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
- A keto diet is a low-carb, high-fat diet that aims to feed 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 of 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, the body gets energy from glucose.We get glucose from carbohydrates.Now that grocery stores are within reach, this is the most common type of food.But what happened in the days when carbohydrate products such as grain or bread were not sufficient due to crop failure, habitat or seasonality?
The carcass was forced to take energy from fatty acids and proteins.You probably remember my video on dieting - here it is - in it I looked at the process of obtaining energy through the oxidation of fatty acids.Now I'm going to remind you briefly that all our organs that have mitochondria in tissue cells work perfectly on fatty acids.These are the cardiomyocytes, myocardium and skeletal muscles (the same ones we pump in the gym) and smooth muscles.
However, our brain, which is 60% fat, does not lose weight;even long fasting does not cause significant damage to mental capacity.Why?The reason is that the blood-brain barrier (BBB) is a barrier that ensures the stability of the internal environment of the brain.It is he who does not allow fatty acids to pass through - neither outside (that is why the brain does not lose weight), but also inside.And the brain is unable to consume fatty acids as an energy source.
However, the brain cannot do without fuel, and nature has ensured that due to a diet that cannot provide sufficient amounts of glucose, the brain switches to another fuel source - 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 primary fuel is beta-aminobutyric acid.It is on this that the central nervous system works for the most part, while carbohydrates are not in the diet.
Is the keto diet bad or not?
Ketogenesis is a completely normal metabolic process and there is no need to fear it.All the fear stems from the fact that the state of ketosis - when the body works on ketone bodies - is often confused with pathological acidity, which requires urgent intervention.But these things are different and now we will discuss only what the essence 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.
When there is a lot of glucose, but no insulin or it is not doing its job, the cell begins to feel energy starved, just like in the case of a low-carb diet.As a result, the body produces a lot of hormones that can break down fat (lipolytic, in this case they are called counterinsular) and the liver starts 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 - so-called osmotic diuresis.Due to diuresis, electrolytes are washed away - and you remember 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 quite clear that this situation is only possible 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 have to fear ketoacidosis at all.In your case, the nervous system will function perfectly on ketone bodies.
So, how to use the keto diet
Firstand the most important thing is to get into a state of ketosis.And this is one of the hardest jobs.Since in most cases - remember I told you about homeostasis - people have been eating foods containing carbohydrates for decades for the first time - this becomes a stress for the body.Your body isn't used to it and you won't get into ketosis after a day or two.It takes time.First, the body will eat up the remaining glucose and glycogen.It will then try to produce glucose from amino acids, glycerol and lactic acid through gluconeogenesis.And only when it becomes completely impossible for him to start the ketogenic process and begins with the crash to pull the nutritional system of the central nervous system on new rails.Remember - the body really doesn't like being out of balance and will tolerate it as best it can.
It is this first time that is the hardest - you are lethargic, angry, have no strength, your brain refuses to work, your head is dizzy - and lots of other joys.And how long this condition lasts is different for everyone, but it can last up to two or three weeks.
Secondly.To get into ketosis, you need to cut carbs or keep them to a minimum - and this is another problem.There are organs that cannot use either fatty acids or ketone bodies as energy.They need glucose and only glucose - this is intestinal epithelium, vascular epithelium, eye lens, adrenal cortex, something else - I can't remember.So you can't leave them without glucose.The body will get glucose for them through gluconeogenesis either from your muscles or from the minimal carbohydrates that come with the food.But that's the thing - remember imbalance - the desire to maintain balance at all costs - getting into ketosis is hard, but falling out of it is as easy as peeling pears.And then hello to the fatty deposits on the sides of the back.
Third— to get into ketosis you need to eat a lot of fat and under no circumstances go overboard with protein!!!!And this is also very difficult to control.Because if there is too much protein in the diet - with the help of the same glycogen synthesis, the body 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 is very, very difficult for beginners to find this balance.With fat, everything is simple - 80% of the diet should be fat.
Fourthly- difficulty in assessing whether we are in ketosis or not.
- It is not wise to test for acetone in the urine with strips.We can be in ketosis and there will be no acetone in the urine.
- Blood analysis with a glucometer with special strips for ketone bodies is possible, but these strips are by no means cheap.
- Finally, there are special devices for detecting acetone in breath.They were invented for epileptics because the ketogenic diet is good for managing epileptic seizures - but they also cost about 100 bucks.
And finally, if you decide to try a keto diet, how to plan your diet?
- protein - 1.5-2 grams per body weight.This is conditional.
- The rest is fat.
What foods are suitable for a keto diet?
- egg with yolk
- all cheeses
- fat cottage cheese
- sour cream
- saloon
- pork
- nuts
- salmon
- trout
- salmon
- mutton