Throughout history, civilized humans have sought to improve the quality of life which is based on nutrition. Many diets and fasting systems are proof of that. They are given beautiful names, among which some are understandable with a familiar set of products, but there are many unusual ones with an exotic focus.
Recently, the keto diet, the ketogenic diet (ketone diet) or a low-carb diet with a high level of fat in the diet, is gaining popularity. This means a sharp reduction in carbohydrate foods and an increase in portions of foods that are mostly fat and moderate protein intake. As a result of keto nutrition, fatty acids are broken down into ketone bodies, which, in the absence of glucose, feed all organs, including the brain.
Until recently, athletes used a ketogenic diet in an effort to build muscle mass and reduce their body fat mass to zero. However, carbohydrate-free eating has existed in humans since the beginning of history. From a physiological point of view, we are all hunters and hunted.
The human brain has evolved due to the consumption of large amounts of fat throughout evolutionary history. Ancient people ate only animal food, the components of which were only protein and fat. According to scientists, for the relatively short period of its existence, the body of modern people did not have time to adapt to a diet containing carbohydrates, and moreover, consisting only of carbohydrates, which make up the diet of raw foodists.
It is quite reasonable to conclude that with the emergence of carbohydrate nutrition, a process contrary to the development of human intelligence is inevitable. To understand the keto diet in more detail, it is necessary to learn some basic concepts related to this topic, they will help to find the answer to the question: what is the keto diet.
What is keto diet, concept, definition
Recently, there has been a lot of information about the ketogenic diet. Authors interpret the essence of the keto system in their own way, pursuing different goals, but the essence of keto does not change from this. Let's start easy.
Keto is eating certain foods in certain combinations to make the body run on ketones. Ketones are produced by the body when fat is burned. They are alternative fuels. For the human body, this fuel is the easiest, because the amount of "waste" is significantly reduced, it is the most efficient fuel.
If we make an analogy with car fuel, then carbohydrate food is the cheapest fuel that contains a large amount of impurities, while carbohydrate-free or low-carb food is Euro fuel, premium fuel for our body, because it does not contain by-products. "tasty" impurities, the most effective keto fuel for living organisms.
One of the main benefits of the keto diet is the absence of hunger and cravings for certain foods. You can easily live on this diet for a long time. It is not only efficient, it is comfortable and pleasant.
Over 90% of diets fail. They cannot be followed all the time. Carb cravings and hunger do their job. Too many temptations lead to distractions and bad results. The lost weight returns, and often brings friends with them - new kilograms.
Unpleasant feelings like hunger are absent on keto. Yes, during fasting, you can enter 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 harm to the body like fasting.
Taking a ketogenic diet, the body continues to receive all the necessary substances and does not experience hunger. At the same time, the process of breaking down fat is launched - the body enters a state of ketosis, that is, it begins to produce ketones due to 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 in the diet, but their percentage of protein and fat must be controlled. The less carbs, the deeper into ketosis.
The ketogenic diet is a fat burning diet. Most people dream of losing their weight and reducing volume. For those who are serious about the state of their bodies, keto is a magic pill that is easy and pleasant to swallow.
Many people think that eating a lot of fat is bad. But if you reduce the amount of carbohydrates significantly, then there is absolutely no threat in consuming fat. Because, when entering ketosis, the body simply switches from sugar to fat. At the time it takes from 2 to 3 days. And to achieve this, you need to drastically reduce the amount of carbohydrates.
For a more effective entry into ketosis, carbohydrates are completely excluded. Restructuring in nutrition forces the body to find other sources of energy. And such a source is fat reserves, carefully accumulated over the years.
With a low-calorie diet, weight loss occurs due to loss of water reserves. This can last for a week, two weeks. Euphoria comes - it works! Weight loss is underway! But at the end of the diet, water weight returns. The meaning of such a diet is reduced to zero, if not worse, weight returns and brings extra kilograms with soda. The fat burning process has not yet started. Water loss and fat loss are completely different things.
If you use physical exercises for weight loss, then they give only 15% of the result, that is, very insignificant compared to the correct keto diet. In addition, the constant feeling of hunger and desire for any food does not allow you to survive at least for a while on a low-calorie diet.
