Ketogenic Diet: A Detailed Beginner's Guide to the Ketogenic Diet

The ketogenic diet (or keto diet for short) is a low-carb, high-fat eating plan that offers many health benefits.

In fact, about 20 studies show that this type of diet can help you lose weight and improve health keto shopping list.

Ketogenic diets can have benefits even against diabetes, cancer, epilepsy, and Alzheimer's.

Here's a detailed beginner's guide to the keto diet.

What is a ketogenic diet?

The ketogenic diet is a low-carbohydrate, high-fat eating plan that shares many similarities with the Atkins and low-carbohydrate diets.

This diet involves drastically reducing carbohydrates and replacing them with fat. This decrease exposes the body to a metabolic state called ketosis.

When this happens, the body becomes incredibly efficient and manages to convert all the fat into energy. It also converts fat into ketones within the liver, which can supply more energy to the brain.

Ketogenic diets can cause reductions in blood sugar and insulin levels. This, along with increased ketones, provides numerous health benefits.

Different types of ketogenic diets

There are many versions of ketogenic diets, including:

• The standard ketogenic diet (DCE): It is a very low-carbohydrate eating plan, with a moderate protein intake and high in fat. It normally contains 75% fat, 20% protein, and only 5% carbohydrates.
• The Cyclical Ketogenic Diet (DCC): This plan involves periods of higher carb refills, for example 5 keto days followed by 2 carb days.
• The adapted ketogenic diet (DCA): Allows you to add carbohydrates on training days.
• The high protein ketogenic diet: It is similar to a standard ketogenic diet, but includes more protein. Normal is usually 60% fat, 35% protein and 5% carbohydrates.

However, only the standard and high-protein ketogenic diets have been thoroughly studied. Cyclical or adapted diets are more advanced methods and are mainly used by athletes or bodybuilders.

The information in this article mostly applies to the Standard Ketogenic Diet (DCE), although most of the principles apply to the other types as well.

Ketogenic diets can help you lose weight

A ketogenic diet is an effective way to lose weight and reduce risk factors for some diseases.

In fact, research shows that the ketogenic diet outperforms the low-fat diets that are often recommended.

What's more, the goal of the diet is that you can lose weight without counting calories or keeping track of calorie intake.

One study found that people who follow a ketogenic diet lose 2.2 times more weight than those who cut calories and fat. Triglycerides and HDL cholesterol levels also show improvement.

Another study found that people on ketogenic diets lose 3 times more weight than those who follow the traditional ones recommended by Diabetes UK (UK charity).

There are many reasons why the ketogenic diet is better than the low-fat ones, such as increasing your protein intake, which provides numerous benefits.

Increased ketones, decreased sugar levels, and improved insulin sensitivity could also play a role.

Ketogenic diets for diabetes and prediabetes

Diabetes is characterized by changes in metabolism, increased blood sugar, and impaired insulin functions.

The ketogenic diet can help you lose excess fat, which is closely related to type 2 diabetes, prediabetes, and metabolic syndrome.

One study found that the ketogenic diet improved insulin sensitivity by a whopping 75% increase.

In another study of people with type 2 diabetes, it was found that 7 of the 21 participants were able to stop taking all diabetes medications.

In yet another study, the ketogenic group lost 24.4 pounds (11.1 kg), compared to 15.2 pounds (6.9 kg) that the high-carb group lost. It is an important benefit when we consider the relationship between weight and type 2 diabetes.

Additionally, 95.2% of the ketogenic group were able to stop or reduce diabetes medications, compared to 62% of the high-carbohydrate group.

Other health benefits of the keto diet

The current ketogenic diet originated as a way to treat neurological diseases, such as epilepsy.

Some studies have shown that the diet can have benefits in a wide variety of diseases:

• Heart disease: The ketogenic diet can improve risk factors such as body fat, HDL cholesterol levels, blood pressure, and blood sugar.
• Cancer: Today, this diet has been used to treat many types of cancer and reduce the growth of tumors.
• Alzheimer's: The keto diet may reduce Alzheimer's symptoms and slow their progression.
• Epilepsy: Research has shown that the ketogenic diet can greatly reduce seizures in children.
• Parkinson's: One study found that diet helped improve Parkinson's symptoms.
• Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome: The ketogenic diet can help lower insulin levels, which could play a critical role in PCOS.
• Brain injuries: An animal study found that diet can reduce concussions and help patients recover from these injuries.
• Acne: Lowering your insulin levels and reducing your intake of sugar or processed foods could improve acne.

However, it should be noted that the studies carried out are far from conclusive.

Foods to Avoid

Any food high in carbohydrates should be avoided.

Here is a list of foods that should be reduced or eliminated on a ketogenic diet:

• Sugary foods: Soft drinks, fruit juices, smoothies, cakes, ice cream, sweets, etc.
• Cereals or starches: Products derived from wheat, rice, pasta, cereals, etc.
• Fruit: All fruits except small portions of berries, such as strawberries.
• Beans or legumes: Peas, kidney beans, lentils, chickpeas, etc.
• Root and tuber vegetables: Potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots, parsnips, etc.
• Dietary or low-fat products: They are usually highly processed and rich in carbohydrates.
• Some condiments or sauces: Especially those that contain sugar and saturated fat.
• Saturated fats: Limit your intake of refined oils, mayonnaise, etc.
• Alcohol: Due to their high carbohydrate content, many alcoholic beverages must be eliminated on a ketogenic diet.
• Sugar-free diet foods: These are usually rich in sugar alcohols, which can affect ketone levels. These foods also tend to be highly processed.