The ketogenic diet generally has a favorable impact on hormones. Case in point: Insulin resistance is often seen with hormone imbalance, but a reduction in carbs in your diet aids in the reduction of insulin levels in the body and thus supports insulin sensitivity-which can help prevent or reverse diabetes. Additionally, hormones are produced from fat, so a high-fat diet aids in hormone production. This is why many people see fantastic outcomes using a ketogenic diet to support PCOS, hypothalamic amenorrhea, and infertility. Beyond insulin and sexual hormone production, leptin, a hormone of satiety and metabolic regulation, is affected by the ketogenic diet. Leptin-produced by fat cells and in the small intestine in response to consumption of fat-helps suppress appetite, and this is a primary reason many people on keto see a significant reduction in hunger and cravings. Leptin also has an impact on excitatory neurotransmitters in the brain, serving as one of the mechanisms by which the ketogenic diet reduces seizure activity and anxiety. Leptin can be seen in excess in obese and overweight individuals, and at high levels, leptin's signals become resistant-which can trigger overeating.
The ketogenic diet, which includes dietary consumption of fat and supports the mobilization of body fat in the production of ketones, will naturally reduce leptin levels, aiding in optimal leptin signaling in overweight individuals who were previously in a state of leptin resistance, which can help curb hunger. However, individuals who are at a low body fat percentage, or who are over-stressing the body with mental demands, calorie restriction, intermittent fasting, or too much exercise, are ramping up their allostatic load and setting themselves up for declining leptin levels-which, over time, can drive anxiety, insomnia, and hunger. And because leptin has a significant influence on the thyroid and ovaries, individuals with hypothyroidism, and menstruating women leading a high-stress lifestyle who don't carry extra body fat, are especially susceptible to leptin imbalances when they enter ketosis. This can interfere with thyroid hormone production, throw off a woman's cycle, and suppress hormone production. When too low, leptin requires a surge of glucose followed by insulin to tell the body it's being adequately fed and ultimately "safe," supporting a shift back into healthy regulatory function versus reactive survival mode. The good news: This can be accomplished by carb cycling.
Of note, glucose will forever be the preferred source of fuel for your body. If you slip up, and it happens to everyone at one time or another, and go over your carb limit for the day, you might throw your body out of ketosis. Don’t lose heart. Get back up, dust yourself off and start over. The good news is if you’re using intermittent fasting to get back into ketosis, it’s not going to take long! Intermittent fasting can have many health benefits besides weight loss. Research has shown that intermittent fasting can improve your risks, and also help to prevent, against multiple diseases, including type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular issues. Fasting has also been shown to slow down the aging process, which usually excites a lot of people. It has also been shown that fasting may help improve mental health, cognitive function and reduce oxidative stress. There are plenty of tips and tricks to use when participating in any type of fast. Staying hydrated is one of the most important factors of getting through your fast.
Just because you don’t eat, doesn’t mean you don’t drink! It is the only thing that you should and must consume during the fasting period. Focusing on the quality of your food and not consuming high carb, calorie-laden foods is vital if you want to stay in ketosis and therefore lose weight, and also to help stay at your target weight when you decide to stop fasting. Finding a ratio of fasting that works for you is the best way to achieving your weight loss goals. Learn and recognize your limits and when enough is enough, stop. Overall, fasting can be a lot simpler and easier to stay on than your average calorie counting diet. It’s still good to watch what you eat, and high calorie foods are pretty easy to spot and avoid. They’re usually the processed foods or sugar-laden ones. Simply keep clear of those types of foods and shop in the healthy aisles.
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