The ketogenic diet is low in carbohydrates and high in fat, which offers extensive health benefits.
More than twenty studies have shown that this diet option helps with weight loss and improves body condition. Ketogenic diets may help beneficial influence for diabetes, cancer, epilepsy and Alzheimer's disease.
This article is detailed guide for those who are just starting their journey to the ketogenic diet. Everything you need to know is contained here.
What is the ketogenic diet?
The ketogenic diet, often simply called Keto, is a low-carb, low-fat diet much like the Atkins diet and other low-carb diets.
It involves sharply reducing carbohydrate intake and replacing them with fats. These changes put the body into a metabolic state called ketosis.
When this happens, the body's fat-burning processes for energy become incredibly efficient. It also converts fats into ketones in the liver, which allows energy to be stored for the brain.
Ketogenic diets have a massive effect on lowering blood sugar and insulin levels. This, coupled with the increase in ketones, provides significant health benefits.
Result: The ketogenic diet (keto) is a low-carb, high-fat diet. It lowers blood sugar and insulin levels, forcing a person's metabolism to work with fats and ketones, rather than carbohydrates.
Different Types of Ketogenic Diet
There are several well-known variations of the ketogenic diet. Among them:
- Standard Diet (SCD): This is an extremely low-carbohydrate, high-fat, moderate-protein diet. As a rule, it implies 75% fat, 20% protein and only 5% carbohydrates.
- Cyclical ketogenic diet (CKD): This option includes high-carbohydrate periods. For example, for every five standard days of a diet there are two high-carbohydrate days.
- Targeted Diet (TDD): This diet allows you to add carbohydrates to your meals before and after your workouts.
- High Protein Ketogenic Diet: This is similar in many ways to the standard diet, but includes more protein. The ratio is usually 60% fat, 35% protein and 5% carbohydrates.
However, only the standard and high-protein variants have been intensively studied. Cyclical and targeted ketogenic diets are more advanced, and were originally used by bodybuilders or athletes. 
Much of the information in this article applies to the standard ketogenic diet (SKD), although many of the principles described apply to other options as well.
Bottom line: There are different variations of the ketogenic diet. The standard diet is the most studied and recommended.
The ketogenic diet helps you lose weight
This type of diet is effective in promoting weight loss and reducing the risk of disease. In fact, research confirms that the ketogenic diet is preferable to low-fat diets.
Moreover, such nutrition is so complete that you can lose weight without counting calories or carefully studying the food you eat.
As a result of one scientific work It was found that people on a ketogenic diet lost 2.2 times more weight than those following low-fat, calorie-restricted diets. Triglyceride and good cholesterol levels also improved.
Another observation showed that trial participants who followed the ketogenic diet lost three times more weight than those who used the British Diabetes Diet.
There are several reasons why this diet has advantages over a low-fat diet. One such benefit is increased protein intake, which has various positive effects.
Increasing ketones, lowering blood sugar and improving insulin sensitivity also play a key role.
Bottom line: A ketogenic diet can help you lose much more weight than a low-fat diet. This often happens without feeling hungry.
Ketogenic diet for people with diabetes and those at risk for it
Diabetes is characterized by changes in metabolism, high sugar levels and insulin problems.
The ketogenic diet may help with loss excess fat, which is strongly associated with type 2 diabetes, prediabetes and metabolic syndrome.
One study found that a ketogenic diet improves insulin sensitivity by 75%. Experiments conducted on patients with type 2 diabetes showed that 7 out of 21 participants were able to stop taking diabetes medications.
In an earlier study, the ketogenic group lost more than 11 kg, which compares favorably with the 7 kg lost by the high-carb group. It also implies health benefits when linking weight loss to type 2 diabetes. 
In addition, 95.2% of participants in the ketogenic group were able to refuse drug treatment, while the percentage in the high-carbohydrate group was only 62.
Bottom Line: The ketogenic diet improves insulin sensitivity and leads to weight loss. This leads to dramatic improvements in type 2 diabetes and prediabetes.
Other Health Benefits of the Ketogenic Diet
This type of diet is often used as a tool to influence neurological diseases such as epilepsy.
Studies have shown that diet benefits various aspects of human health:
- Heart disease: The ketogenic diet affects risk factors such as fat, high cholesterol, blood pressure and blood sugar
- Oncology: The diet has recently begun to be used as a cure for cancer and slow-growing tumors
- Alzheimer's disease: Eating this way reduces symptoms of Alzheimer's and slows the progression of the disease
- Epilepsy: Studies have shown that the ketogenic diet causes a massive reduction in epileptic seizures in children
- Parkinson's disease: Scientific research has found that diet can help fight the symptoms of Parkinson's disease
- Polycystic ovary syndrome: The ketogenic diet helps lower insulin levels, which plays a key role in polycystic ovary syndrome.
- Brain Injuries: Animal Studies Show Reduced Impact of Concussions and Increased Brain Healing with Ketogenic Diet
- Acne: Low insulin and reduced consumption of sugar and processed foods help fight acne.
However, it should be remembered that research in these areas is far from complete.
Bottom Line: The ketogenic diet provides a variety of benefits to the body, especially related to metabolism, neurology, and insulin-based diseases.
Foods to Avoid
In short, any food with a large amount of carbohydrates should be excluded from the diet. Here is a list of foods to avoid or reduce on a ketogenic diet:
- Products with sugar: Soda, juices, smoothies, cakes, ice cream, candy, etc.
- Grains or starches: Wheat products, rice, pasta, cereals and more.
