Ketogenic Diet for Weight Loss: What You Can Eat - Sample Menu

The ketogenic diet

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

However, the schema is complex. It is not suitable for everyone and has many traps.

What is the ketogenic diet?

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

A diet in which the amount of carbohydrates is significantly reduced and fat intake is increased translates the body into ketosis.

Ketosis is a metabolic condition in which fat is the body's main source of energy. This happens when carbohydrate intake, usually the main source of energy, is minimized.

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

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

Formed:

  • beta-hydroxybutyrate, the main ketone body circulating in the blood;
  • acetoacetate - 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 constant decrease in insulin and sugar levels that occurs with a ketogenic diet has multiple beneficial effects on human health.

How is ketosis different from ketoacidosis

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

Non-diabetic people 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 to maintain normal blood glucose levels and to guarantee the concentration of ketone bodies within 8 mmol / L, which is safe for health.

Type 1 diabetics have ketone levels of 20 Mmoles / L. And this condition is already life threatening.

How is ketosis different from ketoacidosis

What are ketogenic foods: options

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

All the scientific studies performed evaluated only the standard version.

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

How the ketogenic diet affects weight loss

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

Those who were losing weight on a ketogenic diet were shown to lose 2. 2 times more excess weight than those volunteers who were on a low-fat diet with strict calorie restriction.

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

  1. Significant consumption of proteins, which are necessary for a healthy and stable weight loss.
  2. Gluconeogenesis. Proteins and fats turn into carbohydrates. This process can burn extra calories throughout the day.
  3. Suppresses your appetite. Ketogenic nutrition normalizes the levels of the hormones leptin and ghrelin, which are responsible for eating behavior.
  4. Increases insulin sensitivity. Insulin resistance leads to weight gain. Therefore, an increased sensitivity to the hormone accelerates metabolism and promotes the rapid breakdown of fat deposits and a decrease in the rate of formation of new ones.

Treatment and prevention of metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes

Metabolic syndrome

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

The signs that indicate that a person has metabolic syndrome are:

  • hanging blood pressure;
  • abdominal obesity (big belly);
  • high blood sugar (even if diabetes has not yet been diagnosed);
  • poor lipid profile (rules for cholesterol auto-decoding analysis).

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

  1. Increased 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 a ketogenic diet, insulin sensitivity increases by 75%. Some people with diabetes can even stop taking their medications.
  2. Improved lipid profile indicators. Positive changes affect cholesterol and triglyceride levels.
  3. Ketone-forming bodies, which in turn have beneficial properties, provide additional support for the body.

What other therapeutic effects does the ketogenic diet have?

  1. Helps in the treatment of epilepsy. An updated 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 anticonvulsant action of the diet has not been established. Scientists believe that the positive effect may be associated with an increase in the amount of antioxidant glutathione in the mitochondria, an increase in the effect of the inhibitory neurotransmitters GABA and adenosine, etc.
  2. Alzheimer's disease therapy. Several small studies have shown that ketone nutrition improves the condition of patients with mild Alzheimer's disease. In patients with this condition, the supply of glucose to the brain is affected. And ketogenic bodies allow you to fuel the brain with energy without the involvement of glucose, while reducing the toxic effects of glutamate.
  3. Support for patients with parkinsonism. According to some studies, a diet without carbohydrates is beneficial for people with Parkinson's disease by preventing the death of dopaminergic neurons and damage to mitochondria.
  4. Helping children with autism. The ketogenic diet is speculated to improve the behavior of children with autism. And it does it more effectively than the Atkins diet, gluten-free and casein-free foods. However, the data on this topic are 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, the transition to ketogenic nutrition promotes cell death in malignant neoplasms. However, experts emphasize that the method can only be used in conjunction with chemotherapy treatment and with the permission of a doctor. And don't put too much hope in this approach.
  6. Improves skin condition. In particular, eliminating acne. Low insulin levels and the elimination of all industrially produced foods from the diet, as required by the diet, eliminate chronic inflammation affecting the skin.
  7. Treatment of polycystic ovary syndrome. The disease is associated with impaired glucose and androgen metabolism. The ketogenic diet helps regain insulin sensitivity that affects women with polycystic syndrome.

Keto Diet Dos and Don'ts: Food List

What you can't eat on a ketogenic diet
  • Sugar in any form. Obviously sweet foods (candy, ice cream) and those that do not seem sweet, but contain this ingredient in their composition, are also classified as prohibited. It could even be a store bought ketchup.
  • Cereals: wheat (including spelled), rye, barley, rice, corn.
  • Fattening vegetable oils: soy, corn, sunflower, rapeseed. And also trans fats.
  • Fruit. Except for a small amount of berries like strawberries.
  • Legumes. Beans, peas, lentils, etc. They can be used in green, for example, beans.
  • Tubers and rhizomes. Potatoes, carrots, beets, parsnips, etc.
  • Any "diet" 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.
  • Dips and sauces, which used sugar, starch and flour.
  • Alcohol.
  • All finished products produced by the food industry.

The ketogenic diet: what you can and should eat

  • All kinds of meat: beef, pork, poultry, lamb, etc.
  • Fish and seafood.
  • Eggs.
  • Vegetables. Preferably green. Others are allowed (tomatoes, aubergines, onions, peppers); the main thing is that there is a lot of fiber and there are practically no easily digestible carbohydrates.
  • Fatty dairy products: cream, butter, cheese.
  • Nuts and seeds.
  • Mushrooms.
  • The right vegetable oils: olive, coconut oil, avocado.
  • Fermented foods: plain yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut, etc.
  • Spices and herbs.

