Important: It is not recommended to follow a diet without first consulting your doctor.This rule is not only relevant for those who have identified diseases, but also for everyone else.
Unlike most of the currently popular diets, the goals of the ketogenic diet from the beginning were purely medical.They are still on the agenda today.In general, the word "diet" initially had nothing to do with weight loss.This word means a set of dietary rules that must be followed in a given situation - during the treatment of a certain disease, in the period of postoperative therapy.
The keto diet largely owes its renewed popularity to an American film producer whose child suffered from epilepsy for a long time.Despite numerous visits to the most famous and top neurologists, who tried, it seems, all the most effective antiepileptic drugs that exist in nature, the boy's condition did not improve at all.An almost desperate father read a bunch of literature on the topic of epilepsy treatment in the local library and suddenly came across a description of a ketogenic diet that no specialist had yet recommended.He immediately put his son on this diet and, to his great satisfaction, found that the frequency of the boy's seizures was significantly reduced.
So, the ketogenic diet was invented to reduce the frequency of epileptic seizures - mostly in children.There was no reduction in calorie intake;carbohydrates are simply replaced by fat.The children were put on this diet for 36 hours, and their seizure frequency actually decreased.
Today, the ketogenic diet is used to treat not only epilepsy, but also Alzheimer's disease, fatty liver disease (fatty liver), and even some types of cancer.In general, its medical benefits are undeniable.What about weight loss?
A ketogenic diet is a diet that consists of meals with a high fat content (animal fats and some vegetable oils), animal proteins and very few carbohydrates, so that about 80% of the body's energy needs are met by fat breakdown (the fat content in the diet of an average European provides 30-35% of the daily energy the body needs).And similar to what happens during fasting, breaking down large amounts of fat leads to increased acidity in the body.This can probably explain why the use of such a nutritional complex leads to a reduction in the frequency of epileptic seizures.
The goal of the ketogenic diet is to bring the body into 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 uses exclusively the fat stored under the skin to cover energy needs, which prevents muscle breakdown.While in a state of ketosis, you will draw energy from ketones - carbonyl compounds that are formed when fats are broken down.By the way, ketones are an excellent source of energy for the brain, almost perfectly replacing glucose.
Another positive characteristic of ketosis is that in this state you will practically not feel hungry, so you will eat less, which means that you will not fully cover your energy costs.
In order to bring the body into a state of ketosis, the diet is structured so that the diet is clearly dominated by fats, predominantly saturated fats (diet consists of 90% fat, based on caloric content).
In fact, the diet that many professional bodybuilders use in the last week before a competition can also be called ketogenic: it consists only of salmon (usually grilled, but it 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.There is already a lot more protein here, which reduces the problems, but does not eliminate them completely.
Advantages and disadvantages 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 feel the feeling 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 the sudden 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.The reduction in insulin secretion is linked to the ketogenic diet's ability to cause acidosis in the muscles, which means that proteolysis increases, that is, it facilitates the breakdown of the body's own proteins.And catabolism can get out of hand.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 nauseous in the most natural way.It is not for nothing that the ketogenic diet was limited to a period of 36 hours for children suffering from epilepsy.
The ketogenic diet is currently used to treat certain types of cancer.In particular, prostate cancer uses the ability of nutrition 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 an increase in ketone levels in the blood, which lowers blood acidity (pH) 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 there is none, there is no need to worry about it, because the blood of healthy people contains exactly as many ketones as the body can process.
The body needs time 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 condition extremely painfully, and "give up" literally on the second day.But the state of health completely returns to normal on the third to fifth day, when the body is renewed.
Lack of fiber causes slowed bowel function.The main point of the ketogenic diet is complete abstinence from carbohydrates.Accordingly, the diet should consist of protein and fat, 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 a lot of coarse dietary fiber.
An important nutritional deficiency is the lack of microelements caused by the exclusion of carbohydrate-containing foods from the diet.Basically, any meat or dairy products recommended on the ketogenic diet are devoid of most vitamins or minerals.The best way to avoid deficiency is to take vitamins and minerals, food supplements that contain minerals.Many minerals, such as zinc or magnesium, are critical for the body's functioning and hormone levels.
Contraindications
The ketogenic diet is contraindicated in the presence or history of liver disease, kidney disease, 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 in the case of simultaneous intake of the drug valproic acid (valproic acid).There are currently no known contraindications to its use.
