Unless you’ve been living in a bunker for the last few years (which, fair), you’ve probably heard a thing or two about the ketogenic diet — aka keto.
One of the most popular diets on the planet, the eating style may seem like just another fad, but scroll through social media any day of the week, and you’ll quickly find a sea of low-carb warriors showing off their fitness success.
From improved body composition and increased energy to boosted heart health and cognition, keto offers a wide array of potential benefits — but before you can see any gains, you’ll first need to get your body in a state called ketosis.
Interested in learning more? BioHealth has your back! Read on to discover everything you need to know about ketosis, including how it works and how long it takes to get there.
But First, Here’s The Scoop On Keto
Keto is a low-carb diet that emphasizes high fat intake and moderate amounts of protein at its most basic level. While ratios can vary a bit from person to person, the eating plan typically comprises 70 percent healthy fats, 25 percent protein, and 5 percent carbohydrates. Some of the best keto staples include:
- Fish
- Meat
- Eggs
- Dairy
- Oils
- Leafy vegetables
Pasta, rice, other grains, and potatoes and fruits are typically high in carbs, so they are off the menu for keto dieters.
OK — How Does It Work?
Keto is based on the principle that by depleting the body of carbs — which happen to be its main source of energy — you can force your body to burn stubborn fat for fuel. Confused? Don’t worry, we’ll breakdown:
You see, normally, the body converts the glucose found in carbohydrates into glycogen for energy. However, when you restrict the number of carbs you eat, your body will begin to break down stored fat instead. When this happens, fat is broken down by the liver, producing tiny ketones, which are by-products of your metabolism.
Essentially the body’s plan B for energy production, these ketones are used instead of glucose to fuel the body and keep it running optimally. This metabolic state is known as ketosis and is the primary goal of the ketogenic diet.
The Details On Ketosis
To reach ketosis, you have to deprive your body of glucose by drastically restricting the carbs in your diet. For most keto-dieters, this means consuming no more than 30 grams of net carbs per day. But there’s much more to a healthy ketogenic diet than carb restriction.
To maintain muscular, immune, and hormonal health, it’s also of the utmost importance to fill your body with sufficient protein. Aim to get anywhere between 0.8 to 1.2 grams of quality protein per pound of lean body mass. For most folks, this is upwards of 100 grams per day.
The rest of your daily calories will come from healthy fats like oily fish, nuts, seeds, avocado, and butter.
What Are the Benefits?
Ketosis supercharges the body to be in an optimal fat-burning zone. But that’s not all — here are a few more incredible benefits of entering the coveted metabolic state:
- More sustainable energy. Running on fat means getting off the topsy-turvy blood sugar roller coaster that can lead to insulin resistance and hopping on the keto energy train (choo-choo!).
- Improves cognition. After the initial haze of the infamous keto flu, you can expect to experience clear-headed, clean energy. You see, higher ketone levels are directly linked to enhanced working memory, learning, visual attention, and more.
- Reduces cravings. Due to its unique power in suppressing the hunger hormone Ghrelin, those living the keto lifestyle often enjoy fewer cravings which can help keep them on track with their fitness goals.
- Combats acne. Struggling with a complexion that’s anything but clear? The ketogenic diet just might be able to help. By eating healthy fats and lowering sugar consumption, inflammation and oxidative stress will naturally decrease, giving your skin a healthy glow.
- Boosts heart health. Pushing yourself into ketosis will support healthy body composition. And a healthy body composition can support good ticker health. Seeing as heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, we’d say this is a pretty advantageous benefit!
How Long Does It Take To Reach Ketosis?
We’ll be honest — ketosis isn’t exactly easy to achieve. Why? Because your body could snap right out of the fat-burning state at any given point. For this reason, following the eating plan’s guidelines is paramount.
With that in mind, everyone is different, so the length of time it takes to adapt to the low-carb lifestyle can vary from one another. For instance, an athlete may reach ketosis overnight — even after snacking on 150+ grams of carbohydrates the previous day.
This is because athletes are typically much more fat-adapted than those who are rather sedentary. Plus, these fitness aficionados usually have more muscle than the average joe. More muscle means larger glycogen stores, allowing the individual to eat more carbs without the risk of leaving ketosis.
On the flip side of the coin, if you usually consume a high-carb diet and don’t exercise very much, it might take you longer to reach that fat-burning sweet spot. But don’t worry, there are a few things you can do to speed up the process:
- Fasting. The best way to get into ketosis quickly is by intermittent fasting. This involves eating low-calorie (usually no more than 1,000 per day) with 85 to 90 percent of those calories coming directly from fat for two to three days.
- Physical activity. Exercise is powered by carbs and will help you deplete your glycogen reserves. And when glycogen reserves are low, your body will turn to burn fat for fuel — aka, push you into ketosis sooner rather than later.
- Increase healthy fats. Good quality fats make up a large component of the ketogenic diet. While it might be a bit difficult at first to transition to this way of eating, it’s important to make sure your fat intake accounts for roughly 70 percent of your total calories. This will help your body make the necessary switch to using fat as its primary fuel source instead of glucose.
Conclusion
So, how long does it take to get into ketosis, you ask?
No two dieters are exactly the same. However, if you stick to the guidelines and keep your carbs down to a minimum, you should reach the coveted fat-burning state in about one to two weeks.
Once you make it to the promised land, it’s important to fuel your body with keto-approved foods — like our Precision ISO Protein — to stay in ketosis. Made with premium Pasture Fed Whey Protein, this GMO-free formula is a dieter's secret weapon. In each scoop, you’ll find 27+ grams of protein and only one carb per serving.
Phenomenal tasting, low-carb, and loaded with body-nourishing nutrients, Precision ISO helps build lean muscle and strength while fueling muscle recovery. What’s not to love?
Here at BioHealth, we have a strong reputation for creating some of the cleanest products on the planet. Pioneering healthier, Pasture-fed, and whole food-derived products, we’re setting the industry standard on just how good your nutrition can be, and we’re confident that you’ll feel the difference!
Whether you’re eating low-carb via the ketogenic diet or simply on the hunt for clean, nutritious products to support you on your journey in attaining good health, you can always count on us to provide you with premium quality high-performance formulas that are second-to-none.
You see, with us, your choice is always simple, your nutrition is beyond compare, and your body is better than it was yesterday. Check us out today and reach your goals tomorrow!
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