Ketogenic Principle In Depth

KETOGENIC DIETING IN DEPTH

How This Program Works
Modern nutrition recommends low fat diets, with calories coming predominantly from carbohydrates. This generally suits many athletes, as carbohydrates are an easy to use source of fuel, especially for weight training, and fats eaten are more easily stored as body fat. This is true when you consume both fats and carbohydrates together. To learn more about this phenomenon please refer to the sections on the insulin index and insulin itself. Basically whenever you consume carbs and fats, it is likely the fatty portion of the meal be stored for fuel in the future. This means it can store in adipose fat cells beneath your skin. You gat physically fat. Now, when the carbohydrate portion of the diet is extremely limited or extinguished, an entirely different phenomenon occurs within the body. One that leads to a very popular and interesting diet, known as the ketogenic, or ketone diet.

As stated most diet encourage one to consume carbohydrates as an essential macro nutrient. However, there is a problem with this approach. If you eat frequent carbohydrate meals, your body adapts and becomes a carbohydrate burning machine, it doesn't use fats very eagerly at all. In other words, as your body sees that you are primarily feeding it carbohydrates as its primary fuel source, it is a clever adaptagenic machine. It will become primed and perfect for burning carbohydrates for fuel. Makes sense if this is the primary fuel source you are feeding it. In fact, when you start to diet, your body may use protein as an energy source in preference to fats, and consequently dip into protein reserves (muscle) rather than fats. This is, of course, disastrous and deleterious to ones physique. So when you prime your body to burn carbohydrates and you then lower them on a diet, your body hunts for food from carbohydrates for energy. Of course protein can be broken down and converted into glycogen, making your very own muscle tissue you've spent months building, your very next meal. Whilst you remain consistently plump and ready and willing to hold onto your emergency fat reserves for a time of real urgency. The net result of unsuccessful dieting - high levels of remaining bodyfat and far less muscle, stripped away by the ravages of low calorie dieting. Creating a body that is like a sponge - ready to re-expand, the moment you feed it more calories. This is the famous yo-yo dieting syndrome.

This program overcomes this drawback by adjusting your body to use fats for fuel. Contrary to popular belief, this practice not only works but is the preference these days of many, many athletes and non-athletes alike. By lowering carbohydrate levels sufficiently, and eating ample fats, your body starts to process fats for fuels by creating a product called ketones. These are interchangeable with carbohydrates as an energy source for your body. There have even been a number of studies that show that ketones are a preferred fuel source for the brain, contradictory to what has previously been thought. One only has to look at the highly healthy diet of the inuet to see that they live on a basic ketogenic diet. Dr Atkins has become famous of late, for his very informative work regarding the debilitating illness - syndrome X. There are numerous sightings in his popular work that are well known, and one can find endless research from many sources, of humans thriving on a ketone diet.

There is a little debate as to whether all people would fare well on a ketogenic diet. And there is fair argument by many to say, not only should you follow a ketogenic diet for fat loss, but all year round, every year, for optimal health and functioning of your body. Who is right? Well probably both camps. One should spend a little time to learn about their genetic ancestry and ones metabolic type.

The Basics
When you first start this program it takes about 2 weeks for your body to adjust (if you have been regularly consuming carbohydrate as your primary fuel source), and during this period energy levels could drop significantly, and many people complain of mild headaches. This could be a symptom of dehydration, as a dramatic rise on protein and a lowering of carbohydrate from the diet can cause a little dehydration to occur. However, after the 2 weeks, energy levels return to normal and any mild headaches stop. There are often people whom suffer no energy drop, and even an dramatic boost to their energy levels. It has been known for those who are naturally inclined to fair better on low carbohydrate diets (protein type metabolisms), that eating this way can have an immediately cleansing benefit where one feels like a lot of toxins are released from the body, and the person feels far superior and energetic than on a carbohydrate diet.

Despite what people may think about high fat diets, studies confirm that this type of diet does not elevate cholesterol, in fact quite the opposite, it tends to lower it, even when the fats come from saturated fat. Of course it is far more preferential to consume a majority of the fats from essential and unsaturated sources .However, on the down side, it does lead to bad breath, as a result of the chemical reaction in creating ketones from fats.

