Tuesday, December 30, 2008

Diet Tips - Atkins and Ketosis

By Jonas Milkei

The basic tenet of the Atkins diet is that a state of ketosis helps burn fat deposits its energy. Many people, including those on the low carbohydrate diet, I do not quite understand why it works and ketosis. Most are subsistence allowances reducing calories. They help you lose weight, but some of the weight is fat and some is from lean muscle tissue. While you may have lower on the scale, their metabolism is slower. The more muscle you lose the slower metabolism. This makes it harder to lose weight and gaining weight again even simpler.

The Atkins diet, on the other hand, is restrictive in carbohydrates. It creates a state of ketosis on his body that only burns fat and not muscle. The main source of energy for your body fat in the form of ketones. His liver became fat and ketones can not be turned back. It is excreted naturally.

Ketones are a normal real and efficient source of fuel for the human body. They are produced in the liver from fatty acids resulting from the breakdown of body fat. They appear only when there is an absence of glucose and sugar. On the Atkins diet, it reduces the amount of glucose and sugar that is found in the bloodstream. As a result, your body produces ketones fuel. When his body is a creation of ketones is called ketosis. There is a common misconception that after a Ketogenic diet like Atkins is dangerous. The truth is that being in ketosis is a completely natural state. The human body creates ketones to use as fuel in the absence of glucose.

In the Atkins diet book, Dr. Atkins suggests using ketone test strips to determine your state of ketosis during dietetics. These small strips of plastic are held in the urine flow and contain a special chemical treatment absorption pad. This pad will change color if ketones are present in the urine. With the presence of ketones, the band will change various shades of pink to purple. There is a scale of colors on the label of the bottle to help you figure out your ketones.

Ketone strips are available in any pharmacy and can be found among the diabetic supplies. In some stores, they are kept behind the counter so you may have to ask for them. You won't need a prescription to buy them though. Once you open a package of ketosis strips they have a shelf life of 6 months. It may be helpful to mark the opening date on the box.

Ketones strips will let you know if you are progressing well on the Atkins diet. If you follow the plan of induction to the letter and do not see purple, do not worry. Some people do not show traces of ketones, or they may show just above the basic minimum. As long as you are losing weight and inches then you are successfully using ketones. Also, if you have just exercised a few hours before using the strips, you can not see purple. May diet Some mistakenly believe that a result dark purple on the test strips means they are losing weight faster. In fact, the darker purple color is a sign of dehydration. This means that your urine is too concentrated and you need to drink water.

Ketones come from fat in the bloodstream, whether it is fat that you eat or fat that you burn. So if you eat a meal heavy in fat and then immediately use a testing strip, then you'll see a dark purple result. Use the strips as a guide, but don't get hung up on the color. Reaching a state of ketosis is key to success on the Atkins diet and it as simple as eliminating carbohydrates from the diet. Make sure to follow the eating plan correctly and use the ketone testing strips as needed. - 15432

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