The Ultimate Ketogenic cookbook: 21-Day Meal Plan Plus 125 Fantastic Ketogenic Recipes for High-Fat & Weight-Loss Solution

Introduction

My goal in this book is to guide and encourage you through the intricacies of keto in an easy-to-understand format.

The ketogenic diet is a diet that causes the body to release ketones into the bloodstream. Human body cells prefer to use blood sugar, which comes from carbohydrates, as the body's main source of energy. In the absence of blood sugar circulation in food, we begin to break down stored fat into molecules called ketone bodies (the process is called ketosis). When you reach ketosis, most cells use ketone bodies to generate energy until we start eating carbohydrates again. The shift from the use of circulating glucose to the decomposition of stored fat as an energy source usually occurs for two to four days with less than 20 to 50 grams of carbohydrate per day. Remember that this is a highly individualized process, and some people need a more restricted diet to start producing enough ketones.

For lack of carbohydrates, a ketogenic diet is rich in protein and fat. It usually includes plenty of meat, eggs, processed meats, sausages, cheeses, fish, nuts, butter, oils, seeds, and fibrous vegetables. Because it's so restrictive, it's really hard to follow in the long run. Carbohydrates typically represent at least 50% of the typical American diet. One of the main criticisms of this diet is that many people tend to eat a lot of protein and low-quality fats from processed foods with very few fruits and vegetables. Patients with kidney disease need to be cautious because this diet can make their condition worse. Also, some patients may feel a little tired at first, while others may have bad breath, nausea, vomiting, constipation, and sleep problems.

Review on Keto Diet

The keto diet is well known as a low carb diet, when body system produces ketones from the liver and uses them as energy. It is called by several names, including keto diet, low carb diet, low carb high fat (LCHF).

Eating foods high in carbohydrates produces glucose and insulin in your body. This glucose is the easiest molecule for the body to convert and use as energy, making it easier to select than other energy sources. Insulin is produced to process glucose in the bloodstream by taking glucose from the body. Since glucose is used as a primary energy, it does not need fat and is stored. Normally, in a normal diet with normal carbohydrates, glucose is used as the main form of energy. By reducing carbohydrate intake, the body is induced to a condition known as ketosis.

Ketosis is a natural process that the body begins to help us survive when food intake is low. In this state, we produce ketones, which are produced by the breakdown of fat in the liver.

The ultimate goal of a properly maintained keto diet is to bring your body into this metabolic state. We do this through carbohydrate hunger, not calorie hunger. Our body adapts tremendously to what we put in it. When fat is overloaded and carbohydrates are removed, ketones begin to burn it as their main source of energy. Optimal ketone levels have many health benefits; weight loss, physical and mental performance benefits.

Benefits of the Keto Diet

There are many benefits of keto diet, from weight loss and increased energy levels to therapeutic medical applications. Most people are safe to eat low-carb, high-fat diets. Below is a list of the benefits you can get from a keto diet.

Weight loss

Keto diets inherently use body fat as an energy source, so there are obvious benefits to losing weight. Significant drops in insulin (fat storage hormone) levels in ketones, the body becomes a fat-burning machine. Scientifically, keto diet has shown better results compared to low fat and high carbohydrate diets. Even in the long run. Many people drink ketoproof coffee in the morning to include MCT oil in their diet

Blood sugar control

Keto naturally lowers blood sugar levels because of the types of foods you eat. Research shows that keto diet is a more effective way to manage and prevent diabetes compared to low-calorie diets. If you have pre-diabetes or type II diabetes, you should seriously consider a keto diet. We have many readers who have succeeded in controlling blood sugar in keto diet.

Mental concentration

Many people use ketogenic diets to improve mental function. Keto is a great source of fuel for your brain. Reducing your carbohydrate intake can help you avoid a significant rise in blood sugar too. This can improve focus and concentration.

Studies show that increased fatty acid intake can affect brain function.

