What Is Ketosis?
Plainly defined, Ketosis refers to the metabolic state your body enters when carbohydrates are sufficiently restricted.
When you slide into your local 7/11 and get that King Size Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup and promptly engulf it, your body handles the influx of carbohydrates by signaling to the pancreas that it needs to release insulin.
Insulin signals to muscles, liver, fat, and certain other cells to intake sugar. When the muscles intake sugar, they store it as glycogen. The objective of ketosis is to deplete these glycogen stores by sufficiently reducing carbohydrates until the body is forced to switch to utilizing “ketones” as fuel.
Ketones are made in your liver through a process called ketogenesis. Ketosis is signified by an elevated level of ketones in the blood. You can easily test for this by using test strips available at your local pharmacy. While the most effective method for weight loss is inducing nutritional ketosis, you can also induce ketosis with supplements like MCT oil or exogenous ketones. However, it’s important to remember; These products are not replacements for healthy dietary choices.
While many have interesting practical applications, I’ve found exogenous ketones to enhance my workouts as well as cure the “Keto Flu” symptoms. If you think you can just slam a couple scoops a day on top of a diet of McDonald’s and lose weight, you will be unpleasantly surprised.
Many people often confuse ketosis with ketoacidosis, a medical condition mostly occurring in people with diabetes due to an inability of the body to sufficiently create and use insulin. This is a great time to mention that I’m not a doctor, and this is NOT medical advice. All of my knowledge comes from my time as a sales rep for a major pharmaceutical company in the diabetes market, and from almost a decade of being a complete keto nerd.
In short, ketosis is what happens when you cut back carbs to the point where your body begins to break down fat into ketones to use as fuel.
John Terry is the Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer of Ketonia. As a long-time follower of the ketogenic diet. John handles the entirety of the business operations behind Ketonia as well as all of the client relations. Over the last 7 years of being keto, John has completely immersed himself in the nutrition, literature, and science behind the ketogenic diet to help friends, family, and Ketonians better understand the keto diet.
*John is not a certified medical professional and urges you to consult with your doctor prior to making any diet changes.
Interested in learning more about the Ketogenic diet? In order to reach your goals with keto, it’s important to understand the ins and outs of the ketogenic lifestyle. Check out more of our learning center articles to Understanding Keto here.
Are you a seasoned or rookie keto dieter who is looking for some fresh, handmade to order, and delicious keto snacks? Check out our #1 best selling product, Ketonia’s Coconut Macaroons. In the mood for something a little more savory? Check out our spicy, savory, and keto Not Your MeMaw’s Cheese Straws.