Are you thinking about losing weight? Are you wondering about the benefits of a low carb diet such as keto?

A keto diet is low in carbs and high in healthy fast, designed to put your body in a metabolic state known as ketosis. At this point, your body will get quite efficient at burning fat for energy.

Ketogenic diets offer a number of health advantages in addition to the weight you’re trying to lose.

Here’s what you need to know about the benefits of the keto diet.

1. Reducing Your Appetite

One of the obvious keto benefits is that it helps you to drop weight more quickly than low-fat diets do. This is because they help your body shed excess water. Cutting carbs is one of the fastest and easiest ways to drop the pounds. 

Yet the main reason many folks stray from their diets is that hunger makes them unhappy. Yet low-carb eating can also lead to a trimming of your appetite. This is because it regulates your hormones, including lowering your insulin levels. 

When you start following a low-carb diet like keto, you’ll end up consuming fewer calories without the unwelcome hunger pangs.

2. Lowering Triglycerides

Triglycerides are a form of fat found in your blood that is often used to measure heart health. They could lead to a hardening of your arteries and an increased risk of heart attack or stroke.

Your body will convert any fat you don’t need into triglycerides when you eat. When folks cut their carb consumption, they usually see an immediate reduction in triglycerides. Eating more fiber and exercising regularly can also help.

3. Increasing “Good” Cholesterol

HDL is also called the “good” cholesterol. It helps to remove harmful forms of cholesterol from your bloodstream.

Eating fats is actually one way to increase your levels of HDL in the body. Other ways to increase your levels of HDL are to get active and quit smoking. Fatty fish and ingredients like olive oil can also get more of the good stuff into your system.

4. Improving Your Acne

You may never have considered keto as something that could improve your skin tone. Yet your diet and blood sugar could be affecting the way your skin looks.

When you consume refined carbohydrates, including white sugar, your body’s sugar levels increase. This causes your body to release insulin, which stimulates oil production and acne.

If your diet is high in refined foods and carbohydrates, you may have an imbalanced gut bacteria. This could lead to skin conditions such as acne, eczema, and rosacea.

Lowering your carb intake could be the magic step it takes to improve your skin tone.

5. Reducing Your Disease Risk

Losing weight can help prevent a number of harmful diseases. The obvious ones are high blood pressure, heart disease, and diabetes.

Yet did you know that weight loss can also serve to prevent cancer? Cancer in your blood, gallbladder, and cervix have all been linked to obesity, and particularly to belly fat. 

Losing weight can also prevent health problems like sleep apnea and osteoarthritis. If you’re serious about getting healthy, cutting back on carbs could cut your risk of many types of health problems.

6. Helping Your Brain

When you don’t have enough blood sugar for energy, your body will burn ketones, an alternative fuel that gets processed from fatty acids. These can cause an improvement in brain function in those with certain conditions, including Alzheimer’s disease and epilepsy. 

Many people also report relief from stress and anxiety when they’re on a ketogenic diet. It’s possible that this is because inflammation has been linked to depression and anxiety in the body and brain.

7. Migraine Relief

Migraines are headaches that cause severe pain, they affect nearly one in four American households. 

Many of those who suffer from migraines have reported that they experience significantly fewer migraines when they’re following a keto diet. This may be because keto enhances brain metabolism and reduces inflammation. 

Getting Started With Keto

Like so many would-be dieters, you may find the prospect of changing your eating habits daunting. Yet getting “keto-friendly” may not be as difficult as you think.

Instead of relying on pasta and sauces for your bigger meals, think about how you can substitute lean proteins and low-carb veggies. 

Maybe you like chicken, salmon, or eggs. And you reach for cauliflower or broccoli instead of bread.

You’ll want to keep your fridge stocked with protein and healthy fats, such as butter or coconut oil. You should also include lots of your favorite lean meats like turkey and pork.

Feel free to load up on dairy items like cheese and full-fat milk. You can also eat low-carb fruits like raspberries and blackberries.

It’s tempting to chow down on some of your old favorites, so get rid of anything that could cause you to slip up if you’re a snacker. This could include grains like pasta and bread or sugars like ice cream and pastries. 

If you get hungry, reach for a ketogenic snack instead of something unhealthy. This new snack suggestion tool can help you make the right choices. 

The Benefits of the Keto Diet

The benefits of the keto diet extend far beyond your waistline. You’ll lower your risk of dangerous diseases while boosting your heart and brain health. With the right start, your diet could have you well on the way to a new life.

Don’t stop improving your lifestyle now. For more great advice, read our blog today.