every thing about ketogenic diet

The Ketogenic Diet ( Keto )

Content of the article

Summary

1- What is a ketogenic diet?    

2- What is ketosis?    

3- Why follow a ketogenic diet?    

4- Is the ketogenic diet dangerous?    

5- The advantages of the keto diet    

6- 4 dangers of the ketogenic diet    

7- Ketogenic diet: what foods are allowed?    

1- What is a ketogenic diet?

The Ketogenic diet has several names Sometimes we use its English name " keto diet " ( ketogenic diet ), or sometimes Low carb diet . But what is the ketogenic diet, exactly?  

The ketogenic diet is a low-carbohydrate diet, consisting primarily of foods high in fat. In other words: you eat a lot of fat and reduce your carbohydrate intake to the maximum.

The keto diet resembles low-carbohydrate diets.

However, there is a difference between a ketogenic diet and a low-carbohydrate diet:

The low-carb diet, as the name suggests, is mainly about avoiding carbohydrates.

The ketogenic diet recommends a diet rich in lipids to stimulate fat burning. You significantly reduce your carbohydrate intake and replace them with large amounts of fat.

More simply : 

The idea comes from a return to the primitive food of the hunter-gatherer which has been adapted to our body for hundreds of thousands of years. In nature animals are never obese except those that are fed by humans. Humans are the only animal to suffer from obesity.

This diet began to be tested in the 1930s to treat epilepsy. It would have beneficial effects on autism, epilepsy, diabetes (that necessarily ... more sugars ...), cancers (cancer cells eat sugar it seems), depression, Alzheimer's type neurodegenerative diseases and obesity.

I say what I think I understand but I am completely fallible!

What are carbohydrates in food?

Carbohydrates are sugars. Rapids taste sweet like
 

the sugars, white, red, muscovado and other , honey, jams, pastries, sweets, etc.

But also slow sugars, these are sugars which are not sweetened to taste and which are cereals, legumes, fruits and certain vegetables. It is therefore advisable to remove from its nutrition:
 

Wheat or cereal products : bread, pasta, semolina, etc.

Legumes: dried beans, lentils, chickpeas, quinoa, etc.

Fruits except small quantities of red fruits and lemon

Vegetables other than green vegetables, especially root vegetables which contain a lot of sugar: beets, carrots, potatoes, etc.

The idea of ​​this diet is not to exceed 20 to 40 g of carbohydrate per day in general. That is to say to eliminate from its food a certain number of foods, those which were mentioned above and to quantify the contributions contained in the rest of its diet.

Comparison with the most famous diet

There are thousands of them and here is the comparison between the best known diet and the keto diet .

The low-calorie diet (the best known)

The low-calorie diet is best known for losing weight: it consists of reducing the intake of calories compared to the amount of calories expended. This forces the body to get the energy it needs from stocks, that is, it empties the fat cells. It is well known to do that after this diet we regain the weight lost and even more! (lived experience ...) because the body adapting to the number of calories supplied, the metabolism decreases and we consume less and less calories. At a certain point the body does not lose any more weight at all, we are hungry, we crack because it is not tenable. We eat a "normal" ration and hop we take everything back.

And yet there are still so many people who suffer from this illogical regime.

The keto diet

This diet does not pay much attention to calories but to the sugar content of food. Sugar is energy the body needs to function. If we do not give him enough, he will go to draw his energy from the fats which will be the new source of energy, this is called the state of ketosis.

The principle of the classic ketogenic diet consists of a high fat intake (75%), moderate in protein (20%) and low in carbohydrates (5%).

What do we eat in this keto diet ?

First we need to understand and correct some errors in our understandings : 

But what does insulin do?

Insulin and sugar.

Insulin is a hormone secreted by the pancreas which regulates the level of sugar in the blood by causing it to decrease.
 

An example

When you are hungry, you naturally go to fast sugars, a cereal bar, a piece of chocolate ... These sugars will enter very quickly to be ingested and pass into the blood. This is very satisfactory because the demand for energy is immediately met.

