The Beginner’s Guide to the Ketogenic Diet

The Beginner’s Guide to the Ketogenic Diet: An Effective Way of Optimizing Your Health

The Beginner’s Guide to the Ketogenic Diet

Introduction

Hello Everyone,

This is Dr. Rick Wallace, Founder & CEO of Master Fitness 21, one of the many companies of the Rick Wallace Enterprises Umbrella. With a great deal of my focus now invested in The Visionetics Institute where I help people create massive paradigms shifts in order to achieve the exceptional, extraordinary and phenomenal realities that most people only dream about, it can be easy for people to forget that I have been in the Health & Fitness and Wellness industry for nearly 30 years, sitting as the Current Dean of the School for the Ministry of Health & Wellness at A.R.O.H. Theological Seminary, where I wrote the entire curriculum for the school. The Beginner’s Guide to the Ketogenic Diet is a comprehensive guide to enlighten people who are looking to learn more about this revoluationary nutrition plan.

I am a person who believes in holistic health, which is the achievement of wholeness in mind, body, spirit and mental health. When this particular state of existence is achieved, you will experience perfect equilibrium, which the optimum balance in existence and the optimization of your ability to effectively perform in every area of life. The problem is that most people only focus on one or two of these areas, neglecting the others. Unfortunately, there are many who are not focusing on any of these and it is reflected in every aspect of their lives although they are likely completely unaware of it.

What I can share with you after nearly 30 years in this industry is that the knowledge that is being gained through the constant advancement of empirical and pragmatic data that illuminates many of the truths you will see disseminated in this article and so much more is still growing. We have yet to come close to reaching data saturation (the point in which more research in a given area will not produce any new relevant findings) in the study of human health. In fact, were have only scratched the surface. Although I am not a medical doctor, I am one of the leading researchers and preceptors in the area of psychology, psycho-cybernetics, and neuroscience as it pertains to human performance, and what I can tell you is that one of the quickest ways to negate or interfere with your evolution and advancement in intellectual development and performance is the consumption of a poor nutritional diet.

While I have degrees and certifications in the areas of biomechanics & kinesiology and nutrition, respectively, I often to turn to sources that I trust to consistently provide empirical and pragmatic evidence that can be trusted in the areas of validity, reliability, objectivity, relevance, and integrity, and at the top of the list of the sources I seek when it comes to wellness and health & fitness, it Dr. Joseph Mercola.

With people suffering from so many different diseases, including diabetes, cancer, and heart disease, the question is: Is there something that can be done to reduce the morbidity rate and the mortality rate in the United States? The answer to that question is absolutely, and it all begins with the consumption of a proper nutritional diet. While am not a fan of trends, there is one trend that I am a huge fan of and that is the Ketogenic Diet. The ketogenic diet is a revolutionary concept that focuses on shifting the metabolic processes within the body so that the convert from primarily using carbohydrates as a primary fuel source and use the ketones created with fat is accessed and burned.

There are multitudinous benefits to adopting a cyclical ketogenic diet that will be revealed in the work moving forward as Dr. Mercola and myself attempt to elucidate the benefits and processes associated with achieving nutritional ketosis. I hope that you find the answers that you are looking for and that you are inspired to take control of your holistic health. ~ Rick Wallace, Ph.D., Psy.D.

Story at-a-glance

  • This guide will tell you everything you need to know about a ketogenic diet – how you can apply it to your lifestyle and what positives you can reap from it
  • Before coming up with an actual ketogenic diet food list, it’s important to take a look at what you’re eating first and take out anything that’s unhealthy

Many Americans suffer from various chronic diseases such as diabetes and obesity, and the main culprit is usually the food they eat. The standard American diet contains excessive amounts of protein and carbohydrates, neither of which is good for your health because it eventually causes you to develop insulin and leptin resistance.

Insulin and leptin resistance are highly prevalent in the development of chronic diseases such as obesity and Type-2 diabetes. When these hormones and chemicals are produced in exorbitant amounts, they become counterproductive in producing the designed result (the processing of glucose in many forms) The hyper-production of these chemicals results in the body becoming resistant to them, much in the manner in which the different strains of bacteria become resistant to antibiotics after being consistently exposed to them. 

