The Keto Diet: What You Need to Know Before You Try

The keto diet was created to treat patients with diabetes, but some doctors have decided to try it for weight loss.Let's find out who it is suitable for and what dangers such a diet can pose, how to choose products and create a menu.

What is the keto diet

The ketogenic diet, or keto, is a low-carb, high-fat diet.This diet helps lower blood sugar levels, increase insulin sensitivity, improve well-being and lose weight by changing your metabolism.

A change in diet causes a state of ketosis, a metabolic mode in which the body obtains fuel from animal foods.The main source of energy are ketone bodies: acetone, acetoacetate and beta-hydroxybutyric acid.These are substances that are formed in the liver from the body's fatty tissues and consumed fats.Ketone bodies nourish internal organs, muscle tissue, and the brain instead of glucose.

The process of ketosis can be triggered by fasting, but the keto diet allows you to enter this state and maintain it constantly without health risks.

Signs of ketosis:

• acetone or fruity breath odor;
• increased levels of ketone bodies in the blood, urine and breath;
• decreased appetite and hunger;
• loss of strength, which after a few days can be replaced by normal well-being and increased brain activity;
• gastrointestinal disorders, thirst and frequent urination;
• weight loss;
• irritability;
• insomnia.

Ketosis is a natural metabolic state of the body in which the body's fats and adipose tissues become the main source of energy instead of glucose.

Types of diet:

• standard: 75% fat, 20% protein and 5% carbohydrate of total calorie intake;
• cyclical: five days of keto alternating with two days of high-carb foods;
• target: suitable for those who practice sports;
• rich in proteins: it differs from the standard version in the ratio of elements (60% fats, 35% proteins and 5% carbohydrates).

Most studies and expert articles focus on standard and high-protein regimens.Cyclic and target options have been less studied and are recommended for athletes and bodybuilders.

The keto diet is a diet with a high percentage of fat and minimal carbohydrates.The body gets energy from animal foods instead of glucose.This diet can help reduce blood sugar and insulin levels and help you lose weight.

Foods to avoid

The keto diet cannot be called carbohydrate-free: their daily amount is equal to 5% of the diet or 20-50 grams of product.

But to initiate and maintain a state of ketosis, you need to eliminate or reduce the amount of high-carb foods from your menu:

• cereals and starch-based products: rice, pasta, cereals, potatoes;
• foods and drinks containing sugar: soda, fruit juices, baked goods, etc.;
• any fruit except berries;
• beans and beans;
• dietary products and low-fat foods;
• sauces and flavorings that contain sugar and unhealthy fats;
• alcohol.

Foods to include in your diet

Key Foods Included in the Keto Diet:

• meat: steaks, sausages, bacon, chicken and turkey;
• fish: salmon, tuna, mackerel;
• seafood;
• egg;
• butter and sour cream;
• cheeses: cheddar, goat, cream, mozzarella or blue cheese;
• nuts and seeds;
• olive oil, coconut and avocado;
• fresh avocado and guacamole;
• low-carb vegetables: most green vegetables, tomatoes, onions, peppers;
• seasonings: salt, pepper, spices and aromatic herbs.

Low-Carb Foods Suitable for the Keto Diet:

• 0% carbohydrates: beef, lamb, chicken, eggs, pork (including bacon), jerky, salmon, sardines, trout, butter, olive, coconut and avocado oils, water, coffee, tea.
• 0-5%: liver, shellfish, shrimp, tuna, lobster, cod, tomatoes, cauliflower, cucumber, asparagus, mushrooms, cheese, sour cream, yogurt (including Greek yogurt).
• 5-10%: broccoli, onions, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, aubergines, peppers, green beans, avocado, olives, strawberries.
• 10-15%: grapefruit, apricot, walnuts.
• 15-25%: almonds, peanuts.

As a snack, experts recommend eating seafood, cheese, olives, meat, hard-boiled eggs, nuts, berries, dark chocolate and small portions of leftovers from breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Menu of the week by day

Monday

• Breakfast: bacon, eggs, tomatoes.
• Lunch: Chicken salad with feta cheese and olive oil.
• Dinner: salmon and asparagus with butter.

