Throughout its history, civilized humanity has sought to improve the quality of life, the basis of which is nutrition. Numerous diets and fasting systems are proof of this. It is given beautiful names, among which there are understandable ones with a familiar array of products, but there are many unusual ones with an exotic focus.
Recently, the keto diet, the ketogenic diet (ketone diet) or the low carbohydrate diet with a high percentage of fat in the diet are gaining more and more popularity. Its significance is a sharp reduction in carbohydrate foods and an increase in the proportion of predominantly fatty foods and a moderate protein intake. As a result of ketogenic nutrition, fatty acids are broken down into ketone bodies which, under conditions of glucose deficiency, feed all organs, including the brain.
Until recently, athletes resorted to ketogenic nutrition in an effort to build muscle mass and reduce fat mass in their bodies to zero. However, carbohydrate-free nutrition has been inherent in humanity since the beginning of its history. From the point of view of physiology, we are all hunters and getters.
The human brain has evolved due to the consumption of huge amounts of fat throughout the history of evolution. The ancients ate exclusively animal food, the components of which were only proteins and fats. According to scientists, for a relatively short period of its existence, the body of a modern person did not have time to adapt to a diet containing carbohydrates and, moreover, consisting only of carbohydrates, which make up the raw food diet.
It is quite reasonable to conclude that with the advent of carbohydrate nutrition, a process opposite to the development of human intelligence is inevitable. To understand the ketogenic diet in more detail, you need to learn some basic concepts related to this topic, which will help find the answer to the question: what is the ketogenic diet.
What is a keto diet, concept, definition
Recently, there has been a tremendous amount of information on the ketogenic diet. The authors interpret the essence of the ketological system in their own way, they pursue different goals, but the essence of keto does not change from this. Let's start simple.
Keto is eating certain foods in certain combinations to get the body running on ketones. Ketones are produced by the body when fat is burned. They are alternative fuels. For the human body, this fuel is the most convenient, since the amount of "waste" is significantly reduced, this fuel is the most efficient.
If we make an analogy with car fuel, then carbohydrate foods are the cheapest fuel containing a huge amount of impurities, while carbohydrate-free or low-carb foods are Euro fuel, premium fuel for our body, since they do not contain "tasty" impurity byproducts, keto fuel is more effective for a living organism.
One of the main benefits of the keto diet is the absence of hunger and cravings for certain foods. You can easily stay on this diet for a long time. It is not only efficient, it is comfortable and pleasant.
Over 90% of diets fail. They can't be followed all the time. Carbohydrate cravings and hunger are doing their job. A huge number of temptations lead to disastrous disruptions and results. The lost weight comes back and often brings friends with it - new kilograms.
Such an unpleasant sensation as hunger is absent on keto. Yes, while fasting you can go into a state of ketosis, but why, if there is a great way to achieve it without limiting yourself to food. The keto diet does not cause damage to the body like fasting.
Taking ketogenic food, the body continues to receive all the necessary substances and does not feel hunger. At the same time, the process of breaking down fats is initiated: the body enters a state of ketosis, that is, it begins to produce ketones due to a reduced consumption of carbohydrates.
Carbohydrates are not completely excluded from the diet (the exception is the period of entry into ketosis, it is recommended to completely exclude carbohydrates). They must be present in the diet, but their percentage of proteins and fats must be controlled. The fewer carbohydrates, the deeper the ketosis.
The ketogenic diet is a fat burning diet. A huge number of people dream of losing weight and reducing volume. For those who are serious about the state of their body, keto is that easy and pleasant magic pill to swallow.
Many people think that eating a lot of fat is harmful. But if you significantly reduce the amount of carbohydrates, there is absolutely no threat to fat consumption. Since, when you go into ketosis, your body simply switches from sugar to fat. With time it takes 2 to 3 days. And to achieve this, it is necessary to drastically reduce the amount of carbohydrates.
For a more effective entry into ketosis, carbohydrates are completely excluded. This restructuring of nutrition forces the body to seek out other sources of energy. And one such source is fat reserves, carefully accumulated over many years.
With low calorie diets, weight loss occurs due to the loss of water supplies. This can go on for a week, two weeks. Here comes the euphoria - it worked! Weight Loss In Progress! But at the end of the diet, the water weight returns. The significance of such diets is reduced to zero, if not worse, the weight returns and brings additional kilograms with soda. The fat burning process has not started. Water loss and fat loss are completely different things.
