Many people who control their weight have noticed more than once that by briefly giving up flour, sweets, potatoes and cereals, their weight quickly drops 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 switches to fats and proteins.
Limiting carbohydrate foods is the main principle of the famous low-carb diet.But in addition to the sensational Kremlin diet and the Atkins diet, there is another more strict, but at the same time more effective nutrition 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 get rid of 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 triggered 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.
Body adaptation to ketosis and diet duration
Unlike a regular low-carb diet, the keto diet is longer and more systematic.During the first week, the body adapts to the changes by eating reserves, and only closer to the second week does the burning of subcutaneous fat begin.
Preparing the body for ketosis occurs in 4 stages:
- Total glucose consumption.During the first 12 hours after your last meal, the body uses glucose obtained from carbohydrates;
- Complete glycogen consumption.In 12 hours, the body manages to process all the glucose and begins to draw glycogen reserves from the liver and muscles.This phase lasts approximately 1-2 days;
- Fat and protein consumption.This is the most difficult period, because having exhausted all reserves of carbohydrates, the body begins to process not only fatty acids, but also tries to produce the required amount of glucose from protein.In this phase, the body tries to use protein, including muscle protein, as the main source of energy;
- Ketosis, fat consumption.This stage occurs approximately on the 7th day of the diet.The body adapts to the lack of carbohydrates and ketosis begins.The breakdown of your own and food protein slows down and fat finally becomes the main source of energy.
The keto diet can last from 2 to 3 weeks depending on your goals.In the first week, the body processes reserves and adjusts to a new diet, and only from the second week does ketosis begin, so if you plan to slightly reduce the volume and spend only a few days on 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 return to a normal diet gradually, 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 requires three main nutrients: proteins, fats and carbohydrates.
They are found in regular food and each perform their own function:
- Fats are a kind of hard-wired barrier of internal organs, which also accumulates fats for force majeure circumstances;
- Proteins are the main building material for muscles, joints and the whole body.Without it, you will never be able to pump up muscles and build a beautiful, sculpted body.These organic substances are vital for professional athletes and all people leading 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, proportional quantities, proteins, fats and carbohydrates are equally useful and necessary.This is why people who are actively involved in sports and control 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 foods, confectionery and other sweets, he provokes 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 find it difficult to limit themselves in food and count 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 comprehensive examination of the body.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 fast and effective weight loss.The number on the scale decreases not due to fluid or muscle, but due to the breakdown of fat.During the keto diet, you don't have to fast or constantly count calories.Of course, it is necessary to regulate the amount of food consumed, but the keto diet is not based on cutting calories, but on minimizing carbohydrate foods as much as possible.As a result of the keto diet, you can get rid of fat while maintaining muscle.
The main disadvantage of the keto diet is its imbalance.Eliminating carbohydrates means reducing vitamins, beneficial microelements, as well as fiber - an indispensable component for cleansing the body and the proper 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 disruption of the intestines and kidneys, so during the diet it is recommended to consume fruits, vegetables and bran in small quantities to minimize the risks of developing serious diseases.The main 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 bad 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 during 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);
- Skim 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).
In order to create the correct keto diet menu, it is important to know not only the permitted, but also strictly prohibited foods:
- 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.These energy table data will be needed to control carbohydrates.When writing the menu, you need to make sure that their quantity does not go beyond the 50g mark.per day.
Example menu
Breakfast.Omelette of two eggs 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.You cannot add the usual croutons or sauce that are in the recipe.
Dinner.Trout steak baked in foil.
Few people decide to try the keto diet, primarily because it breaks established stereotypes.Many people use the word “diet” to mean strict calorie counting, restrictions on fatty foods, meat, and the transition to so-called “pasture.”While in the keto diet everything is quite the opposite.Most fruits, vegetables and cereals are excluded from the diet, and eggs, seafood, fish and meat, including fatty varieties, are introduced.