What is Ketosis Anyway? And why do we care?
Ketones are chemicals produced by the liver that are a bi-product of burning fat for fuel.
When the body has no external supply of glucose for the brain from food, the brain, heart and muscles MUST find another source of energy, and that energy source is ketones! The vital organs continue to function without a hitch as long as there is fat to burn and ketones to use.
Thank you Mother Nature (or whomever did the engineering) for the perfect plan to keep our vital organs working even in the absence of food!
Our bodies are amazing.
One way to get your body into ketosis is to be on a “Keto Diet,” an ultra-low-carb eating style. Eliminating carbs forces ketosis by restricting the major source of glucose from food.
Although some people thrive on a Keto Diet, what I have observed is that the vast majority of people are “on” the diet, and lose some weight, but the eating style is not sustainable for the long haul and they go “off” the diet and gain the weight back.
Another way to burn up fat stores and lose weight is to practice intermittent fasting.
Once you are “fat adapted,” during your daily fasting period you will be burning body fat and your vital organs will be happily using the bi-product of ketones for fuel.
This is why “hangry” never happens when you are fat adapted. Your body quickly switches from external glucose (food), to glycogen (liver stores), to ketones for energy as needed.
This ketogenic process has nothing to do with whether you are eating carbohydrates!
It has only to do with going a period of time without external food.
How easy is that?
