Keto diet.Ketogenic diet, what is its essence?What are the keto diet results 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 designed to fuel the body with 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 menu of the keto diet and what about the opinions of those who are losing 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.Glucose is obtained from carbohydrates.Now that grocery stores are readily available, this is the most common food.But what happened at the time when carbohydrate products such as cereals or bread were insufficient due to crop failure, habitat or seasonality?
The carcass was forced to obtain energy from fatty acids and proteins.You probably remember my weight loss running video - here it is - in which I examined the process of obtaining energy through the oxidation of fatty acids.Now I will briefly remind you that all our organs, which have mitochondria in their tissue cells, work perfectly on fatty acids.This is the heart, cardio and skeletal muscles (the same ones we pump in the gym) and smooth muscles.
However, our 60% fat brain does not lose weight;even long fasting does not cause significant damage to mental abilities.Why?This is because the blood-brain barrier (BBB) is a barrier that ensures the constancy of the internal environment of the brain.He is the one who does not allow fatty acids to pass through - neither to the outside (this is why the brain does not lose weight), but also to the inside.And the brain is not able to consume fatty acids as an energy source.
However, the brain cannot run out of fuel, and nature has made sure that as a result of a diet that does not provide enough glucose, the brain switches to an alternative fuel source - 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, a process called ketogenesis.Not much acetone is produced;our main fuel is beta-aminobutyric acid.The central nervous system works predominantly on this in the absence of carbohydrates in the diet.
Is the keto diet bad or not?
Ketogenesis is a completely normal metabolic process and should not be feared.All fears stem from the fact that the state of ketosis - when the body is working on ketone bodies - is often confused with the pathological acidosis that requires urgent intervention.But these things are different, and now we will discuss a little what the point is.
Ketoacidosis
What is it - ketoacidosis.This is almost the same as ketosis, but when it is not caused 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.This is our loader that knows how to transport glucose across the cell membrane.
If there is a lot of glucose, but there is no insulin or it does not perform its function, the cell begins to feel energy hunger, just like in the case of a carbohydrate-free diet.As a result, the body produces a bunch of hormones that can break down fat (lipolytic, in this case it is called anti-insulating), and the liver starts to produce ketone bodies from fatty acids.So what's going on here?
There is a lot of undigested glucose, a lot of ketone bodies, and the kidneys try to get rid of excess ketones and glucose, which causes dehydration - the so-called osmotic diuresis.As a result of diuresis, electrolytes are washed out - and you remember from this video that this is very, very bad, two in fact - the balance of electrolytes is shifted towards acidification, and as a result, this ketoacidosis develops.all this requires urgent hospital treatment, because the patient can easily move his horse.
It is quite clear that this situation is only possible in two cases
- Type 1 diabetes occurs when the pancreas does not produce insulin
- Dehydration - diarrhea, vomiting, taking diuretics.
That is, if you are healthy and do not have type 1 diabetes, then you do not have to worry about ketoacidosis at all.In your case, the nervous system works perfectly on ketone bodies.
So, how to use the keto diet
Firstand the most important thing is getting into 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 food for the first time in decades - this will be a stress for the body.Your body isn't used to it, and you won't get into ketosis in a day or two.It takes time.First, the body consumes the remaining glucose and glycogen.It then tries to make 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 screechingly begins to drag the nutritional system of the central nervous system to new tracks.Remember: the body does not like disturbances in homeostasis and resists as best it can.
This first time is the most difficult - you are bored, angry, have no energy, your brain refuses to work, your head is dizzy - and a lot of other joys.And how long this condition lasts is different for everyone, but it can last up to two or three weeks.
Second.To get into ketosis, you have to cut carbs or keep them 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 lens of the eye, the adrenal cortex, something else - I can't remember.So you can't leave them without glucose.The carcass gets glucose for them through gluconeogenesis either from the muscles or from minimal carbohydrates supplied with food.But that's the point - remember homeostasis - the desire to maintain balance at all costs - getting into ketosis is hard, but getting out of it is as easy as peeling a pear.And then welcome back fat deposits.
Third— to enter ketosis, you need to eat a lot of fat, and under no circumstances should you overdo the protein!!!!And this is also very difficult to control.Because if there is an excess of protein in the diet - with the help of the same gluconeogenesis, the body immediately turns it into glucose - and you fall out of this hard-won state of ketosis again.If there is too little protein, I 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 be fat.
Fourth- it is difficult to judge whether we have entered ketosis or not.
- There is no point in testing the presence of acetone in urine with strips.We can be in ketosis and not have acetone in the urine.
- It is possible to test blood with a glucometer with special ketone body strips, but these strips are not cheap at all.
- Finally, there are special devices for detecting acetone in the breath.They were invented for epileptics because the ketogenic diet is good for fighting epileptic seizures - but they also cost about $100.
And finally, if you decide to try the keto diet, how should you plan your diet?
- protein - 1.5-2 grams per body weight.This is conditional.
- The rest is fat.
What foods are suitable for the keto diet?
- with egg yolk
- all cheese
- fatty cottage cheese
- sour cream
- hello
- pork
- nuts
- salmon
- trout
- salmon
- mutton