The ketogenic diet is a popular term for those conversant with the dieting scene. It is now more than a name; it has become a lifestyle for many people. The ketogenic diet has many benefits, which is why the dieting scheme is so popular today. Before the ketogenic diet became popular, people trying to lose weight have tried other dieting schemes and found out that some of the dieting schemes were too restrictive and also leads to craving. Not only this, you may end up gaining double of what you lost. This discourages many folks from trying out dieting schemes. Exercise would have been a good way of losing weight and promoting a healthy lifestyle, but not everyone has the time to hit the gym. Exercise might be difficult for those with a demanding job as there is little to no time to carry this out.
You might have heard about the ketogenic diet but don’t truly know what it meant; well, here it is: the ketogenic diet is a high fat, moderate protein, and low carbohydrate diet. It simply means that majority of the food consumed is high in fat but low in carbohydrates. For people looking to shed some fats without going through the stress of exercising or a restrictive dieting plan, the ketogenic option might be the best for you. The ketogenic diet was originally developed for people with epilepsy to help control epilepsy bouts. It was later discovered that it has enormous benefits for overall health. Ketogenic diet utilizes fats stored in the body as a fuel source instead of glucose obtained from carbohydrates rich food. This particular factor makes it a good option when trying to lose weight. Besides, the benefit of the ketogenic diet is not limited to only weight loss; other benefits include the normalization of blood sugar and reducing cardiovascular disease risk.
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Snow Pea
Peas are of different species, and one such specie is the snow pea, also known as the Chinese pea pods. It is an ingredient that is majorly used in stir-fries. Snow pea is flat with the small pea arranged inside the pod and connected to the pod with a string. The whole pod is edible except for the tough string along the edges, usually removed before consumption. Preparing snow pea requires little effort and is an ingredient that can be added to several meals.
Snow pea and some other pea belongs to the family of Leguminosae and are climbing plants. Snow pea is like other types of a pea but comes with a flat shaped edible pod. Snow pea has thinner walls than other peas in their family, which makes the whole pod edible. Peas are one of the oldest cultivated plants in the world, and it originated from south-western Asian.
Snow pea is best grown in a cool weather condition but not cold; besides, they grow in a good moisture condition, so they need to be watered regularly. Don’t forget that they are a climbing plant, so there is a need to provide a pole for support when planting snow pea. The snow peas can be harvested eight to twelve weeks after planting. After harvesting, snow pea can be stored in airtight vegetable storage bags in the fridge. However, they have to be used within a few days of storing them under this condition.
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Health Benefit of Snow Pea
The health benefit of snow pea is quite impressive for such a small plant. They have lots of advantages, including weight loss, cancer prevention, and generally improving overall health. Here are a few benefits of snow pea
- Digestion
Snow peas are rich in dietary fibers, which have been known to aid the digestive process. Dietary Fibre performs the function of stimulating the peristaltic motion, reducing inflammation, and improving nutrient uptake. Inflammation of the guts is often the cause of stomach discomfort.
- Heart Disease
Snow pea is rich in potassium and vitamin C, two nutrients that help protect the heart. Vitamins help in repairing blood vessels and arteries, minimize the risk of coronary heart disease. Potassium helps reduce the blood pressure, which lowers the strain on the cardiovascular system, i.e., they reduce the heart’s job.
- Better Vision
Vitamin A is an antioxidant that helps prevent oxidative stress in the retina, lowers the risk of macular degeneration, reduces cataract risk, and boosts vision health.
- Reduce the Risk of Cancer
Snow pea consists of carotene that helps prevent the synthesis of carcinogens inside the body, which reduces the formation of cancerous cells. They also contain vitamin C and some other enzymes that can break down nitrosamines, making them an effective anti-cancer food
- Weight Loss
Snow pea is packed with valuable nutrients, and besides, they are filling, which makes them the ideal meal for weight loss. They also contain fiber, which improves the digestive system and improve the metabolic speed
- Lowers Blood Pressure
Snow pea can control and stabilize the blood pressure; they are rich in nutrients that help repair and lower the stress on the blood vessels.
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Are Snow Pea Keto Friendly
Snow pea is low in fat and calories, making them an ideal meal for a ketogenic diet; you can consume a large amount of the legume as it has a 3.1g of net carbs per serving. It also contains fiber that aids weight loss, furthermore they are filling, which helps reduce hunger.
