Ketogenic Dieting: An Introduction
Ketogenic Dieting: An Introduction
Our nutrition blog will contain a series on ketogenic dieting. My goal from this series is to share information on the ketogenic diet so people are able to gain a better understanding of the diet. One point I want to make clear before continuing to read is that I do not believe that carbohydrates are evil. I believe that some people are able to better utilize carbohydrates to achieve their health and fitness goals; however, not everyone is able to do this. This is where I believe the ketogenic diet can be successful. There are many situations in which I believe a ketogenic diet can be beneficial. The purpose of these posts are to provide my understanding of the literature and insight about how to be successful with the diet as well as share information that will allow someone to make a decision if the ketogenic diet would be an effective tool for them.
Manipulating carbohydrates has been a method for achieving fat loss for a long period of time. There are many strategies for manipulating carbohydrates; from carb cycling to cutting carbs out of the diet completely. There are many reasons why low carbohydrate diets can be effective when fat loss is the goal, these reasons range from improving insulin sensitivity to adapting to using stored fat as a preferred fuel source for the body. When altering carbohydrates in the diet, most people tend to neglect balancing out the other two macronutrients to account for this change in carbohydrate intake. This is often the reason why lower carbohydrate diets tend to fail. Failure to shift protein and fat when enduring a low carbohydrate diet puts a person in a position where adherence to the diet is most difficult. When trying to complete any diet adherence is the key, so how can someone better adhere to a ketogenic diet? The answer lies in macronutrient shifting.
From being involved in this industry, I have found that one of the most commonly seen mistake on a low carbohydrate is keeping fat low as well. Everyone has this fear that dietary fat has a direct correlation with body fat. This tends to lead to the assumption that consuming a lot of fat will lead to a higher body fat percentage. This is the reason why individuals tend to consume low fat/low carbohydrate diets. One concept I learned from Dr. Wilson when I was first learning about ketogenic dieting was that dietary fat is not directly correlated with adipose tissue. During a ketogenic diet, carbohydrates are restricted, fat consumption is greatly increased and protein intake is controlled for to achieve a state of ketosis. A better understanding for how and why this works will be explained in greater detail.
The state of ketosis occurs when high levels of ketone bodies are circulating in the blood from an increase in fat metabolism. It is essential to note that nutritional ketosis is NOT the same thing diabetic ketoacidosis. A ketogenic diet does not allow for a state of ketosis high enough to induce ketoacidosis. Ketone bodies (which we will discuss in much greater detail) are a product of the breakdown of fat. Ketone bodies can be used for energy which is important during carbohydrate restriction because glucose (our bodies preferred source of fuel) is limited. Ketone bodies can be used by the heart, the brain, and even the muscles. Once a person achieves a certain blood ketone concentration, they are considered to be in a state of nutritional ketosis. The state of ketosis can also be measured through the use of keto urine strips, although the exact interpretation of these strips are up for debate. It is also important to understand that there is an adaptation period that takes place during this shift from carbohydrates to fats as a preferred fuel source. This adaptation period will also be discusses in much greater detail.
The proper macronutrient ratio to achieve a state of ketosis is: 75% fat, 20% protein, and 5% carbohydrates. Through the completion of many research experiments, this macronutrient ratio has been found to be most effective for achieving this state of ketosis. One thing that may differentiate ketogenic diets from other diets is that it is not simply a matter of hitting the proper macronutrient ratio. One important measure that needs to be taken is the adequate consumption of fiber through leafy green vegetables or supplementation (This is where the 5% of carbohydrates come in) and adequately replenishing sodium. There are other reasons why leafy green vegetables are important on a ketogenic diet. We will dive into this in a future post, but for now just know that it is important to hit your macronutrient ratio and incorporate dietary fiber and adequate sodium into your diet.
