What is a ketogenic diet, and is it okay to start it without preparation?

What is a ketogenic diet in a nutshell?

Simply put, a ketogenic diet is an eating method that changes the 'energy source' our body uses. Normally, we use 'glucose' obtained from carbohydrates such as rice, bread, and noodles as our primary fuel, but the core is to intentionally reduce these and increase fat intake to switch the energy source.

When carbohydrate intake is extremely limited, the body breaks down stored fat to produce a substance called 'ketone bodies.' The state in which these ketone bodies are used as the primary energy source for the brain and muscles instead of glucose is called 'ketosis.'

How is this different from simply eating less?

Many people confuse this with diets that simply lower calorie intake. However, rather than reducing the quantity, the ketogenic diet aims to reconfigure the ratio of nutrients to switch the body's metabolic systemas its goal.

It is not about simply starving or eating less, but a process of making the body efficient at burning fat while satisfying hunger by consuming sufficient fats.

Before your consultation, please check which of the following categories your usual eating habits fall into.

• Do you have a high dependence on refined carbohydrates such as rice, bread, and noodles?
• Do you experience no indigestion or bloating when increasing fat intake?
• Is your environment supportive enough to endure temporary lethargy that may occur during dietary changes?

Using these criteria, it is first important to determine whether you simply want a low-calorie diet or if you are in a state where you can handle a diet that changes the energy metabolism structure itself.

How does our body switch its energy source?

Think of our body as a hybrid car. Normally, it uses gasoline called 'glucose' as its primary fuel, but when the gasoline runs out, it is similar to the principle of switching to an electric motor called 'fat' to move.

When we reduce carbohydrates, blood sugarthe level of the hormone that regulates this, insulin decreases. Insulin has a property of storing fat; only when this level drops does the body finally begin to use stored fat.

At this time, the liver breaks down fat to create a new energy substance called 'ketones.' Our body then enters a state of 'ketosis,' using these ketones as fuel instead of glucose.

Key Summary

When insulin levels drop, the liver breaks down fat to produce ketones, switching the body's energy source from glucose to fat.

However, this fuel switch does not happen instantaneously. It takes some time for a body that has been accustomed to glucose for a long time to adapt to a new fuel system.

It is important to closely observe the signals your body sends during this adaptation period. Before blindly changing your diet, please check your current condition first.

Pre-consultation Checklist

• Check if you experience severe dizziness or lethargy when skipping meals
• Record the times of day when your concentration drops sharply
• Check if any medications you are currently taking affect your blood sugar or metabolism

These reactions may be a simple part of the adaptation process, but depending on your constitution, they could be signals that require caution. Keeping a detailed record of your body's reactions serves as a standard for finding a more suitable direction when consulting with a specialist.

How is this different from a general low-carb diet?

Many people think that a 'low-carb diet,' which simply reduces the amount of rice or grains, is the same as a 'ketogenic diet.' However, the two approaches differ in their fundamental direction.

While a low-carb diet focuses on lowering calories by reducing carbohydrate intake, the ketogenic diet aims to change the body's energy system by strategically increasing fat intake.

Category	General Low-Carb Diet	Ketogenic Diet
Core Goal	Reduction of carbohydrate intake	Switching to fat-based energy source
Fat Intake	No specific restrictions or recommendations	Strategically consume sufficient amounts
Approach	Simple adjustment of meal portions	Reconfiguration of nutrient ratios

Signals that appear when fat intake is insufficient

If you simply cut out carbohydrates without replacing them with fats, your body enters a state where it has no fuel to use. At this point, many people experience the following reactions and give up on the diet midway.

Extreme hunger and lethargyIf you feel this, it is not a matter of willpower, but a signal from your body that it lacks energy sources.

Fasting through indiscriminate calorie restriction may lead to temporary weight loss, but in the long term, it can decrease metabolic efficiency.

Before your consultation, please check the following items regarding your usual eating habits.

• When reducing carbohydrates, dizziness or decreased concentrationcheck if these are severe
• Usually, fats (olive oil, avocado, nuts, etc.) intentionally consuming healthy fats (olive oil, avocado, nuts, etc.)record if this is the case
• Whether your method of enduring hunger is simple calorie restrictionor a meal with balanced nutritional ratios

Before starting, what is my current body condition?

