Ketogenic diet: menus and complete guide to weight loss

Several studies have shown that the ketogenic diet can help improve health in diseases such as epilepsy, cancer, Alzheimer’s and multiple sclerosis. This diet also helps in effective weight loss.

In this article, you will find the menu, product list and a detailed guide for those starting their journey on the ketogenic diet. Read everything you need to know here.

What is a ketogenic diet?

Ketogenic diet, otherwise known as the keto diet, bears a resemblance to the famous Atkins diet - a low-fat, low-carbohydrate, moderate-protein diet.

When carbohydrates are replaced by fats in the diet, the body is forced to use fat as an energy source.

How does the ketogenic diet work?

To maintain body tone, nutrition and brain function, energy is needed from food. The main and fast source of energy are carbohydrates, which are processed into glucose and saturate the body with energy. If there is not enough carbohydrate food in the diet to nourish the brain, then the liver is forced to convert fatty deposits into ketone bodies and fatty acids. This diet is extremely effective in burning fat for energy. The body undergoes a metabolic change called ketosis, in which ketone bodies are transported to the brain and used as an energy source instead of glucose.

The ketogenic diet also has a positive effect on people with diabetes, as a low carbohydrate diet leads to lower blood sugar and insulin levels.

Production:The ketogenic diet is a diet high in fat and low in carbohydrates. It forces the body to extract energy not from carbohydrates but from ketones, using fat, while lowering blood sugar and insulin levels.

Previously, the ketogenic diet was prescribed for children with epilepsy because an increase in ketone bodies in the blood (ketosis) reduces the incidence of epileptic seizures.

Ketogenic diet in the treatment of certain diseases

The mechanism and therapeutic effect of the following diet has been studied and applied to a wide range of diseases:

• Alzheimer's disease;
• Autism;
• Multiple sclerosis;
• Parkinson's disease;
• Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis;
• Some forms of cancer;
• Metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Ketogenic dietIt is also widely used by athletes involved in sports that require great body stamina. Most often, this is triathlon, cycling, marathons, when the body effectively burns fats as an energy source in order to maintain glycogen reserves in the liver during prolonged strain.

Ketogenic diet for weight loss

The ketogenic or fatty diet is widely known in Poland and this is not surprising, as the authorship belongs to Jan Kwasniewski, a nutritionist from Poland. The diet is not only successfully used for various diseases, but also with the help of a ketogenic diet, you can quickly lose weight from 2. 5 to 3 kg per week.

Weight loss is due to the lack of carbohydrate foods in the required diet: restriction of all simple carbohydrates, flour, sweet and even potatoes. But during the diet these, fatty foods are allowed: cheeses, lard, dairy products, vegetable oils, nuts, seeds, meat, fatty fish, from vegetables, you should give preference to fresh or frozen vegetables, low in carbohydratesand with green leaves.

Types of ketogenic diet

Consider the 4 most common ketogenic diet options:

1. Standard diet (SKD):a classic low-carb diet, with a predominance of high-fat and moderately high-protein foods in the diet. Ratios are, fat about 75%, protein 20% and carbohydrates only 5%.
2. Cyclic ketogenic diet (CKD):during the period of this diet, it is possible to include days with high carbohydrates, but not more than two within seven days. You eat a standard diet these five days a week and a high carb diet for two days.
3. Guided Diet (CDD):such a ketogenic diet allows the addition of carbohydrates to the diet only during the training period, before or after it.
4. High protein ketogenic diet:resembles the standard ketogenic diet, but the percentage of protein increases. Means up to 60% fat, 35% protein and 5% carbohydrates.

However, athletes, bodybuilders, and bodybuilders are more likely to use cyclic and directed dietary options, although standard, high-ketogenic protein diets are now more widely studied.

In this article, we are looking at the classic version of the standard ketogenic diet, although the other options have general principles.

Production:Today, there are several options for the ketogenic diet, the most popular, recommended and well studied of them is the standard diet these.

How does the ketogenic diet help you lose weight?

These diet effectively helps to reduce excess weight and is used as prophylaxis for certain diseases. The advantage of the diet is that weight loss occurs without the tedious counting of calories, but only by eliminating carbohydrates, and has advantages over low-fat diets.

This is evidenced by a study that included people divided into 2 groups, the first group adhered to a ketogenic diet, the second sat on a low-calorie, low-fat diet, as a result, participants in group 1 lost 2. 2 moreweight than group 2.

Production:The ketogenic diet has several advantages over low-fat diets, allowing you to lose a lot more weight without feeling hungry. An important role is also played by a decrease in blood sugar and insulin levels and an increase in the number of ketones.