- Fruit: All fruit except small portions of berries like strawberries.
- Legumes and beans: peas, chickpeas, beans, lentils.
- Roots and tubers: potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots, parsnips, etc.
- Low-fat and diet foods: These have gone through many stages of processing and most often contain a lot of carbohydrates.
- Some condiments and sauces: These often contain sugar and unhealthy fat.
- Unhealthy fats: Reduce your intake of processed vegetable oils, mayonnaise, etc.
- Alcohol: Due to their carbohydrate content, many alcoholic drinks can throw you out of ketosis.
- Sugar-Free Diet Products: These are often filled with sugar alcohols, which affect ketone levels. These foods are also usually highly processed.
Bottom line: Avoid carbohydrate foods such as grains, sugars, legumes, rice, potatoes, candy, juices and even most fruits. 
Foods to eat
Most of your meals should revolve around these foods:
- Meats: red meat, steaks, ham, bologna, bratwurst, bacon, chicken and turkey.
- Fatty fish: salmon, trout, tuna and mackerel.
- Eggs: Look for Omega-3-rich whole eggs.
- Butter and cream: Look for grass-fed products.
- Cheeses: Unprocessed cheeses (cheddar, goat, cream, blue and mozzarella).
- Nuts and seeds: almonds, Walnut, linen and pumpkin seeds, chia.
- Healthy oils: first of all, natural olive and coconut oil, avocado oil.
- Avocado: Whole avocado or freshly made guacamole.
- Low-carb vegetables: Most green vegetables, such as tomatoes, onions and peppers.
- Seasonings: You can use salt, pepper and various herbs.
It is best if the diet is based entirely on single-ingredient whole foods.
Bottom line: Base most of your meals on meat, fish, eggs, butter, nuts, avocado and large quantities low carb vegetables.
Simple Ketogenic Meal Plan for the First Week
To help you get started, here is a simple ketogenic meal plan for the first week:
Monday
- Breakfast: Bacon, eggs and tomatoes.
- Dinner: Chicken salad with olive oil and feta cheese.
- Dinner: Salmon with asparagus in butter.
Tuesday
- Breakfast: Eggs, tomatoes, goat cheese and basil omelette.
- Lunch: Almond milk, coconut oil, cocoa and stevia smoothie.
- Dinner: Meatballs, cheddar cheese and vegetables.
- Breakfast: Ketogenic milkshake.
- Lunch: Shrimp and avocado salad with olive oil.
- Dinner: Pork chops with Parmesan cheese, lettuce and broccoli.
Thursday
- Breakfast: Omelet with avocado, salsa, peppers, onions and spices.
- Lunch: A handful of nuts with celery, guacalom and salsa.
- Dinner: Chicken with vegetables, stuffed with pesto and cream cheese.
Friday
- Breakfast: Sugar-free yogurt with coconut oil, cocoa and stevia.
- Lunch: Fried beef in coconut oil with vegetables.
- Dinner: Lightly fried burger, egg and cheese.
Saturday
- Breakfast: Ham and cheese omelette with vegetables.
- Lunch: Ham and cheese slices with nuts.
- Dinner: White fish, eggs with spinach, baked with coconut oil.
Sunday
- Breakfast: Fried eggs with bacon and mushrooms.
- Lunch: Burger with salsa, cheese and guacamole.
- Dinner: Steak with egg and salad.
Always try to try a variety of vegetables and meats, as each type contains different nutrients and provides different health benefits.
Bottom line: You can eat a wide range of delicious and nutritious foods while on a ketogenic diet.
Healthy Ketogenic Snacks
In case you get hungry between planned meals, you can try some healthy, keto-friendly snacks:
- Fatty meat or fish.
- A handful of nuts or seeds.
- Cheese with butter.
- 1-2 hard-boiled eggs.
- Dark chocolate with 90% cocoa content.
- Low carb milkshake with almond milk, cocoa and nut butter.
- Full-fat yogurt mixture with nut butter and cocoa.
- Strawberries and cream.
- Celery with salsa and guacamole.
- Small portions of pre-prepared food.
Bottom Line: Great keto snacks include chunks of meat, cheese, butter, boiled eggs, nuts, and dark chocolate.
Notes on Ketogenic Eating Out
It is not at all difficult to find dishes on a restaurant menu that comply with the ketogenic diet. Most restaurants offer some type of meat and fish dishes. Order them and replace any high-carb foods with an extra serving of vegetables.
Egg dishes are also a great option, as are scrambled eggs or eggs and bacon. Another option is burgers without a bun. You can leave the bun and switch to vegetables instead. Add avocado, cheese, bacon or eggs. 
At Mexican restaurants, enjoy any type of meat with extra cheese, guacamole, salsa or sour cream. For dessert, ask for the cheese mixture or double cream with berries.
Bottom line: When eating out, choose meat, fish or egg dishes. Order extra vegetables to replace carbohydrates and starches, and have cheese for dessert.
Ways to minimize unpleasant side effects
Although the ketogenic diet is safe for people's health, it may have some unwanted effects on the body during the adaptation process. This is often referred to as the “keto flu” and goes away within a few days.
The keto flu includes a lack of energy and mental function, extreme hunger, trouble sleeping, nausea, stomach discomfort and decreased physical performance.
To keep this to a minimum, try to adjust your low-carb diet in the first weeks. This will help your body burn more fat before you cut out carbs completely.
The ketogenic diet can also change the body's water and mineral balances, so adding salt to your diet or taking mineral supplements may be necessary.
