We have already talked about keto-diet in our articles many times. Many web-sites that describe it promise: “Weight loss of 20 pounds in the first month” and “Burning fat forever.” Did you know that there are different levels of such a diet? For example, you can follow the advanced and beginner levels of this diet. At the first level, you are just starting to follow a diet, learning the rules. At an advanced level, your body is already accustomed to a keto diet and you can strengthen the methods.
A ketogenic diet is a low-carb, high fat, moderate-protein diet. It was developed and used exclusively for medicinal purposes to eliminate the symptoms of epilepsy in children. A feature of such a diet is the use of fats as the main energy source for the body, while during a balanced diet, this function performs carbohydrates. The work of the brain with keto food system is activated by fats, so an increase in the level of ketone bodies in the blood “blocks” epileptic seizures. In the classic version of the ketogenic diet, the ratio of fat and protein in the daily diet is – 4: 1.
Today, this nutritional system is promoted as a quick diet to struggle with overweight. Due to the ability to obtain a quick result in certain cases, the keto-diet becomes popular among people who do not have neurological pathologies and want to lose weight.
What is the effect of a ketogenic diet based on?
The balanced nutrition formula contains three unchanged and equally significant components: proteins, fats, and carbohydrates. Excluding one of the groups, the body will be forced to adapt to a different nutrition system. For example, with a deficiency of carbohydrates, as in the case of the ketogenic diet, the body begins to produce glucose analogs independently.
The ketogenic nutrition program implies a significant reduction – to an almost complete rejection of carbohydrate-containing foods, such as pasta, fruits and vegetables, cereals, bread and sugar, and at the same time, increasing the consumption of foods rich in fats. The protein and fat content in the daily diet is large enough, which is due to the task assigned to them – to compensate for the lack of carbohydrates, which, in turn, are the main source of energy with a balanced diet. To keep the body functioning, all internal systems begin to rebuild.
The principle of the keto diet is: the first phase is the introduction of the body into a state of ketosis (the average daily rate of carbohydrates is reduced to 30-100 grams), at the second stage, ketones are produced, the third phase is the burning of subcutaneous fat. Once your body is used to this principle of functioning, you are already at an advanced level of this diet. But remember that following this diet for more than 1 month is prohibited, as there are several contraindications and negative consequences.
Side effects
It is impossible to exclude carbohydrates completely from the diet, this will lead to serious disturbances in the gastrointestinal tract, therefore, for the digestive system to work, the fiber must be present in the diet. Also, the human body is designed in such a way that protein and fat cannot be processed without carbohydrates, and malfunctioning of the liver is inevitable.
- The mental activity requires glucose, the level of which depends on the number of carbohydrates consumed. With a ketogenic diet (and even more so if you have been following it for a long time), their daily norm is significantly reduced. The liver begins to process fats, extracting ketones from them, which, falling into the blood, take on the function of glucose to saturate brain cells. Thus, the restriction of carbohydrates adversely affects mental abilities, decreases activity, and concentration.
- With an increase in the load on the liver, there is a risk of developing serious diseases of the organs involved in metabolic processes. Kidneys and gall bladder are at risk as well.
- An increase in the concentration of ketones often leads to loss of appetite, nausea, and the appearance of an unpleasant body odor, and halitosis.
- Lack of many vegetables and fruits in the daily diet can provoke the development of vitamin deficiency. Lack of vitamins and minerals can cause skin rashes, brittle nails, and hair loss. This reaction causes a deficiency of minerals.
- A ketogenic diet is strictly contraindicated for people with diabetes. Due to a sharp decrease in the level of acidity in the blood, such an experiment can end very badly for health.
- When eating high-fat foods, the risk of developing atherosclerosis and other cardiovascular diseases increases due to an increase in blood cholesterol.
- Muscle weakness may appear due to decreased glycogen levels.
If you decide to create a keto-diet system for yourself, you must remember that any medical diet involves the exclusion of certain products from daily use. Perhaps many of these products were familiar to you, but it turns out that a sharp calorie restriction, an imbalance in the basic nutrients as fats, proteins, and carbohydrates slow down the metabolic processes and only provoke weight gain in the future. Losing weight and maintaining a normal weight is possible only by changing habits and the nutrition system completely, while not limiting yourself in the products necessary for a normal life.
