Feed Me More - Ketogenic Diet Challenge: Lose Weight Now! Awesome Ketogenic Diet Recipes To Transform Your Life With Maximum Fat Loss And Healthy Living (2016)

Ketogenic Diet Challenge: Lose Weight Now! Awesome Ketogenic Diet Recipes To Transform Your Life With Maximum Fat Loss And Healthy Living (2016)

Chapter 1. Feed Me More!

There are different classes of foods that create the bulk of the Ketogenic Diet. It's important that these food classifications be consumed in the right amounts to achieve the benefits of the ketogenic diet.

ON 'NET CARBS'

As the popularity of 'low carb' diets has increased over the years, the question many health professionals are asking is, “When is a carb not a carb?”

Food manufacturers want their customers to keep purchasing from them, so in an attempt to offer all of those tasty carb filled foods to low carb conscious dieters, a new category of carbohydrates was created. This new type of carbohydrate claims to offer all of the perks of carbohydrate foods without the down side.

The idea of 'net carbs' was founded in that not all carbohydrates work inside the body the same way. Some are absorbed quickly, forcing a spike in blood sugar levels. Others are stored as fat on the body for later use, and even some carbs (like fiber) work slowly through the digestive track with little of the food actually being absorbed.

Food manufacturers adjust their labels to sport the 'net carbs' on their products, which is almost always significantly less than what the foods actual food label reads. The important thing to note here is that anything on a FDA approved food label is reviewed and given clearance by the FDA, but manufacturers are still legally allowed to put misleading information on the front of the food labels

To calculate net carbs, food manufacturers take the total number of carbohydrates and subtract fiber and sugar alcohols.

The answer is simple; these carbohydrates are claimed to have little effect on blood sugar levels. Some physicians, however, warn that not all fiber and sugar alcohols work this way. In fact, in addition to having a laxative effect and adding calories to an already watched diet, some sugar alcohols can indeed raise blood sugar levels despite claims on the packaging.

FATS AND OILS

There has been a misinterpretation of fats over the years and people have even gone to extreme lengths to avoid fats all together. However, the main focus of the ketogenic diet is to provide the body with fats to be broken down to produce energy.

It's for this reason that there is a heavy emphasis on the intake of fats and oils to provide the body with this type of fuel source. It's also important to remember that there are different types of fats; some can be good while others can be a health risk.

Saturated Fats

Saturated Fats keep your immunities at optimum levels, bone density normal, and testosterone levels in check. For a long time, these types of fats were categorized as one of the bad "trans-fats" that you shouldn't consume regularly. However, research has shown that they are very necessary for our health; in fact, they pose no risk to the overall health of the body.

Foods that contain this type of fat include meat, eggs, and butter which help improve HDL/LDL cholesterol levels.

Polyunsaturated Fat

Polyunsaturated fats are highly processed and bad for your health. Studies have shown that the cause of the majority of the heart diseases epidemic is due to liquid vegetable oil and trans-fats. For example, most of the margarines we spread on bread have these processed vegetable oils, so it may be a good idea to regulate its intake.

People should not be confused between natural polyunsaturated fat and processed polyunsaturated fat. Natural polyunsaturated fat, mostly found in fatty fish, help in improving HDL/LDL cholesterol levels. Processed polyunsaturated fat on the other hand worsens HDL/LDL cholesterol levels and therefore becomes risky to your health.

Monounsaturated Fats

Olive and sunflower oils are some of the examples in this category. This type of fat has come to be widely accepted as healthy. Research has shown that they lead to better insulin resistance levels and better HDL/LDL cholesterol levels, which are beneficial to our overall health.

Trans Fats

Trans fats are not included in the category of fatty oils, but are worth mentioning as these fats result from chemical modification. The fats go through a hydrogenation process to improve their shelf-life, where the process adjusts the position of hydrogen in the fat molecule. This has been proven to be very harmful for our bodies. It can lead to higher HDL/LDL cholesterol levels that may pose great danger to your health.

Cholesterols and Fats

Cholesterol is a compound found in most body tissues. It is a very important constituent of cell membranes; these fats are constantly moving throughout your blood stream and danger arises when cholesterol particles bump into each other, forming lumps in major arteries. This can lead to a condition known as atherosclerosis, or the blockage of arteries that can lead to serious health risks such as heart attacks.

In addition to fats, HDL, LDL and triglycerides are also important to the make up of the body.