A ketogenic diet is not simply about changing food, but a process of completely switching the body's energy metabolism system. While it may seem possible for anyone in theory, what is more important in practice is whether your body is currently prepared to use fat as energy.

If you indiscriminately increase fat intake when your body is not prepared, your body may be unable to handle it, which can lead to a sharp decline in your overall condition. Before starting the diet, please check your status through the following signals.

Pre-consultation Checklist

• Reaction after high-fat meals: When eating foods with a lot of pork belly or butter, check if you experience slower digestion, diarrhea, or severe abdominal bloating compared to usual.
• Physical changes during fasting: Even if mealtime is slightly delayed hand tremors, severe dizziness, or cold sweats occur frequently even if mealtime is slightly delayed.
• Current health status and medications: Diabetes, highblood pressure or are currently taking medication regularly, professional confirmation is required before switching your diet.

Rather than starting simply 'to lose weight,' a safe transition begins by first determining whether your body has the capacity to metabolize fat and whether your blood sugar regulation is stable.

If any of the above items apply to you, it is advisable to have your current metabolic state diagnosed first rather than forcing a strict diet. This is because a diet started while ignoring your body's signals can instead lead to health imbalances.

What is the 'Keto Flu' that appears in the early stages?

A few days after starting the diet, you may experience a heavy feeling throughout your body and a throbbing headache, similar to a sudden cold or flu. This is called the 'Keto Flu.' Rather than being a side effect caused by a problem in the body, it is closer to a temporary adaptation responseexperienced during the process of switching the energy source from glucose to fat.

Why do these symptoms occur?

When our body restricts carbohydrates, insulin levels drop, and the kidneys rapidly excrete water and sodiumelectrolytes. As electrolytes are lost along with water, the following symptoms appear:

• Headache and dizziness: Occurs due to dehydration and electrolyte imbalance
• Extreme fatigue: A transitional phenomenon before becoming accustomed to using a new energy source (ketones)
• Decreased concentration: A temporary stagnation during the adaptation period as the brain uses ketones as fuel instead of glucose

Ways to reduce discomfort

Rather than forcing yourself to endure this period, it is important to replenish missing nutrients. In particular, sufficient hydration and supplementation of electrolytes such as salt and magnesiumare key. You can get through the adaptation period much more easily by drinking water with a small amount of sea salt or consuming sufficient minerals through leafy vegetables.

Danger signals requiring caution If you experience severe heart palpitations, difficulty breathing, or an extreme decline in physical condition that lasts for more than 2 weeks, beyond simple lethargy, this may not be a simple adaptation period. In such cases, do not force the diet; stop immediately and seek professional help.

Try to record the signals your body sends in detail. Rather than simply noting that it is 'hard,' checking at what point the headache worsens and whether symptoms improve after electrolyte supplementationserves as the standard for a safe dietary transition.

Why is it difficult to manage with diet alone?

Have you ever felt frustrated by an intense craving for sweets that suddenly hits a few days after starting a diet? Many people blame themselves, thinking it is a 'lack of willpower,' but in reality, this is not a matter of the mind, but a physiological signal sent by the bodyis.

Our bodies have used carbohydrates as the primary fuel source for a long time. When this supply is suddenly cut off, the brain and body perceive it as an emergency and release powerful appetite hormones to replenish energy quickly. This is the true nature of 'carb cravings,' which are different from simple hunger.

Key Summary

The reason appetite control is difficult is not a matter of will, but due to hormonal imbalances and physical reactions that occur during the process of switching energy sources.

In particular, maintaining a diet becomes even more challenging when the following external factors are added:

• Lack of sleep and irregular sleep patterns: When you lack sleep, leptin, the appetite-suppressing hormone, decreases, and the feeling of hunger Ghrelinincreases.
• Continuous psychological stress: Stress hormones cortisolraise blood sugar levels, triggering a vicious cycle that makes you seek sweet foods again.
• Differences in individual metabolic rates: Everyone has a different sensitivity to carbohydrates and a different speed at which they convert fat into energy.

Some people adapt within a week, while others may find it difficult to control their appetite even after a month. This is not a mistake, but because each person's metabolic system is different.

Therefore, rather than simply enduring it, try recording your current sleep status, stress levels, and usual carbohydrate sensitivityfirst. Objectively understanding your body's reactions is a much more efficient approach than excessive restriction.

