The ketogenic diet or keto diet is one of the oldest types of diets out there, it has been followed for over 2 centuries for many reasons not only for losing weight. it is one of the many types of diets that run on the concept of ketosis like the Atkins diet, the main idea behind ketosis is stopping the utilization of carbohydrates as the main energy source for burning and utilizing stored fats instead to produce ketone bodies for fuel
That means that the keto diet is highly dependent on fats and proteins content in meals and very low on carbs so with time your body turns into a fat-burning machine where you are not dependent on carbs anymore but learn to utilize the extra fat stored in your body to turn to ketones for your brain to use as the main source of energy.
› Foods to eat and avoid ‹
A) Types of food you should avoid:
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- Sweetened carbonated drinks like fruit juice and sodas
- Chips and crackers and cereals
- Cakes, ice cream, candy, milk chocolate
- Rice, pasta, wheat, bread, biscuits
- Starchy food like potatoes, chickpeas, beans, lentils
- unhealthy fats that are highly processed and saturated
- beer, wine, liquor, alcohol
- High carb fruits and vegetables like bananas, carrots, turnips, and dates
B) Types of food you should eat:
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- Beef, chicken, salmon, shrimp
- Full-fat dairy products milk, yogurt, cheese, butter
- Nuts and seeds walnuts, almonds, sunflower seeds
- Eggs
- Low carb veggies: kale, spinach, broccoli, cucumbers
- High fat low carbs fruits: avocados, berries, watermelon
- Consume plenty of water about 2 to 3 liters everyday and green tea to avoid constipation and dehydration
- Soy-based foods are great choices for vegetarians to get the protein content they need and olive oil and nuts oils
1. Meat and poultry
100 grams of steak contain 271 calories, 19 gm fats, 0 gm carbs, 25 gm protein
meat cuts that are high in fat like ribeye, brisket, and chicken thighs are great sources of protein that is rich in all the essential amino acids you need in the keto diet it supplies you with tons of heme iron as well to help you avoid anemia and build muscles it is also high on zinc, selenium, and vitamins B12 and B6 that our bodies need. although they are great for keto it is best to not overeat meats as they can be harmful with their high content of saturated fats and cholesterol that could lead to atherosclerosis, cardiovascular disease, and cancer.
beef can be grilled, made into burgers, tacos, chilies, meatloaves, meat pies, delicious indulgent stews that are perfect for winter.
2. Eggs
One large fried egg contains 90 calories, 6.8 gm fat, 0.4 gm carbs, 6.3 gm protein
Eggs are pretty much the number one choice for a healthy nutritious breakfast for people on ketogenic diets as they are not only low on carbs but they are good sources of protein containing all of the essential amino acids that humans need and fats that raise the good HDL cholesterol which is good for cardiovascular health it is only a fantastic source of choline which helps build up every cells membrane and enhance signaling between neurons in the brain the egg yolks is filled with lutein and zeaxanthin which are powerful antioxidants and a high content of vitamin A necessary for eye health.
There are many ways to eat eggs but for the sake of increasing the fat content fried or scrambled eggs are great choices every morning or an omelet with healthy colorful vegetables makes it even tastier and healthier.
3. Salmon
A serving of salmon of 100 grams contains 208 calories, 13 gm of fat, 0 gm of carbs, 20 gm protein
Salmon is one of the fattest fish out there that is full of great health benefits and good fat in the form of omega 3 fatty acids which are essential for brain health lowering blood pressure relieving inflammation and even reducing the risk of some cancers. it is also a fantastic source of protein that is why the American Heart Association recommends having salmon at least 2 times per week .it is also a good source of potassium, selenium, vitamins B12, B6, and the antioxidant astaxanthin which has many health benefits to our brains and hearts.
Salmon can be grilled or smoked along with a plate of colorful vegetables to enjoy its tasty flavor and benefit from its nutritious contents.
4. Cheese
28 grams of cheddar cheese contain 115 calories, 9.4 gm fat, 0.9 gm carbs, 6.5 gm protein
There are many types of cheese that are high in fat and protein and low on carbs that are ideal for ketogenic diets like blue cheese, brie, camembert, cream cheese, and many more. Different types of cheese have different nutritional values but they all are rich in protein and calcium and probiotics that are good for gut health and immunity. cheddar is especially rich in vitamin k which lowers the build-up of calcium in the arteries and decreases heart disease.
Cheese is great in charcuterie boards with all sorts of meats and crackers and fruits or on burgers, pizzas, or eggs it basically elevates any dish it is added to.
5. Walnuts
2 grams of walnuts contains 13 calories, 1.3 gm fats, 0.3 gm carbs, 0.3 gm protein
Walnuts look like tiny brains suggesting they are very healthy for your brain with their great content of polyunsaturated fatty acids, polyphenols, and vitamin E that are known to reduce the oxidative stress in the brain and lower the rate of inflammation making your memory stronger and enhancing your processing and learning abilities as well as reduce your anxiety ellagitannins are the main antioxidants in walnuts that gut bacteria turn into urolithin which protects us from cancers like colon, breast and prostate cancer.