As for minerals, try taking 3-4 thousand mg of sodium, 1000 mg of potassium and 300 mg of magnesium per day to minimize these effects.
At least initially, it is important to eat until you are full and avoid severe calorie restrictions. Typically, a ketogenic diet promotes weight loss without intense calorie restriction.
Bottom Line: Many side effects from starting a ketogenic diet can be minimized. Mineral supplements will make it easier to start a diet.
Supplements for the Ketogenic Diet
Although they are not required, some may be beneficial.
- MCT Oil: Added to drinks or yogurt, it will boost energy and increase ketone levels.
- Minerals: Salt and other minerals are important at the beginning of the journey to improve hydration and mineral balances.
- Caffeine: Caffeine will help with energy, weight loss and performance.
- Exogenous ketones: These supplements raise ketone levels.
- Creatine: It has various positive effects on health and physical performance. Helps combine diet with exercise.
- Whey: Use half the dose of whey protein in smoothies or yogurts to increase your daily protein intake.
Bottom line: Some supplements provide benefits on a ketogenic diet. These include exogenous ketones, oil and minerals.
FAQ
Here are answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about the ketogenic diet.
Will I ever be able to eat carbs again?
Yes. However, it is important to exclude them initial stage. After the first two to three months, you will be able to eat carbohydrates on special occasions - but return to the diet immediately after that.
Will I lose muscle mass?
There is a risk of muscle loss with any diet. However, high protein intake and high level ketones will help you minimize such losses, especially if you lift weights.
Is it possible to build muscle mass with this diet?
Yes, but it will not work out as well as with moderate carbohydrate diets.
Do I need to pre-load with carbs?
No. However, a few high-calorie days are better spent now than after starting the diet.
How much protein should I eat?
The amount of protein should be moderate, as consuming too much will cause insulin levels to rise and ketones to decrease. Approximately 35% of total calorie intake can come from protein. 
What if I feel tired and weak all the time?
This means you are not fully in ketosis or are not effectively eliminating fats and ketones. To deal with this, reduce your carbohydrate intake and recheck all of the above. Supplementing with oil or ketones may also help.
My urine smells like fruit, why is that?
Do not worry. This is simply due to the release of by-products of ketosis.
Breath smells bad. What should I do about it?
This is a common effect like this. Drink natural water with additives or chew gum.
I've heard that ketosis is extremely dangerous. This is true?
People often confuse ketosis with ketoacidosis. The first is completely natural, and the second appears only with an uncontrolled diet. Ketoacidosis is dangerous, but ketosis with a ketogenic diet is completely normal and does not harm your health.
I have digestive problems and diarrhea. What should I do?
This is also a common side effect and will go away in 3-4 weeks. If it persists, try to eat more vegetables, rich in fiber. Taking extra magnesium will also help with constipation.
The ketogenic diet is great, but it's not for everyone.
- The ketogenic diet is great for people who are heavier, diabetic, or want to improve their metabolism.
- It is less suitable for elite athletes or those looking to gain muscle mass or weight.
- Like any diet, it only works if you stick to it consistently over a long period of time.
- The ketogenic diet is a powerful health aid and a great way to lose weight.
Let's start with the main thing: the ketogenic diet is a diet high in fat. The second point: the ketogenic diet is officially recognized as healing the body. Finally, third: the menu for a ketogenic diet can only be calculated individually, and only by a doctor. Only and exclusively. We will only tell you how this diet works, what its effect on the digestive tract is, and what nutritional principles underlie it.
For normal functioning, our body needs glucose. He cannot produce it on his own, but receives it from carbohydrates supplied with food. The body forms a small reserve of glucose in the liver and muscles, but it will last for a maximum of a day.
What happens if you stop eating carbohydrates and deprive your body of glucose?
How to replace glucose
If the body gets enough protein, it will break it down and extract glucose from there. If there is not enough protein (wait to be scared, we will explain everything in more detail below), the body finds a replacement for glucose: ketones. These are substances that better supply the body with energy, stimulate brain function, do not affect the state of muscle mass and completely eliminate disruptions in insulin production, which is often mentioned by nutritionists as a side effect of many diets.
Popular
Where do these magical ketones come from?
But this is the most interesting thing. Our own liver, when there is a lack of glucose, begins to produce ketones... by processing fat deposits. Ours, of course.
The ketogenic diet involves eating foods with a very high content of fats (animal fats and some vegetable oils), animal proteins with a very low carbohydrate content.
You will never feel hungry
The general principle is 4 parts fat to one part protein and carbohydrates.
Let us remind you once again: precise recommendations, the balance of nutritional supplements and specific food products will be prescribed to you by a nutritionist or dietician, based on the ratio of muscle and fat mass in your body, your lifestyle, habitual calorie intake and expenditure, age, hormonal levels, body type and other factors.
What you definitely have to exclude from the ketogenic diet menu for a week is cereals, any fruits, regular bread, carrots, beets, potatoes and pasta. The ketogenic diet allows you to eat no more than 200 grams of green vegetables per day.
What you can definitely eat without restrictions: lard, bacon, brisket, brisket, lard, meat, poultry, seafood, fish, eggs, cheeses, avocados, butter and unrefined vegetable oils.
What else is important to know
The first day you will have to fast and drink only water so that the body completely uses up its glucose reserves.
Then, for 2-3 days, eat exclusively proteins and fats: boiled eggs, cottage cheese with rich sour cream, fatty fish, avocados and nuts will be used. Often, newbies start out with scrambled eggs or scrambled eggs with bacon: a great option!
