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The ketogenic diet (keto diet) is a low-carb, high fat diet which has been used for years to treat specific health conditions like epilepsy, diabetes, polycystic ovary syndrome and Alzheimer’s. It has become more popular in the last couple of years because a lot of people simply just feel better when their cells use a different fuel than carbohydrates, i.e. fatty acids. You can read a bit more about ketogenic diet here.
As keto diet causes the change the main source of fuel used by the body from carbohydrates to fat, it’s crucial for beginners to change their eating habits. It is the main part of the process to enter into ketosis.
This is where the cells in your body use ketones instead of glucose, treating them as their main source of fuel. The process to enter into ketosis is commonly called adaptation where your body learns how to produce and use ketones as the main source of energy. There are a couple of basic rules you have to follow to go through this process.
The first and the most important step is to get rid of all types of high carb products. Remove any bread, cereals, oatmeal and other products from your diet that will be an obstacle starting the ketogenic diet and entering ketosis. It is said that the ratio of macro elements we consume daily during the adaptation process should be set up as follows:
It is not mandatory, but in my personal opinion, it’s really handy to track your macros at the beginning of your keto journey, as it will help you to recognise which products are low in carbs and will help you to balance your meals.
It will make your life so much easier in the future.
Make sure you eat plenty of fats during the process. As we are used to eating a lot of carbs daily and avoid a lot of fats, it can be quite hard for beginners to keep their fat intake at such a high level. It is worth adding a little butter to your scrambled eggs, pouring olive oil on your salads, stewing your meat in coconut oil or ghee, and adding avocado to meals. All of this will ensure an adequate supply of fat throughout the day. It will really help your body to switch its fuel source much faster!
Please remember, everyone is different, so the amount of time it takes to get into ketosis will be different for everyone. It may take a couple of weeks or even months.
It is extremely important to keep your body hydrated at all times. Your body can lose a lot of water during adaptation and you will be significantly dehydrated during this time. This is because you are losing muscle and liver glycogen, and there is quite a lot of water stored there. Consume 2-3 litres (or even more) high or medium mineralized water every day. And provide additional electrolytes. They can be taken in the form of more Himalayan salt added to meals and / or water. You should also include potassium and magnesium supplementation. These are two other electrolytes that are very important for ensuring the correct water and electrolyte balance in your body. Lack of sufficient supplementation may cause headaches, severe muscle weakness, dizziness or even total lack of energy for days.
Here is the number one thing you need to remember: NEVER cut off calorie intake during the adaptation to ketosis. It is stressful enough for your body to learn how to function differently than on carbs. Everyone is different, so watch your body carefully and be patient. Adaptation into ketosis can be a long process. It may even take you a couple of months!
But I promise… The final result will be worth it.
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The main assumption of the ketogenic diet is to eliminate carbohydrate-rich foods, such as starch, desserts and processed foods, from the daily menu. Sugar is one of the basic ingredients we are getting rid of our diet in this case. Still, a lot of people don’t want to give up sweet things completely. Luckily there are some sugar alternatives available.
