The ketogenic diet (or more briefly keto) is a low-carb, high-fat diet that can bring many health benefits in addition to weight loss. In fact, it is not a rigid diet to follow for a period of time but a real way of eating that in recent years more and more people who are attentive to physical fitness but also to health have decided to marry with great satisfaction.
The basic principle of this type of diet is to drastically reduce carbohydrates so that the body is forced to take energy from fat and start the ketosis process.
In ketosis, the body begins to burn fat and those who follow this regime say that the feeling is one of general well-being and efficiency combined with great mental clarity.
In the standard Keto diet (SKD), about 75% of daily energy is taken from fat, 20% from protein and only 5% from carbohydrates. In the version with a high protein intake, the percentage of carbohydrates is the same while the proteins go from 20 to 35%.
Scientific studies show that the Keto diet is very effective for weight loss and with fewer health risks than many other low-fat diets.
The main benefits of entering ketosis are an important reduction in blood sugar and consequent improvement in insulin sensitivity, and an optimal supply of fat for the brain and in fact it was created precisely for the treatment of neurological diseases.
Foods to avoid on the keto diet:
- Sweet foods (soft drinks, sweets, candies, ice cream, etc.)
- Wheat and starches (bread, pasta, pizza, etc)
- Beans and legumes
- Tubers and vegetables that grow underground (carrots, potatoes, etc)
- Condiments that contain sugar and unhealthy fats
- Unhealthy fats (refined vegetable oils, mayonnaise, etc)
- Alcohol
- Sugar-free diet foods (which often due to the processes they are subjected to can affect the level of ketones)
Favorite foods:
- Meat
- Fatty fish (salmon, tuna, mackerel, etc)
- Egg
- Butter
- Cheese (less processed ones)
- Nuts and seeds
- Healthy oils (extra virgin olive, coconut and avocado)
- Avocado
- Low-carb vegetables (lettuce, tomatoes, onions, etc)
- Condiments (salt, pepper, spices and herbs)
