What Is The Keto Diet?
The keto or ketogenic diet is a low-carb, high-fat diet. This type of diet is useful as a medical treatment and is an effective option for short-term weight loss.
This diet has been linked to the treatment of epilepsy. In fact, ketogenic diets can help reduce seizures in people with epilepsy, especially in children who do not respond to medication.
The mechanism is not fully understood, but this low-carb, high-fat diet is said to change activity in the brain. Effects that are felt include reducing sensitivity to stimuli that cause seizures.
When undergoing a diet, the body produces ketone compounds as the main source. This compound has a protective effect on the body against seizures due to epilepsy.
In addition, the keto diet also helps control blood sugar levels and improves mood stability. These conditions also contribute to seizure control. However, further research is needed to confirm these benefits.
Benefits of the Keto Diet for Body Health
You need to know that the keto diet should not be done long-term by healthy people. However, in general, this type of diet offers a number of benefits, including:
1. Lose weight
A study entitled Ketogenic diet for weight loss and its implications on health: A literature study in ResearchGate states that ketogenic is a popular diet pattern for losing weight.
The method is by limiting carbohydrate intake to 50 grams per day. This diet is quite effective in helping to lose weight in the short term. The duration itself is less than 6 months.
2. The keto diet is good for people with diabetes and prediabetes
Diabetes presents with symptoms such as metabolic changes, high blood sugar, and impaired insulin function. Following a keto diet can help manage these symptoms. This is because the diet helps eliminate excess fat associated with type 2 diabetes, prediabetes, and metabolic syndrome.
A study in the ACP Journals found that the keto diet can improve insulin sensitivity by up to 75 percent. Additionally, another study in the Journal of Diabetes Research conducted research on women with type 2 diabetes.
The study found that following a keto diet for about 90 days significantly reduced hemoglobin A1C levels, a measure of long-term blood sugar management.
3. Reduces the risk of heart disease
The keto diet is a diet that increases the intake of healthy fats. This method can reduce the risk of heart disease by improving risk factors. For example, reducing blood pressure, body fat, and blood sugar.
A study entitled Effects of ketogenic diets on Cardiovascular Risk Factors: Evidence from Animal and Human Studies in Nutrients states that ketogenic is a useful diet pattern for improving several components of metabolic syndrome.
The syndrome causes sufferers to experience a group of health problems simultaneously, one of which is heart disease. By reducing the risk of metabolic syndrome, the potential for heart disease can also be reduced.
4. The keto diet can reduce the intensity of Parkinson’s symptoms.
Parkinson’s is a nervous system imbalance disorder that interferes with the body’s ability to control balance and movement. One of the symptoms is slowed body movement.
A study in PubMed Central found that the keto diet may help improve symptoms of Parkinson’s disease. However, more research is needed on these benefits.
5. Other health benefits
In addition, following a healthy ketogenic diet can also provide health protection benefits for the body against the following conditions:
- Cancer. Experts are currently exploring diet as an additional treatment for cancer, as they suspect that diet may help slow tumor growth.
- Alzheimer’s disease. The keto diet is also said to help reduce the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease and slow its progression.
- Epilepsy. Studies have shown that this diet also plays a role in reducing seizures in children with epilepsy.
- Polycystic ovary syndrome. Following a ketogenic diet may help reduce insulin levels, which may play a role in polycystic ovary syndrome.
However, further research is needed to determine the benefits of the keto diet for these medical conditions. It is always best to discuss the best treatment with a nutritionist.
Foods to Eat During the Keto Diet
When on a keto diet, you should include fat in every meal. However, the ratio of fat, carbs, and protein can vary from person to person based on age, weight, and medical conditions.
This is why, you should always discuss with your doctor before undergoing a keto diet. The types of healthy unsaturated fat intake that you can consume on a keto diet are:
- Nuts, such as almonds, and walnuts.
- Grains.
- Avocado.
- Know.
- Olive oil.
Meanwhile, some other types of food that you can consume while on this diet are:
- Meat: red meat, steak, ham, sausage, bacon, and chicken.
- Fatty fish: salmon, tuna, and mackerel.
- Egg.
- Butter.
- Cheese. Preferably unprocessed cheese like cheddar or mozzarella.
- Low-carb vegetables, such as green vegetables, tomatoes, onions, peppers, and the like.
- Seasonings, such as salt, pepper, and herbs.
