The ketogenic diet or keto diet is the most searched Google diet. But what does it have so that more and more people bet on it? This diet, which has become popular for many celebrities, has become an ideal healthy option for those who want to lose weight , which also helps manage diabetes and contributes to preventing and managing such important conditions as cancer or certain neurodegenerative diseases .
This book is a perfect introduction manual to the lifestyle that will completely change – of course, for the better – our eating habits. In addition to all the information necessary to understand all the concepts and dynamics of this movement, it presents one hundred delicious recipes designed to satisfy the special nutritional requirements in the induction phase, also illustrated with succulent images that will encourage the reader to venture into the cook without thinking.
The expert Martina Slajerova explains what problems may arise during the first few weeks, when the metabolism is reset to fat burning instead of calories, what foods can not miss on our shopping list , for which we bet and as many tips more that will help us improve our quality of life in an easy and simple way .
In the West, we have been damaging our own health for decades . How is it possible? Well, because we are dedicated to following dietary recommendations based on erroneous scientific data: we avoid saturated fats and cholesterol for fear of increasing the risk of heart disease. We have been taught that it is better to eat five small meals a day than three normal meals, and we have substituted saturated fats for carbohydrates and breakfast eggs for cereals. The rest of the story is known to all of us: this led us to the obesity epidemic, an increase in cases of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and lipid problems , inflammation and hypertension. Todhese conditions are symptoms of what is known as metabolic syndrome .
To understand what the keto diet consists of and how it works (also known as the keto diet or keto diet), you first have to know how our bodies use carbohydrates .
All the carbohydrates we eat are broken down into glucose, which is the main source of energy for all people who are not adapted to a keto diet. When we eat more carbohydrates than the body can use immediately, we store excess glucose in the liver and muscles in the form of muscle glycogen that we can use for energy.
Our “glycogen store ” can store up to 2,000 calories; our “fat deposit”, more than forty thousand. As you adjust to the keto diet, the body will go from a glucose metabolism to a fat metabolism , you will feel that you have more energy , a greater feeling of satiety and less food cravings . Also,
the human body can produce glucose as needed for the basic metabolic functions that require it thanks to a process called gluconeogenesis ; This is a process that feeds on sources that do not contain carbohydrates, especially protein.
Let’s not forget either insulin and its role in fat burning ; It works like this: When we eat a food rich in carbohydrates, the body has to produce more insulin to keep up with the higher glucose levels that we have in the bloodstream. Those elevated insulin levels trap fat in the cells and keep it from burning until insulin levels drop again; so we use fat as an energy source. For insulin sensitive people, this process works perfectly and gives them
Maintains balanced blood sugar levels. However, if you consistently eat high carbohydrates, you may end up developing insulin resistance, high levels of bad LDL cholesterol, low levels of good HDL cholesterol, high levels of triglycerides, increased inflammation, and in some cases, type 2 diabetes.
Without going any further, in 1989, a study was carried out in which insulin resistance was referred to as one of the four existing risk factors , a deadly quartet that also included hypertension, hypertriglyceridemia and low levels. of good HDL cholesterol.
Basically, this means that any carbohydrate we consume will increase insulin levels , which, in turn, usually causes a higher level of energy or fat storage . Conversely, when we eat less carbohydrates, the body needs less insulin to regulate blood sugar levels, so it uses more fat for energy and the amount stored