Keto diet.Ketogenic diet, what's the point?What are the keto diet results and 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 that aims to fuel the body with ketones.
Why is the ketogenic diet effective, what are the contraindications and reviews, what is the principle of action?What should be on the keto diet menu and what about weight loss reviews?This is what we will discuss today.
How does the keto diet work?
If our diet contains fats, proteins and carbohydrates, our body gets 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 times when carbohydrate products such as cereals or bread were not sufficient due to crop failure, habitat or seasonality?
The carcass was forced to absorb energy from fatty acids and proteins.You probably remember my video on running for weight loss - here it is - in it I look at 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.These are cardiac muscles, myocardial and skeletal muscles (the same ones we pump in the gym) and smooth muscles.
However, our brains, which are 60% fat, do not lose weight;even prolonged fasting does not cause significant damage to mental abilities.Why?The reason is that the blood-brain barrier (BBB) is the barrier that keeps the internal environment of the brain stable.It is he who does not let fatty acids through - not outside (that's why the brain does not lose weight), but also inside.And the brain is unable to use fatty acids as an energy source.
However, the brain cannot run out of fuel, and nature has designed that as a result of a diet that fails to provide enough glucose, the brain switches to an alternative fuel source - the so-called ketone bodies.
- Ketone bodies
The 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.This is what the central nervous system mostly works on when there are no carbohydrates in the diet.
Is the keto diet bad or not?
Ketogenesis is a completely normal metabolic process and nothing to be afraid of.All the fear stems from the fact that the state of ketosis, when the body operates on ketone bodies, is often confused with pathological acidocedosis, which requires urgent intervention.But these things are different, and now we will discuss a little what the essence is.
Ketoacidosis
What is ketoacidosis?This is almost the same as ketosis, but if it is caused not by a lack of glucose due to a lack of carbohydrates, but by a lack of insulin.Let me 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 there is no insulin or it does not perform its functions, the cell begins to experience energy starvation, just like in the case of a carbohydrate-free diet.As a result, the body produces a series of hormones that can break down fat (lipolytic, in this case they are called anti-insular), 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 flushed out - and you'll remember that it's very, very bad from this video, even two - the electrolyte balance shifts to acidification and results in exactly this ketoacidosis.all this requires urgent hospitalization, since the patient can easily move the horse.
It is quite clear that such a situation is possible in only two cases
- Type 1 diabetes, when the pancreas does not produce insulin
- Dehydration - diarrhea, vomiting, use of diuretics.
That is, if you are healthy and do not have type 1 diabetes, you do not have to worry about ketoacidosis at all.In your case, the nervous system will function perfectly on ketone bodies.
So, how to use the keto diet
First of alland the most important thing is to get into a state of ketosis.And this is one of the most difficult tasks.Because in most cases - remember I told you about homeostasis - people are eating carbohydrate foods for the first time in decades - this will be a stress on the body.The body isn't used to it, and you won't go into ketosis after a day or two.It takes time.First, the body eats up the remaining glucose and glycogen.It will then attempt to produce glucose from amino acids, glycerol and lactic acid through gluconeogenesis.And only when it becomes completely impossible for him to start the process of ketogenesis and starts pulling the nutritional system of the central nervous system on a new track with a squeak.Remember - the carcass does not like homeostasis disturbances very much and resists as much as it can.
This first time is the most difficult - you are dull, angry, you have no strength, your brain refuses to work, you are dizzy - and many other joys.And how long this condition lasts varies from person to person, but it can last as long as two or three weeks.
Secondly.To get into ketosis, you have to eliminate or keep carbs 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 - it's intestinal epithelium, vascular endothelium, eye lens, adrenal cortex, something else - I don't remember.Therefore, you cannot leave them without glucose.The carcass will receive glucose through gluconeogenesis, either from your muscles or from a minimal amount of carbohydrates supplied with food.But this is the main thing - remember about homeostasis - the desire to maintain balance at all costs - entering ketosis is difficult, but falling out of it is as easy as peeling pears.And then hello fat deposits on the sides of the back.
The third— in order to enter ketosis, you need to eat a lot of fat and under no circumstances should you overdo it with protein!!!!And it 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 form glucose from it - and you will again fall out of this hard-won state of ketosis.If there is not enough protein, I will gradually lose muscle.And it's very, very difficult for a beginner to find that balance.Everything is simple with fat - 80% of the diet should be fat.
The fourth- difficulty in assessing whether we have entered ketosis or not.
- It makes no sense to test the presence of acetone in the urine with strips.We can be in ketosis and there will be no acetone in the urine.
- A blood test using a glucometer with special strips for ketone bodies is possible, but these strips are far from cheap.
- Finally, there are special devices for the determination of acetone in the breath.They were invented for epileptics because the ketogenic diet is good for managing epileptic seizures, but they also cost about $100.
And finally, if you decide to try the keto diet, how do you plan your diet?
- proteins - 1.5-2 grams per body weight.It is conditional.
- The rest is fat.
What foods are good for the keto diet?
- eggs with yolk
- all cheeses
- fat cottage cheese
- sour cream
- salo
- pork
- nuts
- salmon
- trout
- salmon
- mutton