What is ketosis?
“Ketosis” is a condition in which the body depends on “ketone bodies” rather than sugar for energy. This sounds difficult but it is very easy to do. That’s why it’s important to you. Your body has two sources of energy: fat and sugar (also called glucose).
The ketogenic diet plan (also known as ketosis or ketosis) is designed to help your body burn more fat than glucose for energy.
When your body breaks down fat, your liver produces ketones (or ketone bodies). High levels of ketones in your blood can cause you to enter a metabolic state called ketosis.
How exactly do ketones work?
The basis of the ketogenic diet plan is very simple:
Eat less carbohydrates or sugar
Eat more healthy fats.
Consume the right amount of protein.
In other words, you only eat “low glycemic index” foods. Low glycemic foods are foods that do not cause your blood sugar to rise too much. When you eat this way, your body begins to rely on fat instead of sugar for energy. When this happens, you experience a “metabolic shift,” which is a complicated way of saying that your body is able to get energy from different sources again.
The result is that you feel increased energy, greater mental clarity, and weight loss.
7 Proven (But Surprising) Benefits of a Keto Meal Plan
There is a lot of emerging research on the keto meal. Some of the most exciting research is around cancer and neurological diseases, but most people use a keto meal plan for much more common issues (weight loss, diabetes, etc.).
Here’s a brief list of the potential benefits of a keto meal plan:
Decreased Hunger. Most meal plans rely on counting calories, restricting portions, or maintaining willpower. But all this can be difficult. Since the ketogenic diet changes your body’s metabolism, the most common result is that you become hungry and start eating less.
Lost. It’s not a one-size-fits-all solution, but overall weight loss can be faster and easier with a ketogenic diet plan. This is especially true because the keto diet helps reduce hunger. But you need to be prepared because for most people, the biggest failure is not following the meal plan.
Healthy blood sugar. The results should be clear. If you have high blood sugar or are diabetic, there is a good, quick way to lower your blood sugar by eliminating excess sugar from your diet.
Reduces the risk of high cholesterol and triglycerides. Many doctors originally thought that a diet high in fat might increase cholesterol and triglycerides. However, the opposite has turned out to be the case. Most people see a significant drop in their LDL and triglycerides when on a keto meal plan, although a small percentage of people do see the opposite effect.
Neurological Disorders. The ketogenic meal plan was originally used to treat epilepsy – a neurological disorder. In addition to epilepsy, though, some practitioners and researchers are using a keto meal plan to effectively treat other neurological disorders – particularly Alzheimer’s disease.
Certain Forms of Cancer. A lot of researchers are currently working on using a keto meal plan as a ‘complementary’ cancer treatment. And for certain forms of cancer – particularly brain cancer – the keto meal plan is showing a lot of benefit when used with other traditional treatments.
Possible Other Benefits. The science is inconclusive, but many studies have shown other benefits of the ketogenic diet, including treating acne, polycystic ovaries, respiratory issues, and more.