For the remaining 3 days, permitted vegetables, poultry, fatty meats and cheeses will be added.
After a week, it is recommended to interrupt the ketogenic diet so that the body restores carbohydrate metabolism and recovers itself. The cycle can be repeated 2-3 times until the desired body weight is achieved; in the first week, most lose from 5 to 8 kg.
Interestingly, the ketogenic diet is prescribed for life (!) for those suffering from epilepsy, predisposition to Alzheimer's disease, and is considered to prevent a number of cancer diseases. In addition, the ketogenic diet is often suitable for cutting.
So if you like this idea, contact a nutritionist for an individual consultation and declare a battle against excess weight!
The essence of the ketogenic diet
We all know that carbohydrates are the main sources of excess fat, so in order to lose weight, you need to exclude them from your diet. However, there is also healthy carbohydrates that provide our body with energy?! So what should we do? And is it possible to lose weight by completely eliminating carbohydrates from your diet?
All these questions can be answered using a ketogenic diet, which excludes the consumption of carbohydrates, but at the same time does not harm health and will allow you to get rid of excess weight. Want to know more about this diet? Then carefully study our today's publication.
Ketogenic diet - description and general principles
As we have already mentioned, the ketogenic diet excludes carbohydrates from the diet, explaining this by the fact that in the absence of carbohydrate foods, which are the main source of energy, our body will begin to use fats that have become a “heavy burden” on the body. As a result of the breakdown of fats, ketogenic bodies are formed, which will be further used by the body as energy. Well, this whole process is called ketosis, which is formed as a result of eating foods rich in proteins and fats.
It's important to note that low-carb diets can make you feel weak and lethargic in the beginning. However, this is just an adaptation period that must be endured. But then you can be content beautiful figure, while absolutely not suffering from carbohydrate restrictions.
The features of the ketogenic diet also include its diet, which consists of protein dishes. These include salads made from lean meat, cabbage soup with rich sour cream, pork fried with vegetables, scrambled eggs with chicken or bacon, etc. That is, you won’t have to give up your favorite hearty dishes.
The duration of the ketogenic diet is six days, and each of them has its own specific rules. So, the first three days of the diet are fasting, during which you are allowed to drink only water. This will thoroughly cleanse the body and prepare it for intensive weight loss. However, for this stage it is better to take a vacation and rest at home.
From the fourth to the sixth day, it is allowed to introduce food into the diet, but adhere to a certain ratio of proteins, fats and carbohydrates. 4 parts should be fats, and 1 part should be proteins and carbohydrates.
Pros and cons of the classic ketogenic diet
The plus is that this diet is very effective, the diet works, and how! The main thing is that you will practically not experience feelings of hunger, which means that the calorie restriction in your diet will be quite easy to tolerate.
Ketones are an excellent source of energy for the brain.
It is also important that the ketogenic diet reduces the risk of cardiovascular diseases due to a sharp decrease in insulin secretion. But for people leading an active lifestyle, this plus can easily transform into a minus, because insulin is a powerful anti-catabolic agent. A decrease in insulin secretion is superimposed on the ability of a ketogenic diet to provoke acidosis in the muscles, which means proteolysis increases, that is, the breakdown of the body’s own proteins is facilitated. And catabolism can get out of control. Not immediately, of course, but in 3-4 days for sure.
It is simply impossible to follow the classic ketogenic diet for a long time - you start to feel sick in the most natural way. It is not for nothing that for children suffering from epilepsy, the ketogenic diet was limited to a period of 36 hours.
The ketogenic diet is currently used to treat certain types of cancer. Specifically, this is prostate cancer, and this uses the ability of diet to reduce the production of IGF-1 (insulin-like growth factor 1).
Another disadvantage is a decrease in the level of free testosterone in the blood plasma.
The main danger of the keto diet is the increase in ketone levels in the blood, which lowers the blood acidity (pH) level and can cause death in extreme cases. This condition is called ketoacidosis. First of all, this applies to people with severe and moderate forms of diabetes. If it is not there, there is no need to worry about it, since the blood of healthy people contains exactly as many ketones as the body can process.
It takes time for the body to give up glucose and learn to feed the brain with ketone bodies, so the level of physical and mental activity may decrease in the first week. The main symptoms are lethargy, dizziness and mental fog.
Many people experience this condition extremely painfully, and “give up” literally on the second day. But the state of health completely returns to normal on the third to fifth day, when the body is rebuilt.
Lack of fiber causes slow bowel function. Main meaning ketogenic diet - complete abstinence from carbohydrates.
Accordingly, the diet should consist of proteins and fats, and fiber is a complex carbohydrate. It is possible to take fiber in its pure form and simply include green vegetables or lettuce leaves in the diet, which contain quite a lot of coarse dietary fiber.
An important disadvantage of the diet is a deficiency of microelements caused by the exclusion of foods containing carbohydrates from the diet. Essentially, any meat or dairy products recommended on a ketogenic diet do not contain most vitamins or minerals. The best way To avoid deficiency - take vitamins and minerals, dietary supplements containing minerals. A number of minerals, such as zinc or magnesium, are critical for the body's functioning and hormonal levels.
Contraindications
Ketogenic diets are contraindicated in the presence or history of liver disease, kidney disease, metabolic disorders (including congenital and genetically determined metabolic disorders), progressive encephalopathies, as well as diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular diseases, cerebrovascular and lipid diseases, as in simultaneous use of valproic acid preparations (valproates). There are currently no known contraindications for its use.
