Site navigation and social media links
Keto 101: The Basics
Health | May 02, 2018
Those of you who’ve followed me for a long time know that I’m no stranger to keto. I’ve attempted it several times in the past, and have recently gone back to it after doing a Flexitarian, plant-based diet for some time. My body benefits very well to this way of eating, and for some people, theirs will as well.
If you’ve ever thought of doing keto but don’t quite know what it is, here’s everything you need to know:
What’s Keto?
Keto (short for Ketogenic) is a high-fat, low carb diet that shifts the metabolism and changes the body from relying on sugar to relying on fat for energy. This happens through ketosis, a state in which the liver has been depleted of glycogen (sugar) and starts producing ketone bodies for fuel.
(If you want to know just a bit more on the history of keto, I covered it a few years ago in this post.)
This should not be mistaken for ketoacidosis– a very dangerous and serious complication from diabetes. In ketoacidosis, the blood becomes acidic due to extremely high concentrations of ketones and blood sugar. The triggers behind ketoacidosis include illness and insulin-production imbalances, and of course poor diet. Once ketoacidosis happens, the internal organs run the risk of undergoing serious damage. [1]
So in a nutshell, ketoacidosis is a life-threatening condition that should not be taken lightly, especially if you are diabetic and have problems producing enough insulin to keep blood sugar levels balanced. That said, there are many professionals in the medical field that use ketogenic diet to treat type II diabetes and with a lot of success. If you’re struggling with type II diabetes, it might be worth your while to do some research and see where you can get more information about keto treatment.
Ketosis on the other hand is just the state when the body is producing ketones and running off of fat for energy.
(Want to know what happens once you go keto? Check out my post on the Ketogenic Diet Benefits.)
How Do I Get to Keto?
First things first: clean up your diet. That should be the number one thing you do before attempting any kind of diet, period. We all know what this means- getting rid of processed foods like chips and cookies and desserts and take out meals. Eating whole foods that come from nature.
The next thing to do is lower the amount of carbs and increase the amount of fat in your diet. Since eating keto requires you to convert into a fat burner, you’re going to have to teach it to stop relying on the sugar from carbs for fuel. This process may take some time. For others, it’s very short. People who’ve already gone into ketosis usually have an easier time doing so, since their bodies already seem to know what the process is like and how to transition to it. Low carb, high fat eaters will also have an easy transition given that their bodies already run on fat to a degree. But again, it varies from person to person.
Be patient, and give your body time to adjust. You can’t expect instant results after eating a certain way for most of your life. Use this time to focus on healthy, nutritious foods and try not to focus so much on calories. Eat until you’re full, and enjoy the process.
For more on becoming keto, read up on my Keto Diet Jump Start.
Source:
[1] https://www.healthline.com/health/ketosis-vs-ketoacidosis
Private Member |
ontario, ca
Can anyone tell me if Z’s Fat Burner can be used on Keto? I am on day 7 of keto diet and staying around 20 g of net carbs. I am new to this and not sure if “net” carb counting is enough or should be actual carbs not minus fiber. Total carbs in the fat burner is 13 g however has 5g of sugar…. I have 2 boxes of fat burner in stock and really miss drinking them daily! Thanks
Private Member |
Nicole,
Hey, I saw your comment from March 26th, did not see the response… just wondered if you would mind to share the answer you received.
Thanks,
Private Member |
ontario, ca
Hi Newstart, I didn’t get an answer on the fat burner. It is not included in the keto plan. I am too new with keto to deviate from the actual plan yet, but I think at the end of the plan I would be comfortable enough to adjust macros to include the fat burner here and there..?
Private Member |
Thanks Nichole,
I a new to the program also. Trying to follow it day by day!
Hang in there!
Private Member |
Hi Zuzka,
I am doing the keto diet and training but I have a question… When you say you replenish before or after a workout with coconut water, I bought this and it has so many carbohydrates. Am I overlooking something or does it serve a different purpose?
Anyone please answer. 🙂
Private Member |
lake tahoe, nv, usa
Hi, I don’t see where in this article did I talk about coconut water. It seems like your question is a little bit out of context. Can you please explain where did you read that? The only thing I can think of is if you’re following the Shred & Glow Meal Plan where I do recommend the coconut water because that meal plan is not based around low carb diet. On a plant based meal plan where your main source of energy are carbs, you can have more intake of natural sugars from things like fruits or coconut water and use the energy for your workout or use them to replenish energy after your workout. Coconut water offers a great replenishment of electrolytes, that’s why it’s a recommended drink in the Shred & Glow Meal Plan.
Private Member |
Hi Zuzka!
It wasn’t necessarily pertaining to that post, I saw it one of your videos. Perhaps I assumed that you were doing the keto diet and drinking the coconut water to replenish made me wonder? Maybe I was confused. If I find the video I will link it here. But is coconut water safe on keto since it’s natural or should it be avoided in the early stages?
Private Member |
sorry but the coconut water has too many carbs for keto…unless you study in a very meticulous way the macro.
😉
Private Member |
Thank you, I figured! Haha, must have switched up one of zuzkas videos and saw her say it was great for replenishing and assumed she was on keto…silly me. But I can still have one a day if im super careful! Haha