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 does the keto diet look like and is it harmful?
- Keto diet
- The keto diet is a low-carb, high-fat diet that aims to provide the body with ketones.
Why is the ketogenic diet effective, what contraindications and reviews are there, 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?That's what we're going to talk about today.
How does the keto diet work?
When our diet contains fats, proteins and carbohydrates, our body gets energy from glucose.We get glucose from carbohydrates.With grocery stores now within easy reach, this is the most common type of food.But what happened back then when carbohydrate-containing products such as grains or bread were not enough due to crop failure, habitat or seasonality?
The carcass had to obtain energy from fatty acids and proteins.You probably remember my video about running for weight loss - here it is - in it I looked at the process of producing energy through the oxidation of fatty acids.Now I would like to briefly remind you that all our organs, which have mitochondria in tissue cells, work perfectly with fatty acids.These are the heart muscle, the myocardium and the skeletal muscles (the same ones we train in the gym) as well as the smooth muscles.
However, our brain, which is 60% fat, is not losing weight;Even a long fast does not significantly harm mental abilities.Why?The reason for this is that the blood-brain barrier (BBB) is a barrier that ensures the constancy of the brain's internal environment.It is he who does not let the fatty acids through - neither to the outside (which is why the brain does not lose weight), but also to the inside.And the brain is unable to use fatty acids as an energy source.
However, the brain cannot remain without fuel, and nature has ensured that due to a diet that cannot provide enough glucose, the brain switches to an alternative fuel source - the so-called ketone bodies.
- ketone bodies
Three substances are called ketone bodies
- 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.On this basis, the central nervous system works largely during the period when the food does not contain carbohydrates.
Is the keto diet bad or not?
Ketogenesis is a completely normal metabolic process that there is nothing to be afraid of.All fears arise from the fact that the state of ketosis - when the body works on ketone bodies - is often confused with pathological acidosis, 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 is not caused by a lack of glucose due to a lack of carbohydrates, but by a lack of insulin.Let me remind you that our most important hormone, insulin, is a transporter.This is our loader that knows how to transport glucose across the cell membrane.
When there is a lot of glucose, but there is no insulin or it does not perform its functions, the cell begins to feel a hunger for energy, just like with a carbohydrate-free diet.As a result, the body produces a number of hormones that can break down fat (lipolytic, in this case they are called continsular) and the liver begins to produce ketone bodies from fatty acids.So what's going on?
There is a lot of undigested glucose, there are also a lot of ketone bodies and the kidneys try to get rid of excess ketones and glucose, causing dehydration - the so-called osmotic diuresis.As a result of diuresis, electrolytes are washed away - and you remember from this video, even two, that this is very, very bad - the balance of electrolytes shifts towards hyperacidity and as a result this very ketoacidosis develops.All this requires urgent hospitalization, as the patient can easily move his horse.
It is absolutely clear that this situation is possible in only two cases
- Type 1 diabetes, 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 functions perfectly on ketone bodies.
How to use the keto diet
Firstand the most important thing is to get into the state of ketosis.And that is one of the most difficult tasks.Since in most cases - remember, I told you about homeostasis - people are eating carbohydrate-containing foods for the first time in decades, it is a burden on the body.The carcass is not used to this and you will not get into the state of ketosis in a day or two.It takes time.First, the body eats up the remaining glucose and glycogen.An attempt is then made 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 he begins to pull the nutritional system of the central nervous system onto new rails with a creak.Remember: the carcass really doesn't like disturbances in homeostasis and will defend itself as best it can.
That first time is the hardest - you're numb, angry, have no energy, your brain refuses to work, you're dizzy - and a whole host of other joys.And how long this condition lasts varies for everyone, but can last up to two or three weeks.
Second.To get into ketosis, you need to reduce or keep carbohydrates to a minimum - and that's another difficulty.There are organs that cannot use either fatty acids or ketone bodies as energy.They need glucose and only glucose - this is the intestinal epithelium, the vascular endothelium, the eye lens, the adrenal cortex, something else - I don't remember.So you can't leave them without glucose.For him, the carcass receives glucose through gluconeogenesis either from your muscles or from a minimum of carbohydrates supplied with food.But that's the point - think about homeostasis - the desire to maintain balance at all costs - getting into ketosis is difficult, but getting out of it is as easy as peeling pears.And then hello to the fat pads on the sides at the back.
Third— To get into ketosis, you need to eat a lot of fats and definitely not overdo it with proteins!!!!And that is also very difficult to control.Because if there is an excess of protein in the food - with the help of the same gluconeogenesis, the carcass will immediately produce glucose from it - and you will again fall out of this hard-won state of ketosis.If there is too little protein, I will gradually lose muscle.And for a beginner, it's very, very difficult to find that balance.With fats everything is simple - 80% of the diet should consist of fats.
Fourth- Difficulty assessing whether we have entered ketosis or not.
- Testing for acetone in urine with test strips does not make sense.We can be in ketosis and there will be no acetone in the urine.
- A blood analysis using a blood glucose meter with special strips for ketone bodies is possible, but these strips are not cheap at all.
- Finally, there are special devices for detecting acetone in breath.They were invented for epileptics because the ketogenic diet helps against epileptic seizures - but they also cost around $100.
And finally, how do you plan your diet if you decide to follow the keto diet?
- Protein - 1.5-2 grams per body weight.This is conditional.
- The rest are fats.
Which foods are suitable for the keto diet?
- Eggs with yolks
- all types of cheese
- fatty cottage cheese
- sour cream
- salo
- pork
- Nuts
- Salmon
- trout
- Salmon
- mutton