as two parts omega-3 to one part omega-6. You want to be able to rally your body’s defense forces when enemies appear at the gates, but in the same context, you also want to be able
to stand them down after the viruses are squashed. Having the body’s defense keyed up for too long is a perfect recipe for chronic inflammation.
The final kind of fat that we are looking at would be saturated fat. This is where the more serious debates and arguments would take place pertaining to the impact that this fat has on human health. Some staunch believers of the theory that connects saturated fat to heart disease still hold out that cutting down on saturated fat would dramatically help lower cholesterol as well as the risks of cardiovascular disease. Others, however, point to increasing evidence that saturated fat has no bearing on the development of heart disease. Saturated fat gets its bad reputation for heart problems due to the fact that it is thought to clog up arteries through the formation of atherosclerotic plaque. The plaque comprises of fat and cholesterol, as well as other substances, and it does make for a very viable case to state that fat is
primarily responsible for the formation of this life-threatening plaque. Except that things aren’t always what they seem.
If we delve a little deeper into the function of atherosclerotic plaque, the easy theory of saturated fats clogging arteries, like waste jamming up the kitchen sink and pipes, might seem a trifle flimsy. Think about it: if saturated fats were really that bad, folks in the era of our grandparents and great grandparents would have been subjects of a heart disease epidemic! They were consuming red meat, lard, cheeses and other full cream dairy products that were all high in saturated fat. Why is it that our forefathers found it alright to have these full fat foods without any major medical issues but we would be singing a different tune when consuming the same foods? The issue, it seems, lies not with fats, but with our modern obsession with sugar.
Sugar has been rightfully identified as one of the main causes of chronic inflammation and the primary culprit for quite a number of debilitating ailments that seem to flourish in the developed world. Diabetes, Alzheimer’s, and even metabolic syndrome have all been attributed in whole or in part to the elevated presence of sugar in our modern diet. As it happens, inflammation also occurs in our organs and arteries, and our bodies, being this amazing biochemical supercomputer, will then deploy healing substances to those inflamed areas in a bid to rectify or cordon off the problem. This is what happens in the case of our arteries, suffering and damaged from the sugar onslaught, the plaque that forms is created by our bodies to cover up the areas in distress and try to heal them. Picture a gash or a cut on your arm, as it is healing, a scab would form to protect the wound from re-opening, which is exactly what is happening with the formation of arterial plaque. The plaque forms in a bid to allow the body to heal the affected arteries. More often than not though, the body would still be subjected to high amounts of sugar through diet and healing is definitely impaired. When the area is rendered irreparable, the body then attempts to shield this damaged portion away from the rest of the healthy system, and that is when atherosclerosis begins in earnest.
Some folks may still wonder about the levels of cholesterol and fat found in the arterial plaque and point to that as a source of concern. It might come as no surprise to know that cholesterol is one of the more important ingredients needed when the body has a need to heal itself. This is why cholesterol is listed as an essential substance for the human body. There are many who are
concerned with high cholesterol readings, but low cholesterol levels are also a cause for medical concern, because it implies a potential problem in the body’s healing ability. Saturated fat also plays its role in ensuring proper nerve signaling as well as optimizing the immune system’s performance. This immune system regulation becomes crucial when we are talking about healing processes in our body. With the presence of cholesterol and saturated fat in arterial plaque explained, I would surmise that this should set most minds at ease about saturated fat! Remember, all types of fat are required by the body for essential function, so it would really be counterproductive for a diet to espouse low fat. Remember, the brain is made of mostly saturated fats, and saturated fats are needed for it to maintain optimal function. The myelin sheath, an insulating substance for proper nerve transmissions and signaling, counts cholesterol and fat as its more important formative components.
Saturated fat foods would be a source of ample supply for these building blocks.
