Many people use the ketogenic diet today to manage symptoms of diabetes, lower triglycerides, and lose body weight. However, the high fat, adequate-protein, low-carbohydrate ketogenic diet was not first used for any of these purposes. Instead, doctors created it to help treat epilepsy in children. Below we give a brief overview of epilepsy, specifically pediatric epilepsy, and the origins of using keto to treat it. Then, we investigate the hard evidence from high-quality research showing its ...
NEW TO KETO?
Make sure you get the low down with our guide to keto.The Ketogenic Diet and Epilepsy
- August 22, 2017
- 2 COMMENTS
- View Article
Is Coconut Oil Actually Good for You?
Coconut oil is a common ingredient in keto recipes, paleo plates, and health-conscious kitchens, but is it really worth using? Whether you’re a keto dieter or a vegan enthusiast, you’ve probably heard about energizing and ketosis-boosting benefits of coconut oil. Many even call it a “superfood.” But, is there any truth behind these claims? In contrast, you may have also come across articles suggesting that coconut oil is bad for heart health. Is it possible that this keto-friendly ...
- August 22, 2017
- 1 COMMENTS
- View Article
What Are Ketones? Everything You Need to Know
One miraculous energy source has garnered the attention of many nutrition experts and researchers over the past decade. No, it is not carbohydrates, fats, or even protein. We call them ketones or ketone bodies (more on the difference between the two later). To your body, however, ketones are nothing new. In fact, your heart and renal cortex (the part of the kidney where ultrafiltration occurs) are using ketones as fuel right now. These cells prefer to use ketones instead of sugar. After ...
- August 9, 2017
- 3 COMMENTS
- View Article
What is Gluconeogenesis?
It is time to answer the question, what is gluconeogenesis? But first, it is important to know some background information on your body's fat-burning process: Eat fat burn fat. Eat carbs burn carbs. It's that simple, right? Yes and no. There's more to it. Your body has many different metabolic pathways that it uses to provide energy for your cells. Glycolysis (using sugar for fuel) and lipolysis (using fat for fuel through beta-oxidation) are the most well-known metabolic pathways, but ...
- August 7, 2017
- 4 COMMENTS
- View Article
The Side Effects of a Low Carb Diet
Who should go on a low-carb diet? Low-carbohydrate diets — like the ketogenic diet — are effective for weight loss and improving health. They are also especially helpful for anyone who: Is overweight or obese Is sedentary Has epilepsy Has polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), fibroids or endometriosis Is diagnosed with type 1 or type 2 diabetes Has a neurodegenerative disease such as Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s Has certain forms of cancer Has cardiovascular disease A ...
- August 5, 2017
- 0 COMMENTS
- View Article
What to Eat on a Cyclical Ketogenic Diet
Carbohydrates are generally avoided on a ketogenic diet, but they can be utilized with hard workouts that push your body. If you sit all day and eat refined carbohydrates (like cookies, chips, and candy), your risk of heart disease and diabetes increases dramatically — bad. If you use carbohydrates as a way to fuel intense workouts or replenish your body's depleted energy stores, then you can get the most out of your body without any negative side effects — good. The same principle applies ...
- August 5, 2017
- 5 COMMENTS
- View Article
How to Lower Your Blood Sugar Naturally
Can a ketogenic diet lower blood sugar? In short, yes, it can lower your blood sugar levels naturally and effectively if you follow it strictly. Below, you'll find studies, information, and tips on how. One cookie won't kill you but consuming high amounts of sugar every day will. High-carbohydrate foods — like cookies — lead to higher blood sugar levels. This is toxic to the body. Luckily, we have a hormone called insulin that helps lower blood sugar by shuttling the sugar into cells ...
- June 26, 2017
- 6 COMMENTS
- View Article
The Best Low-Carb and Keto Fruits (and Which to Avoid)
Can you eat fruit on a ketogenic diet? In short, it’s best to avoid most fruits except for berries, avocados, olives, and tomatoes, which you can eat in moderation. Below, we’ll take a closer look at some of the best keto fruits you can eat on a low carb diet and what you should avoid. When people switch to a ketogenic diet, fruit can be an area of confusion. Fruit has been marketed as healthy for many years and generally has a positive stigma behind it. On the ketogenic diet, however, ...
- June 22, 2017
- 8 COMMENTS
- View Article
Ketogenic Diet 101: Low-Carb in 60 Seconds
The following is geared towards people who want to try out a ketogenic diet and just want to quickly know what they should and shouldn’t do. No confusing science or lengthy explanations here, only 15 easy guidelines to kick-start your keto journey. How strictly the guidelines are followed is entirely up to you, but if you follow them 100% you can be assured you'll be eating for your body and greatly improving your long-term health and well-being. If you want more details, feel free to read ...
- March 21, 2017
- 6 COMMENTS
- View Article
What Are Nightshades? Everything You Need to Know
Nightshades are a type of plant belonging to the Solanaceae family. While there are thousands of species of nightshades, most are poisonous or non-edible, so we won't worry about those. The most common forms of nightshades include potatoes, tomatoes, eggplants, and peppers (all types). Nightshades usually only affect people with food sensitivities, food allergies, or autoimmune diseases. For ordinary people, evidence shows that nightshades are completely healthy and will not trigger any ...
- March 20, 2017
- 0 COMMENTS
- View Article