What is Ketosis?
I started the Keto diet in the middle of 2017. For over a year I have been researching different aspects of ketosis and thought I would share what I found. So, what exactly is ketosis? The dictionary defines it as “a metabolic state characterized by raised levels of ketone bodies in the body tissues, which is typically pathological in conditions such as diabetes, or may be the consequence of a diet that is very low in carbohydrates.”
What exactly does that even mean?
To put it into very simple terms, it means that your body transitioned from using glucose (sugar) to using ketones (produced from fats) as a main source of energy in the body. I will explain ketones later in this blog, but for now just think of them as an equivalent to glucose in the regard that our cells can use either as a source of food or energy.
Why is Ketosis a good diet?
Ketosis has a lot of health benefits. They range from weight loss, reversing type 2 Diabetes, improving type 1 Diabetes, helps with Fatty Liver Disease, Cancer and quite a few others I will break down later. By going into ketosis, your body will essentially be running on a cleaner fuel that does not have the negative affects of glucose.
I will see if I can make an example that will help you understand the difference. Say for example that you have a high performance car. It is designed to use the premium fuel. So you have the option when you go to the gas pump to buy the cheap fuel or the premium. When you put the pump into the car, you choose to put in the cheap stuff, why not save a buck? The car will still run on the cheap fuel. But you don’t realize the long term affects of the cheap fuel. The car wont run as well, you will loose horse power, your engine will develop carbon deposits, the spark plugs get fouled up, and these problems lead to further problems. But, if you had went ahead and purchased the premium, none of these problems would have occurred.
So, in this analogy, the car is your body, the fuel is what we eat (sugar – low grade fuel, and fats – premium). There are many scientific studies that show that eating sugar causes a whole slue of health problems, and eating a ketogenic diet will improve many of those issues. So why not start putting the premium fuel into our bodies? We all have the option when we eat to decide what we eat. I encourage you to start getting the nutrition and balanced diet that will help your body to start running better.
What are Ketones?
In order to understand how ketosis works, you will need to have an understanding of what ketones are. Ketones or ketone bodies are the byproduct that our body produces from breaking down fats. There are 3 types of ketones that our body will produce. Acetoacetate (AcAc), Beta-hydroxybutyric acid (BHB) and Acetone. I will break these down a little further.
Acetoacetate
Acetoacetate acid- is defined by Wikipedia as :(also known as diacetic acid) is the organic compound with the formula CH3COCH2COOH. It is the simplest beta-keto acid group, and like other members of this class, it is unstable. Acetoacetic acid is a weak acid.
It is the first ketone that the body will create. It is created in the mitochondria of the liver from acetoacetyl coenzyme A (CoA). Acetoacetate is then released into the bloodstream as a source of energy. The body will produce acetoacetate during periods of fasting, exercise, as a result of type 1 diabetes mellitus, or from being in ketosis.
Beta-Hydroxybutyrate
Wikipedia defines Beta-hydroxybutyric acid as: β-Hydroxybutyric acid, also known as 3-hydroxybutyric acid, is an organic compound and a beta hydroxy acid with the chemical formula CH3CH(OH)CH2CO2H; its conjugate base is β-hydroxybutyrate, also known as 3-hydroxybutyrate. β-Hydroxybutyric acid is a chiral compound with two enantiomers: D-β-hydroxybutyric acid and L-β-hydroxybutyric acid. Its oxidized and polymeric derivatives occur widely in nature.
Beta-hydroxybutyrate (BHB)is synthesized in the liver via metabolism of fatty acids. It is formed from acetoacetate by catalyzing the acetoacetate by the B-hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase enzyme. Butyrate can also be metabolized into D-B-huydroxybutyryl via metabolism without acetoacetate, but typically the process in our bodies will use acetoacetate. While technically due to its chemical structure, it is not a ketone, for all practical purposes we will consider it to be one. BHB can be used by the brain when blood sugar is low.
It will also be produced in the greatest amount in our bodies. Due to its chemical structure, B-hydroxybutyric acid is able to cross the blood-brain barrier into the central nervous system. This allows it to be a stable food for your brain and central nervous system and there are studies that have found a correlation of less seizures for epileptic patients and a possible treatment for depression, anxiety and cognitive impairment. While there is not definitive proof yet, there are a lot of studies that are showing that the effects of ketosis (higher B-hydroxybutyrate levels in the brain) have a positive affect on brain function.
BHB is an awesome source of energy for our cells due to our bodies producing it in higher quantities (while in ketosis) and it is a very stable compound. As our bodies are metabolizing the acetoacetate and produces the BHB, there are two forms that are produced. D-BHB is the one that is produced in the highest quantities and is also the most efficient for our cells to use. It also is known for its anti-aging effects. The other is L-BHB. It is produced in smaller quantities and is not as efficient of a fuel source for our cells. It does how ever help in the synthesis of fatty acids.
