What is the keto diet, how does it affect weight loss and well-being, and what foods can you eat?
Thousands of people around the world eat fatty and high-calorie foods and literally melt before our eyes.At the forefront of global weight loss is the keto diet.A newfangled way of eating where you can only eat protein and fat, excluding all carbohydrate foods.
It seems impossible for a modern and active person to live without carbohydrates, because it is glucose from cereals, fruits and sweets that provides the body with fuel.But the keto diet proves otherwise: you can get energy from fat but still lose weight and stay healthy.
Ketogenic diet, keto diet (eng. Ketogenic diet) is a low-carbohydrate diet with high fat content and moderate protein content.
The first keto diet was developed in 1921 at the Mayo Clinic by Dr.Wilder for treating epilepsy in children: carbohydrates often cause seizures, but ketones do not.And in the 1970s, Robert Atkins developed the ketogenic weight loss diet, which has gained great popularity in recent years due to its effectiveness and benefits.
Ketones are healthier than glucose
Why, when we have no strength, do we want chocolate?The reason is that chocolate is a carbohydrate that is converted into glucose which then provides energy for the body.It turns out that if the body limits carbohydrates and glucose, the liver begins to convert fat into ketone bodies.They enter the brain and become a complete source of energy instead of glucose.The fewer carbohydrates you eat, the more ketones your body produces.
Ketones have many advantages over regular glucose fuel.They enrich the body with oxygen, increase energy, and support the brain and heart.Ketones combine the properties of fats and carbohydrates, which is why you feel energized and full on the keto diet.It helps to combine the keto diet with intermittent fasting, as there is no hunger pangs and you can survive on two meals.By the way, on the keto diet you don't need to force yourself to eat as usual: breakfast, lunch and dinner.Listen to your body and eat when you really want to.
The process of breaking down fats and turning them into ketones is called ketosis.According to nutritionists, the benefits are numerous.It helps lower insulin, eliminate liver fat, improve cognitive performance and mood, lower blood pressure, increase energy, and reduce inflammation.And most importantly, belly fat disappears and skin becomes clear!You become healthier, prettier and thinner.
Keto diet: possible complications and disadvantages
- Constipation.Therefore, you definitely need to eat lots of greens and vegetables.
- Possible kidney stonescaused by oxalates (salts and esters of oxalic acid.).Therefore, you need to consume spinach with caution.It is better to drink more water with lemon.
- Insomnia and irritabilitydue to macronutrient deficiencies.
- Rashdue to vitamin B2 deficiency.
- Acetone smellfrom the body, urine and mouth due to a sharp increase in ketones.To minimize this, you need to drink more clean water.
- Ketoacidosis- when, due to the large amount of ketones, the body is oxidized.
It takes time for the body to adapt to a new nutritional system.In the early stages, lethargy, bowel problems, and decreased attention are possible.In addition, when the body enters a state of ketosis, body weight decreases sharply in the first week: excess water and fat are lost.Starting from the second week, your weight will continue to decrease, but not too fast.
Diabetics, pregnant women, and people with weak immune systems need to be careful with the keto diet.In addition, fans of active sports should not get carried away with the keto diet - you may not be able to calculate the strength and not be able to train.
Keto Diet: Main Foods
Basics of the ketogenic diet per day:
- 75% - fat,
- 20% - proteins,
- 5% no more than 25 grams) - carbohydrates.
You can mix any of the listed products and create a dish to suit your taste and preferences.
What you can eat on the keto diet:
- Oil(coconut, olive, ghee, butter, avocado oil).
- Meat(poultry, pork, beef, bacon, liver and offal).Can be eaten with skin and fat.
- Fish and seafood(salmon, trout, pink salmon, chum salmon, caviar, shrimp, mussels, squid, cod liver).The fattier the fish, the better.
- egg(chicken and quail).
- Green vegetables(cauliflower, broccoli, zucchini, zucchini, green beans)and green vegetablescan be eaten in unlimited quantities.Exclude potatoes, beets and carrots, dose onions and garlic.
- Unsweetened fruits, berries and citrus fruits.
- Avocado, coconut.
- mold
- Coconut or almondsmilk without sugar
- Full fat dairy products(sour cream, cheese, cream, cottage cheese).Milk - rarely, can be added to coffee.
- Flour(coconut, almond, flaxseed).
- Spices and salt, balsamic sauce.
- Nuts and peanut butterwithout sugar (30-50 g per day, no more).
- Seeds (chia, flax, sesame, pumpkin seeds) and sprouts- beneficial phytonutrients.
- Herbal tea, coffee.
- Protein shakesand bars without sugar and glucose.
All cereals, soy, nuts, sweets and flour are prohibited!
Keto diet: menu of the week (options)
Breakfast:
- Lard with spices and egg white
- Eggs with avocado and salmon
- Omelet with mushrooms and vegetables
- Scrambled eggs with cheese and tomatoes
- Cottage cheese with nuts, seeds and berries
- Egg casserole with bacon, spinach and cheese
- Almond flour and coconut milk pancakes
Have lunch:
- Steamed broccoli and 200 g of any meat
- Casserole made with minced pork, cheese and eggs
- Puree cauliflower and fried chicken
- Stuffed mushrooms (peppers) with sour cream
- Chicken soup with celery and melted cheese
- Quiche with salmon and broccoli (with almond flour or flax seeds, and psyllium) + You can fill the quiche with meat, liver, with the addition of cream and cheese.
- Cut beef with vegetables
Dinner:
- Cheesecake with coconut and nuts
- Chicken wings with mushrooms stewed in coconut milk (or other)
- Steamed salmon (chum salmon, pink salmon, trout), green beans and broccoli
- Braised zucchini with bell peppers and turkey hedgehogs
- Eggs, cod liver and homemade mayonnaise
- Chicken fillet with cheese and herbs
- Zucchini pasta with ground beef, pepper and cheese, fried in vegetable oil.
The keto diet is a good way to lose weight and improve your body's health.However, for a long-term diet, choose foods that are balanced between protein, fat and carbohydrates.Then you will always be fit and in a good mood!