Have you been wanting to get to work on that physique but felt that you had
to lose some weight first? Or could it be that the term “weight loss” has been
hanging around in the back of your mind, just that you never really got down
to working on it? Restrictive and strange diets, fanciful expensive machines,
and the ultimate fat-burning, no-workout magic weight loss pill. These would
be the many purported solutions that one would find whenever you seek an
answer in the dazzling, multi-billion dollar weight loss industry.
The truth is, by coming to this book, you already have an inkling of what is
truly needed to effect safe and lasting weight loss. It is a natural fact that only
through watching what we eat, will we have the most impact on our weight.
This is where the ketogenic diet really shines and lets you enjoy automatic,
effortless fat burning without all the usual calorie constraints of other diets.
Weight loss is an almost certain result you will enjoy once you start the
ketogenic diet, but this is not the only benefit that you will enjoy. Think of all
those activities you have always wanted to pursue, but shelved because you
simply had no energy left after your usual day’s work. Well, time to dust off
those hobbies and the things you enjoy doing, because on the ketogenic diet,
you will have more energy for your daily work and play! The accompanying
mental clarity and sharpness of thought are also positive effects which you
will have as a direct result of the diet. A better health report card, by way of
optimized cholesterol readings, normalized blood sugar and a corresponding
lowered risk of cardiovascular diseases are also just some of the beneficial
health effects experienced by most on the diet.
This book’s aim is primarily to give you the tools with which to let the
ketogenic diet run more smoothly and seamlessly in your daily life.
Something that many learn is that a diet is almost only as good as the number
of recipes it has in its repertoire. The benefits of a particular diet may be
numerous, but if you are forced to have the same stuff every breakfast, lunch
and dinner, even the most avid supporter of the lot would probably have
problems sustaining the diet. This is where I am most happy to say that the
ketogenic diet has quite some leeway for the concoction of various different
recipes, and it is the purpose of this book to bring you some of the more
delicious and easy-to-prepare meals for your gastronomic pleasure!
For the beginners as well as the adepts of the ketogenic diet, the recipes
contained within are created specifically to be appealing to your palate while
not requiring you to literally spend the whole day in the kitchen! Concise and
to the point, the recipes break down meal preparation requirements in a
simple step by step format, easy for anyone to understand. An additional 28-
day meal plan is also structured to serve both as guidance as well as
inspiration for the new and old adherents to the ketogenic diet. Grocery lists
top it all off to give you the timely reminder on what to get on your next food
shopping trip.
The very fact that you are here with this book, is sufficient proof that you are
at least curious to know how the ketogenic diet can help you. Even better,
maybe you are already quite well-versed with its benefits and are seeking
diverse, rich, and savory recipes for a more delectable ketogenic journey.
Regardless of which is which, this keto diet cookbook will be well placed to
provide you with actionable culinary ideas with which to spice up your daily
meals.
I really hope that the value and ideas you find in this book will serve you
well, and may you have a fruitful ketogenic journey!
CHAPTER 1:
THE SECRETS OF THE KETOGENIC DIET PLAYBOOK
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE KETOGENIC DIET
The ketogenic diet, otherwise known as the keto diet, is not a new-fangled
fad diet based on shaky nutritional science. It has been around since the olden
times, with ancient Greeks utilizing the diet as part of a holistic treatment for
epilepsy. In fact, over here in the States, it was an acknowledged means of
treatment for childhood epileptic seizures throughout the 1920s.
Unfortunately, this natural way of therapy had to give way to the modern
advances of pharmaceutical science with its penchant for immediate effects.
Happily, the ketogenic diet has found its way back into the mainstream yet
again and probably for very good reasons! You see, the basis of the diet is to
essentially trigger your body’s own fat burning mechanisms in order to fuel
what the body requires for energy throughout the day. This means that the fat
that you eat, as well as the stored fat in your body, have all become fuel
stores your body can tap on! Little wonder that this diet really helps you with
weight loss, even for those stubborn, hard to lose fatty areas. That could be
one of the reasons why you picked this book and looked into embarking on
the ketogenic journey, or you may have heard stuff from your social circle
about how the keto diet actually normalizes blood sugar levels as well as
optimizes your cholesterol readings and you are intrigued. How about stories
of type 2 diabetes being reversed just through following this diet alone, as
well as tales of certain cancers being halted or the tumors shrinking due to the
positive effects of the keto diet? We must also not forget the accompanying
risk reduction of cardiovascular disease as a result of the diet!
