What is ketosis and how does it work to make you healthier?
Most of us eat carbohydrates for energy, but ketosis changes the metabolic state of your body so that it transforms ketones from fat into energy. Ketones are simple compounds. They do not have any chemical groups in them that are readily reactive, and they are oxidized by the liver for energy production.
A change of lifestyle
Persuading your body to use its fat stores for energy is not a fad diet, but a change of lifestyle that will result in weight loss. It will mean a dramatic change for your body. The food you eat will be low carb, and you will be taking a ketone supplement. It should be stressed that the supplement you take should be of good quality because poor quality ones can have unpleasant side effects.
While most people use ketogenic diets for weight loss, many of them soon realize there are other health benefits of eating a low carb diet.
You have to stop consuming candy, cookies, soft drinks, desserts, potatoes, bread, cereals, and rice, which are all high in carbohydrates. If you are being really strict, you should also remove pasta from your diet.
What can you eat?
You may well be wondering what is left for you to eat once you have taken all these items out of your diet. Green leafy vegetables such as cabbage, broccoli, and cauliflower, and fruits such as avocado or berries are all fine. Meat plays an important part in the keto diet and making tasty meals of vegetables roasted in oil topped with a piece of chicken or steak is simple and does not take long at all.
Basically, you are looking to get fats from natural sources such as meat and nuts. Above-ground vegetables are the best. Try to limit beverages and drink more water, but if you do want a cup of tea or coffee, use full-fat milk. Don’t forget to season your food.
After a very short time, the cravings for carbs disappear and your body should be in a state of ketosis.
Measuring your bodies ketones
While you are eating this way, it is important to measure your body’s ketone levels. There are three ways to do this:
- Blood Ketosis Meter – This is very accurate but also expensive
- Breath Meter – less accurate but less expensive
- Urine Strips – These are accurate and cost-effective
Ketone testing sticks are simple to use and will keep you informed as to whether you need to adjust your diet even more.
Short-term side effects
With such a sudden change to your diet, you may experience some short-term side effects, but these should soon disappear, and you will feel better than before you started. They are usually only mild, but you could suffer from extreme thirst, constipation, and fatigue.
However, you should not let these side effects put you off making a change of lifestyle for a healthier you, and in the longer term, the health benefits far outweigh a few days of discomfort.
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