The ketogenic diet is one of the most popular dietary trends for a successful weight loss. It can also be helpful in boosting your overall health, allowing you to avoid carbohydrate crashes while maintaining high energy levels.
If you've been considering beginning a ketogenic diet, supplementation can play a key role in helping you achieve ketosis while avoiding the dreaded 'keto flu.'
Let's take a look at the top 5 ingredients that can help you maximize the benefits of a ketogenic diet.
MCT Powder
The ketogenic diet is all about increasing your fat intake while eliminating most carbohydrates. Your protein consumption will be moderate. One of the best ways to push your body into a ketogenic state is with medium chain triglyceride powder.
Medium chain triglycerides are fatty acids that promote ketosis. Aside from being helpful for the ketogenic diet, MCT powder may also boost weight loss and decrease your risk for cardiovascular disease. (1-2)
HMB
Next up is beta-hydroxy beta-methylbutyrate, more commonly known as HMB.
This metabolite of the essential amino acid, Leucine, may not push your body into a state of ketosis; however, it is necessary to protect lean muscle tissue.
When you make the dietary changes to dramatically lower carbohydrate stores, you need to ensure that your body is able to do so without jeopardizing muscle tissue. Too much dietary protein can be used to make glucose and this is what you want to avoid. The solution is HMB.
HMB can help to trigger protein synthesis while protecting and promoting lean muscle tissue without the need for high levels of dietary protein. (3-4)
Ready to make your own ketogenic booster?
Now you can with the Amino Z Supplement Builder!
Mix HMB and MCT Powder along with several other ketogenic ingredients for keto success!
Coconut Water Powder
Once you begin a ketogenic diet, your body will need a period of adjustment. One of the first things that the body will do upon the dramatic drop in carbohydrate intake is flush out electrolytes and important vitamins. This is the central reason for people experiencing the keto flu.
The way to avoid the keto flu and successfully enter ketosis is to ensure you keep up your electrolyte and vitamin levels. One of the best ways to do this is with coconut water powder.
Capturing all of the nutritional benefits of coconut water, this supplement is packed with the electrolytes and vitamins that your body needs. (5-6)
Magnesium Oxide
Continuing with the idea above, when your body starts to flush out electrolytes, it also kicks out vitamins and a key mineral: magnesium.
Magnesium is an extremely important mineral for the body as it plays a key role in literally dozens of bodily processes. For example, magnesium may protect bone health, promote muscle maintenance, and ensure proper sleep cycles. (7-8)
Magnesium deficiency only adds to the keto flu, which is why you want to make sure you're supplementing with magnesium during your journey into ketosis.
Acetyl L Carnitine
Last but not least we have Acetyl L Carnitine.
Acetyl L Carnitine is not the same as L Carnitine. One of the key differences is that Acetyl L Carnitine can easily cross the blood-brain barrier, making it extremely absorbable and effective.
Acetyl L Carnitine can help to promote a higher metabolic rate while promoting fat burning. In essence, it may help your body use up all of the stored carbohydrates, allowing you to enter a ketogenic state faster.
It's also useful for overall weight loss and cognitive benefits. (9-11)
Conclusion
Supporting your nutritional intake is important, especially when you are trying to enter a state of ketosis. One of the best ways to ensure you're getting the right nutrition is with your very own customized supplement.
With the Amino Z Supplement Builder, you can mix together all of the ingredients mentioned above at the dosages you need for success. You can even make your very own keto supplement! Give it a try today!
References
- St-Onge MP, Bosarge A. Weight-loss diet that includes consumption of medium-chain triacylglycerol oil leads to a greater rate of weight and fat mass loss than does olive oil. Am J Clin Nutr. 2008 Mar;87(3):621-6.
- Mercola, Dr. Joseph. 'The Anti-Cancer, Fat-Burning Ingredient That's Even More Powerful than Coconut Oil.' Mercola.com. 22 Aug. 2016.
- Slater GJ, Jenkins D. Beta-hydroxy-beta-methylbutyrate (HMB) supplementation and the promotion of muscle growth and strength. Sports Med. 2000 Aug;30(2):105-16.
- Wilson, Gabriel J, Jacob M Wilson, and Anssi H Manninen. 'Effects of Beta-Hydroxy-Beta-Methylbutyrate (HMB) on Exercise Performance and Body Composition across Varying Levels of Age, Sex, and Training Experience: A Review.' Nutrition & Metabolism 5 (2008): 1. PMC. Web. 2 Aug. 2017.
- Ismail I, Singh R, Sirisinghe RG. Rehydration with sodium-enriched coconut water after exercise-induced dehydration. Southeast Asian J Trop Med Public Health. 2007 Jul;38(4):769-85.
- Voller J, Zatloukal M, Lenobel R, Dolezal K, Béres T, Krystof V, Spíchal L, Niemann P, Dzubák P, Hajdúch M, Strnad M. Anticancer activity of natural cytokinins: a structure-activity relationship study. Phytochemistry. 2010 Aug;71(11-12):1350-9. doi: 10.1016/j.phytochem.2010.04.018. Epub 2010 Jun 1.
- Abraham GE, Grewal H. A total dietary program emphasizing magnesium instead of calcium. Effect on the mineral density of calcaneous bone in postmenopausal women on hormonal therapy. J Reprod Med. 1990 May;35(5):503-7.
- Nichols, Helen. '15 Science-Backed Health Benefits of Magnesium' Well-Being Secrets. 24 Jan. 2017.
- Brandsch C, Eder K. Effect of L-carnitine on weight loss and body composition of rats fed a hypocaloric diet. Ann Nutr Metab. 2002;46(5):205-10.
- Malek Mahdavi A, Mahdavi R, Kolahi S. Effects of l-Carnitine Supplementation on Serum Inflammatory Factors and Matrix Metalloproteinase Enzymes in Females with Knee Osteoarthritis: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Pilot Study. J Am Coll Nutr. 2016 Sep-Oct;35(7):597-603. Epub 2016 Mar 2.
11. Smeland OB, Meisingset TW, Borges K, Sonnewald U. Chronic acetyl-L-carnitine alters brain energy metabolism and increases noradrenaline and serotonin content in healthy mice. Neurochem Int. 2012 Jul;61(1):100-7. doi: 10.1016/j.neuint.2012.04.008. Epub 2012.