How Keto Trends Can Help You Improve Your Health

Max Living Gives Us Some Pertinent Information About Keto

The ketogenic diet is becoming known for being beneficial in so many areas of health and medicine, it’s important to get a clear understanding of what it’s best used for and how. So, we compiled a primer on the health benefits of the ketogenic diet. From weight loss to reduced appetite to reduced inflammation to improved cardiovascular health, the ketogenic diet is far more than a lose-weight-quick diet. In fact, it’s more of a lifestyle change, with benefits far outweighing simply looking good in a bathing suit.

The ketogenic diet has significant health benefits in a variety of areas, from metobolic health to heart and brain health, and more. As studies continue and more is understood about the body’s reaction to the ketogenic diet and how it can be leveraged for a variety of wellness initiatives, there will surely be more discoveries of the benefits of the high-fat, moderate-protein, low-carb ketogenic lifestyle. Regardless, always check with a dietitian or your primary care physician before making dramatic dietary changes.

To understand why you might burn fat better on a keto diet or being in ketosis, imagine your body as a car. Glucose is your body’s gasoline: Your body breaks down food into glucose for energy.

But what happens when your body doesn’t have enough glucose to use? After all, your car can’t run without gasoline. 

Fortunately, that doesn’t happen with your body. You have a backup fuel called ketones, which your liver creates from fat, which puts your body in a state called ketosis. 

On a keto diet, you restrict carbohydrates and protein, which means you consume a diet high in fat. Insufficient carbohydrates or protein means you don’t have much glucose for fuel. Your body utilizes that back-up fuel, converting the fat you eat and body fat into ketones.

You’re literally burning fat for fuel! 

You’re always making ketones. But when you eat a ketogenic diet, those ketones replace glucose as your body’s dominant fuel, and you go into ketosis. 

Shifting from glucose to ketones could take days or weeks, and sustaining it can be equally challenging. Even small amounts of carbohydrates or excess protein can prevent your body from maintaining ketosis. 

That makes keto a pretty strict diet. Maintaining that plan requires:

• Keeping your fat intake high. To get and stay in ketosis, you’ll eat a diet that’s about 80 – 90% fat. In other words, most of your diet will consist of dietary fats.
• Monitoring protein intake. Excess protein can convert into glucose, which inhibits ketosis. You’ll limit the amount of protein you eat on a keto diet. 
• Keeping carbs low. To maintain ketosis, you need to keep your carb intake to around 20 – 50 grams daily. To put that into perspective: An apple has about 25 grams of carbohydrate.
• Testing whether you’re in ketosis. You don’t have to do this, but you can measure the level of ketones your body produces with blood, urine, or breath tests. 

Keto diets can be challenging, at least in the beginning. But some devotees swear by their benefits for weight loss and much more. I for one do. Which is why I included a bonus; my favorite Kale Salad Recipe!

“We don’t have to be skinny, we have to be healthy. That’s the goal”

Stephanie Davis, Keto Your Curves

Kale Salad Recipe: This easy kale salad features fresh veggies and a super simple homemade lemon dressing, making it perfect as a healthy side dish or light lunch! Great if you are following a keto regimen.

Ingredients

• ▢ 5 cups kale chopped
• ▢ 1-2 teaspoons olive oil
• ▢ ⅛ teaspoon salt
• ▢ 2 cups broccoli chopped
• ▢ ½ cup almonds sliced
• ▢ ½ cup cheese optional (cheddar or feta work great here!)
• ▢ ¼-½ cup carrots shredded
• ▢ ¼ cup red onion diced
• ▢ ¼ cup sunflower seeds
• ▢ ¼ cup cranberries

• For dressing I use Newman’s Own Lemon Basil Vinaigrette.
• Next massage your chopped kale with a little olive oil and a pinch of salt. Rub with your fingers until leaves begin to darken and tenderize. This makes it taste great and gives the kale a silky texture!
• In a large bowl, combine massaged kale, broccoli, almonds, cheese, carrots, onion, sunflower seeds, cranberries. Shake your dressing once more and pour about 1/3 of the dressing over the salad. Toss to coat and add extra dressing, to taste.