The holidays are right around the corner, which means “losing weight for the corporate party” season begins right now.Everyone who in the summer failed to achieve the desired shape or did not regain everything thanks to the abundance of all-inclusive five-star Turkish hotels, has already purchased a subscription to a fashionable gym and is looking for an effective diet.They should pay attention to the currently popular and proven ketogenic diet.
From total rejection of fats to uncontrolled consumption
More recently, at the end of the 20th century, fats were isolated and persecuted: everyone who was losing weight completely excluded them from their diet and switched to a relatively balanced low-calorie diet.
After low-calorie diets, overweight people switched to protein diets: Dukan, Atkins.
And in recent years, the high-fat ketogenic diet has begun to gain popularity with its near-total exclusion of carbohydrates, strict control of protein, and uncontrolled consumption of fats that have recently fallen out of favor.
What is this?Another fashion trend or a new and effective way to lose weight quickly and keep it under control?Let's try to solve it.
From epilepsy to nutrition
What is the ketogenic diet to lose weight?Ketosis, so popular today, dates back to 1900, when doctors were looking for an effective remedy to control epileptic seizures in young patients who were not helped by medications.
They came to the interesting conclusion that absolute fasting not only reduces the number of seizures, but also improves the condition of patients.The only drawback of the new method of treatment was that sooner or later the fast ended and the attacks resumed.
Then scientists began to look for a remedy with a similar effect to the absence of food, but without its disadvantages.They came to the surprising conclusion that the ketogenic diet, based on foods high in fat and without carbohydrates, triggers the same reactions in the body as complete fasting.
Fat protects a thin body
The essence of the ketogenic diet is to change the body's metabolism: it is redesigned in such a way that the body is rebuilt to feed on ketone bodies.Let's take a closer look at the mechanism.
In the absence of simple and easily accessible carbohydrates in the diet, the human body seeks new sources of energy.They become ketones, products of the breakdown of fat reserves.
At first glance, it may seem that the now fashionable ketogenic diet is one of the varieties of the protein diet, but this is not entirely correct.Protein diets limit not only carbohydrates, but also fats, recommending the consumption of low-fat foods.
Excess fat on a ketogenic diet has already been shown to dramatically reduce blood insulin levels, which helps control hunger and sugar cravings.In this way, the body not only feeds on its own fat reserves, but also reduces the overall caloric content of the diet.
The ketogenic diet is a diet with a minimum amount of carbohydrates.But to be fair, you're not completely eliminating carbs from your diet.After all, otherwise your body simply would not be able to adequately tolerate physical and intellectual stress.Minimal carbs are hard.It is very important to remember: once your body gets used to this menu, you will feel great.
The core of the ketogenic diet
Today there are dozens of types of diets based on ketosis.All of them limit carbohydrate intake to one degree or another.General recommendations boil down to the following proportions: the diet should be composed in such a way that it contains 70% fat, 20% protein and 10% carbohydrates.
Other nutritionists suggest controlling not the percentage of macronutrients, but the amount of foods rich in carbohydrates;Its total volume should not exceed 50 grams per day.
Furthermore, this volume should not consist of sugars, starch and other forms of easily digestible carbohydrates;Preference should be given to water-soluble fiber.
What should you eat to reach a state of ketosis?
The ketogenic diet menu should consist of the following products:
- All types of meat.The main difference between a ketogenic diet and a protein diet is that on it you can eat any meat product without restrictions, regardless of the fat layer, including lard, lard, bacon, tenderloin or ham.
- All types of birds.The ketogenic diet places no restrictions on chicken wings, skin-on legs, or even goose and duck.
- Fish and shellfish, including salmon, trout, mackerel, tuna, hake and other fatty fish.
- Dairy and fermented milk products of any fat content.Unlike protein diets, where only low-fat milk is allowed, the principle "the fatter the better" applies to keto diets.This approach, by the way, is approved by nutritionists around the world: it has long been proven that calcium, so necessary for our body, is not absorbed from low-fat foods, since it is a fat-soluble element.
- Eggs.If there are no problems with cholesterol levels, even the yolks can be eaten in unlimited quantities.
- Avocado.This amazing product contains oleic acid, which reduces the level of bad cholesterol in the blood and normalizes appetite.
- All types of mushrooms.
- All oils: sunflower, olive, butter, all types of nut oils.But you'll have to give up the margarine.
- Any type of cheese, from the fattest to the one that contains a minimum percentage of fat.Neither goat, nor soft mozzarella, nor blue cheese were prohibited.
- Green vegetables and all types of salad vegetables.
- Tofu with bean curd.
- Shirataki Noodles.
- Nuts and seeds.
In extremely limited quantities, you can include unsweetened green fruits and dark chocolate with maximum cocoa content in your diet.