As a result, you gain excess weight, develop inflammation and become prone to cellular damage.

To avoid this problem, significant changes in your diet are necessary, and the best way is inducing your body into a state of nutritional ketosis, a condition where your body burns fat as its primary fuel instead of sugar. In order to reach nutritional ketosis, you must follow a ketogenic diet. But what exactly is a ketogenic diet?

This guide will tell you everything you need to know about a ketogenic diet – how you can apply it to your lifestyle and what positives you can reap from it.

The Various Benefits of the Ketogenic Diet

A ketogenic diet is a dietary approach that focuses on minimal carbohydrates, moderate amounts of protein and high healthy fat consumption — the three keys to achieving nutritional ketosis. In fact, it’s what I recommend for most people who would like to optimize their health.

There are many reasons why you should try a ketogenic diet. It can be very beneficial for people suffering from chronic conditions, or for people who would simply like to be healthier than their current state. You’ll be excited to know that a ketogenic diet can help with the following:

Weight loss

If you’re trying to lose weight, then a ketogenic diet is one of the best ways to do it, because it helps access your body fat so that it can be shed. Obese people, in particular, can benefit from this method.

There have been multitudinous studies conducted to determine the impact of a ketogenic diet on obese patients, with an overwhelming amount of empirical data supporting the theory that ketosis is one of the most effective ways to address obesity. There is still a lot of research on the horizon necessary to evaluate the long-term implications of a ketogenic diet. It is important to understand that ketones at high levels can create a certain type of toxicity known as ketoacidosis, which can be dangerous and even fatal. While this is a condition most prevalent in people suffering from diabetes, it is important to monitor ketone levels. You can find ketone strips at any common drugs store, such as Walgreens or CVS. 

When properly implemented and monitored, a ketogenic diet can be both, safe and highly effective in facilitating weight loss. 

 

In one study, obese test subjects were given a low-carb ketogenic diet and a low-fat diet. After 24 weeks, researchers noted that the low-carb group lost more weight (9.4 kilograms) compared to the low-fat group (4.8 kilograms).1

Even my own body was able to feel the benefits of following a ketogenic diet. I was able to drop my weight from 180 to 164 pounds, despite eating 2,500 to 3,000 calories per day. Since then, I have increased my consumption to 3,500 to 4,000 calories just to maintain my ideal weight.

Anti-inflammatory

The human body can use sugar and fat as fuel sources. However, the latter is preferred because it is a cleaner, healthier fuel, as it releases far fewer reactive oxygen species (ROS) and secondary free radicals.

Not only does the existence of ROS at high levels increase inflammation in the body, it also can also wreak havoc on organ function and certain human performance mechanisms, including negatively impacted testis. What makes ROS reactive molecules like hydroxyl ions, peroxides, superoxide anions, and hydroxyl radicals, so detrimental is the fact that they possess unstable configurations. In the same way that the body desires homeostasis or holistic equilibrium as a put it, it also desires stability and ROS reactive molecules lack the stability to support consistent healthy bodily function, with one result being an increase in inflammation, which can result in numerous other problematic issues. 

 

By eliminating sugar from your daily food consumption, you’re decreasing your risk of developing chronic inflammation throughout your body.

Lowering risk of cancer

One exciting discovery about the ketogenic diet is how it can help prevent cancer. Dominic D’Agostino, Ph.D., an assistant professor at the University of South Florida, recently made headway on how the ketogenic diet can help impact this dreaded disease.

D’Agostino explains that all of your cells (including cancer cells) use glucose as fuel. However, cancer cells do not have metabolic flexibility and cannot adapt to using ketones as energy, which your regular cells can. Once your body enters a state of nutritional ketosis, the cancer cells starve to death.

Basically, cancer cells literally thrive on the presence of multiple forms of glucose for the fuel that is necessary for cellular growth and reproduction. By adopting a ketogenic diet, you inherently adopt an anti-cancer preventative process and the diet can also play a major role in countering cancer growth and development in cancer patients. 

