Keto For Beginners: What is Ketogenic Diet? 5 FAQs Answered By An Expert

You must be living under a rock if you haven’t heard of the ketogenic diet. After all, keto is the most googled diet of recent times. Wonder why it’s so popular? Any diet that asks you to feast yourself on cheese, cream and butter should be good in our books. Recently, many celebs like Huma Qureshi and Tanmay Bhatt took up the keto diet and lost oodles of weight. Karan Johar, who’s on a variation of the keto diet, managed to burn almost 17 kilos in four months. Curious? Here are five FAQs about the popular keto diet answered by our expert.

What Is a Keto Diet?

The ketogenic diet is a low-carb, high-fat diet. Our body essentially needs glucose and insulin to function, and it comes from the intake of carbohydrates. But when our body has an insufficient level of glucose, it starts breaking down the body fat to use it for energy. This is known as ketosis. The product of ketosis is ketones, which are produced from the breakdown of fats in the liver.

The keto diet aims to push the body into this metabolic state where due to a starvation of carbohydrates it starts producing ketones. Optimal ketone levels in the body offer many health, weight loss, physical and mental performance benefits.

We also spoke to fitness coach Aditi Ratti about the keto diet and tried to get an answer to some of the basic questions that beginners have.

1 Who Can and Cannot Opt for Keto diet?

Aditi says that the keto diet should be taken only if one aims to lose weight. The diet is not for those who are looking at overall fitness. Keto controls the body's metabolism and should be opted for with utmost care and clarity. For instance, if someone works out in the gym daily, he or she should not be on keto because gyming requires carbs for overall energy.

Also, those who are suffering from diabetics, low blood pressure and Polycystic Ovarian Disease (PCOD) should not opt for keto.

2 What Should Be the Ideal Duration?

Our expert says that a keto diet shouldn't last for over a month since it alters the body's metabolism and deprives it of essentials nutrients. After a month, one can take a break for fifteen days and then resume the diet. But it is essential to take a pause.

3 What Are the Immediate Benefits of Keto Diet?

The keto diet is primarily beneficial for losing weight in a small amount of time. But is also has other health benefits, like making the mind healthier. Aditi says that since keto essentially makes a person count the intake of carbs, proteins etc. it improves a person's overall calculative ability. Also it helps reduce acne since a person on keto essentially eats very healthy, balanced and clean diet, so the skin benefits from it.

4 What a Beginner Must Keep in Mind?

Aditi stresses on religiously abiding to the diet plan. Once you are prescribed a diet plan by an expert, you must stick to it. The plan provided by the experts are designed by keeping your necessities in mind and therefore must not be digressed from. She says that many people often make minor changes thinking it wouldn't make a difference, but that is not the correct way to go about it.

Also, you must prepare you own food while on keto to ensure the amount on contents is exact, as per the prescribed diet plan and every ingredient is fresh and clean. Know more.

5 What Should Be the Work Out With Keto?

A person on the keto diet should not try a tight fitness regime or gyming. The body doesn't have sufficient energy for it. Aditi recommends you take regular walks or perform very light exercises, which doesn't require much energy or exertion on the body. Gyming along with keto diet can have adverse impacts on your health.

So if your are planning to start a keto diet, make sure you are well-informed and disciplined and don't exert yourself too much. Happy dieting!

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 06, 2018 06:54 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).