Keto Diet or Ketogenic diet helps in losing weight. The first question that comes in mind to the Keto diet is What to Eat? The key is just to balance your diet with low carbs mixed with high fat. Keto diets are one of the most trending diets for a long time. Bodybuilder diet, Atkins diet – the ketogenic diet has many variations. It is a form of low carb diets, i.e. a low carbohydrate diet.
The focus of the classic ketogenic diet is the so-called ketosis: fats from food are converted into ketone bodies that provide energy. Low carb mixed with high fat – could that work when losing weight? Here you will learn everything about the diet plan for ketogenic nutrition, what a keto shopping list looks like and how you can prepare healthy meals from ketogenic foods.
What is ketogenic nutrition? Principle and diet plan
The classic ketogenic diet is based on the so-called ketogenic ratio, the ratio of fats and carbohydrates, or proteins. It is usually 4: 1, so there are 5 percent carbohydrates and 15 percent proteins for every 80 percent healthy fat. So much for the short version – but what exactly does this division bring?
How the ketosis diet works
Ketogenic refers to the core of the keto diet. Because of the greatly reduced carbohydrate content over a long period, the body urgently needs energy from another source. It begins to convert fatty acids to ketone molecules in the liver. This form of glucose does not burn as quickly as glucose from carbohydrates and can, therefore, supply the brain with sugar for longer.
Fat is the key to success with the keto diet – which may sound paradoxical when it comes to losing weight, after all, fat becomes an arch-enemy of many diets.
In fact, the fat deposits quickly disappear due to the high-fat diet, since the blood sugar level remains constantly low and the fat metabolism can run much better.
So, does that mean that on the ketogenic diet you can eat fatty fast food without end and still lose weight? No, of course, it’s not that simple. There are a few things to consider for a successful ketogenic diet!
Diet plan for the keto diet
There is no fixed diet plan for the keto diet. Because the individual need for carbohydrates varies from person to person and a complete renunciation makes no sense since a certain amount of carbohydrates is necessary to stimulate ketosis at all. Up to 50 g carbohydrates per day can be allowed.
Unlike many other diets, the protein content should not be too high. Because protein counteracts muscle breakdown, it is also a source of glucose for the body. That means: If the protein intake is too high, it does not even bother to switch to ketosis.
Basically, the keto diet – like the paleo diet – is more of a diet. Because even if the desired weight loss has been achieved, you should stick to a similar diet, so as not to overwhelm your metabolism and avoid the yo-yo effect. Incidentally, in the initial phase, you can expect a weight loss of up to 3 kilos per week.
To be more specific about what a keto diet looks like: Here are the three main phases into which this diet is divided.
- Emptying the carbohydrate stores
- Structure of ketone molecules as soon as sugar from carbohydrates is no longer available
- Increase ketosis and fat loss
Each of these three phases lasts differently. Ketosis can start after a few days, but it can also take significantly longer than a week. Ideally, you should get test strips that you can use to check the amount of ketone in your urine. The less ketone it contains, the more ketone bodies your body is actively using.
One last tip: depending on how strictly you want to stick to the keto diet, it is not a bad idea to introduce long-chain carbohydrates again in moderation sooner or later. Because with a permanent low-carb diet there is a risk that you will get cravings at some point and destroy your diet success in a short time.
Fat is the key to success with the keto diet – which may sound paradoxical when it comes to losing weight, after all, fat becomes an arch-enemy of many diets.
In fact, the fat deposits quickly disappear due to the high-fat diet, since the blood sugar level remains constantly low and the fat metabolism can run much better.
So, does that mean that on the ketogenic diet you can eat fatty fast food without end and still lose weight? No, of course, it’s not that simple. You need to know what to eat while you are on a keto diet. There are a few things to consider for a successful keto diet!
Keto Diet: List of Low Carb Foods
It can be seen as an advantage or a disadvantage, but the list of permitted foods on the keto diet is relatively manageable. All grain products, legumes, processed foods, sugar, and also fructose are not allowed. That means: With the exception of small amounts of berries, you also have to do without fruit.
Anything that contains a lot of good fat is expressly permitted. Protein can also be eaten, but in a much smaller amount than fat. Opinions differ as to whether calorie counting is necessary. In principle, calories are less important in the keto diet than the ratio of fats and carbohydrates/proteins. Of course, you can only lose weight if you still create a calorie deficit, i.e. you consume less energy than you consume.
Your keto shopping list may include:
- Red meat, poultry, ham, and bacon
- Fish: salmon, tuna, trout, and mackerel
- Certain oils: coconut oil, virgin olive oil, avocado oil, and MCT oils (produce more keto bodies than other fats)
- Eggs
- Full-fat milk products: butter, cream, cream cheese, mozzarella, cheddar cheese, goat cheese
- Vegetables: everything that grows above the earth, e.g. all types of green vegetables (spinach, cabbage, salads), tomatoes, onions, avocado, cucumber, radish, soy, sauerkraut, zucchini
- Nuts and seeds: walnuts, macadamia nuts (fewer carbohydrates), almonds, pumpkin seeds, flax seeds, chia seeds
- (Himalayan) salt, pepper, and herbs
- Sweeteners: erythritol, stevia, and birch sugar/xylitol
- Flour substitute: almond flour, coconut flour, soy flour, linseed flour, pumpkin seed flour
Recipes for the keto diet
Lots of fat and little carbohydrates: That sounds easier than it actually is. Because keto foods can be used to conjure up many delicious dishes, but it also takes a little getting used to, as does the willingness to try new foods.
