Each year, the number of people obsessing over their health grows — as it should. Often referred to by society as health nuts, they are open to trying different methods of losing and maintaining weight aside from the conventional ways, such as eating healthy and doing regular exercise.
The internet and media are of great help in their quest of finding the best ways to improve their health. It has become almost a yearly occurrence, the media hyping up new health and wellness trends. These can be different diets, alternative medication, or even something so out of the box like the so-called crystal healing. There are also so many people who are easily influenced by the words of their favorite celebrities.
Low-Carb, High-Fat Diet
One great example of this is the 30-day ketogenic diet challenge. People go out of their way to learn recipes to replace typical food items, especially sweet, indulgent ones like ketogenic cookies or brownies. There are keto-friendly alternatives for regular meals, ensuring a near-smooth process for most people.
When on a ketogenic diet, people are essentially forcing their body to go into ketosis, which is the process that occurs when the carbohydrates in the body are not enough to be burned for energy. The body then has to convert stored fats instead so that the person does not crash. This is an expected result because the keto diet is a low-carb, high-fat diet.
But, why is there a huge population of people willing to go through such great lengths to go on this diet? What is it about the keto diet that is so appealing?
Weight Loss and Maintenance
The ketogenic diet helps in rapid weight loss. It leads to a very significant reduction of fats in the body since these are the ones used as the main fuel source in the absence of carbohydrates.
More specialists are encouraging their patients who are overweight or obese to go on this diet. This is because studies have shown that over a long period of time, rapid, healthy weight loss can be achieved by those on the keto diet.
Other Health Benefits
It also offers many other health benefits, particularly to those who are constantly plagued by chronic illnesses and disorders. Diabetic patients, for example, can expect rapid weight loss when on this diet. Ketosis helps in lowering glucose levels in the body. As a result, diabetic patients become less reliant on their maintenance medication. Also, the low-carb intake helps in restoring insulin sensitivity in patients.
Patients who are epileptic and suffers from seizures can also benefit from this type of diet. Those who do not react well to anti-seizure medication, in particular, may notice a significant reduction of episodes if they are put into this diet by their doctors.
There are many success stories reported from people who have gone on this diet. However, it is important for people, especially for those with disorders, to consult their physician, nutritionist, or dietician first before attempting the ketogenic diet to prevent anything unfavorable from happening.
