ke·to·sis

/kēˈtōsəs/

noun

A metabolic state characterized by raised levels of ketone bodies in the body tissues, which is typically pathological in conditions such as diabetes, or maybe the result of a diet that is very low in carbohydrates.

When you hear the word diet, you think of losing or gaining weight, right? The ketogenic diet (keto) is not as much of a diet more than it is just a change in your eating habits. Just recently, I began this diet with the help from my dad (thank you!) and honestly I can already see an immense change in my eating customs. The keto diet is simple but intricate in the same way. Lots of people have asked me questions about what keto is, and how to start, so in this weeks article, I will be answering those questions about how the keto diet has helped me and so many others.

So, what exactly is keto?

The ketogenic diet is a very low-carb, high-fat diet that distributes many connections with the Atkins and low-carb diets. It requires drastically diminishing your daily carbohydrate intake and substituting it with fat. The aforementioned reduction in carbs settles your body into a metabolic state called ketosis. In ketosis, your body is in a typical metabolic processing state to keep your body working. When your body does not have enough carbohydrates from food for your cells to utilize for energy, it burns fat alternatively. This is the same reason why people will do "carbo-loads" before a swimming meet or basketball game.

How I started my keto diet was restricting my total carbohydrates down to twenty grams a day. It is the key to staying in ketosis when you limit yourself to twenty grams of carbs a day. So, to really put that into perspective, that is one banana (27g).

I have only been doing the keto diet for a week, so not that long. It did not take my body that long to adjust to new eating patterns. But after watching my dad keep up with keto for so long, I think that I have enough knowledge on it to educate those who are not fully aware as to what keto is. When I started my ketogenic diet, I used Pinterest to find lists of foods that I could and could not eat. YouTube videos also I found very helpful to start me on this amazing journey. My main goal in starting keto was to lose weight, and in a matter of a week, I am already down ten pounds. In all honesty, the hardest thing about going on this diet was giving up noodles, potatoes, fruits, juices, bread, rice, pastries, donuts, etc. What my dad told me when I was asking him questions about starting keto and what I was not going to be able to eat he said, and I quote, "basically nothing fun."

Damn, was he right.

Although, I was able to find things that I am able to enjoy snacking on or having for a meal. My personal favorite, almonds. I purposefully count out twenty-eight almonds to put into a plastic bag for a snack because that itself is just 5g of total carbohydrates. But some of the main things included in a ketogenic diet are also hazelnuts, walnuts, almond butter (substituted for peanut butter, in moderation), salad (limited amount of dressing, no croutons), berries (blueberries, raspberries, in moderation), beef, pork, chicken, fish, bacon, beef jerky, turkey, cheese, cucumbers, onions, green peppers, tomatoes (in moderation, technically a fruit), green beans, broccoli, mushrooms, eggs, and more. Even if you are cutting out some of your favorite foods from your diet, there are still so many other options to indulge yourself in to expand your horizons and grow accustomed to different, healthy foods.

I am impatient and excited to see where taking on keto will bring me in the months to come. I can already sense a change in the way I workout, the way I see myself, and how I have become more aware of what I am actually putting into my body. By being aware of all of these things, it has effectively supported me in understanding my body, to treat myself better, and notice all of the amazing benefits that keto has.

Suggestion: To keep track of your daily total carbohydrate intake, download the FREE app "CalorieKing" in the App Store!