Important: Do not follow a diet without first consulting your doctor.This rule is suitable not only for those who have identified the disease, but also for everyone else.
Unlike most popular diets today, the goals of the ketogenic diet are purely medical in the first place.They remain on the agenda today.In general, the word “diet” initially had nothing to do with weight loss.This word means a set of nutritional rules that must be followed in a certain situation - during the treatment of a certain disease, during the period of treatment after surgery.
The keto diet gained new popularity largely thanks to an American film producer, whose child suffered from epilepsy for a long time.Despite visits to many of the most famous and brilliant neurologists, who apparently tried all the most effective antiepileptic drugs that exist in nature, the boy's condition did not improve at all.The almost desperate father read a lot of literature on the topic of epilepsy treatment in the local library and suddenly came across a description of the ketogenic diet that had not been recommended to him by any specialist.He immediately put his son on this diet and was extremely happy to notice that the frequency of his seizures had decreased significantly.
So, the ketogenic diet was invented to reduce the frequency of seizures - mainly in children.There was no reduction in calorie intake;Simple carbohydrates are replaced by fats.The children were put on this diet for 36 hours and their seizure frequency actually decreased.
The keto diet is now used not only to treat epilepsy but also Alzheimer's disease, fatty liver disease (fatty liver), and even some types of cancer.Overall, its medical benefits are undeniable.What about weight loss?
A ketogenic diet is a diet that includes meals high in fat (animal fats and some vegetable oils), animal protein and very little carbohydrates, so that about 80% of the body's energy needs are met from the breakdown of fats (the fat content of the average European diet provides 30-35% of the body's energy needs during the day).And similar to what happens during fasting, the breakdown of large amounts of fat leads to increased acidity in the body.This could perhaps explain why the use of such a complex diet leads to a reduction in the frequency of seizures.
The goal of the ketogenic diet is to put the body into a state of ketosis.
Ketosis is a pathological state of the body in which ketone bodies predominate in its tissues.A state of ketosis means the body only uses fat stored under the skin to meet energy needs, preventing muscle breakdown.When in ketosis, you get energy from ketones - carbonyl compounds formed when fats are broken down.By the way, ketones are an excellent source of energy for the brain, almost perfectly replacing glucose.
Another positive feature of ketosis is that in this state you will practically not feel hungry, therefore you will eat less, which means you will not fully cover your energy costs.
To put the body into ketosis, the diet is structured so that fat clearly dominates the diet and is primarily saturated fat (the diet consists of 90% fat, based on calorie content).
In fact, the diet that many professional bodybuilders follow in the last week before competition can also be called ketogenic: it consists only of salmon (usually grilled, but can be prepared in other forms), peanut butter and green vegetables (lettuce, broccoli, spinach, cabbage).It would be better to add flaxseed oil or walnut oil to this diet.More protein is present here, which helps reduce the problems but does not eliminate them completely.
Pros and cons of the classic ketogenic diet
The plus point is that this diet is very effective, the diet works and how!The main thing is that you practically will not feel hungry, which means that calorie restriction in your diet will be quite easily tolerated.Ketones are an excellent source of energy for the brain.
It is also important that the ketogenic diet reduces the risk of cardiovascular diseases due to a sharp decrease in insulin secretion.But for people leading an active lifestyle, this plus can easily turn into a minus, since insulin is a powerful anti-catabolic agent.The reduction in insulin secretion is added to the ability of the ketogenic diet to cause acidosis in the muscles, which means increased proteolysis, i.e. facilitating the breakdown of the body's own proteins.And catabolism can get out of control.Of course not immediately but certainly within 3-4 days.
It is simply impossible to follow the classic ketogenic diet for a long time - you begin to feel tired in the most natural way.It is not without reason that for children with epilepsy, the ketogenic diet is limited to a period of 36 hours.
The ketogenic diet is currently being used to treat certain types of cancer.Specifically, prostate cancer takes advantage of diet's ability to reduce IGF-1 (insulin-like growth factor 1) production.
Another disadvantage is reduced plasma free testosterone levels.
The main danger of the keto diet is that it increases ketone levels in the blood, which lowers the level of acidity (pH) in the blood and can be fatal in severe cases.This condition is called “ketoacidosis”.First of all, this applies to people with severe and moderate forms of diabetes.If there aren't any, there's no need to worry about it, because the blood of a healthy person contains exactly the amount of ketones that the body can handle.
