The Ketogenic Diet: A Detailed Beginner’s Guide to Keto
Ketogenic diet, which is one of the popular forms of nutrition in recent years, was first applied only to support the treatment of some diseases, and now it has started to be applied for slimming.
What Is a Ketogenic Diet?
The ketogenic diet, also known as the keto diet, is a diet low in carbohydrates, rich in fats and protein. Carbohydrate content is more intense in daily life diet programs. This is where we get our daily energy needs.
The ketogenic diet is more commonly used in cancer patients due to the limitation of carbs. Carbohydrate should be maximum 50 g per day. Apart from this, the energy needs are mostly met from fatty and protein foods.
The keto diet is preferred in patients with epilepsy as well as cancer patients. This type of diet is started to be applied especially in children with intense epilepsy attacks and it’s therapeutic.
How is A Ketogenic Diet Done?
The aim of the ketogenic diet is to keep the daily carbohydrate at a maximum of 50 grams and to be fed with high levels of fat and protein. At this point, the type of fat to be taken, the benefits and effects on the body is also very important.
In the keto diet, especially omega 3 fats are recommended. Omega 3 inhibits the development of cancer cells. Omega 6 fat should be also avoided. Since omega 6 Increases the rate of inflammation in the body, it is necessary to avoid such fats when making a ketogenic diet.
Omega 3 sources such as hemp seed oil and linseed oil can be consumed. Omega 6 is in sunflower oil because of this oil should not be consumed. Olive oil and coconut oil can be consumed.
Are There any Harm to The Ketogenic Diet?
The ketogenic diet is nutritionally important in patients with cancer and epilepsy. Apart from its benefits, it also has side effects. It is known that ketogenic diet disrupts digestive system and causes constipation. Because high protein content causes this.
Kidney stones may also occur in the keto diet. Elevated uric acid in the blood can also be observed as a side effect. When ketogenic diet is done under the control of specialist physician and dietitian, side effects are less seen.
Since it is done for at least 2 or 3 years, it is necessary to apply the diet fully in order to get enough benefit from the ketogenic diet and to get rid of the side effects of the drugs in order to see the least side effects.
The Ketogenic Diet is Recommended for What Types of Diseases?
The ketogenic diet is mainly used for cancer patients to prevent tumor progression and as an adjunct in the treatment of epilepsy in children. It is preferred in cancer patients because it prevents the growth of the tumor. Since the source of the tumor cell is simple carbohydrates and protein, the growth of the tumor cell is prevented by reducing them. People lose a lot of weight in this process because the tumor weakens the body too much. This can be prevented by the dietary supplement with high fat and protein content. In this way it is possible for the person to gain body weight which will feel healthy.
Ketogenic Diet for Epilepsy
Although the mechanism of action is not fully explained, ketogenic diet is widely used in epilepsy patients. This diet is used to prevent epilepsy attacks in children. Research has shown that the majority of children on a ketogenic diet have decreased epilepsy attacks and drug use to a great extent.
Epilepsy attacks can be prevented by performing a ketogenic diet and providing low intake of carbohydrates, simple sugars and glucose used by the nervous system.
What Are The Types of Ketogenic Diet?
Ketogenic diet is a kind of diet in which ketones are increased and used as energy source in the body. Because it is used in cancer patients, the goal is to help treat cancer by leaving tumor cells that feed on carbohydrates and glucose without nutrients.
In a ketogenic diet, the amount of energy from glucose, carbohydrates and simple sugar is reduced. Energy is supplied from fat and proteins. Because energy supplies from fats, ketones are released.
Diversifying the ketogenic diet is possible by diversifying the carbohydrates and fat in it. The ketogenic diet can be diversified by using good sources of fat and healthy sources of protein rich in Omega 3 and 9.
What Should The Ketogenic Diet List Include?
The ketogenic diet list should contain fatty and protein foods to obtain protein. Fatty and protein foods are usually foods of animal origin. Chicken, fish and red meat are examples.
Animal products such as dairy products and eggs can also be added to the ketogenic diet. Milk is not preferred in ketogenic diets because of the sugar it contains. It is necessary to avoid sugar and minimize carbohydrates. Yogurt and cheese products should be preferred instead of milk. The first element to be avoided in ketogenic diet is milk. White refined sources should also be avoided. In addition, pasta, rice, flour, prepared foods, market products and canned food should never be consumed.
A Sample Ketogenic Breakfast Plan
If we are going to create a sample menu for ketogenic diets, we should start with breakfast. Bread, cereals and molasses should be avoided for breakfast,. Avoiding bread is due to its carbohydrate content. Since the characteristic of ketogenic diet is to consume low carbohydrates, you should reduce it as much as possible during the day.
A few slices of cheese and eggs can be consumed for breakfast. Raw vegetables and whole-fat yogurt and fruits can also be consumed. Veggie omelet is also suitable. This could be a sample breakfast menu for the ketogenic diet.
A Sample Keto Lunch Plan
The aim of the ketogenic diet is to create a menu that contains low carbohydrate, balanced fat protein ratio in a certain calorie and to create regular meals. Breakfast, lunch and dinner should not be skipped.
A lunch of full-fat cheeses and eggs can be eaten. A salad consisting of herring, mackerel and tuna can be made. Salad dressings should not be used in salads. Red meat, meatballs, chicken shish kebab or chops, as well as foods with a little salad can be created for lunch. This way you will not go outside the ketogenic diet.
A Sample Keto Dinner Plan
In ketogenic diets should not skip meals. Meals should be consumed regularly and in grams. You should eat dinner with foods that are high in fat and protein.
Salads without sauce consisting of full-fat cheeses can be served with grilled meat, tenderloin, steak, meatballs and yoghurt. A vegetable dish made with olive oil can also be eaten.
It is important to have a snack after dinner. For the healthy functioning of metabolism, 1 portion of fruit should be consumed. Daily carbohydrate needs from raw vegetables and fruits can be met.