Did you know that the keto diet has been proven to decrease cravings and make you feel less hungry? This is one of many reasons why keto is good for both weight loss and general health! In addition, keto can help improve blood pressure, insulin resistance, and more.
The best thing about the keto diet is that, although it is inherently restrictive, it’s not too controlling. You can still enjoy your favorite foods without feeling guilty! For example, how many other diets will let you eat as much bacon as you want?
Keto has many health benefits that can be unlocked without ditching your favorite meals. If that sounds too good to be true, read on! We’ll be discussing all the benefits of a keto diet!
What Is Keto?
There are many different ketogenic diets, but all of them have the same general principle: reduce carbs. While you can reduce your calories while eating keto, it’s optional. Keto focuses on the composition of your diet, rather than how much you eat.
Usually, you can’t eat more than 20 grams of carbs every day. Some diets are a bit laxer, and allow up to 50 grams of carbs. What you lack in carbs, you make up for in fat.
The most common keto breakdown suggests that your macros should be 70-80% fat, 10-20% protein, and 5-10% carbohydrates.
While many people think that keto is a meat-only diet, this isn’t exactly true. Meat is very low carb and has lots of protein and fat so it’s a great staple for a keto diet but it doesn’t replace other foods.
You can still enjoy your favorite baked goods and other foods with a few modifications. For example, using Lakanto products, you can eat sugar-free and low-carb sweets while still sticking to your diet!
Reducing carbs puts you into a state called ketosis. Ketosis is a metabolic state where your body becomes more efficient at burning fat for energy because it has no carbs to burn. In ketosis, you start to experience the health benefits.
Weight Loss
The primary reason many people start a keto diet is for weight loss. Keto provides both more weight loss than traditional diets and fewer uncomfortable side effects!
Hunger is one of the reasons that many people quit their diets. Their hunger and cravings are too strong to resist, and they crumble. A low-carb diet like keto reduces the production of hormones that make you feel hungry, so you’ll naturally eat less and feel less miserable about it!
In addition, if you’re looking for quick results, keto can provide some rapid changes when you first start. As you enter ketosis, your insulin levels will lower and your body will drop lots of water weight. Studies show that low-carb diets result in 2 to 3 times as much weight loss without the side effects of hunger or having to cut calories!
Visceral Fat Loss
When losing weight, you can’t target specific areas. For instance, you can’t specifically try to reduce your arm fat over your leg fat. However, keto is the one exception.
It primarily targets a specific kind of fat: visceral fat.
Visceral fat builds up around your organs in your abdominal cavity. Visceral fat is the culprit behind the beer belly and the stubborn belly bulge that just won’t go away. It can also be dangerous, leading to inflammation and insulin resistance.
Low-carb diets like keto reduce visceral fat in greater proportion than any other diet. This means that most of the weight you lose will be in your abdominal cavity which is good news for both your figure and your long-term optimal health!
Improved Cholesterol
You’ve probably heard the terms “good cholesterol” and “bad cholesterol.” The higher your good cholesterol is, the lower your bad cholesterol! This means a lower risk of heart disease.
The best way to improve your cholesterol levels is to eat fat. It should come as no surprise that the low-carb, high-fat keto diet will naturally reduce your bad cholesterol.
Blood Sugar and Insulin Levels
Cutting carbs lowers your blood sugar and your insulin levels, which is particularly helpful if you have diabetes or insulin resistance. Some diabetics who start a low-carb diet are able to cut their insulin dosage in half!
People with type 2 diabetes can virtually eliminate medication within six months of starting a low-carb diet!
It’s worth noting that you should consult with your doctor before starting a low-carb diet and before reducing your medication. Changing your carb intake can result in hypoglycemia, so make sure you’re following the guidance of a medical professional.
Improved Brain Function
Your brain primarily burns glucose to function. However, without carbs, your brain will use ketones instead of glucose. In ketosis, your body produces far more ketones, which can boost your brain’s capabilities.
Why exactly the keto diet improves brain function is still being studied, however, it is known that keto can reduce seizures and even cure epilepsy in children. It’s also being studied for its effects on other brain conditions like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.
Experience the Health Benefits of Keto for Yourself
If you want to lose those stubborn pounds but aren’t ready to give up your favorite foods, keto might be for you. You can eat your favorite meats and even modified sweets while losing tons of weight and experiencing a variety of health benefits. Give it a try and experience healthy living with keto today!
If you enjoyed learning about keto, we have lots more content on our blog that you’re sure to enjoy. Check it out for more!
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