When prescribing a ketogenic diet, the diet for each child and adult is calculated only by a doctor! Strictly individually, taking into account the diagnosis, age and weight of the child, his nutritional needs. Contents of essential foods nutrients(proteins, fats, carbohydrates) is selected in a certain ratio, which is determined only by a specialist! During treatment, this ratio may change, so constant monitoring of the patient by the attending physician is necessary, who, if necessary, makes dietary adjustments. The patient's diet includes different kinds fatty foods - bacon, heavy cream, vegetable oils, such as flaxseed. In countries where the ketogenic diet is widely used, food industry produces a variety of specialty products that can provide a varied and complete menu.
For those starting a course of treatment, nutritionists have developed special milkshakes with a lot of fat, which you can not only drink, but also eat frozen like ice cream. This helps the child get used to fatty foods and creates the necessary biochemical changes in the body that provide an antiepileptic effect. During treatment, the doctor is required great art drawing up a menu, otherwise the child will quickly get tired of the monotonous food and he may refuse to eat altogether. During various diseases, such as a cold, metabolism always changes. This may make the ketogenic diet less effective. During such conditions, you should definitely consult with your doctor so that he can adjust the menu.
What can you eat on a ketogenic diet and what recommendations should you follow?
The ketogenic diet focuses on foods rich in protein and fat. It is important that moderate consumption of fat is healthy and even necessary, because it is fat that causes a long-lasting feeling of fullness.
Fats can be divided into three groups:
- saturated fat (found in red meat and dairy products);
- unsaturated (found in vegetable oils and vegetables);
- monounsaturated (found in fish and olives).
Fats perform many functions in the human body:
- energy (with a lack of calories, fats can be broken down, supplying the body with energy);
- protective (all organs are covered with a thin layer and have high thermal insulation properties);
- construction (part of cell membranes);
- enzymatic (some lipids are part of cofactors);
- hormonal (some lipids are part of hormones and mediators).
The best choice would be foods rich in protein - meat, fish, milk, cottage cheese, eggs, cheese, as well as their derivatives. Carbohydrates are acceptable, but only in small quantities. 30-50 grams of fiber will be enough for digestion.
Any starch-containing products (cereals, pasta, potatoes) and sugar in any form are strictly not recommended. Almost all fruits contain a lot of sugar in one form or another, so they are also prohibited. It is always necessary to look at the composition of the product on the label, because even a glass of milk contains approximately 15 grams of carbohydrates. In addition, a list of basic food additives is being studied, which will also have to be excluded, if only because they are harmful.
To encourage weight loss, drink plenty of water. Water helps the body burn more calories and prevents constipation. Limit your caffeine intake. Exercise regularly.
Exercise will help you lose fat faster on a ketogenic diet. Walk, ride a bike, run in the park or work out at the gym. Incorporating physical activity into your daily schedule can help you maintain a healthy heart and lose weight.
Get a good night's sleep. In the early stages of ketosis, you may feel very tired. Sleep at least 7-8 hours a night to restore energy. Good vacation will also promote weight loss.
Contact your doctor if you experience cold-like symptoms. Many people feel tired and have a mild headache during ketosis. Sometimes side effects become severe enough to require medical attention.
Ketogenic diet: menu for 6 days
The following products are excluded from the menu: potatoes, bread, baked goods, cereals, carrots and beets, bananas, grapes, sugar and sweet drinks. It is allowed to consume dairy and fermented milk products, meat (mainly turkey and chicken), fish (salmon, tuna, herring), eggs.
Menu for 6 days
Experts advise starting a ketogenic diet program with fasting, which should last 3 days. At this time you can only drink boiled water. Physical activity should also be reduced. In the following days, permitted foods are gradually introduced into the diet. The menu might look something like this:
- boiled eggs (2 pcs), 50 g butter, tea or coffee with 15 g heavy cream;
- 2 boiled sausages, a quarter of a tomato, 1.5 tsp. mayonnaise;
- cottage cheese with sour cream (150 g);
- chicken breast (1 piece), green beans, 10 g butter, vegetable oil (2 tbsp.), coffee (tea) with cream.
- protein bread and butter (30 g);
- lean meat (150 g), cucumber and onion salad, seasoned with vegetable oil;
- cabbage soup fried with sour cream, fried pork with tomatoes, tea and cream;
- scrambled eggs with brisket, cucumber, protein bread (50 g).
- quail eggs (4 pcs), coffee with high fat cream (15 g);
- 150 g boiled beef;
- turkey with mayonnaise and tomato;
- low-fat sea fish(piece), half portion green beans(boiled).
The portion of food during these 3 days should be one third of the usual portion of an adult. Between meals you can snack on cottage cheese, yogurt, kefir or fermented baked milk.
Popular Recipes for the Ketogenic Diet
Omelet with bacon
Ingredients: chicken eggs(2 pcs), 2 pieces of lean bacon, butter (1 tbsp), cream (100 g), salt and red pepper (to taste).
Fry the bacon pieces in a frying pan over high heat for 2 minutes on each side.
Whisk the eggs and cream, add salt and pepper.
Pour the mixture into the pan with the bacon and place on low heat for 10 - 15 minutes.
Scrambled eggs and ham
Ingredients: 2 eggs, 50 g ham, processed cheese(25-50 g), vegetable oil (1 tbsp), dill, parsley, salt.
Cut the ham into cubes and place in a frying pan with vegetable oil.
