ketogenic diet

ketogenic diet for weight loss

Among the many diets that help to lose weight, there is also a ketogenic diet, characterized by a small amount of carbohydrates eaten and an abundance of fatty foods. Scientists have shown that this version of the ketogenic diet helps improve the condition of a person 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 carbohydrate substances from fat. These changes in the menu put 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 gives a lot of energy to the brain. The ketogenic diet helps lower blood sugar and insulin levels. So, what is the keto diet - popularly called simply keto, it is characterized by reducing the intake of carbohydrates to a minimum and increasing fatty foods in the diet. It provokes the work of the metabolism, aimed at the breakdown of fats and ketones, and not of carbohydrates.

What types of ketogenic diet are there?

There are many options for a ketogenic diet. The most popular of them:

  • Standard (SKD) is minimum carbohydrates - 5%, maximum fats - 75%, average amount of proteins - 20%.
  • Cyclic (CKD) - periodically comes a moment 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 several days.
  • Wrong (NKD) - with this option, the addition of carbohydrates before and after training is allowed.
  • High protein - similar to the standard version, but the layout of BJU is as follows: 35% protein, 60% fat and 5% carbohydrates.

Standard and high protein options are more recommended for use. The rest are mostly 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 you don't need to count calories. People who used the ketogenic diet on themselves lost weight several times faster while improving their good cholesterol and triglyceride levels.

Note: A big advantage of a ketogenic diet over a low-fat diet is sufficient 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 is important that everything happens without the agonizing feeling of hunger.

How it helps diabetics and people prone to it

In this problem, metabolism is disrupted, blood sugar rises and insulin functions in the body are disrupted. The ketogenic diet promotes the burning of excess fat, which is important for diabetics, people with metabolic disorders. Scientists have proven that the ketogenic diet improves the body's sensitivity to insulin by 75%.

Experiments conducted with type 2 diabetics gave amazing results - out of 21 patients, 7 people were able to refuse to take diabetes medication. Weight loss is much more significant than with other types of diets. In type 2 diabetes, insulin sensitivity increases, which triggers fat burning. And this is very important for patients.

Other benefits of a low-carb diet

The ketogenic diet is recommended for maintaining the health of patients with neurological pathologies.

It is also recommended for various diseases such as:

  • Pathology of the heart. Positive effect on such factors: fat, cholesterol, blood sugar, pressure.
  • Oncology. It has a beneficial effect on reducing the growth of cancer cells.
  • Alzheimer's disease. Improves symptoms and inhibits the development of pathology.
  • epilepsyReduces the number of seizures in children.
  • Parkinson's disease. It improves the symptoms of this disease.
  • Polycystic ovaries. Reducing insulin has a good effect on the development of the syndrome.
  • With a brain injury. The impact of concussions is reduced, the recovery time is reduced.
  • Acne. Low levels of insulin and the absence of excessive intake of carbohydrates contribute to improving the condition of the skin.

The ketogenic diet is beneficial for many diseases, especially those related to insulin levels, metabolism, and neurology.

What to exclude from your diet

It is necessary to exclude from the menu all products containing carbohydrates in large quantities:

  • Containing sugar - soda, fruit and berry juices, cakes, ice cream and other sweets.
  • Cereals and starch-containing products - flour, rice, cereals.
  • Fruit products - everything but berries, but little by little.
  • Legumes - peas, lentils, beans, etc.
  • Vegetable products – potatoes, carrots, sweet potatoes, etc.
  • Diet and fat-free - after processing, they have a lot of carbohydrates.
  • Sauces containing sugar and unhealthy fats. 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 foods should be consumed while following a ketogenic diet:

  • Meat products - ham, sausages, ham, red meat, chicken, turkey.
  • Fatty fish.
  • Chicken eggs.
  • Cow butter and heavy cream from grass-fed cows.
  • Raw cheeses - mozzarella, goat, etc.
  • Nuts - walnuts, pumpkin seeds, almonds, etc.
  • Various oils - olive oil, coconut.
  • Avocado in its pure form or in a salad.
  • Vegetable products with low carbohydrate content - onion, cucumber, tomato and other green vegetables.
  • Seasonings in the form of salt, pepper and dried herbs.

It is recommended to consume the products in their pure form, so that the recipes for meals consist of one component.

Sample menu for the week

For clarity, a ketogenic diet menu for one week is provided:

days feeding Menu
Monday breakfast Boiled eggs with bacon and tomato
Dinner Poultry 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 smoothies
Dinner Meatballs, cheese and vegetables
Wednesday breakfast Milk shake
Dinner Shrimp salad with avocado
Dinner Pork steaks, cheese and vegetables
Thursday breakfast Fried eggs with avocado, onion, black 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 White fish, eggs with spinach
Sunday breakfast Fried eggs with lard and mushrooms
Dinner Sandwich, 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;
  • permitted cheese;
  • some nuts or seeds;
  • a few hard-boiled eggs;
  • chocolate with 90% cocoa;
  • milkshake with cocoa and butter;
  • yogurt with cocoa and nut 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 meal.

What you can eat outside the home

In catering establishments, there are many different dishes of meat and fish of fatty varieties. You can get rid of excess carbs by ordering more vegetables. Dishes with eggs are varied - with bacon, cheese, vegetables.

Burgers are best eaten without the bun, but eat just the stuffing. You can add cheese, eggs or bacon to it. If there is nothing suitable for a ketogenic diet, but you still need to lose weight, then order a mixture of cheeses, all kinds of meat, fish, eggs and lots of vegetables in restaurants and cafes.

How to improve the adaptation period

The ketogenic diet is considered safe for almost everyone, but adapting to this diet can lead to an illness popularly called the "keto flu. "It is characterized by: general malaise due to lack of energy, disturbances in mental activity, insomnia, extreme hunger, nausea and stomach discomfort. This condition lasts for several days, after which it disappears without a trace. To eliminate such symptoms, it is necessary to immediately adjust the low-carbohydrate diet in the first days. These activities contribute to greater weight loss before it is necessary to completely eliminate carbohydrates from the menu.

Important: Such a diet causes a change in the water-mineral balance 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 them, you can avoid the imbalance of nutrients in the body.

At the very 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 significant.

What questions are people asking?

If you read reviews, you can highlight frequently asked questions from those who want to lose weight.

  • Can you eat carbs later? To be able. They should be excluded at the beginning, but after 3-4 months you can enjoy desserts with and without ketones, remembering 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, the high protein intake won't make it 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 reduce the number of ketones. Of all calories eaten, 35% should come from protein foods and the rest from ketones.
  • What should I do if I feel constant weakness? This can 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 once again read the complete guide to this diet, monitor the amount of ketones.
  • Bad breath, what should I do? This is what happens with the ketogenic diet. You should drink pure water with various natural supplements or use gum to reduce the concentration of ketones.
  • Is ketosis really dangerous to health? People confuse ketosis with ketoacidosis, but it is really dangerous and occurs with uncontrolled diets.
  • 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 for long-term problems, it is better to refuse this.

Contraindications

Eating with an increase in the number of ketones is not indicated for everyone. Who can practice the ketogenic diet: diabetics, obese people who need to improve their metabolic processes, as well as those who can maintain this diet for a long time.

Please note: For active sportsmen, as well as for those who want to gain muscle mass, it is less suitable. They should 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 proposed diet, you should consult a nutritionist or treating doctor.