Just imagine: every day you eat cheese, bacon, raff coffee and whole milk. No more skinless chicken breast. Now you have juicy pork on your plate, and you do not feel the slightest remorse. In doing so, your body works like a powerful machine that burns fat. You are losing weight, and this is visible not only to you. This may sound unrealistic. But this is how the ketogenic diet works. What is its essence?
This is keto!
The keto diet is about cutting carbs heavily, limiting protein wisely, and eating a lot of fatty foods. It seems that with this regimen it is impossible to lose weight. However, this is not the case.
In a normal diet, the body gets the energy it needs for life from carbohydrates. If you cut back on carbohydrates, our body will begin to break down proteins from food into carbohydrates. If you reduce your protein intake, then the body will have no choice but to start using its own proteins - for example, from skeletal muscles. Because of this, on strict diets, not only fat is lost, but also muscle mass.
But besides carbohydrates, there is another source of energy - fats. With a high intake of fats from food with a simultaneous deficiency of carbohydrates, the body enters the so-called state of ketosis. Ketosis is a metabolic state. With it, fats are broken down into ketones, or ketone bodies - a source of energy for our body. At the same time, the body learns to use its own fats. And according to the data, this happens more efficiently than, for example, during a low-carb, high-protein diet.
Is ketosis safe?
Ketosis occurs after three to four days on a keto diet. This is the natural state of the body on a carbohydrate-restricted, high-fat diet. For some peoples, for example, the Eskimos and Kalmyks, whose main menu consists of fatty meat, ketosis is a permanent state. Also, this metabolic effect occurs during fasting. But is it safe?
Medicine for epilepsy and diabetes
The keto diet has been around since 1920. It was originally developed as a treatment for epilepsy. Nowadays, it is successfully used as a way to lose extra pounds, as well as to treat type 2 diabetes, since keto significantly reduces blood sugar levels. However, do not confuse ketosis with ketoacidosis, a serious complication of diabetes.
Although the keto diet has been around for a long time, the long-term health effects of ketosis are not well understood at this time. Therefore, the keto diet should not be used as a long-term diet. It is not recommended to practice keto for more than three consecutive months.
Do's and Don'ts
The convenience of the keto diet is that you don't have to count calories and suffer for every bite you accidentally eat. You won't feel hungry on keto.
Experts recommend consuming no more than 20-30 grams of carbohydrates per day. In this case, protein should be eaten about 1-1. 5 grams for each kilogram of your body weight. If you are significantly overweight, reduce this figure by a third.
In other words, on classic keto, approximately 75% of your calories should be fat, 20% protein, and only 5% carbohydrates.
# IMPORTANT
On a ketogenic diet, you will have to significantly reconsider your eating habits - for example, give up bread. Any unplanned carbohydrate intake will put you out of ketosis, which means you have to start over.
The ketogenic diet should be started gradually, reducing carbohydrates and increasing the fat in the food. To allow the body to get used to the new regime, Mancinelli advises to consistently introduce new habits into the diet. For example, in a cafe, instead of the usual burger, you should order a meat cutlet on lettuce leaves, and instead of potatoes, take green vegetables.
Your diet might look like this:
Breakfast - omelet with bacon and vegetables
Lunch - Chicken Avocado Salad Dressed with Olive Oil
Dinner - Pork Chop with Cheese
For snacks, you can eat some cheese, vegetables, a handful of nuts or seeds.
Eating monounsaturated fats is very important in keto. They are found, for example, in olive oil and olives. Avoid trans fats - they can be found in margarine, chips and other crunchy snacks (which you shouldn't ❗). To get enough omega-3s, eat trout, tuna, salmon.
Since you will have to limit fruits and some vegetables, consider taking vitamins and minerals.
What you can on keto:
- various types of oils, including coconut, olive, and others besides pome fruit; the latter are not recommended because they are easily oxidized and cause the appearance of free radicals;
- all kinds of meat, eggs, fish, seafood;
- non-starchy vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, tomatoes, peppers;
- leafy greens;
- cheeses, butter, whole milk;
- some unsweetened fruits and berries, for example, cherries, currants;
- favorite keto fruit is avocado;
- nuts and seeds, but in limited quantities due to their high protein content.
Not allowed:
- wheat, rice, corn, quinoa, and other grains;
- sweet, including honey, dried fruit;
- carrots, potatoes, and other starchy vegetables;
- legumes;
- sweet fruit;
- alcohol.
#LIFEHACK
If the holidays are ahead and you can't do without alcohol, you can drink whiskey, gin, rum and vodka on a keto diet. They contain no carbs at all unless diluted with juice or soda.
Wine is more complicated. On average, one 150 ml glass of wine contains 33. 6 grams of carbohydrates. And the sweeter the wine, the more sugars it contains. This also applies to dry wines: for example, Riesling has more sugar than Chardonnay.
Complex cocktails, sake and beer are not allowed at all. It continues to ferment inside the bottle, bringing up to 12 grams of carbs to your strict keto diet. If you can't do without it, choose light varieties.
Side Effects
The keto diet is satisfying and tasty, its only drawback is the lack of sweetness, but even this can be compensated for with chocolate with 90% cocoa content. It may seem like it looks like a dream diet, but it's not all that simple. The ketogenic diet raises some health risks and may have side effects. Consider the conditions that can occur on the keto diet:
- keto flu. The keto flu affects some people in the first few days of a diet. This condition is a normal process for the body to adapt to a new diet of very low carbohydrate levels. With it, symptoms appear similar to the usual flu: muscle pain, weakness, dizziness, nausea, insomnia. If you feel these symptoms, do not panic - they will soon disappear without a trace. To relieve the condition, avoid caffeine, rest often, and drink plenty of water. If you feel so bad that it interferes with living and working, temporarily increase the amount of carbohydrates slightly;
- Stool disorders. Gradually entering the keto diet can reduce this side effect, however, it is quite common in the beginning. Eat more fiber-rich vegetables to improve your condition;
- Large amounts of fat in food puts an increased strain on the liver. It is advisable to check your liver enzymes from time to time to make sure you are not harming yourself;
- increased blood cholesterol levels. It is recommended that you consult with your doctor before starting a ketogenic diet. This is especially important if you have an increased risk of heart disease. The doctor will probably suggest other weight loss options in this case;
- the keto diet can increase urinary calcium levels, which means it can negatively affect the kidneys and even cause stones;
- It is difficult to gain muscle mass on a keto diet. This is important for people involved in sports.
The keto diet is an effective way to lose weight. It is important not to forget that this is a temporary measure and keto should not be used for a long time.
Remember that without rebuilding your lifestyle, the pounds you lost will return, ruining your hard-won figure and mood. A healthy, balanced diet and exercise is a safe and effective way to not only lose weight, but also be healthy, vigorous and energetic.