What Happens If You Don't Eat Enough Fat On Keto

What happens if you don't eat enough fat on keto – The Ketogenic revolution is a global trend in health and nutrition. One who’s effects and benefits are more than proven.

 

Millions of people across the world are losing weight and getting trim and toned by simply switching the way their body processes energy and nutrition.

 

 

This is done by entering ketosis, a state in which fat becomes the favored energy substrate. Ketosis relies on using ketone bodies as the preferred energy-producing fuel in place of carbs which are the default preferred energy molecule.

 

The Good Side of Keto

As you might imagine, putting your body in a state where you can steadily and constantly burn fat is pretty cool. While in ketosis, your body will target fat stores and convert them to energy. This has the benefit of healthy fat loss, coupled with the benefit of providing a rich source of energy.

 

The reason ketosis awards you such a rich source of energy is that fat has a higher energy yield than either carbs or proteins.

In fact, fat has more than double the energy yield per gram than either of the other macronutrients. That means each gram of fat you burn provides more than twice the energy that the same amount of carbs will produce.

 

A keto-adapted body has also been shown to exhibit improvements in other areas such as cognitive brain function. This has been proven effective in areas such as ADHD and Epilepsy treatment in children.

 

Burning fat as fuel also has a positive effect on the insulin system. By relying on fat primarily, your body remains sensitive to insulin, allowing you to avoid the risk of developing type 2 diabetes and its associated complications.

 

Not a bad deal right? Well, yes, it’s pretty cool to go keto when you consider those benefits. But there is a right way to do it and a wrong way to do it. In this article, we’re going to give some insight into the wrong ways to go keto, and some of the things you’ll want to avoid to make it work for you.

 

Top 5 Keto Mistakes To Avoid

Dehydration

Dehydration becomes a very real and present risk when on keto. That’s because of the abundance of ketone bodies above what is normally experienced kicks your body’s filtration system into overdrive.

Your kidneys will actively flush out excess ketone bodies causing a drop in fluid levels. Losing large amounts of body fat associated with keto also tilts your fluid balance towards negative. You should already be drinking plenty of water, just as a general life rule, but the hydration demands of keto require more attention to your fluid intake.

 

Electrolyte Balance

On the topic of hydration and fluid balance, we have electrolytes. Being in ketosis also places a strain on normal mineral salt levels.

Sodium is especially depleted during ketosis, but there is a general dip in all electrolytes. Electrolytes are important for maintaining a healthy fluid balance. Aside from staying hydrated, you need electrolytes to make sure water is used and stored in the right places and in the right amounts.

 

Electrolytes form concentration gradients across your cells that make sure water is balanced in a healthy way. Electrolytes are also important for nerve function by producing electric potential. This action helps with proper muscle contraction and other electrical functions in the body.

 

Your body is a bioelectronic machine, we need electricity to sustain our life functions and we need electrolytes to produce electricity.

 

Good Fat vs. Bad Fat

On major pitfall with proponents of the keto lifestyle is the indiscriminate consumption of any and all forms of fat. This mistake can cost you any of the progress you seek to gain from going keto. What happens if you don't eat enough fat on keto.

That’s because some fats are just bad for your health, and we’re looking at you trans fats. Trans fats are produced when hydrogen is added to unsaturated fat to give it the properties of saturated fats.

 

This artificial processing of fat is used in commercial food processing as a means to produce easy to use and store fat for processed foods and commercial dining such as fast food.

 

Trans fats wreak havoc causing inflammation and oxidative stress, two conditions that increase all-round risk of disease and declining quality of life. Trans fats also lead to an increase in LDL or “bad” cholesterol, a risk factor in heart disease and type 2 diabetes.

 

Avoid trans fats altogether and limit the intake of saturated fat. Focus more on poly and monounsaturated fats. These fats are healthy and also provide essential fatty acids omega 3 and omega 6. You can get these through supplementation or from natural sources such as seeds, nuts, and fatty fish.

 

Gradual Change

Going keto means limiting your daily carb intake to approximately 20g. This is the goal, but achieving it shouldn’t be a rush job.

Not only will it be a shock to your system physiologically, but it will also be psychologically jarring, to say the least. The best way is to ease into keto, starting with a plan similar to Atkins or Banting, gradually shifting to full keto.

 

Check With Your Doctor

Last but not least, you need to check with your doctor. Going keto is like changing the operating system of your body. At the very least, you should get professional advice on how to go about it.

A medical or nutrition professional will also provide proper in-depth guidance and insight into the topics we’ve discussed as well as specific insight into your individual needs.

 

Going solo could lead to disaster if you aren’t fully aware of what your body needs or can handle. Conditions such as type 2 diabetes or heart disease need special guidance by a professional when considering ketosis.

 

Conclusion

So there you have it! 5 common keto mistakes and some catch-up notes on how to avoid them. Keto is great and its track record proves it. But, what happens if you don't eat enough fat on keto.

 

However, just like anything in life, there is an inherent risk that things won’t go according to plan, so be mindful of your approach and always seek professional help when going for something new with your health and nutrition.