What is the Ketogenic Diet?

This popular regimen is a low-carb, high “healthy” fat diet that stimulates your body’s natural ability to use energy it has stored as a reserve (body fat). Without an adequate amount of glucose from carbs, your body begins breaking down fat for energy, converting your body into a metabolic state, known as “ketosis.” The body has two major energy sources – it burns glucose or ketones. Most people burn glucose because they are supplying a steady form of sugar, starches, and proteins that are converted into blood sugar. However, too much sugar, starches, and proteins can have adverse effects on the body.

Ketones are non-carbohydrate energy molecules that are converted from fatty acids in the body. Our bodies can make ketones from stored fat or from MCTs. Ketones are more readily generated in a ketogenic diet which is characterized by high fat (70-80%), moderate protein (20-25%), low carbohydrate (5-10%) or from exogenous ketones (supplements). After approximately a week on the ketogenic diet with the help of exogenous ketone supplements the body’s metabolism shifts from burning glucose to burning fatty acids which naturally helps achieve and maintain a state of ketosis in the body.