Advantages of the ketogenic diet
✓ It can help you lose weight and lower your abdominal circumference not only through their action on subcutaneous fat but also on visceral fat which is the root cause of many diseases as it increases body inflammation and leads to insulin resistance responsible for cardiovascular diseases and type 2 diabetes.
✓ It reduces the symptoms of type 2 diabetes as it helps diabetics lose weight and improve their glycemic control by not having postprandial glucose spikes related to carb intake so lowering the blood glucose and insulin levels help control the disease and lowers the needed doses of medication and the rate of complications associated with diabetes.
✓ It can improve epilepsy and lower the rate of fits, especially in children refractory to treatment where some kids got even fully cured of epilepsy. it is also beneficial in treating other neurodegenerative disorders like Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease.
✓ It helps protect you from metabolic syndrome through its positive effect on the body from losing weight and managing a healthy lipid profile so it lowers your overall risk of obesity, hypertension, diabetes, heart disease, and dyslipidemia that greatly lower your life expectancy.
✓ It is good for people who suffer from acne, polycystic ovarian syndrome, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.
✓ It is very filling unlike most diets which restrict the calorie content throughout the day making you feel hungry and lose energy and sluggish this diet is rich in protein and fat are known to keep you full for longer as they take longer to digest than carbohydrates
✓ There is a wider variety of meal choices the food is actually tasty as it is rich in fat which holds much flavor making you feel indulgent and satisfied with your meals
✓ You notice results faster than other diets, the scale shows major results which encourages you to keep going and helps greatly if you are trying to lose a noticeable amount of weight in a little amount of time
✓ It doesn’t require fasting of any kind for any amount of hours
✓ It is preferable for people with carbohydrate processing issues, intolerance, or malabsorption that greatly decrease the bouts of bloating, flatulence, and diarrhea.
Disadvantages of the ketogenic diet
➤ Electrolyte imbalance is one of the main issues as you can get hypokalemia if you don’t consume the right types of foods that are rich in potassium as ketosis is known to cause diuresis to lose water which takes with it electrolytes.
➤ If the ketogenic diet is followed for a long time with too much carb restriction this can be harmful as the high content of lipids can increase your triglycerides and LDL cholesterol levels greatly in the blood leading to atherosclerosis and heart disease which is contradictory to the purpose of the diet
➤ Many people reported having symptoms of flu-like headache, fatigue, lightheadedness, and diarrhea what is known as the keto flu but it usually resolved in about 7 to 10 days especially if your original diet was mainly dependent on carbs as the main source of fuel
➤ Keto breathe is a distinct smell or odor in the mouth that is very similar to nail polish remover or a fruity smell in their mouth from ketone utilization which requires keeping good oral hygiene throughout the diet
➤ Many people suffer from vitamin and minerals deficiencies as they approach the diet in a non nutritionally balanced way and they require additional supplementation and a wider variety of fruits and vegetables to get more antioxidants, vitamin B12, and fibers
➤ Much of the fiber content from starchy food is restricted leaving behind insoluble fibers which absorb more water to be processed which leads to constipation frequently and this can be avoided by regularly exercising and adding more foods with fiber content in them.
➤ The low protein ratio compared to fats in the keto diet can lead to a significant loss in lean muscles as you lose weight fast and when you stop the diet and start eating normally you mostly regain the weight in the form of fat, not lean muscles.
➤ Diabetics on insulin secretagogues like sulfonamides could suffer from hypoglycemic episodes if they lower the carbs content too much in their diet.
➤ There is a difference between ketosis which is the goal of the keto diet and pathological ketoacidosis in which the ketone production exceeds the body’s ability to eliminate those excess ketones. ketoacidosis is noticed when the ketone body level is more than 10mmol/l which is commonly a complication of type 1 diabetes but in ketosis, the ketone bodies level doesn’t exceed 3 mmol/l, that is why this diet is not recommended for people who suffer from type 1 diabetes as their disease can deteriorate fast.
➤ It is not suitable for people with gall bladder disorders as it increases their chances of cholecystitis and gall bladder stones.
➤ The big amount of proteins in this diet and purines can lead to hyperuricemia and gout with bone pain and inflammation
➤ Hypercalcemia can also lead to kidney stone formation.
The different types of ketogenic diets
1. The original strict ketogenic diet:
this is the first-ever keto plan invented for medically therapeutic purposes mainly to treat neurological disorders like epilepsy and that depended highly on constricting the intake of carbohydrates allowing daily intake of calories mainly from fats with 90 % of daily caloric intake from fats, 6% from protein and only 4% from carbs which makes the content of carbs very low and difficult to maintain for long periods of time but it was successful in managing difficult cases of refractory epilepsy to treatment, especially in young children.
2. Standard ketogenic diet:
The classic type of ketogenic diet and the most popular one with very low carb, moderate protein and high-fat content with ratios of 70:75% of fat, 20% protein,10:5% carbohydrates
The fat is the main source of energy but you have to take into account adding healthy proteins and a lot of vegetables and fruits that are low on starch and sugar to have a balanced diet that gives you a lot of benefits without harming yourself.
