Important: It is not recommended to stick to the diet without first consulting your doctor.This rule is important not only for those who have identified diseases, but also for everyone else.
Unlike most popular diets today, the goals of the ketogenic diet from the beginning were purely medical.They remain on the agenda even today.In general, the word "diet" originally had nothing to do with weight loss.This word means a set of food rules that must be followed in a certain situation - during the treatment of a certain disease, during the period of postoperative therapy.
The keto diet owes its renewed popularity largely to an American film producer whose child suffered from epilepsy for a long time.Despite numerous visits to the most famous and prominent neurologists, who tried, apparently, all the most effective antiepileptic drugs that exist in nature, the boy's condition did not improve at all.Almost in despair, the father read a lot of literature on the topic of epilepsy treatment in the local library and suddenly came across a description of the ketogenic diet, which had not yet been recommended to him by any specialist.He immediately put his son on this diet and, to his great satisfaction, found that the frequency of the boy's seizures had decreased significantly.
So the ketogenic diet was invented to reduce the frequency of epileptic seizures - mainly in children.There was no reduction in caloric intake;carbohydrates were simply replaced with fats.The children were put on this diet for 36 hours and their seizure frequency actually decreased.
The ketogenic diet is now used to treat not only epilepsy, but also Alzheimer's disease, fatty liver disease (fatty liver), and even some cancers.In general, its medical benefits are undeniable.What about weight loss?
The ketogenic diet is a diet that consists of foods with a lot of fat (animal fats and some vegetable oils), animal proteins and very little carbohydrates, so that about 80% of the energy needs of the body are met by the breakdown of fat (the fat content in the average diet of Europeans provides 30-35% of the energy the body needs during the day).And similar to what happens during fasting, breaking down large amounts of fat leads to increased acidity in the body.This may explain why the use of such a dietary complex leads to a decrease in the frequency of epileptic seizures.
The goal of the ketogenic diet is to put the body in a state of ketosis.
Ketosis is a pathological state of the body in which ketone bodies predominate in its tissues.The state of ketosis means that the body exclusively uses fat stored under the skin to cover energy needs, which prevents muscle breakdown.While in a state of ketosis, you will get energy from ketones - the carbonyl compounds that are formed when fats are broken down.By the way, ketones are an excellent source of energy for the brain, replacing glucose almost perfectly.
Another positive feature of ketosis is that in this state you will practically not experience hunger, therefore, you will eat less, which means that you will not fully cover your energy costs.
To put the body in a state of ketosis, the diet is structured in such a way that fats clearly dominate the diet, and mainly saturated fats (the diet consists of 90% fats, based on the calorie content).
In fact, the diet used by many professional bodybuilders in the last week before a competition can also be called ketogenic: it consists only of salmon (usually grilled, but can be prepared in other forms), peanut butter and green vegetables (lettuce, broccoli, spinach, cabbage).It is even better to add linseed oil or walnut oil to this diet.Here there are already many more proteins, which reduce the problems, but do not eliminate them completely.
The pros and cons of the classic ketogenic diet
The plus is that this diet is very effective, the diet works and how!The main thing is that you will practically not experience feelings of hunger, which means that the restriction of calories in your diet will be quite easy to tolerate.Ketones are an excellent source of energy for the brain.
It is also important that the ketogenic diet reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease due to a sharp decrease in insulin secretion.But for people who lead an active lifestyle, this plus can easily turn into a minus, because insulin is a powerful anti-catabolic agent.A decrease in insulin secretion overlaps with the ability of a ketogenic diet to provoke acidosis in the muscles, which means that proteolysis increases, that is, the breakdown of body proteins is facilitated.And catabolism can get out of control.Not immediately, of course, but in 3-4 days for sure.
It is simply impossible to follow the classic ketogenic diet for a long time - you start to feel sick in the most natural way.Not for nothing, for children suffering from epilepsy, the ketogenic diet was limited to a period of 36 hours.
The ketogenic diet is currently used to treat several types of cancer.Specifically, prostate cancer uses the diet's ability to reduce the production of IGF-1 (insulin-like growth factor 1).
Another disadvantage is the decrease in the level of free testosterone in the blood plasma.
