Try these 10 tips for mastering the ketogenic diet:
1. Keto-101
The ketogenic diet is a super low carb diet designed to put your body into a state of ketosis, where it uses fat as it's primary fuel source. This happens because glucose (from carbohydrates) is the easiest to convert into energy and hence is the bodies main source of fuel, especially during exercise. By taking away the glucose supply the body turns to the next best thing: fat. Most ketogenic diets get 70 per cent of their daily caloric intake from fat, 20 per cent is from protein and a mere five per cent is from carbohydrates.
2. Fuel with fat
Think you can skimp on calories and eat more by adding more protein you're your Ketogenic diet? It might not work in your favour.
When we eat fats and carbohydrates they are metabolised and stored. Carbs are broken are stored as glucose in the muscles and liver, fats are circulated as triglycerides in the blood stream and stored as adipose tissue (i.e. body fat). Both of these are used for energy! Protein is broken down into amino acids and used to maintain and (if your training) repair muscles and tissue, which including your hair and nails. Long story short: you need to eat enough protein, but without adequate fats in your ketogenic diet, you will eventually run out of energy.
3. Fitness frustrations
When there is inadequate glucose in the bloodstream or muscles during exercise we tend to 'hit a wall' and exercise gets harder. This is why distance sports usually recommend sports drinks or gels, which give athletes the glucose boost they need. But, on a ketogenic diet, your body will eventually learn to burn fat more efficiently! A recent study published in the European Journal of Sports Science suggests that lowering carbohydrate intake and increasing fat for several weeks will result in what's called 'keto-adaption' and better fat burning.
4. Choose your fats
Although the body is burning fat as fuel, there is still a risk that you will end up with high cholesterol. Cholesterol is a fatty substance that is produced naturally by the body and found is some foods. Eating foods high in saturated fat will increase the circulation of LDL cholesterol, which is the kind that causes heart disease and clogged arteries. Yikes! But by consuming good fats and plenty of fibre, you should be able to keep your LDL cholesterol levels low.
5. Residual carbs
If you're not nuts about knowing the nutritional profile of most things you eat, the ketogenic diet probably isn't for you. In order to keep your carbohydrate levels low – we're talking under 50 grams a day – you'll need to do a lot of checking up. Most dairy products, although they are high in protein, are also high in carbohydrates. As are some nuts, legumes and vegetables.
6. Cheating carbs
Looking for no-carb alternatives to regular foods? Try crumbled cauliflower instead of rice, zucchini ribbons instead of pasta and peanut or almond flour and stevia in your baked goods. The biggest limit with any carb containing food will be your portion size, and by that we mean smaller portions. For example ¼ of a cup of cooked brown rice contains around 12.5 grams of carbohydrates.
7. Feeling foggy?
The ketogenic diet can be tough on the mind and body. Physical responses, aside from weight loss, can include: headaches, lethargy, sleepiness and even sometimes nausea. Some also experience cognitive decline, i.e. feeling foggy, confused, flat or experiencing mood swings. Some even call the vast array of symptoms associated with the low carb diets the 'keto flu'. Not everyone experiences these things, but for those who do the best option may be to increase your carb intake, then slowly decrease it back to ketogenic amounts. More stubborn dieters might consider further increasing their fat intake, although this might alleviate your symptoms, a more viable solution might be increasing your fluid and electrolyte intake...
8. Electrolytes and fluids
This can be tricky to work out. The ketogenic diet can cause your body to shed sodium, potassium and water, which can result in a number of 'keto flu' symptoms. Usually the body can adjust to these changes in your electrolyte levels, but if you're smashing litres of water in a plea to stave off feelings of hunger or dehydration, you might be contributing to the loss electrolytes by flushing them out of your system. The solution: some suggest supplementing sodium and potassium, we'd say try and work out where they can be squeezed into your keto diet and/or seek professional help.
9. Kiss and tell
Although low carb dieting might improve your physiques and even athletic ability, it's not going to do anything for your breath. Burning fat instead of carbohydrate produces ketones. In everyday diets ketones provide your brain with energy, but when there is an excess of fat burning going on (and therefore an excess of ketones being produced) the body excretes the extra ketones through breath and urea, often giving you a rather unpleasant smell.
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