Keto Diets

Hey Friends,

Today I am writing my first blog in life, on Keto Diet.
A lot of my friends and relatives have encouraged me to initiate writing about my experiences and knowledge in my interest areas.

Here is a brief about me –

I am Aashish Agrawal, a Sales professional with extensive experience in different trades either in products or services. Apart from the professional hectic work schedules I have always found time for helping people facing different issues, either related to health or in personal life through Astrology.

I’ll not say that I am a health expert or an astrologist, but yes, I have come across more than 3000 people in my life who have interacted with me to get some relevant, positive, and effective solutions for their life in either of the two categories.

Though I do not know how to write a blog, yes, I know that I can share my knowledge and experience with people to help and support them in their lives with relevant solutions. My inherent quality is to clearly understand the gaps in a problem and connect the dots with the relevant options or solutions to Bridge the GAP between the two.

Though there are multiple topics in Astrology and Health & Wellness, which I want to write. Today I am starting my first blog with a very exciting topic – Keto Diet.

The primary reason which has made me start writing about this topic is that I have seen a lot of people around me including my friends and relatives have a lot of confusion and questions around this topic. Hence thought to share my views which might help anyone thinking to get on to Keto Diet for the first time.
So, Let’s start now…

What is Keto?

“Ketogenic” means a low-carb diet. The idea of the Keto Diet is to get you more calories from proteins and fats and very little from carbohydrates. When you eat less than 50 grams of carbohydrates in a day, your body ultimately runs out of fuel, ie the blood sugar. This process naturally takes around 3 to 4 days. Then you start to break down protein and fat is stored in your body for energy, which can make you lose weight. This process is called ketosis.

What is Ketosis?

After following the Keto Diet for at least two to seven days, you go into ketosis. Ketosis is the state when it doesn’t have sufficient carbohydrates for your body to use for energy. That is when you start making Ketones. Once your body starts making Ketones then it starts using Fats and Proteins for getting energy instead of carbohydrates. During this phase, your body also starts burning fat for more energy.

The Keto Diet consists of 3 key components in a varied proportion as below:

• Fat – 60%-75% (Ideally 70% is good);
• Protein – 15%-30% (Ideally 20% is good);
• Carbohydrates – 5%-10% (Ideally 10% is good).

Keto Diet Foods

Just because you are not eating all your favorite carb-rich foods, it doesn’t mean that you’re going to starve. You will be filling up with healthy fats, along with a sufficient amount of lean proteins, leafy greens, or other non-starchy vegetables.

Here is a list of some important food items which helps you during your Keto Diet plan:

Best Keto carbs:

• Pecans
• Peanuts
• Almonds
• Pepitas
• Brazil nuts
• Macadamia nuts
• Walnuts
• Hazelnuts
• Almond flour or Coconut flour

Best Keto fats:

• Olive oil
• Nuts
• Hemp hearts
• Chia seeds
• Coconut oil
• Sesame oil
• Grapeseed oil
• Avocado
• Sour cream
• Ground flaxseed

Best Keto veggies:

• Lettuce
• Peppers
• Kale
• Swiss chard
• Zucchini
• Alfalfa sprouts
• Cucumber
• Daikon or other radishes
• Collards
• Cabbage

Best Keto fruits:

• Pumpkin
• Cucumbers
• Eggplant
• Avocado
• OlivesBlackberries
• Blueberries
• Strawberries
• Raspberries
• Cranberries

Best Keto protein sources:

• Tuna pouch in olive oil
• Canned salmon
• Sardines
• Chicken
• Turkey
• Nitrate-free ham or bacon
• Tofu
• Eggs
• Cheese
• Any other type of fish

Best Keto condiments:

• Guacamole
• Peanut butter (with no added sugar)
• Dijon mustard
• Horseradish
• Sauerkraut
• Pesto
• Tahini
• Hot sauce
• Relish
• Red wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar

Best Keto flavor enhancers:

• Basil
• Oregano
• Garlic powder
• Onion powder
• Ginger
• Chili powder
• Salt
• Pepper
• Rosemary
• Mint

Best Keto fast food options:

• Canned salmon
• Sardines
• Hard-boiled or scrambled eggs
• Frozen zucchini noodles
• Frozen cauliflower rice
• Prepared salad mixes
• Cheese sticks
• Tuna pouch in olive oil
• Rotisserie chicken (not the breaded type) or pre-cooked/sliced grilled chicken

How to calculate your daily intake requirement for Carbs, Protein and Fats?