HDL

These are high-density lipoproteins. They are usually referred to as the 'good cholesterol' and are responsible for transferring cholesterol from body tissues to the liver to be broken down. They also help reduce the amount of LDL in the blood stream by removing unwanted cholesterol from the body’s tissues and reducing the risk of vessel blockages and heart disease.

LDL

These are the low-density lipoproteins. This is the bad version of cholesterol. LDL takes processed cholesterol from the liver and transfers it into body tissues increasing the amount of cholesterol in the blood stream and the likelihood of developing arteriosclerosis and heart disease.

Triglycerides

When one consumes fatty foods, the fats are digested and absorbed into the tissues. While in the tissues, the fat takes the form of triglycerides to make it easy to transport between tissues and the blood stream.

Having a low LDL count reduces the chances of cholesterol particles bumping into each other and will reduce the risk of developing blockages. High triglyceride levels may need an increase in LDL so that they can be transported; this can increase the risk of clumping and increasing chances of a heart disease.

For the ketogenic diet, you should consume foods rich in omega 3 fatty oils, like salmon, tuna, and trout just to mention a few. Additionally, take saturated and monounsaturated fats like butter, macadamia nuts, avocados, egg yolks, and coconut oils. These are preferred because they have a stable chemical structure, which is less inflammatory to the body.

You should aim to reduce your trans-fat intake. This means avoiding use of hydrogenated fats, as they have a high trans fat concentration that is bad for your health. In short, if you like fried foods, go for non-hydrogenated options like ghee and coconut oil. This ensures that oxidation of these oils is at a minimum which means you will get the essential oils without all the trans-fat.

Be wary of the inflammatory omega 6 fatty oils. This can involve watching your intake of anything nut or seed based. Here is a list of the ketogenic diet foods that are a great source of fat and oils that won't give you problems later:

Avocado

Butter

Coconut oil

Olive oil

Chicken fat

Peanut butter

Non-hydrogenated lard

PROTEINS

Proteins are responsible for the repair of worn out cells as well as general growth. Many of our body tissues are mostly protein; from our skin to our hair and even our nails. Proteins help in the creation and regulations of hormones in the blood stream that control various bodily functions.

With the ketogenic diet, protein intake should be adequate. It should be just enough to satisfy your protein requirements, however, you should avoid a high intake of proteins because it may result in the body breaking down proteins for energy. This means the body will disintegrate its own tissues, and in the process, wear itself out.

There are various sources for protein for a ketogenic diet, which include:

Fish of any type.

White and Red Meat

Other sources can include shellfish, like oysters, lobster, and crab. Whole eggs, bacon, and sausages also act as very good sources of proteins as well.

VEGETABLES

Vegetables are extremely important in a ketogenic diet. They are a huge source of vitamins, which are required to generate and maintain a healthy immune system to fight diseases. Go for anything that is grown above ground and is leafy green. However, some vegetables are high in sugar and shouldn't be used in ketogenic diets. The best types of vegetables for this diet are high in nutrients, low on carbohydrates, and are usually dark and leafy. They include spinach and kales or any other vegetable that resembles them. The following can serve as good vegetables for a ketogenic diet:

Spinach

Broccoli

Green beans

Cucumbers

Mushrooms

Butter-head lettuce

Pickles

Cauliflower

Asparagus

In addition, onions, tomatoes, and garlic can be included in a ketogenic diet.

DAIRY

Other things that should be incorporated into low carb diets include full fat dairy products. These include heavy whipped cream, hard and soft cheeses, sour cream, and cottage cheese.

BEVERAGES

One of the effects of being on a ketogenic diet is that you will get very dehydrated, so it is extremely important that you drink plenty of water, in addition to other liquids like coffee and tea. Be careful not to drink any liquids that contain sugar, as these will compromise your diet; staying away from sugary beverages is the best bet. If you crave something sweet, it's okay to use liquid artificial sweeteners. Examples of sweeteners include:

Stevia

Sucralose

Erythritol

Xylitol

Monk fruit

SPICES

Be very careful about the spices you use in your foods. Some spices are high in carbs because they are mostly premixed with sugars; even the common table salt is usually mixed with powdered dextrose, so many people consider using sea salt.

Here is a list of spices that are good for low carb diets:

Sea salt

Black pepper

Cinnamon

Chilli powder

Turmeric

Parsley

Rosemary

Sage