When prescribing a ketogenic diet, only the doctor calculates the nutrition for each child and adult!Strictly individual, 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 chosen in a certain ratio, which is determined only by an expert!During treatment, this relationship can change, so it is necessary to constantly monitor the patient by the doctor who, if necessary, adjusts the diet.The diet of patients includes various types of fatty foods - bacon, heavy cream, vegetable oils, such as flaxseed.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 starting 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 the treatment, the doctor requires great skill in creating a menu, otherwise the child will quickly get bored with the monotonous diet and may completely refuse to eat.During various diseases, such as a cold, the metabolism always changes.This can make the ketogenic diet less effective.In such situations, 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 precisely fat that causes a long-lasting feeling of satiety.
Fats can be divided into three groups:
- saturated fat (found in red meat and dairy products);
- unsaturated (found in vegetable oils and vegetables);
- 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);
- structure (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 foods rich in proteins - 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 enough for digestion.
Any products containing starch (cereals, pasta, potatoes) and sugar in any form are strictly not recommended.Almost every fruit contains a lot of sugar in one form or another, so it is forbidden.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 your caffeine intake.Exercise regularly.
Exercise will help you lose fat faster on a ketogenic diet.Take a walk, ride a bike, run in the park or work out at the gym.Incorporating physical activity into 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 contribute to weight loss.
Contact your doctor if you experience cold-like symptoms.Many people feel tired and have a slight headache during ketosis.Sometimes side effects become serious enough to require medical attention.
When does the diet take effect?
The effect of using a ketogenic diet appears gradually during the first 3 months after the start.Long-term treatment is usually required (several years, usually 2-3 years), after which a stable improvement is generally observed, which lasts even with a normal diet.So, there is no need to follow a ketogenic diet for life.
In many cases, a positive effect is noticeable already in the first or second week of treatment.However, sometimes no effect is noticed within a month or two of using the diet - in this case it is too early to draw conclusions about the ineffectiveness of the treatment;maybe the doctor should calculate the biochemical parameters more carefully.
In the commonly accepted understanding, this is mostly a variation on the theme of therapeutic fasting followed by a "load" of foods that induce ketosis.For the first three days of therapy, you should completely refuse any food and limit yourself to only 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 that period, it is necessary to reduce the patient's physical activity;sometimes bed rest is indicated.For the next three days, food should be introduced slowly, 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 fatty diets for weight loss.The main thing is that you have to completely exclude foods such as grains, fruits, plain bread, carrots, beets, potatoes and pasta.
Complications
As with any method of therapy, the use of a ketogenic diet in some cases is associated with some side effects, 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.This complication is thought to be primarily related to a lack of minerals in the diet.
- Delayed linear growth.This type of physical development disorder has been reported in some patients, but its association with the ketogenic diet is still debated to this day.Increased level of cholesterol and triglycerides in the blood.The ketogenic diet, which is 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%), the interruption of the diet is not necessary.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 stone.This complication of the ketogenic diet affects approximately 1 in 6 patients.It is believed to occur due to inadequate fluid intake in children.Therefore, during the ketogenic diet, a urine test is performed to determine the density and detect impurities in the blood.If necessary, an ultrasound examination of the kidneys is performed.
- Drowsiness and lethargymay occur due to excessive ketosis or toxicity of concurrently used antiepileptic drugs.Blood drug levels can increase during the ketogenic diet even without increasing the drug dose.For this reason, it is necessary to check their concentration in the blood and promptly reduce the dose of potentially sedative drugs such as phenobarbital and benzodiazepines.
- Prison, as a rule, are explained by relatively small portions of food on a ketogenic diet and limited water consumption.Increasing the daily amount of liquid consumed by 100-150 ml helps to avoid defecation disorders.
- Excess body weightpatients is caused by consuming too many calories, not too much fat.Therefore, the energy content of the diet when prescribing a ketogenic diet must be adjusted to their individual needs.
- Weight loss.This can be explained by some individual metabolic characteristics, as well as 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 child can increase by about 100 kcal per day.It should be remembered that when increasing the caloric content in the diet of young children or patients with a low level of physical activity, the amount of energy consumed at the same time should not be increased by more than 25 kcal.
Once again, we remind you that your personal menu for this diet should be compiled by a specialist!
When using a ketogenic diet, a thorough clinical and laboratory examination of patients with recording of EEG and ECG data, as well as a biochemical blood test, is required before starting treatment.