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

The ketogenic, or ketone, or keto, diet is one of the well-studied nutritional systems, the benefits of which have been proven by numerous experiments and clinical studies.

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

What is the Keto Diet?

This is a low-carb type of diet with a high fat content on the menu.Similar to a regular no-carb or Atkins diet.

A diet that significantly reduces carbohydrates and increases fat intake puts the body into ketosis.

Ketosis is a metabolic state where fat is the main source of energy for the body.This occurs when the intake of carbohydrates, usually the main source of energy, is reduced to a minimum.

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

In a state of ketosis, insulin levels decrease.Fatty acids leave adipose tissue in large quantities 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 main ketone body circulating in the blood;
• acetoacetate is the main product of the liver;
• acetone is a volatile ketone responsible for the formation of a specific odor in the breath.

Ketone bodies are able to penetrate the blood-brain barrier and nourish brain cells in the absence of glucose.

The sustained reduction in insulin and sugar levels that occurs with a ketogenic diet has numerous beneficial effects on human health.

What is the difference between ketosis and ketoacidosis?

Ketosis, which develops when following a low-carbohydrate diet, is fundamentally different from diabetic ketoacidosis.

In people who do not have diabetes, their blood sugar levels remain within normal limits.When carbohydrate stores are depleted, the liver begins to produce glucose from other sources (pyruvate, glycerol, and amino acids).

This allows maintaining normal blood sugar levels and ensuring the concentration of ketone bodies within 8 mmol/l, which is safe for health.

In type 1 diabetes, ketone levels reach 20 mmol/L.And this condition is already life-threatening.

What is the keto diet: options

1. Standard protocol.It includes intake of large amounts of proteins and fats and minimizing carbohydrates - no more than 50 g per day.The menu includes 75% fat, 20% protein and 5% carbohydrates.
2. The keto diet is high in protein.Same as the standard regimen, just more protein.60% - fats, 35% - proteins, 5% - carbohydrates.
3. Cycle option.In this eating system, 5 days follow the standard pattern and 2 days are high carb.Reminds me of the BUTCH diet.
4. Targeted approach.They eat a ketogenic diet and consume carbohydrates before and after exercise.

All scientific studies conducted evaluated only the standard version.

The cyclical and targeted approach is used only by athletes, mainly bodybuilders.These meal plans are not intended to help you lose weight or improve your health.

How does the keto diet affect weight loss?

Scientific evidence shows that it is a highly effective weight loss method that provides more sustainable results than traditional low-fat weight loss systems that require strict calorie restriction.

Dieters who were on a ketogenic diet were shown to lose 2.2 times more pounds of excess weight than those volunteers who were on a low-fat, strict calorie-restricted diet.

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

1. Significant protein intake, which is essential for sustained healthy weight loss.
2. Gluconeogenesis.Proteins and fats are converted into carbohydrates.This process can burn extra calories throughout the day.
3. Appetite suppression.Ketogenic nutrition normalizes the levels of the hormones leptin and ghrelin, which are responsible for eating behavior.
4. Increased sensitivity to insulin.Insulin resistance leads to obesity.Therefore, increasing the sensitivity to the hormone accelerates 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 developing obesity, type 2 diabetes, and heart disease.

Signs that indicate a person has metabolic syndrome are:

• increased blood pressure;
• abdominal obesity (big belly);
• elevated blood sugar levels (even if diabetes is not yet diagnosed);
• poor lipid profile indicators (rules for self-deciphering cholesterol analysis).

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

1. Increasing the sensitivity of body cells to the hormone insulin plays an important role in the treatment and prevention of diabetes and metabolic syndrome.On a keto diet, insulin sensitivity increases by 75%.Some people with diabetes may even stop taking their medication.
2. The lipid profile indicators are improving.Positive changes affect both cholesterol and triglyceride levels.
3. Additional support for the body is provided by the formation of ketone bodies, which in themselves have beneficial properties.

What other therapeutic effects does the keto diet have?

