Many people who monitor their weight have noticed more than once that by briefly giving up flour, sweets, potatoes and cereals, their weight quickly decreases by a couple of kilograms.This is due to the rapid restriction of carbohydrates.Without receiving the usual daily dose of glucose, the body begins to look for other sources of energy and turns to fats and proteins.
Limiting carbohydrate foods is the cornerstone of the popular low-carb diet.But in addition to the sensational Kremlin diet and the Atkins diet, there is another more rigorous, but at the same time more effective nutritional system - the keto diet.
Keto diet, what is it?
The keto diet is a protein-fat diet with an almost complete absence of carbohydrates.This is one of the few diets known in our time that allows you to eliminate subcutaneous fat and at the same time maintain muscle mass.The main goal of the keto diet is to force the body to quickly switch from glycolysis to lipolysis.Glycolysis is the process of breaking down carbohydrates and lipolysis is the process of breaking down fats.The latter is activated only when glycogen stores in the liver and muscle tissue are completely depleted, usually within a few days.During lipolysis, fats are broken down into free fatty acids and glycerol, which are subsequently transformed into ketone bodies.The process of formation of ketone bodies is called ketosis, hence the name of the diet itself.
Adaptation of the body to ketosis and duration of the diet
Unlike a regular low-carb diet, the keto diet is longer and more systematic.During the first week, the body adapts to changes by consuming reserves, and only closer to the second week does it begin to burn subcutaneous fat.
The body's preparation for ketosis occurs in 4 phases:
- Total glucose consumption.During the first 12 hours after the last meal, the body uses glucose obtained from carbohydrates;
- Complete consumption of glycogen.In 12 hours, the body can process all the glucose and begins to draw glycogen stores from the liver and muscles.This phase lasts approximately 1-2 days;
- Consumption of fats and proteins.This is the most difficult period, because after exhausting all carbohydrate reserves, the body begins to process not only fatty acids, but also tries to produce the necessary amount of glucose from proteins.In this phase the body tries to use proteins, including muscle proteins, as the main source of energy;
- Ketosis, fat burning.This phase occurs approximately on the 7th day of the diet.The body adapts to the lack of carbohydrates and begins ketosis.The degradation of own and food proteins slows down and fat finally becomes the main source of energy.
The keto diet can last 2 to 3 weeks depending on your goals.In the first week, the body processes reserves and adapts to a new diet, and only from the second week ketosis begins, so if you plan to reduce the volume a little and devote only a few days to it, the keto diet is not for you.In this case it is better to consider a simpler and more common low-carb diet.It is very important to exit the keto diet correctly and gradually return to your normal diet, adding no more than 30 grams of carbohydrates per day.
Who is the keto diet indicated and contraindicated for?
To function properly, the human body needs three main nutrients: proteins, fats and carbohydrates.
They are found in normal foods and each performs its own function:
- Fats are a sort of wired barrier of the internal organs, which accumulates fats even in force majeure circumstances;
- Protein is the main building material of muscles, joints and the entire body.Without it, you will never be able to pump up your muscles and build a beautiful and sculpted body.These organic substances are vital for professional athletes and all people who lead an active lifestyle;
- Carbohydrates are the main source of energy.They are the ones who give us vigor and vitality.
When entering the body in moderate and proportional quantities, proteins, fats and carbohydrates are equally useful and necessary.This is why people who actively play sports and monitor their diet never have problems with being overweight.But if a person leads a sedentary lifestyle, regularly overeats or eats chaotically, often indulges in fast food, sweets and other sweets, it causes an excess of fats and carbohydrates in the body, which are gradually transformed into subcutaneous fat.The keto diet will help you lose excess weight and “cleanse” your body of excess fat.It will appeal to people who have difficulty restricting food and counting calories.It is also indispensable for athletes during the drying period.Before starting this diet, it is important to consult a nutritionist and undergo a complete body examination.The keto diet can give tangible positive results, but only if the person is healthy.
The keto diet is strictly prohibited for diabetics, pregnant women, people with a diseased thyroid gland, as well as those who have problems with the kidneys, liver and gastrointestinal tract.
Advantages and disadvantages of the keto diet
The benefits of the keto diet include quick and effective weight loss.The number on the scale decreases not because of fluid or muscle, but because of the breakdown of fat.During the keto diet, you don't have to fast or constantly count calories.Of course, you need to regulate the amount of food consumed, but the keto diet is not about cutting calories, but about reducing carbohydrate foods as much as possible.As a result of the keto diet, you can shed fat while maintaining muscle.
The main disadvantage of the keto diet is its imbalance.Eliminating carbohydrates means reducing vitamins, beneficial microelements and fibre, an essential component for cleansing the body and the correct functioning of the stomach.The lack of vitamins can be compensated for by drinking a vitamin complex at the end of the diet, but with fiber the situation is more complicated.Its deficiency can cause intestinal and kidney disorders, so during the diet it is recommended to consume fruits, vegetables and bran in small quantities to minimize the risk of developing serious diseases.The important thing is not to overdo it and make sure that the amount of carbohydrates consumed per day does not exceed 50 g.
Limiting carbohydrates has a negative effect on mental and physical abilities, reducing activity and concentration.This is especially acute for people engaged in creative or mental activities.This period is often accompanied by increased fatigue, drowsiness and mild apathy.
What can and cannot be eaten on the keto diet?
The majority of your diet during the keto diet should consist of protein foods:
- Meat (beef, veal, rabbit, poultry and even pork);
- Fish (especially herring, salmon, salmon, tuna);
- Seafood (mussels, shrimp, crabs, squid, etc.);
- Eggs (chicken and quail);
- Nuts (hazelnuts, almonds, pistachios);
- Skimmed milk 0.5 -1.5% fat;
- Low-fat fermented milk products (cottage cheese, yogurt, kefir) without dyes, flavors, fruit additives and sugar;
- A limited amount of low-starch vegetables, lettuce and unsweetened fruits (sour apples, oranges, grapefruits).
To create the correct keto diet menu, it is important to know not only the permitted foods, but also the strictly prohibited ones:
- Bread;
- Potato;
- Cereals;
- Bananas;
- Grape;
- Sugar;
- Chocolate;
- Confectionery (pastry, cakes);
- Any baked goods or homemade baked goods.
Based on these two lists and checking the table of energy values of products, you can easily create a menu for a week, two weeks or more and stick to it.This energy table data will be needed to control carbohydrates.When writing the menu, you need to make sure that their quantity does not exceed the threshold of 50 g.per day.
Example menu
Breakfast.Two egg omelette with spinach, half a grapefruit, tea without sugar.
Dinner.A light version of homemade Caesar salad.It should consist of green lettuce leaves and boiled chicken breast.You can dress the salad with olive oil or lemon juice.It is not possible to add the usual croutons or sauces present in the recipe.
Dinner.Trout steak cooked in foil.
Few people decide to try the keto diet, mainly because it breaks established stereotypes.Many people use the word “diet” to mean strict calorie counting, restrictions on fatty foods, meat, and the move to so-called “grazing.”While in the keto diet everything is exactly the opposite.Most fruits, vegetables and grains are excluded from the diet, and eggs, seafood, fish and meat, including fatty varieties, are introduced.