*Note: If you are a current cancer patient it is important to understand that the purpose of the information shared here is not to serve as professional medical advice, but as an educational mechanism designed to inform the public. Cancer is a serious challenge that requires a substantial amount of attention and knowledge. I personally suggest that you seek the advice of someone like Dr. Joseph Mercola or other holistic, homeopathic and naturopathic doctors who specialize in holistic healing before making any decisions to forego traditional treatment. I personally advocate holistic healing, but sometimes the need for urgent intervention outside the parameters of natural healing becomes necessary, especially as it pertains to advanced stage cancer. 

Increasing muscle mass

Jeff Volek, Ph.D., is a registered dietitian specializing on how a high-fat, low-carb diet can affect health and athletic performance. In one of his books, he states that ketones have a similar structure to branched-chain amino acids that can be useful for building muscle mass.

When it comes to highly competitive athletes and bodybuilders, the primary concern was whether the reduction in carbohydrates at such a significant level would negatively impact anabolism, the anabolic process of protein synthesis, which is immensely vital to the development of lean muscle mass. While carbohydrates are used as fuel, they are an aid in the function of protein synthesis by setting off a cascade of hormone-driven events in the body. 

The presence of carbohydrates trigger a neurological signal to the pancreas to secrete insulin for the purpose of regulating the glucose associated with the carbohydrates, but what most people are not aware of is the fact that insulin does more than regulating body sugar. It also supports muscle growth, primarily through driving amino acid uptake — meaning that it helps amino acids get from the bloodstream to the cellular structure of your muscles. 

Fortunately for athletes and bodybuilders that want to achieve an even higher level of health and performance, while carbohydrates have anabolic properties, it is possible to improve muscle growth and muscle performance in the nearly complete absence of carbohydrates. As it turns out, the human body is an impressive machine that is immensely effective at making intelligent adaptations to any number of situations. 

As it turns out, carbohydrates are not required to flip on the protein synthesis switch. There are actually ways to make the anabolic process more efficient and effective. As you will see a little further along in this article, you can also use a variation of ketogenic nutrition known as a Cyclic Ketogenic Diet (CKD) which allows athletes and bodybuilders to cycle off of a standard ketogenic diet for two days each week, for the purpose of what is known as carb-loading. 

Ketones spare these amino acids, leaving higher levels of them around, which can help promote muscle mass.

Reducing Appetite

Constant hunger can cause you to consume more calories than you can burn, which can eventually lead to weight gain. A ketogenic diet can help you avoid this problem because reducing carbohydrate consumption can reduce hunger symptoms.

In one study, participants who were given a low-carbohydrate had reduced appetites, helping them lose weight easier.2

Lowering Insulin Levels

When you consume carbs, they are broken down into sugars in your body. In turn, this causes your blood sugar levels to rise and leads to a spike in your insulin. Over time, you may develop insulin resistance, which can progress to type 2 diabetes.

Insulin resistance is the result of high levels of insulin in the bloodstream that result in what is known as insulin spikes. These spikes in insulin create a situation in which it is difficult for the body effectively dispose of it. Additionally, there is empirical data that proves that the body cannot access fat cells with high level of insulin in the blood stream (because insulin represents the presence of carbs/glucose, the primary source of fuel, leaving the body to search for the carbs, even though they may not even be present any longer. This is one reason people struggle to lose weight. 

However, when the body is in ketosis, it will automatically seek to burn fat first and insulin level will be lowered because of the absence of carbohydrates. 

By altering your diet to a ketogenic approach, you can reduce your risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

In a study published in Nutrition & Metabolism, researchers noted that diabetics who ate low-carbohydrate ketogenic diets were able to significantly reduce their dependency on diabetes medication, and may even reverse it eventually.3

Different Types of Ketogenic Diets You Can Try

There are several variations of the ketogenic diet based on specific needs:4

Standard Ketogenic Diet (SKD)

SKD is the type I typically recommend for most people, because it is very effective. It focuses on high consumption of healthy fats (70 percent of your diet), moderate protein (25 percent) and very little carbohydrates (5 percent).5

Keep in mind that there’s no set limit to the fat, because energy requirements vary from person to person, depending on their daily physical activities.

