The Keto Diet: An Introduction to the Ketogenic Lifestyle
key points
- The goal of Keto is to force the body into a metabolic state
- Ketosis is when your body converts fat into ketones which becomes the body's fuel source
- The Keto diet helps with mental & physical performance, weight loss, mood increasing and disease prevention
- There are four variations of the keto diet
Even if you don’t consider yourself a foodie or a health enthusiast, you are still bound to hear about all of the kinds of diets out there. From paleo to vegan and all the others in between, it’s impossible to tune them completely out.
One diet that is really picking up momentum and is seemingly everywhere is the ketogenic diet, better known as the keto diet. Let's look at what it's all about.
What is Ketosis?
When your body is in ketosis, it begins to convert fat into ketones which become your body’s new fuel source. When you deprive your body of carbohydrates, which are the main fuel source for people, you’re also depriving your body of it’s ability to keep glycogen stores filled up. When this happens it needs to find another fuel source so your body starts to transition to a metabolic state which is ketosis.
Benefits of the Keto Diet
Many people desire ketosis to enhance their mental performance and physical performance, lose weight, increase their mood and overall disease prevention. Without the ups and downs of the surges of glucose (think sugar crash), the human body has a more evened out energy level.
Ketosis uses oxygen more efficiently and avoids physical crashes of low blood sugar. Fat is a preferred energy source of the brain, and people believe the keto diet makes them feel more mentally focused and clear.
The Four Variations of the Keto Diet
The keto diet has different variations that support different lifestyles and goals:
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Standard Ketogenic Diet (SDK): The most common approach to keto, here 75% of your diet comes from fats, 20% from protein and 5% from carbohydrate.
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Targeted Ketogenic Diet (TKD): Used by athletes seeking a performance boost who are not as interested in fat loss. This is where you eat 20 to 50 grams of net carbohydrates per day.
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Cyclical Ketogenic Diet (CKD): This diet is preferred by those who find it mentally tough to completely quit carbohydrates for long periods of time. Usually you follow SKD for a certain time period, followed by a period of eating more carbohydrates.
- High-Protein Ketogenic Diet: Designed for anyone lifting heavy and seeking to gain lean mass, the macros here follow 60% fats, 35% protein and 5% carbohydrates.
How the Keto Diet Affects Your Body
The keto diet’s main goal is to convert fat into ketones which become your body’s new fuel source. A keto diet’s general rules are this: eat high amounts of fat, moderate amounts of protein and very little carbohydrates.
For most people following the standard keto diet, it’s usually about 70-80% fat, 10-20% protein and 5-10% carbohydrates. These percentages are made with the objective to induce the body into ketosis.
The main source of energy for our bodies is sugar, however there is a more efficient source of fuel that is rarely utilized: ketones. The end goal of a properly maintained keto diet is to force your body into this metabolic state. You don’t do this through starvation of calories but starvation of carbohydrates.
Our bodies are very adaptive and when you overload it with fats and nix carbohydrates, it will begin to burn ketones and the body is induced into a state known as ketosis.
People have always relied on ketones for energy when glucose sources were scarce, especially during long winters when there was no fruit available. It is a normal state of metabolism but due to carbohydrates being available everywhere and consumed in large amounts, it is not experienced by many. However, our bodies know how to burn ketones for fuel amazingly and it is safe.
What Keto Foods Should You Eat?
- Leafy Greens
- Above Ground Vegetables
- Avocados
- Low-sugar berries
- Low-carb sweeteners
- Nuts + Seeds
- Coconut Oil
- Fats
What Foods Should You Avoid?
- Sugar
- Grains
- Fruit
- Legumes
- Potatoes
Nomz and the Keto Diet
When you are on the keto diet, the quality of the food you eat matters. Choose nourishing and nutritious food that you enjoy eating!
Since the keto diet is all about healthy fats, Nomz is an excellent healthy choice for those who are following this diet. Nomz is created with a base of coconut oil, a preferred healthy fat for those following the keto diet.
In addition, all of our flavours include other healthy fats like almonds, pistachios and hazelnuts. It is important to find food with high-quality, healthy fats since it centers around it and that makes Nomz a no-brainer for someone on the keto diet.
