What is the keto diet?

The ketogenic diet (or keto diet for short) is a low-carb, high-fat diet that offers many health benefits. It's important to know how to buy quality keto products, such as good keto bread, for example.

In fact, many studies show that this type of diet can help you lose weight and improve your health.

Ketogenic diets may even have benefits against diabetes, cancer, epilepsy, and Alzheimer's disease.

Here you'll find a detailed beginner's guide to the ketogenic diet. There's also a wealth of medically proven information on the Alicia Foundation. See this link .

Keto Basics

The ketogenic diet is a very low-carb, high-fat diet that shares many similarities with the Atkins and low-carb diets. But you can even eat keto bread.

It involves drastically reducing your carbohydrate intake and replacing it with fat. This carbohydrate reduction puts your body into a metabolic state called ketosis .

When this happens, your body becomes incredibly efficient at burning fat for energy. It also converts fat into ketones in the liver, which can supply energy to the brain.

Ketogenic diets can cause significant reductions in insulin and blood sugar levels. This, along with the increase in ketones, has some health benefits. Obviously, not everyone can embark on any type of diet without prior testing and a conversation with their doctor.

The ketogenic diet is a low-carb, high-fat diet. It lowers insulin and blood sugar levels and shifts the body's metabolism away from carbohydrates and toward fats and ketones.

What is ketosis?

Ketosis is a metabolic state in which your body uses fat for fuel instead of carbohydrates.

It occurs when you significantly reduce your carbohydrate consumption, limiting your body's supply of glucose (sugar), which is the primary source of energy for cells.

Following a ketogenic diet is the most effective way to enter ketosis. This generally involves limiting carbohydrate consumption to about 20 to 50 grams per day and filling up on fats, such as meat, fish, eggs, nuts, and healthy oils.

It's also important to moderate your protein intake. This is because protein can be converted to glucose if consumed in large amounts, which can delay your transition to ketosis.

Practicing intermittent fasting may also help you enter ketosis faster. There are many different forms of intermittent fasting, but the most common method involves limiting food intake to about 8 hours per day and fasting for the remaining 16 hours.

There are blood, urine, and breath tests available that can help determine if you have

entered ketosis by measuring the amount of ketones produced by your body.

Certain symptoms may also indicate that you have entered ketosis, such as increased thirst, dry mouth, frequent urination, and decreased hunger or appetite.

Ketosis is a metabolic state in which your body uses fat for fuel instead of carbohydrates. Modifying your diet and practicing intermittent fasting can help you enter ketosis faster. Certain tests and symptoms can also help determine if you've entered ketosis.

Ketogenic diets can help you lose weight

A ketogenic diet is an effective way to lose weight and reduce disease risk factors.

In fact, research shows that the ketogenic diet can be just as effective for weight loss as a low-fat diet.

What's more, the diet is so filling that you can lose weight without counting calories or monitoring your food intake.

A review of 13 studies found that following a very low-carb ketogenic diet was slightly more effective for long-term weight loss than a low-fat diet. People on the ketogenic diet lost an average of 0.9 kg more than the low-fat group.

In addition, it also caused reductions in diastolic blood pressure and triglyceride levels.

Another study in 34 older adults found that those who followed a ketogenic diet for 8 weeks lost nearly five times more total body fat than those who followed a low-fat diet.

Increased ketones, decreased blood sugar levels, and improved insulin sensitivity may also play a key role.

A ketogenic diet may help you lose slightly more weight than a low-fat diet. This usually occurs with less hunger.

Ketogenic diets for diabetes and prediabetes

Diabetes is characterized by changes in metabolism, high blood sugar levels, and impaired insulin function.

The ketogenic diet can help you lose excess fat, which is closely linked to type 2 diabetes, prediabetes, and metabolic syndrome.

A previous study found that the ketogenic diet improved insulin sensitivity by a whopping 75%.

A small study in women with type 2 diabetes also found that following a ketogenic diet for 90 days significantly reduced hemoglobin A1C levels, which is a measure of long-term blood sugar control.

Another study of 349 people with type 2 diabetes found that those who followed a ketogenic diet lost an average of 11.9 kg over a two-year period. This is an important benefit when considering the link between weight and type 2 diabetes.

