One of the most optimal diets based on a good scientific and medical basis is ketogenic. Originally developed for the treatment of childhood epilepsy, this diet is low-carb, high-fat, and moderate-protein. Such a diet leads to ketosis, during which the body's own fats are burned.
The essence of ketosis
With a diet in which carbohydrate intake is limited, external resources for glucose production are excluded. The brain is forced to give the body a command to compensate for its absence, and its own fats act as a compensatory resource. They are converted to fatty acids and ketone bodies. It is ketones that replace the missing glucose. An increase in their concentration in the blood is called ketosis. Actually, this is the process of survival of the body and salvation of the brain with insufficient intake of carbohydrates and fats from the outside.
The Keto Diet For Weight Loss
Originally created to prevent epileptic seizures, the keto diet can be used as an effective weight loss system. Its use causes the liver to produce ketones and a sharp drop in insulin levels. Insulin is responsible for organizing fat stores in the body. A drop in insulin concentration leads to weight loss: fat is not stored, but consumed for energy by the body.
Along with the main benefit of being in ketosis, this diet has bonus properties:
- hunger decreases;
- the body contains a supply of a constant source of energy;
- sticking to a keto diet can be quite long;
- is great for sports requiring a lot of endurance as it conserves glycogen stores.
The principle of Low Carb High Fat ("low carbohydrates, high fat"), first implemented by dietitians in Sweden, became the confirmation of the correctness of the idea of "fatty" diets.
The LCHF diets, which appeared in the early 2000s, have already proven their relevance and harmlessness to the body.
BUCH works very similarly: the abbreviation stands for protein-carbohydrate alternation of foods. Due to this alternation, the body resorts to emergency burning of stored glycogen, and then its own fats.
In the classic antiepileptic keto diet, the ratio of fat to protein-carbohydrate is 4: 1. The keto version for weight loss is biased towards a higher protein content and a lower carbohydrate content.
Avoiding high-carb foods is a practical step. This:
- sweet fruits and vegetables;
- bakery products;
- pasta;
- sugar;
- starchy and leguminous vegetables.
A large number of foods saturated with fats are introduced into the diet: cheeses, fatty cottage cheese and butter. Since MCFAs are preferred for the keto diet, one option is a diet that includes coconut oil. In this product, the concentration of MCT (oil, consisting of medium-chain elements 6-12 atoms long) is maximum (15%).
For a daily keto diet, 20-30 grams of carbohydrates are sufficient. This means net, that is, NET, weight.
Calculating NET carbohydrates is easy: subtract fiber from the total carbohydrate intake.
There are no significant protein restrictions. Its intake should be within 25% of all food consumed.
There are three types of the keto diet:
- Standard. This option involves an almost total rejection of carbohydrates for the duration.
- Target. Allows the intake of small amounts of carbohydrates to restore glycogen after a serious workout or after physical activity.
- Loop. Assumes the consumption of carbohydrates as needed, in direct relation to the degree of depletion of the body.
Diet Stages
It will take a week for the body to adapt to such a diet. This process is carried out in three stages. The first two stages usually take two days and include:
- twelve-hour stage of glycogen production from carbohydrates of the food consumed;
- the body's use of glycogen stored in liver tissue and muscles.
This is followed by a stage lasting from three to five days, during which the body tries to obtain the missing energy from the proteins of the daily diet and from the muscles of the body. This stage is harder than the previous ones both psychologically and purely physically.
The next step is the end of the adaptation of metabolism to an artificially created extreme regime, the burning of your own supply of triglycerides and the production of ketone bodies. With the onset of ketosis, the breakdown of body proteins slows down.
Under these conditions, weight loss is between 0. 5 and 2. 5 kg per week.
Planning for the first week involves eating 50/50 protein and fat. In order to maintain muscle mass and not expose body proteins to breakdown, at least 4 g of protein per 1 kg of body weight should be ingested with food.
The second week assumes this ratio:
- fats - 65-75%;
- proteins - 25-30%;
- carbohydrates - 5%.
Benefits of the Keto Diet
While weight loss is comparable, the keto diet has a number of advantageous differences over low-calorie diets.
- Reduces insulin levels more markedly.
- Reduces sugar levels in the body, being an excellent prevention for diabetes and one of the methods of its treatment.
- Promotes higher brain performance by helping to avoid spikes in blood sugar levels and increasing the amount of beneficial fatty acids in this regard.
- Weight loss during the keto diet leads to blood pressure stabilization.
- Skin condition improves, which is especially important for women.
- There is a classic version of the diet that effectively counteracts the development of epilepsy.
- Great for endurance sports as it conserves insulin stores.
Contraindications and side effects
For most healthy people, practicing a ketogenic diet is safe. Along with this, in the presence of a number of diseases, a preliminary consultation with a nutritionist is necessary.
