Keto Diet: What Is the Ketogenic Diet? + 5 Tips To Get Started

If you have not heard of the keto diet than I am here to tell you that although its nothing new, it could be life changing to some when done right.In a nutshell, the keto diet, also known as the Ketogenic diet, is a low carb, high fat, and moderate protein diet, a.k.a LCHF. The goal of the diet is to reach a state of ketosis (more on that later). When your body reaches a state of ketosis, your liver produces ketones which is then used as your bodies main source of energy instead of glucose.

What makes this diet so unique and why its so popular right now is because it completely changes how your body functions. It also shows quick results in weight loss. You go from being a sugar burner to a fat burner. This is where you see all the benefits rolling in (later)

Fats VS Sugar As An Energy Source

 When you eat something with carbs like pasta, bread, potatoes, it gets converted to glucose and than insulin is produced to distribute the glucose throughout the body. The average person in this country and many others as well, uses glucose for energy, which is why our diets are so high in carbs.

When the body cannot store glucose, it gets converted to fats which are then stored. When the body runs out of glucose or is starved of carbs/glucose, than the body tells the brain to eat some chips or candy or rice, see the cycle? your trained to use glucose as your source of energy. When you start this diet your training your body to use fats instead of sugars.When there's no glucose to be used for energy, the body starts to look for an alternative source. This is when Ketones are produced. The process begins! 
 Fats are much better candidates to use for energy than sugars. Its a cleaner energy source when compared to sugars. glucose wins as the main energy source because the process is much faster than fats being used as energy. 

What Is Ketosis? 

Firstly, it is a natural process. When your body is in ketosis, it produces ketones produced by the liver. When the fat is broken down in the liver, it is converted to ketones as an energy source. That's just the process, don't worry. When your body begins this process and ketones are being produced enough, the body starts to experience many physical and mental benefits of being in ketosis.


To reach ketosis, its required to remove certain foods from your diet like all sugar, processed foods, starches, grains, and some fruit. This allows the body to produce lower levels of insulin and fatty acids to be released.These fatty acids are transferred to the liver, where they are oxidized and turned into ketones.These molecules can than provide energy for the body and the brain. 

Is This Diet Right For Me 

If you are seriously considering starting the keto diet than your making a great choice. Remember that what works for one person might not work for the other so try it and see if its right for you. 

Beginning a new diet might be overwhelming and you might not know where to start so I highly recommend you START HERE.This is a great introduction to the keto diet and what it entails. If your interested in learning more and watching the video, click the link above. This link takes you to a video that explains a bit more about the ketogenic diet and how you could get started.   

 What Are The Benefits Of The Keto Diet

Here's a quick breakdown of the most key benefits of this diet:

• quick weight loss
• lower insulin levels for diabetics
• mental clarity
• minimizes seizures for epilepsy
• lower heart disease risk
• acne  
• reduced inflammation   

5 Tips To Get Started On The Ketogenic Diet

1. Stay Hydrated

Some might think that's common sense but so     many of us go throughout the day with out drinking enough water. You should be aiming to drink at least half your body weight in ounces throughout the day.  This will make the transition smoother.

2. Start Slow

Do not rush into this diet. You do not have to go and try to eliminate all carbs straight away, if you could by all means do so, but if you find it harder than take it slow. Reduce your carb intake one thing at a time. 

3. Eat Healthy Fats

Healthy fats include avocado, avocado oil, salmon, flax seed, and coconut oil, just to name a few. Fat consumption should be increased to 70%-80% of your calorie intake. Dark chocolate is another healthy fat. It has over 50% RDA of iron, magnesium and  copper. 

4.  Consume Enough Good Salts

When we are on a low carbohydrate, ketogenic diet, we have lower insulin levels and therefore our kidneys excrete more sodium which can lead to a lower sodium/potassium ratio and a greater need for sodium in the diet.
On a low-carb diet you should look to get an additional 3-5 grams of sodium from natural foods and through the use of a pink salt like Himalayan sea salt.  1 tsp of pink salt is equivalent to 2 grams of sodium. 

5. Eat Enough Protein 

Although the diet requires you to minimize protein, you do not want to cut out too much protein from your diet. Protein is essential to your body so it should not be completely eliminated. But how much is enough? 

It's important to consume enough protein to supply the liver with amino acids that are used for gluconeogenesis, which means new glucose is being produced. In this process, your liver sends glucose to the cells and organs in your body that can't use ketones as fuel.

Second, protein intake should be high enough to maintain muscle mass when carb intake is low, especially during weight loss. Preservation of muscle mass and physical performance is maximized when protein intake is within the range of 0.55–0.77 grams per pound.

To calculate how much protein you need on a ketogenic diet, multiply your ideal body weight in pounds by 0.55 to 0.77. So if your ideal body weight is 130 pounds, your protein intake should be 71–100 grams.

For more information and tips on starting the keto diet you should watch this video. Its a great introduction to the diet and what it entails. It even explains how you could start the diet. Please leave your comments and share what you know or have experienced with this diet.