An Ultimate Guide to the Ketogenic Diet: Benefits, Meal Plans, and Tips for Success

Ketogenic diet is a high fat, moderate protein and very low carbohydrate diet. Carbohydrates are the body's preferred source of energy but on a strict ketogenic diet about 5% to 10% of energy intake is from carbohydrates. The reduction of carbohydrates puts the body into a metabolic state called ketosis. Ketosis is when the body starts breaking down stored fat into molecules called ketone bodies to use for energy without circulating blood sugar from food. Once the body reaches ketosis most cells will use ketone bodies to generate energy until you start eating carbohydrates again. ketogenic diet involves consuming very low amount of carbohydrates and replacing them with fat. Health benefits of ketogenic diet can include weight loss and lowering your risk for certain diseases like cancer, diabetes, obesity, high cholesterol and cardiovascular diseases.

Types of ketogenic diet:

There are several types of ketogenic diet and what you eat depends on the type of the diet. They include:

·        Standard ketogenic diet (SKD)

·        Cyclical ketogenic diet (CKD)

·        Targeted ketogenic diet (TKD)

·        High protein ketogenic diet (HPKD)

StStandard ketogenic diet (SKD):

Standard ketogenic diet is a very low carb, moderate protein and high fat diet that offers many health benefits. It usually contains 5-10% carbs, 10-20% protein and 70-80% fats. Standard ketogenic diet can help you lose weight and improve your health.

Cyclical ketogenic diet (CKD):

Cyclical ketogenic diet involves periods of higher carbs refeeds such as five ketogenic days followed by two high carb days. Cyclical ketogenic diet is popular among those seeking muscle growth and improved exercise performance.

Targeted ketogenic diet (TKD):        

Targeted ketogenic diet simply put is a usual keto diet that is supplemented with carbohydrates intake around your workouts time. Targeted keto is a compromise between a “standard ketogenic diet” and a “cyclical ketogenic diet” meant to improve exercise performance for high intensity workouts.

High protein ketogenic diet (HPKD):

High protein ketogenic diet is similar to standard ketogenic diet in terms of fat making up the majority of your daily macronutrients intake. The ratio is often 60% fat, 35% protein and 5% carbs. High protein ketogenic diet may promote weight loss, preserve muscle mass, improve blood sugar control, lower your risk of heart disease and enhance bone health.

There are several types of the ketogenic diet, the standard (SKD) version is the most researched and most recommended however, only the standard and high protein ketogenic diets have been studied widely. Cyclical or targeted ketogenic diets are more advanced methods and primarily used by bodybuilders or athletes.

If you know that keto is a very low-carb, high-fated moderate-protein diet, it can be confusing to know which foods to eat and which can avoid. Here's our guide to foods you can eat, foods you should limit and foods you can have in moderation when you're following a ketogenic diet.

Foods you can eat on ketogenic diet:

• Fatty fish: salmon, trout, tuna, etc.
• Meat: red meat, steak, beef, chicken, organ meats, etc.
• Eggs: pastured, organic, omega-3 whole eggs.
• Nuts and seeds: almonds, walnuts, flaxseeds, pumpkin seeds, etc.
• Butter and cream: grass-fed butter and heavy cream.
• Healthy oils: extra virgin olive oil and avocado oil.
• Avocados: whole avocados.
• Cheese: unprocessed cheeses like cheddar, goat, cream or mozzarella cheeses, cottage cheese, etc.
• Low carb veggies: green veggies, tomatoes, onions, peppers, etc.
• Berries: blackberry, strawberry, blueberry, etc.
• Condiments: salt, pepper, fresh herbs, lemon juice, vinegar, etc.

Foods you can avoid on ketogenic Diet:

• Grains or starches: wheat-based products, rice, pasta, cereal, etc.
• Sugary foods: soda, fruit juice, ice cream, cake, cookies, chocolate, candy, doughnuts, etc.
• Fruit: all fruits except small portions of berries like strawberries.
• Unhealthy fats: processed vegetable oils, mayonnaise, etc.
• Beans or legumes: peas, kidney beans, chickpeas, lentils, black beans, etc.
• Alcohol: beer, wine, liquor, mixed drinks, etc.
• Root vegetables and tubers: potatoes, sweet potatoes, corn, peas, pumpkin, carrots, beetroots, etc.
• Sugar free diet foods: sugar free candies, syrups, puddings, sweeteners, desserts, etc.
• Low fat products or sauces: low fat mayonnaise, salad dressings, ketchup, condiments, honey mustard, etc.

