Your goal every day is simple. You want to meet your body's need for sleep, hydration, fitness (exercise), stress management and nutrition (food). Trying to integrate these five requirements into your daily life may seem a little daunting at first but rest easy, your KSH Certified Coach will help guide you. Here’s a quick overview of each requirement:
Sleep
Medical experts generally recommend between 7-9 hours of restful sleep per night. This is especially true for people embracing the keto lifestyle. New research suggests that a keto lifestyle may actually improve sleep quality by getting into a deep sleep cycle faster and staying there longer. The process of losing weight on keto helps restore the deep sleep cycle. If you’re not sleeping well, you won’t burn fat as efficiently. But it also suggests that a keto diet helps to stabilize blood sugar levels (generally levels are kept low) which allows for a better night’s sleep. Another factor when changing from being a carb burner to a fat burner are electrolyte imbalances.due to less salt in keto-friendly foods. It’s a simple matter of adding a pinch of salt to your foods and being conscious of your need for potassium and magnesium which can be supplemented though vitamins and also through keto friendly foods, such as meat, poultry, and nuts. Studies suggest that magnesium and potassium supplements can counteract the effects of stress hormones (cortisols).
Hydration
If you don’t drink enough water, it will take much longer to get into ketosis or you may never get there. Dehydration will slow down this process and losing weight will take longer. Experts generally recommended the consumption of 64 ounces (8 glasses) of cold water per day. Cold or even icy water is recommended because the body has to work harder (burn calories) to process the water by warming it up. It is important to stay hydrated on the keto lifestyle. Keep in mind that thirst is often mistaken for hunger. So rather than grab a snack, grab a glass of water. You may find what you thought was hunger goes away. By getting rid of most carbs from your diet, salt intake also goes down significantly. The higher salt levels in carb rich foods actually helps the body retain water. By switching to a keto, your carbs count goes way down and less water is retained by your body. This explains why most weight loss at the beginning of the journey is water weight. You will be going to the washroom more often at first but this is temporary as your body adjusts to this change. The key is to keep drinking water throughout the day.and create reminders so you don't forget.
Fitness (exercise)
What is the goal of your fitness plan or do you even have one yet? Is it to lose weight (reduce body fat), to build muscles and strength, or get fit and improve overall health? It could be one or more of these goals. We believe that all three are important. It can’t happen all at once. You have to start somewhere especially if you haven’t exercised on a regular basis in quite some time. If you are new to keto, you may want to start your fitness program slowly as you transition from being a carb burner to a fat burner. You may feel a little sluggish at first but that will go away one you're in ketosis. It is important to set realistic goals and focus on physical activities that you enjoy doing. Otherwise, you won’t do it. We get that exercise can be an ugly word, so we prefer to say ‘fun physical activities.” It could be walking, or riding a bike or working out to fitness videos. The important thing is to get up and get moving.
Stress management
Chronic stress leads to the increased production of the stress hormone, Cortisol in your blood which raises blood sugar levels. This slows down the production of ketones making it harder to lose weight and maintain strong muscles. As stress increases, it’s much harder to get into ketosis and stay there. In fact, you’re more likely to store fat and gain weight under these conditions. Long periods of high stress and anxiety can also lead to poor sleep, which can also cause weight gain. People have turned to meditation, yoga, exercise, therapy etc..or other relaxation techniques as a way of reducing stress. Results of ongoing studies suggest that the keto lifestyle may help in stress reduction since you will feel more rested, have more energy and just feel better.
Food (nutrition)
The benefit of shifting to a carb restricted diet cannot be emphasized enough. By limiting your daily net carb intake to 20 grams, this will allow for more efficient and sustainable weight loss. Many diets focus primarily on the food, which is certainly important, but at KHS we take a more holistic approach focusing on the whole person and consider all the factors discussed above.
If you follow the basic principles and take a very common sense approach you are bound to succeed. The trick is slow and steady. Too much too fast is not your friend. If you’re willing to make a change for the better and one that will finally stick, keto is the way to go. Also remember you don’t need to be a master chef and need a few essential ingredients to make healthy food that fits the lifestyle. If you’re willing to invest a little time in yourself then the road is wide open to permanent change and a healthier and happier life.
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