What is this "keto" stuff?
Simply: "Keto" and "Keto Diet" refer to a low carb, high protein diet that is called the Ketogenic Diet.
Why it works.
Your brain gets it's energy from sugars and carbohydrates. When sugar and carbohydrate intake are minimized the brain looks for energy in the body from other places. Essentially it starts to burn off fat to fulfill it's energy requirements. This process is called ketosis and takes about three days to achieve. Once ketosis has set in the body will burn off fat for it's main supply of energy.
What are macros?
In regards to the keto diet, the term macros refers to macronutrients. Your macronutrients are:
- Protein
- Fat
- Carbohydrates
There are also micronutrients which include vitamins, minerals, amino acids, sugars and other items we get from our food.
The Keto Diet focuses on regulating our macronutrients. Over time as your body weight (and other attributes) change it is important to re-calculate your macronutrients. I would suggest putting your information into a Keto Calculator about once a month so that you continue to meet your needs and goals.
K. I. S. - Keep It Simple
The main rule of thumb is to stay away from carbs and sugars. Read the labels of the foods that you want to eat. Be certain to pay attention to the serving size for the item.
For example:
If you're looking at the label for some French Dressing to put on your salad it may say it only contains 6g of total carbs. But that is 6g in each serving which is usually two tablespoons. So if you like to pile on the dressing for your salads remember you are taking in much more than 6g of carbs.
Watch out for pitfalls
Some foods contain more carbs than we would expect. Even some healthy foods can trick you. Carrots are considered by many to be a healthy food, which it is for the vitamin content. However, carrots (like most root vegetables) have a high carb count and they would make it more difficult to maintain ketosis. Check the labels on condiments as well. Several condiments like ketchup have a lot of added sugar for flavor.
The bottom line
Is the keto diet right for everyone? No. If you are looking to change your lifestyle the first step is to figure out what your overall goal is. Some may want to lose fat, some might want to build muscle, and others may want to just be more mobile. The keto diet can be a tool to use to help people achieve their goal. However, many people adopt the keto diet as a lifestyle change which usually yields the best results.
There will be a section added later to explain how to calculate things for yourself. This site is just the initial version.