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Atkins and ketosis

The main concept of the Atkins diet plan is that ketosis can help you burn fat for energy. A lot of people, even those people who are following low carb diet programs, don’t really understand ketosis or exactly why it does the job.

Most of the diets are generally calorie reduction diet programs. They help you lose weight. However, part of the weight loss will come from body fat and part will come from lean body mass. Although you may have lost weight on the scale, your metabolic function is slowing. The more muscle tissue you remove, the slower the metabolic process will be. This will make losing weight more difficult and also make gaining weight back even easier.

The Atkins diet plan, however, is restricted in carbohydrates. It causes ketosis within your body which will only burn body fat instead of muscle tissue. A major source of your energy will be body fat in the form of ketones. The liver will convert body fat into ketones, but it can never be changed back. It is going to be passed out of your body by natural means.

Ketones are actually a common and effective energy source for the body. These are manufactured in the liver from essential fatty acids that are derived from the breakdown of fats. They appear if there is no glucose or sugar in the body to provide energy. On the Atkins diet plan, it lowers the level of glucose and sugar in the blood. Because of this, the body makes ketones for energy. If the body produces ketones, it is known as ketosis.

There is also a widespread misconception that using a ketogenic diet plan like Atkins is harmful. The reality is that ketosis is a completely normal condition. The body produces ketones to use for energy when glucose is not available.

On the Atkins Weight Loss Program, Dr. Atkins recommends using ketone test strips to determine your stage of ketosis while losing weight. The tiny plastic strips are placed in the urine stream and include a unique chemically treated absorbent pad. That pad changes color when there are ketones in the urine. In the presence of ketones, the strip changes different colors from baby pink to purple. There is also a color scale on the container label to help you determine ketone concentrations.

Ketone strips can be found at almost any local drug store and found with diabetic supplies. In some places these are stored behind the cashier, which means you may need to ask for them. However, you won’t need a prescription to buy them. When you open a package of ketone strips, they have a shelf life of six months. It may be helpful to note the opening date on the package.

Ketone strips will show you if you have been progressing correctly on the Atkins diet plan. When you stick to the induction plan 100% but don’t see the color purple, don’t worry. Many people never show low ketone levels or may show slightly above the minimum. As long as you are reducing your weight and losing inches, then you are using ketones effectively. Also, if you just exercised a couple of hours before using the strips, you may not see the purple color.

Some people mistakenly think that a dark purple test strip result means they are losing weight faster. The dark purple tone is an indicator of lack of fluids. This means that the urine is highly concentrated and therefore you should drink more water.

Ketones originate from fats in your blood, either the fats you eat or the body fat you burn. If you eat very high-fat foods and quickly use a test strip, then you will notice a dark purple result. Use the strips to help. However, don’t get hung up on the shade.

Reaching a ketosis condition will be crucial to getting good results on the Atkins diet plan. It’s as easy as removing carbs from your eating plan. Follow the diet correctly and use the ketone test strips when necessary.

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