Ketogenic diet for weight loss: what to eat - sample menu

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

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

What is the keto diet

This is a low carb diet with high fat on the menu.It is similar to the regular no-carb diet or the Atkins diet.

A diet that significantly reduces the amount of carbohydrates and increases the intake of fats brings the body into ketosis.

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

Ketosis occurs during fasting, pregnancy and infancy.In adults, it can be induced artificially by switching to a fatty, 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.

Established:

• beta-hydroxybutyrate, the main ketone body circulating in the blood;
• acetoacetate is the main product of the liver;
• Acetone is a volatile ketone that is responsible for the formation of a specific breath odor.

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

The sustained reduction in insulin and sugar levels that occurs during the ketogenic diet has many beneficial effects on human health.

What is the difference between ketosis and ketoacidosis?

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

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

This makes it possible to maintain a normal blood sugar level and ensure a concentration of ketone bodies of 8 mmol/l, which is safe for health.

In type 1 diabetics, the ketone level reaches 20 mmol/l.This condition is already life-threatening.

What is the keto diet: options

1. Standard protocol.This includes eating a large amount of protein and fat, and reducing carbohydrates to a minimum - no more than 50 g per day.The menu contains 75% fat, 20% protein and 5% carbohydrates.
2. The keto diet is high in protein.Same as regular serving, just more protein.60% - fats, 35% - proteins, 5% - carbohydrates.
3. Cyclic option.With this nutrition system, you follow the standard pattern for 5 days and high carb for 2 days.It reminds me of the BUTCH diet.
4. Targeted approach.They eat a ketogenic diet and consume carbohydrates before and after exercise.

All scientific research has 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 compared to traditional low-fat weight loss regimens that require strict calorie restriction.

It was shown that those who lost weight who followed a ketogenic diet lost 2.2 times more kilograms of excess weight than volunteers who followed a low-fat diet with strict calorie restriction.

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

1. Significant protein intake, which is essential for sustainable healthy weight loss.
2. Gluconeogenesis.Proteins and fats are converted into carbohydrates.This process can burn additional calories throughout the day.
3. Appetite suppressant.A ketogenic diet 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 speeds up the metabolism and promotes the rapid breakdown of fat deposits, as well as reducing 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 of metabolic syndrome include:

• increased blood pressure;
• abdominal obesity (big belly);
• elevated blood sugar (even if diabetes has not yet been diagnosed);
• bad lipid profile indicators (cholesterol self-deciphering rules).

All these indicators can be improved without drugs 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.With a keto diet, insulin sensitivity increases by 75%.Some people with diabetes may even stop taking their medication.
2. The indicators of the lipid profile improve.Positive changes also affect cholesterol levels and triglycerides.
3. Further support for the body is provided by the formation of ketone bodies, which themselves have beneficial properties.

What other therapeutic effects does the keto diet have?

1. Help in the treatment of epilepsy.According to a current meta-analysis of 70 clinical trials, the keto diet reduced the number of seizures by 50% in 46-62% of cases.The exact mechanism of the diet's anticonvulsant effect is unclear.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 effect of inhibitory neurotransmitters, GABA and adenosine, etc.
2. Therapy for Alzheimer's disease.Several small studies have shown that the ketogenic diet improves the condition of patients with mild Alzheimer's disease.In patients with this disease, the delivery of glucose to the brain is impaired.And ketone bodies enable the brain to be fed with energy without the participation of glucose, while at the same time reducing the toxic effects of glutamate.
3. Support for patients with Parkinson's disease.Some studies suggest that a low-carb diet is beneficial for people with Parkinson's disease by preventing the death of dopaminergic neurons and damage to mitochondria.
4. Help for autistic children.There are suggestions 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 relevant data are still so scarce that they cannot be considered completely reliable.
5. Treatment of cancer.Tumor cells function 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 conjunction with chemotherapy treatment and with medical permission.And one should not put too much hope in this approach.
6. Improved skin condition.Especially the elimination of acne.Low insulin levels and removing all processed foods from the diet as required by the diet will eliminate chronic inflammation affecting the skin.
7. Treatment of polycystic ovary syndrome.The disease is associated with impaired metabolism of glucose and androgens.The keto diet helps to restore insulin sensitivity, which suffers in women with polycystic syndrome.

