KETOGENIC DIET

 

Why is it called “ketogenic” and what it consists of:

The ketogenic diet is based on the fact that if we increase the consumption of fats and decrease the consumption of carbohydrates, our body, being deprived of carbohydrates, which are usually its main source of energy, will use fats as fuel.

How? By forming ketone bodies in the liver from fats, hence the name “ketogenic”, these ketone bodies are three: acetone, acetoacetate and beta-hydroxybutyrate (BHB). The last two are the ones that fulfill that energetic function.

Our body will use them as energy, also our brain, but when does this happen? At least after 2 weeks following a diet of these characteristics, sometimes it can be up to 3, depending on the individual, it is the adaptation period, (ketoadaptation).

With the activation of lipolytic metabolism, our body starts to use fat as an energy source, and in a short time, this situation will lead to a loss of body fat.

Ketone bodies will be the preferred energy source in most cells, both in the muscles and in the brain.

Do you understand a little better what the meaning of all this makes? The ketogenic diet can help you lose weight, but not only that, this diet helps you lose it correctly, that is, you lose fat mass and lean mass is preserved.

In addition, if combined with periods of fasting, it contributes to autophagy, which can be very beneficial for our health.

Once we have reached this point, ketoadaptation has already occurred, let’s see what advantages this metabolic state can bring us.

 

 

Advantages of keto adaptation:

• Increases fat consumption, improves body composition and promotes weight loss.
• Improves the lipid profile; increased fat consumption does not imply a risk of heart disease.
• Increases insulin sensitivity, therefore improving glycemic control.
• Saves liver glycogen, an advantage for athletes.
• Increases concentration.
• Reduces tiredness and fatigue.

 

Distribution of macronutrients in the diet ketogenic:

The ketogenic diet, in its strictest version, is characterized by the need to consume between 20 and 30 g of carbohydrates (CH) per day.

This very low amount of carbohydrates represents around 4% of the daily energy required, it is also necessary to limit protein consumption, because excessive consumption can lead to an increase in blood glucose.

The rest will be fats until you reach your energy requirements.

The simplest way to calculate the amount of CH needed is to provide 1 g per kg of body weight /2, if we want complete ketosis. If we prefer to start with a lighter ketosis, provide 1 g per kg of body weight.

For example, I weigh 56 kg, for intense ketosis, I would provide 28 g of CH/day. If you wanted to start softly, 56 g.

A possible distribution of the percentages would be the following:

Carbohydrates	4%
Proteins	26%
Fats	70%

 

Let’s imagine an individual weighing 75 kg. After a complete anamnesis and an anthropometric study, knowing that he or she has an average activity level, we arrive at the conclusion that she needs a diet of approximately 2000 Kcal/day.

Although we won’t base our planning on that number, (the topic of kcal is for another post), I want you to see how much macronutrients she should consume if we want to enter ketosis.

4% of 2000 kcal is 80 kcal, 26% of 2000 kcal is 520 kcal, and 70% is 1400 kcal. Now we need to figure out how many grams of each macronutrient she should consume.

We know that 1 g of CH has 4 kcal, 1 g of protein has 4 kcal, and 1 g of fat has 9 kcal.

The calculation is simple:r

80 kcal/4 kcal= 20 g/day.

520 kcal/4 kcal= 130 g/day.

1400 kcal/ 9 kcal= 155 g/day.

To implement a plan of this type, you need the help of a professional to guide you and help you choose the best options. In addition, as you can see, a nutritional interview and a prior anthropometric study are necessary.

This is an effective diet for people who are overweight, but also for those who want to improve their body composition even without being overweight or needing to lose it. The goal is to lose fat mass and maintain lean mass.

Did you know that this point is essential for women in the pre-menopause phase?

In addition, many cases have been reported in which the ketogenic diet has improved control of type 1 and type 2 diabetes, but if you are on any specific treatment for this disease, it is important that you inform your doctor of any changes in your diet, since eliminating carbohydrates from your diet can lead to a drastic drop in your blood glucose levels and your medication will need to be adjusted.

