Ketogenic diet for weight loss: what you can eat - sample menu

The ketogenic, or ketone, or keto diet is one of the well-studied food systems that has been shown to be useful in many experiments and clinical studies.

However, the scheme is complex. It is not suitable for everyone and there are many pitfalls.

What is the keto diet

This is a low carb food and a high fat menu. Similar to the usual carbohydrate-free diet or the Atkins diet.

A diet in which the amount of carbohydrates is significantly reduced and fat intake increases, the body turns into ketosis.

Ketosis is a metabolic condition in which fat is the main source of energy in the body. This occurs when the intake of carbohydrates, usually the primary energy source, is minimized.

Ketosis occurs during fasting, pregnancy and infants. It can be artificially induced in adults by switching to a high-fat, low-carbohydrate diet.

In ketosis, insulin levels decline. Fatty acids in large quantities leave adipose tissue and enter the liver, where they are oxidized and converted into ketone bodies or ketones, which are a source of energy.

Formed:

• beta-hydroxybutyrate, the major ketone body circulating in the blood;
• acetoacetate - the main product of the liver;
• acetone is a volatile ketone responsible for creating a specific odor from the breath.

Ketone bodies can penetrate the blood-brain barrier and feed brain cells in the absence of glucose.

The steady decline in insulin and sugar levels that occurs in a ketogenic diet has multiple beneficial effects on human health.

How is ketosis different from ketoacidosis

Ketosis that develops with a carbohydrate-free diet is fundamentally different from diabetic ketoacidosis.

People who are not diabetics have normal blood sugar levels. When carbohydrate stores are depleted, the liver begins to produce glucose from other sources (pyruvate, glycerol, and amino acids).

This allows you to maintain normal blood glucose levels and ensures a concentration of ketone bodies within 8 Mmole / L, which is safe for health.

In type 1 diabetics, the level of ketones reaches 20 Mmol / L. And this condition is already life-threatening.

What is keto food: options

1. Standard protocol. This means eating a lot of protein and fat and minimizing carbohydrates - no more than 50 g per day. The menu includes 75% fat, 20% protein and 5% carbohydrates.
2. Keto diet high in protein. Same as the standard regimen, only more protein. 60% fat, 35% protein, 5% carbohydrates.
3. Cyclic option. With this diet, 5 days is followed by a standard diet, and 2 days rich in carbohydrates. Reminiscent of the BUCH diet.
4. Targeted approach. They eat according to a ketogenic scheme, and consume carbohydrates before and after training.

All scientific research performed evaluated only the standard version.

The cyclical and targeted approach is used only by athletes, mostly bodybuilders. These forms of diet are not intended to help you lose weight or improve your health.

How keto diet affects weight loss

Scientific evidence indicates that this is a very effective weight loss method that gives more consistent results than traditional low-fat weight loss systems that require strict calorie restrictions.

It was shown that those who lost weight on a ketogenic diet lost 2. 2 times more pounds, those volunteers who were on a diet with reduced fat and strict calorie restriction.

The mechanisms of weight loss on the keto diet are as follows.

1. Significant protein intake, necessary for stable healthy weight loss.
2. Gluconeogenesis. Proteins and fats are converted into carbohydrates. This procedure can burn extra calories throughout the day.
3. Suppresses appetite. A ketogenic diet normalizes the levels of the hormones leptin and ghrelin, which are responsible for eating behavior.
4. Increase insulin sensitivity. Insulin resistance leads to weight gain. Therefore, increasing the sensitivity to the hormone speeds up the metabolism and promotes the rapid breakdown of fat deposits and reduces the rate of formation of new ones.

Treatment and prevention of metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes

Metabolic syndrome is a metabolic disorder that significantly increases the risk of obesity, type 2 diabetes and heart disease.

Signs that a person has metabolic syndrome are:

• hanging blood pressure;
• abdominal obesity (large abdomen);
• high blood sugar (even if diabetes has not yet been diagnosed);
• poor lipid profile indicators (rules for self-coding cholesterol analysis).

All of these indicators can be improved without medication by changing lifestyle and diet, for example, by switching to a ketone diet.