Acetone
Acetone is the simplest and least used ketone and is created spontaneously during the creation of Acetoacetate. If the body does not use acetone relatively quickly after it is made, the body will remove it through urine or through your lungs (the cause of the “Keto fruity breath”)
Wikipedia defines it as:(systematically named propanone) is the organic compound with the formula (CH3)2CO. It is a colorless, volatile, flammable liquid, and is the simplest and smallest ketone.
Acetone is produced and disposed of in the body through normal metabolic processes. It is commonly found in the blood and urine. Diabetics will produce it in larger amounts. While there is some recent studies that show that our bodies may be able to use acetone as a energy source, it is not a efficient fuel source and our bodies will typically dispose of it.
As a summary, you want your body to produce D-BHB for energy. It will allow your entire body to use a clean fuel that all of your cells can utilize. It will allow your cells to function more efficiently and by default your body.
Remember, your body will only produce ketones (BHB) when you are in ketosis or fat adapted. If you are eating sugars and carbs, your body will run off of those, and not produce ketones.
What health issues can keto help with?
There have been numerous studies that show that a ketogenic diet can help with the following health issues. If you have any of these conditions, talk with your doctor before you start this or any other diet so they can be aware and modify your treatment or medications as needed and can monitor your health more effectively.
Cancer
Obesity
Heart Disease
High blood sugar
Chronic inflammation
Migraines
Fatty liver
Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (POS)
Epilepsy
Type 2 Diabetes
Type 1 Diabetes (will still need insulin)
Alzheimer’s disease
Parkinson’s disease
High blood pressure
Depending on your health and current medical conditions, there are no guarantees. If you do have any of these conditions, I encourage you to talk to your doctor to see if this diet can affect any of your medications (especially if you are taking insulin and dramatically reduce your sugar intake or have any other health condition). This diet could be used in conjunction with medications to improve or possibly even reverse some of these conditions!
If you are thinking of starting this diet to loose a little weight or just to become more healthy, it will still benefit you.
It will:
Accelerate your weight loss
Improve your brain function and reduce brain fog
Decrease inflammation in your joints
Increase your energy levels
What is a keto diet?
A keto diet or ketogenic diet is a very low sugar, low carbohydrate, high fat diet. If you are new to the keto diet, it is important to understand what each of these means in terms of what you should be eating. In order for you to reach ketosis, you will need to start following these 3 basic rules. While they are simple in theory, they can be hard to follow. It will take some dedication and fortitude to be able to stick to this diet. Below I will break down the 3 rules and further explain them.
Low sugar
Ideally you want to have foods with little or no sugar in them. Most foods will have at least some sugar in them. You definitely do not want to purchase any pre-made foods that have sugars added to them, or at least very little. For foods that you want to be sweetened, you can use sugar substitutes like Stevia and erythrotol (sugar alcohol). Remember that not all sugar substitutes are created equally, and some work well with the keto diet and others do not. While there is no “rule” as to how much sugar you can consume in a day, your goal is to have that number as low as possible. Here is a list of foods and their glycemic index from Harvard Medical Food Glycemic Index Chart to help you determine what foods you want to keep in your diet and which foods that you can do without.
If you want to read more on why you should cut out sugar, check out my blog on 25 reasons to not eat sugar.
Low carbohydrates
Many prepackaged foods are high in carbohydrates. Pay attention to the number of carbohydrates per serving (and realistically think of how many servings you will have in a meal). The general rule of thumb for carbs is less than 50 grams, but ideally less than 30 grams. Starchy foods are high in carbs, which is why potatoes are on the hit list to get out of your kitchen. Many other vegetables are also high in carbs that you typically don’t think of, so pay attention to what type of vegetables you are eating and how much. Here is a list of carbohydrates that are in foods from the University of Michigan Carb List .
High fat
You will be using fat as your energy source, so you will need to consume more fats than you previously did. I am not saying to just eat a spoon full of lard to get your fats. Combine healthy fats with your meals to get your caloric needs.
Different types of fats
Saturated fats
Saturated fats are some of the best for your body. Two examples are coconut oils and butter, although there are several others. These are the best to use for cooking. Since they are saturated, they do not oxidize in the body and don’t create other problems.
Monounsaturated fats
Monounsaturated fats come in second. These should not be used to cook with except in small amounts. The most common example is olive oil. Olive oil is a very healthy oil, but when heated it can oxidize which can create issues in your body. So use olive oil with out heating it, and you are good to go. Known to reduce low-density lipoprotein (LDL or “bad cholesterol”) and increase high-density lipoprotein (HDL or “good cholesterol”)
Polyunsaturated
The “poly” in polyunsaturated simply refers to having 2 or more hydrogen bonds missing in the carbon chain of the unsaturated fat. Since these have the missing hydrogen bonds, this makes them more unstable than the monounsaturated fats. With in the body, these are much more likely to oxidize and create the bad cholesterol. As a whole, these fats are also very healthy for you in small quantities. They are also known to have a shorter shelf life. Some examples of these are oils from fish (Omega 3 or Omega 6), vegetable oils and nuts. If you have ever had fish oil go rancid, it is because it is more likely to oxidize than other oils.