 

 

Goals of a diet ketogenic:

• Fat loss without loss of muscle mass.
• Nutritional treatment of various pathologies, including cancer and diabetes, better DMI control and improvement, even DMII reversal

 

To keep in mind:

If you have a diagnosis of pre-diabetes or diabetes, you probably have a glucometer to check your glucose levels (basal, before or after meals), in that case, after a while following a very low-carb or ketogenic diet, you may notice an increase in your basal blood glucose, this is common.

The body has adapted to burning fat and the muscles use it instead of consuming glucose. In addition, at dawn, your body prepares for activity and activates gluconeogenesis, that is, it synthesizes some glycogen just in case.

To know if you are doing things right, it is best to wait for the result of your next analysis of your glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), which will surely be satisfactory.

Remember that to put into practice a dietary plan of these characteristics it is important that you have the advice of a Higher Technician in Dietetics or a Dietitian-Nutritionist with up-to-date knowledge, this is very important.

 

Let’s talk about fasting:

You should know that the ketogenic diet can be much more effective if we combine it with controlled periods of fasting, either intermittent fasting or longer fasts.

Fasting, a word that sometimes scares, is a nutritional strategy which is used today for its many benefits, but is it something new? Absolutely not. About 50 years ago, back in the 70s, the average American ate 3 times a day, breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The most common thing was that between dinner (around 6 p.m.) and breakfast (6-7 a.m.), 12 hours passed. There you have it, very basic but efficient intermittent fasting. What has happened over the years to make things change so much? How is it possible that we have been pushed to eat every 2-3 hours, to eat 5 or 6 times a day? What’s the point of this? What are the interests behind eating 3 times a day and snacking 2 or 3 other times? The answer is not difficult to imagine, but I’m more interested in emphasizing what this change has meant for our health. The first and It is evident that insulin levels in the blood are high at all times, this has led to an increase in obesity and cases of pre-diabetes and DM II, as well as an increase in other diseases that are part of the so-called Metabolic Syndrome (MS). A patient is considered to have MS if he or she suffers from at least 3 of these diseases.

• Dyslipidemias
• High blood pressure (HBP)
• Diabetes
• Obesity
• Coronary artery disease

If the ketogenic diet improves blood glucose levels and decreases insulin resistance, we can say that together with intermittent fasting, this effect is enhanced. If we increase the fasting time a little more, and go from 12 hours to 14-16 and we close the feeding window to 8 hours, the benefits will be even greater.

Also taking into account circadian rhythms, it has been shown that it is better to eat during daylight hours, since the insulin response at night is between 25 and 30% higher.

If in addition to diet, fasting and schedule, we addthe equation the practice of high-intensity physical exercise combined with aerobic and strength exercise, the combination is a winning one.

Some proven benefits of intermittent fasting are:

• Decreases insulin resistance.
• Controls appetite.
• Produces weight loss.
• Reduces inflammation.
• Increases energy.

 

 

Frequently asked questions about the ketogenic diet:

 

• Isn’t it harmful to eat so much fat?

This is the first question we ask ourselves when we are faced with the possibility of putting a ketogenic diet into practice. As I already mentioned in this post, our “fear” of fat consumption and its demonization began a long time ago, back in the 1960s, when people wanted to blame it for cardiovascular diseases, while at the same time absolving sugar of all responsibility.

Fat is one of the three macronutrients in the diet, it is essential, and therefore, whatever our nutritional approach, we cannot do without it.

Unsaturated and saturated fats are healthy in the right proportions, what we should always avoid are trans fats.

In the ketogenic diet, fat will be the fuel for obtaining energy, in its absence lipolytic metabolism will not be activated, it provides satiety and makes that the recipes are much more palatable, should we put aside the pleasure and taste of eating? Never!.

 

• What role do proteins play in all this?