Beat the eggs in there. Grate the cheese and sprinkle on top.
Fry over low heat for about 3 minutes.
Serve with greens.
Baked turnips
Ingredients: turnips (400 g), grated cheese (150 g), a raw egg, butter, sour cream, salt and pepper.
Peel the turnips and cover with water in a saucepan.
Place on the fire, let it boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for about an hour. Then take it out and let it cool.
Place the turnips with sour cream and butter in a food processor and blend into a homogeneous mixture.
Add cheese, eggs and scroll again.
Pour the resulting puree into a baking dish and place in the oven at 170 degrees. Bake until golden brown.
Remove and sprinkle with herbs.
Grilled vegetables
Ingredients: Bell pepper(200 g), onions (2 pcs), olive oil, olives, capers (1 tbsp), vinegar, salt, pepper.
Cut the bell pepper in half and remove the seeds.
Cut the onion into small cubes (1 cm thick).
Place everything on the grill. Cook for 5 minutes on each side. Remove and cool.
Cut the pepper into strips. In a salad bowl, mix olive oil, capers, vinegar and olives. Add pepper and onion, stir. At the end add pepper and salt.
The ketogenic diet course can be maintained for 6 days, then you should replenish the carbohydrate reserves in the body by returning carbohydrate-containing foods to the diet for several days. When using the technique for weight loss, you can repeat it 2-3 times to achieve the desired body weight. Patients with epilepsy, as recommended by doctors, continue to eat this diet for months until the number of seizures is reduced.
When does the diet take effect?
The effect of using the ketogenic diet occurs gradually during the first 3 months after starting it. Typically, long-term treatment is required (for several years, usually 2-3 years), after which a stable improvement is generally observed, which persists even with a normal diet. Thus, there is no need to follow a ketogenic diet for life.
In many cases, the positive effect is noticeable already in the first or second week of treatment. However, sometimes within one or two months of using the diet no effect is noticeable - in this case it is too early to draw conclusions about the ineffectiveness of the treatment; perhaps the doctor needs to more carefully calculate the biochemical parameters.
In the generally accepted sense, given in to a greater extent is a variation on the theme of therapeutic fasting followed by a “load” of foods that induce ketosis. For the first three days of therapy, you should completely refuse any food and limit yourself only to drinking water in any quantity. Mineral water and artificially sweetened drinks with and without carbonated water, as well as juices, are prohibited. You can drink green tea. Water can be boiled or purified. During this period, it is necessary to reduce the patient’s physical activity; sometimes bed rest is indicated. For the next three days, you should slowly introduce food, a quarter of the usual portion. When choosing foods, you should be guided by the principle of 4 parts fat to one part protein and carbohydrates.
The menu is somewhat reminiscent of the so-called fat diets for weight loss. The main thing is that you must completely exclude foods such as cereals, fruits, regular bread, carrots, beets, potatoes and pasta.
Complications
As with any method of therapy, the use of a ketogenic diet in some cases is associated with some adverse reactions, the main ones of which are listed below.
Hair loss. Some children experience hair loss or sparse hair growth after long-term use of the ketogenic diet.
It is believed that this complication is associated primarily with a deficiency of minerals in the diet.
Delayed linear growth. This type of physical development disorder was recorded in some patients, but its connection with the ketogenic diet continues to be debated to this day. Increased levels of cholesterol and triglycerides in the blood. The ketogenic diet, which consists of almost 90% fat, in some cases leads to an increase in cholesterol and other lipids in the blood. At any lipid content (cholesterol - more than 800 mg%, triglycerides - more than 1000 mg%), stopping the diet is not required. Reducing the fat to protein-carbohydrate ratio from 4:1 to 3.5:1 usually results in a rapid reduction in lipid levels to acceptable levels.
Kidney stones. This complication of the ketogenic diet affects approximately 1 in 6 patients. It is believed to occur due to inadequate fluid intake in children. Therefore, when carrying out a ketogenic diet, a urine test is performed to determine the density and detect blood impurities. If necessary, an ultrasound examination of the kidneys is performed.
Drowsiness and lethargy may occur due to excessive ketosis or toxicity of concomitantly used antiepileptic drugs. Levels medicines in the blood may increase against the background of a ketogenic diet, even in the absence of increasing their dosage. For this reason, it is necessary to check their concentration in the blood and promptly reduce the dose of potentially sedative drugs such as phenobarbital and benzodiazepines.
Constipation is usually attributed to relatively small meals while following a ketogenic diet and limited water intake. Increasing the daily volume of fluid consumed by 100-150 ml helps to avoid defecation disorders.
Patients who are overweight are caused by consuming too many calories, not too much fat. Therefore, the energy content of the diet when prescribing a ketogenic diet must be adapted to their individual needs.
Weight loss. This point can be explained by some individual metabolic characteristics, as well as the patient’s level of physical activity. If it turns out that the child’s body weight has decreased by 400-500 g in 1 month, the energy capacity of the diet can be increased by about 100 kcal per day. It should be remembered that by increasing the calorie intake of children early age or patients with a low level of physical activity, the amount of energy consumed should not be increased by more than 25 kcal at a time.
The ketogenic, or ketone, sometimes simply keto, diet is one of the most well-studied nutritional systems by scientists, the benefits of which have been proven by many experiments and clinical studies.
What it is?
The ketogenic diet is a low-carbohydrate diet with high content in the fat menu. The diet is similar to:
- regular low-carbohydrate diet;
A diet that significantly reduces the amount of carbohydrates and increases the intake of fats puts the body into a state called ketosis.