1. Increasing the sensitivity of the body's cells to the hormone insulin plays an important role in the treatment and prevention of diabetes and metabolic syndrome. With the keto diet, insulin sensitivity increases by 75%. Some people with diabetes may even stop taking their medication.
2. Improved lipid profile parameters. Positive changes also affect cholesterol and triglyceride levels.
3. Additional body support is provided by ketone bodies which in themselves have beneficial properties.

What other therapeutic effects does the keto diet have?

1. Help in treating epilepsy. A current meta-analysis of 70 clinical studies found that the keto diet reduced the number of seizures by 50% in 46-62% of cases. The exact mechanism of effective anticonvulsant action has not been established. Scientists believe that the positive effect may be associated with an increase in the amount of the antioxidant glutathione in the mitochondria, an increase in the effect of the inhibitory neurotransmitters GABA and adenosine, and so on.
2. Alzheimer's disease therapy. Several small studies have shown that a ketone diet improves the condition of patients with mild Alzheimer's disease. In patients with this disease, the supply of glucose to the brain is impaired. And keto bodies allow the brain to be fed energy without the participation of glucose, while reducing the toxic effects of glutamate.
3. Support for patients with parkinsonism. According to several studies, a carbohydrate-free diet is beneficial for people with Parkinson’s disease by preventing dopaminergic neuronal death and mitochondrial damage.
4. Helping children with autism. It is speculated that the keto diet improves the behavior of children with autism. And more effective than the Atkins diet, gluten- and casein-free foods. However, data on this issue are so little at the moment that they cannot be considered completely reliable.
5. Cancer treatment. Tumor cells act exclusively on glucose. I can't get energy from ketone bodies. Therefore, switching to a ketogenic diet promotes cell death in malignant neoplasms. However, experts point out that the method can only be used in conjunction with chemotherapy and with a doctor’s permission. And don’t place too much hope in this approach.
6. Improves skin condition. Special acne removal. Low insulin levels and the removal of all industrially produced foods from the diet, as required by the diet, eliminates chronic inflammation affecting the skin.
7. Treatment of polycystic ovary syndrome. The disease is associated with impaired glucose and androgen metabolism. A ketogenic diet helps restore insulin sensitivity that plagues women with polycystic ovary syndrome.

Dos and not in the keto diet: a list of foods

• Sugar in any form. Obviously, sweet foods (sweets, ice cream) and those that do not seem sweet, but contain this ingredient in their composition, are also classified as prohibited. It could also be store-bought ketchup.
• Cereals: wheat (including spelled), rye, barley, rice, corn.
• Vegetable oils that make you fat - soy, corn, sunflower, canola. And also trans fats.
• Fruit. Except for a small amount of berries like strawberries.
Legumes. Peas, peas, lentils, etc. It can be used in green form, for example, beans.
• Tubers and rhizomes. Potatoes, carrots, beets, parsnips, etc.
• Any "dietary" food, for example, low-fat cottage cheese (in such products, fat is replaced by sugar).
• Products with sweeteners in the form of sugar alcohols (xylitol, erythritol) - have a negative effect on ketone bodies.
• Sauces and sauces, for the preparation of which sugar, starch, flour were used.
• Alcohol.
• All finished products from the food industry.

Ketogenic diet: what you can and should eat

• All types of meat: beef, pork, poultry, lamb, etc.
• Fish and seafood.
• Eggs.
• Vegetables. Preferably green. Others are also allowed (tomatoes, eggplants, onions, peppers) - the main thing is that they have a lot of fiber, and carbohydrates are easily digestible.
• Fatty dairy products - cream, butter, cheese.
• Nuts and seeds.
• Mushrooms.
• Real vegetable oils: olive, coconut oil, avocado.
• Fermented foods: natural yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut, etc.
• Spices and herbs.

