The Basics of a Low Carbohydrate Ketogenic Diet

An Introduction to how Ketogenic diets work!

Perhaps the greatest of all uncontrolled nutritional experiments, which has also become a way of life for most of us, is the high carbohydrate diet.  The results of this diet have not been good. In fact; many people have become victims to it. Perhaps, if you are reading this, you have become a victim to it as well?

 

 

 

 

 

 

• Or maybe you are looking for ways to gain more energy while attributing the lack of it to the food you are eating now?
• Maybe you are a parent, looking to curb epileptic fits in your child?
• Perhaps you have been diagnosed with type II diabetes?
• Or you are looking to control obesity, acne, find answers to the loss of your vitality, or have been noticing brittle, dull hair and nails etc?
• Or you are simply curious about the buzz surrounding such low carb diets?

Whatever your reasons for coming to this site, be assured that this is your one stop shop to finding all resources related to low carb Ketogenic diet. This website is dedicated to answering all your questions pertaining to low carb dieting including:

• What is the low carb diet all about?
• How does the diet work and what can it do for you?
• How can you make changes in your daily diet to adapt to the Ketogenic lifestyle?
• Most importantly why do we get fat?

So, without further delay, let us study the basics of the low carb ketogenic diet, starting with its origins.

Origin of Ketogenic diet

Many people believe that low carb diet was first invented and used by Dr. Atkins of the Atkins diet fame. However, the earliest mention of the low carbohydrate diet was made way before Dr. Atkins, in the year 1860. The USDA had, by 1940, created a food pyramid, that focused only on eating plenty of starchy foods and whole grains. Even today, a majority of Americans believe that eating 6-8 portions of whole grains and starchy foods is the ideal way of life. However, these myths slowly came to be debunked as more and more lifestyle diseases started becoming rampant. The low carb diet itself was created by Dr. Russel Wilder based on his experiences at the Mayo Clinic, in the year 1924.  It rapidly gained popularity thanks to media’s coverage surrounding it as many celebrities rapidly lost weight thanks to this diet. However, the main aim of the diet was to treat and cure epilepsy. Many of Dr. Wilder’s patients experienced fewer epileptic attacks once they started following this diet.

Ketogenic Diet today

Today, many people are known to choose this low carb Keto diet to reduce excess weight, cure/treat epilepsy or even enhance athletic performance.  The main difference between Atkins and Keto diets is that Atkins involves eating high amount of proteins. However, experts now believe that there is a greater chance that such high levels of protein could ultimately convert to glucose, which is an antithesis to the principles behind Ketogenic diet.

Basics of Ketogenic diet

Basically, the Ketogenic diet is a diet rich in fats and proteins and contains virtually no carbs.  The amount of proteins one eats in Keto depends on person to person and his/her individual calorie needs.  Since there are no carbs obtained by the body in this diet, the energy is obtained from ketones, which are created from our food, instead of glucose (which would be available if the body were to acquire carbohydrates). The result: no fat accumulation and rapid weight loss.

After consuming this diet regularly, the body goes into a state of ketosis. This is the state where the liver breaks down fats or fatty acids to use as energy. At the same time, one continues to deprive the body of carbs. The result: no weight gain.

So, to summarize, a ketogenic diet consists of:

1. Eating fat rich food
2. Eating high protein foods
3. Decreasing the amount of carbs till you can completely do without them.

But, isn’t carbohydrate deprivation bad for us?

Naturally, all low carb diets are not for everyone. The Ketogenic diet especially is known to place quite a strain on one’s liver and kidneys.  The diet can sometimes be unappetising and unpleasant; a concern that is voiced by many parents of epileptic children. However, there are many ways of making ketogenic foods attractive and delicious. In the course of this website, we will discuss many recipes, ideas and tips to make the ketogenic food and meals more interesting.

