Keto diet - what is it and who is it suitable for?

If, twenty or thirty years ago, someone put all the products in two baskets, sorting them according to the principle of greatest and least utility, today you have to do a thorough review of them. The strangest story in the meantimeWhat happened to fat - the recent main enemy of mankind is not only completely rehabilitated, but almost declared its savior. Is it so, understands nutritionist Chris More.

Recently, a patient admitted to me that she and her husband eat about a kilogram of bacon a week—three slices for breakfast, and then two more with a salad for lunch. I've been one for more than twenty years. Working as a nutritionist, and it would seem that nothing would surprise me, but still I could not resist and asked: why? The patient said that her husband saw a TV show about the keto diet and he decided to try it. Six months on bacon - and now the husband has lost nine kilograms and, according to his wife, almost out of energyfilling that is weighing him down.

Increasingly, I hear from people about the miracles the keto diet does for them. They claim that it burns body fat, gives energy and conquers disease, and from now on, it doesn't. Not only is it possible, but it is also necessary to eat as much bacon as you want. But all their enthusiasm requires at least one serious test - is a keto diet that doesn't restrict the intake of animal fats really good?

The ketogenic diet is a low-carbohydrate diet that is high in fat and moderate in protein. It was originally used in the treatment of epilepsy in children by increasing the levels of ketone bodies in the blood.

What is ketosis?

Let's start with the name of the diet: Where did this "keto" come from? When the body is severely deficient in carbohydrates – for example, due to diabetes or prolonged starvation – it has to break down its own fats more actively than usual to obtain energy. Ketosis develops: Metabolismis disrupted, and more ketone bodies are stored in tissues than needed. Ketone bodies are products of fat metabolism. They are produced by the liver when insulin levels in the blood drop.

"The liver makes ketone bodies all the time, but their levels depend on the carbohydrates and proteins you eat — the body needs both, " explains Jeff Volek, a professor at Ohio University.

The breakdown of fat and the formation of ketone bodies is a normal process in the body of a healthy person, this is called ketogenesis. Unlike ketosis, ketogenesis does not lead to dramatic weight loss. Ketosis is a pathology that can lead to diabetes and long-term weight loss. In addition to fasting, the keto diet can also be caused, as it almost eliminates carbohydrate foods from the diet. A person who has developed ketosis loses weight dramatically, along with some other maladies. Reason too.

The ketogenic diet forces the body to use fat as its main source of energy. Typically, this role is played by carbohydrates, which, when taken with food, are processed into glucose, which nourishes the brain. However, if the diet is low in carbohydrates, the liver converts fat into fatty acids and ketone bodies. Ketone bodies enter the brain and are used as an energy source instead of glucose. The increase in the level of ketone bodies in the blood (ketosis) leads to a decrease in the frequency of epileptic seizures.

In the keto diet, the main portion of the daily diet - 60 to 80% - is fat, protein - about 15%, and only the remaining 10% is carbohydrates (that's about half the size of a small bun). Spencer, author of The Fat Loss PrescriptionAccording to Nadolsky, at first glance, it resembles the Atkins diet, but the keto diet involves more severe carbohydrate restrictions. Many theorists generally assure that the fewer carbohydrates we eat, the more fat our bodies burn. , and for this reason metabolism improves, immunity increases - and in general, various miracles begin to happen in our body.

However, in normal life, we get about half of our calories, and not a tenth of them from carbohydrates. So, in short, the question is: Will your body be able to achieve the promised nirvana without serious health consequences? Can you stay in ketosis for a long time? Will you really start running out of fat?

Is the Keto Diet Right for You?

It may sound strange, but the best diet for you is the one you follow. For Volek, who's been on keto for twenty years, it's good, but is it right for you? Unfortunately, there is no research on what happens to the body of a person who has been on a keto diet for a long time. During The A to Z Weight Loss Study, scientists used the Atkins Diet, Zone, Learn, and a few other diets. studied, but in the study, female subjects consumed 25 to 35% carbohydrates—not even close to the 10% that recommends limiting themselves to the keto diet.

Only one thing is known for sure: on a keto diet you will really lose weight. In Italy, in 2015, they studied the performance of people sitting on it, and in three months on average they lost about 10-12 kgLost weight. A year ago in Spain, it was revealed that in this way you can lose about 20 kilograms in a year. True, during the next year, subjects often return to the weight that the experimentBefore they had, as soon as they went off the rigid diet.

What would you eat if you decide to try it? First and second, that bacon. Of the rest of the products, not much will suit you. Starchy vegetables - potatoes, pumpkin, corn - are strictly prohibited, like most fruits. Milk, beans, rice and pasta will also have to be forgotten.

The keto diet is difficult to follow and can be dangerous for some. "Excessive diets, especially the keto diet, are strictly contraindicated in people with neurodegenerative diseases such as epilepsy, " Dr. Alan Aragon says.

