Ketogenic diets are becoming increasingly popular in health and wellness circles.The term "ketogenesis" describes the body's process of creating special organic substances - ketones - that act as a source of energy (in addition to fatty acids) when carbohydrate intake is reduced.
This is an ideal way to lose weight for fatty meat lovers who can do without bread and sweets.
Thus, ketogenic diets initially include high intakes of protein and fat and very low amounts of carbohydrates.As a result, the body must use fats and ketone bodies as an energy source rather than glucose from carbohydrates to fuel the brain, heart, kidneys, muscles and other tissues in the body.
The ketogenic diet is becoming a staple among health and fitness enthusiasts, with many clinical studies supporting its therapeutic properties.These benefits typically include improved mental function, more stable energy levels, faster weight loss, and increased resilience to stress.
Although you already know that the keto diet is a low-carb eating plan, there is still a lot to learn about how to stick to this eating plan and achieve results without failure.In this guide, we'll take a closer look at the physiology and benefits of this diet, the different types/options of meal plans, and how to create your own menu (along with an example meal schedule).
What is a ketogenic diet plan?
The ketogenic diet is a low-carb eating pattern that includes moderate protein intake and high amounts of healthy fats.Reducing your carbohydrate intake helps your body transition to a state that promotes the breakdown of fats (both from your diet and from your body) to produce ketone bodies and enter a state known as “nutritional ketosis.”
But what is ketosis?Ketosis is a natural metabolic process where your body uses fats for biological energy production during times of nutritional deficiency (mostly carbohydrates).
When following a ketogenic diet, your brain, like other organs, depends on ketones for energy.Ketones begin to be produced in the body once you have reached a state of nutritional ketosis.
How many kg can you lose?
All results are strictly individual.After analyzing 6 studies that focused on the ketogenic diet, participants were able to lose between 3.2 kilograms and 12 kilograms after 6 months.The approximate average value of kg of excess weight lost is about 6 kg over six months.
What does a ketogenic diet plan consist of?
A typical plan for this diet looks like this (no matter how long it lasts): 10% of your total daily calories come from healthy carbohydrates, such as leafy greens, non-starchy vegetables, or small amounts of legumes and high-fiber fruits;20% to 30% of calories come from protein, such as meat and some plants;and 60% to 70% of calories come from healthy fats such as flaxseed oil, fish oil, avocado, nuts/seeds.
This approximate macronutrient ratio is a general guideline for all meals for the day.The ideal micronutrient ratio for you may need to be adjusted slightly depending on your physical activity and personal goals.
To calculate your energy needs on the ketosis diet, use a basic daily calorie requirement calculator, then proportion your calories using the macronutrient ratios above.Remember that protein and carbohydrates contain four calories per gram;fats contain nine calories per gram.
Basics and rules of the ketogenic diet
The keto diet is more like replacing one source of calories with others you consume rather than a complete overhaul of your diet.The biggest difference is avoiding processed foods, carbohydrates, and high-sugar foods, which is much easier than it sounds once you learn how to replace high-sugar foods with high-protein and high-fat foods.
Going on this diet means that you will be eating a lot of meat, dairy products and vegetables.You will consume very little fruit, if any, and no grains at all.
The role of protein in the ketogenic diet
People who adopt a ketogenic diet support the idea of eating protein-rich and filling foods.Along with a high percentage of fat, you will need to control your protein intake.It's important to understand how protein works in the keto diet and how to get optimal results.
Since you're essentially eliminating carbohydrates from your diet, some people find that they need to increase their protein intake.This is not true, and in fact, too much protein can actually “kick” you out of ketosis.A common mistake is that people view the ketogenic diet as a high protein, high fat diet.This is incorrect because it is a high fat, moderate protein and limited carbohydrate diet.
Why is eating too much protein while on a ketosis diet bad?
As explained earlier, ketosis occurs when the body uses ketones for fuel instead of carbohydrates.People don't realize that in the absence of carbohydrates, your body can generate energy by breaking down proteins into glucose.This process is called gluconeogenesis.If you consume more protein than your body needs, the body responds by raising insulin levels and decreasing blood ketone levels.
What does it mean?
This means that if you restrict your carbohydrates, your body may instead go into gluconeogenesis instead of ketosis, and you will not experience any benefits from the ketogenic diet.
How to control your protein intake
Now that you have a brief understanding of why too much protein is not good for the ketogenic diet, it's time to learn how much protein you need to eat per day on the keto diet to stay in ketosis.