Ketogenic diet for diabetics

Diabetes mellitus is an endocrine disease characterized by insufficient production of insulin, metabolic disorders associated with glucose uptake.

Eating a ketogenic diet can help burn fat and lower sugar levels, which is important for people with type 2 diabetes, prediabetes and metabolic syndrome.

One study found that a ketogenic diet improved insulin sensitivity by 75%. As a result of a study in which 21 patients with type 2 diabetes participated, it was found that 7 subjects significantly improved their overall well-being and they could stop taking diabetes medication. This weight loss is a big plus for people with type 2 diabetes.

Another study showed that the ketogenic diet was very effective in which participants lost 10 kg, which is different from the comparison group, whose participants ate a high carbohydrate diet and lost only 7 kg. Moreover, 90% of the ketogenic group were able to withdraw from drug treatment, compared with 60% of the high carbohydrate group.

Production:a ketogenic diet can safely reduce weight and significantly improve well-being in type 2 diabetics.

Diseases for which the ketogenic diet is considered beneficial

This type of diet has previously been used to treat children with epilepsy.

The therapeutic effect of the ketogenic diet is beneficial for various neurological diseases:

• Cancers.Diet is part of metabolic therapy for some types of cancer, the most promising is its use for glioblastoma.
• Alzheimer's disease.Research in 2018 showed a positive effect of using a ketogenic diet, as ketone bodies correct energy deficits, leading to a slowing of disease progression.
• Epilepsy.Ketone bodies in the blood reduce the incidence of epileptic seizures in children, as a result of the study, in 90% of severe cases of epilepsy, an improvement in the condition from the diet was found for 6-12 months.
• Parkinson's disease.The ketogenic diet has been found to have neuroprotective and anti-inflammatory properties, and therefore has a potential therapeutic effect in this disease.
• Multiple sclerosis.The ketogenic diet has been found to have neuroprotective and anti-inflammatory properties that also improve the course of this disease.
• Type II diabetes mellitus and metabolic syndrome.Improves insulin resistance, lipid profile and reduces the risk of heart disease.
• Type 1 diabetes mellitus.Improves glucose control, reduces the risk of hypoglycemia.
• AutismDiet can be effective for hypometabolism in the brain, and because of its neuroprotective properties, the ketogenic diet has good therapeutic potential for this disease.

It should be borne in mind that to date, the quantity and quality of some studies has not been sufficient to recommend it to all patients without exception.

Prohibited foods during the diet these

Prohibited foods that contain a large amount of carbohydrates. This list of foods that should be completely eliminated or minimized as much as possible with a ketogenic diet:

1. High-sugar foods:soda, juices, smoothies, cakes, ice cream, pastries, rolls, cakes, chips, jams, marshmallows and more.
2. Cereals or starches:wheat products, bread, rice, pasta, cereals, baked goods and more.
3. Fruits:all fruits except small pieces of berries like strawberries.
4. Legumes: peas, beans, lentils, chickpeas.
5. Root vegetables and tubers: potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots, parsnips, etc.
6. Low fat diets and low fat dietsthey have gone through many stages of processing and most often contain a lot of carbohydrates.
7. Aromas and sauces:some contain unhealthy sugar and fat, mayonnaise, ketchup and others.
8. Harmful fats:Cut out processed vegetable oils, trans processed fats, hydrogenated fats, including margarine.
9. Alcohol:Due to their high carbohydrate content, many alcoholic beverages can get you out of ketosis.
10. Sugar-free diet foods:they are often filled with other chemical fillers that affect ketone levels. Such food is also usually highly processed.

Production:Avoid refined and high-carbohydrate foods made from white flour, sugar, legumes, rice, potatoes, candy, most fruits and berries.

Foods you can eat with a ketogenic diet

If you decide to try the ketogenic diet, you need to know what you can eat, your meals while following this diet should consist of these foods:

