Today we live in a world of abundance especially when it comes to food. Too much so to our detriment. The human body fat % is now on an all-time high. Do you know that one of the most popular Google search is ” How to lose weight”?
What if I tell you there is a revolutionary way to lose weight with no need for intensive sweaty cardio sessions. It’s so magical, you lose weight even while sleeping. sounds too good to be true right?
It turns out that our bodies have two sources of energy. The primary one being sugar. Where the body breaks down carbs such as bread, donuts, pasta, and other high-glycemic foods into simple sugar and converts it into fast energy. But all the fat that we consume gets stored for later as reserve, which is why we gain weight over time.The second source of energy gets activated when the body has no more sugar available, so it taps into those fat reserves for energy.
It does this through a process called ketosis; where it breaks down the available fat into energy molecules called ketones. And the diet that results from this is called a ketogenic diet or simply- The Keto Diet.
When your body is in ketosis, it starts using your body fat as energy every ticking second – 24/7, day and night – even while you sleep! So you become a fat-burning machine. People have reported losing as much as 20 pounds in the first month!.
GETTING INTO KETOSIS
So how do you get into ketosis? Very simple, you just cut down massively on carbs which is why it’s also known as the low-carb diet. This makes total sense because you need to rid the body of carbs i.e sugar for you to start tapping into your fat reserves.
So your diet is going to be :
- Low in Carbs ( < 10%)
- Moderate Proteins and
- HIgh in Fat (70-80%)
Usually, the doctor will recommend you to fast for a day or two to get your body in Ketosis faster.
HEADS UP
The most common side effect when getting into ketosis is known as the Keto flu which consists of headaches and feeling tired most of the time. This is normal. This is because since birth your body has been using sugar for energy and now for the first time ever there is no sugar. The body is confused. It has never practiced making ketones before. So It needs some time to get good at it.
HOW TO KNOW YOU ARE IN KETOSIS?
You know you are in ketosis when your breath smells fruity or like nail polish. Or you could just do a pee test.
[ Now, lets to zoom out a bit and see a bigger picture. Back to our origins. What our ancestors have eaten throughout history.]
THE PALEO DIET
As we all know, the earliest humanoids – the Homo-erectus lived 2 million years ago. And our closest ancestors – the Homo-sapiens lived about 250k years ago. We have the same body enzymes and almost identical DNA, which suggests that whatever they ate is probably the most appropriate diet for us today. A logical hypothesis, right?
This is where the Paleo diet came from. Which is a diet based on anything they could; hunt down, pull out from the ocean or pluck down from trees and plants. These include foods such as:
- Roots & Tubers
- Meat
- Fish
- eggs
- seeds & nuts
- fruits & Vegetables
And then cut out anything that wasn’t available to them such as:
- Diary
- grains
- legumes e.g beans
- potatoes
- vegetable oils
- sugar and of course processed foods.
And it makes sense because majority of allergies that we have today come from foods that our ancestors did not consume before e.g diary ( do you know that about 7 out of 10 people are lactose intolerant today?).
HOW THE PALEO DIET COMPARES TO THE KETO DIET
Furthermore, even the foods that they had access to weren’t available to them all year round. So their eating habits varied based on season and location.
So on average, our ancestors ate about 40% fat, 40% protein, and only about 20% carbs ( because grains & legumes weren’t available to them)
But if they lived in the tropics, they got more fruits and longer growing seasons. So they ate about 25% protein, 35% fat, and about 40% carbs ( because they have access to roots & tubers).
While in the North where it was colder with fewer fruits and shorter growing seasons; they rely less on carbs and rely more on fishing and hunting. So they get about 60% fat, 25% protein, and just about 10% carbs. So, at certain times, the paleo diet turns into the keto diet (aka the low-carb diet).
Moreover, our ancestors had some days of fisting and some days of famine where they went without food. So it was common for them to fast for days, in which they are most likely in a state of ketosis.
CONCLUSION
In summary, the Keto diet is a physiological principle based on cutting down carbs till your body starts burning fat for energy. And the Paleo diet is a historical hypothesis, an idea, “let’s eat the way our ancestors did”.
A common misconception that’s worth touching on, is that the first month on a keto diet, you lose tonnes of weight. But a lot of it is usually water weight. So the weight loss momentum lowers down as you go further. Regardless, some people go on a keto diet and they say it’s the best they have ever felt and continue on it for the rest of their lives. And doctors use it for treating epilepsy and recommend it for people with type-2 diabetes.
That said, different diets fit different people better. There is no one pill cure for everything. So if you are thinking of trying any diet, I think it’s important that you consult with a doctor first. By the way, I am not a certified doctor so you should get in contact with a professional.
Wishing you all the best, and cheers to a better you- За Здоровья!