You can use the keto diet calculator to enter all your details and find out how many carbs, proteins, and fats you should be consuming based on your body type.It also depends on your lifestyle (how active you are) as well as your age, gender, etc.
Now that you have a brief understanding of why too much protein is not good for the ketogenic diet, it's time to learn how much protein you need to eat per day on the keto diet to stay in ketosis.
You can use the keto diet calculator to enter all your details and find out how many carbs, proteins, and fats you should be consuming based on your body type.It also depends on your lifestyle (how active you are) as well as your age, gender, etc.
How to Eat More Vegetables on a Ketogenic Diet
Most vegetables are low in carbs, meaning you can eat a fairly large meal and still consume fewer calories than a single serving of other types of keto-friendly foods.Vegetables are high in fiber, which is not only great for controlling your appetite, but is also good for your digestive system and overall health.
If you're not used to eating several servings of vegetables every day (because let's be honest, many of us don't eat vegetables every day), this positive change isn't that hard to make part of your diet.
Types of Safe Vegetables
You want dark and leafy vegetables.Anything that looks like spinach or kale.Vegetables grown above ground (cruciferous vegetables) are optimal.
But be careful...
Because there are vegetables that you need to avoid while dieting because they contain high amounts of carbohydrates.These are mainly root vegetables that are grown underground.Here are some vegetables to limit:
- Onion
- garlic
- mushrooms
- tomatoes
- pepper
- leek
- potato
Table of carbohydrate content in vegetables
| Name | Number of carbohydrates, g |
| Garlic | 30.96 |
| Sweet potato | 23.78 |
| Tarot | 22.36 |
| Water chestnuts | 20.94 |
| Sweet potato | 17.12 |
| Potato | 16.77 |
| Corn | 16.32 |
| Ginger | 15.77 |
| Green peas | 13.57 |
| Parsnip | 13.09 |
| Leek | 12.35 |
| Lotus root | 12.33 |
| Chestnuts | 9.69 |
| Soybeans | 8.47 |
| Onion | 7.64 |
| Celery | 7.4 |
| Chili pepper | 7.31 |
| Carrot | 6.48 |
| Beet | 6.46 |
| Sweet onion | 6.64 |
| Swede | 6.32 |
| grape leaves | 6.31 |
| Pumpkin | 6 |
| Dandelion | 5.7 |
| Yellow pepper | 5.42 |
| Mini carrot | 5.34 |
| Red cabbage | 5.27 |
| Kale | 5.15 |
| Brussels sprouts | 5.15 |
| Artichokes | 5.11 |
| Enoki mushrooms | 5.11 |
| Peas | 4.95 |
| Shallot | 4.74 |
| Turnip | 4.63 |
| Shiitake mushrooms | 4.29 |
| Mitaka mushrooms | 4.27 |
| Okra | 4.25 |
| Dill | 4.2 |
| Bean sprouts | 4.12 |
| Broccoli | 4.04 |
| Physalis | 3.94 |
| Red pepper | 3.93 |
| Choke | 3.88 |
| Radicchio | 3.58 |
| Cucumber | 3.19 |
| White cabbage | 3.07 |
| Bamboo stalk | 3 |
| Green cabbage | 3 |
| Seranno pepper | 3 |
| Cauliflower | 2.97 |
| Green pepper | 2.94 |
| Eggplant | 2.88 |
| Olive | 2.8 |
| Tomatoes | 2.69 |
| Kohlrabi | 2.6 |
| Champignons | 2.57 |
| Porcini mushrooms | 2.26 |
| Swiss chard | 2.14 |
| Zucchini | 2.11 |
| Arugula | 2.05 |
| Chinese cabbage | 2.03 |
| Green onions | 1.85 |
| Avocado | 1.84 |
| Radish | 1.8 |
| Asparagus | 1.78 |
| Mustard greens | 1.47 |
| Spinach | 1.43 |
| Parsley | 1.37 |
| bok choy | 1.18 |
| Nopales | 1.13 |
| Watercress | 0.79 |
| Broccoli tops | 0.15 |
Saturated and unsaturated fats
Don't let these great words confuse you.Simply put, different types of fat behave differently in our bodies, which actually means that not all fats are bad for us.
Saturated fats are usually solid at room temperature (butter), while unsaturated fats are liquid at room temperature (olive oil).Saturated fats are found in animal products such as meat, dairy and eggs, while unsaturated fats come from plant sources such as nuts and seeds, and some vegetables (avocados and olives).
