Keto diet.Ketogenic diet, what is the essence?What are the results of the keto diet and what are the reviews?How does it work, are there any difficulties, what is the menu on the keto diet and is it harmful.
- Keto diet
- The keto diet is a low-carb, high-fat diet that aims to feed the body's ketone bodies.
Why is the ketogenic diet effective, what are the contraindications and reviews, what is the principle of action?What should be included in the keto diet menu and what about the reviews of those who have lost weight?This is what we will discuss today.
How does the keto diet work?
When our diet contains fat, protein and carbohydrates, our body receives energy from glucose.We get glucose from carbohydrates.Now that grocery stores are within reach, this is the most common type of food.But what happened back then when carbohydrate products like grains or bread were not enough due to crop failure, habitat or seasonality?
The carcass was forced to take energy from fatty acids and proteins.You probably remember my video on running for weight loss - here it is - in it I looked at the process of obtaining energy through the oxidation of fatty acids.Now I want to briefly remind you that all our organs that have mitochondria in tissue cells work perfectly on fatty acids.These are the heart muscle, myocardium and skeletal muscles (the same ones we pump in the gym) and smooth muscles.
However, our brain, which is 60% fat, does not lose weight;even a long fast does not cause significant damage to mental abilities.Why?The reason is that the blood-brain barrier (BBB) is a barrier that ensures the constancy of the internal environment of the brain.It is he who does not allow fatty acids to penetrate - neither out (why the brain does not lose weight), but also inwards.And the brain is not able to consume fatty acids as an energy source.
However, the brain cannot remain without fuel, and nature has ensured that, as a result of a diet that cannot provide sufficient amounts of glucose, the brain switches to an alternative fuel source - the so-called ketone substances.
- Ketone bodies
Three substances are called ketone substances
- acetoacetic acid (acetoacetate)
- beta-aminobutyric acid (hydroxybutyrate)
- acetone
These substances are formed in the liver from fatty acids and this process is called ketogenesis.Not much acetone is produced;our main fuel is beta-aminobutyric acid.It is on this that the central nervous system mostly works during the period of absence of carbohydrates in the diet.
Is the keto diet bad or not?
Ketogenesis is a completely normal metabolic process and there is no reason to be afraid of it.All fear stems from the fact that the state of ketosis - when the body works on ketone bodies - is often confused with pathological acidocedosis, which requires urgent intervention.But these things are different, and now we will discuss a little what the essence is.
Ketoacidosis
What is it - ketoacidosis.This is almost the same as ketosis, but when it is not caused by a lack of glucose due to a lack of carbohydrates, but by a lack of insulin.I remind you that our most important hormone, insulin, is a transporter.This is our loader that knows how to transport glucose through the cell membrane.
When there is a lot of glucose, but there is no insulin, or it does not perform its functions, the cell, as in the case of a carbohydrate-free diet, begins to experience energy starvation.As a result, the body produces a lot of hormones that can break down fat (lipolytic, in this case they are called counterinsular), and the liver begins to produce ketones from fatty acids.So what happens?
There is a lot of undigested glucose, there are also many ketone substances, and the kidneys try to get rid of excess ketones and glucose, which causes dehydration - the so-called osmotic diuresis.As a result of diuresis, electrolytes are washed away - and you remember that it is very, very bad from this video, even two - the electrolyte balance shifts towards acidification and as a result this very ketoacidosis develops.all this requires emergency admission because the patient can easily move his horse.
It is quite clear that this situation is only possible in two cases
- Type 1 diabetes occurs when the pancreas does not produce insulin
- Dehydration - diarrhea, vomiting, taking diuretics.
This means that if you are healthy and do not have type 1 diabetes, you do not need to be afraid of ketoacidosis at all.In your case, the nervous system will function perfectly on ketones.
So how to use the keto diet
Firstand the most important thing is to get into a state of ketosis.And this is one of the most difficult tasks.Since in most cases - remember I told you about homeostasis - for the first time people have been eating food containing carbohydrates for decades - it will be stressful for the body.The carcass is not used to this and you will not get into a state of ketosis in a day or two.It takes time.First, the body will eat up the remaining glucose and glycogen.It will then attempt to produce glucose from amino acids, glycerol and lactic acid using gluconeogenesis.And only when it becomes completely impossible for him to start the process of ketogenesis and with a creak begins to pull the nutritional system of the central nervous system onto new rails.Remember - the carcass really does not like disturbances in homeostasis and resists as best it can.
It is this first time that is the hardest - you are bored, angry, have no energy, your brain refuses to work, your head is dizzy - and a lot of other goodies.And how long this condition lasts is different for everyone, but it can last up to two or three weeks.
Other.To get into ketosis, you have to cut carbs or keep them to a minimum – and that's another difficulty.There are organs that cannot use either fatty acids or ketones as energy.They need glucose and only glucose - this is the intestinal epithelium, vascular endothelium, the lens of the eye, the adrenal cortex, something else - I can't remember.So you can't leave them without glucose.The carcass will get glucose for them through gluconeogenesis either from your muscles or from a minimum of carbohydrates supplied with the food.But that's the point - remember homeostasis - the desire to maintain balance at all costs - getting into ketosis is hard, but falling out of it is as easy as peeling pears.And then hello to the fat depots on the sides at the back.
Third— to get into ketosis you need to eat a lot of fat and under no circumstances go overboard with protein!!!!And it is also very difficult to control.Because if there is an excess of protein in the diet - using the same gluconeogenesis, the carcass will immediately make glucose from it - and you will again fall out of this hard-fought state of ketosis.If there is too little protein, I will gradually lose muscle.And it is very, very difficult for a beginner to find this balance.With fat, everything is simple - 80% of the diet must be fat.
Fourth- difficult to assess whether we have reached ketosis or not.
- Testing for the presence of acetone in the urine with strips does not make sense.We can be in ketosis and there will be no acetone in the urine.
- Blood analysis using a glucometer with special strips for ketones is possible, but these strips are not cheap at all.
- Finally, there are special devices to detect acetone in the breath.They were invented for epileptics because the ketogenic diet is good for coping with epileptic seizures - but they also cost around 100 kroner.
And finally, if you decide to try the keto diet, how do you plan your diet?
- protein - 1.5-2 grams perbody weight.This is conditional.
- The rest are fats.
What foods are suitable for the keto diet?
- egg with yolk
- all cheeses
- fat cottage cheese
- creme fraiche
- salo
- pork
- nuts
- salmon
- trout
- salmon
- mutton