Diet trends always seem to come and go; the ketogenic diet, which has received popular attention, is likely here to stay. Essentially, the ketogenic diet is a way to turn the body into a fat-burning machine through a very low carb diet. Now, you may be thinking: how exactly does that work? In simple terms, the body can run on two different types of fuel: sugar from carbs or fuel from fat. The ketogenic diet requires you to eat such a small amount of carbs that it forces the body to switch from using sugar as fuel to using fat; the body goes into a metabolic state, called ketosis, that enables your body to burn much more fat. Millions swear by the ketogenic diet, as it has proven to assist weight loss, health, and performance. Others say this drastic reduction in carbohydrates causes blood sugar levels to drop, making it outright dangerous.
Burning fat at all hours of the day, even when you are sleeping, sounds like something anybody aiming to lose weight would want. This aggressive fat-burning combined with tons of energy, fewer cravings, no calorie counting, and little-to-no exercise makes the ketogenic diet seem like the obvious route to take for weight loss. Nevertheless, as with most diets, the controversy surrounding it cannot be ignored. Some doctors do state that the ketogenic diet only works in the short term and that, as you begin to lose muscle, it can make you extremely fatigued, actually making it harder for you to lose weight.
Alternative doctors have struck back with counter-arguments, claiming that because our ancestors did not eat sugars as often as we do today, our bodies are actually not adapted to these sugary foods. These doctors state that modern science has proven the ketogenic diet to work and that many people enjoy this diet as a long-term lifestyle. The ketogenic diet is known for producing fast weight loss results, a huge motivator for people trying to lose weight. Avoiding foods such as processed junk food, bread, pasta, and rice and replacing them with meat, fish, eggs, and vegetables is no recent phenomenon, and the ketogenic diet is just a supercharged version of this lifestyle.
Has this persuaded you to go ahead and give the ketogenic diet a try? Or, are you completely put off by the idea of foregoing your favorite pizza and pasta? For college students in particular, this extreme sort of diet may be difficult to uphold. Meal planning would be essential to make sure you never have to cave in, and this would also involve having appropriate snacks at all times. Example meals would be steak and salad, chicken and broccoli or eggs and avocado. The Ketogenic diet seems to be a diet that one must try out for themselves to form a true opinion, as some swear by it while others are very much opposed. So go ahead and give the ketogenic diet a try — see if it works for you!