Diet
What is a keto diet ?, There is no doubt that obesity is considered one
of the most dangerous diseases that affect humans, as it leads to serious
chronic diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, arteriosclerosis, high blood
pressure, etc. One of the weight loss regimes that can be followed and one of
them is the ketogenic diet.
What is the keto diet?
This diet is based on reducing carbohydrate intake, and its idea is to
obtain more calories through proteins and fats and fewer calories through
carbohydrates. When you follow this diet, you will stay away from easily
digestible carbohydrates such as sugar, soda, pasta, and white bread.
How does the keto diet work?
When you eat less than 50 grams of carbohydrates per day, eventually
your body's fuel (blood sugar) begins to run out and can be used up quickly.
This usually takes 3 to 4 days, then you will start to convert protein and fats
into energy, which causes you to lose weight, and this process is called
ketosis.
Who can follow the keto diet?
People who follow the ketogenic diet lose weight often, but it can also
regulate some medical conditions such as epilepsy, heart disease, some brain
diseases, and acne, but we still need a lot of research regarding these areas,
you should consult your doctor first to make sure if the ketogenic diet is It
is suitable for you, especially if you suffer from type 1 diabetes.
Benefits of the keto diet
The keto diet helps you lose a lot of weight in the first 3 to 6 months
than other diet regimes, and this is because it consumes many calories to
convert fats into energy and then convert carbohydrates into energy. It is
possible that a diet rich in protein and fat can satisfy you more because you
will eat less, but this has not yet been proven.
cancer
Insulin is the hormone that causes your body to use or store sugar as
fuel, and the ketogenic diet makes you quickly burn this fuel, so you do not
need to store it. This means that your body needs and produces less insulin,
and these low levels of insulin help you protect your body from some types of
cancer or even slow down the growth of cancer cells, but there is still a lack
of research on this point.
Heart disease
The keto diet works to raise the level of good cholesterol and reduce
the level of harmful cholesterol, and this may be due to a decrease in the
level of insulin and cause the body to produce less cholesterol, and this
reduces the chances of developing high blood pressure, atherosclerosis, heart
failure, and some other heart diseases.
acne
Carbohydrates are related to this skin condition, so reducing your
carbohydrate intake is beneficial in this case. The lack of insulin hormone in
the keto diet works to prevent acne (insulin stimulates the body to produce
other hormones that exacerbate acne).
Diabetes
A low-carbohydrate diet helps you maintain blood sugar levels more than
any other diet, but when your body converts fats into energy, it creates
compounds called ketones. If you have diabetes, especially type 1 diabetes, too
many ketones in your blood will tire you a lot. Therefore, you should consult
your doctor before starting a keto diet
Epilepsy
The ketogenic diet has helped you control convulsions caused by epilepsy
since the year 1920, but you must consult your doctor first to choose the
system that is beneficial for you or your child.
Other nervous system disorders
The ketogenic diet affects your brain and spine as well as the nerves
that connect them together. Epilepsy is one of the conditions of the nervous
system, but there are other conditions that a ketogenic diet can benefit, such
as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and sleep disorders. Scientists
don't know why, but it could be because the ketones that your body produces
when converting fat into energy protect brain cells from damage.
PCOS
In this case, the woman's ovaries are larger than normal and have small
fluid-filled sacs that resemble eggs. High insulin levels can lead to
polycystic ovaries. The ketogenic diet reduces the amount of insulin that your
body makes and the quantity it needs, so it is useful in treating cases of PCOS
with changing some lifestyle habits, such as doing some exercise and losing
weight.
Exercise
The ketogenic diet increases the endurance of athletes, runners and
cyclists, for example, when they exercise for a long time, it helps your
muscles by increasing the amount of oxygen that the body needs to be able to
exercise hard. While this diet is beneficial during exercise, it does not work
like other diets for maximum performance.
The ketogenic diet and its side effects
There are some common side effects that are not dangerous, as you may
suffer from constipation, a slight decrease in blood sugar level, and
indigestion. The lack of carbohydrate intake leads to kidney stones or an
increase in acid content in the body (acidosis).
Follow the keto diet with care
When the body burns stored fats, this will be difficult for the kidneys.
When you start following the ketogenic diet or return to your normal
diet after that, this can be deceptive if you are obese because of other health
conditions that you may have such as diabetes, heart disease or high blood
pressure, if you suffer from one of these conditions. You must change your diet
gradually and slowly under the supervision and instructions of your doctor.
The keto diet and an integrated diet guide
You must know very well what diet is suitable for a keto diet if you
want to follow this diet to lose weight. Doctor Christine Mancinelli, who is
agonizing about the book "The Keto Diet," says that it is very
important to know the foods you will eat before you start this diet, and you must
also know how to incorporate more fats into your diet.
7-day sample menu for the keto diet
The first day on the keto diet:
- Breakfast: scrambled eggs with butter on a bed of lettuce and covered with avocado.
- Snack: sunflower seeds.
- Lunch: spinach salad with grilled salmon.
- Snack: slices of celery and slices of pepper.
- Dinner: Beef chunks with cauliflower puree and red cabbage salad.
Day two on the keto diet:
- Breakfast: coffee (made with butter and coconut oil), and a boiled egg.
- Snack: macadamia nuts.
- Food: Tuna salad with chunks of tomato.
- Snack: roast beef and sliced cheese.
- Dinner: Meatballs with zucchini noodles, topped with creamy sauce.
Day three on the keto diet:
- Breakfast: Cheese and veggie fried eggs with salsa.
- Snack: plain, high-fat Greek yogurt.
- Food: Eat saithe with soup.
- Snack: Smoothie made with almond milk, vegetables, almond butter, and brine powder.
- Dinner: grilled chicken with asparagus and sauteed mushrooms (boiled).
From the fourth to the seventh day, the same system as the first,
second, and third day.
