A ketogenic diet looks and works differently for men and women. This is primarily because biologically, men and women are different from each other. As female hormones and metabolism differ from those of males, so do their dietary needs and challenges.
If you are wondering about the key benefits of a keto diet for women, you are not alone. Women get attracted to the keto diet fast as it is a famously effective way to lose weight and get in better shape. Still, there are many more advantages of the keto diet for women that you may not be aware of.
Let’s have a look at how it can benefit women’s physical and mental health.
Higher levels of energy
Women often struggle to keep energy levels high throughout the day, while rushing from place to place and taking on multiple tasks and roles both inside and outside the home. When you get most of your energy from carbohydrates, you experience spikes and valleys of blood sugar levels. This can feel great when you’re on a high, but what goes up must come down. Before too long, your energy supply is depleted, and you crash.
On a keto diet, you rely on fat for fuel instead of carbs. Since this fuel is always readily available, both from the fat in your body and the fat you eat, your energy levels throughout the day remain steady, along with your blood sugar and insulin levels. As a result, your body and mind stay active, efficient, and energetic throughout the day. Keto can also lead to better sleep, which certainly doesn’t hurt!
Improved hormone balance
Ketogenic eating can help women restore a healthy balance of hormones. How? First off, keto encourages you to eat lots of high-quality fats, which are key building blocks for hormone production. Furthermore, going keto drastically reduces your intake of sugar and simple carbohydrates, which helps to stabilize your levels of insulin, an essential hormone. If you’re not sure which foods to eat and which to avoid, this guide from PlanKetogenic has a good overview of ketogenic eating for women.
Hormone imbalance is related to many health and mental issues for women, so getting this under control has many, many benefits in different areas.
Great looking skin
A low-carb keto diet tends to lower the production of sebum and can help keep the skin clear of acne. It also reduces inflammation. The result? Clearer and glowing skin. Moreover, as you cut down on sugars, you slow down the aging process and look a lot younger. A recent study has found that ketones create less free radicals than glucose and more metabolic energy.
No cravings
Now there is no need to fear those extreme cravings for sugar-laden foods. When on a keto diet, the blood glucose in your body stabilizes naturally. You feel more satisfied throughout the day and no longer face those constant cravings for junk food. The ketogenic diet works like a fat burner and helps your body to manage your blood sugar and balance blood sugar levels. As there are no more blood sugar highs and lows, you’ll no longer experience the typical blood sugar “crash” that makes you crave your favorite sweet treat.
Improved fertility
Being significantly overweight can make it harder to get pregnant. Not only can it get your hormone levels out of balance, it can also lead to less regular menstrual cycles. A ketogenic eating plan can help boost fertility in women by aiding with weight loss and hormone balancing. Several studies, like this one, have also shown that a keto diet can help with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), a common cause of infertility in women.
No mood swings
The keto diet can help prevent mood swings in women since ketones provide a steady source of energy (instead of the highs and lows caused by carbs) and can help with brain health. You also feel healthier and happier with increased energy as the hormones get well balanced in your body.
Improved mental function
When brain fog hits, no matter how much coffee you drink, you simply don’t feel like you’re working at optimum capacity. The healthy fats that make up the majority of the keto diet help make new brain tissue, while the ketones work as a clean source of fuel for your brain cells, and can help improve cognitive function.
Now that you are aware of how a ketogenic diet plan can be especially beneficial for women, it’s important to remember that there is no one diet that works for everyone.
In addition to your personal medical history, the metabolism and hormone levels of each body are different, so it is a must to consult your doctor or dietitian before trying the diet. It is important to consider aspects like your body type, metabolism, hormones, age, and whether you’re pregnant or breastfeeding in the conversation when considering adapting to a different diet.
For further reading, check out our article that explains benefits of a keto diet for women in menopause.
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