• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Recipes
    • Appetizers & Snacks
    • Beverages & Drinks
    • Breakfast
    • Breads
    • Canning, Drying & Fermenting
    • Condiments, Sauces & Dressings
    • Desserts, Sweets & Treats
    • Fermentation
    • Main Dish
    • Pressure Cooker
    • Slow Cooker & Crockpot
    • Soups & Stews
    • Sous Vide
    • Veggies, Side Dishes & Salads
  • Lifestyle
    • Beauty
    • Essential Oils
    • Fasting
    • Foraging
    • Health & Wellness
    • Pets
  • Web stories
  • Contact Us
  • About Hayley
  • Health Starts in the Kitchen
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Bloglovin
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
Health Starts in the Kitchen

Health Starts in the Kitchen

Helping Make the World a Healthier Place, one Kitchen at a time!

  • stack of 5 chocolate chip cookies with a cookie in the front with a bite taken out, glass of milk in the background
    The Best Keto Cookies
  • Zero Carb Keto Croutons {Keto Carnivore}
    Zero Carb Keto Croutons {Keto Carnivore}
  • Low-Carb Keto Matcha Latte Fat Bombs
    Keto Matcha Latte Fat Bombs
  • With my Keto Crispy Zucchini Chips you can preserve all the deliciousness of summer-time zucchini for busting your crunchy cravings all winter long with
    Keto Crispy Zucchini Chips
  • Keto Creamy Asparagus and Shrimp Alfredo {Gluten-Free & Primal}
    Keto Asparagus and Shrimp Alfredo
Home / Lifestyle / Health & Wellness / What is the Ketogenic Diet and What are the Benefits of a Keto Diet

What is the Ketogenic Diet and What are the Benefits of a Keto Diet

Health & Wellness

What is the Ketogenic Diet and How can it Benefit your Health?

The Keto Diet is a little different from most diets out there.

You see, it’s about more than just which foods to eat and which foods to avoid – it actually alters your body’s metabolic state. And that can bring a lot of important health benefits along with it.  That’s why Keto is an important diet to know about so that when you’re ready for it, you can use it as a great tool for optimizing your health.

We’ll be covering: what the ketogenic diet is, which foods to eat and which ones to avoid, and how the diet could benefit your health. Plus, 4 steps for getting started.

** This is a guest post by Louise Hendon, co-host of The Keto Summit and author of The Essential Keto Cookbook**

What is the Ketogenic (Keto) Diet?

You may have heard of their recommended keto supplements before – but what is the keto diet?

A short definition: Keto is a diet that alters your metabolism so you burn more fat for energy and rely less on glucose – this metabolic state is called nutritional ketosis and has been linked to various health benefits.

The diet works because it reduces the amount of carbohydrates you consume, which means there’s less glucose available for your body to use as fuel. Instead, your body starts burning fat instead (and it can use your own body fat too).

But your cells can’t use fat straight away – first, it has  to be broken down into molecules called ketones. And that’s why measuring your ketone levels is one way to work out if you’re in nutritional ketosis.

It might come as a surprise, but the keto diet wasn’t invented recently – it was first put together in the 1920s.

Originally it was designed as an effective treatment for children with epilepsy. And it’s still used across the world for that purpose today, even though it’s also gained more mainstream popularity due to its weight-loss and other health benefits.

Foods to eat and foods to avoid on the Keto Diet

What can you expect to eat on a keto diet? If you do things the healthy way, you’ll be eating plenty of nutrient dense whole foods…

You’ll eat a moderate amount of protein, a fair amount of fat and few carbohydrates.

  • Meats, organ meats, shellfish, fish
  • Leafy greens like kale and spinach
  • Other non-starchy vegetables, e.g mushrooms, asparagus, zucchini, bell peppers
  • Healthy fats: coconut oil, olive oil, ghee, lard
  • Small amounts of nuts, seeds and berries

And you’ll be avoiding these foods:

  • Grains including wheat, oats, rye, barley, rice, and corn
  • Beans and other legumes (chickpeas, lentils and soybean products)
  • Most fruits, as they’re just too high in sugar
  • Processed low-carb foods like artificial sweeteners, salad dressings that use vegetable oils, and diet sodas

If you’d like a  more detailed list of foods to look over, we’ve put together a Keto diet food list here.