The pancreas then makes insulin to respond to and lower this sugar in the blood. As the sugar dose arrives suddenly, it gives a high dose of insulin which very quickly reduces this sugar in the blood.

But the insulin dose is so large that quickly there is not enough sugar in the blood and then you feel very hungry. Sweet foods make you hungry. I had noticed this with sweet breakfasts! The savory saves you much better until lunch ...

As a result of stimulating the pancreas, it gets tired and when it starts to function badly then type 2 diabetes appears and it is the tablets which help us to lower the sugar in the blood, but when it does not work anymore people must treat yourself by pricking yourself with insulin.

We see there immediately the interest of a diet low in sugars ... at least fast at first ...

Insulin and storage

When there is a lot of sugar arriving in the body insulin also allows the storage of this unused energy by transforming sugar into fat. And that ... direct to fill our fat cells ...
Conversely, in the absence of insulin, the body will naturally degrade fat to seek the energy necessary for the body.
We see there, the interest of a diet low in sugars ... even slow ...

2 Power supplies

The main components of our diet are the three macronutrients.

The number of calories per gram differs from one nutrient to another:

Proteins: ± 4 kcal per 1 g

Carbohydrates: ± 4 kcal per 1 g

Fat: ± 9 kcal per 1 g

A simple calculation could lead you to think that you should eat as little fat as possible to lose weight. After all, they are more caloric, right? This is where the error lies! We must also consider the effect of each type of calorie.

The main effects of different calories on the body in terms of weight loss are:

Insulin: hormone which, produced in excess, causes fat storage 

Satiety: the body activates the hormones of satiety and / or inhibits the hormones of hunger . 

In this table we see the correspondence of insulin and satiety compared to the three macronutrients

	Insulin production	Satiety
Protein	moderate	maximum
Fat	minimal	moderate
Carbohydrates	maximum	minimal

We find that ingesting too many calories in the form of carbohydrates is not wise. We then produce large amounts of insulin (fat storage hormone) without being satiated.

On the other hand, proteins and lipids provide a much greater satiety, so that a ketogenic diet is easier to follow over time.

2- What is ketosis?

Ketosis is the state in which the body begins to use fat as the main source of energy. The body then becomes very efficient at burning fat in order to draw energy from it. This process lowers your insulin levels and stimulates fat burning.

The brain favors glucose as an energy source. But as the glucose reserves are insufficient, the body is forced to look for another source of energy.

The breakdown of fatty acids leads to the production of ketones in the liver. Ketones provide energy to the brain, so it can continue to function .  

3- Why follow a ketogenic diet?

Low-carbohydrate and high-fat diets have long been the subject of controversy. This type of diet was thought to increase cholesterol and the risk of cardiovascular disease due to the high fat intake.

Fortunately, times are changing, and today, high-fat (healthy) diets are no longer frowned upon. The ketogenic diet can help you lose much more weight than a fat-free diet.

The ketogenic diet also has less obvious benefits. Eliminating (simple) carbohydrates from your diet can reduce blood sugar spikes. Your diet is composed mainly of lipids, it also provides great satiety.

The balance between macronutrients (carbohydrates, proteins and fats) has completely disappeared from our diet. The problem is that our carbohydrate consumption has literally exploded . 

the carbohydrates constitute about 55% of the input energy Westerners.

If we turn to the hunter-gatherers of prehistoric times, we see that carbohydrates have never exceeded 40% of their energy intake.  

C i below to compare proportions of macronutrients hunter-gatherers and Western societies:

Our diet has completely changed . The result: obesity and type 2 diabetes are rampant.

Originally, our diet included (almost) no processed carbohydrates. These are therefore not shown in the graph.

The daily consumption of large quantities of simple sugars leads to a decrease in insulin sensitivity.

Insulin plays a major role in the storage of fat. Since the body can only store a limited amount of glucose, an excess leads to an increase in fat mass.

Excluding carbohydrates from your daily diet in favor of fat-rich foods will lower your insulin levels and improve your insulin sensitivity. Your body goes into ketosis and burns fat more efficiently.