The ketogenic diet is considered optimal in the society for weight loss. However, according to scientific evidence, the effect of weight loss immediately after switching to the ketogenic diet is due to a decrease in the amount of water in the body, and the loss of body fat. Quantity is entirely affected by energy balance. For weight loss, the energy supplied with food must be less than the energy expended in physical activity. One of the benefits of the ketogenic diet, like other low-carb diets, is thatthat ketosis that occurs with a low-carb diet contributes to weight loss in obesity. The difference in calories consumed can be up to a thousand kcal per day compared to a low-fat diet. Effects of a ketogenic diet on protein in the diethighly dependent on the quantity.

Can I take medicines that cause an increase in ketone bodies? In no case. Do not listen to those "advisors" who will assure you that even without any diet, you can induce ketosis with the help of special drugs.

So is the keto diet right for you? If you are an extreme athlete who is ready to experiment with your body, if you like to take risks and fast results are important to you, give it a try! If you only want to lose a few pounds and have already suffered the "yo-yo effect" in the past (when following a strict diet, a person breaks down and manages to lose weight), maybeYou should not risk it. However, if you approach the keto diet wisely, you can learn three lessons from it that will surely come in handy.

1. Decrease your intake of "empty" carbohydrates. Analyze what foods get you out of your daily carbohydrate intake: If it comes from fruits rich in fiber and antioxidants, that's fine, but if your sources of carbohydrates are candy, If there's any food made from soda and white flour, you know what to do: Feel free to throw them in the trash.
2. Do not abstain from fat. The obsession with low-fat foods that began in the 90s can be safely left in the past. There is nothing good about it. Often, to compensate for the lack of fat, manufacturersSuch products add up to the sugar content. Eat fatty fish like salmon, mackerel or sardines at least twice a week. And whatever you cook, don't skimp on the vegetable, especially the good one - olives -Oil.
3. Eat plenty of green vegetables. All leafy vegetables and greens go well with fatty and protein foods - fans of the keto diet consume plenty of them. And so do you. Kale, spinach, bok choy, arugula and other typesLet's eat salads without any restrictions.

What happened to my bacon patients? Their experiments with nutrition continued until the very moment their child was born. Of course, they immediately forgot about the diet (there is no time to think about it, as the young mother explained). SoRemember: sooner or later you will get tired of regularly stuffing yourself with bacon and you will return to normal, familiar food.

Recipes

Salmon and Asparagus Salad

Component:

• 150 g salmon fillet;
• 80 grams of green asparagus;
• 1/2 head of iceberg lettuce;
• 2 eggs;
• 4 fillets of anchovies;
• 5 cherry tomatoes;
• 5 large capers (or 6-8 small ones) - take capers in salt, not brine, they must be washed before use;
• 1/2 medium sized red onion;
• 6-8 Art. Eljatuna oil;
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard;
• juice of half a lemon.

How to cook:

1. If you've ever cooked Nicoise, you can handle this salad as well. It practically repeats the main dish of Nice, instead of tuna only fat salmon is taken, and instead of green beans asparagus is used(However, you can also use beans).
2. Salmon is cooked not in a hot frying pan or in a hot oven, but in a steamed or slow cooker: 20-30 minutes at a temperature of 80-85 degrees, no more (otherwise the proteins will curl and the fish will be tough). But you get aCan also fry in a pan (just don't overdo it! ) - The fish should be tender and retain some transparency inside.
3. Cook the asparagus. It should be crisp, so don't overcook it! Cooking time depends on its size, so we don't recommend leaving the stove on - asparagus cooks quickly.
4. Put the separated icebergs on a plate (the salad should be washed, dried and torn into medium-sized pieces), asparagus, salmon in large pieces, cherry tomato halves, anchovies, capers, onion ringsSliced in and hard-boiled eggs (ideally, the yolk should not be liquid but soft). Top the fields with Dijon mustard and lemon juice with a sauce of olive oil. You don't need to salt the dish- The anchovies and capers are already salty enough.

The ketogenic diet is used by athletes in sports that require endurance, such as ultramarathons, triathlons, cycling, etc. The body of athletes who follow this diet uses fat more efficiently as a source of energy and thus helps to preserve glycogen stores. long labor.

Bacon and Salad Salad

Component:

• 2 palm sized heads of lettuce
• 100 grams of bacon;
• 8 sprigs of mint;
• 1 egg yolk;
• 6 tbsp. lolive oil for frying and a little more;
• 1 tsp grainy mustard;
• 1 tsp. Elcherry Vinegar.

How to cook:

1. For this salad, you'll need to make a slightly more complicated sauce: Pour mint leaves and mustard into a tall glass, add egg yolks, add sherry vinegar. Blend with a blender while adding olive oil in a thin stream.
2. Cut the lettuce in half lengthwise and quickly fry over high heat. It should caramelize slightly, that is, acquire a golden brown color, which remains fresh and crisp inside. Bake the bacon without oil or on high heat until crisp in the ovenFry over. Place lettuce, bacon and sauce on a plate. Garnish with mint leaves.