What is the keto diet?
The keto diet, keto diet, or ketogenic diet (the Ketogenic Diet) is a low-carb diet in exchange for a higher level of fat. This change in diet prompts the body to burn fat for energy.
This decrease in carbohydrate levels results in the body switching to a metabolic state called ketosis, as a result of the conversion of fats into ketones in the liver (which are chemicals secreted by the liver from stored fats as an alternative to energy production).
Because fat burning is an effective way to lose weight, the keto diet works to lose weight by eating carbohydrates at a rate of less than 50 grams per day, which causes the body to break down proteins and fats for energy. The body reaches ketosis 3 to 4 days after the blood sugar runs out of the body, and therefore weight loss in the first week of following the keto diet.
Health benefits of the keto diet
Many studies have pointed to the health benefits of the keto diet, the most important of which are:
Weight loss
The keto diet or keto diet helps in weight loss, it is a stimulating diet to reduce appetite by reducing the levels of hunger-causing hormones and helping to increase the metabolic process that converts food and drinks into energy. A study has proven the effect of the keto diet on weight loss, having noticed that people who followed the keto diet lose about a kilogram compared to people who follow the low-fat diet.
Reducing the risk of some types of cancer
The keto diet may reduce the incidence of cancer, as a result of the contribution of the keto system to the elimination of cancer cells, and the ketogenic diet contributes to reducing the risk of complications of the blood sugar-controlling hormone insulin, and a study proved that the adoption of this diet along with radiation and chemotherapy treatments may have anti-cancer effects.
May improve heart health
The keto diet can contribute to promoting heart health and preventing related health complications such as cardiovascular diseases by reducing total cholesterol, bad cholesterol, and triglycerides, in exchange for increasing good cholesterol, but only if a person eats healthy fats instead of unhealthy fats, then a healthy and balanced diet.
Enhance brain function
Ketones that are excreted from the liver after following the keto diet are useful in promoting the health of brain neurons that may die with age and protecting the brain from the risk of developing neurological disorders such as Alzheimer's.
Reduce possible seizures
The diet or keto diet changes the metabolism and how the body uses energy from foods and drinks, and the ketogenic phase that the body reaches helps reduce the susceptibility to seizures experienced by epilepsy patients and their symptoms that are difficult to control with medication.
Improvement of PCOS symptoms
A high-carbohydrate diet causes weight gain in women with polycystic ovary syndrome, and a study has proven that following the keto diet, can improve the symptoms of polycystic ovary syndrome, which include hormonal imbalance, and weight gain.
The pros and cons of the keto diet
Allowed eating in keto
Ketogenic diet followers are keen to eat a maximum of 50 grams of carbohydrates per day, and in order not to exceed this percentage, keto diet followers are keen to eat foods with the lowest carbohydrate content, which usually include:
Fish and seafood such as salmon and tuna are among the foods that people are keen to eat to take advantage of the benefits of the keto diet because they are low in carbohydrates and rich in vitamins.
Vegetables are one of the foods rich in carbohydrates, therefore, people who follow the keto diet are advised to eat non-starchy or low-carbohydrate vegetables such as spinach, kale, and cauliflower.
Eating avocados when following the keto diet can help stimulate the metabolism of the body's transition from the normal state to ketosis, as a result of the fact that avocados contain potassium.
To get enough fat, it is recommended to get healthy fats by eating oils such as olive oil and avocado oil, nuts and seeds, then butter, cream, and natural cheese.
It is also recommended in the keto diet to eat slices of red meat, chicken, and turkey.
Forbidden eating in the keto regime
Followers of the keto diet or ketogenic diet are advised to limit the intake of foods with a high carbohydrate content, foods that should be reduced or eliminated in the ketogenic diet include:
- When following a ketogenic diet, it is recommended not to eat fruits with a high carbohydrate content, such as grapes and bananas, with the exception of a few strawberries or medium-sized oranges.
- It is also recommended to avoid eating legumes such as beans, lentils, chickpeas, cereals, and starches such as wheat, rice, pasta, potatoes, and carrots because they contain a high percentage of carbohydrates, in order to avoid exceeding the maximum recommended daily carbohydrate intake of 50 grams.
- In the keto diet, you should refrain from eating processed foods because they contain a high content of carbohydrates and trans fats, as well as their risks to human health.
- Among the foods that are recommended to be avoided in the keto diet are sugary drinks such as soda and fruit juice, and then sugary foods such as sweets, cakes, and ice cream.
- In the keto diet, it is recommended to avoid low-fat and spicy products that contain unhealthy fats, such as mayonnaise and ketchup.
Keto for beginners: tips for beginners in the keto system
People who are beginners in trying the keto diet to lose weight are advised to follow the following tips:
Identify which foods should be eaten and which should be avoided
Before following any diet such as the keto diet, you should carefully identify low-high-carbohydrate foods, that contain fat and protein, to take advantage of the benefits of the keto diet in fat burning and weight loss, and foods that do not contain carbohydrates such as meat and healthy fats such as olive oil and butter.
Recognize possible side effects
Many health side effects are associated with following a ketogenic diet, which is usually associated with the body not getting used to the ketosis to which it switches, causing a feeling of lethargy, fatigue, constipation, and diarrhea.
Take care to increase salts and minerals in the body
After following the keto diet and when the body reaches ketosis, the kidneys excrete high levels of water, salts, and minerals, therefore, it is advisable to get enough sodium and potassium to avoid the side effects of the diet.
