Ketones produced by the keto diet plan, intense exercise, fasting, or supplements send our cells signals to reduce inflammation, activate pathways to increase longevity, and to optimize function.
There is something unique about the keto diet plan. It is more than just a low carb, high fat diet designed for weight loss. The goal of the keto diet is to produce signaling molecules, called ketones.
Your cells respond to ketones in the blood; this triggers a whole cascade of events including the turning on and off of genes. When ketones are present at high enough levels in the blood, the body is in a state of ketosis.
Think about how crazy this is. Ketones, produced by the keto diet plan, intense exercise, fasting, or supplements, directly affect gene expression. While you may not be able to control which set of genes you have, you can control their expression through diet and lifestyle.
There are four ways to get into ketosis: the keto diet plan, intense exercise, fasting, and supplements. The keto diet plan, intense exercise, and fasting all put the body in a low carbohydrate state forcing the body to look for other sources of energy.
When not in ketosis, the body’s main source of energy comes from carbohydrates in your diet. When you severely restrict carbohydrates, like on a keto diet, during intense exercise or fasting, the body must turn to other sources for energy. A favorite alternative energy source of the body are ketones.
Ketones are produced from the breakdown of either stored fat or fat in your diet. This fat is broken down into fatty acids which are converted to beta-hydroxybutyrate and acetone, the ketones that accumulate in the body. The heart, muscle, kidneys, and the brain can all use ketones for energy. As long as the body remains in a low carbohydrate state, ketones are present and the body is said to be in a state of ketosis. This is the goal, getting the body in a state where it produces ketones.
One way to get the body into a state of ketosis is with a keto diet. The keto diet is a very low carb, high fat, and moderate protein diet. On a typical keto diet, 60 – 75% of calories come from fat, 20 – 30% of calories come from protein, and less than 5% of calories come from carbs. Calorie counting is not necessary on a keto diet. It is all about tracking your macros.
If you consume too many carbs on a keto diet, your body will stop producing ketones and begin to use carbohydrates for energy. The same is true of protein. If you consume too much protein, your liver will metabolize excess protein into glucose to use for energy, kicking you out of ketosis.
A typical meal on the keto diet would be a bunless grass-fed beef burger topped with mayo, avocado, lettuce, and onions with a side salad dressed with olive oil. Lots of fat, moderate protein, and little to no carbs. Keep scrolling for my Keto Diet Plan PDF which includes a 14-Day Keto Meal Plan with Recipes & Shopping Lists.
Another way to get your body into a state of ketosis is through intense exercise. Your body produces ketones when it needs energy but carbohydrates are not an option. Intense exercise for a long enough period can burn off all the carbs in your system forcing your body to turn to an alternate energy source like ketones.
How long it takes to get into ketosis through exercise will depend on your body’s current supply of carbohydrates, your metabolism, and the intensity of the exercise. It will typically take at least 90 minutes of intense exercise to get into a state of ketosis so it’s not for the faint of heart. However, there are a few ways to speed up the process.
If you eat a low carb diet, your body will have fewer carbs to burn off before it needs to switch to producing ketones as an alternate energy source. This can decrease the amount of time you have to exercise before reaching a state of ketosis.
Alternatively, if you exercise in a fasted state, meaning you have not eaten anything for at least 12 hours, your body’s supply of carbohydrates for energy will be low and it will be much easier to exercise your way into ketosis.
Which brings us to the third way to get your body into ketosis, fasting. Fasting is as simple as not eating for an extended period. A fast can last anywhere from 12-20 hours to several days. When you stop eating, your body will first use up all the carbohydrates in your system, then all the stored carbohydrates in the form of glycogen, and finally, when it has no other choice, it will begin to produce ketones for energy.
How long it takes to get into ketosis with fasting will depend on your metabolism, your lifestyle, and your activity level. Eating a low carb diet and exercising regularly can speed up the process. The fewer carbs your body has to burn through before producing ketones, the faster you will enter ketosis.
However, if you don’t want to change your diet or lifestyle to get the benefits of ketones, there is another option, simply consume ketones.
