In the field of low carb diets, there are many different trends and currents. One of these diets is enjoying increasing attention and importance: the keto diet. Some people want to lose weight with the help of the ketogenic diet, others are convinced of a generally positive effect on health. And the keto diet is also used in medicine: it is said to have positive effects on diabetes or neurological diseases such as Alzheimer’s, among others. But what exactly is the keto diet and what else can it do? We provide the answers.
What is keto?
A ketogenic diet is a form of diet in which carbohydrates and therefore sugar are almost completely avoided and a high-fat diet is chosen instead. Calories do not have to be counted. The Diät concept reminds due to the reduced and/or completely stopped admission of coal hydrates of the Atkins Diät and other Low Carb parliamentary allowance. However, the motto of the ketogenic diet is rather No Carb than Low Carb. The aim of the keto diet is to lose kilos through the lack of carbohydrates and the resulting increased burning of fat. However, ketogenic diet also plays a role in medicine – for example, in the treatment of epilepsy or neurological diseases.
What does a ketogenic diet do in the body?
Through the high-fat and low-carbohydrate diet, the body adjusts the energy metabolism. This is because the human organism actually generates its energy especially from sugars and other carbohydrates converted into glucose. The body only uses fat reserves for energy production when it lacks carbohydrates. If you do not eat any carbohydrates in the long term as part of the keto diet and the energy stores in the body are used up as a result, the body lacks glucose and switches its metabolism to so-called ketosis. This is a starvation metabolism, so to speak, in which the liver splits fatty acids into ketones or ketone bodies. These then supply the body and especially the brain, for which glucose is the only source of energy, with energy as a glucose substitute.
How does the keto diet work?
There are different forms of the ketogenic diet. The instructions differ, in particular, by divergent indications of the percentage of fat in the daily energy requirement. In general, it can be said that during a ketogenic diet you should not eat more than circa 5 percent carbohydrates. 25 to 35 percent of the daily food should be proteins and 60 to 70 percent fat. Stricter diets of the ketogenic diet prescribe a fat content of up to 90 percent. By comparison, adults are usually recommended to get about 50 percent of their energy needs per day from carbohydrates.
Keto diet: how much fat a day?
The following sample calculation shows how much fat you should eat a day on a ketogenic diet. On a diet with 1,800 kilocalories (kcal) daily, 60 percent equals 1,080 kcal – so this portion of energy should come from fat. One gram of fat has 9 kcal. If you now divide the 1,080 kcal from fat by 9 kcal per gram of fat, you get 120 grams of fat that you should consume daily.
What should you not eat while on a ketogenic diet?
Basically, carbohydrates are taboo on the ketogenic diet. For this, fats are on the menu. Fruit must also be avoided because of the fructose (fruit sugar) it contains. Exceptions are small portions of berries such as raspberries or blueberries. In addition, the following foods and beverages should be avoided:
- Cereal products such as bread, pasta, rice and cereals.
- Potatoes
- Legumes such as lentils and peas
- Root and tuber vegetables such as carrots
- Sugary foods such as cakes, sweets and ready meals.
- Additives such as artificial colors, preservatives and sweeteners.
- Sugary drinks such as cola and sodas.
- Alcohol
Keto: what foods are allowed?
On the keto food list, on the other hand, is found:
- Oily fish such as salmon
- Meat, sausage and bacon
- Dairy products (full fat stage) such as cheese, cream and butter.
- Eggs
- Oils like olive oil
- Nuts and seeds
- Avocado
- Above ground vegetables with low carbohydrates such as zucchini, tomatoes, cucumber and broccoli.
- Water and unsweetened teas
Keto diet: which fats are recommended?
Since in the ketogenic diet you eat mainly fats, it is advisable to choose healthy fats here and pay attention to their quality. Healthy fats are contained, for example, in virgin, cold-pressed coconut, olive or linseed oil. Avocados and nuts also hold high-quality fats.
This is what a diet plan looks like on the keto diet.
