Ketogenic diet: diet, ways to create a menu

Ketogenic diet breakfast

If out of the whole list of fad diets you decide to try the keto diet, then it would make sense to consider a possible diet and ways to create a menu.

When switching to a ketogenic diet, you should cut down on your carbohydrates in favor of protein, starchy vegetables, and healthy fats.

This way of eating is necessary for the body to enter a state of ketosis, when body fat is the main source of energy. Instead of carbohydrates.

When you switch to this type of diet, your body will enter a state of ketosis within 1-3 days. In addition, this state can be entered during fasting (as we have already said) or when practicing hypocaloric diets, when the daily caloric content of food does not exceed 600-800 kilocalories. Do not forget that all changes in the diet must be approved by specialists to avoid damage to health.

Possible risks and benefits of switching to a ketogenic diet and a proper diet

There are three points that can be clearly defined as the benefits of such a diet. It is an aid in the treatment of type 2 diabetes, an aid in the treatment of epilepsy and weight loss. Prospective research by scientists shows that such a diet can improve the glycemic index and, in particular, the key indicator of the biochemical blood test A1C. It measures your average blood sugar levels over the past two to three months. In this case, a decrease in drug intake is possible due to an improvement in these indicators.

But there is a "but". This is especially true for beginners using this diet. When increasing the amount of fat in the diet, there is always the danger of replacing it with semisaturated fats, which contribute to an increase in high-density lipoproteins and, as a consequence, to an increase in the level of "bad" cholesterol in the blood. And this may not have the best effect on the state of the cardiovascular system. Pay attention to this. If you have questions, ask your doctor.

The same goes for complex epilepsy treatment.

When it comes to weight loss, the ketogenic diet allows you to reduce your weight in no time. And indeed it is. During the first week, you will notice progress in this direction. Your body will quickly begin to burn glycogen, the body's carbohydrate stores. And also in the initial stage, you will lose a lot of water.

But such a diet can be effective not only in the first week, but also for a long period of time. And as scientists say, this is accomplished on the plus point that the ketogenic diet effectively suppresses hunger.

Restricting your diet can also be inconvenient in terms of visiting public places or meeting acquaintances. This must also be taken into account.

What to consider when creating a menu for a ketogenic diet

If you have chosen such a dietary system, you should be ready to radically change the parameters and proportions of your usual diet. About 60-80% of all calories will enter your body from fat. This means that you will be consuming meat, oils, fats, and a very limited amount of starchy vegetables. This is very different from a simple low-carb diet, as the ketogenic diet consumes even fewer carbohydrates.

The rest of the calories will come from protein, about 1 gram per kilogram of body weight. For example, a woman who weighs 64 kg will need 64 grams of protein per day. When it comes to carbs, you need 20 to 50 grams of carbs per day to be in ketosis.

The most important thing to watch out for is when the body "jumps" out of ketosis. And achieving this is simple: eat, for example, a small portion of blueberries or blueberries so that the body switches to energy nutrition with carbohydrates.

Diet and Ketogenic Diet: Finding Out What Foods You Can & Can't

The time has come to give the experts a chance to speak. Kristen Marchinelli, a New York-based nutritionist and author of a book on the ketogenic diet, offers the following recommendations for ketogenic foods:

Protein (or protein)(understand that the ketogenic diet focuses on fats and requires a moderate protein intake)

Free consumption:not factory beef, fish, especially fatty salmon.
Sometimes:bacon, lean proteins like skinless chicken, shrimp. These are not bad foods to include on a keto diet, but spice them up with a little greasy sauce instead of unconditioned.
Never:cold cuts with added sugar (see label), meats marinated in sweet sauces, fish or chicken nuggets.

Oil and grease

Abundant consumption:avocado oil, coconut oil, olive oil, cow oil, heavy cream.
Sometimes(Limit your intake of these foods, mainly avoiding packaged foods that often contain them): sunflower oil, corn oil, safflower oil.
Never:margarine, trans fat.

Fruits and vegetables

Abundant consumption:avocado, vegetables like spinach and arugula, celery, asparagus.
Sometimes(All of this is also a great option, but you must count when consuming carbohydrates): zucchini, squash, squash, eggplant, leek.
Never:potatoes, corn, raisins.

Nuts and seeds

Abundantly:walnuts, flax and chia seeds, almonds.
Sometimes:unsweetened nut butters (almond or peanut butter), cashews, pistachios.
Never:Nut / dried fruit mixes, sweetened nuts or seed oils, nuts in chocolate.