If you use physical exercises to lose weight, they only give 15% of the result, which is very insignificant compared to the correct keto diet. In addition, constant hunger and the desire for any food do not allow you to resist a low-calorie diet at least for a while.
98% of such diets end in failure, explaining the lack of willpower. When you eat carbohydrate foods, your blood sugar levels drop due to an increase in insulin, which suppresses blood sugar. With low blood sugar, there is a constant feeling of hunger, irritability.
When following a ketogenic or ketogenic diet, real fat will be burned. The water weight will also decrease, but the main goal of burning fat in the body will be achieved. And the fewer carbohydrates you eat, the more efficient the fat burning process will be. The feeling of hunger and craving for food will disappear. Due to these circumstances, you can follow this diet for quite a long time.
Any restructuring of the body results in unpleasant symptoms. To avoid transient symptoms, the use of vitamins and electrolytes is necessary.
Along with a number of negative side effects of keto nutrition, there are also positive ones:
- Memory improvement;
- Energy boost;
- Intelligence increases;
- The mood improves.
Because ketones are the best brain food. As a result, the inflammation and pain or tension, if any, disappear. Keto leads to an improvement in the condition of the skin, the rash disappears, if it were.
Comparing low-calorie and low-fat diets with keto shows significant advantages of keto over other diets.
Why you should use ketogenic nutrition
Everyone who has resorted to a ketogenic diet has a specific goal. And the goals can be different. These can be both aesthetic needs and a desire to improve one's health, or at least improve the condition caused by a particular disease.
Switching to a ketogenic diet is often associated with a desire to reduce weight and volume. This is the most obvious result of the keto diet. Success is guaranteed by the stringent system requirements. The goal can be reached easily and with pleasure. The inevitable positive result of weight loss is highlighted by a huge number of rave reviews.
After understanding how a low-carb diet works, people often try to stick to the rules of keto in their later life. A correct understanding of ketosis gives confidence in their actions.
But in addition to the aesthetic result, the main goal for many is the solution of health problems. After all, the purpose of ketosis is to lower and normalize insulin levels.
About 80% of the world population has problems with insulin resistance, that is, a violation of the absorption of insulin by receptors. As a result of such a failure, the body is forced to produce more and more insulin to make up for its deficiency. This causes many health problems.
An increase in carbohydrate intake leads to an increase in insulin production, insulin resistance occurs. The average person with insulin resistance (prediabetes) produces 7 times more insulin than the body needs. An excess of insulin leads to diabetes, metabolic disorders, obesity, high cholesterol levels.
The brain can burn glucose, but fats feed the brain better. The human brain is more comfortable with burning fat. This state is ketosis. To achieve this state, it is necessary to follow a categorical diet: low in carbohydrates and high in fat. Moderate ketosis is a state to strive for.
The ketone bodies in the body come from fats. You can't get them from sugars and carbohydrates. Ketone bodies are used to feed the brain and fatty acids are used to feed the muscles.
Alzheimer's patients are known to have high blood insulin levels.
Problems with the heart and blood vessels are also a consequence of insulin resistance. As a result, it comes to vasoconstriction due to the appearance of cholesterol plaques, the presence of blood clots, the deposition of calcium, which can lead to a heart attack or even a stroke.
As a consequence of insulin resistance - the occurrence of depression, anxiety, deterioration of emotional mood. The most serious consequences are fatty liver and cancer, as cancer cells feed on sugar.
From the above material, you can determine a whole list of reasons in favor of a ketogenic diet. Most of the population will find motivating factors for themselves that say why it is necessary to go keto.
Who is on a keto diet
Despite the relatively young direction in the world of diets, ketogenic nutrition has a huge number of adherents with solid experience in using this nutritional system. The ketogenic diet has been positive not only among those looking to lose weight, but also among diabetics, when the lipid profile tends to be ideal and insulin levels return to normal. The experience of American doctors is known all over the world.
And another interesting theory. When taking drugs, there is an effect on a specific organ of the human body. When the nutritional system is changed to keto, the brain, pancreas, liver and other organs fall under the beneficial influence. And this fact already has a very solid and reliable basis.
The regular delivery of the necessary tests and their control ensure that the therapeutic nutritional system, with an increase in the share of fat in the diet, moderate consumption of protein foods and, in practice, the exclusion of carbohydrate-based foods, for those who suffers from above diseases, is chosen correctly.
The ketogenic diet is not limited to age among those looking to lose weight or improve their health. This diet is suitable for both athletes and non-athletes, young and old.
