Keto Part I: What's All the Hype?
So if you haven’t heard (perhaps you live in a cave lol), Keto diets are all the rage. So what is all the hype about? Some think of Keto as Atkin’s 2.0. The basic principles are the same, but a good Keto diet will emphasize healthy fats from sources like nuts, seeds, coconut and olive oil instead of loading up on the saturated fat that can be found in bacon or fatty red meat cuts. A good Keto diet may also include frequent sessions of intermittent fasting.
In a nutshell (no pun intended), Keto is about training your body to burn fat as it’s primary source of fuel. You see, each food choice you make is a combination of 3 types of macronutrients (carbohydrates, protein and fat). The body needs to burn these nutrients to create the energy we need to think, move, walk, talk and just breath. This is similar to how a campfire burns wood to create energy (in the form of heat).
The goal of a Keto diet is to train the body to burn fat (preferably the fat on your thighs, hips and other problem areas) first for fuel. Another advantage of Keto is that it minimizes carbohydrates which create free radicals when they are used for fuel. Free radicals damage tissues in the body and accelerate the aging process.
So how do you train the body to use fat first? Stay tuned to learn more about the Keto craze tomorrow as we dive a little deeper into the trend.