The main danger of the keto diet is the increase in ketone levels in the blood, which lowers the acidity (pH) level of the blood and can cause death in extreme cases.This condition is called "ketoacidosis".First of all, this applies to people with severe and moderate forms of diabetes.If it is not there, there is no need to worry about it, since the blood of healthy people contains exactly as many ketones as the body can process.
It takes time for the body to give up glucose and learn to feed the brain with ketone bodies, so the level of physical and mental activity may decrease in the first week.The main symptoms are lethargy, dizziness and mental fog.
Many people experience this extremely painful condition and literally "give up" on the second day.But the state of health completely returns to normal on the third to fifth day, when the body is rebuilt.
The lack of fiber causes the bowel function to slow down.The main point of the ketogenic diet is a complete abstinence from carbohydrates.Therefore, the diet should consist of proteins and fats, and fiber is a complex carbohydrate.It is possible to take fiber in its pure form and simply include in the diet green vegetables or lettuce leaves, which contain enough coarse dietary fiber.
An important disadvantage of the diet is the lack of micronutrients caused by the exclusion of carbohydrate-containing foods from the diet.Basically, any meat or dairy product recommended on a ketogenic diet does not contain most vitamins or minerals.The best way to avoid deficiency is to take vitamins and minerals, dietary supplements that contain minerals.A number of minerals, such as zinc or magnesium, are critical for body function and hormone levels.
Contraindications
Ketogenic diets are contraindicated in the presence or history of liver diseases, kidney diseases, metabolic disorders (including congenital and genetically determined metabolic disorders), progressive encephalopathy, as well as diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular diseases, cerebrovascular and lipid diseases, as well as when taking valproic drugs with valproic acid.There are currently no known contraindications to its use.
When prescribing a ketogenic diet, the diet for each child and adult is calculated only by a doctor!Strictly individually, taking into account the diagnosis, age and weight of the child, his nutritional needs.The content of basic nutrients (proteins, fats, carbohydrates) in food is selected in a certain ratio, which is determined only by a specialist!During treatment, this ratio can change, so it is necessary to constantly monitor the patient by the attending physician, who, if necessary, makes dietary adjustments.The patient's diet includes various types of fatty foods - bacon, heavy cream, vegetable oils, such as linseed.In countries where the ketogenic diet is widely used, the food industry produces many special products that can provide a varied and nutritious menu.
For those who start a course of treatment, nutritionists have developed special milkshakes with a large amount of fat, which can not only be drunk, but also eaten frozen like ice cream.This helps the child get used to fatty foods and creates the necessary biochemical changes in the body that provide an antiepileptic effect.During treatment, the doctor requires great skills in creating a menu, otherwise the child will quickly get bored with the monotonous diet and may refuse to eat at all.During various diseases, such as a cold, the metabolism always changes.This can make the ketogenic diet less effective.During such conditions, you should definitely consult your doctor so that he can adjust the menu.
What can you eat on a ketogenic diet and what recommendations should you follow?
The ketogenic diet focuses on foods rich in protein and fat.It is important that moderate consumption of fat is healthy and even necessary, because it is fat that causes a feeling of long-term satiety.
Fats can be divided into three groups:
- saturated fat (found in red meat and dairy products);
- unsaturated (found in vegetable and vegetable oils);
- monounsaturated (found in fish and olives).
Fats perform many functions in the human body:
- energy (with a lack of calories, fats can be broken down, supplying the body with energy);
- protective (all organs are covered with a thin layer and have high thermal insulation properties);
- construction (part of cell membranes);
- enzymatic (some lipids are part of cofactors);
- hormonal (some lipids are part of hormones and mediators).
The best choice would be protein-rich foods - meat, fish, milk, cottage cheese, eggs, cheese, as well as their derivatives.Carbohydrates are acceptable, but only in small amounts.30-50 grams of fiber will be sufficient for digestion.
Any product containing starch (cereals, pasta, potatoes) and sugar in any form is strictly not recommended.Almost all fruits contain a lot of sugar in one form or another, so they are also prohibited.It is always necessary to look at the composition of the product on the label, because even a glass of milk contains approximately 15 grams of carbohydrates.In addition, a list of basic food additives is being studied, which will also have to be excluded, if only because they are harmful.
To promote weight loss, drink plenty of water.Water helps the body burn more calories and prevents constipation.Limit caffeine intake.Exercise regularly.