One of the most widespread beliefs is that the ketogenic diet is high in protein, and nothing could be further from the truth, in fact, proteins in the ketogenic diet must be controlled, why? because an excess of protein in the diet is transformed into glucose.

In “balanced” diets, the official ones, to call them somehow, it is recommended to take 0.8 g of protein per kg of body weight.

In the ketogenic diet, due to the drastic reduction in CH, protein increases, being a recommended value between 1.2-1.6 g / kg of weight. When it comes to athletes, the amount may not be less than 1.5-1.6 g/kg of weight.

Such an amount of protein will not have any harmful effects on health, it will not have kidney or liver effects in healthy individuals.

It is very important to keep in mind that in order to achieve full keto-adaptation, the amount of protein cannot be exceeded.

 

• Can a ketogenic diet be carried out with a vegetarian/vegan approach?

Absolutely yes, the dynamics are exactly the same, but obtaining protein from plant sources.

In the case of a vegan ketogenic diet, you can use plant protein sources such as tofu, soy tempeh, nuts, legumes or seitan, among others. In this case you will have to supplement with vitamin B12, just as you would with a conventional vegan diet.

If you want to take a vegetarian approach, you can add eggs and dairy products.

 

• Can I eat bread?

Obviously, within the range of CH that you have prescribed, you can eat bread, but I do not advise it considering that 20 g of bread provide about 10 g of CH, that is, with two slices or a little more you will have already covered the total amount of CH corresponding to a single day.

If you decide to provide that amount based on green leaves, you will be able to eat much more, keep in mind that 10 g of CH corresponds to 1 kg of lettuce or 1 kg of spinach, with this example you can clearly see the convenience of consuming one food or another.

Yes If you combine green leaves with other vegetables, you will be able to enjoy a good portion! However, what are two slices of bread?

 

• Do I need to take supplements?

In the ketogenic diet, it is essential to control the levels of electrolytes: Sodium/Potassium/Magnesium. The reason is that you urinate more, you lose more water and with that, you lose electrolytes.

You must ensure correct hydration, the following daily amounts are recommended: sodium (about 5 g/day), potassium (about 2000 mg/day), and magnesium (300-600 mg/day).

These three micronutrients can be provided through the diet without the need for supplements, although it is also possible to supplement them, once again, let yourself be guided by a specialist.

 

• Will I have to weigh everything I eat?

Not necessarily, only at the beginning you may have to look at the amount of daily protein, because it is very easy to exceed.

Carbohydrates, if the intake focuses on vegetables you will not need to weigh them, if you consume legumes, surely the first few times you will.

Fats will be easy to implement without measuring them, probably at first it will be difficult for you to reach the necessary amount.

When you get to know the diet better, when you get used to preparing the recipes and have controlled the portions, you will no longer need to weigh anything.

 

Some disadvantages associated with the ketogenic diet:

• During keto adaptation, you may experience tiredness, confusion and palpitations, headaches and even nausea, which do not last more than a couple of days.
• Danger of ketoacidosis (blood pH acidification): can occur in DMI or DMII with insulin treatment if the insulin dose and medication are not adequately adjusted to the changes. In healthy individuals, it is very difficult for it to occur, and in well-controlled diabetics with the necessary adjustments, too.

 

Do you have any questions? Do you want to know more about this nutritional approach? Leave your comment! 😉

 

Where did I get all this information?

• Joaquín Pérez-Guisado, Ketogenic diets: Additional benefits to weight loss and unfounded side effects. Latin American Nutrition Archives (ALAN).
• Miriam Kalamian, Keto for cancer. Ed.Gaia.
• Jason Fung, The diabetes code. Ed. Sirius.
• Jason Fung, Jimmy Moore, The Complete Guide to Fasting. Edaf.
• Jeff S. Volek and S. D. Phinney,The art and science of low carbohydrate living. Beyond obesity.
• Advanced Clinical Nutrition Course. ICNS.

 

Related entries:

• My low carbohydrate diet.
• What is erythritol and how to use it.