1. a fish: catfish, cod, deer, halibut, mackerel, mahi-mahi, salmon, perch, trout, tuna and mackerel. Wild salmon, tuna, trout and shellfish are especially helpful as they can help ensure a balanced Omega-3 diet.
2. Seafood:shellfish, oysters, crabs, crabs, scallops, mussels and squid.
3. Whole eggs:if possible, it is necessary to eat eggs from free-range chickens. You can cook them in different ways, fried and boiled.
4. Beef:beef, steak, roasts and stews, make sure the fillet is denser.
5. Pork:pork loin, pork chops, yarn and bacon, watch out for sugar and try to stick to leaner meats.
6. Zogu:chicken, goose, turkey, duck, quail, pheasant and other game.
7. offal: heart, liver, kidneys and tongue, stomach, some of the best sources of vitamins and nutrients.
8. Other types of meat: Beef, goat, lamb, rabbit and other wild meats, stay in the densest meats.
9. Bacon and sausage:carefully read the composition to exclude the presence of sugar and other additives.
10. Cheese:raw cheeses (cheddar, goat, cream, blue and mozzarella).
11. Nuts and seeds: almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts, pine nuts, flax and pumpkin seeds, chia seeds.
12. Useful oils:first of all, natural olive oil and coconut, avocado oil.
13. Avocado:whole avocado or freshly cooked guacamole.
14. Low carb vegetables:all non-starchy and green vegetables, also tomatoes, onions, peppers.
15. Seasons:salt, pepper and various herbs.
16. Butter and cream:eat natural plant foods.

Production:Most of the diet is meat, fish, eggs, oils, nuts, avocados, coconut and many vegetables with minimal carbohydrates. A complete meal with one ingredient is ideal.

What to eat in a ketogenic diet?

If you are hungry, you should give priority to these useful ketogenic snacks:

• A piece of fish fat or a piece of boiled meat.
• A handful of seeds or nuts.
• Butter cheese or just cheese.
• Chicken eggs or hard-boiled quail 1-2 pieces.
• Bitter chocolate with 80-90% cocoa content.
• Low carb milkshake with almond milk, cocoa and walnut butter.
• Mix fat yogurt with walnut butter and cocoa.
• Strawberries and cream.
• Celery with sauce and guacamole.

Production:A snack for a ketogenic diet is a piece of fish, meat, cheese, butter, boiled eggs, nuts and dark chocolate.

How to eat out if you are on a ketogenic diet?

In any cafe or restaurant, you can easily find many dishes on the menu that correspond to a ketogenic diet. Almost every cafe and restaurant has meat, snacks and fish dishes, so feel free to order them along with low-carb vegetables. Kebabs, kebabs, meat, grilled fish are great if you are on a ketogenic diet.

Egg dishes are also good - order yourself an omelette or eggs with bacon and avocado. Another option is a cheese, vegetable dish, just make sure the vegetables are low in carbohydrates.

In Mexican restaurants, enjoy all kinds of meat and cheese, guacamole, sauce or sour cream. For dessert, ask for a double cheese or cream mixture with berries.

Production:When eating out, order meat, fish, cheese, avocados, eggs, bacon and low-starch vegetables.

Possible side effects of a ketogenic diet and how to minimize them?

When any changes occur, it has to do with climate, food, regime and other things, a person has his individual sensitivity and adaptation periods, ketogenic diet is no exception and can have an undesirable effect on the body, whichmanifested by the so-called"Keto Flu", which lasts for several days.

Symptoms "keto grip "include feelings of strong hunger, distraction, lack of strength and energy, sleep disturbances, nausea, headache, abdominal discomfort, decreased mental and physical performance.

To minimize side effects, consume enough clean water, get enough sleep, avoid overuse, add potassium-rich foods (green leafy vegetables, avocados) and moderate amounts of salt to taste will help keep you hydrated. a healthy electrolyte balance in the body. Reducing Negative Manifestation »keto grip "eating enough healthy fats will help and gradually, the slow reduction of carbohydrates in the diet can make it easy to switch to these and reduce the symptoms. "keto grip ". . .

Important:The ketogenic diet can also change the balance of water and minerals in the body, so extra salt in food or mineral supplements may be needed.

When it comes to supplementation, supplementation with mineral supplements, especially sodium, potassium and magnesium, should be taken during a ketogenic diet to reduce side effects. The method of application and dosing will help you choose a specialist

When switching to a ketogenic diet, especially in the beginning, you should eat your satiety and avoid calorie restriction, as eating these allows you to get rid of extra pounds without counting and limiting calories.

Production:"Keto flu" and other side effects of the diet will be minimal if you follow certain rules, especially you should pay attention to an adequate drinking regime, the presence of salt and mineral supplements in food.

Supplements for the ketogenic diet

Additional supplements during the diet are not necessary, however, some of them may be helpful.

• Minerals:salt and minerals are essential early in the journey to normalize electrolyte balance.
• Caffeine:Caffeine in coffee can help supplement the energy deficit associated with adapting to a new diet as well as associated with weight loss.
• Exogenous ketones: in consultation with the doctor, in order to further increase the level of ketones.
• Creatine:a substance of natural origin, will help increase the body's endurance and in combination with physical training will help to lose weight even more effectively.
• Serums:A healthy source of protein, use half the whey protein in shakes or yogurt to increase your total protein intake.