1. Aid in the treatment of epilepsy.A current meta-analysis of 70 clinical trials found that the keto diet reduced the number of attacks by 50% in 46-62% of cases.The exact mechanism of the anticonvulsant effect of the diet has not been established.Scientists believe that the positive effect may be due to an increase in the amount of the antioxidant glutathione in the mitochondria, an increase in the influence of the inhibitory neurotransmitters GABA and adenosine, etc.
2. Therapy for Alzheimer's disease.A few small studies have shown that the ketogenic diet improves the condition of patients with mild Alzheimer's disease.In patients with this disease, the flow of glucose in the brain is impaired.And ketone bodies allow the brain to be supplied with energy without the involvement of glucose, while reducing the toxic effects of glutamate.
3. Help for patients with parkinsonism.According to several studies, a low-carb diet is beneficial for people suffering from Parkinson's disease because it prevents the death of dopaminergic neurons and damage to mitochondria.
4. Help for children with autism.There is some suggestion that the keto diet improves behavior in children with autism.And it does this more effectively than the Atkins diet, the gluten-free diet, and the casein-free diet.However, the data on this issue are still so scarce that they cannot be considered completely reliable.
5. Cancer treatment.Tumor cells work exclusively on glucose.They cannot get energy from ketone bodies.Therefore, switching to a ketogenic diet promotes cell death in malignant tumors.However, experts emphasize that the method can only be used in combination with chemotherapy and with a doctor's permission.And you shouldn't put too much hope in this approach.
6. Improved skin condition.Especially acne removal.Low insulin levels and removing all processed foods from the diet as required by the diet eliminates chronic inflammation that affects the skin.
7. Treatment of polycystic ovary syndrome.The disease is associated with impaired metabolism of glucose and androgens.The keto diet helps restore insulin sensitivity, which suffers in women with polycystic syndrome.

What not to eat on a keto diet: a list of foods

• Sugar in any form.Forbidden foods include obviously sweet foods (candy, ice cream) and foods that don't look sweet but contain this ingredient in their composition.It could even be store-bought ketchup.
• Cereals: wheat (including spelt), rye, barley, rice, corn.
• Vegetable oils that make you fat - soybean, corn, sunflower, canola.And also trans fats.
• Fruits.Except for a small number of berries such as strawberries.
• Legumes.Beans, peas, lentils, etc.It can be used in its green form, for example bean pods.
• Tubers and rhizomes.Potatoes, carrots, beets, parsnips, etc.
• Any "diet" food products, for example, low-fat cottage cheese (in such products, fat is replaced with sugar).
• Products with sweeteners in the form of sugar alcohols (xylitol, erythritol) have a negative effect on ketone bodies.
• Sauces and sauces in the preparation of which sugar, starch and flour have been used.
• Alcohol.
• All finished products produced by 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 allowed (tomatoes, eggplants, onions, sweet peppers) - the main thing is that there is a lot of fiber and almost no easily digestible carbohydrates.
• Fat dairy products - cream, butter, cheese.
• Nuts and seeds.
• mushrooms.
• The right vegetable oils: olive oil, coconut oil, avocado.
• Fermented foods: natural yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut, etc.
• Spices and seasonings.

A sample menu for one week for women and men on a ketogenic diet

Monday	Tuesday
Breakfast: omelette with bacon and tomatoes. Lunch: Cauliflower and broccoli soup in chicken broth, boiled chicken with sauteed eggplant and pepper. Dinner: a piece of red fish baked in sour cream with a vegetable salad.	Breakfast: full-fat natural yogurt without sweeteners or flavorings with nuts and/or seeds. Lunch: bone broth (preferably beef) with a hard-boiled egg, a piece of beef boiled with sauerkraut (no potatoes). Dinner: chicken stewed with zucchini.
Wednesday	Thursday
Breakfast: scrambled eggs with black pepper. Lunch: fish soup (without potatoes), pork steak with stewed green beans. Dinner: chicken breast baked in the oven with sour cream, cucumbers and tomatoes.	Breakfast: cottage cheese with a normal fat content without sugar and flavors. Lunch: mushroom soup (without potatoes and noodles), minced steak with egg and vegetable salad. Dinner: fish baked under a crust with cheese and vegetables.
Friday	Saturday
Breakfast: soft-boiled eggs with a piece 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 broth with meatballs (without flour and bread), beef azu with stewed cabbage (fresh or sour). Dinner: boiled chicken with radish and cucumber salad.
Sunday	Let's move on to next week
Breakfast: scrambled eggs with cheese. Lunch: light vegetable soup with cauliflower and broccoli (no potatoes), whole chicken in the oven, with cucumber and tomato salad. Dinner: mushrooms stewed with sour cream, with a vegetable salad.	We repeat the first week, trying to bring maximum variety to the menu.There are a huge number of recipes in the world that satisfy the keto diet.

Compliance rules

1. You can and should eat whole foods without counting calories.
2. You can only eat the right fats.This means that you can only cook with oil that withstands heat treatment.Salads should be dressed only with the correct 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 large amount of spices in your food.

Proper weight loss snacks on a ketogenic diet

Since the ketogenic diet does not require calorie counting, snacking is not only allowed, but encouraged.But they must be correct.

