Every person’s physiological and metabolic condition is different. Reaching and maintaining a state of ketosis requires individual fine tuning based on a person’s current health as a whole.  Individual assessment is required. It is important to remember- Ketosis is not the answer for everyone, and just as important, is the fact that there are varying degrees of ketogenic diets.

Your genetics- genotype & phenotype, hormonal status, stress, sleep quality, any metabolic damage- many factors contribute to achieving, staying and how you will feel in ketosis.  What works for you may not work for another. However in saying that, the basics are the same; a healthy fat, low protein and very low carbohydrates diet.

When you are in ketosis you will change how your body feels and most importantly, how your body uses its energy.
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​Your body can function in two ways;

Glycolysis: most of us are ingesting carbohydrates in our daily lives. Our pancreas then responds with a release of insulin to give us energy. This metabolic process is called Glycolysis.

Ketosis: if you stop eating carbohydrates, your pancreas does not need to release insulin. It then has the opportunity release another hormone called glucagon.

Glucagon signals to your body to break down fats which are sent to your liver, to produce ketone bodies. You are now using your fat stores as your energy rather than the carbohydrates you ingested! 

Percentages of macro-nutrients required can vary with each individual and their particular reason for doing the ketogenic diet. The ketogenic protocol that is used by doctors to treat epilepsy is sometimes up to 80 and 90% fat!

There are plenty of conflicting opinions on ketosis, all of which is science-based. There are however many elements that are agreed upon.

As you can imagine, the guidance of an experienced practitioner is important. Your qualified nutritionist can ensure that the correct choices and the right amounts of heart-healthy anti-inflammatory fats are being consumed.

Care needs to be taken that the wrong type of fats are not being consumed. An easy example of the wrong fats would be using canola oil or margarine. Margarine is not even a real food and Monsanto developed Canola oil; say no more! Avoiding these types of fats has become part of the standard protocols for Australian dietitians.

A ketogenic diet/lifestyle is referred to as many different names. It can be known as a ketogenic diet (KD), low-carb diet (LCD), or low-carb high fat (LCHF) diet. It is sometimes even known as a modified Atkins diet (MAD) although it is not the Atkins diet. A Ketogenic diet is Healthy Fat Low Protein and Very Low Carbohydrates.

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