How keto works
I want to welcome you to my how to do keto blog! Follow this blog through and I will educate you on how keto works, the nutrition behind keto, and break down some misunderstandings that I often hear about keto. If you are familiar with the USDA’s standard dietary guidelines. I want to show you how wrong much of the information that is out there is about nutrition. These are my own recommended numbers, these are based on using the usda’s current dietary guidelines. Bare in mind I’m male- 185 lbs- 6ft2- active
USDA recommended macros
Protein goal 135g
Fat goal 89g
Carbohydrate goal 336g
Let me put this in perspective, my body should require about 300-350g of total nutrients, that relates to 2,100-2,500 calories total energy a day, (I will explain energy further later) with my 10,000 steps a day and daily workout routine. If I were to follow the usda’s recommendations from above I would take in over 550g a day. You should start seeing a pattern here towards weight gain. But let’s really break down their recommendations. 135g protein that’s actually surprisingly accurate, 89g fat that’s pretty low, considering low fat alternatives are typically loaded with sugar... we round it out with the bulk of the energy being 336g carbohydrates, why because they are quick energy, so you feel satisfied faster. Plus the best food really does seem to have sugar right? There’s a reason for that and it lies in sugar being addictive your body craves it, similar to how one might crave a drug. So while it burns those carbs, it starts to take the fats and proteins and store them for later. When this process is repeated each day, It causes the fat to surround your organs and build in your arteries. But you can’t solely blame health on carbs, no there are a few other factors, family genetics, poor nutrition, added chemicals, etc.
Here is a simple exercise for you:
1. On an average day what do you eat? 2. Have you ever tracked those macros? 3. How often have you been on a diet?
4. What did you eat on those diets?
Those are good questions to ask yourself and remember. Because keto is not a diet it is a lifestyle. It’s not a starvation plan like many eating patterns that are suggested, why because well those aren’t sustainable and honestly aren’t healthy. Keto has amazing food possibilities and is a fun journey. It’s amazing what you can make when you venture outside normal foods. It just takes some planning because the world is addicted to simple carbs and they sell great. So there’s really no reason for companies to stop cranking out high simple carb foods.
A tale of two energy sources
Today most people’s diet is based on A sugar driven system, after sugar is ingested it will become glucose. This glucose is used as energy or stored in the liver and muscle tissue. Hence why people carry extra weight. When your body has constant readily available glucose it converts excess carbohydrates, fats, and proteins into fatty acids. It then stores the fatty acids in blood and muscles.
Glucose is absolutely necessary for your brain to function. The key is not all glucose is created equally...
Glucose is naturally derived from fruits and vegetables a great healthy source of carbs, they come with fiber a carb your body can’t process. That unprocessed fiber helps your body get rid of things it doesn’t need. But that’s not all, those carb sources are also nutrient rich! providing essential nutrients that your body needs! This makes them complex carbs. Just like anything too much can still have negative affects on your body, but at the end of the day too much complex carbs beats a little simple carbs everyday. Simple carbs are processed and refined sugars; things such as fruit juices, sodas, candy, sweets, breads, low fat & fat free foods, and so on.
So what happens when Your diet doesn’t consist of carbs? Well your body has a back up energy source! When the body is deprived of excess glucose, the liver begins to produce ketones and it’s own glucose to power the brain.
This process is called Ketosis, which is how keto got its name. This process is when your liver takes fatty acids from your diet, due to the absence of excess glucose. The liver then begins to produce ketones. Ketones are an incredible source of energy providing nearly double the energy level of glucose. your brain loves the increased energy and your body becomes an oven expelling fat. Excess ketones are excreted thru urine and acetone is breathed out, hence keto breath. Due to health some may not be able to actually achieve ketosis but the lifestyle in general if followed correctly will still help you lose weight and fat.
So how do you know how many net carbs you should consume each day? Well there are several factors to weigh here and if you remember me referring to macros above? Those macros are the fats, carbs, and proteins you should consume each day to achieve the results you want. Is it an exact science? Well no because everyone’s body is different, but you can get close.
A good rule of thumb is at least 20g per day and no more then 50g per day. Remember those are net carbs, meaning:
Total carbs - fiber, sugar alcohols = net carbs
Keto Aware 90+ is a monthly subscription site packed full of great systems and resources to help you in your own holistic (whole) health journey. Including:
*daily keto recipes
*weekly meal plan ideas
*monthly meal plan ideas
*bi weekly workout plans for beginner and advanced workouts
*15% discount on keto merchandise at the keto aware 90 shop
*Live the best healthiest you 90 day habit coaching
*quarterly contests and giveaways
Click the link below to start today!
Subscribe to my blog and become a blog insider! Receive specials, upcoming news, and blog posts.
Be sure to like my Instagram and Facebook pages! If you Send me a message I try to respond before the day is over. I unfortunately can not give you specific nutritional advice just suggestions, due to Missouri laws.