However, majority of your calories still need to come from fats, and you still need to limit your consumption of carbohydrates and protein for it to become a standard ketogenic diet.6

Targeted Ketogenic Diet (TKD)

TKD is generally geared towards fitness enthusiasts. In this approach, you eat the entirety of your allocated carbs for the day in one meal, 30 to 60 minutes before exercise. The idea here is to use the energy provided by the carbs effectively before it disrupts ketosis.7

If you’re following this approach, I recommend that you eat carbs that are easily digestible with a high glycemic index to avoid upsetting your stomach. Then, when you’re done exercising, increase your intake of protein to help with muscle recovery, then continue consuming your fats afterwards`.8

Cyclic Ketogenic Diet (CKD)

Whereas TKD is focused on fitness enthusiasts, CKD is focused more on athletes and bodybuilders. In CKD, you cycle between a normal ketogenic diet, followed by a set number of days of high carb consumption, also known as “carb-loading.”9

The idea here is to take advantage of the carbohydrates to replenish the glycogen lost from your muscles during athletic activity or working out.10

If you’re a high-level athlete or bodybuilder, CKD may be a viable method for you. It usually consists of five days of SKD, followed by two days of carb-loading. During the ketogenic cycle, carb consumption is around 50 grams, but when you get to the carb-loading cycle, the amount jumps to 450 to 600 grams. Again, this method isn’t recommended for most people who do not have a high rate of physical activity.11

High-Protein Ketogenic Diet

This method is a variant of the SKD. In a high-protein diet, you increase the ratio of protein consumption to 10 percent and reduce your healthy fat consumption by 10 percent. In a study involving obese men that tried this method, researchers noted that it helped reduce their hunger and lowered their food intake significantly, resulting in weight loss.12 If you’re overweight or obese, this may help you at first, then you can transition to SKD after you normalize your weight.

Restricted Ketogenic Diet

As mentioned earlier, a ketogenic diet can be an effective weapon against cancer. To do this, you need to be on a restricted ketogenic diet. By restricting your carbohydrate and calorie intake, your body loses glycogen and starts producing ketones that your healthy cells can use as energy. Because cancer cells cannot use these ketones, they starve to death.13

A 2010 study helps back up this claim. A 65-year old woman who was suffering from glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), an aggressive type of brain cancer, was put into a restricted ketogenic diet that started with water fasting and then proceeded to consume 600 calories a day only. After two months, her weight decreased and the ketones in her body elevated.

Furthermore, there was no discernable brain tumor tissue detected using magnetic resonance (MRI) or fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) imaging scans.14

*It is important to understand that regardless to which diet you choose, it will be necessary to cycle on and off of it to ensure that you don’t cause your body to develop ketoacidosis (ketones existing at such a high level that they become toxic). While ketoacidosis is more common with diabetes, it is possible to create similar symtoms and issues by failing to cycle off of the diet so that you body can perform the necessary adjustments and repairs necessary to ensure optimal health. 

Put Away These Foods Before Going on a Ketogenic Diet

Before coming up with an actual ketogenic diet food list, it’s important to take a look at what you’re eating first and take out anything that’s unhealthy. This means that you have to remove sugars, starches, packaged and processed foods from your diet, because a ketogenic diet focuses on eating real, whole food.

Furthermore, avoid drinking milk because it contains the carbohydrate galactose – drinking just one glass can basically eat up your entire carb allotment for the day. In addition, avoiding milk helps lactose-intolerant people to implement the ketogenic diet. Many other products should be avoided, such as hydrogenated vegetable oils (canola, sunflower, etc.), peanut butter, soy products and sodas. They may be low on carbohydrates, but they are unhealthy and can wreak havoc on your health.

The Ideal Foods to Eat for a Ketogenic Diet

So now that you’ve taken out all the unhealthy food sources, what’s the next step? When it comes to the core of an actual ketogenic diet, remember that you need to consume only a moderate amount of protein, or about one-half gram per pound of lean body mass, each day. In addition, carbohydrates must be minimized and high-quality fats increased to serve as your new fuel source.

To ease yourself into a ketogenic diet meal plan, I usually recommend adding C8 medium-chain triglyceride (MCT) oil into your food. It’s typically more expensive than other types of MCT oil, but I prefer it more because it converts into ketones more effectively. You can start with 1 teaspoon per day, then gradually increase your consumption to 2 to 3 tablespoons per day.