98% of such diets end in failure, explaining the lack of willpower. When eating carbohydrate foods, blood sugar levels decrease due to a spike in insulin, which suppresses blood sugar. With low blood sugar, there is constant hunger, irritability.
When following a keto or ketogenic diet, real fat will be burned. Water weight will also decrease, but the main goal of burning fat in the body will be achieved. And the less carbohydrates you eat, the more efficient the fat burning process. Hunger and food cravings will disappear. Due to this condition, you can maintain this diet for quite a long time.
Any reorganization of the body requires unpleasant symptoms. To avoid temporary symptoms, the use of vitamins and electrolytes is necessary.
Along with some of the negative side effects of the keto diet, there are also positive effects:
- Memory improvement;
- Energy stimulation;
- Intelligence increases;
- Mood improved.
Because ketones are the best brain food. As a result, inflammation and pain or tension, if any, disappear. Keto leads to an improvement in the condition of the skin, the rash disappears, if it is.
A comparison of a low-fat, low-calorie diet with keto shows significant benefits of keto over other diets.
Why you should use the keto diet
Everyone who has used the ketogenic diet has a specific goal. And the goals may be different. This may be an aesthetic need and a desire to improve one's health, or at least improve conditions caused by certain diseases.
Often the transition to a keto diet is associated with the desire to reduce weight and volume. This is the most obvious result of the keto diet. Success is guaranteed under the system's strict requirements. Goals are achieved easily and happily. Inevitably the positive results of weight loss are evidenced by a large number of positive reviews.
After understanding how a low-carb diet works, people often try to stick to keto rules later in life. A proper understanding of ketosis gives confidence in their actions.
But in addition to aesthetic results, the main goal for many is the solution of health problems. After all, the point of being in ketosis is to lower and normalize insulin levels.
About 80% of the world's population has a problem with insulin - insulin resistance, that is, a violation of the absorption of insulin by the receptor. As a result of such failure, the body is forced to produce more insulin to compensate for its deficiency. This causes many health problems.
An increase in carbohydrate intake leads to increased insulin production, insulin resistance occurs. The average person with insulin resistance (prediabetes) produces 7 times more insulin than the body needs. Excess insulin leads to diabetes, metabolic disorders, obesity, high cholesterol levels.
The brain can burn glucose, but fat feeds the brain better. The human brain is more comfortable with fat burning. This state is ketosis. To achieve this state, you must adhere to a categorical diet - low in carbohydrates and high in fat. Moderate ketosis is a state to work towards.
Ketone bodies in the body come from fat. You can't get it from sugar and carbs. Ketone bodies are used to fuel the brain, and fatty acids are used to fuel muscles.
Alzheimer's patients are known to have high blood insulin levels.
Heart and blood vessel problems are also a consequence of insulin resistance. As a result, this is vasoconstriction due to the appearance of cholesterol plaques, the occurrence of blood clots, calcium deposition, which can cause a heart attack or stroke.
As a result of insulin resistance - the occurrence of depression, anxiety, deterioration of emotional mood. The most serious consequences are fatty liver and cancer, because cancer cells feed on sugar.
From the above material, you can determine the whole list of reasons in favor of the ketogenic diet. Most of the population will find a motivating factor for themselves that says why to switch to keto.
Who is on a keto diet?
Despite being a relatively young direction in the diet world, keto nutrition has a large number of adherents with solid experience in using this nutritional system. The ketogenic diet has proven itself on the positive side not only among those who want to lose weight, but also among diabetics, when the lipid profile tends to be ideal, and insulin levels decrease to normal. The experience of American doctors is known all over the world.
And another interesting theory. When taking medicine, there are effects on certain organs in the human body. When the nutritional system is switched 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 delivery of the necessary tests on a regular basis and their control ensures that the therapeutic nutritional system, with an increase in the proportion of fat in the diet, the moderate use of protein foods and, in practice, the exclusion of carbohydrate foods, for those suffering from the above diseases, is chosen correctly.
The ketogenic diet is not limited to age among those who want to lose weight or improve their health. This diet is suitable for both athletes and non-athletes, both young and old.
