The ketogenic diet is one of the most effective ways to burn fat while not sacrificing muscle. At its core, the keto diet is a high-fat, high-protein diet that limits the consumption of all carbs. This can be difficult to maintain, especially if you’re accustomed to making yourself a hot bowl or pasta or a nice slice of pizza.
Thankfully, we’re here to get you through it. Outlined below is a description, benefits, a side-by-side comparison to other popular diets, and a 7-day diet plan to make you look good and feel good.
What Is It
Essentially, your body’s fuel only consists of glucose, which stems from carbohydrates. However, there exists another source of fuel called ketones, which can only be accessed once in a state of ketosis. So to fully understand what the keto diet is, we’ll go over some of the primary phases of ketosis.
1 – Getting Into Ketosis
Period of Time: 1-2 weeks
Rather than using sugar from carbs, your body is beginning to use ketones to get energy. At this point your body is largely dependent on carbs and therefore you may get the “keto flu”, a difficult adjustment period where you experience fatigue, headaches and cravings.
2 – Keto-Adaptation
Period of Time: Several Months
Now that you are in a state of ketosis, your body needs to adapt in order to burn the ketones, which can be done via low-intensity exercise. It’s important not to eat many carbs this period as your body is still making the full transition to ketosis.
3 – Metabolic Flexibility
Period of Time: As Long As You Continue
By this point your body has made the full adjustment, and can use both carbs and fat for fuel seamlessly. This bodes well for your energy levels and weight loss as your body will now use fat and burn it.
Benefits
As mentioned, a couple benefits of the keto diet include weight loss and increased energy levels, but it also possesses cognitive benefits. For instance, it is believed that being keto is correlated with stronger brain cells and a decreased risk of Alzheimer’s.
Furthermore, among the myriad of physical benefits are improved energy, improved skin health, improved heart health, decreased risk of cancer and decreased blood sugars. In fact, although only useful for a specific group of people, there is substantial evidence to support its notable benefit for epilepsy.
Comparison Of Different Diet Options
There is an endless supply of diet plans available, the bulk of which you haven’t heard of and likely haven’t engaged in. Here are some of the most common ones in a side-by-side comparison with the keto diet:
Sample Diet Plan
Day 1
Breakfast:
-Bulletproof coffee
-Vitamin D
-Eggs
Snack:
-Blueberries
-Almond butter
Lunch:
-Salmon
-Coconut oil
-Avocado
-Broccoli
-Asparagus
Snack:
-Bone broth
-Chia seeds
Dinner:
-Salmon
-Coconut oil
-Avocado
-Broccoli
-Asparagus
Day 2
Breakfast:
-Bulletproof coffee
-Vitamin D
-Tuna
Snack:
-Strawberries
Lunch:
-Chicken breast
-Avocado oil
-Ghee
-Kale
-Zucchini
Snack:
-Almonds
Dinner:
-Chicken breast
-Avocado oil
-Ghee
-Kale
-Zucchini
Day 3
Breakfast:
-Bulletproof coffee
-Vitamin D
-Eggs
Snack:
-Blackberries
Lunch:
-Grass-fed beef
-Olive oil
-Avocado
-Cauliflower
-Brussels sprouts
Snack:
-Macadamia nuts
Dinner:
-Grass-fed beef
-Olive oil
-Avocado
-Cauliflower
-Brussels sprouts
Day 4
Breakfast:
-Bulletproof coffee
-Vitamin D
-Tuna
Snack:
-Raspberries
-Walnut butter
-Dark chocolate
Lunch:
-Salmon
-Avocado oil
-Ghee
-Zucchini
-Asparagus
Snack:
-Bone broth
-Flaxseeds
Dinner:
-Salmon
-Avocado oil
-Ghee
-Zucchini
-Asparagus
Day 5
Breakfast:
-Bulletproof coffee
-Vitamin D
-Eggs
Snack:
-Strawberries
Lunch:
-Chicken breast
-Coconut oil
-Avocado
-Broccoli
-Cauliflower
Snack:
-Brazil nuts
Dinner:
-Chicken breast
-Coconut oil
-Avocado
-Broccoli
-Cauliflower
Day 6
Breakfast:
-Bulletproof coffee
-Vitamin D
-Tuna
Snack:
-Blueberries
Lunch:
-Salmon
-Olive oil
-Ghee
-Kale
-Brussels sprouts
Snack:
-Pecans
-Walnut butter
Dinner:
-Salmon
-Olive oil
-Ghee
-Kale
-Brussels sprouts
Day 7
Breakfast:
-Bulletproof coffee
-Vitamin D
-Eggs
Snack:
-Blackberries
-Dark chocolate
Lunch:
-Grass-fed beef
-Avocado oil
-Avocado
-Broccoli
-Zucchini
Snack:
-Walnuts
Dinner:
-Grass-fed beef
-Avocado oil
-Avocado
-Broccoli
-Zucchini
So, now that you know the benefits and foods that go along with the keto diet, now is as good a time as any to hop on board and try it out!
