Keto Means
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Should you be in ketosis all day long?

The answer is no, and here's why. If you were in ketosis all the time, you would lose the benefits of metabolic switching. Ketosis is a state of metabolic challenge, it's outside of our default state of burning sugar for fuel.

What is the secret to making tender pork chops?
What is the secret to making tender pork chops?

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How long does it take to start ketosis?
How long does it take to start ketosis?

It typically takes 2–4 days to enter ketosis if you eat fewer than 50 grams of carbs per day. However, some people may take longer depending on...

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There are two ways your body generates energy, one is from drawing on glucose, ie. sugar, the other is fat. Sugar is the more readily available fuel source. However once sugar is significantly used up, the body’s metabolism changes and the body begins to burn fatty acids from stored fat for energy. This is what we call going from a sugar-burner to a fat-burner. When this transition to burning fat for energy is made, the body begins producing ketones and is said to be in a state of “ketosis”. You can measure your level of ketones using a device like a Keto Mojo. Once you reach a state of ketosis, many of the benefits of fasting start to kick in. For example, growth hormones kick in at 13 hours, whereas autophagy is thought to kick in at 16-18 hours. MIT research shows that at 24 hours intestinal stem cells will begin repair and 24 hours is also when you start to see weight loss. There are so many benefits to ketosis.

Ketosis all the time?

But the question I’m exploring here is, if ketosis is so healing and so amazing, shouldn’t we just be in ketosis all the time? The answer is no, and here’s why. If you were in ketosis all the time, you would lose the benefits of metabolic switching. Ketosis is a state of metabolic challenge, it’s outside of our default state of burning sugar for fuel. Ketosis works like a hermetic stressors on the body, forcing the cells and body to adapt, change and grow. This is why we get so many of the health benefits of ketosis. What this study found is that we are designed for intermittent metabolic switching, this means switching between cycles of metabolic challenge (ie. ketosis), followed by periods of recovery, specifically they mention eating, resting and sleeping. I call these feast days. Researchers found that it is this switching between the two states that optimizes brain function and resilience throughout our lifespan, improving “neuronal circuits involved in cognition and mood…promoting neuroplasticity and resistance of the brain to injury and disease”. It is believed that the rapid development of our brains resulted in part from the feast-famine lifestyle. Integrating metabolic switching into our lifestyle means staying in ketosis for the majority of the time, optimizing the benefits of metabolic challenge, then stepping out of ketosis with recovery days of eating, sleep and rest. For this, I find that the 5-1-1 diet variation works best.

A 5-1-1 Variation

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Are McDonald's fries keto friendly?

Low-carb Sides But we know the fries are likely top of mind. Unfortunately, they aren't keto-friendly. Here is one keto McDonald's side to eat…

5. McDouble

Modified nutrition information: 240 calories, 18g fat, 3g carbs, 17g protein, 0g sugar, 0g fiber

Make it keto: ask for no bun and ketchup

This juicy beauty starts with a beef patty and American cheese, which are topped with pickle slices, ketchup, onions and mustard. The bun is the source of most of the burger’s carbs (28 grams, to be exact), but the ketchup also clocks in at 2 grams of carbs and 2 grams of sugar per serving. Without them, the meal is totally keto-friendly. Ask for extra lettuce (or bring your own) to make a low-carb lettuce wrap or use your own low-carb bun if you’d like it to feel more like a regular burger. Also note that there are *tons* of burger options at McDonald’s, and they’re all fair game if you order them without a bun or ketchup. (As for the famous Big Mac, you may also want to skip the Big Mac sauce, since it contains 2 grams of carbs per serving.) Other keto burger options: Big Mac, Quarter Pounder with Cheese, Double Quarter Pounder with Cheese, Quarter Pounder with Cheese Deluxe (skip the tomatoes to save 1 gram of carbs), Quarter Pounder with Cheese and Bacon, Cheeseburger, Double Cheeseburger, Hamburger

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Calories from Carbs Therefore, if your overweight teen eats 1,800 calories daily, his carb allotment is 203 to 293 grams per day. If your 16-year-...

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Why is corn not keto?
Why is corn not keto?

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