Tuesday

• Breakfast: omelette with goat cheese, tomatoes, basil.
• Lunch: Almond milk, peanut butter and cocoa smoothie with sugar substitute.
• Dinner: meatballs, cheddar cheese and vegetables.

Wednesday

• Breakfast: Keto Milkshake – like peanut butter or strawberry.
• Lunch: Shrimp salad with avocado and olive oil.
• Dinner: Pork ribs with broccoli, salad and parmesan.

Thursday

• Breakfast: omelette with avocado, salsa, peppers, onions and spices.
• Lunch: Walnuts, celery sticks with salsa and fresh guacamole.
• Dinner: Pesto chicken with cream cheese and fresh vegetables.

Friday

• Breakfast: Yogurt with peanut butter, cocoa and sweetener.
• Lunch: Beef in coconut oil with vegetables.
• Dinner: Hamburger without bun with bacon, cheese and eggs.

Saturday

• Breakfast: mushroom omelette with ham and cheese.
• Lunch: ham, cheese, nuts.
• Dinner: white fish, eggs and spinach in coconut oil.

Sunday

• Breakfast: scrambled eggs with bacon and mushrooms.
• Lunch: hamburger with salsa, cheese and guacamole.
• Dinner: steak, salad, eggs.

Natural foods suitable for the keto diet include meat, fish, butter, eggs, cheese, mushrooms, low-carb vegetables, nuts and seeds.

The effectiveness of losing weight on a keto diet

No diet alone provides long-term weight loss and can be harmful to your health.After temporary weight loss, people return to their previous state and sometimes gain more weight than before the diet change.A safe and effective way to achieve your desired weight and maintain health and fitness is to find a suitable lifestyle and diet plan that you can follow with the help of experts.

Experts confirm that the keto diet is 2.2 times more effective for losing weight than a low-fat diet.Weight loss occurs due to:

• increase the amount of protein in the diet;
• decreased appetite;
• changes in eating habits;
• obtain energy from fats instead of glucose;
• rapid fat burning;
• improved metabolism due to increased insulin sensitivity.

The keto regime does not require constant calorie counting, creates a feeling of satiety, accelerates the fat burning process and prevents its formation.

Harm of the keto diet

In 2018, Polish professor Maciej Banach presented a report on the dangers of low-carbohydrate diets at the Congress of the European Society of Cardiology.The study found that in a control group of 24,000 participants, the risk of dying from heart disease, stroke and cancer was 50%, 51% and 35% higher among those who ate a high-fat, low-carb diet.

In January 2020, the international organization Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine recommended that low-carb diets, including the keto diet, be removed from the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans.Doctors have indicated that such a diet increases the risk of heart disease.

Additionally, the state of ketosis has side effects that you need to be aware of.

Keto flu

General worsening of the condition that occurs when changing the diet and lasts for several days.Symptoms:

• physical tiredness,
• headache and dizziness,
• decreased attention and performance,
• feeling hungry
• sleep disorders,
• irritability,
• digestive disorders,
• increased thirst,
• frequent urination,
• muscle cramps,
• rapid heartbeat.

In the first few weeks it is necessary to strictly follow the diet to accustom the body to the new regime.When experiencing symptoms of the keto flu, it's important to eat well and drink at least 2 liters of fluids, preferably containing electrolytes, per day.Experts recommend adding MCT oils (fatty acids obtained from coconut and palm oil), minerals (salt, soda, magnesium), caffeine, creatine, whey protein and foods containing fiber to your diet.In addition, it is necessary to reduce physical activity.

At-risk group: Anyone switching to a keto diet.

Ketoacidosis

Ketosis is a natural physiological mode in which the body produces the amount of ketone bodies required by the body.Ketoacidosis is a pathological condition in which glucose and ketone body levels are excessive, which can lead to coma and death.Ketoacidosis can be caused by diabetes, prolonged fasting, or a reaction to increased amounts of fat in the diet.

Risk group: people with type I and type II diabetes, children aged 1 to 13 years, breastfeeding mothers.

Kidney stones

According to studies, the ketogenic diet can cause the formation of kidney stones in 6.7% of patients.

Risk group: children with epilepsy.