Production:Some supplements are beneficial for the ketogenic diet, take care of exogenous ketones, whey and minerals.

Answers to frequently asked questions for those who have chosen a ketogenic diet

Here are the answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about the ketogenic diet.

Can you start eating carbs again?

Yes, the main condition is their exclusion in the initial stage of the ketogenic diet. 2-3 months after starting the diet, you will be able to consume carbohydrates on special occasions or on vacation, and then immediately return to the diet.

Will muscle mass disappear?

The risks of losing muscle mass are possible with any diet, a large amount of protein and a high level of ketone bodies will help in leveling them, especially if you are involved in sports that require high body stamina orweight lifting.

Can you build muscle on a ketogenic diet?

It is possible, but it will come out more slowly than with diets where the carbohydrate content in the diet is moderate.

Should I "accumulate" carbohydrates before a ketogenic diet?

Not necessary. However, a few good calorie days get better before you start the diet.

How much protein should you eat per day?

Excess amounts of protein can lead to higher insulin levels and a decrease in the number of ketone bodies. A moderate protein intake is recommended, which is approximately 35% of the total caloric intake.

What if you feel constantly tired?

This means that you have not yet reached a state of increased ketone levels in the blood. It is necessary to reduce the amount of carbohydrates, monitor the drinking regime, add salt and extra minerals to the diet.

Why does urine smell like fruit?

Okay okay, this is a feature of ketone by-products.

I have bad breath, what should I do?

A common side effect of the ketogenic diet is to increase the amount of water consumed, and regular chewing gum will also help.

Is the state of ketosis dangerous for health?

The main thing is not to confuse ketosis with ketoacidosis. The state of ketosis is quite natural, it is a variant of the norm, it is not dangerous to health and ketoacidosis appears with an uncontrolled diet and is one that is considered really dangerous.

What to do with digestive problems and diarrhea?

Another side effect of the ketogenic diet that should disappear within a month. If problems persist, include fiber-rich vegetables and magnesium.

Are ketogenic diets contraindicated and not suitable for everyone?

• The ketogenic diet is effective and suitable for overweight people with diabetes, metabolic syndrome and anyone who wants to improve their metabolism.
• Less is less suitable for athletes looking to gain muscle mass or body weight.
• The ketogenic diet will only work to burn fat if you stick to it for an extended period of time.
• The ketogenic diet is excellent, it is a way of eating that you can lose weight safely and quickly while improving your health.

Approximate 7-day ketogenic diet menu

To help, we offer a ready-made ketogenic menu for a week:

1 day ketogenic meal

• Breakfast:scrambled eggs with bacon and cherry tomatoes.
• Dinner:chicken salad with olive oil, herbs and sliced cheese.
• Snack: bread with cheese;
• Dinner:grilled salmon with asparagus in butter.

2 days ketogenic food

• BREAKFAST: eggs, tomatoes, goat cheese omelette and basil.
• Dinner:almond milk, coconut oil, stevia cocoa cocktail.
• Snack:nuts
• Dinner:turkey meatballs, cheddar cheese and boiled vegetables.

3 days ketogenic food

• Breakfast:ketogenic cheesecake, a handful of nuts.
• Dinner:shrimp and mussel salad with herbs, avocado and olive oil.
• Snack:avocado.
• Dinner:pork chops with parmesan cheese, salad and broccoli.

4 days of ketogenic food

• Breakfast:cottage cheese with 2 tablespoons of honey.
• Dinner:beef beans, cherry tomatoes.
• Snack:avocado.
• Dinner:tuna salad, beans and eggs, bread.

5 days ketogenic food

• Breakfast:casserole casserole with berries.
• Dinner: 30 gr buckwheat, grilled chicken drum.
• Snack: avocado.
• Dinner:salad with radish, cherries and cucumbers, roasted salmon with herbs.

6 ketogenic days of nutrition

• BREAKFAST: omelette with cheese, grapefruit.
• Dinner:trout salad, mozzarella, cucumber and cherry.
• Snack: a mixture of nuts.
• Dinner:vegetable ratatouille and pork kebab.

7 days ketogenic food

• Breakfast:scrambled eggs with green beans.
• Dinner:boiled beans with squid.
• Snack: avocado.
• Dinner:salad with cherry tomatoes, Chinese cabbage, cappers and peppers, grilled beef.

This is a rough ketogenic menu for a week, you should also remember to drink at least 2-2, 5 liters of clean water every day, you can add mint or lemon to taste. Allowed beverages: tea, sugar-free or chicory coffee.

Diet these: result before and after, photos

Attention!If you decide to start following a ketogenic diet, you should consult a specialist!