The keto diet is a low-carb, high-fat diet that helps you lose weight and offers many health benefits. Specifically against diabetes, cancer, epilepsy and Alzheimer's disease.

 

Keto diet
Keto diet

Keto Diet Guide

What is the keto diet?


The keto diet is similar to the Atkins diet and low-carb diets. One of the basics of keto is to drastically reduce your carbohydrate intake and replace it with fat. This puts the body in a metabolic state called ketosis.

When this happens, the body becomes incredibly efficient at burning fat for energy. It also converts fats into ketones in the liver, which can provide the brain with energy.

Types of the keto diet


There are several versions of the Keto Diet, including:
The SKD Standard Ketogenic Diet

It is a low carb diet with moderate protein and high fat content. It usually contains 70% fat, 20% protein and only 10% carbs.


CKD cyclic ketogenic diet
This regimen includes periods of high-carb refeeding after days of the keto diet, such as 5 "ketogenic" days followed by 2 days of returning to carbohydrate intake.


TKD Targeted Ketogenic Diet
This system allows adding carbohydrates around workouts.
High-protein ketogenic diet

It is similar to the standard ketogenic diet, but contains more protein. That is 60% fat, 35% protein, 5% carbohydrates.


What is ketosis?

What is ketosis?
What is ketosis?

 

It is a metabolic state in which the body uses fats as fuel instead of carbohydrates. It happens when you drastically reduce your consumption of carbohydrates, which limits your body's supply of glucose, which is the main source of energy for cells.

Following the keto diet is the most effective way to get into ketosis. In general, this includes limiting your carbohydrate intake to about 20 to 50 grams per day, and eating fats, such as meat, fish, eggs, nuts, and healthy oils.

It is also important to reduce protein consumption. This is because protein can be converted into glucose if eaten in large quantities, which can slow down the transition into ketosis.

Symptoms of ketosis


Blood, urine and breath tests help determine if you've gone into ketosis by measuring the amount of ketones your body is producing. Some symptoms also indicate entry into this state, such as increased thirst, dry mouth, frequent urination, and decreased hunger or appetite.
intermittent fasting and keto

Intermittent fasting may help you get into ketosis faster. There are many different forms of intermittent fasting, but the most common method involves limiting food intake to about 8 hours a day and fasting for the remaining 16 hours.

The keto diet and its health benefits

Keto diet for diabetics


Diabetes is characterized by changes in metabolism, elevated blood sugar and impaired insulin function. The keto diet can help you lose excess fat, which is closely linked to type 2 diabetes, prediabetes, and metabolic syndrome.

One older study found that the keto diet improved insulin sensitivity by a whopping 75%. And that a 90-day keto diet, by women with diabetes, significantly reduced hemoglobin A1C levels, a measure of blood sugar management.

heart disease


A keto diet can help reduce risk factors for heart disease, such as body fat, HDL cholesterol levels, blood pressure and blood sugar.

cancer


This system is currently being explored as an additional cancer treatment, as it may help slow tumor growth.

Alzheimer's disease


The keto diet may help reduce symptoms of Alzheimer's disease and slow its progression.
epilepsy

Research has shown that keto can cause a significant reduction in seizures in children with epilepsy.

Parkinson's disease


Although more research is needed, one study found that the keto diet helped improve symptoms of Parkinson's disease.

Polycystic ovary syndrome


Keto can help reduce insulin levels, which may play a major role in PCOS.

brain injury


Some research suggests that a keto diet can improve TBI outcomes.

When does keto weight loss begin?

When does keto weight loss begin?
When does keto weight loss begin?

 

The keto diet is the required method to help control body weight. If you are on the keto diet to lose weight, it is important to realize that this process takes time.

No matter how you look to reduce body fat, results will not happen overnight. Whether you're on a keto diet or any other diet that puts you in a calorie deficit, it can take anywhere from one to several weeks to start seeing results.

In general, you'll need to stick to a calorie deficit of about 500 calories per day. At this rate, you should start noticing significant weight loss after a period of 10 to 21 days. Some may achieve their weight loss goals sooner, while others may take a little longer.

Keep in mind that water weight is often the first thing the body excretes in the first week when grams of carbohydrates are restricted, as 3 grams of water are stored with every 1 gram of stored carbohydrates.

This is why a scale may not give you an accurate picture of how much weight is actually lost. It also means that when carbohydrates are introduced into the diet again, the water weight will return with it, which is perfectly normal and healthy.