When is it time to seek help?

While the ketogenic diet is clear in theory, the body's reactions during actual application vary for everyone. There are moments when you must listen to the signals your body is sending rather than pushing forward with willpower alone.

Rather than the simple result of not losing weight, the psychological and physical discomfort that occurs during the process of maintaining the dietshould be the criteria.

If you are in this situation, consider seeking professional help

1. When obsessive cravings during diet control lead to repeated binge eating patternsand cause significant psychological distress and self-blame
2. When you have naturally weak digestion and experience symptoms such as bloating or diarrhea on a high-fat diet, physical maladaptationwhen this is felt
3. When you feel the limits of managing alone without systematic tracking, such as food logs and nutritional calculations, and hit a plateauduring your progress

Simply enduring it is not the answer. The key to long-term health management is first understanding your metabolic state and digestive capacity, and then finding complementary solutions tailored to them.

Pre-consultation Checklist

• The frequency of binge eating or overeating over the past 2 weeks and your psychological state at the time
• Specific digestive symptoms that appear when increasing fat intake
• The part of your current diet that you find most difficult to maintain

How does Baekrok Gambi-jeong help?

Because of the 'tablet' form, many people mistake Baekrokdambijeong for over-the-counter health functional foods or supplements. However, Gambijeong is not a supplement, but a standard herbal medicine prescriptionis.

prescribed through the medical evaluation and diagnosis of a Korean medicine doctor. It has been formulated into a tablet form to reduce the inconvenience of taking traditional liquid decoctions or pills. This allows for convenient consumption anywhere and anytime, while maintaining the identity of a prescription based on Korean medicine principles.

The Process from Evaluation to Intake

Rather than simply providing a set medication, the prescription is made through the following systematic steps.

1. Medical Evaluation and Prescription Determination: Through a consultation with the director, your current sleep quality, digestive state, and current medications are closely reviewed to determine if a prescription is possible.
2. Prescription and Dispensing: Once the appropriate ingredients and dosages are determined based on the evaluation results, it is dispensed in a tablet form to improve convenience of intake.
3. Intake and Feedback: You take the medicine according to the guided instructions, monitor your body's reaction, and adjust the dosage through consultation if necessary.

Especially for those who find it difficult to visit the clinic due to busy schedules or distance Telehealth Systemis currently in operation. You can request a prescription after receiving a thorough medical evaluation via video or phone consultation, allowing you to receive safe assistance without physical constraints.

Before your consultation, checking the following items in advance will allow for a more accurate medical evaluation.

• Your usual bedtime and the number of times you wake up during the night
• Digestive patterns, such as bloating or gas after meals
• A list of prescription medications or supplements you are currently taking regularly

What should I prepare before the consultation?

Key Summary

To provide a precise prescription tailored to you, it is first necessary to specifically understand your current physical condition and lifestyle patterns. Organizing the list below in advance will shorten the consultation time and help you receive a more accurate diagnosis.

To improve the quality of the consultation, please focus on checking the following three items.

• Eating habits and critical time slots over the last 3 months: Please record what foods you mainly ate and specifically when it was most difficult to control your appetite (e.g., 4 PM snack time, 10 PM late-night snacks, etc.).
• List of underlying diseases and medications: You must disclose any current medical conditions or medications you take daily without omission. This is a critical criterion for determining the safety of the prescription.
• Past diet experiences and physical reactions: Think back to the methods you tried previously and the changes you felt in your body. Specific reactions, such as 'feeling severe lethargy' or 'being unable to sleep,' are helpful.

Rather than a simple goal of 'wanting to lose weight,' the key to an efficient medical evaluation is communicating 'in what situations you struggle' and 'how your body reacts.'

When you approach the consultation with data about your body rather than vague anxiety, you can finally find a healthy energy transition path optimized for you.

If visiting the clinic is difficult, you can apply for a remote consultation. The director will review your current medical conditions, medications, sleep, and digestion to determine if it is appropriate to start Gambi-jeong. If the herbal ingredients need more meticulous adjustment, a customized herbal medicine decoction will be considered, and if an in-person evaluation or test is necessary, the next steps will be provided. Baekrok Gambi-jeong Price and Medical ProcedurePlease check this as well.