What is the ketogenic diet? What does it mean if you are 'in ketosis'? What are the benefits of this diet? Do you have to get used to the diet and how can you measure it? How does that feel, how do you measure it, do I lose weight and do I perform better?
This month I am doing an experiment. The ketogenic diet for a month.
Ketogenic diet
In this article you can read what the ketogenic diet is and how you can measure that you are in ketosis and what ketones are? You also read about my experience with the diet, what accelerators are (to get into ketosis faster) and what the origin of this diet is. Finally, I give my conclusion and as a bonus a recipe: full-fat ketogenic ice cream.
What is the ketogenic diet?
The basis of the ketogenic diet is that your body switches from burning carbohydrates and proteins to burning fats. I don't just mean the fat that is in butter, salmon or olive oil. The purpose of the diet is that your body also uses its own fat reserves. Read more at https://ketogenicdiet.reviews.
When your body converts fat into energy for your body, certain molecules are released. These are ketones. There are three types: acetoacetate, beta-hydroxybutyrate and acetone.
That is why the diet is called 'ketogenic' and when you are in the state of fat burning it is called: ketose.
Get used to ketogenic diet
Your body can get its energy from the ketones (via fat burning). Only there is a catch. Your brain uses the most energy in your body as an organ. Experts estimate that at around 20% of your total energy consumption. Your body needs a few days to switch from carbohydrates to fats for energy.
This is also called the 'low carb flu'. It seems that you feel a little less sharp then. Another mechanism that occurs is that your breath seems to smell somewhat metallic.
Ketose measuring tips
Measure whether you are in ketosis. How do you do that? This can be done in three different ways.
# 1 Urine: This works with so-called ketose test strips. You keep these strips under your urine stream or put them in your urine. Then you take the strip out and wait 15 seconds. The strip actually measures the amount of acetones in your urine. Based on the color difference you can deduce to what extent you are in ketosis.
# 2 Blood: You can do the 'Beta-Hydroxybutyrate' blood test. That seems to be the gold standard for knowing if you are in ketosis. Experts recommend a value between 0.5 and 3. Some experts do not even have to go very far in ketosis. You have a 'tipping point' of 0.5, from that moment on important hormones such as ghrelin (feeling of satiety) are already stimulated.
# 3 Breath: Your breath will smell slightly different when you are in ketosis. You can buy a device, the Ketonix, that can determine if you are in ketosis based on your breath.
Misty Jhones