I always teach my patients not to take everything at face value when it comes to their “long-term health”. Reading and examine and evaluate all your options when it comes to adopting a healthy lifestyle for the long haul.
That is why today, I’d like to explain a bit about the arguments regarding adopting a Ketogenic Diet and the reported health benefits you can gain from it.
What is a Ketogenic Diet?
A Ketogenic Diet is more of a food and lifestyle approach. It utilizes consumption of little or no carbohydrates, moderate portions of protein and high “healthy fat” intake. The combination of these 3 components is the basis of what they call “nutritional ketosis”.
The Benefits of the Ketogenic Diet
The Ketogenic Diet, like other diets currently in the market now, has many proponents and advocates due to the following health benefits:
It helps fight and prevent Cancer
Researchers and medical experts say that the Ketogenic Diet is perfectly suitable for cancer patients because it helps the body burn all those glucose (sugar) stores which are the necessary food for cancer cells to thrive. Once your body achieves the state of nutritional ketosis, which means consuming more high quality fats, very little carbohydrates and minimal or no carbohydrates, cancer cells living in the body will automatically die.
“High quality healthy fat foods” could include any or a combination of the following: coconut oil, Omega-3 fats from clean, healthy sources like salmon, anchovies, sardines, etc.; raw cacao butter, olives and olive oil (extra virgin is the best); cumin, sesame, pumpkin seeds; avocados; organic eggs from free-range chickens; unprocessed pecans, macadamia and almond nuts; ghee (clarified butter); animal meats fed with organic grass; and butter from animals fed with organic grass.
It’s Anti-Inflammatory
Our bodies use both fats and sugar as energy sources. However, under the Ketogenic Diet, fats is much preferred than sugar because fat is a much healthier body fuel than sugar. Removing sugar from your daily diet decreases your risk of developing chronic inflammation in the body.
For Weight Reduction
The Ketogenic Diet is one of the best weight loss approach you can follow now because it encourages you to make use of your body’s fat stores complemented by low carb consumption. This is an ideal weight loss approach for obese people and those who need to shed off hard-to-remove fat stores.
Builds muscles
The Ketogenic Diet has been applauded by some nutritionists and sports doctors for building muscle mass with their compatibility with certain amino acids that are responsible for building the body’s muscles.
Prevents Insulin Spikes
Too much carbohydrates in the body and a sluggish metabolism may raise your blood sugar levels and induce a spike in your insulin. This occurrence may cause insulin resistance and in the long-term, develop into Type 2 Diabetes.
By following a Ketogenic Diet, you can prevent the development of Type 2 Diabetes. In fact, studies have already discovered that diabetics who follow a low carbohydrates, high quality fats Ketogenic Diet are found to reduce their dependence on drugs for Diabetes due to higher glycemic control (for more information on this study, see: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2633336/ ).
I suggest checking for yourself the benefits of the Ketogenic Diet for your health and wellbeing by trying a few Ketogenic recipes which are easily sourced from the internet. I have a few favorites also which I will share in a separate post.
Do you have any personal experience using a Ketogenic Diet or eating ketogenic foods? Share in the comments section below!