Pregnant women successfully use the keto diet. There are no contraindications to a low-carb diet while breastfeeding.
The results will not be long in coming. You just have to start eating right, listen to your body and follow the beginner's instructions, which you can find on this resource.
And if the ketone diet is used for weight loss, this process will become enjoyable and effective.
Reasons to go keto
The first and, perhaps, for some, the most important is to get rid of food addiction, overeating, cravings for certain food groups: sweets, starchy foods. A huge number of people feel an irresistible craving for sweets. Who has not received sweets as a reward since childhood, in almost all families, cakes, biscuits, sweets are served for the holiday table?
The presence of sugar on the everyday table has become familiar. It so happened that the best moments are associated with sweets.
The amount of sweet foods in children's diets sometimes does not scare adults. "Little ones love sweets". And they refer to the fact that the child takes the delicious with tenderness. The child doesn't have much of a choice. What he is given is what he takes. Over time, children firmly believe that candy, cakes are good. In addition, the amount of sweets consumed increases, food addiction to sweets appears.
With the advent of health problems, most people understand that it is necessary to adjust their diet, introduce some restrictions on food. But not everyone is able to cope with the craving for sweets, a habit that has taken root since childhood and has only strengthened over time.
Also, eating sweet stressful situations for some is a calming and solution to the problem, but, unfortunately, not for long. Periodic attempts to once and for all abandon sugar-containing products end in failure, breakdowns.
This is where keto nutrition comes in handy. There is not a single review that, in strict compliance with all the conditions of a carbohydrate-free diet, I would like to sit down with something sweet.
If such impulses suddenly arise, then it should be reconsidered, is everything done correctly as part of clinical nutrition?
Check the calories (KBZhU), the amount of food consumed, the "purity" of the food consumed, whether a sufficient amount of the necessary vitamins enters the body. If you approach this problem correctly, the positive results will not keep you waiting. With the switch to keto, blood sugar levels normalize.
Another major reason for switching to a carbohydrate-free diet is the condition of the skin. During the first few weeks, the skin of the face transforms. There is no need to visit beauty salons. Over time, the use of creams of various types of orientation is minimized.
For many who have gastrointestinal problems:
- Gastritis;
- cholecystitis;
- pancreatitis;
- ZhKB.
There is a great opportunity to reduce them. Cramps, pain, swelling are a thing of the past. The intestine perfectly begins to cope with its duties without the help of pills and other forms of drugs.
Of course, if there are serious diseases, the transition to a ketogenic diet should be carried out under the supervision of a specialist doctor, monitoring the main indicators of the state of health with the help of tests.
What you can eat on a keto diet
Carbohydrates - 5% of all calories (vegetables are indicated separately, as they do not have that many calories and do not cause an insulin response). The correct carbohydrates that are acceptable on keto do not include flour, sugar, grain, fruit products.
Protein - 20% of all calories (86 - 175g). This group should include:
- Meat;
- fish;
- Seafood;
- Cheese;
- Egg.
It should be noted that, if possible, products grown in a natural environment should be favored: pasture meat, commercial seafood. In food it is necessary to take meat broths, offal. Among the drinks, the so-called armored coffee is very popular. Although this drink is more food than drink.
Fat is 70% of all calories.
At first glance, the fat content in the diet may seem enormous. But it must be understood that the percentages indicated refer to calories, and not to volume or weight.
Most foods are a combination of fats, proteins and carbohydrates. Pure fats include ghee, coconut oil, olive oil, low-carb avocado, and animal fat.
The vegetables allowed on keto are green leafy vegetables, broccoli, lettuce, and other green vegetables. They provide the body with vitamins, trace elements and antioxidants. Don't forget that they contain fiber.
World-class nutritionists have developed many recipes with the appropriate KBJU ketology ratio. There are soups, side dishes, meat and fish dishes, even desserts and pastries. Using ready-made tips for cooking keto food, you can develop a rough menu for yourself for a certain period of time, for example, for a week, a few days, and stick to it without tormenting yourself with the question "what to cook? ".
What not to eat on Keto
Avoid all cereal-based products (bread, pasta, cereals, sweets and legumes).
Excluded from keto are foods containing starch (potatoes, rice, corn), which quickly turn it into sugar.
Sugars (cane, beetroot, honey, fructose, any syrups and fruit juices, sweet carbonated drinks) are unacceptable on keto. Sugar substitutes are allowed as needed (stevia, xylitol, erythritol).
