Ketogenic Diet

[Trusylver]

What is a Ketogenic Diet?

In the most general terms, a ketogenic diet is any diet that causes ketone bodies to be produced by the liver, shifting the body’s metabolism away from glucose and towards fat utilization. More specifically, a ketogenic diet is one that restricts carbohydrates below a certain level (generally 100 grams per day), inducing a series of adaptations to take place. Protein and fat intake are variable, depending on the goal of the dieter. – Lyle McDonald, “The Ketogenic Diet” Book.

The bigger question then is – what is a well-formulated ketogenic diet? The answer depends on your goals.

From a ketogenic point of view:

You need adequate Protein as to maintain /repair /create muscle tissue;
You need to "adjust" your Fat intake according to your goals: reduce it for fat loss, increase it for muscle gain;
You need to limit carbohydrates as to maintain a ketogenic state.

There are two "advanced" alternatives to the Standard Ketogenic Diet (SKD)

The Targeted Ketogenic Diet (TKD)

The Cyclical Ketogenic Diet (CKD)



Protein and the Ketogenic Diet

Although carbohydrate intake is arguably the most important aspect of successfully inducing ketosis, protein intake is extremely important in order to prevent muscle loss.

the suggested protein intake depends from person to person and should be set according to lean body mass and activity / exercise levels:

Sedentary people: 0.69 to 0.8g per lean pound

Mildly active or doing endurance / strength training: 0.8 to 1.0g per lean pound

Heavy strength training / bodybuilders / PSMF: 1.0 up to 1.2g per lean pound

Fat and the Ketogenic Diet

Despite the generally ‘high fat’ nature of the ketogenic diet, or at least how it is perceived, dietary fat intake has a rather minimal effect on ketosis. Fat intake will primarily affect how much bodyfat is used for fuel. For bodyfat loss, less dietary fat is better.

Carbohydrates and the Ketogenic Diet

Carbohydrate intake is arguably the most significant aspect of a ketogenic diet as carbohydrates have the greatest effect on ketosis. As a general rule, carbohydrate intake must be reduced below 100 grams and most individuals find that a carbohydrate intake of 30 grams is the maximum that can be consumed.


Keto Flu

When first starting a keto diet, one of the big cons is what is referred to as "Keto Flu" when you feel sick and weak, this can be avoided by having adequate electrolyte intake.

 

[Intellectual vegetable]

I wonder if there is a reason why the ketogenic diet was invented. Perhaps it was to cure some ailment*, and has since taken on a new context. It seems this diet is more exciting to people who love to lose weight rather than people who want to live a healthy life (both are not synonymous).

I would encourage anyone wanting to do a ketogenic diet to do thier research on when the idea was first introduced and why. I would then suggest, if they still wanted to follow this diet, to follow it according to the originaly established protocol, or of a protocol recommended by a trusted institution.

When deciding on what carbohydrates you might intake, consider fruits and vegetables as the primary source. Processed foods should not be on your list. Also, there are plenty of fat sources in the plant kingdom. You could engage in the ketogenic diet solely on plants if you wanted to.

(*Epilepsy)

 

[Trusylver]

Perhaps it was to cure some ailment*

It was not to "cure" epilepsy, but it does have a very good impact on the number ans quantity of seizures. As somebody who has been keto for years, I have encountered vegetarians who are also keto, but have never encountered a vegan who has been able to also be keto. Most who follow a healthy keto diet do consume primarily vegetables and berries as their carbohydrate source and to achieve all the nutrients needed in a healthy diet.

Keto is not an excuse to consume vast amounts of fat for the sake of it, lean protein sources are preferred.

this diet is more exciting to people who love to lose weight rather than people who want to live a healthy life

Keto is also good for building lean muscle mass, avoiding much of the unhealthy bulk/cut cycle that many use.

 

[Intellectual vegetable]

You're right. "Cure" is a strong word. We tend to "manage" diseases and ailments. And yes again, this was for treating seizures in people suffering from epilepsy.

Most who follow a healthy keto diet do consume primarily vegetables and berries as their carbohydrate source and to achieve all the nutrients needed in a healthy diet.

I am glad to hear there is room for plant matter on your keto diet. I think you hit the defining criteria for success on this diet with the part about getting nutrients. It would be easy for people to consume the same foods over and over, without diversity. They would be getting the same nutrients over and over. But if thier sources of nutrition are deficient in any particular nutrient (fiber for instance), then they could find themselves in health trouble after a period of years. Of course, the same can be said of any diet, but I think this one attracts that possibility more than others.

I'm equally as glad to hear that this isn't a license to eat copious amounts of fat. I think too many people looking to loose weight put thier faith in this diet, not knowing any healthy way of doing it, and they eat all kinds of junk food or processed food as a result.

It would be nice to see a rudimentary outline of what could be in the typical diet. What should one eat for meals and snacks (if applicable)? How do those foods help the body? I'd like to see the discussion migrate from math and transition into using food to describe this diet. For example, what does 100 grams of carbohydrates look like? You might instead say, "as a general rule, eating 1 cup of berries or other low sugar or starch foods is the max you might consume on this diet."

It might take a bit more explaining, but people will start to view the diet as a food system rather than a math puzzle. Just a thought.

Your explanation of the diet is very informative. I like to see thought and preparation put on paper (or on the web, in this case).

 

[teloshealth]

Hi, I've been on a keto diet for 15 months. I think the pinned post makes it seem very confusing, which it isn't. I'll explain it in simple terms.

Cut out all carbohydrates from your diet.

As much carb as you can. Don't bother measuring it. Just cut them out. Your body does not need them. There is no evidence your body needs them, believe it or not, but plenty of evidence that they are the cause of most of the modern diseases of today.