Carbohydrate taboo
But the following list of ketogenic diet foods is strictly prohibited, so if you find it difficult to give up something on this list, you should think about other, gentler diet options.
- All types of sources of fast carbohydrates: this includes all types of baked goods, sweets, sweets, all types of sugar, honey, juices and soft drinks.
- Slow carbohydrates were also prohibited: all types of bread, pasta, cereals and products containing starch.
- Sweet fruits and nuts.
- Margarine and all kinds of sauces.
- Low fat foods.
All types of alcohol that contain sugar should also be avoided.But sometimes you can treat yourself to cider, light beer or dry wine.
Water is a source of health.
All nutritionists in the world give special instructions regarding liquids.It is considered normal to drink about two liters of clean water a day.It's human nature to confuse thirst with hunger and therefore overdo your daily calorie intake.
Insufficient consumption of clean water gives the body a signal about special conditions and the body begins to store fluid.This is where swelling and sagging arise.Normalizing your watery diet has a beneficial effect on fat burning.
The problem of insufficient alcohol consumption in all types of protein and ketogenic diets is especially pressing.Lack of sufficient fiber in the menu creates certain problems with stool and can lead to constipation.Increasing fluid intake can alleviate this problem to some extent.
On a ketogenic diet, increased water consumption (up to 4 liters) is especially important because a person losing weight needs to control the level of ketone bodies, which are excreted in the urine.An improper drinking regimen can cause serious disorders in the body, cause irreversible changes in organs and even lead to coma.
Ketoacidosis: a real threat or horror stories from those who oppose the diet?
The ketogenic diet menu is a completely unbalanced diet and, therefore, many opponents of this style of eating warn about the possibility of developing such a terrible phenomenon as ketoacidosis.What is this?
Nutritionists distinguish three stages in the transition to the intake of ketone bodies.The first is called the adaptation process, when the body redesigns all of its systems to obtain new nutrition and learns to extract energy from alternative sources.The second is ketosis itself.The third is diabetic ketoacidosis.
The first two are completely safe for healthy people.In addition, according to American scientists, they are a forgotten mechanism for organizing human metabolism.An echo of those times when people were hunters and the main source of food was meat, eggs, roots, herbs and rare herbs, fruits, vegetables and berries.
The third condition is pathological, but can only develop in people with type 1 diabetes. According to the same scientists, people whose body is capable of synthesizing insulin are not at risk of ketoacidosis and the novel diet will not cause any harm.
Even so, before starting to practice this type of diet, it is advisable to consult a doctor and undergo all the necessary tests.The ketogenic diet is strictly contraindicated for people with bile duct diseases, cholelithiasis, liver, kidney and gastrointestinal diseases and diabetes mellitus.
Fats are the basis of women's health.
The ketogenic diet for women has become especially attractive.It is known that a strong restriction of fats in the diet causes serious alterations in the menstrual cycle.Losing weight on a ketogenic diet is considered completely safe for women's reproductive health.
Women who have tried this diet write in their reviews about the ketogenic diet that, in addition to rapid weight loss, the advantage of this diet is the improvement in the condition of the skin and hair.There is a general rejuvenation of the body.
Quit the ketogenic diet
Despite the fact that ketosis supporters firmly insist on the naturalness and safety of the diet with the motto "less carbohydrates, more fats", calling for such a diet to be a dietary style for the rest of life, doctors warn people against such serious experiments.
The consumption of ketone bodies is not entirely normal for the body and it is not clear what consequences it may have in the future.Upon reaching the desired weight, nutritionists recommend switching to a more natural and healthy diet with a certain proportion of slow carbohydrates in the diet.
Coming off the ketogenic diet must be constant, thoughtful and careful.When you add carbohydrates to your diet, the body will immediately begin to store fat, water, glycogen and everything else it has been lacking for so long.
Before leaving the ketogenic diet, it is recommended to calculate your diet based on the amount of protein, fat and carbohydrates.This is quite simple to do: you just need to record everything you eat for several days in one of the calorie tracking programs and then display the average values of macronutrient consumption.
In the second stage of leaving the ketogenic diet, you should begin adding 50 grams of complex carbohydrates to your diet weekly, while reducing the amount of fat to stay within your caloric intake.Week after week, weight losers need to replace fats with carbohydrates until the BJU percentage reaches the generally accepted norm of 30/20/50.
With this step-by-step approach, quitting the keto diet will take approximately 4 to 5 weeks, but your body will be able to adapt to the new eating style and you will not gain excess weight.
From the Paleolithic to the 21st century
The Mercola Keto diet, also known as the Paleolithic diet, is a variation of the ketogenic diet developed by Optimal Wellness owner Joseph Mercola.