All of the benefits mentioned above stem largely from a single important
process in the ketogenic diet. Ketosis is the name of the game.
KETOSIS KNOW-HOW
Ketosis is a state where the body produces molecules called ketones which
are created by the liver. Designed to give energy to the cells and organs, it
can replace glucose as an alternate fuel source. In our traditional
carbohydrate-rich diet, we get most of our energy from glucose, which is
converted from the carbs that we eat during meals. Glucose is a quick source
of energy, where insulin is required as a sort of messenger that tells the cells
to open up and allow glucose to flow in such that it can be used as fuel for the
mitochondria, otherwise known as the energy factories in our cells.
The more carbs we ingest, the more glucose will be present in our blood,
which then means the pancreas needs to produce more insulin in order to
facilitate energy production from the available blood sugar. In a body where
the metabolic function is still normal, the insulin produced from the pancreas
is readily accepted by the cells, which then leads to an efficient usage of
blood sugar as energy. The problem is that our cells can actually become
insulin desensitized, leading to a situation where the pancreas is forced to
pump more and more insulin into the body just to clear and normalize the
blood sugar levels.
Insulin de-sensitivity or insulin resistance is created mainly due to the
continual elevated presence of glucose in the blood, usually caused by the
ingestion of carb-rich foods. Think of your body’s cells as a bouncer at a
club, where entry to the club requires that you pay a fee. You play the role of
glucose here, and the fee required to enter the club is insulin. If your
frequency to the club is in line with the norm, the bouncer does not detect
anything unusual and so does not raise the fee required for entry. However, if
you show up just about every night clamoring to be let in, the bouncer knows
your desperate need and correspondingly jacks up the insulin fee in order to
let the glucose in. Gradually, the entry fee becomes higher and higher until
such a point where the source of insulin, which in this case is the pancreas, no
longer produces any. This is where the situation will be diagnosed as type 2
diabetes, and the usual solution would entail being on a lifetime of meds or
insulin shots.
The crux of the matter here lies in the presence of glucose in the body
system. Every time we take in a carb-rich meal, which isn’t difficult in this
day and age of fast food and sugary treats, our blood sugar levels get elevated
and insulin is activated for the conversion into energy as well as storage of
the unused excess into fat cells. This is where the usual furor arises, with
condemnations coming in for both glucose and insulin as being the root of
many diseases and dreaded weight gain. I would like to take this opportunity
to state that insulin and glucose are most definitely not the root of all evil, as
some books have made them out to be. It would be far more accurate to point
to our current diet as being the leading cause of obesity and metabolic
diseases plaguing the better part of the developed world.
Cue the ketogenic diet, which is where we can see the change for the better.
The keto diet is a fat-based diet, with an emphasis on being deliberately low
carb. This approach is designed so that we reduce our intake of sugary and
starchy foods which are so conveniently available. Just a fun fact: sugar was
actually used as a preservative in the olden days, and it is no coincidence that
much of the processed foods we see today contain high amounts of sugar just
because it allows for a lengthened shelf life. Foods high in sugar have also
been shown to trigger the hedonic hunger response in the brain, essentially
causing you to eat for the sake of pleasure rather than real hunger. Studies
have shown that sugary treats are linked to the areas of the brain which are
also responsible for gambling and drug addiction. Now you know why you
can’t seem to stop popping those candied sweets into your mouth!
So we cut down on the carbs, and this is where fats come in to replace the
energy needed to sustain the body. On the standard ketogenic diet, you will
be looking to take in 75% of your daily calories as fats, about 20% of it as
proteins and the remaining 5% in the form of carbs. We do this because, as
you remember, we want fats to become our principal source of fuel. Only
with the combination of cutting down carbs and increasing our fat intake will
we trigger the body to initiate ketosis. Its either we do it through the diet
which allows long term and sustainable usage, or we actually starve ourselves
into ketosis. Yep, you heard me right, ketosis is the body’s natural function
that builds a buffer against those lean times when food is scarce.
KETO DIET A STARVATION DIET?
This has been also bandied around a lot in recent times, with some trying to
cast a negative light on the keto diet by dint of associating it with starvation.
