If you’ve looked into diet trends, there’s no doubt you’ve heard of keto. Keto is the next big diet trend, but it’s not a fad. The keto diet is not the magic cure-all for every single disease on the planet, but it does a good job at being the potential healer of many horrible medical conditions. Let’s look at the facts and benefits of the keto diet.
Benefit #1: Weight Loss
This is probably the benefit most of us want from the keto diet. Why does the ketogenic diet lead to weight loss? Why is it more effective than traditional diets? Here are the main reasons:
- The keto diet is composed of approximately 75% fat, 20 % protein, and 5% or less carbohydrates. The high fat content and lack of sugar means diminished cravings, lack of blood sugar swings and binges, and increased satiation. Increased satiation means you feel satisfied after eating, and less prone to overindulging. Many people also have food sensitivities to grains — even gluten-free ones — so eliminating them may lead to an improved ability to absorb minerals like magnesium and potassium. The benefit of increased absorption means your body is more nourished and you have fewer cravings
- Ketones. When your blood sugar is low, your body uses its glycogen stores for energy. Typically, glycogen stores contain about 2,000 calories of “backup” fuel for times your body runs out of glucose. Your body uses its glycogen stores, and then uses your own body fat for fuel.
IMPORTANT: The ketogenic diet is not a free-for-all diet that permits you to eat as much as you want. The basic rule of calories still applies. If you’re eating more calories than you burn, you will not lose weight. So focus on eating fatty cuts of grass-fed meat, butter, eggs, avocados, green veggies, and be modest with the keto desserts, dairy, and sweets.
Benefit #2: Brain Function
A poorly functioning brain leads to decreased work productivity, which in turn means an unhappy boss, lack of job satisfaction, sugar cravings for energy, and depression. It’s a horrible domino effect. The original ketogenic diet was formulated by Dr. Russell Wilder in the early 20th century to treat epilepsy. The success rate was phenomenal and it is still used today to treat epilepsy and other brain disorders. Research also indicates that ketones are more efficient brain fuel than glucose. (Source: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5102124/)
Benefit #3: Potential Cancer Benefits
One study showed implementing the ketogenic diet led to a dramatically increased survival time and slower tumor growth. (Source: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5450454/)
How to Start a Keto Diet
Conclusion
If you’re reading this article now, chances are you are in some sort of pain, whether physical and/or mental (being overweight, struggling with autoimmune disorders, thyroid disease, fatigue, brain fog) and want to change. Use this information and give it a try. You must apply it to your daily life and make adjustments over time.
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