Reaching Ketosis
The quickest and most efficient way to transform the way your body burns food for energy.
What is Ketosis?
Ketosis is the metabolic state achieved by raised levels of ketones in the body tissue. Once in a state of ketosis, your body begins to source its energy from fat, rather than from sugars (carbs).
Once you know your ketone levels are where you need them to be, you can continue to follow the keto diet to stay in ketosis.
How Do You Reach Ketosis?
The truth is, the quickest and most efficient way to reach a state of ketosis is to start with a full-body fast. I know, the thought of fasting, or not eating, may sound a bit scary and difficult, and come with a bit of suffering. But with a little mental fortitude and some determination, you can do it. There are many people who safely fast. Trust us, you are not going to die. Check out this podcast with Tim Ferriss and Dr. Dom D’Agastino for some more reassurance.
​
The reason fasting is the quickest and most efficient way to reach ketosis, is it allows you to eliminate carbohydrates from your diet and start from scratch. When attempting to reach ketosis, your bodies might not ever get there, or take much longer, if you have lingering evidence of carbs in your body.
​
To start, find an evening you can sleep in a bit the next day. The logic is that after 8-10 hours of sleep, it is much easier to wait a few more hours before eating your first meal, which will ensure at least 12 hours of fasting. Remember, you are trying to detox your body from carbs as quickly as possible, so if you can tough it out, shoot for 16-24 hours.
​
Following the fast, you need to start introducing a high fat diet, with moderate proteins, and VERY low carbs. For a guide on how to get started with the keto diet, see our article “Basic Keto: Where to Start”.
The dreaded Keto Flu!
If properly entering into a state of ketosis, it will be hard to avoid the early stages of the keto flu. The keto flu is your body’s natural response to the carbohydrate restriction you are putting it through. The keto flu comes with a number of symptoms:
-
Brain fog
-
Bad breath
-
Headache
-
Chills
-
Sore throat
-
Confusion
-
Dizziness
-
Insomnia
-
Irritability
-
Sore Muscles
-
Nausea
-
Stomach pains
-
Sugar cravings
The creators and writers of the “Bulletproof Diet”, have put together a great resource for combating the keto flu.
​
Once over the keto flu, it is vital you find a way to test your ketone levels. If you are not properly in a state of ketosis, you are never going to be able to get the full benefits of the diet.​
Once in a state of ketosis, your body begins to source its energy from fat, rather than from sugars.
Testing Ketone Levels
The 3 most common methods to test your ketone levels are a urine test, a breath test, or a blood test. The easiest and cheapest is a urine test, but also is the least accurate. Each of these options offers a number of reputable tests that the average person can do from the comfort of their own homes. Each test will give you directions on how to read their product and measure your levels. Once you know your ketone levels are where you need them to be, you can continue to follow the keto diet to stay in ketosis.
​
Living and functioning in a state of ketosis has amazing health benefits. You can lose weight faster, build more solid muscle mass, and change the way your body burns fat for long-term enduring energy. It may sound scary, and definitely takes some discipline, but if you decide that keto is for you, make sure you are following the proper steps and safely reaching the beneficial state of ketosis.
