Among the many diets that help you lose weight, there is also a ketogenic diet, which is characterized by being low in carbohydrates and high in fat. Researchers have shown that this version of the ketogenic diet helps improve a person's condition with diabetes, epilepsy, Alzheimer's, and even oncology.
ketogenic diet- This is a diet where the diet includes both low-carb and fatty foods. In reality, there is a displacement of carbohydrate substances by fats. These menu changes bring the body into a metabolic state called ketosis. At the same time, the process of fat burning and energy release is increased and ketones are converted in the liver, giving the brain a lot of energy. The ketogenic diet helps lower blood sugar and insulin levels. So what is a keto diet – popularly called simply keto, it is characterized by reducing carbohydrate intake to a minimum and increasing fatty foods in the diet. It provokes the work of metabolism aimed at breaking down fats and ketones, and not carbohydrates.
What types of ketogenic diets are there?
There are many options for the ketogenic diet. The most popular of them:
- Standard (SKD) is a minimum of carbohydrate substances - 5%, a maximum of fats - 75%, an average amount of proteins - 20%.
- Cyclic (CKD) - periodically there comes a time to consume a large amount of carbohydrates. At the same time, the first option is observed for 5 days, and then high-carbohydrate food for a couple of days.
- False (NKD) - This option allows for the addition of carbohydrates before and after exercise.
- High Protein - similar to the standard version, but the BJU layout is as follows: 35% protein, 60% fat and 5% carbohydrate substances.
Standard and high protein options are more recommended for use. The rest are mainly used by athletes and bodybuilders.
Benefits of the ketogenic diet
The ketogenic diet helps to get rid of obesity and at the same time does not harm health. Nutritionists claim it's better than low-fat diets. At the same time, the diet is more nutritious and there is no need to count calories. People who used the ketogenic diet for themselves lost weight several times faster while improving levels of good cholesterol and triglycerides.
Note: A major advantage of a ketogenic diet over a low-fat diet is adequate protein intake, which is very important for the body. A ketogenic diet promotes more weight loss than one that focuses on eating a small amount of fatty foods. And it's important that everything happens without the nagging feeling of hunger.
How it helps diabetics and those predisposed to it
With this problem, metabolism is disrupted, blood sugar rises, and insulin functions in the body are disrupted. The ketogenic diet promotes burning of excess fat, which is important for diabetics, people with a metabolic disorder. Researchers have proven that a ketogenic diet improves the body's sensitivity to insulin by 75%.
Conducted experiments with type 2 diabetics gave amazing results - out of 21 patients, 7 people were able to refuse to take antidiabetic drugs. Weight loss is much more significant than other diets. In type 2 diabetics, insulin sensitivity increases, which triggers fat burning. And that is very important for patients.
Other benefits of a low-carb diet
The ketogenic diet is recommended to maintain the health of patients with neurological pathologies.
It is also recommended for various diseases such as:
- pathology of the heart. A positive effect on such factors: fat, cholesterol, blood sugar, pressure.
- Oncology. It has a positive effect on reducing the growth of cancer cells.
- Alzheimer's disease. Improves symptoms and inhibits the development of pathology.
- Epilepsy. Reduces the number of seizures in children.
- Parkinson's disease. Improves the symptoms of this disease.
- Polycystic Ovaries. Lowering insulin has a good effect on the development of the syndrome.
- With brain injury. The effects of concussions are reduced, the recovery time is shortened.
- Acne. Low insulin levels and lack of excessive carbohydrate intake contribute to improved skin condition.
The ketogenic diet is beneficial for many ailments, especially those related to insulin levels, metabolism, and neurology.
What to eliminate from your diet
From the menu it is necessary to exclude all products containing carbohydrates in large quantities:
- Sugary - Soda, fruit and berry juices, cakes, ice cream and other sweets.
- Cereals and starchy - flour products, rice, cereals.
- Fruit products - everything except berries, but little by little.
- Legumes - Peas, lentils, beans and more.
- Plant products - potatoes, carrots, sweet potatoes and more.
- Dietary and fat-free - after processing, they have a lot of carbohydrates.
- Sauces with sugar and unhealthy fat. vegetable oil, mayonnaise.
- Alcoholic drinks - they are saturated with carbohydrates.
Highly processed, sugar-free diet foods are bad for a ketogenic diet.
These foods must be eaten
And these products must be consumed while maintaining a ketogenic diet:
- Meat products - ham, cured meats, ham, red meat, chicken, turkey.
- fat fish
- chicken eggs.
- Cow butter and cream from grass-fed cows.
- Raw cheese - mozzarella, goat, etc.
- Nuts - walnuts, pumpkin seeds, almonds, etc.
- Various oils - olive, coconut.
- Avocado pure or in a salad.
- Low-carb vegetable products - onions, cucumbers, tomatoes and other green vegetables.
- Spices in the form of salt, pepper and dried herbs.
It is recommended to consume the products pure so that the recipes for dishes consist of one component.