At this juncture, we know that fat is needed and is, in fact, a necessary ingredient in many of the important body processes required to sustain life. Also, we could probably do ourselves a favor and banish the link between healthy, organic fats and cardiovascular disease. Note that I said healthy and organic fats. Trans fats or franken fats still should remain on the top of your watch list for banned substances! So go ahead and enjoy the healthy full fat foods you find aplenty in the ketogenic diet with a peace of mind, because this is a great chance to get the body back into an optimal metabolic state and turn it into a natural fat burning machine to boot!
KETOSIS VERSUS KETOACIDOSIS
Whenever I am in the initial stage of helping a friend ease into the keto diet or just plainly getting to know more about it, I am almost always certain that this question on ketoacidosis will crop up, so I thought it might be useful to include this section to clear the air on this.
Ketoacidosis is primarily a situation when the body has little or no insulin to ferry the glucose present in the blood stream back into cells for use or storage. The body then gets the impression it is starving and in need of energy, hence ketone production is activated in the liver to correct this issue. However, the body does not get the signal to slow or stop ketone production because there is insufficient insulin in the system to do this. Ketones then
build up in the blood, together with glucose, and the elevated levels cause ketoacidosis.
Some of the symptoms of ketoacidosis would sound awfully familiar with nutritional ketosis.
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Many trips to the toilet for urination
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Feeling really thirsty all the time
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Experiencing constant vomiting
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Stomach pains as well as constant nausea
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Feeling tired and mentally confused
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Feeling of insufficient air or shortness of breath
Frequent urination as well as being tired and in a state of mental fatigue are also common occurrences when someone is going through the initial stages of ketosis. This is where the body is getting used to the low carb lifestyle and making its metabolic adjustments. Those symptoms may be annoying but are harmless, and more importantly, they will pass after the first few weeks of ketosis.
To be definitive in identifying ketoacidosis, the trick here is not to just zoom in on one particular symptom and become overly worried. Ketoacidosis symptoms usually present themselves together, and if you were to be forced to pick one particular symptom to pay attention to, that would be the constant vomiting. When that is present together with stomach pains and a shortness of breath, immediate medical treatment is needed as ketoacidosis can be a life threatening issue.
The key here is the insufficient supply or lack of insulin. This is a situation where most type 1 diabetic patients would find themselves, as well as, to a lesser extent, some type 2 diabetics. When the pancreas cannot produce the level of insulin needed to signal the halt of ketone production, that is when ketone levels can go into overdrive and induce overly acidic conditions in the blood.
This does not mean type 1 diabetics or folks who rely on external insulin sources cannot be following the ketogenic diet. They still can, on the condition that they monitor and maintain adequate insulin levels in the body. In cases where the pancreas is still in relatively good shape and able to supply
adequate amounts of insulin, the keto diet will be able to effectively correct the insulin desensitivity of the body’s cells and improve or even reverse type 2 diabetic conditions.
OTHER GOOD STUFF FROM THE KETOGENIC LIFESTYLE
More than just having the potential to reverse type 2 diabetes, the ketogenic diet has multiple beneficial effects which I have listed below. This will be a good motivational booster or reminder during instances along the keto journey when the going gets tough and throwing in the towel becomes a somewhat palatable option. Don’t give up! These are the good things awaiting you at the end of the rainbow!
Natural hunger suppression – Like what has been elaborated previously, this feature of the keto diet comes in really handy when your goal is to achieve some weight loss. You can now do so without suffering from crazy hunger pangs.
Sustainable weight loss and maintenance – Another thing that has it going for the ketogenic diet is the fact that you practically do not have to watch out for any sudden weight rebounds or crazy weight gains if you keep on track with the diet. The mechanics of ketosis does not allow that to happen, and of course, we are talking about normal meals here, not seven or eight thousand calorie food plans which would definitely upset the weight loss process. You still can put on weight if you eat too much!
Clearer thoughts in the mind – Due to the neuroprotective benefits that ketones actually confer on the brain, one of the additional advantages of going keto would be experiencing a sharper and clearer mind. Thought processes are touched with more clarity, without the brain fog that is common for folks on processed carb-rich diets. Ketones burning more efficiently as fuel also contributes to this enhanced mental clarity.