I don't even hardly bother to eat vegetables any longer. I have found the more carbs I cut out, and that includes the vegetables, the better I feel. I'm 50 and feel better this morning than I ever did when I was a health freak in my 20's. I don't have any joint pain, even upon waking, I don't ever feel tired, I don't take any medication and the only time I put on a bit of weight is when the carb addiction sneaks its way back into my life. And that folks, is the crux of the problem. Carbohydrates, especially the sweet ones, like cane and beet sugar and all the fucking syrups that these bastard companies ply us with like soulless drug peddlers, are what cause the pandemic of people who fight with their weight and obesity.

BTW if you think we need vegetables, look up some people who are on the carnivore diet. We've never needed vegetables, but, we have been lied to about that and all the grain food that has entered our diets.

I have bacon, eggs and sausages every morning. I had creamy chicken curry last night, on it's own, OK, I had a poppadom as well. Typically, I have steak with black olives, chopped chorrizo and halummi chips for lunch or dinner. No rice, no veg. Chicken thighs with chorrizo and a few slices of bell pepper and some mushrooms (optional). Full fat mince with mushrooms and maybe cauliflower rice. Cream (double/heavy, your choice) and strawberries. I like cream on it's own so I might not add strawberries. Hummus. Cheese, although I only really like cheddar. Fatty fish and lot os salmon, although not much at the moment as the wife has gone off it for some reason. Pure stevia drops to sweeten some desserts and we sometimes turn our bread, made from cream cheese, mozzarella almond flour, 2 eggs and baking powder, into a cake by adding stevia and essence. One of the good things about keto for me is it has made me cook all my own food and clean up what me and my family consume that much more.

Stevia products are a great example of how the food industry has carte blanche. I was buying a stevia sugar product until one day I noticed a tiny little asterisk whith some text running vertically up the side for the package. It read: contains stevia extract 0.05%. The rest of the product was erythritol, which is basically made from carbs, again. I emailed the company, they never replied

Don't believe what you read, even from government organisations. Try it yourself and see. Oh, and the keto flu is just the same symptoms as anyone who is overcoming an addiction. However, if you diet was quite clean before trying keto, you probably won't experience any problems. The electrolytes may be required, and you have to find a good source for that too as many don't work, until your body adapts. A clean diet is one that doesn't have much sugars in it like cane and beat and syrups, or processed foods.

Your life will change when you cut out carbs.

 

[overlandflyer]

... I don't even hardly bother to eat vegetables any longer....

if you think about it, you really do... you just employ a middle-man middle-animal.

and the last thing you probably want to hear is how large your carbon footprint is... so i won't mention it...

 

[GetFitMary]

I ended up with gallstones due to excess meat and fats.

 

[overlandflyer]

where possible, i always try to increase the amount of fiber in meals, but by far the best way to combat an unbalanced diet is to drink more water and keep you body fully hydrated. so much benefit from that simple solution.

 

[Trusylver]

I ended up with gallstones due to excess meat and fats.

If you are adding excess fat then yes your gallbladder may have problems, keto is about restricting carbs not eating excess fat in the form of fat bombs etc. it also does not mean that you don't eat fibrous vegetables you can have a LOT of veg and stay within the keto carb guidelines. It is also not about eating excess protein, simply eating adequate protein for your bodies needs, that protein does not need to come fro vast quantities of red meat if that is a problem, there are other sources of protein.

 

[Trusylver]

fatigue, headache, brain fog

These are totally avoidable if adequate electrolytes and hydration is maintained

kidney stones

kidney stones are usually caused by excess protein, there is no recommendations in keto to consume excess protein

liver disease

Liver condition may be exacerbated by high fat in the diet, to be ketogenic does not require eating excess fat, ketosis is triggered by low carbs not high fat.

osteoporosis

Keto does not cause Osteoporosis

Long-term effects of a very-low-carbohydrate weight-loss diet and an isocaloric low-fat diet on bone health in obese adults - ScienceDirect

Long-Term Effects of a Novel Continuous Remote Care Intervention Including Nutritional Ketosis for the Management of Type 2 Diabetes: A 2-Year Non-randomized Clinical Trial

 

[Err2]

I'm just starting to read about a growing trend among ultra endurance athletes to train low carb/high fat but still race using carbs. By doing so, they purport their bodies are better "fat adapted" than someone maintaining a steady High Carb Diet so they need to consume fewer calories over the course of a race (helpful when the level & type of exertion makes digestion difficult).

 

[gomezcarsonk]

These are totally avoidable if adequate electrolytes and hydration is maintained



kidney stones are usually caused by excess protein, there is no recommendations in keto to consume excess protein



Liver condition may be exacerbated by high fat in the diet, to be ketogenic does not require eating excess fat, ketosis is triggered by low carbs not high fat.



Keto does not cause Osteoporosis

Long-term effects of a very-low-employee monitoring weight-loss diet and an isocaloric low-fat diet on bone health in obese adults - ScienceDirect

Long-Term Effects of a Novel Continuous Remote Care Intervention Including Nutritional Ketosis for the Management of Type 2 Diabetes: A 2-Year Non-randomized Clinical Trial

Why the markers seem to go down for the first year and up for the second? Does this mean that the intervention only works for the first year and then something needs to be adjusted...

 

[overlandflyer]

Waooo you were very detailed and I learnt a lot from your write-up.

as is true for many things, including most importantly these days, national news, look to more than a single source for information. look for positives, for those who offer solutions ("this will do something good for you") rather than those who offer no solution other than pure critism ("what everyone else is telling you is a lie").

 

[Hansila]

Keto works in the system and metabolism of the body. Beyond that, positive thinking and a happy and calm mood will help achieve goals