Additionally, participants also experienced improved blood sugar management, and the use of certain blood sugar medications decreased over the course of the study.

The ketogenic diet can increase insulin sensitivity and cause fat loss, leading to significant health benefits for people with type 2 diabetes or prediabetes.

Other health benefits of the ketogenic diet

The ketogenic diet actually originated as a tool to treat neurological diseases such as epilepsy.

Studies have now shown that the diet can have benefits for a wide variety of different health conditions:

• Heart disease. The ketogenic diet may help improve risk factors such as body fat, HDL (good) cholesterol levels, blood pressure, and blood sugar.

• Cancer. Diet is currently being explored as an additional treatment for cancer because it can help slow tumor growth.

• Alzheimer's disease. The ketogenic diet may help reduce the symptoms of Alzheimer's disease and slow its progression.

• Epilepsy. Research has shown that the ketogenic diet can significantly reduce seizures in children with epilepsy.

• Parkinson's disease. Although more research is needed, one study found that the diet helped improve symptoms of Parkinson's disease.

• Polycystic ovary syndrome. The ketogenic diet may help reduce insulin levels, which may play a key role in polycystic ovary syndrome.

• Brain Injuries. Some research suggests that diet may improve outcomes after traumatic brain injuries.

However, keep in mind that research in many of these areas is far from conclusive.

A ketogenic diet can provide many health benefits, especially for people with metabolic, neurological, or insulin-related conditions.

Foods to avoid

Any food high in carbohydrates should be limited. It's important to know where to buy quality keto products.

Here is a list of keto foods that should be reduced or eliminated on a ketogenic diet:

• sugary foods: soft drinks, fruit juices, milkshakes, cakes, ice cream, candy, etc.

• Cereals or starches: products based on wheat, rice, pasta, cereals, etc.

• fruit: all fruit, except small portions of berries such as strawberries

• beans or legumes: peas, beans, lentils, chickpeas, etc.

• tubers and root vegetables: potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots, parsnips, etc.

• Dietary or low-fat products : low-fat mayonnaise, salad dressings, and condiments

• some condiments or sauces: barbecue sauce, honey mustard, teriyaki sauce, ketchup, etc.

• unhealthy fats: processed vegetable oils, mayonnaise, etc.

• alcohol: beer, wine, liquor, mixed drinks

• Sugar -free diet foods : candies, syrups, puddings, sweeteners, desserts, etc.

Avoid carbohydrate-based foods such as grains, sugars, legumes, rice, potatoes, sweets, juices and even most fruits except berries.

Foods allowed on the ketogenic diet

You should base most of your meals on:

• Meat: red meat , steak, ham, sausage, bacon, chicken and turkey

• Fatty fish: salmon, trout, tuna and mackerel

• Eggs: whole pastured or omega-3 eggs

• Butter and cream: grass-fed butter and heavy cream

• Cheese: unprocessed cheeses such as cheddar, goat, cream, blue, or mozzarella

• Nuts and seeds: almonds, walnuts, flax seeds, pumpkin seeds, chia seeds, etc.

• Healthy oils: extra virgin olive oil, coconut oil, and avocado oil.

• Avocados: Whole avocados or freshly made guacamole

• Low-carb vegetables: green vegetables , tomatoes, onions, peppers, etc.

• seasonings: salt, pepper, herbs and spices

Keto Tips and Tricks

• Although starting the ketogenic diet can be challenging, there are several tips and tricks you can use to make it easier.

• Start by familiarizing yourself with food labels and checking the grams of fat, carbohydrates, and fiber to determine how your favorite foods can fit into your diet.

• Planning your meals in advance can also be beneficial and can help you save additional time during the week.

• Many websites, food blogs, apps , and cookbooks also offer keto recipes and meal ideas that you can use to create your own custom menu.

• Look for healthy frozen keto meals when you're short on time

• When going to social gatherings or visiting family and friends, you may also want to consider bringing your own food, which can make it much easier to control cravings and stick to your meal plan.

• Reading food labels, planning your meals in advance, and bringing your own food when visiting family and friends can make following the ketogenic diet much easier.

Tips for Eating Out on a Ketogenic Diet

Many restaurant meals can be prepared ketogenic.

Most restaurants offer some type of meat- or fish-based dish. Order this and replace any high-carb items with additional vegetables.

