Understand How Your Body Works

During any kind of diet, especially a ketogenic diet, one should know at least basics related to calories as a measuring unit. A calorie is basically a unit that is used for measuring energy. Calories come in form of the food that we eat, and it presents the measure of energy units that are provided with food. These energy units can be used by the body as a source of energy that can be used during any physical activity and for metabolic processes such as the maintenance of the blood circulation, hair growth, wound healing, muscle building and for many other similar processes as well. However, when the calories, that were taken in form of food, are not being used up completely, they are then sent to the liver where they are basically stored to be later used in order to supplement the levels of glycogen in the body, when needed.

What is glycogen?

Glycogen is a quick, easily accessible reserve of energy for one’s body. What this basically means is that in cases when one is not able to take additional energy in form of food, these reserves can help keep one’s body in motion by providing additional amounts of energy which comes from the mentioned reserves. These reserves are usually emptied every 3 to 4 hours. When one’s liver stores the highest possible quantity of glycogen, any excess of the mentioned compound is basically transferred to the muscles in order to be stored short-term (so that it could be used in case a opportunity arises).

What causes the formation of body fat?

Thanks to the function of liver and the storage properties of muscles, the body has always a ready-to-be-used dose of calories (about 300 to 400, depending on one’s weight and metabolism) which can be used throughout the day. When you eat more than can be stored in the liver and muscles calories are converted to fat and are stored throughout your body.

This is why it is important to take into account the numbers of calories, not only on a ketogenic diet, but when on a normal everyday diet too. In that way, one can control, and even noticeably reduce the intake of calories which are unnecessary in many cases.