If you stomach does not agree with MCT oil, you can try MCT powder, which is easier on your stomach. The table below provides a good overview of other foods rich in high-quality healthy fats:

Coconut oil Animal-based omega-3 fats from healthy sources such as wild-caught Alaskan salmon, sardines, anchovies and krill Olives and olive oil (make sure they are third-party certified because most olive oils are diluted with vegetable oils)
Raw, grass fed butter Raw nuts, such as macadamia, almonds and pecans Various seeds such as pumpkin, sesame, cumin and hemp
Avocados Grass fed meats Lard and/or tallow
Ghee (clarified butter) Raw cacao butter Organic pastured eggs

When building your ketogenic diet meal plan, it’s important to stick to green leafy vegetables because they are rich in fiber, antioxidantsand various nutrients. Your best choices include broccoli, spinach, parsley, Brussels sprouts and zucchini.

While fruits are generally healthy for you, majority of them should be are avoided in a ketogenic diet because of their high amounts of sugar. However, certain berries are safe to eat in moderate quantities, such as blackberry, blueberry and cranberry, because they are rich in antioxidants that can support your health.

As for beverages, there are several you can choose from. The most important is water, but you may also drink organic black coffee (without any sweeteners or milk), which is rich in antioxidants. Coconut milk can be consumed as well, as well as herbal teas because they are rich in various antioxidants and nutrients. If you want a more extensive list, Paleo Flourish Magazine has recommendations that encompass various food groups.15

Ketogenic Recipes You Can Try

It may look like there are plenty of foods not allowed when following a ketogenic diet, but there are actually many recipes that you can cook that adhere this method. Here are three ketogenic recipes that I personally use in my daily routine:

Dr. Mercola's Chocolate Fat Bomb Recipe

Dr. Mercola’s Chocolate Fat Bomb Recipe

Ingredients:

  • 1 Tbsp. of black sesame seeds
  • 1 Tbsp. of flax seeds
  • 1 Tbsp. of black cumin seeds
  • 1 Tbsp. of pumpkin seeds
  • 1 Tbsp. of organic psyllium
  • 1 Tbsp. of chia seeds
  • 1 scoop of Dr. Mercola’s Organic Greens
  • 1 tsp. of calcium from ground-pastured eggshells
  • 1/2 ounce of cocoa butter
  • 1 whole avocado
  • 1 to 2 Tbsp. of medium-chain triglyceride (MCT) oil
  • 1 drop of Stevia
  • Filtered water

Procedure:

  1. Let the black sesame, flax, pumpkin and black cumin seeds soak overnight (roughly 14 hours) in a mixing bowl.
  2. Mix the remaining ingredients.
  3. Pour water to desired consistency — it can range from a liquid to pudding texture.
  4. Using an immersion blender, blend for two to five minutes for desired consistency.

Dr. Mercola's Keto Salad Recipe

Dr. Mercola’s Keto Salad Recipe

Ingredients:

  • 2 ounces of ground organic lamb
  • 1/3 red onion
  • 1 whole avocado
  • 2 to 4 ounces of sunflower seed sprouts
  • 1 to 2 Tbsp. of Dr. Mercola’s coconut oil
  • 6 pieces of anchovies (packed in salt, not oil)
  • A handful of oregano to your desired flavor (cut finely)
  • 2 to 4 ounces of fennel bulb and/or leaves
  • 2 sprigs of rosemary (chopped finely)
  • 100 grams of red pepper
  • A handful of Malabar spinach
  • 1 habanero pepper (chopped)
  • 1 Tbsp. of salmon fish roe
  • 2 to 3 ounces of grass-fed pastured butter
  • 3 ounces of fermented vegetables
  • 4 to 7 shakes of Dr. Mercola’s Himalayan salt
  • 10 to 20 of shakes ground pepper (depending on your preference)

Procedure:

  1. Gently heat the coconut oil in a frying pan.
  2. Add onions and ground organic lamb at very low heat for 20 to 25 minutes.
  3. In a separate bowl, cut and mix the remaining ingredients.
  4. After 25 minutes, add the onions to the salad and then mix it well.
  5. Rinse salt off the anchovies and soak them for five minutes.
  6. Split each anchovy into three pieces and add to the salad.
  7. Add the organic lamb to the salad.