Dairy products

Free consumption:Cheddar cheese, blue cheese, cream cheese, feta cheese.
Sometimes:fatty cottage cheese, fatty Greek yogurt, fatty ricotta cheese.
Never:milk, sweetened skimmed yogurt, ice cream.

Sugar substitutes

Consumption:Practice moderation in using different types.
Sometimes:stevia, erythritol, xylitol.
Never:agave, honey, maple syrup, white and brown sugar.

Condiments and sauces

Free:guacamole, lemon butter sauce, mayo (keep sugar free).
Sometimes:tomato sauce (no added sugars), raw garlic, balsamic sauce.
Never:barbecue sauce, ketchup, mustard and honey.

Drinks

Free:water, almond milk, bone broth, natural tea.
Sometimes:black coffee (control caffeine intake), sugar-free soft drinks, calorie-free drinks.
Never:sweet sodas, fruit juices.

Herbs and spices

Abundant consumption(all herbs and spices are suitable for the keto diet, but Mancini advises counting carbohydrates with a large intake of them): salt, pepper, oregano, thyme, paprika, cayenne pepper.
Sometimes:ground ginger, garlic powder, onion powder.
Never:absent.
In general, spices are approved in small amounts, whatever it is to add flavor to food that is cooked.

Additives

Also, we are considering taking fiber, multivitamins (Mancinelli says this can improve and accelerate the entry into ketosis, but there is no strict recommendation for its intake, decide for yourself).

MCT Oil - Medium Chain Triglyceride Oil (Organic Coconut Oil).

Exogenous ketones.

A more detailed list of foods for the diet.

Below is a list of the best foods to include in your ketogenic diet along with serving sizes and explanations of why these foods should be preferred.

Oils

Avocado oil

1 tablespoon contains 124 calories: 0 grams of protein, 0 grams of carbohydrates, 14 grams of fat.
Benefits: It is a good source of heart-healthy monounsaturated fatty acids.

Canola oil (or canola oil)

The content of calories and proteins, carbohydrates and fats is the same as in the previous case.
Advantages: Research shows that canola oil (canola oil) can lower total and bad cholesterol levels.

Coconut oil

One tablespoon contains 114 kcal, 0 g of protein, 0 g of carbohydrates, 14 g of fat.
Advantages: The large amount of saturated acids helps to increase the level of "good" cholesterol.

MCT oil

One tablespoon contains 115 kcal, 0 grams of protein, 0 grams of carbohydrates, 14 grams of fat.
Advantages of use: Several studies show that MCT oil can help you lose weight and help you enter ketosis.

Cow oil

One tablespoon contains 100 calories, 0 grams of protein and net carbs, and 11 grams of fat.
Benefits: Although it contains 11 grams of fat, studies have shown that cow oil is not the cause of heart disease and diabetes.

Cheddar cheese (or equivalent)

A medium slice of cheese contains 113 calories, 0 grams of net carbohydrates, 7 grams of protein, and 9 grams of fat.
Advantages of use: you can take cheese without restrictions. In addition, studies have shown that lovers of raw food have a 12% lower risk of diabetes.

Thick cream

One tablespoon contains 52 calories, 5 grams of fat, and contains no protein or carbohydrates.
Benefits: This product is an easy way to add fat to your ketogenic diet.

Meat products

Bacon

One slice contains 43 calories, 3 grams of fat and 3 grams of protein, 0 grams of carbohydrates.
Advantages of use: For some, the presence of such meat products in the ketogenic diet is one of the reasons why some people choose this particular diet. After all, meat makes food tastier.

But remember to keep an eye on the sodium content of this product. After all, some manufacturers are not averse to adding it there.

Chicken thigh

There are 318 calories per serving of thighs, without carbohydrates, 32 grams of protein and 20 grams of fat.
Benefit: Leaves the skin for excess fat in the diet. Chicken thigh is a great source of selenium, zinc, and B vitamins.

Chicken eggs

There are 77 calories per egg, carbohydrates - 1 g, protein - 6 g, fat - 5 g.
Benefit: Eggs contain a wonderful duo of protein and fat. And also antioxidant - selenium.

Ground beef

50 grams of minced meat contains 279 calories, 12 grams of protein and 24 grams of fat, without carbohydrates.
Benefits: Ground beef made with a ratio of 70% lean meat to 30% fat is an additional source of fat in the diet. In addition, it is a source of vitamin B12, which maintains the necessary energy levels in the body.

