What is the keto diet, how does it affect weight loss and wellness, and what foods can you eat?
Thousands of people around the world eat fatty and high-calorie foods and literally melt away before our eyes.At the forefront of global weight loss is the keto diet.A new way of eating in which you can eat only proteins and fats, excluding all carbohydrate foods.
It seems impossible for a modern, active person to live without carbohydrates, because it is glucose from grains, fruits and sweets that provides fuel for the body.But the keto diet has proven otherwise: you can get energy from fat and lose weight and be healthy.
The ketogenic diet, the ketogenic diet (eng. Ketogenic diet) is a diet low in carbohydrates with a high fat content and moderate protein content.
The first keto diet was developed in 1921 at the Mayo Clinic by Dr.Wilder on the treatment of epilepsy in children: carbohydrates often induced seizures, but ketones did not.And in the 1970s, Robert Atkins developed the ketogenic weight loss diet, which has gained immense popularity in recent years due to its effectiveness and benefits.
Ketones are healthier than glucose
Why when we have no strength, we want chocolate?Because chocolate is a carbohydrate that turns into glucose, which in turn gives the body energy.It turned out that if you restrict the body from 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 carbs you eat, the more ketones your body will produce.
Ketones have several advantages over the regular glucose fuel.They enrich the body with oxygen, increase energy and support the brain and heart.Ketones combine the properties of both fats and carbohydrates, which is why you feel energized and full on the keto diet.This helps to combine the keto diet with intermittent fasting, since there is no feeling of hunger and you can get by on two meals.By the way, on a keto diet you don't have 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 fat and turning it into ketones is called ketosis.According to nutritionists, it has many advantages.It helps lower insulin, remove fatty liver, improve cognitive performance and mood, lower blood pressure, increase energy and reduce inflammation.And most importantly, the belly fat goes away and the skin clears!You become healthier, more beautiful and thinner.
Keto diet: possible complications and disadvantages
- Constipation.Therefore, you should definitely eat a lot of greens and vegetables.
- Possible kidney stonescaused by oxalates (salts and esters of oxalic acid.).Therefore, you should eat spinach with caution.Better to drink more lemon water.
- Insomnia and irritabilityfrom a lack of macronutrients.
- Rashdue to vitamin B2 deficiency.
- Acetone smellfrom the body, urine and mouth due to the spike in ketones.To minimize this, you need to drink more pure water.
- Ketoacidosis- when, due to a large number of ketones, the body oxidizes.
It will take time for the body to adapt to a new nutritional system.In the initial stage, lethargy, intestinal problems and reduced attention are possible.Also, when the body enters a state of ketosis, the weight drops sharply in the first week: excess water and fat are lost.Starting in the second week, you will continue to lose weight, but not as fast.
Diabetics, pregnant women, and people with weakened immune systems should be careful with the keto diet.Also, fans of active sports should not get carried away with the keto diet - you may not be able to calculate your strength and not be able to train.
Keto Diet: Basic Foods
The basis of the ketogenic diet per day:
- 75% - fats,
- 20% - proteins,
- 5% not more than 25 grams) - carbohydrates.
You can mix any of the products listed and create dishes that suit your tastes and preferences.
What you can eat on a keto diet:
- Oils(coconut, olive, ghee, butter, avocado oil).
- meat(poultry, pork, beef, bacon, liver and offal).It can be eaten with skin and fat.
- Fish and seafood(salmon, trout, pink salmon, chum salmon, caviar, shrimps, mussels, squid, cod liver).The oilier the fish, the better.
- Eggs(chicken and quail).
- Green vegetables(cauliflower, broccoli, zucchini, squash, green beans)and greenscan be consumed in unlimited quantities.Exclude potatoes, beets and carrots, dose onions and garlic.
- Sugar-free fruits, berries and citrus fruits.
- Avocado, coconut.
- Mushrooms
- Coconut or almondunsweetened milk
- Full fat dairy(sour cream, cheeses, 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 teas, coffee.
- Protein shakeand sugar and glucose-free bars.
All grains, soy, legumes, sweets and flour are prohibited!
Keto diet: menu for the week (options)
Breakfast:
- Lard with herbs and egg whites
- Eggs with avocado and salmon
- Omelette with mushrooms and vegetables
- Egg omelette with cheese and tomatoes
- Cottage cheese with nuts, seeds and berries
- Egg casserole with bacon, spinach and cheese
- Pancakes with almond flour and coconut milk
Lunch:
- Steamed broccoli and 200 grams of any meat
- Casserole with minced pork, cheese and eggs
- Cauliflower Mash and Chicken Pancakes
- Stuffed mushrooms (peppers) with cream
- Chicken soup with celery and melted cheese
- Quiche with salmon and broccoli (with almond or flaxseed flour, and psyllium) + you can fill the quiche with any meat, liver, with the addition of cream and cheese.
- Beef steak with vegetables
Dinner:
- Cheesecakes with coconut and nuts
- Chicken wings with boiled mushrooms in coconut cream (or any other)
- Steamed salmon (chum salmon, pink salmon, trout), green beans and broccoli
- Zucchini boiled with peppers and turkey hedgehogs
- Eggs, cod liver and homemade mayonnaise
- Chicken fillet with cheese and spices
- Zucchini pasta with minced meat, pepper and cheese, fried in vegetable oil.
The keto diet is a good way to lose extra pounds and improve your body's health.But for a long-term eating pattern, choose a balanced diet with proteins, fats and carbohydrates.Then you will always be fit and in a good mood!