Keto diet: What can you eat and how effective is it?

1. If you've ever made an attempt in your life to lose some pounds with a diet, chances are you've heard of a ketogenic diet. The ketogenic diet was originally invented for the treatment of epilepsy in the middle of the last century, however the diet has become increasingly popular as a fast weight loss diet in recent years.

2. If you've ever made an attempt in your life to lose some pounds with a diet, chances are you've heard of a ketogenic diet. The ketogenic diet was originally invented for the treatment of epilepsy in the middle of the last century, however the diet has become increasingly popular as a rapid weight loss diet in recent years.

1. Precisely because a ketogenic diet is often seen as a panacea and is being used religiously by more and more people, I also wanted to experience for myself how effective the diet is and how healthy! I have been following the diet for a month and will go into more detail in this article about what a ketogenic diet is, as well as my personal experience and assessment. All in the name of science!

What is a ketogenic diet?

1. The keto diet is actually the more extreme little sister of a low-carbohydrate diet. A low-carb diet, as the name suggests, tries to drastically reduce the total amount of carbohydrates in daily consumption. However, a regular low-carb diet allows an average of 100 grams of carbohydrates per day. This is actually a fair amount, as it allows you to eat plenty of fruit and even small portions of grains.

2. The keto diet is actually the more extreme sister of a low-carbohydrate diet. A low-carb diet, as the name suggests, tries to drastically reduce the total amount of carbohydrates in daily consumption. However, a regular low-carb diet allows an average of 100 grams of carbohydrates per day. This is actually a fair amount, as it allows you to eat plenty of fruit and even small portions of grains.

1. A ketogenic diet, however, consists of virtually no carbohydrates - namely a maximum of 30 grams per day. Moreover, you can only get these carbohydrates from vegetables. Grains and the like are not allowed. In addition to a minimal portion of carbohydrates, you also eat a small amount of protein. This serving usually consists of 1/2 to 1 gram of protein per kilogram of body weight. However, the vast majority of your diet is made up of fat - especially saturated fats from butter and coconut oil. The consumption of a lot of fats is actually stimulated - the higher the percentage of fat in your diet, the better. Energy consumption is also often limited, which means that you should eat fewer calories to ensure that you burn fat faster.

2. A ketogenic diet, however, consists of virtually no carbohydrates - namely a maximum of 30 grams per day. Moreover, you can only get these carbohydrates from vegetables. Grains and the like are not allowed. In addition to a minimal portion of carbohydrates, you also eat a small amount of protein. This serving usually consists of 1/2 to 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight. However, the vast majority of your diet is made up of fat - especially saturated fats from butter and coconut oil. The consumption of a lot of fats is actually stimulated - the higher the percentage of fat in your diet, the better. Energy consumption is also often limited, which means that you should eat fewer calories to ensure that you burn fat faster. [! 186942 => 1130 = 4!] What does a typical day on a ketogenic diet look like?

What does a typical day on a ketogenic diet look like?

1. Let me say it very clearly: variation is not your friend here. You often eat the same meals, because your choices are very limited. The following daily menu was quite typical for me during my experiment.

1. Breakfast: 3 slices of bacon with 2 scrambled eggs fried in plenty of butter.

1. Lunch: Tuna in cream cheese on a bed of salad leaves.

1. Dinner: Chicken soup with some vegetables and a cup of pure cream.

1. I can't say the menu was unappetizing, however, when every meal revolves around fat, it quickly gets boring. Incidentally, the above menu does not really contain many foods. Still, it was hugely satiating due to its fat content. Also, don't underestimate the hunger-suppressing effect of ketosis.

What is ketosis?

1. The ultimate goal of a ketogenic diet is to put your body in a state of ketosis. This is actually relatively simple. There are three macronutrients: fats, proteins and carbohydrates. Proteins are building blocks and are therefore not used directly as energy, unless your body has nothing else of course.

1. However, fats and carbohydrates can be used directly by your body as energy. However, the preferred fuel is carbohydrates. Adherents of the ketogenic diet would like you to believe that the opposite is true and that your body prefers to use fat for fuel, but in the end this makes no sense at all. As soon as carbohydrates are present, your body will always fall back on this without exception.