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Keto-Friendly Snow Pea Recipes
Below are some few keto-friendly recipes
Snow Peas Sautéed in Butter with Garlic
This is a tasty and delicious meal that is packed with nutrients. It is also easy to prepare
Prep and Cook Time: 10 minutes
Serves: 4 servings
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp. butter
- 1 lb. snow pea
- Pinch of salt
- 2 cloves garlic (peeled and crushed)
Instruction
- Place a pot over medium heat, add all the ingredients
- Stir for 5 minutes or until the pea starts to turn bright green, make sure the snow pea is not overcooked.
- Remove from heat and serve.
Nutritional Value per serving: Calories: 45kcal, carb: 9g, Protein: 3g, Fat: 5g
- Sesame Snow Peas Recipe
This recipe is delicious and filling, making it an ideal weight loss meal
Prep and Cook Time: 15 minutes
Serves: 4 servings
Ingredients:
- 8 oz. snow pea
- 1 tsp. sesame oil
- 2 medium scallions (thinly sliced)
- 1/3 tbsp. dried sesame seeds
- 1/3 tbsp. tamari soybean Sauce
Instruction
- Add snow pea in a pot filled with salted water for 30 seconds and drain. Transfer to a bowl.
- Add the remaining ingredients and toss together.
- Serve and enjoy
Nutritional Value per serving: Calories: 41kcal, carb: 6g, Protein: 2g, Fat: 1.6g
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What Goes on in the Body During Ketosis
Before you embark on a ketogenic journey, it is crucial to know what goes on in the body during this period. Knowing the activity will make you better understand the ketogenic diet and how it can be of enormous advantage to you.
Ketosis is a process that occurs in the body when it is low on carbohydrates: carbohydrate is the main source of fuel in the body. So what is ketosis? In a simple yet comprehensive definition, ketosis is a metabolic state of the body when it is low on carbohydrates, which leads to the scarcity of glucose. The body then looks for an alternative source of fuel, which is ketones. Ketones are produced from the fat stored in the body, and their production is done in the absence of glucose. The ketones are the alternative fuel source for the body and can be well utilized by some vital organs. Consuming a high-fat, low-carb meal will gradually change the fuel source from glucose to ketones.
It is also important to understand the difference between ketosis and ketoacidosis as these two terms are used interchangeably but meant two different things. Frequently, ketoacidosis is mistaken as ketosis and has led to ketosis being cast in a bad light. Ketoacidosis is a process that occurs in the body when it does not have enough insulin to carry the glucose from the bloodstream into the cells. When this occurs, the body signals the liver to produce ketones with glucose still present in the bloodstream. This results in the build-up of glucose and ketones in the bloodstream; these two compounds lead to a situation called ketoacidosis, which creates an acidic environment in the bloodstream. The reason why the mistake often occurs is the similarities between the symptom of ketosis and ketoacidosis. However, ketosis symptoms do not present itself at the same time, unlike in ketoacidosis, where everything occurs simultaneously.
The ketogenic diet is quite easy to achieve, unlike some restrictive diet, you can easily satisfy your cravings during a ketogenic diet. This is why it is preferable than other dieting regimens where certain foods are off the chart. You can eat a sumptuous and delicious meal in a ketogenic diet and still get to lose weight.
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Reasons for Undergoing Ketogenic diet
Apart from boosting overall health and weight loss, the ketogenic diet has other beneficial properties to the body. It Can be used to control epileptic fit in children and also reduce the risk of some disease. Here are a few reasons why people embark on a ketogenic diet
- Glycogen storage disease
Some people have trouble converting glucose to glycogen and breaking down glycogen to glucose. This disease makes that individual low in energy as glucose is the body’s main source of fuel. Since ketones are an alternative fuel source for the body, the keto diet can be used to curb the diseases.
- Obesity
Obesity is one of the major reasons people go into keto dieting. People with busy schedules may not find time to exercise while others have tried other dieting schemes but found it too restrictive. Practicing keto dieting is a win-win situation because ketones are good fuel for the body, and they are produced from stored fat in the body. The keto dieting helps curb hunger, making it the best option for people trying to lose weight.
- Epilepsy
Epilepsy is the one main reason why the keto diet was developed in the first place. It was used to control epileptic seizures in the children but was relegated due to anti-seizure drugs.
- Diabetes
Diabetes is when there are too many sugars in the bloodstream, often due to the high consumption of carbohydrates.
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