The Ketogenic Approach to Optimal Health
A ketogenic diet is a dietary approach that focuses on minimal carbohydrates, moderate amounts of protein and high healthy fat consumption — the three keys to achieving nutritional ketosis. In fact, it’s what I recommend for most people looking to optimize their health. Benefits of a ketogenic diet may include the following:
Weight loss
If you’re trying to lose weight, a ketogenic diet is one of the best ways to do it. Ketosis helps access your body’s fat so that it can be used as its main fuel source.
A ketogenic diet can also help reduce your appetite. Constant hunger may cause you to consume more calories than you can burn, which can eventually lead to weight gain. Following a low-carb plan can slowly reduce hunger symptoms, which will help you avoid this problem.
Obese people in particular can benefit from the ketogenic method. For those who struggle with insulin resistance, altering your carb intake to a ketogenic approach can also lower your insulin levels and help reduce your risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
Supports healthy inflammatory response
Though the human body has two sources of fuel, carbohydrates (which turn to sugar) and fats (which turn to ketones), the latter is preferred because it is a cleaner, healthier and slower burning fuel. By eliminating sugar from your daily food consumption, you’re decreasing your risk of developing chronic inflammation throughout your body.
Jeff Volek, Ph.D., is a registered dietitian specializing in how a high-fat, low-carb diet can affect health and athletic performance. In one of his books, he states that ketones have a similar structure to branched-chain amino acids that can be useful for building muscle mass.
Lowers risk of cancer
One exciting discovery about the ketogenic diet is how it can help lower the risk of cancer. Dominic D’Agostino, Ph.D., an assistant professor at the University of South Florida, recently made headway on how the ketogenic diet can help impact this dreaded disease.
Before going on a ketogenic diet…
It’s important to take a look at what you’re eating first and take out anything that’s unhealthy. This means that you have to remove sugars, starches, packaged and processed foods from your diet. Furthermore, avoid drinking milk because just one glass can basically eat up your entire carb allotment for the day.
So, once you’ve taken out all the unhealthy food sources, what’s the next step? When it comes to the core of an actual ketogenic diet, remember that you need to consume only a moderate amount of protein, or about one-half gram per pound of lean body mass, each day. In addition, carbohydrates must be minimized and high-quality fats increased to serve as your new fuel source. Some foods rich in high-quality healthy fats include:
-Animal-based omega-3 fats from healthy sources, such as wild-caught Alaskan salmon, sardines, anchovies and krill; grass-fed meats and raw butter or ghee (clarified butter); lard and/or tallow; organic pastured eggs.
-Plant-based omega-3 fats including coconut oil, raw cacao butter, olives and olive oil (third-party certified) and avocados.
-Seeds and nuts, such as pumpkin, sesame, cumin and hemp seeds; as well as raw macadamias, almonds and pecans.
When building your ketogenic diet meal plan, it’s important to stick to green leafy vegetables because they are rich in fiber, antioxidants and various nutrients. Your best choices include broccoli, spinach, parsley, Brussels sprouts and zucchini.
As for beverages, there are several you can choose from. The most important is water, but you may also drink organic black coffee (without any sweeteners or milk), which is rich in antioxidants.
Joseph Mercola, MD, is creator of the number-one rated natural health website in the world, www.mercola.com.
