Superior Farms is no stranger to the benefits of clean, high-protein diets. Raising lamb sustainably for the last six decades, Superior Farms continually uploads recipes to their website many of which are very Keto-friendly. Below we provide some background and details on this modern diet trend so popular among competitive athletes.
Do you have a friend that’s been trying to get you to try the Keto diet? Or maybe you’ve seen Keto-friendly options on a restaurant menu and became curious.
Either way, the news about Keto has spread. Many people have found success with this diet ever since it became a buzzword. However, this isn’t just a trendy fad diet; it has a long history as an effective way to shed weight.
Keep reading to learn all about Keto and how it works.
Keto in History
Superior Farms has seen reports that the Keto diet first became popular as a therapy for epilepsy in the 1920s and was widely used for over two decades before anticonvulsant therapies were introduced. Since then, the diet has been used to manage other medical issues. Research suggests that Keto even helps manage both Diabetes and Alzheimer’s.
Within the last five years, Keto has experienced a resurgence in popularity, with thousands of people swearing by the high-protein and low-carb formula. It can be used as a short-term strategy to reset metabolism or can be followed long-term for weight loss and muscle mass gain.
How Keto Works
The diet works by forcing your body to use a different type of fuel. Usually, bodies rely on glucose from carbohydrates for energy. But with Keto, you remove any glucose intake. Instead, your body uses ‘ketone bodies’ instead — a type of fuel that your liver produces from stored fat.
Ketosis is a word that you will hear a lot, and it is where the name ‘Keto’ comes from. Ketosis is the natural metabolic process that uses ketone bodies from fat to give you energy instead of carbohydrates. While on a ketogenic diet, actual biological changes take place in your body, leading to lasting results.
However, the only way to achieve ketosis is to follow this diet’s strict guidelines.
Keto Rules and Restrictions
A traditional Keto diet consists of about 75% fats, 10-30% protein, and no more than 5% carbohydrates a day.
At first, following the diet properly may seem tricky: eating too much protein will interfere with ketosis, and you have to be highly restrictive with carbohydrates. But Superior Farms notes says it is not as extreme as it may first sound.
Keto fans like the diet because they are still permitted to eat many foods they like, such as nuts, tofu, olive oil. Saturated fats like butter are even encouraged. Protein is another crucial element of the diet, and so Keto followers can enjoy beef, pork, and of course lamb.
While the Keto diet restricts some fruits and vegetables, berries in small portions and leafy greens can be eaten, as can celery, cucumber, broccoli, asparagus, onions, garlic, and mushrooms.
Most people on strict Keto diets weigh out their meals to get the correct amounts of fluids, calories, and protein.
Who Can Follow a Ketogenic Diet?
One of the benefits of Keto is that it can be adopted by anyone. However, Keto diets are common with athletes and bodybuilders as ketosis helps to recharge the metabolism while toning muscle quickly, controlling the appetite, and aiding brain function.
Keto-adaption has also been known to enhance exercise performance, particularly in endurance athletes. Superior Farms has read that this is because it can be used as a method to prevent gastric distress. During long-term exercises such as ultra-marathons, changes in heat stress, hydration levels, and blood volume can slow down the gut’s processes.
Then, when large amounts of energy and fluids are consumed, and food stays in the gut too long, bloating and nausea can become an issue and athletes have to drop out of the race. The Keto diet helps endurance athletes to avoid these issues as they do not intake large amounts of carbohydrate energy.
Are There Any Drawbacks?
As with any diet, there are a few drawbacks. One of the downsides of this high-protein diet is that you cannot enjoy cheat days. This is because you are changing the fuel your body uses as you enter ketosis, and you will have to restart this process if you eat sugar and carbohydrates.
You also have to be mindful of the saturated fats consumed on a Keto diet, which in the long term can cause problems such as heart disease. That’s why it’s important to monitor your nutrients and calorie intake to maintain a healthy diet.
Final Thoughts
Sticking to a new diet is always a challenge. However, Keto brings some unique perks that make committing to the diet easier for beginners: you do not have to make drastic changes to your lifestyle, you can still go out for dinner, and you can continue to enjoy eating saturated fats and protein; especially lamb.
Keto may also help boost athleticism, improves brain function, and has been used to support medical therapies for nearly a century. Finally, Keto is even helpful in the short term, as it may give your metabolism a quick recharge.
With all these benefits, it’s safe to say that Keto isn’t a fad; it’s a healthy diet that can bring serious results if you’re willing to commit.
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