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I Went Keto For A Week. Here's What Made It Surprisingly Easier
I'm no stranger to keto. Like most of us, I have friends who are crazy about it. I've even baked a keto recipe or two but have never tried the actual lifestyle myself. Between a busy schedule thriving on grab-and-go snacks and a lifelong passion for carbs—I never considered it…. But it's amazing how a little brain fog and capricious energy levels can inspire you to try something new.
Time to go keto.
Despite the popularity of keto, I could barely use the word in a sentence… Thus began my research. "Going keto" means regularly putting the body into a state of ketosis, where the liver produces ketone bodies from fat and burns those ketones for fuel. Ketosis happens when our body doesn't have the insulin supply to convert carbs into energy. Instead, it uses ketones. And where do those come from? Ketogenesis, of course! Ketogenesis is the process whereby our body breaks fatty acids and ketogenic amino acids into ketones, the alt-fuel source that changes the game.
We trigger ketosis by limiting carbohydrate intake and/or intermittent fasting (they work well together), and I was ready to try both. But then I had the chance to try Metabolic Switch by Juvenescence, a ketone ester fuel powder that raises ketone levels in the blood and helps put the body into a state of ketosis…. Even if one were to (hypothetically) slip up with a chocolate croissant. Stumbling across this product sealed the deal: It was time to go keto.
Going keto looks different for everyone.
Here's what I didn't understand about going keto: It's a little bit different for everyone. Within the ketogenic diet and intermittent fasting, there are tons of variations. While I was planning for a week of the standard ketogenic diet1—70% fat, 20% protein, and 10% (or less) carbohydrates—there are other approaches, like the modified keto diet, modified Atkins diet, or cyclical keto diet. There's even plant-centric keto. And though the most popular choice for intermittent fasting is known as 16:8 fasting (16 hours of fasting with an eight-hour eating window), I opted for a 12-hour eating window….
It was my first time going keto, after all, and choosing a variation that works with your lifestyle and not against it is key to success.
Between the low-carb diet, the new fasting window, and the fact that I'm vegetarian, I'll be honest with you: I was nervous. What if my meal plan wasn't satiating? What if I'm on a date and he orders dessert? What if a busy workday ruins my fasting window? The thing is, with Metabolic Switch, I could count on my body getting its daily ketosis boost. Considering this product can help trigger deep nutritional ketosis in just 15 minutes, I had nothing to worry about.
#Howitstarted
My keto week started on a Saturday. Since it was the weekend, I turned to the mbg recipe reserves and cooked myself some killer keto meals: from Savory Waffles for brekky to a Grilled Cauliflower Steak for dinner. I fueled my work week with easy keto smoothies that were heavy on fatty ingredients like full-fat coconut milk, avocado, and almond butter. At night, I stuck with simple recipes too—like Cauliflower Crust Pizza with keto-friendly toppings. Within my 12-hour eating window (9 a.m. to 9 p.m.), I chose high-fat snacks like cottage cheese and raw nuts.
But to reap all the benefits of ketosis, Metabolic Switch was the star of my daily routine. Ketosis has been connected to stable blood sugar levels (thanks to the low-carb intake), lower triglyceride levels1, and even cognitive health2…. So there's no way I was skipping that! While this powder can be mixed with any drink, I'll level with you: The taste is pretty intense. So I mixed it with water, the juice of half a lemon, chugged, and got the keto kick of my day.
Metabolic Switch Powder
A taste of the keto life.
Without a plan, going keto would have been a real effort. But I entered my week with a fridge full of food and calendar full of recipes.
And this is where I confess... Despite my preparation, life did get in the way—in the form of pancakes at a brunch outing and fresh bread at an Italian restaurant. Instead of getting discouraged, I simply added a second scoop of Metabolic Switch to my daily drink to help turn these off days back on!
After my keto week, the shifts I felt were tangible. For starters, my energy levels were far less sporadic. And considering ketone bodies are a fantastic fuel source for the brain3, it's no wonder that my mind felt clearer and sharper than it had in a long time. But even more importantly: Living the keto-life was surprisingly easy. I was dubious before, but now that I've had a taste. Consider me on the bandwagon.