Sample weekly menu for women and men on a ketogenic diet

Monday	Tuesday
Breakfast: scrambled eggs with bacon and tomato. Lunch: Cauliflower and broccoli soup in chicken soup, boiled chicken with eggplant and paprika sauce. Dinner: a piece of red fish baked in sour cream with a vegetable salad.	Breakfast: natural fatty yogurt without sweeteners or flavors with nuts and / or seeds. Lunch: bone broth (preferably beef) with hard-boiled egg, a piece of boiled beef with sauerkraut (without potatoes). Dinner: chicken stew with zucchini.
Wednesday	Thursday
Breakfast: scrambled eggs with paprika. Lunch: fish soup (without potatoes), pork chop with bean stew. Dinner: roasted chicken breast with sour cream, cucumbers and tomatoes.	Breakfast: fresh fatty cheese without sugar and flavors. Lunch: mushroom soup (without potatoes and noodles), minced beefsteak with egg and vegetable salad. Dinner: fish baked under the rind of cheese with vegetables.
Friday	Saturday
Breakfast: soft-boiled eggs with a slice of cheese. Lunch: sauerkraut soup (without potatoes), chicken liver stewed with sour cream and fried onions, with shirataki noodles. Dinner: salad with fish and / or seafood (without potatoes and rice), but with green vegetables, tomatoes, etc.	Breakfast: cottage cheese with herbs. Lunch: bone soup with meatballs (without flour or bread), beef azu with stewed cabbage (fresh or sour). Dinner: boiled chicken with radish and cucumber salad.
Sunday	Go to next week
Breakfast: scrambled eggs with feta cheese. Lunch: Light vegetable soup with cauliflower and broccoli (without potatoes), roasted chicken whole, with cucumber and tomato salad. Dinner: stewed mushrooms with sour cream, with vegetable salad.	Repeat the first week, trying to add maximum variety to the menu. There are a huge number of recipes that will satisfy the keto diet.

Rules to follow

1. You can and should eat food without counting calories.
2. Only real fats can be eaten. This means that cooking is only allowed on oil that can withstand heat treatment. Salads should be lubricated only with proper dietary dressings.
3. There should be a lot of fat in the diet. You can't focus on protein.
4. Tea, coffee, instant chicory and many other drinks are allowed. The main selection criterion is the absence of sugar and sweeteners in the drink.
5. You should try to put a lot of spices in your food.

Healthy snacks while losing weight on a ketogenic diet

Since a ketogenic diet does not require counting calories, snacking is not only allowed, but even stimulating. But they must be accurate.

Allowed:

• boiled eggs;
• chips;
cheeses;
• nuts, seeds, as well as various pastes and oils prepared from them;
• berries, for example, strawberries with cream (however, you should not get pregnant with berries);
• natural yoghurt and other natural fermented milk products;
• all vegetables allowed by the diet and light salads from it.

All dairy products, whether cheese or yogurt, should be of normal fat content.

What is "keto flu": symptoms

The first few days of switching to a low-carb diet can be difficult. Unpleasant symptoms, often called "keto flu", are often noticed.

Can be marked:

• Constant hunger, especially craving for sugar;
• fatigue;
• insomnia;
• abdominal discomfort, stomach pain;
• nausea and vomiting;
constipation or diarrhea;
• concentration problem;
• headache and dizziness;
• muscles and cramps;
• irritability, tearfulness.

How long does ketoflu last

From a few days to a few weeks. It has been linked to body restructuring due to the use of fat as the primary fuel source. While the adaptation is taking place, the energy may not be enough, which leads to the listed symptoms, which are unpleasant. But they do not pose any danger.

Ketone bodies are always present in the blood in small amounts. After the first 2-3 days of a strict diet without carbohydrates, the liver begins to produce ketones and their blood level rises to 2-3 mM.

Adaptation is complete when cells, placed in a state of carbohydrate starvation, reduce the absorption of ketone bodies from the blood, increasing their concentration to 8 mM. At this point, the efficient transport of ketones through the blood-brain barrier begins.

Why some people adapt easily to a ketogenic diet while others are difficult is not precisely determined. It is assumed that a person’s eating habits are essential. The easier it is to digest carbohydrates, the harder the transition. Genetic predisposition is of some importance.

