When the liver starts producing ketones at an accelerated rate and shifts the primary fuel source from glucose to fats, it is known as ketosis. When you have ketones in your body, which indicates that lipolysis has taken place, it shows that the body is in ketosis. Nutritional ketosis is when the serum ketones range from 0.5 to 3.0 mm.
Ketone concentrations tend to be higher in the evening and lower in the morning. It is essential to be consistent when it comes to the time you measure your ketone levels. Avoid measuring your ketone levels after exercising. After you do a physical workout, your glucose levels will be higher, and your ketone levels will be lower. You will end up with the wrong number if you measure your ketone levels after an exercise.
1Eat Keto-Friendly Food You Enjoy
If you want to succeed in any diet, then find foods that you always enjoy eating. It sounds like a simple thing, but one of the main reasons why many people fail when dieting is they force themselves to eat unappetizing and bland foods. When you have an exciting meal plan with a wide range of options, you will have an easier time sticking to the diet. There is no need to make things harder for yourself by eating food you don't enjoy.
Some keto-friendly foods you can have in your diet include green vegetables like lettuce, asparagus, broccoli, and greens. You can also add low-carb fruits in your diet, such as raspberries, blackberries, and blueberries, and meats such as chicken, beef, fish, and pork. These are examples of foods you get to enjoy when on the ketogenic diet. It is up to you to decide which of these foods you are going to have in your diet. You are going to have a lot of fun trying out more keto-friendly foods.
2Eat More Healthy Fats
The purpose of dietary fat is to increase energy levels and help some of the body components function. When following the keto diet, you will be getting more than 70% of your calorie intake from fat. You should not be worried about this because fat is not going to make you gain weight.
Many food choices have healthy fats. These include avocados, coconut oil, cheese, meats, and fatty fish like salmon. When your diet consists of several of these foods, you will get into the state of ketosis. Doing this will lower your carb intake and will result in getting into ketosis and maintaining it.
3Try Intermittent Fasting
Fasting is something done many years ago, but it has started to rise to popularity again. Keep in mind that fasting is not a one-size-fits-all practice. It also doesn't mean not eating anything for weeks. There are different options when it comes to fasting, but one that has become popular is time-restricted eating.
Voluntary and controlled abstinence from both foods and drinks with calories for a given time defines fasting. The difference between fasting and starvation is that starvation is not controlled or deliberate. Fasting can increase the lifespan of a person; studies have shown that animals with certain caloric restrictions for a given period live longer, but this is not yet proven in humans. Fasting can help people who are dealing with overeating. When you know your eating window, you will be mindful of your eating time instead of snacking every time.
4Take MCT Oil
MCT oil (medium-chain triglyceride oil) is one of the most popular items for people doing the ketogenic diet. It does not contain ketones, but the fat can be converted easily into BHB (beta-hydroxybutyrate), the main ketone body. When you take MCT oil, the ketone levels in your blood start rising gradually over a few hours.
MCT extracted from coconut oil has a lot of benefits when you compare it to longer chain length fatty acids. MCT has only 6-12 carbon in its fatty acid chains, while most dietary fats have more than 12 carbon chains in length. When the fat has a shorter chain, it can be easily absorbed and rapidly converted to ketones by the liver.
5Maintain An Adequate Protein Intake
Your proteins are not going to drop just because you are on a ketogenic diet. Many people have noticed a little increase in their protein levels. It is vital to have enough protein in your diet because it prevents your muscles from breaking down. When you consume a moderate amount of protein, you will feel more satiated.
When you eat a diet that has moderate protein and high fat, you will not get feelings of hunger, even though you are caloric deficit. Try getting your protein from sources rich in fat, e.g., oily fish or steak. If you want to know the right amount of protein you should be consuming, calculate 0.8g for every pound of your body weight. If you weigh 200 pounds, then you should try getting 160g of proteins a day.
6Use Exogenous Ketones
If you want quick ketosis, there are several options for you. External ketone sources, such as exogenous ketones, ingested through diet can help in getting you to ketosis without the need to diet or fast. Ketone salt has become the most common option for many dieters.
You can also supplement with ketone ester drinks because it can help you get into ketosis in just a matter of minutes. The US military and professional athletes have used these supplements and also even used for breaking world records. If you want to get to the state of ketosis for the first time or if you are having a hard time staying in this state, then add this supplement to your repertoire. When you do this, you can expect to see great results.
7Exercise To Increase The Rate Of Ketosis
Ketosis speeds up through exercise, even though this might be the last thing on your mind. When you exercise, you deplete the glycogen stores. When the body depletes glycogen, it turns to fat as the primary source of fuel.
A keto diet is not only excellent for endurance athletes, but strength athletes can also benefit from the same principles. There was a study where strength athletes on keto diet showed increased performance in main categories, including bench press and squats. A handful of studies showed muscle mass remained the same, while some instances revealed there was an increase, especially when combined with resistance training.
8Don't Stress Over It
If you are considering a keto diet, make sure you talk with your medical doctor. People suffering from pre-existing conditions, such as kidney stones, family history of stroke or heart attack under 60 years, and hypercholesterolemia, are at risk, so they need to talk to a medical professional before they start the diet. Ketosis should not be another thing you have to stress out.
The level of ketosis is a tool to use in evaluating and adjusting your eating habits when following the ketogenic diet. Keep tweaking your choices, and you will end up at the optimal levels. You can lead a healthy life, and you will start fitting into those clothes you had thrown to the back of your closet.
When starting a ketogenic diet, many people focus on the ketone levels. It makes sense. People are goal-oriented, and ketone levels provide them with an actual measurement of their progress. Keep in mind that you might notice daily fluctuations; don't worry; changes in your hormone levels could have caused it.
The ketogenic diet will train the metabolism of a person to run on ketone bodies or fatty acids. When a person reaches this point, the body is fat-adapted. It means the body has adapted to using fat for fuel. It is a good idea to measure your ketone levels so that you know whether you are getting the benefits of ketosis. Studies have shown that a keto diet can reduce inflammation throughout the body and improve insulin sensitivity, which results in significant muscle development and fat metabolism while lowering the risk of chronic disease.
Elizabeth Ralph is a proud lifelong resident of Nashville, Tennessee, a reader with a healthy appetite and mom to three kids and three dogs. She believes the healthiest lifestyles involve the entire household and loves reading about new ways for her family to cook and play together.
