The ketosis diet is a higher-fat, adequate-protein, low-carbohydrate diet that forces the body to use fat as fuel.
It is a very simple plan to follow. Maybe it is almost too simple.
Now I said simple to follow, not necessarily simple to maintain.
Well why not keep things simple?
Some people claim that this type of plan is not healthy or sustainable.
It all depends on how you decide to implement it. Follow the guidelines below and you will be fine. It certainly cannot be any worse than the diet most people follow. That being a high sugar, high processed food diet plan!
In the most general terms, a ketogenic diet is any diet that causes ketone bodies to be produced by the liver, shifting the body's metabolism away from glucose and towards fat utilization. More specifically, a ketogenic diet is one that restricts carbohydrates below a certain level (generally 100 grams per day).
There are many complex metabolic procecces that take place when one decides to follow a ketosis diet. I am NOT going to get into that here.
For those of you that want the science behind the ketogenic diet plan I strongly recommend that you pick up the
Ketogenic Diet, The: A Complete Guide for the Dieter & the Practitioner
I consider this to be the Ketosis Diet bible for those who want a complete rundown on a ketogenic diet plan.
The magic number is 100 grams of carbs per day. This is a great place to start. You can have a bit of fruit and even a slice of bread.
You can go lower than this for a few days but you will notice sluggishness, mental fogginess. If you are working out, you will find energy levels low.
After 4 days of low carbs to induce ketosis and force the body to switch to fat as its primary source of fuel you can have a couple of days of 200-400 grams of carbs to replenish glycogen stores and keep your sanity!
After this "replenishing period" go back to low carb to get back to a ketosis diet plan.
Carbs should be from veggies only. This will give you lots of nutrients and fiber.
Protein should come from lean, quality sources only. Think eggs, tuna, lean cuts of meat, tuna and other fish.
Fat levels should be at about 40% of total calories and come from olive oil or other monounsaturated sources.
A ketosis diet will promote the burning of fat as fuel. Be sure to take a look at
The Ketogenic Diet: A Complete Guide for the Dieter & the Practitioner
for a completely detailed ketogenic diet plan. Start burning fat as fuel today!