Vegetables

Asparagus

There are 27 calories in 1 cup of the product, 2 grams of carbohydrates, 3 grams of protein, no fat.
Benefits: Asparagus is a source of material for the bone system: calcium. In addition to other trace elements such as magnesium and potassium that regulate blood sugar levels.

Avocado

Half of the fruit has 167 calories, 2 grams of carbohydrates, 2 grams of protein, 15 grams of fat.
Benefit: A fatty fruit that is high in fiber, which may be missing from your ketogenic diet. It is also rich in vitamin C to boost immunity.

Cauliflower

One cup has 25 calories, 2 grams of carbohydrates, 2 grams of protein, no fat.
Benefit: Provides more than three-quarters of your daily need for vitamin K, which has a positive effect on heart function.

Celery

One cup has 16 calories per gram of carbohydrates and protein, without fat.
Benefits: it is a source of natural water, in addition to vitamins A, K and folic acid.

Cucumber

Half a cup of slices contains 8 calories, 2 grams of carbohydrates, no protein or fat.
Benefit: full of natural water, in addition to vitamin K, necessary to regulate blood clotting.

Green pepper

One cup has 18 calories, 2 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of protein, no fat.
Benefit: Along with the content of more than the daily value, vitamin C, it is also an excellent source of vitamin B6, which is involved in more than a hundred enzymatic reactions in the body.

Leaf salad

One cup is 5 calories, 1 gram of carbohydrates and that's it.
Benefit: Leafy greens are easy to add to your diet. A low calorie product. And also vitamins A and C, which are useful for the skin.

Mushrooms

There are 15 calories per cup, 1 gram of carbohydrates, 2 grams of protein, 0 grams of fat.
Benefits: Mushrooms are known for their immune-boosting properties and an excellent source of vitamins, as shown in one study.

Noodles with shrimp and tomatoes a variant of the ketogenic diet (2)

Menu for 7 days, if you have chosen a keto diet, whose diet we reviewed

Day 1

Breakfast: scrambled eggs with avocado salad
Snacks: sunflower seeds
Lunch: spinach salad with grilled salmon.
Snack: strips of pepper and celery soaked in guacamole
Dinner: pork chop with cauliflower and red cabbage salad.

Day 2

Breakfast: bulletproof coffee, hard-boiled eggs.
Snack: macadamia nuts
Lunch: tuna salad stuffed with tomato.
Appetizer: roast beef and sliced cheese salad
Dinner: Zucchini Noodle Meatballs with Creamy Sauce

Day 3

Breakfast: Cheese and vegetable omelette with sauce.
Snack: nonfat plain Greek yogurt with chopped walnuts
Lunch: sashimi with miso soup.
Snack: smoothie made with almond milk, herbs, almond butter and protein powder.
Dinner: fried chicken with asparagus stuffed with mushrooms.

Day 4

Breakfast: smoothie made with almond milk, herbs, almond oil and protein powder
Appetizers: two hard-boiled eggs
Lunch: chicken thighs with almond flour with herbs, cucumbers and goat cheese.
Afternoon snack: sliced cheese and bell pepper chunks
Dinner: grilled prawns with lemon sauce and asparagus

Day 5

Breakfast: scrambled eggs with bacon and herbs
Snack: a handful of walnuts with a quarter cup of berries
Lunch: hamburger with organic meat, avocado and lettuce.
Snack: pieces of celery bathed in almond oil.
Dinner: Baked tofu with broccoli, cauliflower and pepper and homemade peanut sauce

Day 6

Breakfast: Baked Eggs in Avocado Halves
Snack: French fries
Lunch: avocado rolls with salmon wrapped in seaweed
Snack: pieces of turkey or pork
Dinner: grilled beef kebab with pepper and broccoli stew.

Day 7

Breakfast: omelette with vegetables and sauce.
Snack: cheese and strips of dried seaweed.
Lunch: sardine salad with mayonnaise and avocado.
Snack: jerky turkey (no added sugar)
Dinner: Buttered roast turkey and roasted bok choy

This is the ketogenic diet menu offered by an American nutritionist. With a special wish and in big cities, there are no problems finding food.

The truth is, don't prepare for a low cost. Healthy and high-quality fats, organic meat is quite expensive. But you can always find cheaper options, adapted to our reality and according to the possibilities.