Sample Keto Diet Menu for Beginners
In practice, various keto diet menus that you consume must contain high fat and protein, and low carbohydrates. Here are the recommended menus that you can try:
1. Monday
You can eat avocado, scrambled eggs, and lettuce for breakfast. Then, choose spinach, mackerel, braised tofu, and 3 tablespoons of brown rice for lunch. Finally, dinner with braised tempeh, stir-fried pumpkin, and braised mackerel.
2. Tuesday
The next day’s keto diet menu is fruit salad, yogurt, and boiled eggs for breakfast. You can also sprinkle seeds as toppings, such as chia seeds and quinoa.
Continue lunch with stir-fried tempeh and long beans, a few spoonfuls of white rice, and grilled chicken. Then, the dinner menu is red spiced chicken, lettuce, and stir-fried tofu and bean sprouts.
3. Wednesday
Wednesday’s keto diet menu is mushroom and cheese omelet and squeezed orange for breakfast. Continue with beef stew, chayote, and brown rice for lunch. At night, you can eat bean sprouts, kale, and beef stew.
4. Thursday
On Thursday, you can eat a sandwich with lettuce, cheese, mushrooms, and meat for breakfast. Continue lunch with a salad containing chicken pieces, east, tomatoes, and carrots. At night, you can eat chicken meat, stir-fried broccoli, and squeezed orange as a drink.
5. Friday
The keto diet menu for Friday is broccoli and mushroom omelet for breakfast. At noon, you can eat a vegetable salad topped with shrimp or fish, olive oil, orange juice, sesame seeds, and cheese. Then at night, you can eat beef stew.
6. Saturday
Moving on to Saturday, you can eat fried eggs and avocado for breakfast. At noon, grilled chicken breast with butter or olive oil, and mustard greens. For dinner, the menu is red tilapia and bell peppers, and broccoli as vegetables.
7. Sunday
The keto diet menu on Sunday is apple, scrambled egg, and milk for breakfast. At noon, stir-fried green beans, steamed tuna, and braised tofu. Then for dinner, you can eat spinach and fried egg.
What are the Keto Diet Restrictions?
Not only the food menu and types, you also need to know a number of prohibitions when doing a keto diet, such as:
- Cereals. If you are on this diet, avoid eating any type of cereal, even whole grains.
- Grains and nuts. Some of the types are peas, beans, chickpeas, soybeans, lentils, or green beans.
- Fruits. Avoid consuming mangoes, bananas, grapes, apples, peaches, pears, pineapples, and papaya.
- Refined sugar. Included in beverages, such as cola, soda, artificial sweeteners, sugar, honey, and alcohol.
- Snacks, especially those high in preservatives and containing artificial sweeteners.
In addition, you must also avoid high-protein foods, acidic foods, and foods that contain alkaline.
How to Start a Keto Diet?
Unfortunately, many people still mistake the keto diet with carbs. Both are similar, but not the same. Find out the difference through the article Similar but Not the Same, Here’s the Difference Between the Carb and Keto Diets.
If you’re just starting a ketogenic diet, here are some things to keep in mind:
1. Pay attention to your intake of carbohydrates, protein, and fat.
First, you have to limit your carbohydrate intake, consume moderate amounts of protein, and consume high amounts of fat per day. This makes the body burn fat as its main fuel source and break it down into ‘ketones’ in a process called ketosis.
A person on a keto diet should consume 20 grams to 50 grams of carbohydrates per day, or less. For example, 50 grams of carbohydrates is equivalent to 2 slices of bread and a banana.
The reason is that carbohydrates make up about a tenth of the daily kilojoule intake on the keto diet. This way, the body remains in a constant state of ketosis. A kilojoule itself is a measure of how much energy the body gets from food.
2. Maintain body intake
Ketosis is a condition where the body lacks carbohydrate intake to be converted into energy. When experiencing ketosis, the kidneys will work harder to remove more fluids and electrolytes. Therefore, make sure to consume sodium and potassium intake, and drink plenty of water while on the keto diet.
3. Pay attention to the duration of the keto diet
How long is the keto diet actually? This type of diet is good for you to do in the short term, namely for 2 to 3 months. The maximum limit is 6 to 12 months. The practice not only reduces body weight but also improves health.
If you are just starting to try this diet, induction is the first phase that you must go through. The method is, stop eating at 8 pm and eat again the next day at 12 noon. This induction phase lasts for 7 days.
4. Discipline in implementing the keto diet
Don’t forget, make sure you are disciplined and consistent in following this diet. Pay attention to all the rules, including reducing carbohydrate and sugar intake. If you continue to consume carbohydrate and sugar intake, then the diet will not work. This is because fat in the body cannot be transmitted into energy.
