The ketogenic diet (or keto diet for short) is a low-carb, high-fat diet. It is believed that following the keto diet has many health benefits. We tell you in more detail what keto nutrition gives the body and how effectively you can lose weight on such a diet.
Many studies show that the keto diet is guaranteed to help you lose weight and improve your well-being. Additionally, ketogenic diets may benefit diabetes, epilepsy, cancer, and Alzheimer's disease.
Here's a step-by-step guide on how to get started on the keto diet and answers to the most common questions about it. Be sure to read, understand, and discuss with your doctor.
What is a ketogenic diet?
The keto diet is a low-carb, high-fat diet. In many ways, it's similar to the Atkins diet and the low carb diet. It's just that keto involves a big reduction in carbs and replacing them with fat. This decrease puts the body into a metabolic state called ketosis.
In ketosis, the body begins to efficiently convert fat into energy (ketones) - instead of carbohydrates. For this reason, ketogenic diets can cause blood sugar levels to drop and insulin levels to normalize.
Different types of ketogenic diets
There are many versions of the keto diet, including:
- Standard Ketogenic Diet: This is a very low-carb, moderate-protein, and high-fat meal plan. it is generally 75% fat, 20% protein and only 5% carbohydrates;
- cyclical ketogenic diet: this plan includes periods of higher carbohydrate intake, such as 5 days of keto followed by 2 days of carbohydrates;
- adapted ketogenic diet: allows you to add more carbohydrates to the diet on training days;
- High-protein ketogenic diet: Similar to the standard ketogenic diet, but includes more protein, typically 60% fat, 35% protein, and 5% carbs.
By the way, only standard, high-protein ketogenic diets have been carefully researched and recommended by experts. Cyclic or adapted diets are more advanced methods and are mainly used by athletes or bodybuilders.
Ketogenic diets help you lose weight
The keto diet is an effective way to lose weight and reduce risk factors for certain diseases.
Experiments show that the ketogenic diet is superior in terms of weight loss results to low-fat diets. In addition, the keto diet allows you not to count calories and not to limit the amount of food consumed, unless, of course, we are talking about those included in the list of allowed foods.
One study found that people on a ketogenic diet lost 2. 2 times more weight than those who cut calories and fat. An improvement in cholesterol and triglyceride levels in the blood has also been noted.
Ketogenic diet for diabetes and prediabetes
Diabetes is characterized by metabolic changes, high blood sugar and impaired insulin function. The keto diet will help you shed excess fat, a measure closely linked to type 2 diabetes, prediabetes, and metabolic syndrome.
One study showed that a ketogenic diet improved insulin sensitivity by up to 75%!
In another experiment with participants with type 2 diabetes, it was found that 7 out of 21 people were able to stop taking all of their diabetes medications thanks to the keto diet.
Other Health Benefits of the Keto Diet
The modern version of the keto diet was invented to treat neurological conditions, such as the aforementioned epilepsy. Some studies have shown that such a meal plan can be helpful for various illnesses.
- Cardiovascular disease: A ketogenic diet may improve risk factors such as fat and cholesterol levels, blood pressure, and blood sugar.
- Cancer: Today, this diet is used to maintain the condition of patients with various types of cancer and to reduce the growth of tumors.
- Alzheimer's disease: The keto diet may reduce symptoms of Alzheimer's disease and slow its progression.
- Epilepsy: Studies have shown that a ketogenic diet can significantly reduce seizures in children.
- Parkinson's disease: Some tests have shown that a high-fat diet can help relieve symptoms of Parkinson's disease.
- Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: A ketogenic diet will help reduce insulin levels, which play an important role in the progression of this diagnosis.
- Brain injuries: An animal study has shown that the keto diet can improve post-concussion conditions and help patients recover from injuries faster.
- Acne: Reducing your insulin levels and reducing your intake of sugar and processed foods will help improve your skin dramatically.
Foods to Avoid on the Keto Diet
All carbohydrate-rich foods should be avoided. Here is a sample list of foods that should be eliminated from the diet - or drastically reduce the amount of their consumption:
- sugary foods: soft drinks, fruit juices, smoothies, cakes, ice creams, sweets;
- grains or starches: products derived from wheat, rice, pasta, cereals;
- fruit: all fruit except small portions of berries or one apple per day;
- beans or legumes: peas, beans, lentils, chickpeas;
- root and tubercle vegetables: potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots, parsnips;
- Diet or low-fat foods: These are usually highly processed and high in carbohydrates.
- certain condiments or sauces: mainly those containing sugar and saturated fat;
- saturated fats: limit your consumption of refined oils, mayonnaise;
- Alcohol: Due to their high carbohydrate content, many alcoholic beverages should be avoided on a ketogenic diet.
- Sugar-free diet foods: These are often high in sugar alcohols, which can affect ketone levels in the body.
Foods to eat on a ketogenic diet
Most of the diet during the keto diet should be based on these foods:
- meat: red meat, ham, sausage, bacon, chicken and turkey;
- oily fish: salmon, trout, tuna and mackerel;
- eggs;
- butter and cream;
- cheese;
- nuts and seeds: almonds, walnuts, flax seeds, pumpkin seeds, chia seeds;
- healthy oils: especially cold-pressed olive oil, coconut oil, and avocado oil;
- Lawyer;
- low carb vegetables: most green vegetables, tomatoes, onions, peppers.
Sample Weekly Ketogenic Meal Plan
Monday
Breakfast: bacon, eggs and tomatoes.
Lunch: Chicken salad with olive oil, vegetables and feta cheese.
Dinner: salmon with asparagus cooked in butter.
Tuesday
Breakfast: scrambled eggs with tomato, spices and goat cheese.