To make things clear, the process of ketosis is triggered when our bodies
sense we do not have sufficient glucose in the system. It then turns to our fat
stores to convert them into ketones through the liver in order to maintain
continued energy supply for our cells and organs. It does not mean that on the
keto diet, you are actually starving yourself! I get a little worked up every
time somebody says that. How can a person taking in 1,800 to 2,000 calories
on a daily basis, which is what you will get on the meal plan, be effectively
starving?
To be fair, ketosis came in really handy during the hunter-gatherer times of
our human history. This was a period where agriculture wasn’t that wide
spread, and the food you ate depended on what you hunted or found. This
created a situation where there might be no food for days at a time, so when
glucose found its way into the system, our bodies dispatched insulin to ferry
it into our organs as well as hoard the unused glucose into fat cells for future
use.
During the lean times when there really was no food to be had, the body then
entered the state of ketosis by utilizing the stored fats to supply energy.
During this state, our hunger hormones like ghrelin, get their production
reduced, and the hormones which control satiety, like leptin, see their levels
elevated. All this is because our bodies are trying to make the best of things
and allow us to be as comfortable as possible when it detects that food
sources are scarce.
Now, fast forward to modern times, when food is literally just one or two
blocks, or maybe just a car’s drive away, and we probably won’t face food
shortages like our Paleolithic ancestors. Our bodies, though, still contain the
processes and mechanisms which enabled them to survive. That is the key
reason why, on the keto diet, we cut carbs and increase our daily fat intake.
When we do that, the state of ketosis is induced, and we get to enjoy all the
metabolic benefits which the diet confers. The fat that we eat also goes into
replenishing the fat stores in the body, which is why I have to say again, you
do not starve while on the ketogenic diet!
Once this point is made, some folks then zone in on the multimillion-dollar
question. If eating fats get stored as fat, why do we almost always lose weight
when on the keto diet?
HOW KETO BRINGS WEIGHT LOSS
One of the first things that we always lose when we embark on the ketogenic
diet is most definitely water weight. The body stores glucose as adipose fats,
but there is a small supply of glucose that is stored as glycogen, which
consists of mostly water. Glycogen is meant to supply quick bursting energy,
the sort that we need when we are sprinting or lifting weights. As we cut
carbs, the body turns to glycogen as the first pool of energy supply, which is
why water weight will be lost in the initial stages. This initial burst of lost
weight can be a morale booster for many, and it is a good portent for what is
to come for folks who stick to the keto diet. On a side note, water weight is
easily lost, and gained. This means that for folks who see some results on the
keto diet initially and then decide to get off the bandwagon for some reason,
the chances are their weight would balloon back up once carbs becomes the
daily caloric mainstay.
For the rest who stick with the ketogenic diet, what happens next will be the
body’s fat burning mechanism which is responsible for the astounding weight
loss results seen by many. The basic premise is still the same, in that adipose
fats are now activated as sources of energy by the body’s organs and cells,
leading to a natural state of fat loss and hence accompanying weight
reduction.
Fat burning is not the only reason why weight loss is seen on the keto diet.
Hunger suppression and improve satiety after meals are also reasons why
folks are able to lose weight better whilst on the diet. The adage of eating less
and moving more has always been one of the long standing tenets in weight
loss. The whole idea is to create a calorie deficit such that the body is
required to rely on its stored supplies of energy to make up for the required
expenditure. On paper, that sounds easy and simple, but for anyone who has
been through situations where you have had to consciously curb your eating
on a hungry stomach, it could be as difficult as scaling Mount Everest!
With the ketogenic diet, you know that you will have natural hunger
suppression, due to the adjustment of the hormones which control feelings of
hunger and fullness. Besides that, the food that we typically consume whilst
on the diet also helps out with the weight loss. Fats and protein are known to
be more satiating and fulfilling than sugary carbs. When we switch to a high
fat diet while cutting down on the carbs, we achieve two things pretty much
at the same time. Easing back on carbs, especially the sugary stuff, reduces
the impulse to eat just because you feel like it, not because you are truly
hungry. Jacking up the fat intake also creates the satiety effect much quicker
and lets you feel full. This is part of the reason why many keto dieters say
that they can go on two and a half or even two meals a day without feeling
the slightest pinch of hunger.
