On a ketogenic diet, your entire body switches its fuel supply to run almost entirely on fat – insulin levels become very low and fat burning increases dramatically, and it then becomes easy to access your fat stores to burn them off.
So what do you eat on a ketogenic diet?
Avoid eating most carbohydrates – the fewer carbs the more effective. This means completely avoiding sweet sugary foods, plus starchy foods like bread, pasta, rice, and potatoes.
So how do you know you’re in ketosis?
It is possible to measure it by testing urine, blood or breath samples, but there are also some telltale symptoms which don’t require any testing.
Look for a dry mouth and increased third, increased urination and ‘keto breath’ – this is due to a ketone body called acetone escaping via the breath and can make a person; breath smell fruity.
What are the potential side effects of the diet?
This will result in feeling sick, nauseous and very weak, and can develop into a life-threatening condition called ketoacidosis.
People transitioning from sugar-burning to fat-burning mode can often experience side effects at the beginning, which is referred to as the veto flu. Its symptoms are fatigue, nausea, headaches, cramps, and those similar to the flu.
Diet Doctor suggests two things you can to do to prevent or alleviate this is drink water with salt and lemon or gradually reduce your carbohydrate intake.