Keto restrictions can be caused by:
- taking antidiabetic drugs;
- high blood pressure;
- the need for breastfeeding;
- the presence of liver disease, kidney disease or pathologies of the cardiovascular system.
Uncommon side effects of keto diet practice include:
- muscle cramps;
- constipation;
- drop in the level of physical stamina in those who use keto for the first time;
- hair loss;
- lack of breast milk or a drop in its quality during lactation;
- aggravation of the symptoms of gallstone disease;
- dyspepsia;
- the appearance of itchy skin;
- decreased mental alertness and ability for prolonged concentration;
- imbalance in the diet.
The Keto Diet Menu
To quickly enter a state of ketosis, carbohydrate intake should be limited to a daily requirement of 15 grams. The diet involves obtaining these nutrients primarily from nuts, vegetables and dairy products.
So,What You Can Eat On The Keto Diet, Food List:
- meat, fish and eggs in any form - are the main suppliers of protein and polyunsaturated fatty acids;
- seafood - due to their saturation with microelements;
- leafy greens rich in fiber;
- ground vegetables;
- dairy products - contain a lot of calcium, vitamins and minerals;
- berries with a low glycemic index - blackberries, raspberries;
- low carbohydrate sweeteners;
- coconut oil and other saturated fats;
- sour apples, cherries, pomegranates.
How to replace bread
The question is what to eat instead of bread? This can be a toasted thin omelet made from eggs. You can also buy flour from almonds, coconut and make your "bread" from it. Fried cheese or plain cheese will also make the base of a sandwich with vegetables, fish or meat.
Food distribution throughout the day
- Breakfast. The approximate calorie content is in the range of 550-600 kcal. Cheese, vegetables, scrambled eggs, or a protein shake. During breakfast, you should consume no more than 15 g of carbohydrates.
- Lunch in terms of carbohydrates is limited to the same 15 g, but the calorie content is lower: 350–400 kcal. Lunch includes meat or meatball soup without pasta. Another option is rice and chicken breast.
- Dinner is possible with meat or fish with green vegetables. Caloric content - 300 kcal.
- Snacks in total should not bring more than 5 g of carbohydrates to the body. Includes cheese, fish, nuts, cottage cheese.
Rules for entering ketosis
The following steps can help you enter ketosis optimally:
- refusal of short-term frequent snacks, leading to a surge in insulin;
- dosed performance of physical exercises;
- a menu with a priority on fat as the main source of energy in a ketogenic diet;
- lowering protein intake to 1. 5 g per 1 kg of body weight;
- consumption of net carbohydrates in doses not exceeding 20 g per day;
- significant fluid intake - up to four liters per day. In addition to water, you can drink green tea, coffee without sugar;
- competent planning of energy consumption for the week.
Signs of ketosis are:
- natural loss of appetite;
- burst of energy and improved mood;
- the appearance of the smell of acetone from the mouth and from the body;
- detecting the presence of ketones in urine.
Testimonials of doctors on the cons of the keto diet
The keto diet is categorically contraindicated in fermentopathies (conditions with a deficiency of enzymes that break down fats and proteins), in chronic adrenal insufficiency, in chronic hepatic and renal failure. Such a protein and fat load can be simply unbearable for people with similar pathologies.
Diseases of the liver, pancreas, and gallbladder can also get worse or first appear during a keto diet.
A keto diet is also not suitable for people with high cholesterol levels, as it will cause increased formation of atherosclerotic plaques and, as a result, deterioration of the vascular condition. Also, this method of losing weight is not suitable for some endocrinological diseases (for example, hypothyroidism).
But healthy people also need to be extremely careful during this type of diet. Due to the shift in diet towards protein and fat, the microbial landscape of the intestine can change. An excess of protein and a lack of vegetables and fruits can provoke the growth of unwanted microflora in the intestines, thereby causing bloating, constipation and poor digestion. Again, due to the restriction in the diet of vegetables and fruits, one can naturally be afraid of hypovitaminosis and a lack of some trace elements, which, in turn, can lead to a decrease in immunity.
There is only one conclusion: before deciding on a keto diet, you need to consult with a competent specialist on the subject of whether it is safe for you, taking into account anamnestic data. And if a decision is made in favor of adhering to a diet, then current monitoring of the patient's condition will still be required in order to prescribe vitamins, trace elements and probiotics if necessary.
Summary:
- The low-carb regimen is noteworthy because it is scientifically based and empirically proven to be effective.
- Compared to low-calorie protein diets, the results of such a system are more humane in relation to the physical and mental resources of the body.
- In the course of a diet, calculating the table layout for every day and purchasing the necessary quality products is not difficult.
- Such nutrition practically does not impose restrictions on the usual way of life.
- Suitable for both men who do hard physical work and are accustomed to eating a lot of meat, and women who solve their cosmetic problems.
- Additional results of the diet are the prevention of pressure surges, normalization of cholesterol levels and improved brain function.