On a ketogenic diet, you'll consume a certain amount of fat per day depending on your specific parameters and diet goals, so do your best to consume equal amounts of saturated and unsaturated fat for best results.
Foods you shouldn't eat on a diet
To increase your likelihood of success in losing weight, you need to remove as much junk food from your diet as possible.This is important to prevent temporary weakness.
List of prohibited products:
Cereals and starch products
- Flour, pizza, pasta, bread, cookies, cereals, crackers, corn, oats, potatoes, rice and baked goods.
Anything with sugar
- Any refined sugar, sweets, desserts, fruit juices, milk chocolate, baked goods, sodas, etc.
Reduce Omega-6 Fatty Acids
- A typical diet has a ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids of 20:1. In this same diet, it should be no more than 4:1.
- Stay away from factory-farmed fish and pork due to their high Omega-6 content.
- Avoid oils such as soybean, canola, peanut, sesame, sunflower, corn and grapeseed.
Most fruits
- It is recommended to avoid most fruits, but if you decide to indulge in fruit, you can eat berries in small quantities.
- Stay away from dried fruits
Legumes
- Avoid eating any beans, peas or lentils due to their high carbohydrate content.
Processed foods
- Avoid packaged foods that contain trans fats, preservatives, added sugar, and any other junk you can't even pronounce.
Alcohol
- Avoid beer, sugary alcoholic drinks and sweet wine.
Artificial sweeteners
- Sweeteners such as sucralose or others that contain aspartame may cause excessive cravings or other problems.
Low fat and low carb foods
- Most of these products are either high in carbohydrates or contain large amounts of artificial ingredients.
Things to consider before starting a diet
As with any lifestyle change, you need to get into the right mindset and plan your journey.If you don't plan your weight loss goals, your chances of success will drop dramatically.You don't want to be the average person who "says" they will change, you want to be the person who actually does it.
Here are 6 tips to follow before committing to the keto diet:
- It's in your best interest to see a professional (doctor and/or nutritionist) before starting this diet to a) have your blood tested to make sure you don't have any underlying health conditions, and b) make sure you have enough knowledge so that you can start eating healthy and not just throwing out foods you think are unhealthy and eating very little.
- Get rid of all foods that are not included in the keto diet.Search your refrigerator, pantry, cupboards and either donate or throw away any foods that are not keto-friendly.
- Learn how to read food labels.Find out what macronutrients are and how to count them.It is necessary to learn the basics before starting a ketogenic diet.
- Gradually reduce your sugar and carbohydrate intake.Your transition into ketosis will be much smoother if you gradually reduce your carb intake rather than jumping right into it.The likelihood of dealing with the “keto flu” will decrease, and you will become more comfortable in the initial stages of your transition to full keto.
- Drink plenty to help your body adapt smoothly.
- Learn how to measure ketone levels.It would be in your best interest to study the levels of ketosis in your diet so that you know how to eliminate any future problems. What are the benefits of eating this way?
What is the benefit of such nutrition?
Clinical studies and scientific evidence suggest that the ketogenic diet provides many health benefits for girls: increased energy, weight loss, increased cognitive performance, support for blood sugar balance, and improved cardiovascular health.
Improved mental function
When following a ketogenic diet plan, the brain uses ketone bodies instead of glucose as its primary fuel source.This switch helps increase the production of brain-derived neurotrophic factor, which promotes increased neuronal function, improved mental alertness/clarity, and improved cognition.
Improved blood sugar control
Research has shown that low-carb diets help support the body's metabolism of insulin.Reducing carbohydrates helps maintain stable blood glucose levels by breaking down fats and proteins (which are long-term sources of energy).
Weight loss
The low-calorie ketogenic diet encourages your body to use fat for fuel, and clinical evidence supports its effectiveness for weight loss.Additionally, a ketogenic diet can help suppress your appetite and reduce food cravings because ketones increase satiety signals in your brain.
Increased Energy
In ketosis, your body uses fats and ketones as fuel instead of glucose, providing the body and brain with the constant energy needed to maintain physical performance.
Improved cardiovascular function
Research shows that a ketogenic diet can help maintain a healthy balance of blood lipids in women.In fact, inflammation and oxidative stress tend to be lower in people who follow a keto diet than in those who follow a high-carb diet.
Keto Diet Plan Options
Changes in the scheme will depend on your goals and body characteristics.
