In the world of diets or weight-loss diets, low-carb and high-protein diets often gain more attention, which are somewhat similar to the keto diet, but the ketogenic diet, or the keto diet, or the ketogenic diet Or keto diet, it's different.
Unlike other low-carb diets that focus on protein. The keto diet focuses on fat, which often reaches 90% of the daily calories, so what is the keto diet, how does it work, and what are the benefits and caveats of following it?
What is the keto diet?
The keto diet or what is called the ketogenic diet, which was used mainly to reduce epileptic seizures for epilepsy patients, but it has been followed by people who aim to lose weight for its effective results in losing weight, and it is a diet low in carbohydrates, moderate in protein and high in fat It is based on drastically limiting the intake of carbohydrates and replacing them with fats. Where in this case the body is put into what is called (ketosis or ketosis), which is the human body's production of ketone bodies from fat, and it is used as an energy source instead of carbohydrates, so the body becomes effective in burning fat for energy, and it also converts fats into ketones in Liver, to provide energy in the brain.
How does the keto diet work?
The goal of the keto diet is to force the body to use a different type of fuel, that is, instead of using sugar (glucose) that comes from the breakdown of carbohydrates (such as grains, legumes, vegetables and fruits) which are all important sources of carbohydrates, the ketogenic diet relies on ketone bodies (which is a type From the fuel the liver is produced from its own fat.) Carbohydrates are the main source of energy for the body.
Burning fat to lose or lose weight is the perfect way, but getting the liver to make ketone bodies is difficult. Where on the keto diet:
You need to deprive yourself of carbohydrate sources (i.e. less than 20 to 50 grams of carbohydrates per day), which is against most generally healthy dietary recommendations.
Keep in mind that a banana or small apple contains roughly 15 grams of carbohydrates, and the medium grain contains 27 grams of carbohydrates.
When there is not enough carbohydrates available; To get energy, the body breaks down fats to convert them into ketones.
After that, ketones become the body's main source of energy. It provides energy for all the body parts. Ketones are also used in the body as an alternative source of energy in the brain, hence the name ketogenic diet.
It usually takes a few days to reach a state of ketosis.
Eating too much protein can interfere with ketosis.
Types of keto diets:
1- custom keto diet: This type of diet is considered the best and most beneficial. Because it is completely customized to suit the person's condition in all the details, health and physical condition, and according to the person's nutritional preferences, where a person must know how to follow a keto diet and how to use the keto diet in daily life to get a better life, psychological comfort and ideal weight. Follow a custom keto diet and here's how to do it here, by following the necessary steps here (a custom keto diet).
2- The traditional ketogenic diet: This type of ketogenic depends on a significant reduction in carbohydrates, moderate protein intake and high fat content, and these requirements are divided as follows:
70% of fat.
20% protein.
10% of carbohydrates.
3- The cyclical ketogenic system: This type of keto depends on increasing the percentage of carbohydrate intake for a certain period only, for example, following a keto diet for five days, and then following a high-carbohydrate diet for two days.
4- Targeted ketogenic diet: With this type of keto, the amount of extra carbohydrates is increased during periods of intense physical activity only.
5- High-protein ketogenic diet: In this type of keto, a higher percentage of protein is eaten, most likely 35% of protein, 5% of carbohydrates, and the highest percentage of fat, which is 60%.
What should we eat on the keto diet?
Since the keto diet is high in fat, people who follow the keto diet should consume fat at every meal. For example, in a daily diet that contains 2000 calories, the body's need of fat is 165 grams, 40 grams of carbohydrates and 75 grams of protein. However, the exact percentage depends on your specific needs.
Healthy, unsaturated fats are allowed on the keto diet, such as nuts (almonds and walnuts), seeds, avocados, tofu, and olive oil. But the most important thing is to consume saturated fats from oils (palm and coconut), butter and cocoa butter in large quantities.
As for fruits and vegetables, all fruits are rich in carbohydrates, but you can only eat certain fruits (usually berries) and in small quantities. The vegetables (also rich in carbohydrates) are limited to leafy greens (such as kale, chard, spinach, and celery), cauliflower, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, asparagus, bell peppers, onions, garlic, mushrooms, cucumbers and summer squash. For example, a cup of chopped broccoli contains about six grams of carbohydrates.
Risks of following the keto diet:
The ketogenic diet includes many risks, especially if you follow it for a long time, such as:
1- It contains a high percentage of saturated fats, as the normal level of recommendations for eating saturated fats should not exceed 7% of the calories. This is due to its association with heart disease, and indeed keto is associated with high harmful cholesterol associated with heart disease.
2- Lack of nutrients such as magnesium and phosphorous; Because of insufficient intake of fruits, vegetables and grains.
3- liver problems; Because there is a lot of fats in the metabolism process.
4- Kidney problems.
5- constipation; This is because the keto diet is low on fiber sources.
6- Mood swings and confusion in thinking.
Benefits of following a keto diet:
1- Maintains muscle mass.
2- It improves blood sugar levels.
3- It reduces inflammation and helps prevent Alzheimer's disease.
4- It gives the body the necessary energy during the day.
In sum, a custom keto diet is one of the best diets that can be followed to get rid of excess weight in an ideal way.