Keto diet for diabetes

Scientists have confirmed the benefits of the keto regimen for people with type II diabetes.In one case, 95% of patients reduced or eliminated medications, compared to 62% of participants on a high-carbohydrate diet.In another, 75% of study participants improved insulin sensitivity.

In addition, research is underway on the possible use of ketosis to fight the formation of tumor cells, treat acne, childhood epilepsy, heart and brain diseases, Parkinson's and Alzheimer's syndromes.But the scientific material collected is not yet sufficient to reach a reasoned conclusion.

The keto diet is used effectively in the treatment of type II diabetes.In other cases, the medical benefits of low-carb nutrition require further research.

Doctor's opinions

We asked several questions to Evgenia Mayevskaya, candidate of medical sciences, gastroenterologist, nutritionist.

Is the keto diet beneficial or harmful?

"It all depends on the dose."Today, this nutritional strategy is not recognized by any global nutritional community and, consequently, cannot be recommended by mainstream medicine.

With this type of nutrition, more than 80% of the energy intake of the diet is provided by fats and carbohydrate consumption is limited to 20 g per day or up to 50 g, which is gentler and slightly better tolerated.Essentially, most often the keto diet is low in carbohydrates (and the transition to ketosis is associated with this) and often high in protein.With this type of diet, the body has an abundance of saturated fats, including trans fats, and protein.

It is often the case that most early stage keto diet followers do not have a clear understanding of what foods are acceptable in a ketogenic diet, but it is more or less clear what should be avoided.Therefore meat products are used, which has its consequences.

This can result in a deficiency of dietary fiber, found in carbohydrate-containing foods, and a deficiency of water-soluble vitamins, such as C, and minerals.Such food can hardly be considered safe.And it is extremely difficult to stick to it all your life, but only this option allows you to ensure a stable weight, if we talk about losing weight.

What are the consequences and dangers of the keto diet?

Early-stage weight loss can be truly impressive, even before the body transitions into ketosis and actual water-based fat burning has begun.1g of carbohydrates holds four times more fluid in the body than protein and the first thing you notice is a decrease in body volume.If there is really a lot of excess weight, the result is initially encouraging.

But it is worth remembering that everything will return if the diet remains the same.And not everything is so rosy.Here are some negative consequences:

• general weakness, fatigue during adaptation;
• hypoglycemia;
• bad breath and the smell of sweat (due to the abundance of meat foods);
• stool disorders (constipation or tendency to diarrhea);
• nausea;
• disruption of the pancreas and gallbladder, especially if gallstone disease of any stage is present;
• gastric dyspepsia;
• kidney stones (for long-term adherence) and dysfunction;
• possible deterioration of the lipid profile towards atherogenic;
• weight gain when switching to a regular mixed diet.

I also associate this eating behavior strategy with an increased risk of osteoporosis and deterioration of brain activity.

There are a number of authoritative foreign studies, with which cardiologists are most familiar, which indicate that when replacing carbohydrates in the diet with fats and proteins for the purpose of weight loss, the risks of cardiovascular disease increase significantly, by about 3.5-5%.That is, the risk of stroke and heart attack can increase if you simply change the type of diet.

Accordingly, if a person does not have the above-mentioned disorders, if desired, you can try the keto diet and evaluate the effect.

A similar strategy, but without introducing ketosis, but with a significant limitation of the proportion of carbohydrates (precisely due to the reduction of simple carbohydrates), is advisable to use initially in patients with impaired carbohydrate metabolism, when, for example, the level of glucose or insulin increases.Once inspired by the first results in reducing body volume, it is always easier to continue.

Maybe just don't eat sweets and simple carbohydrates?Does it also help reduce sugar and lose weight without ketosis?

Considering the data on long-term and most effective dietary strategies, as well as my own experience, I can say that if you give up sweets, you can actually lose weight: sweet foods are not only high in calories, but also stimulate appetite.

But for most, the effect is unlikely to last and the lost kilograms will return.A person always wants what is forbidden to him, and in a fit of momentary weakness he allows himself to do it and eats too much.

But such a diet, which is not at all low in carbohydrates, but with a limit on simple sugars, can also lead to weight loss and, consequently, to the normalization of blood glucose levels.