Keto diet plan for 1 week:

 Monday:

·        Breakfast: mushroom omelet.

·        Lunch: arugula salad with boiled eggs, avocado and blue cheese.

·        Dinner: grilled salmon with spinach sauteed in olive oil.

Tuesday: 

·        Breakfast: baked avocado egg boats.

       Lunch: bunless salmon burgers, herbs and cheese.

·        Dinner: meatballs with noodles and cheese.

Wednesday:

·    Breakfast: toasts topped with cheese and avocados.

·        Lunch: caesar salad with chicken.

·        Dinner: pork chops with vegetables.

Thursday:

·        Breakfast: puddings topped with coconut and wallnuts.

·     Lunch: salad made with greens, hard boiled eggs and avocados.

·        Dinner: bison steak with cheese.

Friday:

·        Breakfast: full-fat yogurt with boiled eggs.

·        Lunch: steak boil with rice, herbs, cheese and salsa.

·        Dinner: coconut chicken curry.

 Saturday:

·       Breakfast: egg muffins with veggie keto scramble.

·        Lunch: tuna salad with celery and tomatoes and cheese.

·        Dinner: chicken stir fry with broccoli.

 Sunday:

·        Breakfast: cheese omelet.

·        Lunch: meatballs with mozzarella cheese.

·        Dinner: roast chicken with cream sauce.

Pros and cons of ketogenic diet:

Pros:

Weight loss:

In normal diets our body burns carbohydrates for energy but in ketogenic diet when we limit carbohydrates our body will begin burning fat for energy from which we lose body fat more quickly. The ketogenic diet’s method of increasing foods that are high in fat can help reduce cravings and feelings of hunger. In ketogenic diet people feel less hungry due to fatty foods intake because fatty foods take long time to break down in the body. Weight loss not only come from ketosis but also from reducing calorie intake by eliminating food groups.

No more Low-fat:

In ketogenic diet calories should come from fats if you are not getting enough fat from your diet and not eating many carbs then you are not getting enough calories. The ketogenic diet allows people to eat the high fat foods such as fatty fish, meat, eggs, cheese, butter, healthy oils, nuts and seed while still losing weight.

Health benefits for specific people:

Ketogenic diet can be enormously valuable for those who are diagnosed with diabetes and need to reduce blood sugar levels. High fat or low carb diets are identified to help lower glucose levels which can help with blood sugar control. Ketogenic diet may help lower blood pressure, reducing carbohydrates can help lower blood pressure compared to low fat diet.

Cons:

Renal risk:

Some people experience dehydration on the ketogenic diet because they are eradicating glycogen from their bloodstream. Patients with kidney diseases have an increased risk of requiring dialysis on the ketogenic diet due to additional ketones that their renal system has to process.

Bad fats in practice:

The high fat nature of the ketogenic diet could also have negative impacts on heart health. Many people eat high amounts of saturated fats which could increase cardiovascular disease risk.

Calorie depletion and nutrient deficiency:

Ketogenic diet is restricted so you are not receiving the nutrients (vitamins, minerals and fibers) that you get from fresh vegetables, fruits and whole grains. Due to these deficiencies people also report feeling vague and tired. Constipation is also common in ketogenic diet due to the lack of fiber.

Conclusion:

Ketogenic diet is a fat-rich, low-carbohydrates eating plan that has been used to treat specific medical conditions. ketogenic diet involves consuming very low amount of carbohydrates and replacing them with fat. Health benefits of ketogenic diet can include weight loss. Ketogenic diet reduce carbohydrates intake of body and replace it with healthy fats. This can help our body to use fat for energy, encouraging weight loss and possibly reducing the chance of developing certain health diseases like cancer, diabetes, obesity, high cholesterol and cardiovascular diseases.