iNTRO TO KETO: WHAT IS KETO & WHY DO IT?

The Ketogenic Diet is a way of eating where you restrict carbohydrates and allow your body to get the majority of its fuel from fats. This happens because when there is an absence of glucose, your body is able to convert both stored fat and the fat you eat into Ketones. These Ketones become your primary fuel source and give you consistent energy regardless of how often you are eating.

So while people on a high carb diet depend on their next meal for energy, people on the Keto diet never have to worry about missing a meal because they can simply get that energy from their stored body fat. For example, you probably know what it’s like to feel “hangry” (hungry and angry). This doesn’t happen on Keto. Actually one of the first signs that you are in Ketosis is that you never feel hangry again!

If you tell a carbivore that they will have to take a late lunch, they might begin raging and punch you. If you tell a Keto-er that they have to miss lunch, they might say “Nice! Now I can go from an 18 hour fast to a 20 hour fast”. Why was the carb eater furious where the Keto-er was actually excited? Because the carb eater needs that meal for energy, while the Keto-er has access to plenty of energy in the form of stored body fat.

The first thing we need to realize when embarking on our Keto Journey is this one truth.

Carbs DO NOT equal happiness!

The Keto diet is a great way to heal your relationship with food and see it for what it actually is, a source of nutrition. Turning to food for emotional comfort is a dangerous game to play and Keto is an extremely effective way to put an end to it.

When we follow a high carb diet we put carbs on a pedestal, we associate unhealthy food with happiness and joy. We think we love food simply because it tastes good. Sure, it is true that we get a dopamine spike from yummy food. But the reason people become so dependent on carbs, is for the energy they provide, or rather the spike in blood sugar. For example, why is it so common for people to crave sweets and less common for people to crave steak? Even though if you asked the same people what their final meal would be, it almost always is a steak and it’s almost never a bag of skittles? Because when your blood sugar gets extremely low, you become irrationally motivated to get it back up. This is one of the reasons why crash dieters will starve themselves all day, and then binge on 3 boxes of Oreos at night.

So next time you get a carb craving, remind yourself that this feeling will eventually pass. This is true because once you become fat adapted, you no longer seek out blood sugar spikes. Sure, you might still feel tempted by the Pecan pie on thanksgiving, but that is only because you know it tastes good, not because your decision making ability is impaired by hypoglycemia.