Therefore, in order to understand the benefits of the keto diet, you must first answer the question, what is ketosis in humans?
Ketosis is a metabolic condition in which fats are the main source of energy in the body. This occurs when the intake of carbohydrates, usually the primary source of energy, is reduced to a minimum.
Ketosis occurs during pregnancy and infancy. It can be induced artificially in adults by switching to a high-fat, low-carbohydrate diet.
In a state of ketosis, insulin levels decrease. Fatty acids leave adipose tissue in large quantities and enter the liver, where they are oxidized and converted into ketone bodies, or ketones, which are a source of energy for the body.
Ketone bodies are able to penetrate the blood-brain barrier and nourish brain cells in the absence of glucose.
The sustained reduction in insulin and sugar levels that occurs with a ketogenic diet has multiple beneficial influence on human health.
Different diet options
There are 4 main types of keto diet.
Standard ketogenic diet. This involves consuming plenty of protein and fat and keeping carbohydrates to a minimum. Typically the menu includes 75% fat, 20% protein and 5% carbohydrates.
Cyclical keto diet. With this nutrition system, 5 days follow the standard keto diet, and 2 days are made high-carbohydrate. Reminds me of the BUTCH diet.
Targeted approach. They eat a ketogenic diet and consume carbohydrates before and after workouts.
Keto diet high in protein. Same as the standard regimen, only more proteins. 60% - fats, 35% - proteins, 5% - carbohydrates.
All the scientific research that has been done has only looked at the standard version of the ketogenic diet.
The cyclic option and targeted approach are used only by athletes, mainly bodybuilders. These eating plans are not intended to help you lose weight or improve your health.
Keto diet for weight loss
There is rigorous scientific evidence indicating that the ketogenic diet is not only highly effective method weight loss, but also demonstrates more stable results compared to traditional low-fat weight loss systems that require strict calorie restrictions.
Legumes . Beans, peas, lentils, etc. Can be used in green form, for example, bean pods.
Tubers and rhizomes. Potatoes, carrots, beets, parsnips, etc.
Any “diet” food, for example, low-fat cottage cheese (in such products fat is replaced with sugar).
Products sweetened with sugar alcohols( , ) - have a negative effect on ketone bodies.
Gravy and sauces, in the preparation of which sugar, starch, and flour were used.
Alcohol.
Fish and seafood.
Eggs.
Vegetables. Preferably green. Others are also allowed (tomatoes, eggplants, onions, sweet peppers) - the main thing is that there is a lot of fiber and virtually no easily digestible carbohydrates.
Full fat dairy products– cream, butter, cheese.
Nuts and seeds.
Mushrooms.
The right vegetable oils: olive, coconut oil, avocado.
Fermented foods: natural yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut, etc.
Spices and seasonings.
Menu for the week
| Monday | Tuesday |
| Breakfast: omelet with bacon and tomatoes. Lunch: Cauliflower and broccoli soup in chicken broth, boiled chicken with sauteed eggplant and bell pepper. Dinner: A piece of red fish baked in sour cream with vegetable salad. | Breakfast: full-fat natural yogurt without sweeteners or flavors with nuts and/or seeds. Lunch: Bone broth (preferably beef) with a hard-boiled egg, a piece of boiled beef with salad sauerkraut(without potatoes). Dinner: chicken stewed with zucchini. |
| Wednesday | Thursday |
| Dinner : Fish soup(no potatoes), pork chop with sautéed green beans. Dinner: with cucumbers and tomatoes. | Breakfast: Cottage cheese of normal fat content without sugar and flavorings. Lunch: Zucchini soup (without potatoes), minced steak with egg and vegetable salad. Dinner: Cauliflower casserole with cheese. |
| Friday | Saturday |
| Breakfast: soft-boiled eggs with a piece of cheese. Lunch: Sour cabbage soup (without potatoes), with. Dinner: Salad with fish and/or seafood (no potatoes and rice), but with green vegetables, tomatoes, etc. | Breakfast: Omelette with spinach. Lunch: with meatballs (without flour or bread), beef azu with stewed cabbage(fresh or sour)./p> Dinner . Cottage cheese casserole (without flour or semolina) with sour cream. |
| Sunday | Let's move on to next week |
| Breakfast: Scrambled eggs with bell pepper. Lunch: Light vegetable soup with cauliflower and broccoli (without potatoes), with cucumber and tomato salad. Dinner: Mushrooms stewed with sour cream, with vegetable salad. | We repeat the first week, trying to add maximum variety to the menu. After all, there are a huge number of recipes in the world that satisfy the keto diet. |
Rules to follow
- You can and should eat to your fullest without counting calories.
- Can only be eaten the right fats. This means that cooking is only allowed on . Salads only need to be greased.
- There should be a lot of fat in the diet.
- Tea, coffee, and many other drinks are allowed. The main selection criterion is the absence of sugar and sweeteners in the drink.
- You should try to put as many spices as possible into your food.
What can you eat as a snack?
Because the ketogenic diet doesn't require counting calories, snacking is not only allowed, but encouraged. Another thing is that they must be correct.
Allowed:
- boiled eggs;
- cheeses;
- nuts, seeds, as well as various pastes and oils prepared from them;
- berries, for example, strawberries with cream (however, you should not get carried away with berries);
- natural yogurt and other natural fermented milk products;
- all vegetables allowed by the diet and light salads made from them.
How to overcome the difficulties of switching to this type of nutrition?
