HUMP DAY HEALTH HACK with @amysfitnessandnutrition
It’s the buzzword of the decade when it comes to losing weight and in particular fat. Many people also choose a ketogenic diet for better brain health, cognition, mood, and for its medical benefits. I also hear from a number of people who say “keto didn’t work for me” which likely means the style of keto approach wasn’t suited to you.
So, this Health Hack is a bit of ‘keto’ myth-busting. We’ll look at how many grams of ‘carbohydrate’ and sugar you should be eating based on your goals and consider how a ‘keto’ lifestyle could work for you.
What Is A Keto Diet?
In a nutshell, a ketogenic diet involves limiting sugar and carbohydrates in order to stimulate your body to burn its own body fat (alongside any dietary fat). The energy currency (if you like) that fuels you are ketones. They are a by-product of fat burning and are brilliant for fuelling both sport performance and your brain.
How Serious do I Have to Get?
Medical Ketosis 0 – 20g Carbs/Day
- No grains, fruit or veggies. Some herbs.
- Medical Ketosis – used to reduce seizures in patients with epilepsy.
- Unless medically necessary this is limits veggie intake more than is necessary for most.
Nutritional Ketosis 20-50g Carbs/Day
- Leafy green veggies are the main source.
- Brilliant for weight loss and for those who are inactive.
- A brilliant place to start for those with diabetes and needing to reserve insulin resistance.
Weight Loss Sweet Spot 50-100g Carbs/Day
- A good variety of veggies and some fruit.
- A gentle ketogenic approach with a good amount of veggies & some fruit.
- Steady, gradual weight loss whilst still enjoying a good variety of fruit & veg, whilst keeping focus sharp.
Effortless Maintenance 100-150g Carbs/Day
- Plenty of fruit and veggies, nuts and seeds.
- Effortless Weight Maintenance or a Ketogenic approach for people who are active.
- Great for active keto fans who want to maintain weight.
Insidious Weight Gain 150g+ Carbs/Day
- Generally lots of grains, cereals, plus fruit and veggies.
- Weight Gain that will slowly creep up on you. Danger Zone 250g+ Carbs/Day
- A grain-based diet + fruit, veggies, snacks, and dessert.
- Dangerous amounts of sugar in your bloodstream unless you are an endurance athlete.
- Tragically the usual amount being consumed on the standard kiwi (Western) diet.
This is a little bit of a sciencey one and so if you have any questions please feel free to reach out!