concept, foods to avoid, health risks, all about the ketogenic diet

To be healthy, doctors recommend a varied and balanced diet. This is why, when we speak of a diet ordinary which is healthy and which aims to maintain a body in good physical shape, we are invited to consume a lot of carbohydrates – sugar (glucose) being the main fuel for our brain – but also lipids in moderation, as well as a little proteins. A balance that ensures, scientific studies have proven, good energy intake to make the body work optimally. With this just balance of carbohydrates and fatswe can generally also ensure a nice silhouette or promote weight loss linked to an overconsumption of sugars or fats.

Contrary to most diets intended to make us lose weight, but also to the founding principles of a balanced diet, the ketogenic diet or keto diet overturns all our beliefs about weight loss. No more demonization of fats, he even invites us to focus on lipids and to eat, mainly, only fatty foods. But beware, not just any fats: only the good fats of course! Why ? Simply to compensate for a drastic reduction in carbohydrate intake that he advocates in parallel.

Depriving the body of its main usual energy resource (carbohydrates), the ketogenic diet makes fat its source of energy. In this state of deprivation, part of them is indeed transformed into what are called ketone bodies which come to replace the old fuel of the brain. We then enter a state of ketosis, a term which also gives its name to the “ketogenic” diet. Now used wisely by the body, fats are destocked, and weight loss is rather rapid and lasting. This is the principle of the keto diet.

And let’s face it, the ketogenic diet sells dreams. But don’t stop at its weight loss promises. This extreme low carb diet that induces a fast in sugars (glucose) is still criticized for its effects on health.

What is keto eating?

If the “keto diet” is far from being a fast, it is not always easy to get started. Composed of about 70% to 80% fat (rather than 30% usually), about 20% to 25% protein (rather than 15%), and 5% to 10% carbohydrates (rather than 55% in a classic diet), it is not so easy to adopt it on a daily basis. To reach this state of ketosis acclaimed by the keto diet, it is indeed necessary to calculate its intake of fat, sugar and protein on a daily basis and this, to the nearest grams. This has a somewhat constraining aspect, it must be admitted.

To benefit from the slimming effect of this diet, you can then only consume between 20 and 30 grams of carbohydrates per day maximum. Not enough to chain the pieces of bread at lunch! As for lipids, it becomes important to bring enough to the body, but not too much either so that it is forced to draw on its reserves to destock. Count on average between 20 and 40 grams of fat at each meal to lose weight. But to find the ideal number of grams for you, you will also have to rely on your feeling of satiety by experimenting with the diet: if you only put 20 grams of fat in your recipes but you are hungry during the 5 hours following the meals: review your dosages at a reasonable increase.

Lose weight by eating fat?

Do not imagine chaining meals in a fast food or raclette: a keto lunch of this type is far from possible since it excludes potatoes!

The ketogenic diet, if it prohibits certain products rich in glucose (such as bread for example), allows you to eat many other foods such as vegetables, fruits, proteins and nuts and even butter since it encourages you to eat bold.

Among permitted foods In the keto diet, we find:

• vegetables such as cucumber, lettuce, cabbage, fennel, spinach, celery, zucchini, eggplant, peppers, asparagus, broccoli, mushrooms, onion, radish, green bean, turnip, artichokes, pickles.
• oilseeds such as macadamia nuts, pecans, Brazil nuts, almonds, hazelnuts or sesame seeds.
• Dairy products such as whole cream, Greek yoghurt, unsweetened vegetable milks, coconut milk and cream, soy yoghurts or aged cheeses.
• fat such as butter and clarified butter, olive or rapeseed oil, duck or goose fat, coconut oil, avocado oil, walnut oil , flax, camelina or even hemp.
• meatsincluding the fattier ones, poultry with their skin on to fill up on protein, charcuterie
• the fish
• eggs.
• fruits such as blackberries, currants, raspberries, strawberries, black currants, blueberries, lemon or rhubarb in limited quantities.
• You can even eat dark chocolate provided it contains more than 80% or 85% cocoa. But your chocolate consumption should still be limited to about 20 g per day, or 2 large flat squares of chocolate.

Moreover, chocolate is not the only food to have to be rationed let us remember, even fruits and vegetables cannot be consumed at will because they contain small proportions of carbohydrates.