Increased energy and standardized hunger

By providing a better and more reliable source of energy for the body, you can feel vitality during the day. Fat has been shown to be the most effective molecule that burns with fuel. In addition, fats are naturally more satisfying and make us happier for longer.

Epilepsy

Keto diets have been used since the early 1900s to successfully treat epilepsy. Even today, keto is one of the most widely used therapies for epileptic children without control. One of the main benefits of keto diet is that you can use a small number of drugs while still providing good control for epilepsy. In the last few years, studies have shown significant results even in adults treated with keto.

Cholesterol and blood pressure

Keto diets have been shown to improve triglyceride and cholesterol levels, which are most often associated with arterial formation. More specifically, low carbohydrate, high-fat diets show a sharp increase in HDL and a decrease in LDL particle concentrations compared to low-fat diets.

Many studies on low carb diets have shown that blood pressure is improved over other diets.

Insulin resistance

Insulin resistance, if not managed, can lead to type II diabetes. Abundant research has shown that low-carb and keto diets can help people lower their insulin levels to a healthy range.

Even if you do exercise, eating foods high in omega-3 fatty acids can help you get keto's insulin optimization.

Acne

It is common for skin to improve when switching to a keto diet. There is one study showing the fall in lesions and skin inflammation when switching to a low carb diet. Another study that shows the link between high carbohydrate intake and increased acne reflects that keto can help.

For acne, it may be beneficial to reduce dairy intake and follow strict skin cleaning therapies.

What Do I Eat on a Keto Diet?

To begin keto diet, you will have to plan ahead. It means preparing and waiting for a viable diet plan. What you eat depends on how quickly you want to reach your ketone production state. A more restrictive intake of carbohydrates (less than 15g per day) can help you get into ketosis faster.

You want to limit carbohydrates they mostly come from vegetables, nuts and dairy products. Do not eat refined carbohydrates such as wheat (bread, pasta, and cereal), starch (potatoes, beans, legumes) or fruits. Small exceptions to this are avocados, star-fruits, and berries, which can be consumed in moderation.

Do Not Eat

Grains – Wheat, corn, rice, cereal, etc.

Sugar – honey, agave, maple syrup, etc.

Fruit – apples, bananas, oranges, etc.

Tubers – potato, yams, etc.

Do Eat

Meats – fish, beef, lamb, poultry, eggs, etc.

Leafy Greens – Spinach, kale, etc.

Above ground vegetables – broccoli, cauliflower, etc.

High-Fat Dairy – butter, high fat cream, hard cheeses, cream cheese, etc

Nuts and seeds – macadamias, walnuts, sunflower seeds, etc.

Avocado and berries – low glycemic impact berries, i.e raspberries, blackberries,

Sweeteners – monk fruit, erythritol, stevia, and other low-carb sweeteners

Other fats – coconut oil, Coconut cream, saturated fats, duck fat, high-fat salad dressing, etc.

Remember that keto is high in fat, moderate in protein and very low in carbohydrates. Nutrition should be about 70% of fat, 25% of protein and 5% of carbohydrates.

As a rule, 20-30 g of pure carbohydrate is recommended for the daily diet, but keeping the carbohydrate intake and glucose levels low will give better overall results. If you're on keto to lose weight, it's a good idea to keep track of both total and net carbs. Protein should always be taken as needed when filling fat with the remaining calories of the day.

Don’t be confused about what net carbs mean?" It's really simple! Net carbs are the total carbs minus the total fiber. It is recommended to keep total carbohydrates up to 35g and net carbs up to 25g (ideally 20g). If you are hungry all day, you can suppress your appetite by snacking nuts, seeds, cheese or peanut butter (snacks can slow weight loss in the long run). You can confuse the need for a meal and need for snack.

How to Reach Ketosis

Achieving ketosis is pretty straightforward, but it can seem complicated and confusing with all of the information out there. Here is what you need to do, ordered in levels of