2. However, fats and carbohydrates can be used directly by your body as energy. However, the preferred fuel is carbohydrates. Adherents of the ketogenic diet would like you to believe that the opposite is true and that your body prefers to use fat for fuel, but in the end this makes no sense at all. As soon as carbohydrates are present, your body will always fall back on them without exception.

1. To use fats as fuel, your body simply has to put in more effort. Of course it has no choice when the carbohydrates are limited. Your body then uses these fats as fuel and produces ketosis bodies for this that serve as replacements for the carbohydrates. For example, in the absence of carbohydrates, your brain can only use these ketosis bodies as energy.

1. Although the followers of the ketogenic diet claim that it is ketosis that provides extra fat burning or the so-called 'metabolic benefit' (ie that a ketogenic diet supposedly burns more fat with the same calorie intake than a low-fat diet), studies have shown that ketosis induces virtually no difference in fat burning. Also, the myth that a ketogenic diet burns more fat than a low-fat diet has been eliminated by a recent Australian study.

The pros and cons of the ketogenic diet

1. Now that I have tried it myself, I will also speak from experience here. Despite the fact that a ketogenic diet has many advantages, it also has many disadvantages.

1. Advantages:

1. The so-called 'ketogenic flu' is a phenomenon that people have been talking about more and more recently. This literally concerns the feeling of fatigue and even a flu during the first weeks and sometimes months of the diet. Supporters say this is a transition period in which your body switches to using fats instead of carbohydrates. In principle this is true, however this is not a normal process. Your body is forced to make this switch and strongly opposes it.

Is the ketogenic diet healthy?

1. A diet that consists of so many saturated fats and animal products and so few products rich in vitamins, minerals and fiber cannot actually be healthy. Despite the gurus' clever marketing of this diet, few studies support the long-term positive effects of the ketogenic diet.

1. It is true that there are several studies showing benefits of a low-carbohydrate lifestyle, but this is not the same as a ketogenic diet. It must also be said that most studies show positive effects because they compare the diet with a group that mainly eats junk food. It is precisely because of this that you see a reduction in body fat and cholesterol, because the other diet is even worse for your body. But this is not proof that the diet is healthy for you. In fact, it is NOT safe to recommend a ketogenic diet because the long-term consequences of this are simply not known yet.

My results

1. I have been on the ketogenic diet for a month and I personally have to say that I have never felt as bad as I have during this month. I had very little energy, wanted to sleep a lot and my concentration was not getting any better.

1. On the other hand, I wasn't hungry at all and didn't enjoy my diet after the first few days. I had a huge appetite for fruit, but of course diet was not allowed. Personally, I ate less than 25 grams of carbohydrates per day, especially in the form of spinach and salads, and ate about 1800 kcal per day.

1. What did the scale indicate after one month? This was actually quite a disappointment, because you read so often about the dramatic weight loss results on this diet. However, I had only lost 2.5 pounds. Actually not bad, but also easy to achieve on a different healthy diet, there is no need to renounce this at all. I also made sure to exercise for half an hour every day. However, I did not do heavy sports this month, because I did not have the energy for it.

1. The worst is yet to come: after this month was over, I switched to a diet with around 150 grams of carbohydrates and a lot less fat. The first two weeks I was already 3 kilos heavier, probably mainly moisture. So I doubt if I actually burned fat in a month on a ketogenic diet.

1. Conclusion: The ketogenic diet, despite its popularity, is an experience I don't wish for anyone! It is much better to eat a healthy diet with lots of fruits and vegetables, a serving of whole grains, some nuts and seeds and small amounts of meat and fish. That's why the ketogenic diet gets a big thumbs down from me!

Finally ...

1. If you read the studies carefully, the science is actually not at all as confusing as it often seems. You can simply determine a healthy diet by using your common sense - and science also supports this. After all, we have known for a long time that saturated fats are unhealthy and that butter and whipped cream do not belong in a healthy diet. We also know that fruit and vegetables should not be missed.

1. However, the popularity of the ketogenic diet can be largely explained by people's need to get confirmation of bad habits. When someone tells us that we can eat butter and bacon without limitation, we tend to believe it because we want to believe it. Personally, however, I feel much healthier and more energetic on a low-fat and high-fiber diet and therefore cannot recommend the ketogenic diet to anyone.

1. So unless you have epilepsy, I can only urge you to choose something healthier!