Small portions are also a characteristic of the keto diet. Do not be put off by this, because the high – fat content and the proteins saturate keto meals for a very long time. In order not to cook larger portions out of habit, you should invest in a kitchen scale with which you can precisely weigh your ingredients. A food diary can also be helpful.
To give you a clear idea of this diet, we are going to introduce you to a simple keto recipe idea for breakfast, lunch, and dinner to know what to eat on a keto diet!
Keto diet: breakfast
The easiest choice for a ketogenic breakfast is the classic egg dish. For example, you can make 3 eggs, 20 g of willow butter, and some cucumber with a tablespoon of oil to make a scrambled egg. Have a breakfast that consists of more fat and fewer carbs. As a sweet variant, you can prepare keto muesli from nuts and coconut fat. You need:
- Nuts of your choice, e.g. walnuts, macadamia, pecans, almonds
- Sunflower seeds
- Chia seeds
- Coconut flakes
- Birch sugar
- Coconut oil
Put the nuts, almonds, and coconut flakes in the food processor and chop them until you get a mixture of coarse and fine crumbs. Now you can heat the coconut oil until it is liquid and then add the birch sugar to the nut and seed mixture.
The mixture is placed on a sheet of baking paper and is roasted in the oven for 30-45 minutes.
Once the muesli has browned to your satisfaction, you can let it cool and store it in a glass. It goes perfectly with coconut yogurt, and a few berries if desired. Just be careful not to overeat the cereal. One serving is about 30 grams. Along with knowing what to eat on a keto diet, you should also know how much to eat.
Keto diet: Lunch
For the main meals, you can take advantage of the fact that good fat is allowed. An example of a keto lunch that doesn’t sound like a diet is camembert in bacon. You need:
- 50 g goat camembert
- 50 g strips of bacon
- 1 tbsp MCT oil for frying
You wrap strips of bacon around the cheese and then pour it into the pan over medium-high heat. As soon as the cheese begins to melt, raise the temperature and fry the bacon until crispy. Add lamb’s lettuce and some balsamic vinegar, if necessary, also salt. The fun part of the keto diet is you can learn what to eat and what not to and build your delicious recipe.
Keto diet: Dinner
You can also prepare the keto dinner relatively. From an avocado, 1 tablespoon of MCT oil, lime juice, and salt, for example, guacamole is made in no time, which goes perfectly with fish fillet or poultry.
Alternatively, you can prepare a keto pesto using the following ingredients:
- 30 g basil leaves
- 30 g parsley
- 1-2 cloves of garlic (chopped)
- 50 ml of olive oil
- 2-3 tablespoons of pine nuts
- Salt pepper
The pesto goes well with 2-3 strips of bacon, or you mix the pesto with 2 eggs and fry it as scrambled eggs.
A mixed salad made from the following ingredients is also suitable as a ketogenic dinner:
- 75 g feta
- 3 chanterelles (or other mushrooms)
- Walnuts
- 1 Romanesco salad
- 2 tablespoons of olive oil
Ketogenic nutrition is therefore not witchcraft and with a little planning, many dishes can also be prepared well in stock. Compared to other low carb diets, this diet is one of the simpler ones in terms of effort. The trick is to know what to eat on the keto diet.
However: Pay attention to the size of your portions and only eat until you are full. Due to the high-fat content, it can even happen that you are really hungry only once a day. This is perfectly fine and your body is signaling that it is getting enough energy.
Does the ketosis diet have side effects?
In the keto diet, the body first goes through an enormous change because it changes into hunger metabolism. Accordingly, some negative side effects can also occur:
- Digestion problems due to a lack of fiber
- Nausea
- Bad breath due to over-acidification (in case of lack of exercise)
- The “keto flu”
The last point refers to the first days of diet (fatigue, irritability) when ketosis is just starting. You can prevent the keto flu with plenty of water, electrolytes, and magnesium.
If the ketogenic diet is carried out for several years without medical care, kidney stones can develop, and the risk of heart attacks or strokes increases. After all, you consume a lot of fat and cannot always assess for yourself whether the relationship is right. Another risk is the yo-yo effect as soon as the diet is changed again. In general, the diet is only recommended as a short-term diet
Positive Effects of Keto Diet
The ketogenic diet also has some positive medical effects. Ketogenic nutrition has proven to be a useful addition to other therapy, especially in the following diseases:
- Acne
- Epilepsy (including in those who do not respond to antiepileptics)
- Cancer
- Alzheimer
- Type 2 diabetes
The positive effects result primarily from the type of sugar from which the body obtains energy. Glucose from ketosis is better at preventing hypoglycemia and inhibiting inflammatory reactions. This means that tumor cells can also grow significantly worse.
Be it for medical reasons or just for weight loss: the keto diet is certainly not a bad approach to changing your diet. But like any other successful diet plan, ketogenic nutrition requires discipline and staying power. It is not enough to eat greasy food at will – it would be too good to be true!
This is one diet that has been working like magic but you need to learn how the magic works by knowing what to eat on a keto diet.
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