Here are the top three reasons why the ketogenic diet causes weight loss:

The ketogenic diet reduces insulin production and helps control blood sugar.

Eating more protein and fat leads to faster and more long-lasting satiety .

The satiety caused by a diet rich in proteins and lipids makes it possible to reduce the daily caloric intake, which, ultimately, leads to weight loss.

The body begins to draw energy mainly from fat, which leads to the burning of more body fat.

4- Is the ketogenic diet dangerous?

Many people panic when they learn that the ketogenic diet consists mainly of lipids.

The reality is is totally different : 

It is very important to consume good fats when following a ketogenic diet, since lipids do not constitute less than 70% of the daily caloric intake.

Omega-3 fatty acids are the best fats for health

. One way to eat these good fats is to eat lots of oily fish.

We already consume enough omega-6, found in particular in meat. However, this is not the case for omega-3s. This is why it is advisable to consume foods rich in omega-3.

It is best to avoid saturated fat as much as possible. Saturated fats are mainly found in animal products such as whole dairy products .

However, you should avoid trans fatty acids , industrial in origin and very harmful to health. They increase the risk of insulin resistance (type 2 diabetes).

Does the ketogenic diet have any side effects?

Although the ketogenic diet is safe for healthy people, it can cause some unwanted side effects during the period of adaptation to the diet.

This period is called ketogenic flu. It spans a few days. Here are the possible side effects:

Lack of energy

Increased appetite

Sleeping troubles

Nausea

Digestive disorders

A ketogenic diet can also upset the water balance and the amount of minerals in your body.

Try to ingest the following amounts of minerals daily to minimize side effects.

3000-4000 mg sodium

1000 mg potassium

300 mg magnesium

Especially during the first days of the ketogenic diet, it is important that you eat until you are full.

Don't pay too much attention to calories. In the long run, ketosis will make you lose weight without you having to worry about observing any calorie restriction.

5- The advantages of the keto diet

Stabilizes blood sugar level

Increases insulin sensitivity

Suppresses appetite

Reduces triglyceride levels

Reduces fat storage and stimulates their combustion

Improves cognitive functions

Reduces the risk of cancer

Slows down the dementia process (Alzheimer's disease)

Reduces chronic inflammation

6- 4 dangers of the ketogenic diet

The keto diet , like any other slimming diet, has certain disadvantages that you should know before you start.

Danger # 1: Fatigue

You may lack energy during the first few days of the ketogenic diet. Pous might feel tired and listless (this is called the ketogenic flu ). 

This is normal since the body must adapt to this diet composed exclusively of lipids and proteins. It can take up to 2 weeks for your body to be able to draw its energy from fat.

Danger # 2: Constipation

The keto diet can cause constipation. Not everyone suffers from it, but the risk does exist. Fortunately, this is often temporary and can be remedied with good hydration, magnesium supplements and increased salt intake (1 to 3 g per day).

Danger n ° 3: Water loss

Carbohydrates retain water in the body. Eliminating carbohydrates from your diet will therefore result in fluid loss.

Danger # 4: Vitamin and mineral deficiency

When you're on a ketogenic diet, you're confined to an extremely low-carb diet. Where the rub is often, it's the elimination of fruit that can lead to a lack of essential nutrients you need to stay healthy.

Ketogenic diet: what foods are allowed?

Dieting is much easier when you know what to eat.

The advantage of the ketogenic diet is that you don't have to confine yourself to sad meals. If you like fish and meat, this diet is for you!

7- Here are the authorized foods of the ketogenic diet:

Red meat

Poultry (chicken, turkey, duck)

Fish and seafood (herring, mackerel, salmon, mussels, shrimp, tuna, trout, anchovies)

Dairy products (butter, all types of cheese, crème fraîche (unsweetened)

Fats (fish oil, linseed oil, coconut oil)

Nuts (cashews, almonds, hazelnuts)

Vegetables (asparagus, avocado, broccoli, cauliflower, olives)