Egg-based meals are also a great option, such as an omelet or eggs and bacon.

Another favorite is bunless burgers. Instead, you can also swap fries for vegetables. Add more avocado, cheese, bacon, or eggs.

At Mexican restaurants, you can enjoy any type of meat with extra cheese, guacamole, salsa, and sour cream.

For dessert, order a board of mixed cheeses or red fruits with cream.

When eating out, choose a meat, fish, or egg-based dish. Order more vegetables instead of carbohydrates or starches, and have cheese for dessert.

Side effects and how to minimize them

Although the ketogenic diet is generally safe for most healthy people, there may be some initial side effects as your body adjusts.

There is some anecdotal evidence of these effects, often referred to as the keto flu . According to some reports, the eating plan typically resolves within a few days.

Reported symptoms of the keto flu include diarrhea, constipation, and vomiting. Other less common symptoms include:

• low energy and mental function

• increasing hunger

• sleep problems

• nausea

• digestive discomfort

• decreased exercise performance

To minimize this, you can try a regular low-carb diet for the first few weeks. This can teach your body to burn more fat before eliminating carbs completely.

A ketogenic diet can also change your body's water and mineral balance, so adding more salt to your meals or taking mineral supplements may help. Talk to your doctor about your nutritional needs.

At least at first, it's important to eat until you're full and avoid restricting calories too much. A ketogenic diet typically results in weight loss without intentional calorie restriction. Many of the side effects of starting a ketogenic diet can be limited. Dieting and taking mineral supplements can help.

Risks of the ketogenic diet

Maintaining the ketogenic diet long-term can have some negative effects, including the following:

• low protein content in the blood

• extra fat in the liver

• kidney stones

• micronutrient deficiencies

A type of medication called sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors for type 2 diabetes may increase the risk of diabetic ketoacidosis, a dangerous condition that increases the acidity of the blood. Anyone taking this medication should avoid the ketogenic diet.

Further research is being conducted to determine the long-term safety of the ketogenic diet. Keep your doctor informed about your eating plan to guide your choices.

There are some side effects of the keto diet that you should discuss with your doctor if you plan to follow the diet long-term.

Supplements for a ketogenic diet

Although supplements are not required, some may be helpful.

• MCT oil . Added to drinks or yogurt, MCT oil provides energy and helps increase ketone levels.

• Minerals Added salt and other minerals can be important when starting out due to changes in water and mineral balance.

• Caffeine . Caffeine may have benefits for energy, fat loss, and performance.

• Exogenous ketones . This supplement can help increase the body's ketone levels.

• Creatine . Creatine provides numerous health and performance benefits.

Frequently Asked Questions

Below, you'll find answers to some of the most common questions about the ketogenic diet.

1. Can I eat carbohydrates again?

Yes. However, it's important to significantly reduce your carbohydrate intake initially. After the first 2 to 3 months, you can eat carbohydrates on special occasions; just return to the diet immediately afterward.

2. Will I lose muscle?

There's a risk of losing some muscle with any diet. However, protein intake and high ketone levels can help minimize muscle loss, especially if you lift weights.

3. Can I build muscle on a ketogenic diet?

Yes, but it may not work as well as a moderate-carb diet.

4. How much protein can I eat?

Protein intake should be moderate, as too high an intake can increase insulin levels and decrease ketones. Around 35% of total calorie intake is probably the upper limit.

5. What if I am constantly tired, weak, or fatigued?

You may not be in full ketosis or not utilizing fats and ketones efficiently. To counteract this, reduce your carbohydrate intake and review the points above. A supplement like MCT oil or ketones can also help.

6. My urine smells fruity. Why is this?

Don't be alarmed. This is simply due to the excretion of byproducts created during ketosis.

7. My breath smells. What can I do?

This is a common side effect. Try drinking naturally flavored water or chewing sugar-free gum.

8. I heard that ketosis was extremely dangerous. Is this true?

People often confuse ketosis with ketoacidosis. Ketoacidosis is dangerous, but ketosis on a ketogenic diet is generally fine for healthy people. Talk to your doctor before starting a new diet.

9. I have digestive problems and diarrhea. What can I do?

This common side effect usually goes away after 3 to 4 weeks. If it persists, try eating more high-fiber vegetables.