Exercise will help you lose fat faster on a ketogenic diet.Walk, ride a bike, run in the park or work out at the gym.Including physical activity in your daily schedule can help you maintain a healthy heart and lose weight.
Get a good night's sleep.In the early stages of ketosis, you may feel very tired.Sleep at least 7-8 hours a night to restore energy.Good rest will also promote weight loss.
Contact your doctor if you have cold-like symptoms.Many people feel tired and have a slight headache during ketosis.Sometimes side effects become severe enough to require medical attention.
When does the diet come into effect?
The effect of using the ketogenic diet occurs gradually during the first 3 months after its initiation.Typically, long-term treatment is required (for several years, usually 2-3 years), after which a stable improvement is generally observed, which continues even with a normal diet.Thus, there is no need to follow a ketogenic diet for life.
In many cases, the positive effect is visible already in the first or second week of treatment.However, sometimes within one or two months of using the diet no effect is noticed - in this case it is too early to draw conclusions about the ineffectiveness of the treatment;perhaps the doctor should calculate the biochemical parameters more carefully.
In the commonly accepted sense, this is basically a variation on the theme of therapeutic fasting followed by a "load" of ketosis-inducing foods.For the first three days of therapy, you must completely refuse any food and limit yourself only to drinking water in any quantity.Mineral water and artificially sweetened drinks with and without carbonated water, as well as juices are prohibited.You can drink green tea.Water can be boiled or purified.During this period, it is necessary to reduce the patient's physical activity;bed rest is sometimes indicated.For the next three days, you should slowly introduce food, a quarter of the usual portion.When choosing foods, you should be guided by the principle of 4 parts of fat to one part of protein and carbohydrates.
The menu is somewhat reminiscent of the so-called fat diets for weight loss.The main thing is that you should completely exclude foods such as cereals, fruits, ordinary bread, carrots, beets, potatoes and pasta.
Complications
As with any therapy method, the use of a ketogenic diet in some cases is associated with some negative reactions, the main ones of which are listed below.
- Hair loss.Some children experience hair loss or sparse hair growth after long-term use of the ketogenic diet.It is believed that this complication is mainly related to the lack of minerals in the diet.
- Delayed linear growth.This type of physical development disorder was recorded in some patients, but its relationship to the ketogenic diet continues to be debated to this day.Increased levels of cholesterol and triglycerides in the blood.The ketogenic diet, which consists of almost 90% fat, in some cases leads to an increase in cholesterol and other lipids in the blood.For any lipid content (cholesterol - more than 800 mg%, triglycerides - more than 1000 mg%), stopping the diet is not required.Reducing the fat-protein-carbohydrate ratio from 4:1 to 3.5:1 usually results in a rapid reduction of lipid levels to acceptable levels.
- Kidney stones.This complication of the ketogenic diet affects approximately 1 in 6 patients.It is believed to occur due to insufficient fluid intake in children.Therefore, when performing a ketogenic diet, a urine test is performed to determine the density and detect blood impurities.If necessary, an ultrasound examination of the kidneys is performed.
- Drowsiness and lethargymay occur due to excessive ketosis or toxicity of concomitantly used antiepileptic drugs.Blood levels of drugs can increase during a ketogenic diet even without increasing the dose of the drug.For this reason, it is necessary to control their concentration in the blood and immediately reduce the dose of potentially sedative drugs such as phenobarbital and benzodiazepines.
- Constipation, as a rule, are explained by relatively small portions of food when following a ketogenic diet and limited water consumption.Increasing the daily volume of liquids consumed by 100-150 ml helps to avoid stool disorders.
- Excess body weightPatients are caused by consuming too many calories instead of too much fat.Therefore, the energy content of the diet when prescribing a ketogenic diet should be adapted to their individual needs.
- Weight loss.This point can be explained by some individual metabolic characteristics, as well as by the patient's level of physical activity.If it turns out that the child's body weight has decreased by 400-500 g in 1 month, the energy capacity of the diet can be increased by about 100 kcal per day.It should be remembered that when increasing the caloric content of the diet of young children or patients with a low level of physical activity, the amount of energy consumed at a time does not need to increase by more than 25 kcal.
We remind you once again that your personal menu for this diet must be compiled by a specialist!
When using a ketogenic diet, a complete clinical and laboratory examination of patients is required before starting treatment with recording of EEG and ECG data, as well as a biochemical blood test.