What is the ketogenic diet? We answer all your questions

Have you ever thought about going on a diet to lose weight? Long and long hours of searching the internet to get ideas for a diet that is as effective as it is healthy. Usually what we find on the web is never effective, so in this mentta post we bring you all the information you need about what is the ketogenic diet.

The ketogenic diet or keto diet is an eating regime based on low carbohydrate intake. The main goal is fat burning, in fact, the benefits have been proven that this diet is effective both for weight loss and for good health and performance. Because of its purpose and benefits, this diet is being more and more recommended by doctors as being very effective for weight loss and without the need for starvation, for type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome.

What is the ketogenic diet?

As we pointed out earlier, the keto diet boils down to a low-carbohydrate diet, moderate protein intake and even increased fat intake. All of this is aimed at the body’s functioning: the decrease of carbohydrates in meals puts the body into a metabolic state known as ketosis. In this phase the body consumes ingested fat for energy.

What is ketosis?

According to the RAE, ketosis is a “pathological alteration due to an excess of ketones in the blood”. Looking a little deeper into the term, ketosis is a state in which the body uses fats and ketones (instead of glucose) for energy.

The point is that glucose is stored in the liver and released depending on the body’s energy needs. So when carbohydrate intake is reduced, glucose stores are reduced. This is where ketosis comes into play as a source of energy. During this pase, ketone bodies are created in the liver from ingested fat or stored fat in the body, providing the necessary energy.

 

The liver is actually in a constant process of producing ketones, even when following an ordinary, varied diet. For example, at night our liver produces ketones, but in smaller quantities. However, when the body decreases the amount of glucose or insulin, it creates more ketones to provide energy for the brain.

Who is the keto diet for?

According to health professionals, the ketogenic diet is suitable for children with epileptic seizures, which cannot be controlled by medication alone (intractable epilepsy), or with severe epileptic syndromes (Lennox-Gastaut syndrome or infantile spasms). It is also effective for people with diabetes and insulin resistance. And finally, for people who do not have any pathology but simply want to lose weight.

 

Food for a ketogenic diet

Well, now that you know a little more about this diet, we will tell you about the most suitable foods to make it as effective as possible. And of course, you can find all of these quality products in mentta shops.

 

Animal origin foods are totally recommended for this diet. Meat, fish, eggs… Are very protein-rich foods and the aim of the diet is to reduce carbohydrates and add proteins and fats.  Therefore, these products are ideal, although the cooking technique is important, as battered and fried food contain high percentages of carbohydrates. For this reason, the best way to prepare these products is grilled.

 

As for vegetables, their consumption provides very small amounts of carbohydrates, so they are highly recommended. But there is always an exception: tubers and their consumption in excess. In addition, as far as vegetables are concerned, we are talking about vegetables and greens. Yes, fruit is excluded as its high fructose levels can break the ketosis process.

Finally, as we said before, this diet is based on a high consumption of fatty foods, such as vegetable oils and nuts. Here is a list of the most recommended foods.

Meat: red meat, steak, sausages, ham, bacon, chicken…

 

 

Oily fish: salmon, trout, mackerel, tuna…

 

 

Unprocessed cheese: cheddar, goat cheese, cream cheese, blue cheese…

 

 

Nuts and seeds: walnuts, almonds, chia seeds, pumpkin seeds…

 

Avocado

 

 

Low-carbohydrate vegetables: peppers, tomatoes, onions, green vegetables…

 

 

 

With all this and the list of foods, you are now sufficiently informed about the ketogenic diet. It is necessary to remember that, before starting a diet, it is necessary to see an endocrinologist. Dietary changes should be supervised by a professional and regulated based on your body. So do not start a diet without first consulting a professional. What you can do is: continue to inform yourself with mentta. In particular, we tell you all about the pescetarian diet – don’t miss it!

 

References

• The Ketogenic Diet: A detailed beginner’s guide to Keto – https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/ketogenic-diet-101#_noHeaderPrefixedContent
• What’s a ketogenic diet – https://www.webmd.com/diet/ss/slideshow-ketogenic-diet