Taking exogenous ketones (ketones not produced by the body) can have many of the same effects as following a keto diet, intense exercise, or fasting. However, consuming exogenous ketones can put your body in a physiological state not seen in nature.
When your body is in ketosis, more changes take place than just the presence of ketones. In a natural state of ketosis brought about by the keto diet, intense exercise, or fasting, ketones are present in the blood but blood glucose levels are also very low and insulin levels are very low. Very low glucose and insulin levels add to the benefits of being in ketosis and do not occur to the same degree with ketone supplements.
Ketone supplements have their place and they may be all you need. It all depends on what your goals are and what benefits you want from ketones.
Ketones provide energy for your cells, but they also do much more than that. Ketones change your body by altering gene expression, binding to cell surface receptors, and by directly modifying proteins. For instance, Ketones increase the expression of specific genes by inhibiting histone deacetylases, enzymes that modify histones. Histones are the proteins that sit on your DNA and determine if a gene is turned on or turned off.
Ketones can also bind receptors on the surface of the cell, which triggers a cascade of reactions in the cell.
Furthermore, ketones can modify proteins directly, altering their function.
Through these three actions, altering gene expression, binding to cell surface receptors, and modifying proteins, the message ketones are sending your cells is to reduce inflammation, activate pathways to increase longevity, and to optimize function. Now, let’s take a closer look at how ketones make these incredible changes in our bodies.
We all want to live long and healthy lives. We eat healthily, and we exercise, we manage stress. Ketones are another way we can improve longevity. Ketones turn on genes associated with longevity such as FOXO3a along with activating autophagy (Newman and Verdin 2017). Autophagy is a process the body uses to get rid of old damaged cells to regenerate new, healthy cells. Furthermore, increased autophagy is associated with healthy aging, while disruptions in autophagy are associated with specific diseases (Tan et al. 2014).
Even more impressive, ketones extend healthspan as well as lifespan. Healthspan is the part of your life where you are generally in good health. Healthspan may just be the most important aspect of longevity. After all, who wants to live a long life if you can’t do the things you enjoy. Ketones increase healthspan by helping to preserve the function of the body and the brain (Roberts et al. 2017).
Ketones activate gene expression of Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF). This protein can stimulate neurogenesis (the growth of new neurons), alleviate anxiety and depression, and improve connections between neurons. Overall, this one protein helps your brain think, learn, and function better (Sleiman et al. 2016).
Inflammation is a contributor to many diseases, including cancer, cardiovascular disease, and depression. Ketones stop inflammation in its tracks by reducing levels of pro-inflammatory proteins and cytokines while activating the antioxidant stress response (Puchalska and Crawford 2017).
Most importantly, less inflammation will not only make you feel better, but it may also help you live longer (Maeve Rea et al. 2018). For a comprehensive plan to fight inflammation and upgrade your entire system, check out my Body, Mind, Goal program. A 30-Day plan to transform your life and rid the body of inflammation.
We all want our brains to function optimally long into old age. To remember everything we need to do. To remember where we put our keys. And to be able to learn and accel at everything we want to do. The best way to keep your brain in tip-top shape is to keep your neurons healthy and happy. Ketones protect your neurons by reducing neuronal inflammation and reducing neuronal cell death (Haces et al. 2008). Helping you and your brain thrive.
When you consume carbohydrates, before you can use the carbs for energy, your body must break the carbs down into simple sugars. Glucose is one of the most common simple sugars. Glucose tolerance is your body’s ability to clear glucose from the blood after a glucose challenge, say a large meal for example. The faster your body can clear glucose from the blood, the better your glucose tolerance. When glucose is not rapidly cleared and lingers in the blood, it can lead to type 2 diabetes, dementia, and inflammation.
Giving your body another fuel option besides glucose, such as ketones, improves glucose tolerance by allowing you to tolerate low glucose levels better while improving insulin sensitivity. Another nice perk of lower glucose levels and improved insulin sensitivity is less weight gain (Newman and Verdin 2017).
Mitochondria are important signaling organelles. They keep your cells alive and healthy while providing you with energy. The more mitochondria you have, the more energy you will have, the better your muscles will work, and the better your brain will function. Mitochondria biogenesis is the process by which our body produces more mitochondria. Ketones activate this process by activating the gene (PGC1-alpha) responsible for mitochondria biogenesis (Newman and Verdin 2017).