Below you can see an example diet plan for one week. It can be adjusted according to personal taste. However, no more than 30 to 50 grams of carbohydrates should be consumed daily.
| Tag | Breakfast | Lunch | Dinner |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Peppers stuffed with cheese and eggs | Pork chops with green beans | Chicken curry with coconut milk |
| 2 | Coconut milk chia pudding with walnuts | Meatballs with mushrooms, avocado, cheese and salad | Oven cheese |
| 3 | Omelet with for example mushrooms, tomatoes, cheese | Steak with cauliflower, herbs and avocado | Shrimps with spinach and zucchini |
| 4 | Eggs with bacon | Arugula salad with avocado, blue cheese and chicken | White cabbage with pulled pork |
| 5 | Greek yogurt with blueberries and flaxseed | Hunter’s cutlet with kohlrabi fried potatoes | Caesar salad with turkey breast strips in a parmesan basket |
| 6 | Scrambled eggs with gouda and pesto | Sauerkraut with smoked pork | Salmon with spinach and gorgonzola cheese |
| 7 | Blueberry Coconut Porridge | Chicken thighs with feta cheese gratinated tomatoes | Tuna salad with celery |
How long does a ketogenic diet last?
As a rule, it takes five to seven days for the organism to change its metabolism and reach the state of ketosis. In theory, you can then eat a ketogenic diet for as long as you like. For many, the goal and thus the end of the diet is reached when the desired weight is on the scale. Who would like to operate the keto diet beyond that for a longer time, should eat absolutely as varied as possible, in order not to enter the health-endangering risk of a deficient nutrient supply.
How to end a keto diet?
If one has been on a ketogenic diet for a long time, the state of ketosis should be ended slowly and step by step. For this purpose, it is recommended to increase the amount of carbohydrates by about five grams every other day until the age- and weight-appropriate “normal” amount recommendation is reached. At the same time, the fat and protein intake must be adjusted. The purpose of this “phasing out” of the diet is to allow the metabolism to slowly readjust and avoid a yo-yo effect.
Starvation does not have to be: keto recipes.
Who thinks that you have to starve during a ketogenic diet or carbohydrate-free food does not make you full, is mistaken. Because high-fat food saturates very well and the emphasis of the diet is less on calorie counting, but rather on the renunciation of carbohydrates. There are numerous and varied recipes for the ketogenic diet – including vegetarian and vegan. To start the day, for example, a keto breakfast can consist of a delicious omelet or scrambled eggs, Greek yogurt with berries or avocado wrapped in bacon. There are also various recipe options for keto cakes – as well as for ketogenic grilling.
Recipe for a keto bread
If you consider your cheese bread sacred in the morning, you don’t have to give it up during a keto diet. Because with this recipe you can easily bake keto bread yourself. Ingredients for a rustic keto bread:
- 100 grams of ground almonds
- 50 grams of ground psyllium husks
- 50 grams sunflower seeds
- 50 grams chia seeds
- 50 grams flaxseed meal
- 5 eggs
- 200 grams cottage cheese
- 20 grams of flaxseed meal
- 20 grams coconut flour
- 1 sachet baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons vinegar
Preparation: Mix the dry ingredients well, then add the wet.Now form a body and make a slit in the middle so that the bread can rise better later in the oven. Leave the bread to swell for at least two hours, then bake in the oven at 180 degrees convection for about an hour. Tip: For an original and rustic look, you can roll the bread in potato fiber before baking. This also makes it particularly crispy. Potato fibers contain hardly any more carbohydrates because the starch has been removed from them.
Keto pills and drinks
To get into the state of ketosis faster, some people take ketogenic supplements such as Revolyn Keto Burn or Ultra Keto Slim, as well as keto drinks. However, their effectiveness is not scientifically proven and the preparations may be questionable from a health point of view. Therefore, it is better to keep your hands off such products. However, a ketogenic diet is also associated with risks. Which side effects can occur with the keto diet and when keto can be of medical benefit, you will learn on the following page.