Even though the keto diet is safe for most people, at first you may experience some unpleasant symptoms called the “keto flu.”
May be noted:
- constant feeling of hunger;
- chronic fatigue;
- insomnia;
- discomfort in the abdominal area, nausea;
- problems with concentration;
- headache and dizziness;
- irritability, tearfulness.
The “keto flu” lasts from several days to several weeks. Associated with the restructuring of the body to use fat as a primary source of fuel. While adaptation is taking place, there may not be enough energy, which leads to the listed symptoms, which are unpleasant. But they do not pose any danger.
- sodium – 3-4 grams per day;
- – 1g;
- magnesium – 0.3g.
Ketosis in humans is terribly dangerous. Is not it so?
No. Ketoacidosis, which develops in severe diabetes, is dangerous. Ketosis is a completely normal physiological state.
The ketogenic diet has a lot of useful properties. But this - strict diet, and therefore stick to it difficult. Not everyone can handle it.
However, if you want not only to lose weight, but also to improve your health, for example, get rid of type 2 diabetes, alleviate neurological diseases, etc., the game is worth the candle.
But you will have to gather your will into a fist.
18-10-2015
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This article is based on scientific evidence, written and reviewed by experts. Our team of licensed nutritionists and estheticians strive to be objective, unbiased, honest and present both sides of the argument.
The ketogenic diet, which many people now use to lose weight, was actually developed to treat patients with epilepsy. Thanks to it, many managed to reduce the manifestations of this “terrible” disease in their children, and some even completely forgot about its existence.
But due to the fact that progress does not stand still, the ketogenic diet is used very rarely for these purposes. But among lovers of a fit, slender and pumped up body, she has become very popular.
After all, it helps you lose weight, get rid of extra pounds and at the same time maintain muscle mass, which not all diets succeed in. In addition, the ketogenic diet goes well with physical activity, which further increases its effectiveness.
The ketogenic diet for weight loss is based on three main concepts - ketone and ketosis.
Proteins - their large presence in food does not allow the body to dry out muscles; instead, it takes energy from fat reserves, thereby reducing the fat layer, which leads to weight loss.
Ketone is a substitute for carbohydrates, which are the energy of our body and are often stored in reserve. From a medical point of view, ketones are breakdown products of fats. If you induce this process artificially (that is, by completely eliminating the consumption of carbohydrates), then harmful substances will begin to accumulate in the body, which in itself is dangerous.
Therefore, it is extremely important to understand that if you want to lose weight using a ketogenic diet, you must learn to artificially remove these substances from your body. And you can do this in several ways:
- drink plenty of fluids (toxins will simply be flushed out of the body and eliminated naturally);
- exercise (during exercise, the body sweats, and toxins are released along with sweat);
- Replenish glycogen reserves 1-2 times a week, that is, eat carbohydrate foods.
Note that the ketogenic diet does not completely eliminate carbohydrates from the diet, but reduces them to 30 grams per day. This amount is not enough to ensure that glycogen reserves are always normal. To do this, it is necessary to arrange, so to speak, recovery days. You need to eat as follows - 5 days only protein foods, 2 days carbohydrates.
The ketogenic diet menu consists, as you already understood, of protein foods. This:
- fish;
- meat;
- eggs;
- cottage cheese;
- milk;
- kefir.
Vegetables are also allowed while maintaining this diet. But it is worth considering that they contain carbohydrates, so you should consume them in too large quantities. You can use the following menu (you can change something, but according to the indications it should be approximately the same).
Breakfast
As a rule, most of us eat scrambled eggs in the morning. And since eggs are on the list of permitted foods, you can use them to make an omelet for breakfast. It is recommended to cook it by steaming 2 eggs, without adding oil. You can eat an omelette at pure form, or you can add 1 tomato and chopped herbs to it.
So, let's count carbohydrates. Eggs contain approximately 0.7 grams, tomatoes and greens contain 5 grams each. In total, it turns out that such a breakfast contains only 11 grams of carbohydrates. Not bad.
Dinner
For lunch, you can cook any meat (100 grams) of your choice (except pork, because it is not dietary product). Preference should be given to beef and veal. The meat can be boiled, steamed or baked in the oven without oil. Stew can serve as a side dish vegetable stew(portion 100 grams). You can also add a small piece of cheese (no more than 40 grams), one cucumber and fresh green salad to lunch.
We count the amount of carbohydrates. Stew from stewed vegetables contains approximately 7 grams, cucumber – 4 grams. There are no carbohydrates in meat and cheese. The total is only 11 grams.
Dinner
For dinner, instead of meat, you can eat a piece of fish (about 200 grams), add a couple of green salad leaves, a cucumber and a tomato. You can also eat one boiled egg. This dinner is light and will relieve you from the feeling of heaviness in your stomach.
Let's calculate the amount of carbohydrates in this dinner. Fish - like meat, it contains no carbohydrates, an egg is about 0.7 grams, a tomato is 5 grams, a fresh cucumber is 4 grams, and lettuce is 1.3 grams. The total is 12 grams.
And if you count the total amount of carbohydrates eaten, you get 34 grams. This is very little. If while maintaining the diet you feel drowsy or notice that you are starting to get tired quickly, then you will need to increase the amount of carbohydrates you consume by about 2 times (up to 60 grams).
Since this diet provokes artificial ketone production, which can negatively affect your health, you should consult your doctor in advance. Otherwise, you risk earning exacerbations or new diseases as a “bonus”.
Keto diet video