Lunch: If you don't feel like overeating, you can replace the usual hot dishes with a vegetable or cow's milk cocktail with peanut butter and herbs.
Dinner: meatballs, cheese and vegetables.
Wednesday
Breakfast: Ketogenic Milkshake – The basic recipe we mentioned can be modified to your liking.
Lunch: Seafood salad with olive oil and avocado.
Dinner: pork chops with cheese, broccoli and salad.
Thursday
Breakfast: tortilla with avocado, peppers, onions, spices and sour cream sauce.
Lunch: A handful of nuts and celery sticks with guacamole and salsa.
Dinner: Chicken stuffed with pesto and cream cheese, topped with vegetables.
Friday
Breakfast: Unsweetened yogurt with peanut butter, cocoa powder, and stevia.
Lunch: veal stew with vegetables.
Dinner: Bacon, egg and cheese burger with a low carb almond flour bun.
Saturday
Breakfast: scrambled eggs with cheese and ham with vegetables.
Lunch: a few slices of ham and cheese with walnuts.
Dinner: white fish, eggs and spinach cooked in olive oil.
Sunday
Breakfast: scrambled eggs with bacon and mushrooms.
Lunch: hamburger with sauce, cheese and guacamole.
Dinner: steaks with eggs and salad.
As you can see, the ketogenic diet can be very varied and incredibly nutritious.
Keto snacks
If you get hungry between meals, here are some examples of healthy keto snacks:
- fatty meat or fish;
- cheese;
- a handful of nuts or seeds;
- cheese with olives;
- 1 or 2 boiled eggs;
- dark chocolate with 90% cocoa;
- low carb milkshake with almond milk, cocoa powder and peanut butter;
- whole milk yogurt with nut butter and cocoa powder;
- strawberries with cream;
- celery with sauce and guacamole.
How to follow the keto diet if you have to eat out
Today, finding a restaurant with a keto menu or diet-friendly positions is not that difficult. Most establishments offer a large number of meat and fish products, and you can have vegetables as an accompaniment.
Egg dishes are also a great option for a keto diet, such as scrambled eggs or bacon with eggs.
Another ideal dish is a burger, but it is better to remove half of the bun. Replace the fries with vegetables and ask for more cheese, sauce or a piece of avocado in the garnish.
It is better to refuse dessert in the usual sense of the word in restaurants. But you can order a cheese plate, berries and cream or a panna cotta.
Keto Diet Side Effects and How to Minimize Them
Although the ketogenic diet is safe for healthy people, you may first notice some side effects as your body adjusts to the new diet. For example, in the early days, many people suffer from the so-called ketogenic flu.
Ketoflu is a condition in which you experience increased hunger, decreased energy, and may also experience sleep problems, nausea, and indigestion.
To minimize this problem, you can try a standard low carb diet for the first week and then add more fat to the diet. This will prepare the body to burn more fat before the carbs in the diet get much smaller.
Supplements on a Ketogenic Diet
Although you don't need to take supplements, these dietary supplements can be especially helpful while on keto:
- flaxseed, olive and any other vegetable oil - feel free to add it to meals or drink in the morning on an empty stomach to increase the level of ketones in the body;
- caffeine will help maintain energy and also speed up fat burning;
- creatine - improves performance and is especially recommended for intensive training during a keto diet;
- Whey Protein: Add half a scoop of whey protein to smoothies or yogurt to boost your daily protein intake.
Keto Diet Frequently Asked Questions
1. Can I go back to my normal carbohydrate intake?
If you sit on a keto diet and then suddenly switch back to carbs in your life, the weight loss results will be lost. It's better to eat fewer carbs after you end the ketogenic diet than you could afford before. Plus, you'll crave carbohydrate-rich foods less!
2. Will I lose muscle mass on the keto diet?
Regardless of the diet, there is a risk of loss of muscle mass. However, a high protein intake and controlled ketone levels will help minimize muscle loss, especially if you're weight training.
3. Can I build muscle on a ketogenic diet?
Yes, but it won't be as easy as with a moderate carb diet.
4. Do I sometimes have to take carb days?
No, but it can be helpful to include a few days with more calories than usual in your diet.
5. How much protein can I eat?
Protein intake should be moderate, as high protein levels can cause insulin spikes and low ketones. The upper limit for protein intake is 35% of total caloric intake.
6. What should I do if I constantly feel tired and weak?
You may not be following the ketogenic diet properly, or your body may not be using fats and ketones properly. To reduce the discomfort, try to eat even less carbs and keep following the tips we gave you to get into ketosis for sure.
7. Why has the smell of urine changed - has it become more pronounced?
Don't worry, it's just the result of ketosis.
8. What should I do if I have bad breath?
This is a very common side effect of the keto diet. Try drinking more water or chewing sugar-free gum.
9. Is it true that ketosis is very dangerous?
People often confuse ketosis with ketoacidosis. The first condition is a natural fat treatment procedure and the second appears only with uncontrolled diabetes.
Ketoacidosis is dangerous, but the ketosis that occurs on a ketogenic diet is completely normal and even healthy.
10. What should I do if I have digestive problems, constipation or diarrhea?
This side effect usually goes away 3-4 weeks after starting the keto diet. If this persists, try eating more fiber-rich vegetables. Magnesium supplements can also help with constipation.
Ketogenic diets are good, but not for everyone
The ketogenic diet may benefit people who are overweight, have diabetes, or want to improve their metabolic health. But if you want to gain muscle mass, it is better to look at other nutritional options.
Plus, like any diet, a ketogenic meal plan will only work if you stick to it diligently. The results will appear in the long term - it is better not to wait for rapid weight loss.