Sample weekly menu for women and men on the ketogenic diet

Monday Tuesday

Breakfast: scrambled eggs with bacon and tomatoes.

Lunch: cauliflower and broccoli soup in chicken broth, boiled chicken with eggplant and sautéed bell pepper.

Dinner: a piece of red fish baked in sour cream with vegetable salad.

Breakfast: natural fatty yogurt without sweeteners or flavors with nuts and / or seeds.

Lunch: bone broth (preferably veal) with hard-boiled egg, a piece of boiled veal with sauerkraut (without potatoes).

Dinner: chicken stew with zucchini.

Wednesday Thursday

Breakfast: scrambled eggs with bell pepper.

Lunch: fish soup (without potatoes), pork chop with green bean stew.

Dinner: Baked chicken breast with sour cream, cucumbers and tomatoes.

Breakfast: regular cottage cheese without sugar or flavorings.

Lunch: mushroom soup (no potatoes or noodles), minced meat fillet with egg and vegetable salad.

Dinner: baked fish under a cheese crust with vegetables.

Friday Saturday

Breakfast: soft-boiled eggs with a slice of cheese.

Lunch: sour cabbage soup (no potato), chicken liver, stewed with sour cream and fried onion, with shirataki noodles.

Dinner: salad with fish and / or seafood (without potatoes and rice), but with vegetables, tomatoes, etc.

Breakfast: cottage cheese with herbs.

Lunch: bone broth with meatballs (no flour or bread), veal azu with cooked 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), whole baked chicken, cucumber and tomato salad.

Dinner: mushrooms, stewed with sour cream, with vegetable salad.

Repeat the first week, trying to add as much variety to the menu. There are many recipes in the world to satisfy the keto diet.

Rules to follow

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

Healthy Snacks While Losing Weight on a Ketogenic Diet

Since the ketogenic diet does not require counting calories, snacks are not only allowed, but even recommended. But they must be correct.

Allowed:

  • hard boiled eggs;
  • meat 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 carried away by berries);
  • plain yogurt and other natural fermented dairy products;
  • all the vegetables allowed 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 seen, called "keto flu. "

Can be tagged:

  • Constant hunger, especially sugar cravings;
  • tiredness;
  • insomnia;
  • discomfort in the abdominal region, pain in the stomach;
  • nausea and vomiting;
  • constipation or diarrhea;
  • trouble concentrating;
  • headache and dizziness;
  • muscle pain and cramps;
  • irritability, crying.

How long does ketoflu last?

From several days to several weeks. It is associated with the restructuring of the body to use fat as its main fuel source. While adaptation occurs, the energy may not be sufficient, leading 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 carbohydrate-free diet, the liver begins to produce ketones and their blood levels rise to 2-3 mM.

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

It has not been precisely established why some people adapt easily to the ketogenic diet, while others are difficult. A person's food addictions are supposed to be important. The more digestible carbohydrates you eat, the more difficult the transition will be. Genetic predisposition is of some importance.

How to Quickly Enter Ketosis with a Keto Diet

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

Supplements with creatine monohydrate and caffeine are also shown.

Ketogenic respiration and specific urine odor

The transition to a high-fat, carbohydrate-free diet is often accompanied by the appearance of a specific odor in the mouth. The person himself often feels it as a metallic taste in the mouth. People around you often perceive it as the smell of nail polish remover. Some people think it smells like fruit. The same smell is acquired with urine.

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

Odor is not a side effect. It simply indicates that the body is beginning to work with fats and forming ketone bodies. It is harmless to health. But it can be unpleasant for the person herself and those around her, especially when it comes to breathing.

To reduce the severity of a symptom, you need:

  • 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 odor should disappear on its own.

Delayed Side Effects of the Ketogenic Diet

In addition to ketoflu, which resolves in a few weeks, this diet can cause delayed side effects. Possible:

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

Potential nutritional deficiencies on a long-term ketogenic diet

Possible nutrient deficiencies

Since the diet cannot be considered balanced, prolonged stay on this diet can lead to the lack of some important components.

  1. Calcium. Leave in urine. Since with an excess of 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 deficiency is associated with the withdrawal from the diet of foods rich in this microelement - 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 micronutrients, such as calcium or magnesium, the lack of which is found over time, potassium and sodium disappear quickly. And in many ways, its shortage is due to symptoms of keto flu, which gradually pass.
  5. Selenium. The deficiency may be due to a lack of this trace element in high-fat foods. The exception is the Brazilian walnut, a piece of which gives the body 100% of the daily value for selenium.
  6. Carnitine. The downside is that the compound is consumed too quickly on a high-fat diet.

If you are on the ketogenic diet for a long time, you should periodically check the level of all those substances that can become deficient over time. It is advisable to take supplements with nutrients at risk.

Who should not switch to the ketogenic diet: contraindications

  1. Children, pregnant and lactating women, patients with diabetes mellitus and cancer can switch to a ketogenic diet only if prescribed and under the supervision of their physician.
  2. The 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 epilepsy patients with KCNJ11 and BAD genes.
  4. Serious liver and / or kidney diseases are contraindications to following this diet.

Conclusion

The ketogenic diet is a pretty tough 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 hard to tolerate.

The diet has received a great deal of scientific research, much of which demonstrates its benefits for weight loss, treatment of type 2 diabetes and neurodegenerative diseases, normalization of lipid profiles, and eliminationmetabolic syndrome.

However, there are not many studies that have evaluated the health effects of a prolonged diet (more than a year). And, according to some assumptions, the constant presence of a diet of this type can mean harm to health.