Pregnant women successfully use the keto diet. There are no contraindications for a low-carb diet during breastfeeding.
The results are coming soon. You just need to start eating right, listen to your body and follow the instructions for beginners, which can be found in this resource.
And if the ketone diet is used for weight loss, then this process will be pleasant and effective.
Reasons to switch to keto
The first and, perhaps, for someone, the most important thing is to get rid of food addiction, overeating, cravings for certain food groups: sweets, starchy foods. Most people experience an irresistible desire for sweets. Who has not been given sweets as a reward since childhood, almost all families are served cakes, cookies, sweets for the festive table?
The presence of sugar on the table every day has become common. It happens that the most beautiful moments are associated with sweets.
The amount of sweet foods in a child's diet sometimes does not scare adults. "Little children love sweet. "And they are related to the fact that the child takes tasty with tenderness. The kid didn't have much of a choice. What is given to him is what he takes. Over time, children form a strong belief that sweets, cakes are good. Moreover, the amount of sweets used increases, food dependence on sweets appears.
With the emergence of health problems, most people understand that it is necessary to adjust their diet, introducing some restrictions on food. But not everyone can overcome the desire for sweets, a habit that has taken root since childhood and grows stronger over time.
Moreover, eating a sweet stressful situation for some people is soothing and a solution to the problem, but, unfortunately, not for long. Periodic attempts to abandon once and for all products containing sugar end in failure, damage.
This is where the keto diet comes in handy. There is not a single comment that, with strict adherence to all the conditions of a carbohydrate-free diet, I want to sit down with something sweet.
If suddenly such an impulse arises, then it should be reconsidered, is everything done correctly as part of clinical nutrition?
Check the calories (KBZhU), the amount of food eaten, the "purity" of the food taken, whether the necessary amount of vitamins is sufficient to enter the body. If you approach this issue correctly, then positive results will not keep you waiting. With the transition to keto, blood sugar levels return to normal.
Another important reason for the transition to carb-free is the condition of the skin. During the first week, the skin of the face changes. No need to go to a beauty salon. Over time, the use of creams of various orientations is minimized.
For many who have problems with the gastrointestinal tract:
- Gastritis;
- cholecystitis;
- pancreatitis;
- ZhKB.
There is a great opportunity to reduce them. Cramps, pain, bloating are a thing of the past. The intestines perfectly begin to cope with their task without the help of pills and other forms of medicine.
Of course, if there is a serious illness, the transition to a ketogenic diet must be carried out under the supervision of a specialist doctor, monitoring the main indicators of health status with the help of tests.
What can you eat on the keto diet
Carbohydrates - 5% of all calories (vegetables are shown separately, because they do not have many calories and do not cause an insulin reaction). The correct carbohydrates that are acceptable on keto do not include flour products, sugar, grains, fruits.
Protein - 20% of all calories (86 - 175g). This group should include:
- meat;
- fish;
- Seafood;
- Cheese;
- Eggs.
It should be noted that, if possible, preference should be given to products grown in a natural environment: pasture meat, commercial seafood. In food it is necessary to take meat broth, offal. Of the drinks, the so-called shield 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 large. But it should be understood that the percentage shown refers to calories, and not to volume or weight.
Most foods are a combination of fat, protein and carbohydrates. Pure fats include ghee, coconut oil, olive oil, low-carb avocados and animal fats.
Vegetables allowed on keto are leafy greens, broccoli, lettuce and other green vegetables. They supply the body with vitamins, trace elements and antioxidants. Do not forget that it contains fiber.
World-class nutritionists have developed many recipes with the appropriate KBJU keto ratio. There are soups, side dishes, meat and fish dishes, even desserts and pastries. Using ready-made recommendations for cooking keto food, you can develop a budget 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
All grain products (bread, pasta, cereals, pastries, and legumes) should be avoided.
Excluded from keto are foods that contain starch (potatoes, rice, corn), which quickly turn it into sugar.
Sugar (cane, beets, honey, fructose, any fruit syrups and juices, sugary carbonated drinks) is unacceptable on keto. Sugar substitutes are allowed as needed (stevia, xylitol, erythritol).
