Brief History of the Ketogenic Diet

In any other discussion, to refer to something as being a “game-changer” would mostly be hype. Using it to describe the ketogenic and low-carb lifestyles, on the other hand, would appear as a mere statement of fact, given the increasing number of its proponents who swear by their effectiveness. The popularity of the keto diet has gotten to where it has become a serious threat to those who are still holding onto the traditional portion-control and low-fat diets. Even celebrity trainers who are endorsing their own weight-loss products have been desperately bashing the diet with very little success. So what makes the keto diet tick?
Before the resurgence of the ketogenic diet in recent years, its roots can be traced way back in the 1920s where it was prescribed as a form of managing epileptic seizures. While this treatment option showed good results among epileptic patients, doctors opted for the newly released anticonvulsant drugs at the time to treat their patients. The keto diet was revived in the middle of 1994, where it once again made for a solid case as an alternative therapeutic management for epilepsy.
While the premise of the keto diet was mainly focused on its benefits to central nervous system functions, some experts have taken notice of its other potential medical applications. The diet showed promise as a treatment option for obesity, hypertension, diabetes, and even cancer. With the problem of obesity being a significant area of concern for the past few decades in the U.S., some experts in the mid-2000s have also started to examine the viability of the keto diet in weight management. While the movement had a slow start, the keto diet has since become one of the most popular and sustainable eating plans for losing weight and for a variety of other health reasons.

Keto Diet for Weight Loss

Most online resources describe keto as a high fat, moderate protein, and minimal carbohydrate diet. However, there is more to the keto diet than just describing its macronutrient portions. In a nutshell, the keto diet eliminates all forms of carbohydrate from the diet except those coming from vegetables. The amount of fat that should be consumed is not as important as its quality. For instance, fat such as medium-chain triglyceride (MCT) oil, butter from grass-fed cows, organic eggs, coconut oil, and palm oil are preferred over fat and regular grocery cuts of meat. Some keto dieters, though, still experienced success even with just regular fat from meat, which many would regard as being “unhealthy.”
Early criticisms that were hurled against the ketogenic diet, including arguments that it raises cholesterol and that it can cause kidney stones, were immediately addressed with a few adjustments to the diet. It would seem that just eating between 5 to 10 cups of vegetables per day, along with the keto meal plan, negates these issues. In fact, keto meal plans emphasize the need to eat as many vegetables as you can daily. The feeling of fullness of eating copious amounts of vegetables per day is one of the reasons why the keto diet is sustainable.

How Does the Ketogenic Diet Work?

The body runs typically on carbohydrates, which turns into glucose as fuel for energy. Since the body needs only a small amount of glucose to function properly, it stores the remaining glucose as fat. If the body has inadequate glucose, it turns to its next available source of energy, which is fat. In the absence of glucose, the body breaks down its fat stores and converts it into “ketones,” which will then serve as the body’s secondary source of energy. The keto diet is designed to deprive the body of carbohydrates and glucose, forcing it to continually rely on ketones energy, thus the name “ketogenic” diet.

What Makes the Keto Diet Work?

Other diets are doomed to fail because of two primary reasons: people love to eat and that the other diets are just not sustainable. The keto diet, in other words, succeeds where others have failed. With the keto diet, you feel fuller and less deprived. In fact, you see to it that you consume enough fat, protein, and vegetables to get the right amount of nutrients that you need every day. While there may be some food (carbs, primarily) that you have to forgo eating, there are replacements that are just as good, if not better, than those that you used to eat. As you progress into the ketogenic and low-carb lifestyle, you’ll also be surprised that most of your food cravings will disappear. Taking keto pills consistently also seems to help people stay in a ketogenic state for longer reach it more efficiently. 

Are Meal Replacement Shakes Good for Keto?

Strict keto proponents will only recommend non-GMO and organic foods that are allowed in the diet. Such keto practitioners live by the mantra, “eat healthy, become healthy, and lose weight.” While this may sound good, the reality is that shopping for healthy food and preparing it for meals is not always possible. For those times that you just cannot whip up a low-carb carb dish, keto meal replacement shakes can be a diet saver. In this sense, keto meal replacement preparations are suitable for this WOE.
Keto meal replacement shakes will also be helpful for those who are just starting on the WOE. Seasoned keto dieters know full well that the transition from being carb-dependent to becoming keto-adapted (or fat-adapted) is the most critical part of the diet. Keto meal replacement preparation will help make sure that they get all the nutrients that they need to help them last through the transition stage. Of course, not all keto meal replacement shakes have the essential nutrients that you need. The following section lists the three top keto meal replacement brands that are worth their price and may even benefit your ketogenic lifestyle further.