Ketosis, a state where the body utilizes fat for fuel, has entered the mainstream as the "low carb diet." While many debate the healthfulness of a permanent low carbohydrate lifestyle, many people, from bodybuilders to soccer moms, have found desired results through ketogenic diets.
Background
According to The Ketogenic Diet by physiologist and author Lyle McDonald, doctors first used ketogenic diets for patients with epilepsy. This method emerged from studies that showed a patient suffered fewer seizures when their ketones, produced by burning the body's fat stores, were high--the result of a high-fat, low-carbohydrate diet. The fact that the body changed from using carbohydrates to fat for energy first interested individuals such as Dr. Atkins and Jay Robb, who turned the diet into a weight loss revolution.
According to EveryDiet.org, bodybuilders also latched onto ketosis-inducing diets as a way to reduce body fat without sacrificing lean muscle.
A true epileptic's ketogenic diet contains virtually no carbohydrates, according to a report on Epilepsy.org,. Today's ketosis-inducing diets often cycle in carbohydrates, to prevent the body from totally losing its ability to process carbohydrates and to restore glycogen levels.
Common Ketogenic Diets
Mainstream America knows ketosis as the Atkins Diet. This diet, which started in the 70s, encourages high fat and low carbohydrates. The first stage of the diet virtually eliminates carbohydrates, forcing the body into ketosis, and the subsequent stages reintroduce carbohydrates, albeit in lesser quantities and of higher quality (from beans, nuts and vegetables) than the person likely ate before. Critics of the Atkins Diet claim that its high levels of fat will lead to heart and kidney failure, and consider a lifetime of ketosis to be unhealthy.
The bodybuilder's version of a ketogenic diet is most commonly the Anabolic Diet, created by Dr. Mauro Di Pasquale. The diet alternates five days of a macronutrient ratio of 60 percent fat, 30 percent protein and no more than 25 to 30 grams of carbohydrates with a two day "refeed" of 25 percent fat, 15 percent protein and 60 percent carbohydrates. These refeed days restore glycogen levels, allowing for healthy body function and more effective workouts, as well as a reprieve for the dieter, who may tire of a regimen featuring the same items day after day.
Considerations
Not everyone will benefit from a ketogenic diet. According to StrongLifts.com's fitness expert Mehdi, athletes such as tennis players require too many carbohydrates for energy to do well in ketosis. Meanwhile, some individuals simply do not perform well on a carbohydrate-restricted diet.
McDonald states in The Ketogenic Diet that some scientists claim that ketogenic diets can have disastrous effects on the kidneys and liver if followed for long periods of time. As ketogenic diets are virtually always high in saturated fats, some people's cholesterol levels will rise.
Conversely, many individuals have improved their cholesterol and triglyceride numbers through a ketogenic lifestyle, and scientists debate the legitimacy of the charge of potential liver and kidney damage. All people considering a ketogenic diet should discuss this with their doctors.
Sample Day
Breakfast:
Omelet with cheese, olive oil and broccoli
Snack:
Wedge of cheese
Lunch:
Hamburger patty with cheese, mayonnaise and a salad
Snack:
Whey protein shake with coconut oil
Dinner:
Salmon with olive oil and asparagus
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