The process of your body absorbing energy by burning fat is called ketosis, hence the name ketogenic diet or keto for short.
A keto diet involves the intake of fat over carbohydrates. For your body to use up fat as a glucose source, carb intake should be kept low. However, novice keto dieters often commit the mistake of eliminating carbs.
Carb consumption is required for ketosis to take effect. Since carbs can be easily quantified, a keto calculator should assist people who are new to a keto diet or planning on trying this diet.
Lowest Carb Count Possible
For ketosis to set in, you should be consuming 15-30 grams of carbs per day. Though some other keto diets require higher amounts, this is ideal as it will keep your fat-burning at optimal levels.
If you have an exercise regimen that keeps you active daily, carb consumption need not be too restricted as you will burn these off.
Conversely, without enough exercise, you should have less carb consumption.
Which Carbs to Eat
Carb measurements aren't set in stone. But for a keto diet, this may be a little bit restrictive or even elusive. Many kinds of food provide carbohydrates. Be aware of which are good and which ones to avoid.
Below is a quick list of what carbs you should be able to consume when undergoing a keto diet:
Broccoli – A small bunch
Spinach – 4 bunches
Cabbage – Half a large head
Cauliflower – A medium head
Leeks – 2 pieces
Sweet Potatoes – A medium sweet potato
Carrots – 4 large carrots
Butternut Squash – Half a medium squash
Pineapple – 7 chunks
Strawberries – 20 pieces
Lemons – 3 lemons
Coconut – A medium coconut
Dark Chocolate (80% Cocoa) - Half a 100g bar
Raw Macadamia Nuts – 50 pieces
Avocado – 5 avocadoes
Benefits of Low Carb Consumption
The most significant benefit of undergoing a keto diet is appetite reduction. You will find yourself eating and craving fewer carbohydrates. In turn, your body would lose more weight than with a regular diet. Your abdomen will be one of the first body parts to shrink considerably.
Then, your good cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein (HDL), will also rise in the count, resulting in a healthier heart and circulatory system. Keeping your good cholesterol high is a way you can also reduce any form of heart disease.
Keeping your good cholesterol high is a way you can also reduce any form of heart disease. Following this is the lowering of your blood sugar and insulin levels. The diet will also lower your blood pressure and decrease the effects of hypertension.
Surprisingly, keeping your carbs low may also contribute to staving off neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s due to the fulfillment of the brain's glucose requirement. Without any carbs to rely on, your liver will produce glucose and send it to your brain.
High Fat, Low Carbs
A keto diet requires you to focus on consuming a specific kind of food only. Keep your fat intake high and your carb intake low. Lower carbs mean your body will enter a state of ketosis quicker, and the burning of your body fat will begin sooner, allowing your body to shed off some pounds even while you aren’t doing anything. For quicker weight loss, you have the option of trying out keto supplements. So, get that grocery list ready—it's time to buy fewer carbs.