Trans Fats
Trans fats are the fats that you want to avoid, at least man made trans fats. The Trans fats or trans fatty acid that are man made are the fats made through a chemical process by injecting hydrogen into heated oil making them hydrogenated oils or partially hydrogenated oils. Usually hydrogenated oils are a type of vegetable oil or soybean oil (or similar). One of the most popular places the restaurant industry would use them is in the oils that they fry those delicious french fries, which is another reason to remove french fries from our diet. They will lower HDL (good cholesterol) and raise the LDL (bad cholesterol).
The government has required manufacturers to remove all artificial trans fats that they used to put into foods with in 3 years of 2015. Trans fats were popular with manufacturers because they were able to add a lot of flavor to foods (cookies, snack foods, and other “junk” foods), but they are so bad for the body the government had to step in. Other places you will find trans fats are vegetable oils, shortenings and some margarines. The trans fats that are naturally in foods like beef and lamb are actually good for us. This is because the trans fats are created by bacteria and enzymes, and not artificially created (the physical makeup of the trans fats is different). The process used to create natural trans fats leaves an end product that our bodies can break down and have been found to have anti-inflammatory properties. Here is a link to a study from the USDA that shows that there are some health benefits from natural trans fats Trans Fats Health Benefits.
Yes, this means that you will need to read the labels very closely. Manufactures like to hide sugars and other ingredients that we don’t want in our diets within their labels. Look for “High Fructose Corn Syrup” and a whole host of other terms. Check out my blog on other names of sugar that are found on labels. It will take some time to get used to reading labels if you are not in the practice of it, but it will get easier with time.
How much fat for ketosis?
So how much fat for a ketogenic diet? This sounds like a pretty simple question, but the answer will depend a lot on your body and what you are wanting to achieve. Are you in pretty good shape, and just want to maintain your current body fat and build muscle, or are you in less than desirable shape and want to cut weight as quickly as possible? There are a whole range of scenarios in between. So, whats the answer? Here are some ranges of caloric intake percentages that will allow you to get into ketosis. 60-75% calories from healthy fats, 15-30% calories from protein, and 5-10% calories from carbs.
So how much fat should I eat to lose weight?
How much fat you should eat to lose weight will be dependent on what your caloric intake is to begin with. One reason many people will fail at this diet is that they want an X + Y = Z type equation, and when that doesn’t work they stop the diet saying it won’t work. To get started, you want to consume enough fats so that you are not hungry between meals. Keep track of how much you need, and make adjustments from there. It is more important to stay on the diet than it is to immediately lose weight. Once you are in the routine of the keto diet, and are able to stick with it, only then should you focus on losing weight. You can still use the percentages above, but reduce your calories. If you started this diet and you needed to consume 2,500 calories to be satiated, reduce it down to 2,000 in small increments. A general rule is to reduce your caloric intake to about 10 times more than your weight. For example I weight 200 lbs, so 200 lbs X 10 = 2,000 calories. Play with the numbers and see what actually works for you.
I am in pretty good shape, and just want to get healthier.
In this case you can have a higher carb intake, closer to the 10% range. The protein percentage you require will be determined by your current muscle mass and if you are trying to build more muscle or just trying to maintain. If you are trying to add muscle mass or already are thick muscled, you will want closer to the 30% range. While that may sound like a lot, remember those percentages are for calories, not volume. There was a study by the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition shows that eating more protein (above the 30%) our body will have to work harder to convert protein into sugar, essentially making our bodies very inefficient. The idea of ketosis is to allow our bodies to function at the greatest efficiency and excess protein works against that process.
Too much protein will create gluconeogenesis, a term that describes how our body will break down protein and create glycogen (sugar). We don’t want our bodies wasting energy producing sugar, when it can use much less energy creating ketones. If we are using energy to create glucose or glycogen, then we will not have that energy available to go for that jog. When we are in gluconeogensis, we have effectively kicked ourselves out of ketosis because now we have sugar in our body to use. Our bodies only need .65-.8grams of protein per pound of body weight activity level affects your caloric needs. This is probably the most common way people get kicked out of ketosis (besides cheat meals). Keto meals are not a huge steak and a side salad, it should be mainly vegetables and a side of meat.
If you have a very active lifestyle or job, you will naturally need more calories because you are going to burn them off. For example, a construction worker that is on his feet climbing around a construction site, they will need to consume more calories than a person that is sitting at a desk answering a phone. So evaluate your daily lifestyle and determine if you need to increase or decrease your caloric intake. If you have an active job and you are not getting hungry between meals, then don’t increase it, you found that sweet spot that your body likes. You can always make small adjustments, but getting to the point where you are not hungry between meals will keep you from snacking and allowing you to stick to your plan. You also do not want to have too many calories that your body needs to process. Essentially try to keep your calorie intake in a close range of what you need, so you have the energy you need and are not producing extra that your body has to try to figure out what to do with.
Remember, there is no set formula that works for every person. Use your common sense. The less carbs and sugars eaten, the quicker you will loose weight. The caveat is that you need enough fats to keep from being hungry, but not too many such that you are not allowing your body to use up your stored fats. You can have fun with this diet, so experiment with different recipes and enjoy.