The Beginner's Guide to the Ketogenic Diet

Dr. Mercola’s Macadamia Nut Fudge Recipe

Ingredients:

  • 300 grams of cocoa butter
  • 200 grams of Dr. Mercola’s coconut oil
  • 200 grams of raw, organic-pastured butter
  • 300 grams of macadamia nuts
  • 8 full droppers of stevia (you can use Luo Han as a substitute)
  • 1 teaspoon Dr. Mercola’s organic vanilla extract

Procedure:

  1. Mix the butters and oils under low heat for three to five minutes.
  2. Once the mixture cools, add the stevia and the vanilla extract.
  3. Pour the fudge into 8-ounce wide ball jars.
  4. Spread the nuts evenly across all jars.
  5. Refrigerate until the fudge reaches the desired consistency

This recipe makes eight servings.

Who Should Not Be on a Ketogenic Diet?

Based on published studies, a ketogenic diet can be beneficial for optimizing your health. However, not everyone can follow this eating plan due to certain factors. If you fall within any of the following categories, I recommend that you do not push through with a ketogenic diet for safety reasons:1617

Pregnant

During pregnancy, your body undergoes many changes that require nutrients from various sources. Therefore, severely restricting yourself from healthy carb sources may negatively impact your baby’s health.18

Breastfeeding

Breastfeeding women should avoid a ketogenic diet throughout the child’s breastfeeding phase. That’s because women need oxaloacetate, a compound essential for creating lactose for breastmilk, which is essential for their baby’s growth.

An Athlete Who’s About to Start a New Season

Athletes can greatly benefit from the energy produced by ketones, but it takes around four to six weeks for your body to achieve ketosis. During this time, your body has not yet adapted to using fat as an energy source, which may impede your performance in upcoming athletic events.

If you wish to take advantage of the ketogenic diet, give your body time to adapt by planning ahead during the off-season.

Had a Gallbladder Removed

Your gallbladder collects and concentrates bile, allowing your digestive tract to absorb dietary fat properly. Without it, dietary fat won’t be absorbed as much, which can lead to nutrient deficiencies, since a ketogenic diet largely relies on fat for nutrients.

Has a History of Kidney Stones

If you have developed kidney stones before, a ketogenic diet may increase your chances of getting them again. That’s because ketones are naturally acidic, which increases the production of uric acid and the formation of stones.

On the other hand, kidney stones may be prevented while on a ketogenic diet if you increase your consumption of potassium from leafy greens and other high-fat foods such as avocado. Staying hydrated throughout the day also helps lower your risk of developing stones.

Your Body Is Still Growing

In one study, epileptic children experienced a reduction in symptoms and improved cognitive performance when a ketogenic diet was introduced.19 However, this may have a negative effect on the growth of their bodies in the long run, according to a study published in the journal Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology.20

Researchers believe that a ketogenic diet reduces the production of insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGFT-1), a hormone essential in the development of the bones and the muscles of kids and teenagers. If your child absolutely needs to be on a ketogenic diet, consult with a doctor first to discuss any potential growth issues.

Naturally Thin

Naturally thin people with a body mass index (BMI) of 20 or less should avoid a ketogenic diet because it may induce further weight loss, which can be detrimental to your overall health.

Have Rare Metabolic Disorders

Disorders such as Gaucher’s, Tay-Sachs, Niemann-Pick and Fabry’s disease can interfere with fat metabolism, thus affecting energy production.

If you have any of the aforementioned disorders, a ketogenic diet is not recommended as it relies largely on fat for energy production.21

Have Anorexia

Anorexics may suffer from rapid starvation if they follow a ketogenic diet, because they already limit their calorie consumption and have an extreme fear of eating fat, which a ketogenic diet has lots of.

If they embark on a ketogenic eating plan, they may also suffer from low energy, because a ketogenic diet relies on dietary fat as the main source of fuel. However, their overall wellbeing may benefit from ketones through careful medical and psychiatric supervision.