The body needs time to give up glucose and learn to nourish the brain with ketone bodies, so physical and mental activity levels may decrease during the first week.The main symptoms are lethargy, dizziness and mental fog.
Many people experience this condition extremely painfully and literally “give up” on the second day.But the health condition completely returns to normal on the third to fifth day, when the body is regenerated.
Lack of fiber causes bowel function to slow down.The main point of the ketogenic diet is complete abstinence from carbohydrates.Accordingly, the diet should include protein and fat, while fiber is a type of complex carbohydrate.It is possible to supplement fiber in its pure form and simply include green vegetables or lettuce leaves in the diet, which contain quite a lot of crude fiber.
An important drawback of the diet is the deficiency of trace elements due to the exclusion of foods containing carbohydrates from the diet.Essentially, any meat or dairy products recommended on the ketogenic diet do not contain most vitamins or minerals.The best way to avoid deficiencies is to take vitamin and mineral supplements and dietary supplements that contain minerals.Some minerals, such as zinc or magnesium, are important for body functioning and hormone levels.
Contraindicated
The ketogenic diet is contraindicated in the presence or history of liver disease, kidney disease, metabolic disorders (including congenital and hereditary disorders of metabolism), progressive encephalopathy, as well as diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular disease, cerebrovascular disease and lipidosis, as well as when taking the drug valproic acid (valproate) concomitantly.There are currently no known contraindications for its use.
When prescribing a ketogenic diet, the diet for each child and adult is calculated only by the doctor!Strictly individual, taking into account the diagnosis, age and weight of the child, his nutritional needs.The content of basic nutrients (proteins, fats, carbohydrates) in selected foods in a certain ratio, determined only by a specialist!During treatment, this ratio may change, therefore constant monitoring of the patient by the treating physician is required, who will adjust the diet if necessary.The patient's diet includes many fatty foods - bacon, heavy cream, vegetable oils, such as flaxseed.In countries where the ketogenic diet is widely adopted, the food industry produces many special products that can provide a varied and nutritious menu.
For people starting the treatment process, nutritionists have developed special shakes with a large amount of fat, which can not only be drunk, but also eaten frozen like ice cream.This helps children get used to fatty foods and creates the necessary biochemical changes in the body, providing anti-epileptic effects.During treatment, doctors require high skills in menu planning, otherwise children will quickly feel bored with the monotonous diet and may stop eating altogether.During various diseases, such as colds, metabolism is always changing.This may make the ketogenic diet less effective.In such conditions, you should definitely consult your doctor so that he can adjust the menu.
What can you eat on a ketogenic diet and what recommendations should you follow?
The ketogenic diet focuses on foods high in protein and fat.It is important that moderate fat consumption is healthy and even necessary, because fat causes a lasting feeling of fullness.
Fats can be divided into three groups:
- saturated fat (found in red meat and dairy products);
- unsaturated (found in vegetable and vegetable oils);
- monounsaturated (found in fish and olives).
Fats perform many functions in the human body:
- energy (when there is a lack of calories, fat can be broken down, providing energy for the body);
- protective (all bodies are covered with a thin layer and have high thermal insulation properties);
- construction (part of the cell membrane);
- enzymes (some lipids are part of cofactors);
- hormones (some lipids are part of hormones and mediators).
The best choice will be foods rich in protein - meat, fish, milk, cottage cheese, eggs, cottage cheese, as well as their derivatives.Carbohydrates are acceptable but only in small amounts.30-50 grams of fiber will be enough for digestion.
Any products containing starch (cereals, pasta, potatoes) and sugar in any form are not recommended.Almost all fruits contain sugar in one form or another, so they are also banned.It is always necessary to look at the product's ingredients on the label, since even a glass of milk contains about 15 grams of carbohydrates.In addition, a list of basic food additives under investigation would also have to be excluded, if only because they are harmful.
To encourage weight loss, drink plenty of water.Water helps the body burn more calories and prevent constipation.Limit your caffeine intake.Exercise regularly.
Exercise will help you lose fat faster on a ketogenic diet.Walk, bike, run in the park or work out at the gym.Incorporating physical activity into your daily schedule can help you maintain a healthy heart and lose weight.
