The Ketogenic diet Vs Intermittent fasting

leanwellnessmom
Oct 25, 2018
4 min read

Updated: Oct 30, 2018

First, what is Ketosis? Many do not understand what Ketosis is, never mind follow a diet that places your body is a Ketogenic state. Ketosis is, a metabolic state in which fat provides most of the fuel for the body. This process occurs only when there is a limited access of blood sugar. So if there is little blood sugar to fuel the body, the body starts to use fat for fuel. When eating your insulin levels increase and sugar is stored in the liver. But like everything else in your body or around you, your liver can only store so much and eventually the liver starts turning your excess glucose into fat. Now some of that fat is stored in the liver but the extra fat is deposited into the body because your body is trying to produce energy. You always want your liver to be fully functionally and if it is producing to much fat and storing that fat then clearly its not running smoothly. Your liver is the most important organ in the body and what your eating and how you are eating controls the functionality of the liver. There are ways to help the liver and stop the vicious cycle that is currently going on in the organ.

The way to reverse this cycle and detox your body while forcing the cells in the body to perform better all at the same time is called intermittent fasting or also known as IF. Intermittent fasting is when you are eating in a window of time. For example; you will only eat 6-8 hours per day maybe between the hours of 12pm-8pm and not eat past your window until you are ready to break your next fasting cycle. Fasting or IF, allows the body to rest from eating and triggers the activation of cellular detoxification fairly quickly. It is so important to detox your body on a cellular level, rather than just detoxing one organ or just clearing out your colon because, detoxing your body at a cellular level allows your body to be rebooted daily. Individuals with immune issues can really benefit from that. But in general the body is not just burning fat, intermittent fasting is also lowering your blood cholesterol, increasing growth hormones, increasing energy, lowering your blood insulin levels and much more. Many say intermittent fasting is a lifestyle and is the easiest way to improve your health while lowering your BMI all at the same time. Where as, following the Ketogenic diet doesn’t quite do all that.

The Ketogenic diet is great for someone who is looking to shed a few pounds while improving your health on a temporary basis. The Ketogenic diet doesn’t build muscle, it strictly burns fat. Many that are obese might do very well with the Keto Diet as far at burning fat quickly and stabilizes your blood sugar due to the foods you are intaking. But know that when on the Keto Diet you are never putting your body in remission. It's important for your body to have a “full reboot” or eventually your body will get used to the diet or never heal. You should also consult with a physician if your on any medications for blood sugar, high blood pressure or if your breastfeeding.With insulin, the medications might need to be lowered right away to insure your not going to suddenly drop your insulin levels, leaving you with too low of blood sugar. Where as, the Intermittent fasting more so controls it not leaving you at sudden drops in your levels. The diet does a similar effect with blood pressure, your blood pressure can drop quickly on the Keto diet. Which may sound great if it didn't drop too low. It could drop too low because your on medications. The Keto diet alone helps lower the blood pressure naturally, so with both combined if not monitored can cause serious illness. With breast feeding, you also need to be extra safe and make sure your intaking enough carbs to be able to produce enough milk for the baby. So when in doubt, you need to be extra careful when on medications and following a low carb diet.

Intermittent fasting and the Ketogenic diet is very similar as far as burning fat and losing weight but they are also very different. If you want to burn fat the fastest way while turning some fat into muscle, then you should follow intermittent fasting protocols. Some may struggle with that lifestyle change because that is exactly what it is, a lifestyle change and not a diet. But the Keto diet is a diet and most fail to follow diets. Eventually just like most diets, they stop working because your body eventually gets used to the diet or the person simply does not follow it to the fullest potential. You also never put your body back to “start mode” if your just following the Ketogenic diet. Putting your body in “reboot mode” is very beneficial to your health. Now there are also benefits to following a intermittent fasting schedule and following the Ketogenic diet because then you're putting your body in Ketogenesis full time. Leaving it easier to burn fat while building muscle. Going based of scientific facts, if you had to choose one or the other, always go for the intermittent fasting. It's simple to do and the most beneficial to your health. It's also the cheapest. It's a great way to save money on groceries, were as the Keto Diet will be more costly and harder to follow. The Keto Diet consist of buying specific foods like, tons of veggies, tons of nuts and other foods that can become expensive when buying in bulk. So yes both the diet and intermittent fasting are great but there are clear differences between the two.