Ketogenic Diet

What is it? 

This form od dieting restricts the intake of carbohydrates. Restricting carbohydrates reduces the level of glycogen that gets stored in the liver and in the blood stream. Ketones become the primary source of energy used to move the muscles rather than glycogen, which is actually the first-line energy source.

How are ketones released in lieu of muscle cannibalism? These are the by-product that is left over when the body metabolizes fat for energy. This process begins after the glycogen stores in the liver are used and the glycogen in the bloodstream is being used. The time-frame for that is, on average, 20 to 25 minutes. After which, the muscles are in need of a secondary energy source. The energy will either come from the body breaking down extra muscle fibers – a fast and relatively simple process – or metabolize fat stores, which can take more of the body’s energy stores than using muscle tissue.

Glucose is used in the making of adenosine triphosphate, ATP. ATP is used to fuel the muscle cells and just about everything else going on in the body. It is when we exercise that these stores in the liver and in the blood stream get depleted so quickly.

As we eat our body stores the energy in two ways, glycogenesis and lipogenesis. In glycogenesis that glucose is stored in the liver and in the blood and muscles. With lipogenesis the glycogen is stored as body-fat because there is already a maximum amount of glycogen stored in the other areas. Without exercising, the energy stored through glycogenesis can sustain the average person from 6 up to 24 hours. The fat storage is more of a long-term thing. This energy is slowly released and can sustain a person for from weeks to months depending on how much body-fat they have and how much of what nutrition is available.

When glucose is being used, ketones are a by-product. The process if using glycogen and lipogen is known as glycogenolysis. Glycogenesis is the creating and storing of glycogen, glycogenolysis is the using or breaking down of glycogen. The same suffixes are applied to lipogen.

This is all great news for the body. Well, for most of the body. Ketosis is too slow a process for providing one organ with energy to function properly. Thankfully, it’s not an organ that all people rely on. Although, more should. That organ is the brain.

Glucose needs to be quickly available to the brain for it to function. Also, any diet that removes fats from the body impacts the brain. Why? The brain is 60% fat. The brain requires fat to function. Initially, that is, the ketogenic diet is too slow in providing the necessary fuel to run the body and the brain.

But, do not worry too hard or too long. Our bodies are infinitely adaptable. Even this issue will be adapted to and compensated for.

Recall that ketones are a by-product of the glycogenesis process, this is also ketogenesis … is this going to be another genesis? Who knew, right?

The ketogenesis results in acetoacetate, which is usable in the brain as fuel. The adaptation for this will take a couple of weeks. So, you may feel a little sluggish or off for the first week or two. That is perfectly normal. Have some extra coffee or tea, do not reach for energy drinks. Those are bad for you, real bad. Your brain will kick over and start burning the new fuel just as efficiently as the rest of your body.

How well does acetoacetate work? Here comes another $1.50 word. For acetoacetate to be useful, it undergoes another metamorphosis and becomes beta-hydroxybutyrate, or BHB. BHB, as stated, is far more efficient a fuel. It is up to 70% more efficient according to several reports.

Why and how does it work? A full diet is necessary prior to the ketogenic phase. That means a diet with solid nutrition, full spectrum of amino acids (both essential and non-essential), proteins, carbohydrates. Not an over-compensation styed diet. Do not take the idea that you need 1,000 or more calories every meal for a week prior to fasting to make it through. A day or two of fasting will hurt you.

Another knee-jerk reaction is taking in too much protein during the ketone phase. I can see why you might want to think that eating protein, a lot of it, is the way to go. Protein is going to protect my muscles. But, it will not protect your muscles. What it will do is increase your insulin levels. The higher your insulin levels are the slower ketogenesis is going to go. Right, too much protein in the keto phase will slow down the keto process. Not at ail what you wanted in the first place.

Does it work?

In short, the ketogenic diet transitions the body metabolism away from relying on carbohydrates for fuel and onto ketones and body fat for the energy necessary. This energy is far more efficient and effective than carbs.

This diet technique is found to be far more effective than low calorie and fat restrictive diets. This technique enables the dieter to lose fat, maintain or even gain muscle, support brain function, and protect vital health functions simultaneously. Studies are verifying these benefits. The National Institute of Health published a study in April 2003 that compared the ketogenic diet with low fat and calorie restricted diets. Their findings show that the ketogenic routine burned fat at a rate of 2.2 times faster than either of the other two routines. This success comes without the related risks to the cardiovascular system associated with the other diet regimens.

Health and diet specialists recommend this diet for those who are pre-diabetic and diabetic. Due to the body using fat more effectively as fuel, body fat levels are kept lower. This is a duel effect for the human body. First, it increases insulin sensitivity. Up to 95% of ketogenic patients on insulin were able to stop taking their diabetes medication, under doctor supervision, after having lost an average of 24 pounds.

What do you get to eat? Some rather delicious stuff is the short answer. For the longer answer I went to the blog Kettle and Fire to refer to their ketogenic guidelines. These are fairly clear and simple to recall and use.

• 75% of your fats are from healthy fats and non-starchy vegetables
• 20% of your diet is protein
• 5% of your diet is carbohydrates

Is it safe?

Yes, it is safe. Or, so it appears to be. It is even proving to be an effective and efficient diet for diabetics, pre-diabetics, and those looking for weight loss
www.healthline.com/ketogenic-diet-101#types.

. That is, according to

Is it new?

This diet style is not new. It has been around for decades. The studies on its efficacy, however, are newer. Healthline tells us that of the variety of ketogenic diets, the only one studied is the Cyclical ketogenic diet. This involves cycling high carb days in the diet routine. For instance, having two or three days of high carb intake to five or seven days of strict ketogenic days. There are several ketogenic diet variations, although healthline.com lists the following four with the attached description:

·         Standard ketogenic diet (SKD): This is a very low-carb, moderate-protein and high-fat diet. It typically contains 75% fat, 20% protein and only 5% carbs .

·         Cyclical ketogenic diet (CKD): This diet involves periods of higher-carb refeeds, such as 5 ketogenic days followed by 2 high-carb days.

·         Targeted ketogenic diet (TKD): This diet allows you to add carbs around workouts.

·         High-protein ketogenic diet: This is similar to a standard ketogenic diet but includes more protein. The ratio is often 60% fat, 35% protein and 5% carbs.