What is Ketosis: Everything You Need To Know About Keto

Are you ready to start burning fat stores while still enjoying meals packed with high-fat favorites? If you're interested in beginning a low-carb/high-fat diet plan, it's wise to understand how they work in order to support the entire process. At the center is a bodily process called "ketosis."

Ketosis: Why it Happens and How it Works

When you consume carbohydrates, your body converts them into glucose. This is its preferred source of energy, in fact, because it's the easiest molecule for your body to process. A plentiful supply of glucose means your body never has to burn fat stores for energy, with excess being converted into yet more fat.

During times of less plentiful food, your body naturally begins to convert fat stores to an alternative energy source: ketones. While your body may prefer the ease of glucose processing, ketone bodies are a better respiratory fuel and can even provide therapeutic relief for a variety of ailments. Because they're produced through the use of fat stores, their production means your body is actively burning fat just to maintain bodily function.

Ketosis without Starvation

Forcing your body into ketosis burns fat, but it can also deplete muscle tissue and cause of host of issues if you're not consuming enough vital nutrients. Fats and protein are, for this reason, the backbone of many low-carbohydrate diets. Adequate protein intake prevents the loss of muscle tissue during ketosis, while nutritionally complete proteins like whey protein also provide all nine of the essential amino acids your body cannot produce on its own.

Protein supplements are a great way to curb hunger while maintaining sufficient protein intake during ketosis, but not all powders are created equal. Quality supplements like Pinup Girl Protein are low in carbohydrates, and thus ideal for supplementation during carb-restricted diets.