Ever wonder Why don’t I get any good blood ketone readings? What the hell is going on? How do I promote ketosis? This article will tell you exactly what things promote ketosis.

Promote Ketogenesis

In order to establish nutritional ketosis, your blood ketones have to be above 0.5 mMol-s which requires you to deplete your liver glycogen.

Once the liver’s glycogen stores have been depleted, the liver will start converting fatty acids whether from food or your own body fat into ketone bodies.

There are many things that promote the production of ketone bodies and they have a different effect on the state of your overall metabolism in different contexts. The goal isn’t to aim for as many high ketones as possible because they’re still a fuel source.

More ketones won’t equal more fat loss, more cognitive power, more vitality, or better mood. Instead, what most people tend to notice is that after a certain point, they’ll start to feel lethargic and even sick if their ketones go too high.

Everyone’s body reacts differently to ketosis and you need to figure out which range of ketones makes you feel and perform at your best.

Does Fasting Promote Ketosis

Let’s start off with the easiest and fastest way to get into ketosis, which is fasting.

Fasting ketosis can occur even after 1-3 days of not eating. Nutritional ketosis through eating will generally take slightly longer up to a week for some.

Strict water fasting reduces blood sugar, suppresses insulin while raising glucagon. Glucagon will empty out the liver’s glycogen stores and starts breaking down fat for fuel. If you experience slightly higher blood glucose during fasting then this might be because of glucagon.

After glycogen has been depleted, the liver will start converting stored body fat into ketone bodies that will provide an alternative fuel source to the brain and muscle.

During initial periods of keto-adaptation, the body will be less receptive towards ketone bodies and may tend to urinate most of them out. That’s why seeing high amounts of ketones in your urine isn’t a good indicator of actual ketosis because you’re not using them for energy but simply urinating them out.

Should You Fast to Get Into Ketosis

This raises the question: should you even fast to get into ketosis? Is it worth it?

Although it’s the quickest way to establish ketosis naturally, you may still find it difficult and even bad for your body. There’s the danger of catabolizing your own lean tissue through gluconeogenesis, which happens because the body still needs and wants to use glucose for fuel.

To avoid muscle loss during fasting, you’d want to deplete your liver glycogen before you even start fasting. This is going to promote ketogenesis and you’ll get into ketosis even faster.

Before fasting for longer than 24+ hours, you should be following a low carb or at least paleo diet for at least a week to allow your body to become fat-adapted

Your last meal before starting the fast should also be low carb ketogenic which wouldn’t fill up your glycogen stores. This will put you into mild ketosis the next day already.

Walking and light exercise in the morning will also promote ketosis by converting your body fat into energy.

High-Intensity Exercise and resistance training help to deplete your glycogen stores and can make you establish ketosis faster as well.

Fasting is great for promoting ketones but it also has other health benefits such as reduced inflammation, cellular cleansing through autophagy, and neurogenesis.

Foods That Promote Ketosis

But you can’t fast forever. So, let’s now talk about what to eat to promote ketosis.

The keto diet is a low carb, high fat, moderate protein diet that keeps your blood sugar stable and boosts ketone production.

Even though you’ll be eating a lot of healthy fats, it’s not the high amounts of fat that make a diet ketogenic but the low amount of carbohydrates is what does.

Eating more fat can only make you produce slightly more ketones but it’s not going to put you into ketosis if you counter-balance it with too many carbohydrates.

Here are some low carb ketogenic foods that promote ketosis:

Green Leafy Vegetables and Cruciferous – they’re low in carb, comprised of mostly fiber, and have many other micronutrients

– they’re low in carb, comprised of mostly fiber, and have many other micronutrients Seafood – fish, oysters, kelp, spirulina, salmon, clams etc. Fatty fish high in omega-3 fatty acids like sardines and mackerel have been found to lower insulin levels and increase insulin sensitivity in overweight people[i]

– fish, oysters, kelp, spirulina, salmon, clams etc. Fatty fish high in omega-3 fatty acids like sardines and mackerel have been found to lower insulin levels and increase insulin sensitivity in overweight people[i] Avocados, pumpkin seeds, salmon and leafy green veggies are high in potassium, which is an important micronutrient for fighting the keto flu.

are high in potassium, which is an important micronutrient for fighting the keto flu. Magnesium rich foods will also make keto-adaptation easier and less stressful . Fish, nuts, artichokes, spinach, cacao and dark chocolate are particularly rich in magnesium.

. Fish, nuts, artichokes, spinach, cacao and dark chocolate are particularly rich in magnesium. Meat and poultry are not necessarily ketogenic neither anti-ketogenic but they’re great sources of protein and other essential amino acids . They’re also rich in B vitamins, selenium, zinc, and potassium, which are needed for energy production. If you’re doing a lot of resistance training, then during initial keto-adaptation you might need slightly more protein to preserve lean muscle mass[ii][iii].