Allowed:

• boiled eggs;
• meat chips;
• cheese;
• nuts, seeds, as well as various pastes and oils prepared from them;
• berries, for example, strawberries with cream (however, you should not get carried away with berries);
• natural yogurt and other natural fermented milk products;
• all vegetables permitted by the diet and light salads from them.

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 are often observed, which are called "keto flu".

It can be noted:

• constant feeling of hunger, especially desire for sweets;
• tiredness;
• insomnia;
• discomfort in the abdominal area, stomach pain;
• nausea and vomiting;
constipation or diarrhea;
• concentration problems;
• headache and dizziness;
• muscle pains and cramps;
• irritability, tearfulness.

How long does keto flu last?

From a few days to a few weeks.It is associated with the restructuring of the body to use fat as its main source of fuel.While the adaptation is taking place, there may not be enough energy, which leads to the listed symptoms, which are unpleasant.But they pose no 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 level in the blood rises to 2-3 mM.

Adaptation is completed when cells placed in conditions of carbohydrate starvation reduce the absorption of ketone bodies from the blood, increasing their concentration to 8 mM.At this point, the effective transport of ketones across the blood-brain barrier begins.

Why some people adapt easily to a keto diet and others have a hard time is not exactly known.A person's eating habits are supposed to matter.The more easily digestible carbohydrates he eats, the harder the transition.A certain role is played by genetic predisposition.

How to get into ketosis fast on a keto diet

1. Correct water regime.When carbohydrates are removed from the diet, the body's glycogen stores decrease.Because glycogen accumulates water around itself, when its amount decreases, dehydration can develop, leading to fatigue and muscle pain.
2. Just light physical activity.During the adaptation period of the body, only light exercises are allowed: walking, yoga, slow cycling.All types of exhausting fitness should be abandoned.
3. Recommended mineral supplements:
   • sodium – 3-4 grams per day;
   • potassium - 1 g;
   • magnesium - 0.3g.

Dietary supplements with creatine monohydrate and caffeine are also indicated.

Ketobreathing and specific urine odor

The transition to a low-carb, high-fat diet is often accompanied by the appearance of a specific odor from the mouth.The person himself often feels it as a metallic taste in the mouth.People around you usually perceive it as the smell of nail polish remover.Some people think it smells fruity.Urine has the same smell.

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

The appearance of an odor cannot be considered a side effect.It simply indicates that the body switches to working with fat and forms ketone bodies.It is not dangerous to health.But it can be unpleasant both for the person himself and for others, especially when it comes to breathing.

To reduce the severity of the symptom, you should:

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

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

Long-term side effects of the keto diet

In addition to the keto flu, which goes away within a few weeks, this diet can cause delayed side effects.Possible:

• problems with the digestive system caused by the intake of excess fat and disruption of the 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.

Possible nutrient deficiencies on a long-term ketogenic diet

Since the diet cannot be called balanced, a long stay on this diet can lead to a deficiency of some important components.

1. calcium.Leaves with 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 worsens the absorption of this trace element.
2. Magnesium.According to assumptions, the gradual development of a deficiency is associated with the removal from the diet of foods rich in this trace element - cereals and fruits.
3. Iron.An abundance of fat in food impairs the absorption of iron.
4. Sodium and potassium.Due to the decreased insulin levels, the loss through the kidneys increases.But unlike other trace elements, such as calcium or magnesium, whose deficiency manifests itself over time, potassium and sodium disappear quickly.And their absence is largely due to the symptoms of keto flu, which gradually disappear.
5. Selenium.The deficiency may be a consequence of the lack of this trace element in foods rich in fat.An exception is the Brazil nut, one piece of which provides the body with 100% of the daily need for selenium.
6. carnitine.The deficiency is associated with the compound being used up too quickly on a high-fat diet.

When you stay on a keto diet for a long time, you should regularly check the level of all those substances whose deficiency can develop over time.It is recommended that you supplement with nutrients that are in the "risk zone".

Who should not switch to a keto diet: contraindications

1. Children, pregnant and lactating women, patients with diabetes and cancer, the transition to keto nutrition is allowed only on the prescription of the attending physician and under his supervision.
2. The diet is contraindicated for people with the ApoE3 and ApoE4 genotype, as it can lead to a life-threatening increase in cholesterol levels.
3. Epilepsy patients who have KCNJ11 and BAD genes should not be followed up.
4. Serious liver and/or kidney disease is a contraindication to following this diet.

Conclusion

The keto diet is a fairly strict food system that requires an 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 bear.

A large number of serious scientific studies have been devoted to the dietary regime, 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 the metabolic syndrome.

However, there are not many studies that have evaluated the health effects of a long-term (more than a year) diet.And according to some assumptions, constant exposure to such a diet can be harmful to health.