On our keto meal plan, we account for a daily caloric intake that ranges from
1,800 to 2,000 calories, so we do not really utilize calorie restriction in order
to reduce weight. The reality is that, when you are experiencing fullness and
satisfaction from your meals, those tiny and innocent looking snacks that
occupy the time in between meals will not feature much in your life! Think
about it: donuts, chips, and cakes, which are the typical go-to snacks, get cut
out, simply because you are less likely to give in to hedonistic hunger caused
primarily by those same sugary treats! That goes a really long way in cutting
excess calories which would otherwise have been converted to adipose fat
tissue.
To sum it up, the ketogenic diet allows for meals without the typical calorie
restriction of other weight loss diets. It also gives a helping hand in creating
hunger suppression effects so that you do not have to contend with those
dastardly hunger pangs! There is also the absence of carb cravings, which can
potentially derail any diet. This lets us enjoy natural weight loss with as little
disruption to our daily lives as possible. No calorie counters need to be
deployed, no need for a troublesome six to eight meals a day, and definitely
no weird or funny exercise routines required. When you couple that with the
fulfilling keto high fat meals, you reach a situation where hunger might get to
become a stranger indeed.
Getting to relearn what true hunger is like also comes as another positive spin
off. On a carb-rich diet, we get instances of hunger because our blood sugar
levels tend to fluctuate wildly as our cells become gradually insulin
desensitized. Sugar also increases the tendency to eat on impulse, which can
really derail any diet! When we cut down on carbs and ramp up on the fats,
we would really have to sit up and take notice when we feel any hunger
pangs, because those would be proper signals that your body needs refueling.
HIGH FAT OR NO FAT
This topic is sure to come up when we are talking about the ketogenic diet.
Fat has always been vilified as one of the main causes of cardiovascular
disease. This was in no small part due to the Seven Countries Study done by
Ancel Keys where he corroborated research findings from seven different
countries that ultimately caused him to link consumption of fat with increased
risk of cardiovascular ailments. It was a classic case of just focusing on
research numbers which supported his hypothesis, and disregarding the other
portions which might have contradicted his theory.
This study led to a literal worldwide clamp down on fat consumption and low
fat diets, if you remember those, became all the rage. Thankfully, current
research has at least debunked some of the link between fats and heart
problems. What most modern scientists and nutritionists can agree on is that
there are some fats which are not harmful to the body. In fact, fats are termed
as an essential macronutrient, precisely because our bodies need them to
function. Let us now take a look at the fats which are deemed beneficial to
the human system, because they will be important components of the
ketogenic diet!
Monounsaturated fats, of which I shall not bore you with the stuffy chemical
definition, are usually present in liquid form at room temperature in their
purest state but will tend to solidify when you place them in chilly confines.
You would be hard pressed to find anyone who gives a negative review on
this particular fat these days, because it has been classified as a heart healthy
fat. A little bit of irony is at play here, since it wasn’t too long ago that all fats
were labelled as one of the main causes of heart disease, and right now, we
have the monounsaturated type actually responsible for lowering the risks of
cardiac problems!
Most of the monounsaturated fats that we consume come in the form of
avocados as well as olive oil. It is also present in almonds, cashew nuts, as
well as eggs. Another source of monounsaturated fat, which would probably
become one of our intuitive choices of food, would be dark chocolate.
Remember, we are talking about chocolate where the cocoa content is at least
80% - the higher the better. Dark chocolate may take some getting used to,
especially for folks with a sweet tooth who like milk chocolate. The
difference in the impact on health, however, makes it all worthwhile to
embrace the switch. Without the excess sugars present, and with a
corresponding increase in the beneficial cocoa content, dark chocolate helps
with lowering bad LDL cholesterol as well as improving the cardiac risk
profile of the consumer. Besides the beneficial monounsaturated fats, dark
chocolate also contains a rich level of helpful antioxidants which work to
curb chronic inflammatory diseases as well as improve cognitive function.
Another fat which has received some positive scientific literature would be
the polyunsaturated variety. Like its monounsaturated sibling, it is normally
found in liquid form at room temperature, while refrigeration would generally
solidify these fats. Polyunsaturated fats are much more susceptible to
oxidation from heat and light, and this is where the crux of the problem lies.