Side effects of Keto

In the beginning, people following the Ketogenic diet experience one or more of the following symptoms to varying degrees:

1. Headaches
2. Light headedness
3. Fatigue
4. Irritability

It generally takes 8 weeks of this diet to actually see results like enhanced athletic performance, reduced episodes of epilepsy in children etc.

Types of Ketogenic Diets

There are 3 basic types of Ketogenic diets: standard, targeted and cyclical.

Standard diet– This type of Keto allows you to consume up to 10% carbohydrates in your entire day’s food intake.

Cyclical diet– 5% of what you eat in a day is carbohydrates.

Targeted diet– This is similar to standard Keto but you may be allowed more carbs on the day you exercise. Thus, for example, you might be allowed to eat 25g of carbs prior to a workout.

Benefits of Ketogenic diet

The body will normally take 3-4 weeks to get used to this type of diet.  With a doctor or dietician’s help, as well as resources suggested on this website, you can cook and prepare meals conforming to the low carb diet. The low carb foods listed below should get you started. By following the diet, you may start experiencing many benefits such as:

1. Reduced blood pressure
2. Reduced cholesterol since you are consuming lesser carbs and sugars
3. Reduced insulin and blood sugar levels. The diet is hence ideal for diabetics who have to watch the blood sugar levels as well as for people who wish to prevent the condition.
4. Reduced weight. People with obesity experience lower hunger pangs.
5. Greater energy. People who follow this diet experience lower fatigue, more energy and uplifted mood for increased productivity in work. Professional athletes and sports persons also experience greater stamina and enhanced performance.

Naturally, people with certain medical conditions can start the diet to control diseases like:

• Diabetes
• Obesity
• Heart diseases
• Epilepsy
• Certain types of cancers

What can you expect once you start the diet?

Upon starting the ketogenic diet, in the initial few days, carbohydrate depletion can cause some fatigue, weakness etc. Some people also experience greater strain on their kidneys and liver leading to reactive hypoglycaemia. However; such cases are rare and, generally, within a matter of days, you would start to notice many wonderful health benefits. Naturally, it is best to consult a dietician or a physician whether the ketogenic diet is right for you. In case of epilepsy, it is best to have a team of specialists who can evaluate the diet and also confirm if the patient is a good candidate for it. In most cases, the diet has lower side effects than many common types of anti seizure medicines available today for treating epilepsy.

Meal Preparation Tips for Keto Diet

Often, parents and caregivers of epileptic patients who have been asked to follow the low carb Ketogenic diet wonder how they can prepare meals, especially considering the time constraints as well as the hassles that inevitably come while preparing them in addition to regular family meals. The key is to plan ahead and also keep a supply of keto ingredients and foods handy.  Naturally, it is not easy since most recipes would begin with, for example, “30g cream, 18g meat, 12g butter”.  Such high amounts of fat could sound as if one is making a concoction or brew for the wrestlers and body builders! But Keto works- Science, research and numerous real life cases have all proven that this diet works wonders and has been doing so for more than 90 years. It is known to have even stopped epileptic seizure episodes in numerous kids and many have been drug and seizure-free for years on this diet.

Ketogenic meals: Budget and time friendly planning tips

An important factor that might cause people to lose interest in the diet is that it can be expensive. However, there are ways and tips to prepare Ketogenic meals fast and on a budget. These include:

• Shopping at local farmer’s market. This way, you know where the meat is coming from.
• Buying seasonal fruits that’ll aren’t full of carbs.
• Searching for typically green vegetables as they’re also low in carbs.
• Buying wholesale. Ingredients like oils etc are a lot cheaper when brought in bulk
• Shopping online and using coupons and deals where possible
• Buying foods that are closer to their expiry date
• Not wasting food. Storing leftovers properly
• Planning all meals in advance (shopping every 10 days and using mobile/tablet applications to plan meals)
• Making a shopping list each time you shop
• Slow cooking meat (pork or lamb in herbs). Storing 2 portions in the freezer and serving remaining portions for current meal.
• Pre cooking and storing chicken and turkey thighs or breasts using airtight Ziploc bags in freezers. Defrosting these meals overnight or the day before one needs them.
• Precooking and storing salmon fillets or other varieties of fatty fish and storing them in air-tight bags in the freezer.
• Keeping boiled eggs and crisped bacon in fridge, handy to be eaten as snack/ or while preparing recipes.