5. The emergence of keto flu symptoms
When in the induction phase, keto dieters may experience keto flu. This condition appears with symptoms of weakness and dizziness. The disorder occurs because the body is adjusting to the loss of carbohydrates. Later, the body will start to get used to burning fat as an energy source.
6. Pay attention to health history
If you have high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, gallbladder problems, or other chronic illnesses, it’s a good idea to talk to your doctor before starting a keto diet.
7. Write a food menu
During the induction phase, you should only include 20 grams of carbohydrates in your body. As for fat intake, you can get it from beef, chicken, turkey, and steak, not processed foods such as sausages, nuggets, and meatballs.
8. Pay attention to protein intake
The standard protein requirement is normally around 0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight. Meanwhile, keto dieters need a higher protein intake. The amount is around 1.5 to 2 grams per kilogram of body weight.
9. Pay attention to calorie intake
In addition to high protein, you also have to pay attention to your calorie intake. Usually, the number of calories your body needs is around 2,000 kilocalories with a composition of 55 to 60 percent fat from the total food you consume.
Note that calorie intake should not exceed the recommended limit, because it can increase fat stores in the body. Similar to protein, the body will store excess fat in the form of lipoproteins.
10. Avoid eating starchy vegetables
Next, avoid consuming starchy vegetables. This includes potatoes, corn, peas, pumpkin, and beans. This step aims to keep participants in a state of ketosis.
11. Increase your egg intake
Eggs are one of the best foods for keto dieters. This type of food is high in protein and contains healthy fats that can support the weight loss process.
However, pay attention to how to process it. You can fry it with olive oil that contains healthy fats. In addition, you can also boil it and make it as a salad or sandwich topping.
12. Cook your own food
By cooking your own food, you will not consume excessive carbohydrates. You are free to reduce or increase the right intake so that the diet gives optimal results.
13. Know the side effects
The side effects of undergoing a keto diet that may occur are not limited to keto flu. You are also at risk of experiencing digestive disorders, such as bloating, constipation, and frequent farting. These problems arise because the body’s fiber intake is not met.
14. Be patient to get the results
During the first week, your body will experience effects that may make you uncomfortable. For example, dizziness and weakness. However, the process will be visible for several weeks afterward. So, be patient to get maximum results.
Who Can’t Do The Keto Diet?
Although effective in helping to lose weight, there are groups of people who should not do this diet, including:
1. People with cardiovascular risk
Ketogenic is done by consuming high-fat foods. This is dangerous for groups of people with a history of cardiovascular problems. Because this diet can increase the risk of heart failure.
2. Pregnant women
Pregnant women who only consume certain foods are at risk of experiencing nutritional deficiencies that are useful for fetal growth and development. Not only that, this diet can also cause babies to be born with low birth weight.
3. People with digestive disorders
Ketogenic is a low-fiber diet. This diet is certainly not suitable for people with digestive disorders, such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). The impact can range from nutritional deficiencies to decreased quality of life.
4. People at risk of osteoporosis
The ketogenic process in the body also causes a decrease in bone mineral levels. This can certainly increase the risk of osteoporosis which triggers bone fractures, thus reducing the quality of life of sufferers.
5. People with diabetes
Ketogenic can indeed help control blood sugar and insulin levels. However, this diet pattern is not suitable for sufferers who are undergoing insulin treatment. This is because this process can cause a drastic decrease in blood sugar which can be fatal.
Is Keto Diet Safe for Health?
This diet is generally safe for most healthy people. However, some people may experience some side effects at first, especially as their bodies adjust.
Some side effects of the keto diet are:
- Lack of energy.
- Poor mental function.
- Sleep disorders.
- Nauseous.
- Digestion feels uncomfortable.
- Decreased physical performance.
These effects are temporary and may subside over time. However, if you follow the keto diet long-term, side effects can include:
- Low protein in the blood.
- Excess fat in the liver.
- Kidney stones.
- Micronutrient deficiencies.
To avoid this, you can try a low-carb diet regularly for the first few weeks. This will make your body burn more fat before you completely eliminate carbohydrates.
In addition, the keto diet can also change the body’s water and mineral balance. So, try adding extra salt to your food or taking a mineral supplement.
When you first start the keto diet, you may want to eat until you are full and avoid restricting your calories too strictly. Usually, the keto diet can help you lose weight without having to intentionally restrict calories.