Keto diet.Ketogenic diet, what is the 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 menu of the keto diet and is it harmful.
- Keto diet
- The keto diet is a low-carb, high-fat diet aimed at feeding the body ketone bodies.
Why is the ketogenic diet effective, what are the contraindications and reviews, what is the principle of action?What should be included in the keto diet menu and what about the reviews from those who have lost weight?This is what we will 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 within easy reach, this is the most common type of food.But what happened in those days when carbohydrate products such as cereals or bread were not enough due to crop failure, habitat or seasonality?
The carcass was forced to take energy from fatty acids and proteins.You probably remember my video about running for weight loss - here it is - in it 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 on fatty acids.This is the cardiac muscle, myocardium, and skeletal muscles (the same ones that we pump in the gym) and smooth muscles.
However, our brain, which is 60% fat, does not lose weight; even a long fast does not cause significant harm to mental abilities.Why?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 allow fatty acids to pass through - neither out (which is why the brain does not lose weight), but also inward.And the brain is unable to consume fatty acids as an energy source.
However, the brain cannot remain without fuel, and nature has provided that as a result of a diet that cannot provide sufficient amounts of glucose, the brain switches to an alternative source of fuel - the so-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 and this process is called ketogenesis.Not much acetone is produced; our main fuel is beta-aminobutyric acid.It is on this that, for the most part, the central nervous system works 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 fears stem 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 a little what the essence is.
Ketoacidosis
What is it - ketoacidosis.This is almost the same as ketosis, but when it is caused not by a lack of glucose as a result of 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 who knows how to carry glucose through 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 as in the case of a carbohydrate-free diet, begins to experience energy hunger.As a result, the body produces a bunch of hormones that can break down fat (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 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 away - and you remember that this is very, very bad from this video, even two - the balance of electrolytes shifts towards acidification and as a result, this very ketoacidosis develops.all this requires urgent hospitalization, because the patient can easily move his horse.
It is absolutely clear that this situation is possible only 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 have type 1 diabetes, you do not need to be afraid of ketoacidosis at all.In your case, the nervous system will work perfectly on ketone bodies.
So, how to use the keto diet
Firstand 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 have been eating food containing carbohydrates for decades for the first time - this will be stress for 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 eat up the remaining glucose and glycogen.Then it will try to produce 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, with a creak, begins to drag the nutrition system of the central nervous system onto new rails.Remember - the carcass really doesn’t like disturbances in homeostasis and resists as best it can.
It is this first time that is the most difficult - you are dull, angry, have no strength, your brain refuses to work, your head is dizzy - and a bunch of other delights.And how long this condition lasts is different for everyone, but it can last up to two or three weeks.
Second.To enter ketosis, you need to cut off carbohydrates or leave them to a minimum - and this is 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, vascular endothelium, the lens of the eye, the adrenal cortex, something else - I don’t remember.So you can’t leave them without glucose.The carcass will obtain glucose for them through gluconeogenesis either from your muscles or from a minimum of carbohydrates supplied with food.But that’s the point - remember about homeostasis - the desire to maintain balance at any cost - getting into ketosis is difficult, but falling out of it is as easy as shelling pears.And then hello to the fat deposits on the sides back.
Third— to enter ketosis you need to eat a lot of fats and in no case go overboard with 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 carcass will immediately make glucose from it - and you will again fall out of this hard-won 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 this balance.With fats, everything is simple - 80% of the diet should be fats.
Fourth- difficulty assessing whether we have entered ketosis or not.
- Testing for 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.
- Blood analysis using a glucometer with special strips for ketone bodies is possible, 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 coping with epileptic seizures - but they also cost about 100 bucks.
And finally, if you decide to try the keto diet, how to plan your diet?
- protein - 1.5-2 grams per body weight.This is conditional.
- The rest is fats.
What foods are suitable for the keto diet?
- eggs with yolk
- all cheeses
- fat cottage cheese
- sour cream
- salo
- pork
- nuts
- salmon
- trout
- salmon
- mutton