A feature of the ketogenic (or low carb) diet is the launch of such restructuring of the human body, during which it uses ketones as an energy source, not carbohydrates. These substances are synthesized by the liver from fat and allow it to fully compensate for the body's energy consumption.
Benefits and Harms of a Low Carb (Ketogenic) Diet
The human body is designed in such a way that it receives the energy necessary for life from the most accessible sources. In the vast majority of cases, they are carbohydrates. From them, the body receives glucose and insulin.
Glucose is the easiest fuel to synthesize which, with the help of insulin, is well distributed throughout the body through the circulatory system. Due to this simple and versatile system, the available fat stores are often unclaimed.
Therefore, a regular diet that contains a lot of carbohydrates does not contribute much to weight loss. To change the situation with energy consumption, nutritionists have developed a special diet.
Its significance lies in the fact that with a significant restriction of carbohydrate intake, the human body enters a state of ketosis. This is a normal physiological process triggered by the body when the amount of food intake decreases. The human body begins to extract energy from fatty acids processed by the liver. Therefore, the first priority of a low carbohydrate (ketogenic) diet is to get the body into this state.
Unlike most weight loss diets, the ketogenic diet is not about cutting calories, but only about reducing your carbohydrate intake. The human body is able to quickly readjust to a new nutritional system, which will provide it with many benefits.
Normalize blood sugar levels.
A homemade diet based on a low-carbohydrate diet helps stabilize blood sugar levels. This is an effective way to prevent type 2 diabetes.
Improving mental performance
Most people on the ketogenic diet report increased thought processes and better memory compared to regular meals. Ketones are an excellent fuel for the brain. This fact, combined with the absence of sudden jumps in blood sugar, helps to improve concentration and increase the performance of a person who is engaged in intellectual work.
Persistent satiety
A homemade ketogenic diet allows you not only to replenish the necessary energy stores, which makes it possible to feel a surge of strength throughout the day, but also to become perfectly saturated (due to the high calorie content of the diet).
Reduce the frequency of epileptic seizures.
Low carbohydrate diets have long been used to combat epilepsy. Especially often, this type of food is recommended for children suffering from this disease. Ketogenic diets allow you to stabilize the condition of patients even with a minimal amount of medication.
Reduce the level of "bad" cholesterol
Although this food system involves a high intake of protein products rich in fat, it does not cause the obstruction of blood vessels by cholesterol deposits. Since it contributes to the accumulation of only "good" cholesterol, it does not affect the quality of blood flow and is involved in many vital physiological processes.
Prevention of insulin resistance
In the absence of control over the sensitivity of organs and tissues to insulin, the probability of developing type 2 diabetes mellitus increases. And ketogenic diets, in turn, can help reduce the level of this hormone in the blood to normal levels. .
Fight acne
Many women find that when they switch to a low carbohydrate diet, their skin condition has improved markedly and the manifestations of acne have disappeared.
However, it should be noted that the ketogenic diet for weight loss also has certain drawbacks. First of all, it's about the lack of fiber, as well as the vitamins and minerals rich in grains, legumes, fruits and vegetables.
Another common problem that followers of this food system may face is the quality of meat products that can be purchased on store shelves. In fact, often when raising livestock or poultry, producers use special additives designed to accelerate growth and reduce the likelihood of animal disease. The quality of sausages, as well as semi-finished meat products, the regular use of which contributes to the development of heart disease, also leaves much to be desired.
Doctors advise that this low-carb diet is more suitable for people with diabetes and epilepsy. But pregnant women and people suffering from metabolic disorders should completely abandon it.
Is A Low Carb Diet Good For Weight Loss?
With a ketogenic diet, the body uses free fat for energy, so its weight loss benefits are clear. And a decrease in the level of the hormone insulin, which is responsible for the formation of body fat, allows you to effectively shed extra pounds.
This weight loss diet also implies the inclusion of products that are still quite exotic for the national consumer, such as MCT oil (source of medium chain triglycerides) and bulletproof coffee (coffee with butter and MCT oil).
The ketogenic diet is highly regarded by most professional athletes for its ability to rapidly convert body fat into energy while maintaining the same volume of muscle mass. And with a properly designed training system, your growth is also possible.
This homemade diet is best suited for people who already have an idea of the rules for adhering to and organizing carbohydrate-free food systems. If a person is faced with the task of shedding a few extra pounds, he should start by rejecting foods that are sources of simple carbohydrates (sweets, muffins and other fast foods). However, it is important not to abuse fatty and protein-rich foods.
Another significant benefit of the ketogenic diet is long-term satiety, which is an effective defense against eating interruptions.
Low carb homemade diet recipes
To start the process of ketosis in the body, it is necessary to adhere to a specific nutritional system. To make it easier to organize, you can use the simple recipes below that contain a minimum of carbohydrates and a maximum of fat.
No-bake cheesecake
To prepare this dessert, put 200 g of soft cream cheese and 50 g of heavy cream in a deep bowl. Beat with a mixer until you get an aerated and homogeneous dough. Pour in 1 tsp. liquid stevia and 1 tbsp. l. lemon juice and then add a little vanillin and lemon zest (0. 25 teaspoons each). Mix the resulting dough well and put it into bowls. Put in the refrigerator for several hours (to obtain a thicker consistency).
Baked salmon with herbs
To prepare the dish, you must first prepare the marinade. To do this, you need to mix 1 tsp. minced garlic, 0. 5 tsp each. ground ginger, basil, thyme, oregano, tarragon or rosemary, as well as 120 ml of soy sauce and the same amount of sesame oil. Then prepare the salmon fillet, which weighs about a kilogram. Put it in an oven bag and pour over the resulting marinade. Put the fish in the fridge for an hour. After that, it must be placed in a refractory form, poured with the remaining marinade and baked in a preheated oven at 180 ° C for 15 minutes. While the fish is cooking, you should prepare the vegetable mixture. Cut 150 g of mushrooms into slices and chop 50 g of shallots. Fry the vegetables in a pan with 200 g of butter. Remove the almost finished fish from the oven, pour over the vegetable mixture and bake for another 10 minutes.