What not to eat on the keto diet: food list

• Sugar in any form.Prohibited foods include obviously sweet foods (candy, ice cream) and foods that do not seem 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 are fattening - soybean, corn, sunflower, canola.And so are trans fats.
• Fruits.Except for a small number of berries, such as strawberries.
• They are legumes.Beans, peas, lentils, etc.It can be used in its green form, for example in bean pods.
• Tubers and rhizomes.Potatoes, carrots, beets, parsnips, etc.
• Any "diet" food product, such as low-fat cottage cheese (in such products, fat is replaced with sugar).
• Products containing sweeteners in the form of sugar alcohols (xylitol, erythritol) have a negative effect on ketone bodies.
• Gravy and sauces made with sugar, starch and flour.
• Alcohol.
• All finished products produced by the food industry.

Ketogenic diet: what you can and should eat

• All kinds of meat: beef, pork, poultry, lamb, etc.
• Fish and seafood.
• Egg.
• Vegetables.Preferably green.Others are also allowed (tomatoes, eggplants, onions, sweet peppers) - the main thing is that there is a lot of fiber and practically no easily digestible carbohydrates.
• Fatty dairy products - cream, butter, cheese.
• Nuts and seeds.
• Mushroom.
• Suitable vegetable oils: olive, coconut oil, avocado.
• Fermented foods: natural yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut, etc.
• Spices and condiments.

Sample menu for women and men following a ketogenic diet for one week

Monday	Tuesday
Breakfast: omelette with bacon and tomatoes. Lunch: cauliflower and broccoli soup in chicken broth, boiled chicken with steamed eggplant and bell peppers. Dinner: a piece of red fish baked in sour cream with 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 boiled beef with sauerkraut (without potatoes). Dinner: chicken stewed with zucchini.
Wednesday	Thursday
Breakfast: scrambled eggs with bell peppers. Lunch: fish soup (without potatoes), pork chop with steamed green beans. Dinner: oven-baked chicken breast with sour cream, cucumber and tomato.	Breakfast: normal-fat cottage cheese without sugar and flavorings. Lunch: mushroom soup (without potatoes and pasta), minced steak with egg and vegetable salad. Dinner: fried fish under a cheese crust with vegetables.
Friday	Saturday
Breakfast: soft-boiled eggs with a piece of cheese. Lunch: sour cabbage soup (without potatoes), chicken liver steamed with sour cream, fried onions, 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 steamed cabbage (fresh or pickled). Dinner: boiled chicken with radishes and cucumber salad.
Sunday	Let's move on to next week
Breakfast: scrambled eggs with cheese. Lunch: light vegetable soup with cauliflower and broccoli (without potatoes), oven-roasted whole chicken, cucumber-tomato salad. Dinner: mushrooms steamed with sour cream, vegetable salad.	We will repeat the first week, we will try to make the menu as varied as possible.There are tons of recipes in the world that cater to the keto diet.

Rules to follow

1. You can and should eat the maximum without counting calories.
2. You can only consume the right fats.This means that you can only cook with oil that can withstand heat treatment.Salads should only be dressed with suitable dietary dressings.
3. There should be a lot of fat in the diet.You can't focus on proteins.
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. Try to add a lot of spices to your food.

Appropriate snacks for ketogenic diet weight loss

Since the ketogenic diet does not require counting calories, snacking is not only allowed, but encouraged.But they have to be right.

Authorized by:

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

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

What is the "keto flu": symptoms

The first few days of transitioning to a low-carb diet can be difficult.Often unpleasant symptoms are observed, which are called "keto flu".

