A recent study by several American universities showed that the ketogenic diet, which is becoming more popular than the Atkins diet, can help you lose extra pounds faster than exercise. Since not everyone trying to lose weight likes to play sports, we decided to learn more about the ketogenic diet and its effectiveness.
We suggests that you familiarize yourself with the principles of the ketogenic diet to see if this diet is right for you. Either way, you should remember to consult a doctor before starting any diet.
The Diet Description
Normally, our body receives energy from carbohydrates, transforming them into glucose. However, if carbohydrates are lacking, the body begins to use fat to obtain the necessary energy level.
The ketogenic diet is used by athletes and participants in marathons or triathlons who require especially high endurance.
According to several studies, the ketogenic diet helps to suppress the production of ghrelin, the hunger hormone.
The ketogenic diet is different from other diets because by following its rules, the person loses weight due to fat loss, which means that the muscle mass remains the same.
Proteins, Fats, And Carbs
The main nutritional element during the ketogenic diet is fat, which accounts for 75% of all food intake. Then the protein continues at 20% and carbohydrates should represent only 5% of the total food intake.
The main condition of this diet is that sugar is completely excluded from the menu, as well as any products based on flour.
Do you want to know how to calculate the necessary amount of proteins, fats and carbohydrates? In fact, it is very easy.
For every 2 pounds of your weight, you will need 1 g of protein. Suppose you weigh 200 pounds. In that case, you will need 90 g of protein. In addition, you will need 3.75 times more fat, which is about 12 ounces, and four times fewer carbohydrates, which would be about 23 g.
What Is And Isn’t Allowed
As we mentioned earlier, this diet almost completely excludes carbohydrates, while the basis of nutrition should consist of foods with high concentrations of fat and protein.
Allowed foods:
- Oil and butter (ketogenic diet nutritionists specifically recommend coconut oil and butter)
- Nuts
- Eggs
- Any meat including pork, poultry, and seafood
- Mushrooms
- Green vegetables with a high concentration of fiber (which improves digestion) and tomatoes
- Full-fat dairy products excluding milk
Forbidden foods
- Any flour products
- Processed meat products (e.g. sausages) because they contain sugar
- Vegetables with a high concentration of sugar and carbs, such as corn and potatoes
- Fresh fruits and dried fruits (only some berries are allowed)
- Any alcohol and cereal that contain sugar
There are many keto recipes so you can enjoy a variety of delicious dishes and never get tired of the diet. Thanks to this table you can find out how many proteins, fats, and carbohydrates can be found in different foods.
The Diet Specifics
The main advantage of the ketogenic diet is that rapid weight loss occurs due to the dissolution of fat without involving muscle mass. Also, you will never be hungry.
This diet allows you to snack on allowed foods, and you don’t even have to give up fried foods! But what are the basic principles of this diet?
The ketogenic diet does not require you to eat different foods separately. You can eat meat with any of the allowed foods, whether it’s mushrooms or eggs.
You won’t have to give up salt, which adds flavor to food and helps restore electrolyte balance.
This diet cannot become a diet forever because it is out of balance.
Although there are no recommendations on the amount of calories, you should not consume more than 5,000 calories a day, otherwise you will not see results.
The diet does not limit the time of food intake to the standard 18 hours. You can eat at any time, but of course, in reasonable quantities.
The hardest thing to eliminate are carbohydrates. If you can’t imagine your life without potatoes, pasta, or fruit, this diet would hardly be right for you.
During the diet, you may feel a specific acetone odor in your mouth, which is a side effect of ketone production in your body. That is why it is very important not to drink less than eight glasses of water a day.
Celebrities Who Use The Ketogenic Diet
This diet became popular thanks to Kim Kardashian, who lost 60 pounds after giving birth.
The famous actress Halle Berry, who has a beautiful body, admits that this is due to the ketogenic diet that she follows from time to time.
Adriana Lima and Megan Fox, who is believed to be among the most beautiful women on the planet, also follow carb-free diets.
Would you like to try the ketogenic diet? Let us know your opinion in the comment section.
Preview photo credit Kim Kardashian/instagram, PacificCoastNews/eastnews
