Ketogenic diets are, in fact, closely related to the Paleolithic diet. Both exclude carbohydrates and aim at eating real food. Today carbohydrates make up the majority of our diet and have significant implications for our health including hormone balance.

This is probably the most commonly asked question, as many people are concerned about the real effects of ketosis. Does ketosis work? There are three main effects of low-carb diets which I have covered.

Insulin is one of the most important hormones. It is secreted by the pancreas and is what ketogenic diets mostly focus on, as it affects body fat and metabolism of carbohydrates. It is effectively a storage hormone, responsible for moving nutrients out of the blood stream and into target tissues. Its other job is to regulate your blood sugar level.

It’s a common misconception that you can eat an unlimited amount of calories and still lose weight. Although this doesn’t happen often, you can put on weight even on a low-carb diet. Low-carb ketogenic diets have natural appetite suppressing effects This is why you’ll eat less and won’t need to count calories which is one of the main effects of the ketogenic diet.

Together with my partner, we have developed an app specifically for this purpose. The KetoDiet app will help you track macronutrients, electrolytes so you can achieve your goals – whether it’s losing weight or simply eating real food! For more about our app, read this post: KetoDiet App FAQ

It usually takes 2-3 days to enter ketosis if you keep within your optimal net carbs limit. You can speed this process up by exercising to accelerate the depletion of glycogen in your body. If you are quite sedentary, it may take up to a week based on experience. Once you stick to the plan, it’s actually easy to get into ketosis, as you will find out using ketone detection strips or blood ketone meter.

Keto adaptation occurs when the body shifts away from glucose and towards fat metabolism. The adaptations to ketosis are complex and involve most systems of the body. The major adaptations occur in the body’s tissues, especially the brain, liver, kidney and muscles (Lyle McDonald, The Ketogenic Diet, chapter 5, 1998).

Try to eat slowly and avoid any other activity while eating. You will gradually regain the ability to recognise when you’ve had enough. There is no reason to clear the plate completely if you feel full. It’s your health and there is nothing wrong about that.