How to quickly enter ketosis on a keto diet

1. Correct water mode. When carbohydrates are removed from the diet, glycogen stores are reduced in the body. Because glycogen accumulates water around itself, with a decrease in its amount, dehydration can develop, leading to fatigue and muscle pain.
2. Just light physical activity. During the period of body adaptation, only light exercises are allowed: walking, yoga, slow cycling. All kinds of exhausting fitness must be abandoned.
3. Recommended intake of mineral supplements:
   • sodium - 3-4 grams per day;
   • potassium - 1g;
   • magnesium - 0, 3g.

Creatine monohydrate and caffeine supplements are also shown.

Keto respiration and specific urine odor

Switching to a high-carb, high-fat diet is often accompanied by the appearance of a specific bad breath. The person himself often feels it as a metallic taste in his mouth. People around you usually perceive this as the smell of nail polish remover. Some people think it smells like fruit. Urine got the same smell.

The phenomenon is caused by the formation of volatile acetone ketone, which is often found in varnish removers.

Odor is not a side effect. This simply indicates that the body is switching to working on fat and forming ketone bodies. It is harmless to health. But it can be uncomfortable for the person and those around them, especially when it comes to breathing.

To reduce the severity of symptoms, you need to:

• drink more fluids;
• eat less protein;
• use mint chewing gum;
• slightly increase the amount of carbohydrates (only if you eat less than 50 g per day).

After 1-2 weeks, the odor should disappear on its own.

Delayed side effects of keto diet

In addition to ketoflua, which is withdrawn within a few weeks, this diet can lead to delayed side effects. Possible:

• problems with the digestive system caused by the intake of excessive amounts of fat and impaired functioning of the intestinal microflora;
• gradual increase in cholesterol levels;
• increased load on the kidneys, which can increase the likelihood of developing kidney failure and cause urolithiasis;
• decreased bone density.

Potential nutritional deficiencies in a long-term ketogenic diet

Since the diet cannot be called balanced, prolonged exposure to this diet can lead to a lack of some important components.

1. Calcium. Leaves in urine. Because with excess fat the urine becomes too acidic and the body is forced to alkalize it with calcium. In addition, the lack of carbohydrates impairs the absorption of this trace element.
2. Magnesium. According to assumptions, the gradual development of the deficiency is associated with the withdrawal from the diet of foods rich in this trace element - cereals and fruits.
3. Iron. The abundance of fat in food impairs the absorption of iron.
4. Sodium and potassium. Due to the decrease in insulin levels, the loss through the kidneys increases. However, unlike other microelements, such as calcium or magnesium, whose deficiency is determined over time, potassium and sodium disappear quickly. And in many ways, their deficiency is due to the symptoms of keto flu, which gradually pass.
Selenium. The deficiency may be due to a lack of this trace mineral in foods high in fat. The exception is the Brazil nut, one piece of which gives the body 100% of the daily value of selenium. Carnitine. The disadvantage is that the compound is consumed too quickly on a fatty diet.

If you have been on a keto diet for a long time, you should regularly check the level of all substances that may become deficient over time. It is advisable to take supplements to nutrients that are at risk.

Who should not switch to keto food: contraindications

1. Children, pregnant and lactating women, patients with diabetes mellitus and cancer should only switch to a ketogenic diet if prescribed by a supervised physician.
2. Diet is contraindicated in people with ApoE3 and ApoE4 genotypes, as it can lead to life-threatening increases in cholesterol levels.
3. Do not follow patients with epilepsy with KCNJ11 and BAD genes.
4. Serious liver and / or kidney diseases are contraindications for following this diet.

Conclusion

The

Keto diet is a fairly hard food system that requires almost complete rejection of carbohydrates and the introduction of a significant amount of fat into the diet.

Switching to a ketogenic diet is often difficult to tolerate.

The diet has received a wealth of scientific research, many of which prove its benefits for weight loss, treatment of type 2 diabetes and neurodegenerative diseases, normalization of the lipid profile and elimination of metabolic syndrome.

However, there are not many studies that have evaluated the health effects of an extended (longer than one year) diet. And, according to some assumptions, the constant presence of such a diet can be detrimental to health.