Wishing you a good night's sleep.During the early stages of ketosis, you may feel very tired.Sleep at least 7-8 hours every night to restore energy.Good rest will also promote weight loss.
Contact your doctor if you experience cold-like symptoms.Many people experience fatigue and mild headaches during ketosis.Sometimes side effects become severe enough to require medical attention.
When does the diet come into effect?
The effects of using a ketogenic diet occur gradually over the first 3 months after starting.Usually, long-term treatment is required (for several years, usually 2-3 years), after which a steady improvement is often seen, which persists even with a normal diet.Therefore, it is not necessary to follow a ketogenic diet for life.
In many cases, positive effects can be seen within the first or second week of treatment.However, sometimes within a month or two of applying this diet, the effect is not clearly noticed - in this case it is too early to draw conclusions about the ineffectiveness of the treatment;Perhaps the doctor needs to calculate biochemical parameters more carefully.
In the generally accepted understanding, this is largely a variation on the theme of therapeutic fasting followed by “amounts” of food that induce ketosis.During the first three days of treatment, you should completely refuse any food and limit yourself to drinking only water in any quantities.Mineral water and artificially sweetened drinks with and without carbonated water, as well as fruit juices are prohibited.You can drink green tea.Water can be boiled or purified.During this period, it is necessary to reduce the patient's physical activity;Sometimes bed rest is indicated.Over the next three days, you should slowly introduce food, a quarter of the usual ration.When choosing food, you should follow the principle of 4 parts fat, one part protein and carbohydrates.
The menu is somewhat reminiscent of the so-called fat diet for weight loss.The main thing is that you must completely exclude foods such as cereals, fruits, regular bread, carrots, beets, potatoes and pasta.
complications
As with any therapy, the use of a ketogenic diet has in some cases been associated with a number of adverse reactions, the main ones of which are listed below.
- Hair loss.Some children experience hair loss or sparse hair growth after using a ketogenic diet for a long time.It is believed that this complication is mainly related to mineral deficiencies in the diet.
- Linear growth is delayed.This type of physical developmental disorder has been documented in some patients, but its connection to the ketogenic diet continues to be debated today.Increased levels of cholesterol and triglycerides in the blood.The ketogenic diet, which consists of almost 90% fat, in some cases leads to an increase in cholesterol and other lipids in the blood.For any lipid content (cholesterol - more than 800 mg%, triglycerides - more than 1000 mg%), there is no need to stop the diet.Reducing the fat-protein-carbohydrate ratio from 4:1 to 3.5:1 usually results in a rapid reduction of lipid levels to acceptable levels.
- Kidney stones.This complication of the ketogenic diet affects about 1 in 6 patients.It is believed to occur because the child is not drinking enough fluids.Therefore, when following a ketogenic diet, a urine test is performed to determine its density and detect impurities in the blood.If necessary, a kidney ultrasound will be performed.
- Drowsiness and lethargymay occur due to excessive ketosis or toxicity from concomitantly used antiepileptic drugs.Blood drug levels may increase on a ketogenic diet even without increasing the drug dosage.For this reason, it is necessary to check their concentration in the blood and promptly reduce the dose of potentially sedating drugs such as phenobarbital and benzodiazepines.
- ConstipationAs a rule, this is explained by relatively small food portions when following a ketogenic diet and limited water consumption.Increasing daily fluid consumption by 100-150 ml helps avoid bowel disorders.
- Excess body weightPatients are caused by consuming too many calories rather than too much fat.Therefore, the energy content of the diet when adopting a ketogenic diet must be tailored to their individual needs.
- Losing weight.This point can be explained by certain individual metabolic characteristics, as well as the patient's level of physical activity.If the child's body weight decreases by 400-500 g in 1 month, the energy capacity of the diet can increase by about 100 kcal per day.It should be remembered that when increasing the calorie content of the diet of young children or patients with a low level of physical activity, the amount of energy consumed at one time does not need to increase by more than 25 kcal.
We remind you once again that your personal menu for this diet should be compiled by a specialist!
When using a ketogenic diet, a thorough clinical and laboratory examination of the patient is required before starting treatment by recording EEG and ECG data, as well as biochemical blood tests.