What are the benefits of a Keto  Diet?

Keto has all sorts of great health benefits, here are five examples:

  • It can increase your energy levels by balancing your blood sugar levels, so you won’t experience energy dips and crashes throughout the day. That means you’ll be more alert and focused, making concentration easier.
  • It can help you beat your cravings because you’ll cut out all the sweet treats that feed a sugar addiction, even natural ones like honey and mangos. And because your blood sugar levels are more stable, you’ll also avoid the drops in blood sugar which are so often a trigger for cravings.
  • It can reduce your risk of heart disease by reducing the main risk factors: the diet can help lower levels of bad cholesterol, increase levels of good cholesterol, lower blood pressure, and lower triglyceride levels.
  • It can improve your mood thereby benefiting your mind as well as your body. Looking at the impact of a ketogenic diet on animals, one study found a possible antidepressant effect. So you won’t just be improving your health, you could feel happier while you do it!
  • It could help you lose weight and there are plenty of success stories and scientific studies to back this up.  

4 Steps To Get Started On the Keto Diet

Feeling ready to give Keto a try? Here are some tips to help you get started.

1 – Plan out your meals and then go shopping to stock up on ingredients: you’ll find that a little bit of forward planning can make life a lot easier, especially because a few of your go-to favorites will be too high carb to continue eating. But don’t worry – with a little bit of research, you can find keto-adapted versions of all the classics. And tasty new recipes too, like THESE Oven Baked Adobo Pork Chops.

2 – Eat unlimited protein/fat when you first start and just focus on keeping your carb intake below 25g per day. It will help you ease into the diet gradually (making it easier to stick to), and then you can alter your protein/fat ratios once you’re comfortable with eating low-carb.

3 – Choose the right time to start your diet and it will make things a lot easier for you! Make sure you pick a week where you’re not travelling, aren’t overwhelmed with work and don’t have too many social plans. That way you can really focus on getting used to a keto way of eating, without distractions.

4 – Don’t focus too much on ketone levels.  Some folks have trouble getting their ketone levels high enough , and while measuring ketone levels can be helpful to make sure you’re on track, reaching a certain number shouldn’t be your main goal. If you’re losing weight and feeling healthier, then there’s no need to worry about how high your ketone levels are or aren’t.

Looking for recipe ideas and/or need help getting started with your Keto Diet?

Click HERE to get the Keto Diet Cookbook Bundle!

What is the Ketogenic Diet and How can it Benefit your Health?

 

 

November 6, 2017 · 1 Comment

Previous Post: « Take the Job: How to have a Side-Hustle that will Help Change the World
Next Post: DIY Pumpkin Spice Latte Non-Toxic Cleaning Spray »

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Comments

  1. AvatarJen @ Keto Recipes says

    February 1, 2018 at 6:21 pm

    Indeed, an informative article. Thanks for posting.

    Reply

Primary Sidebar

Footer

  • Bloglovin
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
My No-Bake Key Lime Pie in a Jar is like an explos My No-Bake Key Lime Pie in a Jar is like an explosion of SPRING in your mouth! All the Key Lime Flavor you crave but none of the hassle. 
This Sugar-Free Key Lime Pie is keto-friendly with only 5g net carbs per serving. 

Another thing that’s even better is that this recipe is also grain-free and gluten-free because I used Blue Diamond® Almond Flour!

Link in profile for the full recipe or —> https://healthstartsinthekitchen.com/keto-no-bake-key-lime-pie-in-a-jar/

Tag a friend who would LOVE this recipe!!!

#keto #glutenfree #grainfree #sugarfree @foodlion @bluediamond
Morel season is just getting started and we’re s Morel season is just getting started and we’re spending the day out in the woods foraging.

What’s your favorite way to eat Morel Mushrooms? Never tried them?

#foraging #morel #morelmushrooms
#AD -- Do you have expried or no longer needed med #AD -- Do you have expried or no longer needed medications in your medicine cabinet? 