It is recommended to avoid GMO products (soybean, corn, mustard seed oil).
When buying a product, be sure to pay attention to the composition. This recommendation applies to meat and fish products, as well as cheese. Semi-finished products should also be abandoned.
Fat is very important for the body, but you have to be very selective about it. Some of them are dangerous. Solid vegetable fats that have gone through multiple stages of processing are industrial scale trans fats. Keto opposes this type of food processing.
Alcohol is also not acceptable on keto. Even among the many liquors you can choose dry wine. There are circumstances in which you should not advertise that you are on a keto diet. Then you should choose drinks without sugar and gas. At the same time, it is still necessary to observe the step.
If you follow all the above recommendations when choosing products for a ketogenic diet, then buying them will not 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. Even a negative point will be negative if you pay attention to it and think of it as a deficiency.
It is worth paying attention to the state in which the body enters in the early stages of the keto pathway. This condition is called ketoflu. It is characterized by heaviness in the stomach, slight disturbances in digestion. Acetone breath, headache, weakness or body depression are possible. But for all the apparent severity, these unpleasant moments are temporary. And then, they do not always accompany the entrance to ketosis and are not necessarily a complete list.
But if you psychologically take the right attitude and remember that these aggravating conditions will pass as soon as you enter ketosis, then most of the minuses will not seem so big, especially if you use techniques to bypass them.
Physical activity on keto
It is known that in the modern world, the first adherents of keto are athletes for whom the absence of fat or its minimal amount, dense muscles and endurance play an important role. And since keto nutrition sharpens memory, speed of thinking, clarity of mind, then this nutritional system becomes attractive not only for athletes and people who like physical culture.
As you know, a beautiful and flexible body is not only food. An important role in building our beautiful shell is played by sports, physical activities that a person uses because of his type of activity, hobby or sports life.
To enhance the effects of the keto diet, sports are quite acceptable.
The best time to exercise is not in the evening or in the morning, but after a long interval after eating. That is, when the level of ketones in the body increases.
It is known that during periods of food deprivation (starvation), the body produces more ketones than when consuming fatty foods. If you still have a meal before exercise, it is recommended to reduce the portion of protein in the meal. There is no need to change the carbohydrate portion before or after training.
Fasting days
The concept of "fasting days" can be accepted, on the other hand, with a forcefully enhanced diet. Everyone knows the physical state after the holidays, when many celebrations are inevitable and physical activity is minimized.
If you approach this problem correctly, then the holiday menu can be used for the benefit of your body, that is, eat selectively, only what the body needs on keto. But even with selective nutrition, overeating is not excluded, and after consuming a lot of fatty-protein food, body weight is observed. Of course, you need to control your actions, and remember that a large amount of food taken, even if it is carbohydrate-free, will not have a positive effect.
But, if, however, there is a fact of overeating, you should apply unloading for the body. Moreover, the body itself will tell you when to stop eating, and when to start again. The concept of a "fast day" for keto is not fully applicable. Among followers of the keto system, there is a concept of "intermittent fasting".
Intermittent fasting
Intermittent fasting is not a strict restriction on fuel intake in the body. It is known that high-calorie foods allow the body to remain without food for a long time. The interval between meals becomes longer. And if you listen to your body, and do not follow the generally accepted breakfast-lunch-dinner routine, eating food only as needed, then this interval can increase significantly.
It is possible that it could stretch from morning to the next morning, or from lunch to lunch. That is, a daily meal can be a one-time meal. Here you should not keep track of time, count minutes, try to beat your own record. You just have to listen to your body. And this is reasonable, rather than forcing him to go on hunger strike, or introducing him into a state of hunger.
This is what is meant by intermittent fasting.
It should not be run from time to time, but always. Our body will tell itself when refueling is necessary and when the fuel supply should be cut off. One just needs to learn to listen to it, understand and use the necessary actions in practice.
Therefore, the main reason to switch to a ketogenic diet is to improve health, get rid of diseases, if any. 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. Eliminates depression and any signs of its manifestation. Improve the quality of life in general.