Among the many diets that help to lose weight, there is also a ketogenic diet, characterized by a small amount of carbohydrates eaten and a lot of fatty foods. Research scientists have shown that this version of the ketogenic diet helps improve the condition of people with diabetes, epilepsy, Alzheimer's disease and even oncology.
ketogenic diet- This is a diet where the diet contains both low-carb and high-fat foods. In fact, there is a displacement of carbohydrates by fat. This menu change brings the body into a metabolic state, called ketosis. At the same time, the process of burning fat and releasing energy increases, and ketones are converted in the liver, which provides a lot of energy to the brain. A ketogenic diet helps lower blood glucose and insulin levels. So what is the keto diet - more popularly called keto, it is characterized by a reduction in carbohydrate intake to a minimum and an increase in fatty foods in the diet. It triggers the work of metabolism, aimed at the breakdown of fats and ketones, and not carbohydrates.
What types of ketogenic diets are there?
There are many options for the ketogenic diet. The most popular among them:
- Standard (SKD) is a minimum carbohydrate content - 5%, maximum fat - 75%, average amount of protein - 20%.
- Cycle (CKD) - periodically there is time to consume large amounts of carbohydrates. At the same time, the first option is observed for 5 days, and then high-carbohydrate food for several days.
- False (NKD) - with this option, it is allowed to add carbohydrates before and after training.
- High protein - similar to the standard version, but the BJU layout is as follows: 35% protein, 60% fat and 5% carbohydrate.
Standard and high protein options are more recommended for use. The rest are mostly used by athletes and bodybuilders.
Benefits of the ketogenic diet
Ketogenic diet helps to get rid of obesity and at the same time does not harm health. Nutritionists claim that it is better than a low-fat diet. At the same time, the diet is more nutritious and there is no need to count calories. People who use a ketogenic diet on themselves lose weight several times faster, while increasing the level of good cholesterol and triglycerides.
Note: The big advantage of a ketogenic diet over a low-fat diet is the adequate intake of protein, which is very important for the body. Ketogenic diets promote more weight loss than diets that focus on eating less fatty foods. And it is important that everything happens without agonizing hunger.
How it helps diabetics and people prone to it
With this problem, metabolism is disrupted, blood sugar rises and insulin function in the body is disrupted. The ketogenic diet promotes the burning of excess fat, which is important for diabetics, people with metabolic disorders. Research scientists have proven that the ketogenic diet increases the body's sensitivity to insulin by 75%.
Experiments conducted with type 2 diabetes patients gave amazing results - out of 21 patients, 7 were able to refuse to take medication for diabetes. Weight loss is more significant compared to other types of diets. In patients with type 2 diabetes, insulin sensitivity increases, which triggers fat burning. And this is very important for patients.
Other Benefits of a Low Carb Diet
A ketogenic diet is recommended to maintain the health of patients with neurological pathologies.
It is also recommended for various diseases, such as:
- Heart pathology. Positive effect on the factors: fat, cholesterol, blood sugar, stress.
- Oncology. It has a good effect on reducing the growth of cancer cells.
- Alzheimer disease. Improves symptoms and prevents the development of pathology.
- Epilepsy. Reduces the number of seizures in children.
- Parkinson's disease. Improve the symptoms of this disease.
- Polycystic ovaries. Lowering insulin has a positive effect on the development of the syndrome.
- With brain injury. Concussion effects are reduced, recovery time is reduced.
- Acne. Low insulin levels and the absence of excessive carbohydrate intake contribute to an improved skin condition.
The ketogenic diet is beneficial for many diseases, especially those related to insulin levels, metabolism, and neurology.
What to cut from your diet
From the menu it is necessary to exclude all products containing carbohydrates in large quantities:
- Contains sugar - soda, fruit and berry juice, cake, ice cream and other sweets.
- Cereals and those containing starch - flour products, rice, cereals.
- Fruit products - everything except berries, but little by little.
- Legumes - beans, lentils, legumes and more.
- Vegetable products - potatoes, carrots, sweet potatoes and more.
- Nutritional and fat-free - after processing, they have a lot of carbohydrates.
- Sauces that contain sugar and fat are unhealthy. Vegetable oil, mayonnaise.
- Alcoholic drinks - they are saturated with carbohydrates.
Highly processed sugar-free diet foods are not good for a ketogenic diet.
This food must be eaten
And these products should be consumed while maintaining a ketogenic diet:
- Meat products - ham, sausage products, ham, red meat, chicken, turkey.
- Fatty fish.
- Egg.
- Cow's butter and heavy cream from grass-fed cows.
- Raw cheese - mozzarella, goat, etc.
- Nuts - walnuts, pumpkin seeds, almonds, etc.
- Various oils - olive, coconut.
- Avocado in pure form or in a salad.