Ketogenic diet: prohibited foods

If you decide to undertake this diet, you will no longer be able to eat certain basic foods such as bread, cereals, wheat and its derivatives (pasta, semolina), rice, potatoes or products that contain them because they are too high in carbohydrates.
No more jam or honey for breakfast, pastries for dessert or sodas which also contain a lot of sugar. But you will also have to do without many ready meals if you ever eat them because they often contain hidden carbohydrates, just like store-bought soups and sauces.

The benefits of the ketogenic diet

Unlike many low-calorie diets, the ketogenic diet does not restrict calorie intake. It therefore does not cause any feeling of hunger or frustration as long as you adapt the recipes to your needs to achieve satiety and to your preferences in terms of food.

Also, to replace the foods that must be limited or almost excluded, it is possible to find many alternatives that allow you to revisit your favorite recipes so as not to deprive yourself of the dishes that make you want.

Does keto really work for weight loss?

As evidenced by the many opinions of people who have tried it, it seems to be effective when you want to lose a few pounds. Studies have also shown that reducing sugar consumption allows you to lose weight faster than reducing fat consumption. However, do not see it as a clear path to regaining the line because studies have also shown that the adoption of this kind of drastic diets can have a rebound effect on weight gain. Unless you eat keto all your life, you are therefore likely to gain more weight than you lost once you stop this diet. There is no shortage of opinions and testimonials on this diet, which has led to greater weight gain than the weight lost during the ketogenic diet, on the internet. Possible effects that make us doubt its long-term effectiveness.

Is keto good for your health?

Already, it should be remembered that the effectiveness of the ketogenic diet has only been scientifically proven by studies in cases of epilepsy. The keto diet is used to reduce the frequency of seizures in people with epilepsy because ketone bodies have a protective effect on neurons.

The keto diet can have a certain interest in case of diabetes, but only in the short term and with a certain type of diabetes. Indeed, patients with type 2 diabetes can have beneficial effects with the keto diet, which limits postprandial hyperglycemic peaks, by improving insulin sensitivity. In these specific cases, we can therefore say that it is good for the health. But the rest of the time, we would tend to say that it is rather the opposite.

When starting a keto diet, it is not uncommon for it to cause hypoglycaemia and fatigue. It can also be the cause of digestive disorders including constipation due to the low fiber intake, nausea due to its high lipid content in the diet, but also headaches, low energy, cramps, confused thoughts, dizziness, bad breath and changes in heart rhythm. The opinions of people who have experienced the diet and these negative effects are so numerous that they have received the name of “ketogenic flu”. Transient but very intense at the beginning of the adoption of the ketogenic diet, these symptoms generally disappear after 4 weeks of diet.

The ketogenic diet involves such a reduction in the consumption of fruits and vegetables that it presents risk of deficiencies. Your body may lack vitamins, minerals and fiber. During a keto diet low in carbohydrates, there is also a drop in the intake of thiamine, folate, magnesium, calcium, iron and iodine, micronutrients that our body needs.

By upsetting the body’s mineral balance, the ketogenic diet can also cause excess calcium in the urine, often associated with a citrate deficiency. In other words, he increases the risk of kidney stones.

In rare cases, the effects of the ketogenic diet can be even more serious and pose a life-threatening risk. In a state of ketosis, it is possible for ketones – which are acidic compounds – to build up in the blood and change blood pH. Ketone bodies then alter the acid-base balance of the body. This is called ketoacidosis.

In which case should the ketogenic diet be banned?

It is not recommended to follow a keto diet if you suffer from liver failure or pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas), porphyria (a blood disease) or fat metabolism disorders, a deficiency hereditary in carnitine and its enzymes.

Conclusion

Unless you have a health condition that justifies it, the keto diet seems to present too many risks to be a recommended diet. If you are convinced that your extra pounds come from your excess sugar, go for a low carb diet, that is to say, which reduces sugars rather than the ketogenic diet which excludes them almost completely.
If you still want to try this diet, we advise you to adopt it only for a very short time, being accompanied by a nutritionist and your general practitioner to monitor your state of health. In this case, you may want to read up on the keto diet.

What are ketones or ketone bodies?

When your body is in ketosis, which means it starts using fat instead of carbohydrates for energy because it doesn’t have enough insulin to move glucose from blood to cells, the breakdown of fat produces energy and ketones, also known as “ketone bodies”.