3. Medium-chain triglycerides ketogenic diet MCT:
This type of ketogenic diet is one of the modifications that were used for treating epilepsy as studies found that medium-chain triglycerides when burned produce more ketone bodies than long-chain fatty acids and allows you to lower the content of fat consumed in the diet and add more carbs and protein but it can cause stomachaches and diarrhea if medium-chain triglycerides are used too much on their own.
4. Calorie restricted ketogenic diet:
This type of diet is followed by people who want to lose weight in a short period of time so they cut down their daily caloric intake to about 1000 kcal but it isn’t very effective and many people find it hard to comply to on the long run and it is not needed as the fat content of the classic ketogenic diet already makes you feel fuller faster and lowers the needed calories for you to produce enough energy throughout the day.
5. Cyclical ketogenic diet CKD:
This type of ketogenic diet is directed towards athletes or people who are so active that they need to replenish their glycogen stores fast the main concept is you can follow the ketogenic diet normally for 5 days of the week then have 3 days where you can consume more carbs to refill your body’s glycogen stores for energy later that is why it is only suitable for people who need the extra glycogen to keep their bodies in a state of ketosis.
6. Targeted ketogenic diet TKD:
This is a spinoff of the cyclical ketogenic diet that allows you to consume as many carbs as you need only around workout times as long as these carbs are burned more effectively to supply your muscle with their demand of energy but for the rest of the day, you are on a standard ketogenic diet with the usual low carbs content.
7. High protein ketogenic diet:
This type of diet is for people who want to lose weight and build muscles so they tweak the ratios of a standard ketogenic diet to be heavier on proteins and even lower on carbs with ratios of 35% protein, 60% fat, and 5% carbs so as to protect you from losing lean muscles with the fast loss of weight at the beginning of the keto diet.
8. Well formulated ketogenic diet WFKD:
The ketogenic diet in its classical way is not suitable for everyone and the other types of ketogenic diets are not well researched enough to be used by anyone, only professionals, trained athletes, and bodybuilders go for these extreme types of diet. that is the reason why one of the top researchers in ketogenic diet Dr. Stephen Pinney came up with the concept of the well-formulated ketogenic diet that has preset criteria for nonprofessionals to follow that if properly fulfilled would give you the full potential of this diet’s benefits. some of these criteria are :
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- the diet has to result in sustained natural ketosis meaning that the level of the ketone beta-hydroxybutyrate ( BOHB ) in the blood is between 0.5 mmol/l and 3.0 mmol/l despite the amount of carbs you choose to consume according to your daily needs.
- It has to provide adequate macronutrients to preserve lean body mass as many people decrease their consumption of proteins that greatly affects their bodies and makes them use the stored proteins as a source of energy which makes them wasted and weak so a proper ketogenic diet should have 1.2 to 2.0 g / kg per day of protein intake to be effective along with a healthy variety of fruits and vegetables to get all of the micronutrients and vitamins the body needs.
- It should contain enough electrolytes and minerals like magnesium, sodium, and potassium to maintain healthy circulatory volume and optimum muscle and nerve functions as many people end up getting muscle cramps from hypokalemia and hyponatremia from their faulty keto diets.
- In all phases of the keto diet, you follow, the main source of energy has to come from fat along with increasing the amount of fat content in your diet from the induction phase to the maintenance phase to meet your daily caloric requirements it is best to choose sources of fats that are full of unsaturated fatty acids and omega 3 fatty acids and avoid the ones with omega 6 fatty acids and saturated fats as they can be harmful to your vessels and heart.
- Counting or restricting calories isn’t a part of a well-formed ketogenic diet which means you only have to pay attention to the amount of fats you eat that provide you with enough energy for the day and make sure to be mindful when you reach the point of satiety and not over consume fats.
- It is best to be formed of whole foods with as little processing or added chemicals as possible for this diet, to be healthy try to choose the best types of fresh fruits and vegetables and avoid processed meats and prepackaged foods with tons of salt and sugar in them and add fermented foods to your meals to get enough electrolytes and keep your gut healthy.
- Some types of ketogenic diets that are called very-low-calorie diets VLCD with less than 1000 kcal/day are not considered to be an effective ketogenic diet as it is not sustainable and doesn’t provide the body with the needed energy to go through the day and in the long term, a lot of people regain the weight they lost during the highly restrictive period with more fat deposition and less lean muscles.
- For people who use the ketogenic diet as a way of treating or preventing diseases, it is important to have a well-formed maintenance phase as if this diet is used for the short term or with restrictions of caloric intake making you hungry it wouldn’t give the desired effect in the end after you reintroduce carbs back into your diet so it has to be maintained for years to get the desired effect you sought after with nutritional ketosis.
- The therapeutic ketogenic diet is best done under experts supervision to avoid getting severe complications and with no cycling in and out of ketosis and fasting for long periods of time as it would not bring you the desired long-term benefits you are looking for.
- You need to understand that a well-formed ketogenic diet is not consistent with the traditional dietary guidelines but follows its own guidelines so for it to be effective you have to consult a physician to give you the right rules to be able to follow through with diet with as little complications as possible.