 

Expected weight loss in a week of following the keto diet


You may be wondering how much weight you can expect to lose in the first week of following the keto diet. Many people report extreme weight loss when they first start the regimen, as well as losing a lot of water.

For most people, carbohydrates are the body's primary source of energy. When you limit carbohydrates, the body makes up for the shortfall for energy, by utilizing the carbohydrate stores in the muscles and liver, usually within a few days.

Then, the body switches to a metabolic state called ketosis, in which it uses ketones that are broken down from dietary fats or fats stored in the body as a primary fuel source.

This transition, during which glycogen stores are burned and switched to ketones, usually takes less than a week.
Early weight loss is water weight

Glycogen stored in the muscles and liver binds to water. When you burn through these stored carbohydrates, this water is excreted in urine or sweat.

Which means, after starting keto, you may notice that you have to pee a lot and feel thirstier than usual. You may also notice significant weight loss, which is often water weight loss.

According to what is reported by followers of the keto diet, the weight loss during the first week is from 0.5 kg to 5 kg or more.

Keto diet meals

 

Keto diet: foods to eat

Meals on the keto diet should be based on:

  • Meat: red meat, sausage, turkey.
  • Fish: salmon, trout, tuna and mackerel.
  • Eggs: Whole eggs or omega-3 eggs
  • Butter and Cream: Grass-fed butter and heavy cream.
  • Cheese: Unprocessed cheeses such as cheddar, goat, cream or mozzarella.
  • Nuts: Almonds, walnuts, flax seeds, pumpkin seeds, and chia seeds.
  • Healthy oils: olive oil and avocado oil.
  • Avocado: Fresh avocado or guacamole.
  • Low-carb vegetables: Green vegetables, tomatoes, onions, peppers, etc.
  • Spices: salt, pepper, herbs.

Foods to avoid

You should limit the intake of any food that is high in carbohydrates. Such as:

  • Sugary foods: soda, juice, cake, ice cream, candy, etc.
  • Grains or starches: wheat-based products, rice, pasta, cereals, etc.
  • Fruit: all fruit, except strawberries.
  • Beans or legumes: peas, kidney beans, lentils, chickpeas, etc.
  • Vegetables: Potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots, etc.
  • Low-fat products: low-fat mayonnaise, salad dressings.
  • Condiments or sauces: BBQ, honey mustard, teriyaki, ketchup, etc.
  • Alcohol.

Keto diet meals in a week

 

Keto diet meals in a week
Keto diet meals in a week

It is best to base your diet on whole foods with only one ingredient.
Keto meals for a week
Monday

  • Breakfast: vegetable and egg pancakes with tomatoes.
  • Lunch: Chicken salad with olive oil, feta cheese and olives, and a side salad.
  • Dinner: salmon with asparagus cooked in butter.

Tuesday

  • Breakfast: eggs, tomatoes, basil and spinach omelette.
  • Lunch: Almond milk, peanut butter, spinach, cocoa powder, stevia milk with sliced ​​strawberries.
  • Dinner: Cheese tacos with salsa.

Wednesday

  • Breakfast: Shea milk pudding topped with coconut and blackberries.
  • Lunch: avocado and shrimp salad.
  • Dinner: Red meat slices with Parmesan cheese, broccoli and salad.

 

Thursday

  • Breakfast: an omelette with avocado, salsa, peppers, onions and spices.
  • Lunch: A handful of nuts and celery sticks with guacamole and salsa.
  • Dinner: Chicken stuffed with pesto and cream cheese, grilled zucchini.

Friday

  • Breakfast: Sugar-free Greek yogurt, full-fat yogurt with peanut butter, cocoa powder and berries.
  • Lunch: Minced beef tacos with sweet pepper slices.
  • Dinner: cauliflower stuffed with mixed vegetables.

Saturday

  • Breakfast: Cream cheese pancakes with blueberries and a side of grilled mushrooms.
  • Lunch: zucchini and beet noodles salad.
  • Dinner: white fish cooked in olive oil with cabbage and toasted pine nuts.

Sunday

  • Breakfast: fried eggs with mushrooms.
  • Lunch: Low-carb sesame chicken and broccoli.
  • Dinner: Spaghetti Bolognese.


Sustainability is a more important factor than short-term weight loss results. Although it does come with some risk factors for those who may be sensitive to fats, the keto diet is the preferred choice for many who feel it offers an easier way to eat.