Keto diet.Ketogenic diet, what is its 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 keto diet menu and is it harmful.
- Keto diet
- The keto diet is a low-carb, high-fat diet aimed at nourishing the body's ketone bodies.
Why is the ketogenic diet effective, what are the contraindications and opinions, 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 are going to discuss today.
How does the keto diet work?
When our diet contains fats, proteins and carbohydrates, our body receives energy from glucose.We get glucose from carbohydrates.Now that grocery stores are easily accessible, this is the most common type of food.But what was happening at the time when products rich in carbohydrates like cereals or bread were not enough due to poor harvests, habitat or seasonality?
The carcass was forced to draw its energy from fatty acids and proteins.You probably remember my video on running for weight loss - here it is - in which I looked at the process of obtaining energy through the oxidation of fatty acids.Now I will briefly remind you that all our organs that have mitochondria in tissue cells work perfectly with fatty acids.These are the heart muscle, myocardium, skeletal muscles (the same ones we pump in the gym) and smooth muscles.
However, our brain, made up of 60% fat, does not lose weight;even a long fast does not significantly harm mental abilities.For what?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 let fatty acids pass through - neither outwards (this is why the brain does not lose weight), but also inwards.And the brain is unable to consume fatty acids as a source of energy.
However, the brain cannot go without fuel and nature has intended that due to a diet that cannot provide sufficient amounts of glucose, the brain switches to an alternative source of fuel – 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.Little acetone is produced;our primary fuel is beta-aminobutyric acid.This is what the central nervous system largely works on 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 need to be afraid of it.All the fears come from the fact that the state of ketosis – when the body works on ketone bodies – is often confused with pathological acidocedosis requiring urgent intervention.But these things are different and now we will discuss their essence a little.
Ketoacidosis
What is it - ketoacidosis.It is almost the same as ketosis, but when it is caused not 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.It 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, just like in the case of a diet without carbohydrates, begins to experience energy hunger.As a result, the body produces a bunch of hormones capable of breaking down fats (lipolytic, in this case they are called counterinsular) 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 are trying to get rid of the excess ketones and glucose, which causes dehydration - what is called osmotic diuresis.As a result of diuresis, electrolytes are washed away - and you remember this is very, very bad in this video, even two - the balance of electrolytes shifts towards acidification and, therefore, this ketoacidosis develops.all this requires urgent hospitalization, because the patient can easily move his horse.
It is quite clear that this situation is only possible in two cases
- Type 1 diabetes, when the pancreas does not produce insulin
- Dehydration - diarrhea, vomiting, taking diuretics.
That is, if you are healthy and do not suffer from type 1 diabetes, you do not need to be afraid of ketoacidosis at all.In your case, the nervous system will function perfectly on ketone bodies.
So how to use the keto diet
First of alland the most important thing is to enter a state of ketosis.And this 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 - this will be a stress on the body.The carcass is not used to this and you will not enter a state of ketosis in a day or two.It takes time.First, the body will consume the remaining glucose and glycogen.Next, it will attempt to produce glucose from amino acids, glycerol and lactic acid through gluconeogenesis.And only when it becomes completely impossible for it to start the process of ketogenesis and, with a crunch, begins to drive the nutritional system of the central nervous system onto new rails.Remember that the carcass does not really like disruptions to homeostasis and resists as best it can.
It's this first time that is the hardest - you are boring, angry, you have no strength, your brain refuses to work, your head is dizzy - and many other delights.And the duration of this condition is different for everyone, but it can last up to two or three weeks.
Second.To get into ketosis, you need to cut carbs or reduce them to a minimum - and that's another difficulty.There are organs that cannot use fatty acids or ketone bodies for energy.They need glucose and only glucose - it's the intestinal epithelium, the vascular endothelium, the lens, the adrenal cortex, something else - I don't remember.So you can't leave them without glucose.The carcass will obtain glucose for itself through gluconeogenesis either from your muscles or from minimal carbohydrates provided by food.But that's the point - remember 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 fatty deposits on the back sides.
Third— to enter ketosis, you must eat a lot of fats and under no circumstances overuse proteins!!!!And it’s also very difficult to control.Because if there is an excess of protein in the diet - with the help of the same gluconeogenesis, the carcass will immediately produce glucose from it - and you will again come out of this hard-earned state of ketosis.If there is too little protein, I will gradually lose muscle.And it’s very, very difficult for a beginner to find that balance.With fats, everything is simple: 80% of the diet should consist of fats.
Fourth- difficulty assessing whether you have entered ketosis or not.
- Testing the presence of acetone in urine with strips does not make sense.We can be in ketosis and there will be no acetone in the urine.
- A blood test using a glucometer with special strips for ketone bodies is possible, but these strips are not at all cheap.
- Finally, there are special devices to detect acetone in breath.They were invented for epileptics because the ketogenic diet is effective for dealing with epileptic seizures – but they also cost around $100.
And finally, if you decide to try the keto diet, how do you plan your diet?
- protein - 1.5-2 grams per body weight.This is conditional.
- The rest is made up of fats.
What foods are suitable for the keto diet?
- eggs with yolk
- all cheeses
- fatty cottage cheese
- sour cream
- living room
- pork
- nut
- salmon
- trout
- salmon
- sheep