Time saving Keto meal preparation tips for busy lifestyles

• Slow cooking meat (pork or lamb in herbs). Storing 2 portions in the freezer and serving remaining portions for current meal.
• Pre cooking and storing chicken and turkey thighs or breasts using airtight Ziploc bags in freezers. Defrosting these meals overnight or the day before one needs them.
• Precooking and storing salmon fillets or other varieties of fatty fish and storing them in air-tight bags in the freezer.
• Keeping boiled eggs and crisped bacon in fridge, handy to be eaten as snack/ or while preparing recipes.

Succeeding with Keto

People who need to strictly follow the Ketogenic diet often find it hard explaining their way of life to others. Often, children with epilepsy are tempted at school, where giving out pizzas as prizes is a standard practice. Limiting temptation is often times difficult. Here are a few tips for parents of epilepsy suffering children:

• When starting out: Throw out all of the carbohydrate rich foods which do not conform to the low carb diet.
• Keep refrigerator off limits to children.
• Staying away from fast food unless you can find low carb options on the menu.
• Shopping in grocery stores can be hard, so try to keep away from aisles containing candy and cookies.
• Make holidays as a time to focus on family and not on food.
• Beer, one of the true nemesis’s of staying clean while eating keto. Though remember there are some low carb beer options out there!
• Yes, there will be Sacrifices: Parents and family members of epileptic patients often need to sacrifice and go on the Keto diet themselves. While this might not be entirely medically safe for the parents, limiting candies, cookies etc can do a world of good to everyone and not just the patient alone.
• Talk about the diet- Often, people tend to get weary about Ketogenic diets but the best way to stay encouraged is to talk about its benefits from time to time.
• Also remember you will most likely hit a weight loss plateau at some point, so be prepared and don’t give up!
• Staying in Ketosis can be hard in the beginning so we recommend you buy a package of ketone testing strips to keep you on track.

Foods and Sample Meal Plans

Breakfast Examples

Sample 1

• Scrambled eggs in butter
• Cream
• Orange juice

Sample 2

• Bacon
• Scrambled eggs
• Vanilla cream shake
• Melon slices

Sample 3

• Mushroom omelette
• Bacon
• Cream shake
• Or Keto special cereal (Keto cookies crumbled and served with whipped cream)

Lunch

Sample 1

• Lettuce leaf salad with mayo
• Spaghetti squash with butter and Parmesan cheese
• Orange soda with whipped cream

Sample 2

• Tuna with mayo
• Celery/cucumber salad with mayo
• Sugarfree Jello

Dinner

Sample 1

• Asparagus with butter
• Hot dog with ketchup
• Lettuce with mayo
• Vanilla cream with popsicle

Sample 2:

• Chicken or turkey breast broiled
• Lettuce with mayo
• Apples sticks with butter dip, vanilla whipped cream and cinnamon

Snacks

Sample

• Peanut butter and Margarine
• Yogurt (with heavy cream, sour cream) and fruit

Remember: It takes very little time to broil some chicken or steam a piece of broccoli add some butter on the chicken and mayo on the broccoli to be served with a cup of heavy cream diluted with water and ice served with some fruits. For variety one can also serve cheesecake with some fruit toppings or custard with vegetables and bacon. There is tons of keto friendly snacks you can make if you take the time find them!

Ready to Learn More?

Well we hope you certainly enjoyed what you have read so far, and continue your journey Keto experience alongside us! Thank you for visiting our Ketogenic Diet headquarters!