5 amazing benefits of the vegetarian keto diet food

The vegetarian keto diet has become more popular with people who are health conscious and those who need to lose weight. Over the past 7 years, I have followed a strict vegetarian keto diet and have found out some of the numerous benefits of adopting a vegetarian keto diet which I will be sharing with you 5 of these benefits but before then, allow me to quickly talk about the keto diet.

What is a vegetarian keto diet?

A vegetarian keto diet consists of a low-carb high fat diet that does not include meat or fish. This is purely to reduce the dependence on meat while also reducing daily carbohydrate intake with the aim of losing weight or keeping fit.

Benefits of the vegetarian keto diet food

While there might be more benefits of the vegetarian keto diet, I find these 5 to be some of its most amazing.

1. It’s important in fighting diabetes

When we eat more carbs, the blood sugar level of the body increases which results in the production of insulin by the pancreas and transports the insulin to the body cells either for storage or to be burnt as fuel. With increased consumption of carbs, this results in increased level of insulin and sugar in the blood which can lead to diabetes.

On the other hand, a vegetarian ketogenic diet consists of low carbs and more fats which do not spike the insulin and sugar level of the blood and thus eliminates the risk of diabetes. As result of this, a lot of type 2 diabetics on following a vegetarian ketogenic diet have been able to cut down on their medication or discontinue its use.

2. Eliminates the chances of metabolic syndrome

Metabolic syndrome can be described as a series of risk factors that increases the chances of diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, stroke and other health problems. You will be diagnosed with metabolic syndrome if you have 3 out of the 5 metabolic risk factors listed below

–    Abdominal obesity

–    High triglyceride levels

–    High blood sugar

–    Increased blood pressure

–    Low HDL cholesterol

The question now is if a high triglyceride level is a metabolic risk factor, wouldn’t high consumption of fats be bad for your health?

While this is an important question, the truth is that a keto diet which is a low carb diet alters the way in which the body process fats and has been proven to reduce abdominal fat and triglyceride level in the body. It also reduces the blood sugar level, increases HDL cholesterol and reduces LDL cholesterol.

3. Capable of increasing enduring performance

As an athlete, I find a vegetarian ketogenic diet to be helpful in increasing endurance performance in athletes. A recent study revealed that following a ketogenic diet on the long term can help athletes increase the number of fats that can be burned and broken down. Other deductions from the study include

–    You don’t get fat from eating a high-fat diet.

–    A high-fat diet is capable of increasing the amount of fuel the body burns while at rest and performance (exercise).

–    A high-fat diet can increase your exercise time

–    Limiting carbohydrate consumption can improve your health and has no limitation on your performance.

4. Reduces the chances of cancer

This might come as news to you, but the World Health Organization has raised the flag on red meat as a cause of cancer to humans. While there is also the speculation that red meat might also pose a cancer threat, there is limited evidence to support the claims. This is a great bonus for those who follow a plant-based diet as they are exempted from this risk since they do not consume processed meat or any form of meat.

5. Provides energy and reduces hunger cravings

When you follow a high carb diet, the body constantly converts carbohydrate into glucose which increases the blood sugar level of the body. This results in a burst of energy initially which later drops leaving you hungry and craving for more carbs to fire back your energy level. With a keto diet, the body derives its energy from fat. When the body burns fat, it does it at a steady rate for over a long period of time which leaves you with more energy and reduces your food craving. Once the body is in ketosis and balances out on the different types of ketone bodies, it becomes easier to take control of your feeding habits.

Conclusion

A vegetarian keto diet is beneficial for a lot of reasons but you need to understand that to get your desired results in the quickest possible time especially if your goal is weight loss is to combine it with a strict exercise regime. It is also important to get enough rest so you need to adjust the sleeping schedule to ensure you get enough rest daily.

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