Zara Elby - Keto Kids: Ketogenic Cookbook For Low Carb Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, And Snack Recipes To Promote Healthy Living With Easy To Follow, Quick, Delicious, And Child Friendly Meals!

THE KETOGENIC DIET

The ketogenic or keto diet is alow-carbohydrate, adequate-protein, high-fat diet that provides many healthbenefits. This kind of diet signals the bodys metabolic processes to burn fatsrather than carbohydrates. Typically, the carbohydrates present in foods areturned into glucose - a simple sugar that is considered to be the main sourceof energy for all living organisms. The glucose present in the blood carriesoxygen and nutrients to different organs of the body. On a keto diet, only asmall amount of carbohydrates are consumed per day. Since the fat intake ishigh, the liver will focus on converting fats rather than carbs. Fats will bebroken down into fatty acids and ketone bodies the byproducts of fatty acidsbreakdown. The ketone bodies will go directly to the brain and replace glucoseas the main source of energy.

Types of Ketogenic Diet

The following are the different types ofthe ketogenic diet:

Standard Ketogenic Diet

This is also referred to as thevery-low-carb keto diet. Standard ketogenic is a very-low-carb (5%), moderateprotein (20%), and high fat (75%) diet. A typical standard ketogenic dietallows a person to take 20-45g of carbs, 35-50g of protein, and no set limitfor fats. No limit is set for fats since the energy requirements of differentindividuals are not the same. The standard keto diet has shown promisingresults in helping people to lose weight, lower blood glucose count, andimprove blood circulation.

Medium Chain Triglycerides (MCTs) Ketogenic Diet

This type of keto diet follows the standardketo diet principle but gives more focus on utilizing medium-chaintriglycerides (MCTs) for the fat content. MCTs are mostly found in coconut oil.Compared to the long-chain triglycerides present in a normal dietary diet, MCTsprovide more ketones per gram of fat that provide more sources of energy. Thedisadvantage of consuming MCTs is it can cause stomach upset when consumed inlarger amounts. It is recommended to take meals containing the same amounts ofMCTs and non-MCT fat.

High-Protein Ketogenic Diet

High-protein keto diet is the same as thestandard keto but focuses on providing a higher protein content on the diet.The percentages of the three macronutrients in this type of diet are 60% fat,5% carbs, and 20% protein. Like carbs, protein can be also converted intoglucose to provide more fuel to the body. However, high-protein keto can leadto excessive weight loss.

Cyclical Ketogenic Diet (CKD)

Cyclical keto diet allows dieters to take abreak from ketosis on off days. The macronutrient ratio during keto days is75% fat, 5-15% carbs, and 15-20% protein while the ratio during off days is 25%fats, 50% carbs, and 25% protein. One keto cycle consists of 5 days usual ketodiet and 2 days non-keto diets per week. Most people choose special occasionssuch as birthdays and holidays to be their off days. For best results,incorporate carbo-rich foods, starchy veggies, whole grains, and fruits in youroff-keto meals.

What to Eat

The main goal of the keto diet is toeliminate carbs to achieve ketosis. You may be required to take 20g or fewercarbs in a day. The fewer carbs you take, the greater the chance of losingweight and/or reversing type 2 diabetes.

Here are the foods that you can expect toeat while undergoing a ketogenic diet:

• Meat Group :chicken and turkey, red meat, sausage, ham, bacon
  
• Eggs :should be pastured eggs or omega-3 whole eggs
  
• Fish :should be fatty and omega 3-rich fish such as salmon, tuna, trout, and mackerel
  
• Healthy oils : mostly extra-virgin olive oil, but can also incorporate coconutand avocado oils.
  
• Butter and cream: grass-fed butter and cream is advisable
  
• Nuts and seeds: walnuts, almonds, chia seeds, pumpkin seeds, flax seeds
  
• Fruits: all varieties of berries, lemons, limes
  
• Avocados: fresh whole green avocados or freshly made guacamole
  
• Low-carb vegetables: mostly green and leafy vegetables, peppers, onions, garlic,turmeric, tomatoes
  
• Condiments: for different recipes, you can just apply salt, pepper, and healthyherbs and spices
  

What to Avoid

Food that are generally high in carbsshould be avoided when on a ketogenic diet. These include:

• Grains and starches: rice, pasta, bread, wheat-based products, etc.
  
• High sugar foods: fruit juices, candies, cakes, soda, smoothies, ice cream, chocolates,pastries, etc.
  
• Root veggies and tubers: potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots, radish, parsnips, etc.
  
• Fruits: all kinds of fruits should be avoided except small portions of berries such asstrawberries, blueberries, blackberries, etc.