. They’re also rich in B vitamins, selenium, zinc, and potassium, which are needed for energy production. If you’re doing a lot of resistance training, then during initial keto-adaptation you might need slightly more protein to preserve lean muscle mass[ii][iii]. Eggs are one of the most nutrient dense sources of protein . It also supports overall health and brain function because of the omega-3s, DHA, EPA, and cholesterol. Eating eggs have been shown to trigger hormones of satiety that lead to more stable blood sugar and lower caloric intake for up to 24 hours[iv]. You’d want to eat the entire egg with the yolk because egg white’s by themselves can raise your insulin and cause an allergic reaction. #savetheyolk

. It also supports overall health and brain function because of the omega-3s, DHA, EPA, and cholesterol. Eating eggs have been shown to trigger hormones of satiety that lead to more stable blood sugar and lower caloric intake for up to 24 hours[iv]. You’d want to eat the entire egg with the yolk because egg white’s by themselves can raise your insulin and cause an allergic reaction. #savetheyolk Coconut Oil and MCT oil are rich in medium-chained triglycerides that are converted into energy more rapidly than long-chained triglycerides. Coconut oil has been shown to increase ketones in Alzheimer’s patients[v]. It’s also rich in lauric acid that will support ketosis[vi][vii].

that are converted into energy more rapidly than long-chained triglycerides. Coconut oil has been shown to increase ketones in Alzheimer’s patients[v]. It’s also rich in lauric acid that will support ketosis[vi][vii]. Other healthy fats are olive oil, which has been shown to decrease inflammation and improve artery function[viii][ix]. Butter and heavy cream are rich in conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) which is a fatty acid that promotes fat loss[x].

Drinks That Promote Ketosis

Now let’s turn to some beverages that promote ketosis.

Coffee and Tea both promote lipolysis[xi] as well as autophagy in vivo[xii], which make them the perfect drinks for promoting ketosis as well as boosting the effectiveness of your fast.

which make them the perfect drinks for promoting ketosis as well as boosting the effectiveness of your fast. Apple Cider Vinegar contains acetic acid that’s going to help you absorb minerals like calcium, magnesium, iron and it also improves the digestion process. ACV has been shown to blunt the glycemic response of a typical carbohydrate meal by 31%[xiii]. Adding some fresh lemon juice can also be good for lowering your blood sugar[xiv].

contains acetic acid that’s going to help you absorb minerals like calcium, magnesium, iron and it also improves the digestion process. ACV has been shown to blunt the glycemic response of a typical carbohydrate meal by 31%[xiii]. Adding some fresh lemon juice can also be good for lowering your blood sugar[xiv]. Bulletproof Coffee with added butter will definitely promote ketosis and gives you energy. However, it’s still a source of calories and it won’t keep you in a fasted state. I wouldn’t add any more than 1 tsp of butter or coconut oil to my coffee because you’ll simply be consuming some extra fat. I like to drink my superfood keto coffee recipe with other autophagy boosting compounds.

Supplements That Promote Ketosis

What about supplements for ketosis

To know which supplements are safe for keto, then check out my Amazon influencer’s shop for a list.

Ketones Are Formed by the Breakdown of Which Substance?

Fatty acids from both endogenous as well as exogenous sources can promote the production of ketone bodies but there’s a difference between being in ketosis vs being keto-adapted.

Ketosis is the metabolic state that’s characterized by elevated ketones in the blood.

Keto-adaptation is the process by which your body becomes more efficient at using those ketones for fuel.

Keto-adaptation results from being in ketosis but you don’t need to be in ketosis all the time to maintain it.

More ketones won’t equal more ketosis or keto-adaptation. The key is to put your body into conditions where it needs to burn fat for fuel as to improve mitochondrial density and metabolic flexibility.

Exercise, fasting, eating a well-formulated ketogenic diet, proper sleep, hydration, micronutrient intake and recovery are all essential parts of living a healthy lifestyle and becoming keto-adapted.

If you want to know how to achieve all those things, then check out my Keto Fit Program that includes a 30-day meal plan, a 5-week workout routine and a ton of other bonuses.

Stay Empowered

Siim

References

[i] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18491071

[ii] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15972575

[iii] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1373635/

[iv] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20226994

[v] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25997382

[vi] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27547436

[vii] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27430387

[viii] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16286173

[ix] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22914255

[x] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17490954

[xi] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22730927

[xii] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4111762/

[xiii] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7796781

[xiv] https://nutritionj.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1475-2891-8-5

[xv] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14633804

[xvi] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19283340

[xvii] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16339278

[xviii] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19500070

[xix] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23538076

[xx] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2199593

[xxi] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23818692

[xxii] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23899751

[xxiii] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17605107