Oils from soybean and corn, as well as the sunflower, are rich sources of
omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids, and these fats are supposed to lower
your LDL cholesterol. However, it is common to have both heat and light in
copious quantities when we examine most oil extraction methods. The same
would also hold true for fish oils which are rich in omega-3, the other famous
polyunsaturated fatty acid. Problems in processing, which entail too much
heat and light, inevitably oxidizes the erstwhile healthy fats.
When oxidized, the polyunsaturated fat becomes a totally different animal.
Oxidized fats are known as trans fats, or franken fats. They bring absolutely
no health benefits to the body but dramatically increase cardiovascular risk
incidence as well as boosting carcinogenic growth within the body. Free
radical levels are also elevated when we consume trans fats. If there were a
substance on earth that I would not recommend, this would probably top the
list. To make things worse, trans fats only occur in infinitesimal quantities
naturally, which means we probably wouldn’t suffer from its effects if we
just left things to nature. Unfortunately, most of the trans fats wrecking their
way into our body systems are of human construct, by way of oil extraction
and processing. Most of the fried and processed foods available in the market
are also derivatives of vegetable oil, due to its cheap and ready availability.
We would do ourselves a big favor if we were to really steer clear of these
vegetable oils. Instead, there are certain oils and substances which are more
suitable for high heat cooking and we shall definitely touch on those later.
For now though, our best bet for getting quality, unadulterated omega-6 and
omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids would probably be through eating
unprocessed pine nuts and pistachios. Fatty fish like trout and salmon would
be great sources of omega-3, taken raw in the Japanese sashimi style or
lightly grilled in Mediterranean flavors would also be good. For the folks
who are thinking about getting omega-3 supplements like fish oil, it would be
best if you could go for producers who use processes which involve as little
heat and light as possible. In such situations, sometimes going old school and
traditional might be better than any newfangled methods.
The key is to look out for the absence of heat, and light, as well as pressure,
in the extraction method for the fish oil. Absence of chemical additives is
also a big plus in ensuring you get organic, non-contaminated fish oil. It
might seem a tall order, and I would have to say it is from no small amount of
research on my part that I discovered this particular brand of fish oil which
happened to be extracted in the traditional Viking manner, excluding modern
impediments like light, heat, pressure and chemical additives. Just type
“Rosita fish oil” into any search engine and you should be able to get to the
company’s website.
I would like to state here that this is what I use personally, and I have seen
good results from sustained consumption of their extra virgin cod liver oil. I
am by no means affiliated to the company nor am I endorsing it. This is just
something I would like to share with anyone who is looking for quality fish
oil supplements in a bid to boost their omega-3 intake. Omega-3 fatty acids
are crucial for brain health, and studies have shown that patients who suffered
from traumatic brain injuries saw enhanced recovery when eicosapentaenoic
acid ( EPA ) and docosahexaenoic acid ( DHA ), two of the more prominent
omega-3 acids, were directly introduced via the intravenous system. Omega-3
acids are also important in regulating the body’s inflammatory response.
Their presence produces anti-inflammatory substances which goes a long
way in balancing out the harmful effects of sugar and trans fats present in the
modern diet.
Omega-6 acids are necessary for proper inflammatory function as well, since
they contain triggers which sets off the inflammation reaction in the body. A
proper inflammatory response is needed in the body to act as a kind of
firewall or defense against foreign pathogens and harmful substances that
may otherwise hurt us. The key here is the balance between omega-3 and -6
acids, where the optimal ratio is seen as two parts omega-3 to one part
omega-6. You want to be able to rally your body’s defense forces when
enemies appear at the gates, but in the same context, you also want to be able
to stand them down after the viruses are squashed. Having the body’s defense
keyed up for too long is a perfect recipe for chronic inflammation.
The final kind of fat that we are looking at would be saturated fat. This is
where the more serious debates and arguments would take place pertaining to
the impact that this fat has on human health. Some staunch believers of the
theory that connects saturated fat to heart disease still hold out that cutting
down on saturated fat would dramatically help lower cholesterol as well as
the risks of cardiovascular disease. Others, however, point to increasing
evidence that saturated fat has no bearing on the development of heart
disease. Saturated fat gets its bad reputation for heart problems due to the fact
that it is thought to clog up arteries through the formation of atherosclerotic
plaque. The plaque comprises of fat and cholesterol, as well as other
substances, and it does make for a very viable case to state that fat is
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