It is generally recommended to use a standard keto diet during the initial transition to a low-carb lifestyle and into a state of ketosis.Once your body has become “fat-adapted as an energy provider,” you can experiment a little and decide which keto diet plan to follow long-term.
Standard
The standard keto diet plan is best for people who are just starting a low-carb diet and want to quickly adapt to ketosis.This plan is also suitable for those who want to improve their health and physical endurance.
Focused
If you've noticed that strictly following a standard keto diet leaves you sluggish and unable to fully exercise throughout the week, then this is the perfect way to integrate intermittent carb loading with a targeted keto diet.To do this, consume about 30-50 grams of carbohydrates along with moderate proteins and fats as a pre-workout (up to five times a week).
Cyclical
The cyclical keto diet meal plan is a progressive type of ketogenic diet that entails intermittent “repeated” carbohydrate loading on certain days of the week.For example, you can replenish with 300 grams of carbohydrates integrated into your diet (you should reduce your fat intake on these days).This allows your body to replenish muscle glycogen and may be the best option for very active people and those who exercise a lot.
The next section is about special supplements that you should consider when following a ketogenic diet meal plan.Read on to learn all about the supplements we recommend to optimize your ketogenic lifestyle!
What supplements should I take?
Exogenous ketones
Exogenous ketones are typically bioavailable salts of beta-hydroxybutyrate, a source of exogenous ketones that quickly induce ketosis (usually within 30 minutes).
How does this work?
Causes acute nutritional ketosis within 15 minutes of ingestion.Acute ketosis occurs when blood ketone levels simultaneously rise above 0.5 millimoles per liter.
TSC oil
MCT oil is a mixture of caprylic (C8) and capric (C10) triglyceric acids, special types of medium chain triglycerides.TSC may help support cognitive function, and preclinical studies suggest that TSC may also help mitochondrial function.TSC oil supplements also temporarily increase ketone levels, which serve as an alternative energy source for the brain and muscle tissue.
How does this work?
Helps increase ketone production and provides energy.Medium triglyceride supplements may temporarily increase ketone production compared to regular long chain triglycerides.
Electrolyte/mineral supplements
Electrolyte levels in your body may drop when you are on a keto diet due to decreased cellular hydration.It is advisable to consider using an electrolyte/mineral supplement in such cases, or taking additional minerals in tablet form.
How does this work?
Helps maintain healthy micronutrient levels in the body.
Best Food Selection for the Keto Diet
Below is a complete list of the best approved foods to choose from for a ketogenic eating plan:
Protein sources
- Eggs
- Salmon
- Tuna
- Herring
- Trout
- Steak
- Ground beef
- Turkey
- Sardines
- Lamb
- Pork
- Buffalo meat
- Chicken
- Protein powder (whey, casein, etc.)
Vegetables
- Asparagus
- Bean sprouts
- Broccoli
- Brussels sprouts
- Cabbage (bok choy, green, red)
- Cauliflower
- Celery
- Cucumber
- Eggplant
- Green or green beans
- Artichoke
- Kimchi
- Leafy greens (arugula, dandelion, spinach, Swiss chard, radicchio, watercress)
- Lettuce
- Mushrooms
- Okra
- Onions (green, brown, red, shallots)
- Peppers (jalapeno, sweet, chili)
- Radish
- Sauerkraut
- Seaweed
- Sprouts
- Sugar snap peas, snow peas
- Tomatoes
- Turnip
- Water chestnuts
Oils and fats
- Avocado
- Sunflower oil
- Avocado oil
- Coconut oil
- Grapeseed oil
- Olive oil
- Sesame oil
- Linseed oil
- Raw nuts/seeds
- Nut oils
- Coconut milk
- Olive
Drinks
- Coffee/espresso
- Non-caffeinated, unsweetened teas (green, mint, chamomile, hibiscus, etc.)
- Mineral water (distilled or sparkling)
- Water
Sweeteners
- Luo Han Guo
- Stevia
- Xylitol
Spices, herbs and seasonings
- Cocoa (powder)
- bone broth
- Flavored extracts (almond, vanilla, etc.)
- Garlic
- Ginger
- Herbs, fresh or dried (dill, basil, onion, cilantro, mint, oregano, rosemary, sage, thyme, etc.)
- Horseradish
- Mustard
- Lemon
- Salsa (unsweetened)
- Soy sauce
- Spices, fresh or dried (chili powder, cardamom, cinnamon, cumin, curry, garlic powder, ginger powder, onion powder, paprika, pepper, turmeric, etc.)
- Vinegar