It is recommended to avoid GMO products (soy, corn, rapeseed oil).
When buying products, be sure to pay attention to the composition. This recommendation applies to meat and fish products as well as cheeses. Semi-finished products should also be abandoned.
Fats are very important to the body, but you have to be very selective about them. Some of them are dangerous. Solid vegetable fats that have undergone multi-step processing are industrial-scale trans fats. Keto is against this type of food processing.
Alcohol is also unacceptable on keto. Although among the abundance of strong drinks you can choose dry wines. There are circumstances under which you shouldn't advertise that you are on a keto diet. Then you should opt for sugar-free and gas-free drinks. At the same time, it is still necessary to observe the measure.
If you follow all of the above tips when choosing products for a ketogenic diet, purchasing them won't seem too difficult, and over time, these rules will become normal.
Cons of Keto
Along with a whole list of positives, keto also has its downsides. Although the negative points will be negative if you pay attention to them and treat them as shortcomings.
It is worth paying attention to the state in which the body enters the initial phase of the keto path. This condition is called ketoflu. It is characterized by heaviness in the stomach, mild digestive disorders. Breath with acetone, headache, weakness or depression of the body are possible. But despite all the apparent severity, these unpleasant moments are temporary. Besides, they don't always accompany entry into ketosis and not necessarily a complete list.
But if psychologically you take the right attitude and remember that these aggravating circumstances will pass as soon as you enter ketosis, most of the disadvantages won't seem that great, especially if you use techniques to get around them.
Physical activity on keto
It is known that in the modern world the first adherents to keto are athletes for whom the absence of fat or its minimum quantity, dense muscles and endurance play an important role. And since keto nutrition refines memory, quick thinking, mental clarity, then this nutritional system becomes interesting not only for athletes and people who love physical culture.
As you know, a beautiful and supple body is not just food. An important role in the construction of our beautiful shell is played by sports, those physical activities that a person uses due to his type of activity, hobby or sporting life.
In order to enhance the effect of ketogenic nutrition, sports are quite acceptable.
The best time to exercise is not in the evening or in the morning, but after a long time after eating. That is, when the level of ketones in the body is high.
It is known that during times of lack of food (hunger), the body produces more ketones than when consuming fatty foods. If you still have a pre-workout meal, it is recommended that you reduce the proportion of protein in your serving. There is no need to change the proportion of carbohydrates before or after training.
Days of fasting
On the other hand, the concept of "fasting days" is acceptable with forced enhanced feeding. Everyone knows about the physical state after the holidays, when abundant holidays are inevitable and physical activity is reduced to a minimum.
If you deal with this problem correctly, the holiday menu can be used for the benefit of your body, that is, eat selectively, only what the body needs with keto. But even with selective feeding, overeating is not excluded, and after the abundant consumption of fatty and protein foods, heaviness in the body is observed. Of course, you need to control your actions and remember that a large amount of food taken, even if it is devoid of carbohydrates, will not bring a positive effect.
But, if, nevertheless, there was a fact of overeating, then you should apply the discharge for the body. Also, the body itself will tell you when to stop eating and when to start over. The very concept of "fast days" for keto is not entirely applicable. Among the adherents of the keto system, there is the concept of "intermittent fasting".
Intermittent fasting
Intermittent fasting is not a strict restriction of fuel intake in the body. It is known that high-calorie food allows the body to go without food for a long time. The intervals between meals become longer. And if you listen to your body and don't follow the generally accepted breakfast-lunch-dinner routine, only consume food as needed, this interval can significantly increase.
It is possible that it can extend from morning to the next morning, or from lunch to lunch. That is, a daily meal can become a one-time meal. Here you shouldn't keep track of time, count minutes, try to beat your own record. You just need to listen to your body. And this is reasonable, rather than subjecting him to forced hunger strikes, or putting him in a state of starvation.
This is what intermittent fasting is all about.
It shouldn't be done from time to time, but constantly. Our body will tell itself when to refuel and when to shut down the fuel supply. It is enough to learn to listen to it, understand and put into practice the necessary actions.
And therefore, the main reason for switching to a ketogenic diet is to improve health, get rid of any diseases. Prevention of diabetes and, in some cases, its treatment. Increased energy levels and appetite control. Normalization of cholesterol levels and blood pressure. Improve memory, concentration. Get rid of depression and all signs of its manifestation. Improve the quality of life in general.