Health complications of the keto regime
Although the keto diet is a useful diet for people who want to lose weight, there are many health effects and complications that may threaten the health of pregnant and lactating women, diabetics, kidney patients, and pancreatitis, and usually include:
- People can be at risk of a lack of nutrients such as vitamins and minerals, as a result of not getting enough vegetables, fruits and cereals.
- The ketogenic diet contains a high content of saturated fats and calories, which can lead to an increase in the percentage of harmful cholesterol. Liver and kidney disorders, and cause cardiovascular diseases.
- What distinguishes the ketogenic diet is that it is low in foods that contain fiber, such as cereals, legumes, vegetables, and fruits, which enhance intestinal motility and prevent constipation.
- The brain needs enough sugars, by eating healthy carbohydrates, and because the keto diet is a low-carb diet, following it may cause confusion, loss of concentration, Mood swings, and confused thinking in some people.
Although the keto diet is effective in losing weight, consulting a doctor before following it is essential to prevent health complications that may yet affect people.
Details of the keto diet
- The keto diet or keto diet is among the diets that have been circulating recently, as thousands of people around the world have spent an important budget to change their lifestyle when they removed starches and sweets from their diets, a diet that is not excluded from the side risks to the body in general
- The keto lifestyle boils down to depriving the body of getting energy from carbohydrates and directing it to burn stored fat, which leads to a sudden weight loss when some actual excess fat makes you fat too, keto lovers believe that weight gain is caused by excess sugar, simply this is not true, fat is stored from excess calories, whether from fats or sugars
- Divide the daily food ration into 5 percent carbohydrates, equivalent to 15 to 30 grams, 25 percent protein and 70 percent fat
- Consume a lot of marine products, meat, olive oil, nuts, dairy products
- Limit all sources of carbohydrates equivalent to pasta, cereals, and sweets from your diet, and limit yourself to leafy vegetables such as lettuce, spinach, and cucumbers
the risks of ketogenic diets
- Research has proven that the keto diet helps reduce seizures in people with epilepsy, but it is one of the worst diets for weight loss
- Serious diseases that may result from following the keto diet
- According to experts, the risks of ketogenic diets far outweigh their benefits, as eating the basic components of this diet and avoiding the appropriate nutrients leads to :
- Causing colon cancer due to constipation heart disease due to high cholesterol and kidney disease due to eating too much meat
- Inflammation of the intestines and the formation of gallstones as a result of a lack of dietary fiber in the diet.
- The birth of children with neural tube defects in the brain and spine in pregnant women or who may become pregnant
- Exacerbation of skin diseases such as psoriasis
- Damage to bone health due to loss of mineral density caused by cutting out legumes in the keto system
- The rapid decrease in carbohydrate consumption leads to a severe decrease in the amount of glucose available to the brain, resulting in poor concentration and blurred thinking
- Infection with keto flu in the first weeks of the ketogenic diet, as the body begins to adapt to switching its energy source
- Feeling tired, tired and sometimes headaches, the body is trying to increase the production of ketones from lipolysis to provide the necessary energy for the main functions
- The consumption of whole grains and forbidden fruits in keto provides minerals and antioxidants that help to ward off all these chronic diseases
So although it's exciting to wear your favorite old clothes and see the kilogram index decrease when you get on the scale, it's secondary to your long-term health
If you are looking to make a lifestyle change to lose fat or trim inches from your body shape, your best bet is to work out what is best for you, of course the keto diet is not the best option in the long run
Inuit food adapted to extreme cold
- The diet of the inhabitants of the Arctic is based on fish, whale meat, and seals, which are meat rich in omega-3 ten times more than our normal diet
- Inuit food is excellent against cardiovascular diseases, vitamins that are usually absorbed when consuming vegetables and fruits are obtained by Inuit through marine animals.
- This diet is high in fat and contains a low percentage of carbohydrates, so it is somewhat similar to the ketogenic system, but it fits perfectly into their lifestyle
Is a vegetarian diet dangerous?
Being a vegetarian means completely getting rid of animal products: meat, seafood, eggs, and dairy products, and, like any diet, it has its pros and cons
The great advantage is to stop :
- Consumption of meat, the majority of which comes from antibiotic-intensive farms
- Drinking supermarket milk rich in lactose and cow hormones
- Eat large fish full of mercury such as tuna and swordfish.
- The use of refrigeration parts stuffed with dangerous additives
An additional good advantage is that in order not to starve, you increase the consumption of the following:
- Vegetables and fruits are well-versed in the ways of serving them
- Entertaining nuts and seeds
- Useful and nutrient-rich legumes
Great thing, isn't it?
- In the first months, the health of vegetarians improves significantly and they lose weight faster than others
- We must know that no tribe in the world has ever been vegetarian, so it is not possible to find an imitation of a perfectly balanced vegetarian diet
- Without our modern technologies, the ancients understood them generation after generation, traditional diets are good, never worry, just do as our parents and grandparents did
- Vegetarians have to buy dietary supplements, unfortunately for them, because that's the only way to be healthy.
the diet is acutely lacking the following elements:
- Choline, which is found in eggs and the liver of animals is extremely necessary for brain health, for pregnant and lactating women
- Severe deficiency of vitamin B12, which causes depressive states and poor mood
- Not to mention the lack of vegetarians ' bodies of many minerals necessary to enjoy good health
- You can eat tons of carrots, but you will still suffer from vitamin A deficiency
Unfortunately, these deficiencies do not appear in this diet overnight, but you have to wait months or even years for it to really hurt you.
Therefore, vegetarianism is not recommended, you destroy the health of your body without realizing it