It can be noted:

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

How long does keto flu last?

From several days to several weeks.It has to do with restructuring the body to use fat as its primary fuel.While the adaptation is taking place, there may not be enough energy, which leads to the listed symptoms, which are unpleasant.But they are not a threat.

Ketone bodies are always present in small amounts in the blood.After the first 2-3 days of a strict carbohydrate-free diet, the liver begins to produce ketones, and their level in the blood rises to 2-3 mM.

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

Why some people adapt easily to the keto diet, while others find it difficult, has not been precisely determined.It is assumed that one's eating habits matter.The more easily digestible carbohydrates you consume, the harder the transition.Genetic predisposition plays a certain role.

How to get into ketosis fast on the keto diet

1. Adequate water system.When carbohydrates are removed from the diet, glycogen stores in the body decrease.Because glycogen accumulates water around itself, depletion can lead to dehydration, leading to fatigue and muscle pain.
2. Just light physical activity.During the period of adaptation of the body, only light exercises are allowed: walking, yoga, slow cycling.All forms of exhausting fitness should be abandoned.
3. Recommended mineral supplements:
   • sodium - 3-4 grams per day;
   • potassium - 1 g;
   • magnesium - 0.3 g.

Dietary supplements containing creatine monohydrate and caffeine are also appearing.

Keto breathing and the peculiar smell of urine

The transition to a low-carbohydrate, 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 his mouth.People around you usually perceive it as the smell of nail polish remover.Some people think it smells like fruit.Urine smells the same.

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

The appearance of the smell is not considered a side effect.This simply indicates that the body is switching over to handling fat and forming ketone bodies.It is not dangerous to health.But it can be unpleasant for both the person and those around him, especially when it comes to breathing.

To reduce the severity of the symptom, you should:

• 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 smell should disappear by itself.

Long-term side effects of the keto diet

In addition to the keto flu that goes away within a few weeks, this diet can also 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 kidney failure and cause urolithiasis;
• decreased bone density.

Possible nutrient deficiencies with a long-term ketogenic diet

Since the diet cannot be called balanced, staying on this diet for a longer period of time can lead to a lack of some important components.

1. Calcium.Leaves with urine.With excess fat, the urine becomes too acidic, and the body is forced to alkalize with calcium.In addition, the lack of carbohydrates impairs the absorption of this microelement.
2. Magnesium.According to assumptions, the gradual development of the deficiency is related to the removal of foods rich in this microelement - cereals and fruits - from the diet.
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 kidney increases.Unlike other micronutrients, such as calcium or magnesium, whose deficiency becomes apparent over time, potassium and sodium disappear quickly.And their absence is largely due to keto flu symptoms, which gradually disappear.
5. Selenium.The deficiency may be the result of a lack of this trace element in foods rich in fat.Brazil nuts are an exception, one piece of which provides 100% of the body's daily selenium needs.
6. carnitine.The deficiency is associated with the compound being used up too quickly in a fatty diet.

In the case of a longer-term keto diet, the levels of all substances whose deficiency may develop over time must be regularly checked.It is advisable to take supplements containing nutrients located in the "risk zone".

Who should not switch to a keto diet: contraindications

1. Children, pregnant and lactating women, diabetics and cancer patients, the transition to a keto diet is only allowed under the prescription and supervision of the attending physician.
2. The diet is contraindicated for those with ApoE3 and ApoE4 genotypes, as it can lead to a life-threatening increase in cholesterol levels.
3. Epilepsy patients with KCNJ11 and BAD genes should not be followed.
4. Severe liver and/or kidney diseases are contraindications to following this diet.

Conclusion

The keto diet is a fairly strict nutritional 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 tolerate.

A number of serious scientific studies have been devoted to the diet, many of which demonstrate its benefits in weight loss, type 2 diabetes and neurodegenerative diseases, normalization of the lipid profile and elimination of the metabolic syndrome.

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