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The Gentlemen’s Curb
It’s The Gentlemen’s Curb! A lifestyle blog where fashion meets fitness in a BIG way. We are back to share some information on the Keto diet.
There are many things to look forward to when dieting and getting in shape. It might not feel like it when you’re out of shape and experiencing your own form of normal, but being healthy and cardio adapted feels so much more energized, intensely rewarding and functional than any other means of living. There is an interesting passage written in ‘Starting Strength,’ one of the main compendiums of novice lifting advice. It says that while strength is considered to be a nice thing to have but not essential, and some people might consider the mental or spiritual to be domains that matter most, it’s essential to see what happens to a priest when their squat strength goes up.
This idea illustrates that there are always better or alternative methods of doing things, some which might work for you supremely well. For some habits, experiencing the benefits yourself is essential. Much like how it’s hard to describe the runners high, people often cannot understand a certain feeling or benefit unless it’s present, and here with them now. However, some things you can illustrate, and these are the most useful when it is part of a large lifestyle change.
You might have heard of the ketosis diet. This diet is gaining massive traction is recent years. It’s essential to know why. But first:
What Is The Keto Diet?
The keto diet is a diet in which you keep your carbohydrate intake to less than 20g a day. You balance this by eating around 70% fat and 20% protein – although you can go higher here. You fill the rest with leafy green vegetables – an incredible amount of them. This lack of carbohydrates switches up the usual method your body has of converting carbs to glucose, and instead, over the course of a few days, begins to run from fat. The reason for the title ‘ketosis’ is that your body produces ketones which allow it to do this. Ketones are a much more wholesome, complex and excellent method of fuelling your body.
This has been called an arguably better method of your body fuelling itself, as fat is an excellent fuel source. Think about it. We were adapted to running on large quantities of meat and vegetables or foraged foods. For thousands of years we had no access to the excessive refined carbs we find ourselves eating almost every mealtime today. Your body is fantastic at switching fuel sources as that’s also a very natural function.
Why do this? Well, people report sustained energy, improved mental clarity, better moods and more regulated emotions, healthier long-term reductions of cancer risks, and a lack of pounding appetite. It’s not hard to see why people find this appealing. However, keto can also be great to regulate diabetes, or even help with epilepsy.
What To Expect?
During the first few days of the keto diet, you will feel sluggish. This is known as ‘the keto flu.’ This is natural. Think of your car’s gas tank, emptying all the cheap diesel and running on the chugging fumes before it successful converts to premium unleaded. This is a good comparison, because fat is a much healthier fuel source, and natural. That’s right, the food pyramid of fats being less healthy than carbs has always been wrong. There are many reasons for this, but check out this resource to find out more. To get out of the keto flu more quickly, consider using products by Mr Keto (official Pruvit reseller) to switch up into Keto more quickly.
After the keto flu dissipates, you will realize that your regularity hasn’t been the same as it might have otherwise been. This is because you’ll likely be taking in slightly less roughage, but also because you might become a little constipated before your body adapts. A good remedy is to take in more fiber. From there, you’ll realize that you will urinate a lot more. This is because your body is losing water weight held in retention via the glucose. You will need to drink plenty of water during ketosis, even 3L – 4L for a healthy adult. This keeps your system flush and can contribute to your energy levels.
You can also expect bad breath. Acetone breath is notorious on keto, at least initially. These ketones are usually released in the breath, meaning that you might notice a certain smell for a time. However, brushing your teeth and especially your tongue quite often can help with this. Just wait for it to pass – it will.
Within the space of a few weeks, you will notice many things. First, that your appetite will feel like it’s in another room. You might miss a meal and not care about that, which can be great for those who are seemingly always hungry – one of the reasons why keto is so effective at helping people lose weight. Also, ketosis itself helps the fat melt straight from you. This can be an excellent thing to do.
Another benefit you’ll experience is your sleep quality. You’ll likely sleep much deeper, and thus wake up in the morning energized. When waking from your bed, it might usually take you an hour to take up. Not on ketosis. Almost universal reports praise its ability to help you rise and feel awake almost immediately. This might help lessen your intense need for coffee each morning, although bulletproof coffee can be a good thing to consume, especially with MCT Oil.
Negatives?
However, like any lifestyle change, there are some downsides. Even getting fit has its downsides, in terms of that morning battle you must make to even lace your shoes (despite it always, always, always being worth it.) The negatives you might experience come in the form of inconvenience. You have to plan for keto. You cannot eat certain things at the restaurant (such as three loaves of bread before your order comes,) or you will be knocked out of ketosis. Beer becomes a no-no, and only strict spirits can be consumed. However, one of the benefits is that keto reduces your drinking tolerance massively, meaning that you become a cheap night out.
Keto is a difficult thing to follow, but it can be tremendous for your health and healthy food habits. Consider if this is right for you, and if it does, feel free to join the millions of people making the change!