Pancreatic Insufficiency

Pancreatic insufficiency is a condition where your pancreas does not produce enough enzymes to help break down and absorb nutrients in your digestive tract.

If you have an enzyme deficiency, I suggest having it treated first before embarking on a ketogenic diet, because your digestive system will have a hard time absorbing dietary fats.

The Side Effects of a Ketogenic Diet

Starting a ketogenic diet can help optimize your health tremendously in many ways. But like any major dietary changes, it can have several undesirable (but not alarming) side effects, such as:

Bad Breath: Once you start on a ketogenic diet, you may notice that your breath will have an undesirable odor due to the increased acetone levels in your body.

Acetone is a ketone produced during ketosis, which is expelled in your urine and partly your breath.

On a positive note, detecting acetone in your breath is a good indicator that your ketogenic diet is working.22 You can brush your teeth and/or rinse your mouth with coconut oil to help remove the bad breath.

Short-Term Fatigue: You may begin to feel fatigue at the start of a ketogenic diet. It’s actually one of the main reasons why many people choose not to continue with this approach long before they can enjoy the benefits.23

The reason why you get tired at the start is your body is adapting from using carbohydrates for energy to healthy fats.

The transition doesn’t happen overnight, and it may take you anywhere between seven to 30 days before your body achieves full ketosis.24

Frequent Urination: During the first few days of implementing a ketogenic diet, you may notice that you’re using the bathroom more often. That’s because your body is dumping the glycogen in your liver and muscles as urine.

Furthermore, as the insulin level in your blood begins to drop, excess sodium is expelled in the form of urine as well.25

Digestive Problems: A huge shift into any dieting method can increase your risk of digestive problems, and the ketogenic diet is no exception.

Constipation is commonly reported among those who are starting out on a ketogenic diet, but it may disappear in a few weeks once your body gets used to the healthier food you’re eating.26

Sugar Cravings: You may develop intense sugar cravings as your body switches from sugar to fat for fuel. However, I encourage you not to give in to temptation.

You can practice various relaxation method such as the Emotional Freedom Techniques or yoga to take your mind away from sugary foods.27

Hair Loss: You may notice that more strands of hair getting stuck on your brush during the first few days of your ketogenic diet.

Don’t worry because this is not a big cause of concern, since hair loss can result from any major dietary changes in general. It will stop once your body achieves ketosis.28

Going into nutritional ketosis by following a ketogenic diet is one of the most radical but highly beneficial lifestyle changes you can make to improve your health. As with most dietary changes, always remember to listen to your body. If you feel any side effects other than the ones listed above, then necessary adjustments may be needed to your food intake.

Frequently Asked Questions About the Ketogenic Diet

Q: How do I go into nutritional ketosis?

A: To enter into a state of nutritional ketosis, take a look at what you’re currently eating and remove any unhealthy items such as sugary drinks and processed foods. The next step is to consume whole, organic foods that are high in healthy fats, has moderate protein and only minimal carbohydrates.

Q: How long does it take to get into ketosis?

A: Each person reacts differently to a ketogenic diet. You may experience a few side effects in the first seven to 30 days, such as constipation, fatigue and urination. But once your body normalizes, you will start feeling the benefits.

Q: How many carbs can I consume to be in a state of ketosis?

A: It’s generally recommended that only 5 percent of your daily diet is allocated to carbohydrates because if you consume more than that, your body gets thrown off ketosis. However, this is only for SKD, or the standard ketogenic diet. If you’re an athlete or a bodybuilder, you can consume more carbs without affecting ketosis by following a targeted ketogenic diet (TKD) or a cyclic ketogenic diet (CKD).

Q: How long does it take before ketosis shows results?

A: The results of ketosis can be felt as early as the first week when your body begins to dump water and carbohydrates, but the weight loss will only be minor.29 As time goes on, your body will begin to consistently shed excess fat, provided you stick to your ketogenic program.30

*The introduction and all of the text in italics was contributed by Rick Wallace, Ph.D., Psy.D. and all other text submitted by Joseph Mercola, MD (Courtesy of Mercola.com).

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