According to the doctor, cereals and all their derivatives have appeared in the human diet very recently and are not a natural human food.This is confirmed by numerous allergies, for example to gluten and starch.In this regard, he developed a special three-stage weight loss system that has a beneficial effect on the body, heals and rejuvenates it.
According to their theory, you can eat natural milk and fermented dairy products made from it, coconut oil, fresh vegetables, vegetable oil, salmon, raw eggs, beef, nuts and ostrich meat.
The first stage of the diet lasts three days, during which rest and total exclusion of foods containing carbohydrates are recommended.In the second phase, physical activity and psychologists who work in the medical team intervene.Upon reaching the desired weight, the person moves to the third stage of weight maintenance, where they remain for the rest of their life.
According to reviews, the Mercola ketogenic diet is very effective and allows you to quickly lose excess weight, but it is quite difficult to tolerate due to the limited diet.From the point of view of other nutritionists, the doctor's methods are highly questionable, since raw eggs and unprocessed milk can pose a threat to the body, and lifelong rejection of carbohydrates is fraught with disturbances in the gastrointestinal tract.
Keto diet: menu of the week
For meat eaters who don't suffer too much from a lack of fruits and grains, a ketogenic diet can be an excellent option and solution for losing weight.
On the ketogenic diet, the weekly menu looks like this:
Monday
- Breakfast: soft-boiled eggs, avocado.
- Lunch: chicken soup with broccoli.
- Dinner: mushrooms with asparagus and chicken thighs.
Tuesday
- Breakfast: cottage cheese with sour cream.
- Lunch: salmon with lettuce.
- Dinner: cottage cheese casserole.
Wednesday
- Breakfast: omelet with bacon.
- Lunch: cream soup, mushrooms and chicken.
- Dinner: fish cutlets.
Thursday
- Breakfast: boiled breast with avocado.
- Lunch: stewed chicken with cheese, Chinese cabbage salad.
- Dinner: cottage cheese with fermented baked milk and apple.
Friday
- Breakfast: hard-boiled eggs with cucumber and avocado.
- Lunch: grilled salmon and fresh vegetable salad.
- Dinner: omelet with broccoli and mushrooms.
Saturday
- Breakfast: baked apple with cottage cheese.
- Lunch: stewed cabbage and pork chop.
- Dinner: yogurt.
Sunday
- Breakfast: omelet with cheese.
- Lunch: baked chicken thighs in cream.
- Dinner: cottage cheese with sour cream.
Due to the metabolic nature of the ketogenic diet, snacks and intermediate meals are generally not required, as the feeling of hunger does not occur due to the reduction in insulin.
Despite some limitations in the set of foods, the ketogenic diet recipes are quite varied and interesting.These include all kinds of nut muffins, creamy soups with bacon and cheese, pizza and lasagna based on zucchini, all kinds of grilled and baked vegetables and meats, cutlets and salads.
Dangers and side effects of the diet.
Despite the excellent reviews about the results of the ketogenic diet, most doctors warn against its long-term use.Doctors agree that the ketogenic diet can be followed for about two weeks without harm to health, after which it is necessary to start the diet with the gradual addition of carbohydrates.Extreme bodybuilders use keto for several months, but it is difficult to say how this affects their health.
Side effects of the ketogenic diet include:
- The smell of acetone from the mouth, urine and simply from the body.Acetone is a byproduct of the breakdown of fatty tissue in the body.Increasing the volume of water to 3-3.5 liters per day will help eliminate this odor.
- Constipation or diarrhea.
- Dizziness and weakness during the first week in the stage of adaptation of the body and adjustment to ketosis.
- Insomnia and other sleep disorders.
- Frequent urination: carbohydrates retain water;As soon as the body stops receiving them, all the excess fluid is excreted, and with it the salts that our body needs.
- Muscle cramps can be caused by a serious loss of mineral salts.
- Increased heart rate.
- Loss of appetite.
- Keto flu.Its symptoms are similar to those of the real flu: weakness, muscle pain, malaise.Observed 2-3 days after switching to a carbohydrate-free diet.
Use of the ketogenic diet in medicine.
In addition to the treatment of epilepsy, proven for centuries, the effect of the ketogenic diet on the course of multiple sclerosis, autism, Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease, as well as in the treatment of certain types of cancer, is currently being studied.
Scientists have discovered that some forms of tumors cannot use ketones for energy, allowing the ketogenic diet to be used as an adjuvant method in cancer treatment.According to data from 2018, this technique showed the best results in the treatment of glioblastoma.
Research is currently being done on the use of the diet for type 2 diabetes mellitus and metabolic syndrome.No publications have yet been presented that confirm or refute the effectiveness of the diet for these diseases.
The ketogenic diet has proven to be an effective way to lose weight without the annoying feeling of hunger and is successfully used by bodybuilders on the eve of the competitive season.