This is a simple program to follow because you can eat just about as much as you feel like because protein and fats trigger an appetite suppressing effect on the brain. What you will find is a general full feeling throughout the day and a pleasant loss of appetite, meaning consuming fewer calories in general. Although simple to follow, many people drop out in the first two weeks as energy levels drop dramatically and it takes a determined person to see it through. Or should we say, a creative person, as some of your food choices may become a little restrictive.

How Does This Work?
Quite simply you are switching the modes that your body operates in. Instead of being a carbohydrate burning machine, you become a fat burning machine, by tricking the body essentially. When you stop consuming carbohydrates, you dramatically limit the production of insulin, your storage hormone. This means, that you no longer are going to be shuttling excess nutrients into fat cells. If you imagine, insulin is the key that opens the door up to fat storage. If you dont use that key, by not consuming carbohydrates, then you are not going to store any bodyfat. And not only that your body is primed to burn off the excess bodyfat already stored for energy, on your body.

Measuring Your Status
When you lower your carbohydrate levels and increase your fat intake you are going to switch from a carbohydrate fueled system, to one that is burning fat for energy, cleaving off ketone molecules. These ketones can be measured in your urine with Ketostix (ketone sticks) from your local chemist, such as Boots. You will find that within three or four days of a ketone diet your sticks will be changing to a deep purple colour (depending upon manufacturer) and you can clearly and visibly see that your body is burning off excess fats for fuel. This is not the same as when diabetics lose ketones in their urine. Don't confuse two very different scenarios.

It is also of interest to note that you do not need to be in deep ketosis to gain benefit from this program. Simply lowering your carbohydrate levels sufficiently works very well, but that is the difference between a zero carb ketone diet and just a low carb diet. The low carb diet is one outlined simply in the section on the insulin index.

Caution
For those people partaking in a ketogenic diet it is worth you investing in some folic acid as to prevent the build up of a toxic waste product called homeocysteine. You would also be wise to consume any form of insulin potentiating compound such as alpha lipoic acid and d-pinnotol to insure that insulin sensitivity remains high. It has been noted that consuming a zero carb ketogenic diet for long period of times can lead to insulin insensitivity and this can cause problems, if, and when you come off the diet. You may find yourself soaking up fat like a sponge if you abuse your body. But maybe thats what you deserve if you abuse your body.

It is also worth a note of caution while following this diet, in regards hydration levels and electrolyte status. You may find that you become quite dehydrated. You must critically ensure at all times that you are keeping yourself well hydrated and not doing anthing silly to through your electrolyte balance out of whack, by eating lots of sodium (salt) in your diet and no potassium (highly likely) if you dont eat enough green leafy salad and vegetables on this diet. This also adds to bulk and fibre on this regime, and without that, you may even notice strange and unpleasant things happening to your stools. So remember to stay hydrated and eating regular fibre.

What Can I Expect To See?
Ketone diets are great for fast and immediate effects. Instantly you will lose weight. This is obvious because as your glycogen levels decline, so does your water weight within your body (your hydration levels). This is because one gram of carbohydrate, attracts and binds to it, three grams of water. This is another reason why carbs can bloat you up and make you look watery while ketone diets dry you out. Depending on your water retention levels and the size of your body you will find yourself losing anywhere from a few pounds to more than half a stone in the first week. Don't be alarmed. As soon as you stock up on carbs, you will find this initial water weight returns to normal.

From each week following this, you will lose anywhere form 2 - 4 lbs of weight per week. Due to the anabolic effects of increased protein and fats in the diet, it is unlikely any of your weight loss will be muscle, unless you are not eating enough. You should aim to lose no more than 2lb per week. Any more may likely be burning off from skeletal muscle tissue. This is of course bad news. Your aim is to train and continue to progress, not regress.

Losing 2lb per week is highly achievable, and many find, extremely pleasing on this particular diet. When one can manipulate the rules and have an occasional cheat meal that consists of burgers, sausages, bacon, eggs and cheese for breakfast you tend to be able to sail through with ample enjoyable weight loss. As you can imagine, this diet is not for the vegetarians amongst you.