So, if you need 1500 calories per day in a keto diet then how to divide your key food components in your meal. But first, let’s understand, how many calories each gram of these 3 key components has:

• Fat has 9 calories per gram
• Protein has 4 calories per gram
• Carbohydrate has 4 calories per gram

So, remember the magical number 9-4-4, which is for Fat-Protein-Carbs

Let’s understand this through a simple calculation of the Keto Diet plan:

If the total daily calorie consumption is 1500, then the component break-up is like this:

Fat         –             Total Calories per day (1500) x daily Fat calorie limit % (70%) / No. of Calories per gm in Fat = 1500×70%/9 = 117 grams per day.

Protein –             Total Calories per day (1500) x daily Protein calorie limit % (20%) / No. of Calories per gm in Protein = 1500×20%/4 = 75 grams per day.

Keto Side Effects

It generally takes 3 to 4 days for your body to go into ketosis because you need to use up your body’s stores of glucose. Any major diet change can give you some issues like symptoms of tiredness, Keto-Flu, nausea, diarrhea, headaches, mental fog, cramps, etc. Some unusual side effects you can expect during the Keto diet –  

•  Rapid Weight Loss

Fundamentally, the keto diet works by shifting your body’s primary fuel source. When you significantly limit your carb intake, your body dips into your muscle glycogen stores for energy. Once that is used up, you lose the liquid that was stored along with the glycogen as well. That leads to quick fat loss initially, it’s mostly the water weight.

•  Muscle Loss

If you continue with the Keto diet, your body will enter ketosis, when you start burning stored fats as fuel, leading to further weight loss. But while you are losing fat tissue, you will generally lose some muscle tissue as well. If you are not consuming adequate calories, your body will respond by breaking down muscle tissue. It is evident that muscle tissues help to keep your metabolisms accelerated and keep your body healthy and strong.

• Low Energy Levels

As your body adjusts to this change in fuel sources, it will not be efficient initially at tapping into its energy sources, causing tiredness. Another reason for initial fatigue or tiredness is calorie restriction. So when you are starting a low-carb diet, make sure you eat adequate calories every day.

•  Flu Symptoms

“Keto flu” often occurs in the first few weeks of starting of Keto Diet. You may experience headaches, have trouble focusing, feel nauseous, trouble sleeping, etc. Eat a relatively low-carb diet for a couple of weeks before fully committing to keto, this can help your body prepare for ketosis. Mostly, the keto flu should only last a few days, but you need to be cautious before proceeding.

•  Constipation

Another common side effect of a keto diet is digestive distress, like bloating, gas, and constipation. If you do not get enough fiber in your diet through foods like fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains, etc. To fight these issues, try to stay active by doing some low-intensity workouts. Also, you need to make sure that you are drinking fluids adequately. It’s good to take some fiber supplements and also eat more high-fiber veggies. This is my suggestion, but please do check more for getting the best results.

•  Increased Cravings

It is found that some people also experience initial carbohydrate cravings due to low blood sugar levels. Though this gets improved after a few weeks, basically it depends on an individual body response. It is also found that some people do not experience the Carbs craving because of a sufficient amount of Protein and Fat intake.

•  Leg cramps

As the hormone insulin stimulates your kidneys to retain sodium, so when you go on a very low carb diet your insulin levels will be very low. During the Keto Diet, Insulin is hence no longer stimulating your kidneys to retain sodium. This eventually can lead to leg cramps. You need to eat enough fruits which are rich in potassium and other nutrients that can help to mitigate these cramps. Your body should ultimately fine-tune to the lower sodium levels. I suggest you consult a doctor about taking any supplements to help moderate these issues.

Can I try Keto?

The keto diet is not so easy or essentially healthy to follow for a long period of time. You can try Keto for a short period, provided if you set yourself up with the mix of the right ingredients to make it successful.

If you are interested in following the keto diet, I suggest you consult a dietician or your family doctor first. This step will help you to know the best way to get started with the Keto Diet plan as per your body adaptability conditions.

To summarize, if you want to go ahead and try the keto diet for reducing weight or size, please test the change before going ahead. Please make sure that this is not necessarily a diet you should stay on forever.

Stay Healthy and Safe.

Disclaimer:
This is an article written on the Keto diet as a service to my blog reader. The information provided here is not intended to replace a face-to-face relationship with a qualified health care provider and is not intended as medical advice. The information provided here is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. Please Talk to your doctor before making any lifestyle or diet changes. My opinions are not intended as medical advice and should not be taken as medical advice. They are based on my personal knowledge and preferences. Be aware that diet changes may affect your health.