Spring is the perfect time to do some deep cleaning and purge your home of things you no longer need. When tackling your medicine cabinet, it’s imperative that you handle unwanted or no longer needed medications, properly. 

Maybe you’ve made serious progress in your healthy living journey and no longer need all your medications, or you have a few bottles that you have been pushing around your medicine cabinet that are no longer taken or even expired. No matter what the reason, if you are not taking the medication, it needs to go! 

Figuring out how to dispose of drugs can be challenging. You can't just throw them away or flush them down the drain! 

Learn the SAFEST way to dispose of medications in my NEW BLOG POST! 

And join in the LifeInCheck™ Consumer Drug Take-Back Program, too! 

https://healthstartsinthekitchen.com/%E2%80%8Bthe-safest-way-to-dispose-of-medications/

 #TakeBackDay2021 @lifeincheckcdtb
#AD -- Spring has SPRUNG! And I'm totally here for #AD -- Spring has SPRUNG! And I'm totally here for it, especially spending lazy warm afternoons relaxing outside the porch with a refreshing cold drink. But this year I'm doing things differently, instead of a cocktail I'm sticking with refreshing & hydrating mocktails, and I'm currently loving Bigelow® Botanicals Cold Water Infusion!

A new way to love your water, infused with fruity-herbal flavors, no-caffeine, and zero calories, I know my afternoon drink won't sabotage my healthy lifestyle! 

No need to cut up fresh fruits, all the work is done for you. Just pick up a couple of boxes of Bigelow® Botanicals Cold Water Infusion at your local @gianteagle and steep 1 tea bag in 12 ounces of water for 8+ minutes and Voila! You've got a delicious way to relax!

@bigelowtea is the right choice, the only choice.

Check out my stories for more!

#BigelowBotanicals #teaproudly
My Grain Free French Bread will satisfy all your c My Grain Free French Bread will satisfy all your cravings with out the gluten or grains. With the perfect crunchy crust, just begging for a smear of butter or made into a sandwich. Paleo, gluten-free and vegetarian friendly!

https://healthstartsinthekitchen.com/grain-free-french-bread/

#paleo #glutenfree #grainfree #frenchbread #healthyeating #recipes #easterrecipes
#AD -- Taking your daily dose of Apple Cider Vineg #AD -- Taking your daily dose of Apple Cider Vinegar has never been easier with Bragg Apple Cider Vinegar Refreshers! 

@bragg  Apple Cider Vinegar Refresher ready-to-drink beverages are packed with meticulously selected fruit juices, teas, and spices, along with 2 tbsp of the BEST raw, unfiltered raw apple cider vinegar in every bottle for a nutritious, drink-every-last-drop delicious twist to your Daily Dose of Wellness!

Founded in 1912 by renowned health advocate and pioneer, Paul Bragg, Bragg Live Food Products is the oldest independent natural food company in the United States. With a mission to encourage a vibrant, healthy lifestyle, Bragg products provide a dose of wellness wisdom that customers have come to depend on for over a century. Beyond their famous Apple Cider Vinegar, Bragg’s product family consists of a wide range of offerings including apple cider vinegar shots, olive oil, seasonings, salad dressings, beverages, and more!

Bragg Products have been a staple in our house for nearly 20 years! Do you love Bragg products too? Have you tried their Refreshers? 

https://healthstartsinthekitchen.com/national-nutrition-month-with-babbleboxx/

#BBxxNutritionHacks #bragg #applecidervinegar #healthyliving #healthyfood #wellness
Who else loves to relax with a delicious cup of te Who else loves to relax with a delicious cup of tea?? #ad 

I'm so excited to share with you one of my favorite tea brands; @prospera_tea 

Tea lovers rejoice! Learn the 5 Reasons to try Prospertea Botanical wellness blends that taste incredible and can support your health from the inside out! 

LINK IN PROFILE OR --> https://healthstartsinthekitchen.com/5-reasons-to-drink-prosperatea-tea/

Reduce anxiety with Prosperatea! CODE: HAYLEY15 will get you 15% of

Copyright © 2021 · Thyme Theme by Restored 316