- Low-carb vegetable products - onions, cucumbers, tomatoes and other green vegetables.
- Seasoning in the form of salt, pepper and dried herbs.
It is recommended that the products are consumed in their pure form, so that the recipe for the dish consists of one component.
Sample menu for this week
For clarity, a ketogenic diet menu for a week is provided:
| day | eat | Menu |
| Monday | Breakfast | Poached eggs with bacon and tomatoes |
| dinner | Chicken and feta cheese salad 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 vegetables | |
| Wednesday | Breakfast | Milkshake |
| dinner | Shrimp salad with avocado | |
| dinner | Pork, cheese and vegetables | |
| Thursday | Breakfast | Fried eggs with avocado, onion, pepper |
| dinner | Nuts, salsa, guacamole | |
| dinner | Chicken with sauce, cream cheese | |
| Friday | Breakfast | Unsweetened yogurt with coconut oil and cocoa |
| dinner | Beef steak and vegetables | |
| dinner | Burger with egg and cheese | |
| Saturday | Breakfast | Eggs with cheese, vegetables and ham |
| dinner | Ham, cheese and nuts | |
| dinner | Various types of white fish, 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 a healthy snack.
For this you can use:
- boiled meat or fatty fish;
- permitted cheese;
- some nuts or seeds;
- a pair of boiled eggs;
- chocolate with 90% cocoa;
- milk cocktail with cocoa and butter;
- yogurt with cocoa and peanut butter;
- strawberries with whipped cream;
- celery with salsa and guacamole sauce.
You can refresh yourself with a small portion of food prepared for the main course.
What can you eat outside the house
In catering establishments there are many different dishes from meat and fatty fish. You can get rid of excess carbs by ordering more vegetables. Egg dishes are varied - with bacon, cheese, vegetables.
Burgers are best eaten without bread, but only with the filling. You can add cheese, eggs or bacon to it. If nothing is suitable for a ketogenic diet, but you still need to lose weight, then order a mixture of cheese, meat of any kind, fish, eggs and a lot of vegetables in restaurants and cafes.
How to improve the adaptation period
The ketogenic diet is considered safe for almost everyone, but adaptation to this diet can lead to illness, which is popularly called the "keto flu". It is characterized by: general lethargy due to lack of energy, disturbances in mental activity, insomnia, animal hunger, nausea and discomfort in the stomach. This situation lasted for several days, and then disappeared without a trace. To eliminate such symptoms, it is necessary to adjust the low-carbohydrate diet immediately in the first days. This activity contributes to greater weight loss before you have to completely eliminate carbohydrates from the menu.
Important: Such a diet causes changes in the balance of water and minerals in the body. Additional servings of salt and mineral supplements may be needed. The body needs an additional 3000 mg of sodium, 1000 mg of potassium, 300 mg of magnesium per day. If you take it, you can avoid nutrient imbalance in the body.
At the beginning of the ketogenic diet, you can eat until you are full, do not reduce the consumption of high-calorie foods. Weight loss occurs without calorie restriction. If you follow all the rules, then the side effects of the ketogenic diet will not be so noticeable.
What questions do people ask?
If you read the reviews, you can highlight common questions from those who want to lose weight.
- Can you eat carbs later? Yes you can. They need to be excluded at first, but after 3-4 months you can enjoy desserts with and without ketones, not forgetting to return to the ketogenic diet.
- Is it possible to lose muscle mass or build it? With any diet, muscle mass is lost, but with this diet, high protein intake will not make it too noticeable. You can also increase it, but not as much as a diet with carbohydrate consumption.
- How much protein can you eat? The amount should be moderate so as not to increase insulin and reduce the number of ketones. Of all calories consumed, 35% should come from protein foods, the rest from ketones.
- What should I do if I feel persistently weak? This may be due to incomplete immersion in a state of ketosis, as well as poor burning of fats and ketones. It is necessary to reduce the consumption of carbohydrates and again read the complete guide to this diet, pay attention to the amount of ketones.
- Bad breath, what to do? This is the case with 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 for health? People confuse ketosis with ketoacidosis, but it is really dangerous and happens with an uncontrolled diet.
- I have indigestion and diarrhea, what should I do? This is a common side effect of the keto diet and goes away on its own after 3-4 weeks.
The ketogenic diet, like any other diet, has side effects. They pass quickly, but with protracted problems, it is better to refuse this.
Contraindications
A diet with an increased number of ketones is not indicated for everyone. Who can adopt a ketogenic diet: diabetics, obese 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: For active athletes, as well as those who want to gain muscle mass, it is less suitable. They have to choose a different type of diet. The remaining contraindications are in the characteristics of human health.
A low-carb diet promotes weight loss and improves health. Before switching to the suggested diet, you should consult a nutritionist or treating doctor.