Sample menu for the week
For clarity, a menu of a ketogenic diet for a week is provided:
| days | meal time | Menu |
| Monday | breakfast | Boiled eggs with bacon and tomatoes |
| dinner | Salad of chicken and feta cheese with butter | |
| dinner | Steamed salmon with asparagus | |
| Tuesday | breakfast | Fried eggs with tomatoes, goat cheese |
| dinner | Almond milk, cocoa and stevia smoothie | |
| dinner | Meatballs, cheese and veggies | |
| Wednesday | breakfast | milk cocktail |
| dinner | Prawn salad with avocado | |
| dinner | Pork chops, cheese and vegetables | |
| Thursday | breakfast | Fried eggs with avocado, onion, peppers |
| dinner | Nuts, salsa, guacamole | |
| dinner | Chicken with sauce, cream cheese | |
| Friday | breakfast | Unsweetened yogurt with coconut oil and cocoa |
| dinner | Veal steak and vegetables | |
| dinner | Burger with egg and cheese | |
| Saturday | breakfast | Eggs with cheese, vegetables and ham |
| dinner | Ham, cheese and nuts | |
| dinner | White fish variety, eggs with spinach | |
| Sunday | breakfast | Fried eggs with lard and mushrooms |
| dinner | Sandwiches, salsa, guacamole | |
| dinner | Beef steak with vegetables |
It is necessary to diversify the menu as much as possible, so that a more complete set of nutrients enters the body.
What can you eat on a ketogenic diet?
When hunger strikes between mandatory meals, you can satisfy it with healthy snacks.
For this you can use:
- boiled meat or fatty fish;
- allowed cheese;
- some nuts or seeds;
- a few hard-boiled eggs;
- chocolate with 90% cocoa;
- milk cocktail with cocoa and butter;
- yogurt with cocoa and nut butters;
- strawberries with whipped cream;
- Celery with salsa and guacamole sauce.
You can refresh yourself with a small portion of food prepared for the main meal.
What can you eat out
In catering establishments there are many different dishes from meat and fish of fatty varieties. You can get rid of excess carbohydrates by ordering more vegetables. Egg dishes are varied - with bacon, cheese, vegetables.
Burgers are best eaten without the buns, but only eat the filling. You can add cheese, eggs or bacon. If there is nothing suitable for a ketogenic diet but you still need to lose weight, then order mixed cheeses, meat of any kind, fish, eggs and lots of vegetables at restaurants and cafes.
How to improve the acclimatization period
The ketogenic diet is considered safe for almost everyone, but adapting to this diet can lead to an illness popularly called "keto flu. " It is characterized by: general malaise from lack of energy, disturbances in mental activity, insomnia, beastly hunger, nausea and stomach upset. This condition lasts for several days, and then disappears without a trace. To eliminate such symptoms, it is necessary to immediately change the low-carb diet in the first few days. These activities contribute to greater weight loss, before you have to completely eliminate carbohydrates from your diet.
Important: Such a diet causes a change in the water and mineral balance in the body. Additional servings of salt and mineral supplements may be required. The body also needs 3000 mg of sodium, 1000 mg of potassium, 300 mg of magnesium per day. By taking them, you can avoid the imbalance of nutrients in the body.
At the very beginning of the ketogenic diet, you can eat to satiety, not reduce the consumption of high-calorie foods. Weight loss occurs with no calorie restriction. If you follow all the rules, the side effects of the ketogenic diet will not be that significant.
What questions are people asking
Reading reviews allows you to highlight frequently asked questions from people who want to lose weight.
- Can you eat carbohydrates later? Yes you can. They need to be eliminated in the beginning, but after 3-4 months you can enjoy desserts with and without ketones and don't forget to go back to the ketogenic diet.
- Can you lose or gain muscle mass? Any diet will lose muscle mass, but on this diet, high protein intake isn't too noticeable. You can also increase it, but not as much as with diets using carbohydrates.
- How Much Protein Can You Eat? Its amount should be moderate so as not to increase insulin and decrease the number of ketones. Of all calories consumed, 35% should come from protein foods and the rest from ketones.
- What should I do if I keep feeling weak? This can be due to incomplete immersion in a state of ketosis, as well as poor fat and ketone burning. It is necessary to reduce the consumption of carbohydrates and once again read the complete guide to this diet and note the amount of ketones.
- Bad breath, what to do? This is what happens on the ketogenic diet. You need to drink pure water with various natural additives or use chewing gum to reduce the concentration of ketones.
- Is Ketosis Really Dangerous to Health? People confuse ketosis with ketoacidosis, but it's really dangerous and occurs with uncontrolled dieting.
- I have digestive problems and diarrhea, what should I do? This is a common side effect of the keto diet and will go away on its own after 3-4 weeks.
The ketogenic diet, like any other diet, has side effects. They quickly pass, but with protracted problems it is better to refuse.
contraindications
A diet with an increase in the number of ketones is not shown to everyone. Who can practice the ketogenic diet: diabetics, overweight people who need to improve their metabolic processes, as well as those who are able to maintain this diet for a long time.
Please note: It is less suitable for active athletes and those who want to build muscle mass. You need to choose a different type of diet. The remaining contraindications lie in the characteristics of human health.
A low-carb diet promotes weight loss and improves health. Before switching to the proposed diet, you should consult a nutritionist or attending physician.