Ketones not only help prevent Alzheimer’s Disease by decreasing neuronal inflammation and preventing neuronal cell death, but they may also be able to preserve and even improve cognition in those who already have Alzheimer’s Disease (Newport et al. 2015).
Even more impressive, the beneficial effects of ketones on Alzheimer’s Disease can also improve the condition in those who carry the ApoE4 gene, a gene that increases the likelihood of developing Alzheimer’s Disease (Yin et al. 2019).
Ketones suppress the release of ghrelin, the hunger hormone. Most importantly, people taking a ketone supplement, report a reduction in hunger and desire to eat (Stubbs et al. 2018). Less hunger means fewer cravings, making it easier to lose weight.
Ketones give you double protection against depression. First, by reducing neuro-inflammation by inhibiting the NLRP3 inflammasome (Yamanashi et al. 2017), then by increasing BDNF.
Ketones can activate muscle satellite cell proliferation (Evans et al. 2017). These are the cells that help your muscles repair and regenerate after an injury or heavy lifting workout. Even more important, increased muscle satellite cell proliferation may also enhance muscle growth (Adams 2006).
There are four ways to get the benefits of ketones, the keto diet plan, exercise, fasting, and supplements. While each method has benefits and drawbacks, the end goal is the same, to raise blood ketone levels and get into ketosis.
The keto diet is a very low carb, high fat, and moderate protein diet. Aim for 75% of calories from fat, limit protein to 30% of calories, and keep carbs at less than 5% of calories. No need to count calories. The keto diet is all about the macros. The best thing about the keto diet is it can be very satiating. The high amount of fat will keep you feeling full. Furthermore, the food is delicious. After all, it is high in fat. While the tough part is, you have to be very strict. No cheating. If either your protein or carb intake is too high, it will kick you out of ketosis.
2 scrambled eggs with cheese and spinach, half an avocado, 2 pieces bacon
Large salad with avocado, onions, cucumbers, broccoli sprouts, bell pepper, olives, salmon, lemon juice, and olive oil
Bunless grass-fed beef burger topped with avocado, mayo, and caramelized onions with a side of greens sautéed in grass-fed butter and garlic
Keep scrolling for some of my favorite keto diet recipes. They are easy enough to make for a weeknight dinner, yet delicious enough to leave you feeling satisfied. Mix and match these recipes to create a keto diet plan for beginners.
Ready to jump right into the keto diet? Download my Keto Diet Plan PDF which includes a 14-Day Keto Meal Plan with Recipes and Shopping Lists.
Intense exercise for 90 minutes or more can raise blood ketone levels. To speed up the process, try exercising fasted or eating low carb to get your body into ketosis faster.
Not eating or drinking anything besides water, black tea, or black coffee for at least 12 hours can raise blood ketone levels. There are many different styles of fasting, and they will all raise your ketone levels. However, the easiest is intermittent fasting. This type of fasting is where you fast for a set number of hours per day, and you eat for a set number of hours. Start with a 12-16 hour fast. Sleeping late can help make the fast easier.
Ketone supplements can immediately get ketones into your bloodstream regardless of what you eat. However, ingesting ketone supplements while eating a standard diet creates a physicological condition not typically seen in nature. No one knows the long term effects of this yet.
If you want to try ketone supplements, just make sure to buy them from a reputable source.
Most importantly, regardless of the method you choose to get into ketosis, make sure you are testing your ketone levels. For instance, if your blood ketone levels are not at least 1mmol, you are likely not getting all the benefits.
Sometimes, the hardest part about making a healthy lifestyle change is knowing where to start. When you ask yourself, how to start a low carb diet, the first question is, what can I eat? These 13 easy and delicious low carb recipes will take the guesswork out of where to start.
Just because you are eating low carb, doesn’t mean you have to give up dessert. Keto desserts are possible. A very delicious possibility.
Looking for more recipes to create a keto diet menu for beginners. Check out more healthy and delicious recipes here. Tag Experiments In Wellness in your healthy creations on instagram @wellnessexperiments for your chance to be featured.
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