Experience better and more stable moods – When the body enters ketosis, the ketones generated for energy also help with the balance between two neurotransmitters that govern the brain: GABA, also known as gamma- aminobutyric acid, as well as glutamate. GABA serves to calm the brain down, while glutamate acts as a stimulant for the cerebral system. The trick to a healthy and happy brain is to keep these two substances in correct balance, and ketones certainly help to achieve that end.
Improve energy levels and solve chronic fatigue – Instead of having roller coaster spikes in your energy levels, the ketone fueled body will allow you to experience increased energy levels that stay more or less constant as long as you have your meals when hunger hits. Chronic fatigue also becomes a non- issue due to the elevated levels of energy. Even if the chronic fatigue is a symptom of other diseases, many find that though it does not go away entirely, the tiredness gets better on the keto diet.
Get your inflammation levels down – When you ensure that you have the adequate balance of omega-3 fats, these healthy polyunsaturated fats help to decrease the inflammatory response in the body system. This makes for good news to those who are suffering from chronic inflammatory diseases.
Besides, the carb restriction would probably see your sugar intake coming way down, which will definitely help in reducing inflammation as well.
Lower your triglycerides reading – With a reduced carb intake, the level of triglycerides in the blood would automatically be lowered. Triglycerides form when we have excess calories, usually from carbs, so that the body can begin the process of storing the unrequired energy as fats. When the body is fueled predominantly by ketones and not by glucose, the need for producing triglycerides actually reduces due to the change in dietary habit. On keto, you eat when you are really hungry, and not because of wildly fluctuating blood sugar levels as well as the siren call of carbs.
Improve your lipid panel readouts – Going keto will usually see your HDL cholesterol going up while the LDL cholesterol levels will go the other direction. There may be some instances where you will see both HDL and LDL levels increase, resulting in an overall increase in cholesterol levels.
Some folks have expressed concern on this matter and I would like to elaborate a little more on this. LDL and total cholesterol levels may become elevated for some who go on the ketogenic diet, but this should not totally freak you out! Think of it in this manner: if your body has been damaged metabolically through the years of eating processed and sugary carbs, the increase in cholesterol is actually a sign that the body is going through a healing cycle in order to normalize metabolic function. When the damage is largely repaired, LDL and total cholesterol levels tend to start tilting downward. Everyone’s body is different, and so too is the time taken for the repair to be effected. Some might see results in months, while others may need a year or two to get the optimal levels.
Less oxidative stress – The ketogenic diet is responsible for increasing the antioxidants present in the body, while also directly reducing the oxidation that is encountered by the body’s mitochondria. With boosted antioxidant activity whilst on the keto diet, free radicals tend to have a harder time in inflicting oxidative damage on our bodies. Less oxidation usually means that our cells and organs function better and enjoy a longer shelf life. This also means that there could be a chance to prolong our longevity, since oxidation, being one of the prime reasons behind aging, sees its activity being restrained to some extent while on the ketogenic diet.
These are only some of the benefits which you will get to enjoy when you go keto. I would have loved to put in more information, especially where the ketogenic diet has had positive effects on diseases like cancer, polycystic ovary syndrome, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, and neurodegenerative ailments like Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s.
However, the intent of this book has always been to provide delicious and savory culinary solutions for the keto dieter. It might be a good idea to pop over to my other book, Ketogenic Diet. The Step by Step Guide for Beginners: Optimal Path to Effective Weight Loss, where I go into more details on the various benefits of the keto diet. In it, I also give an easy to follow, step by step road map which would definitely ease you into ketosis, as well as highlighting those nitty gritty bits of useful information to look out for. Definitely of value to the keto beginner, and also a handy book to have around as a reminder for the more seasoned keto dieter, you can pick up the copy here in the US and here in the UK.
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