The keto diet has nothing more and nothing less than 112 million results in Google in its English version, and close to one and a half million in its Spanish version: the keto diet. Celebrities like Kim Kardashian or Gwyneth Paltrow have made it fashionable in the United States, making it one of the healthiest options to lose weight, manage diabetes and improve cognitive health. A couple of years ago it crossed the pond until it became one of the 2018 healthy trends in our country. In 2020 the keto diet continues to be the one that arouses the most interest and curiosity, and one of the most repeated searches on the Internet is: what is the keto diet. That is why we have asked ourselves what does the keto diet have so that more and more people bet on it? What are the main doubts of those who decide to start the keto diet? What has made it the most followed diet by celebrities in recent years? What has been written about the keto diet? We answer all these questions:
Keto diet: more fat, less carbohydrates
According to nutritionists around the world, the keto or ketogenic diet restricts the intake of foods rich in carbohydrates, such as cereals, sugar and even certain vegetables and fruits, in favor of foods rich in good fats and proteins, such as blue fish or avocado. The objective? Bringing the body to the process of blood ketosis , a metabolic state similar to intermittent fasting , another of the most popular trends in nutrition.
But to better understand what is the keto diet Martina Slajerova, expert in this regimen and creator of the Keto Diet app , has published the book ‘ The ketogenic diet for beginners ‘ , an introductory manual to this lifestyle that promises to change eating habits of those who practice it. Not only does it have the information necessary to understand all the concepts and dynamics of the keto diet , it also presents more than 100 recipes with low-carbohydrate natural foods.
How, then, does the keto diet work?
As Martina Slajerova explains in her book, one of the great myths of diet is to think that carbohydrate consumption is necessary to store enough muscle glycogen that we can use to obtain energy. And that is precisely what knocks down the keto diet .
“While it is true that our bodies need a small amount of glucose to perform some basic metabolic functions, the truth is that the human body prefers to use ketones as an energy source, as stated by dietitian Jeff Volek and physician Stephen Phinney, authors from The Art and Sciene of Low Carbohydrate Living bestseller . ”
Or what is the same, the keto or ketogenic diet transforms the bodies so that they go from a glucose metabolism to one of fats, in which only 50 grams of carbohydrates are consumed daily and with which, as he states, “you will feel that you have more energy and a greater feeling of satiety and less food cravings. ”
Of course, for those who warn of the danger of entering a state of nutritional ketosis, Martina ensures that it is perfectly safe and that it cannot be confused with ketoacidosis, a state in which ketone levels in the body are between three and five times higher than ketosis and evidence of health problems such as type 2 diabetes.
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Although each person adapts differently to the keto diet , the truth is that there are three common phases for all that Martina describes as follows:
- Induction phase : it could be said that it is the most important because it is when carbohydrate consumption is reduced to between 20 and 25 grams a day to enter the state of ketosis (ketone levels in the body must be between 0.5 and 3 mM). This period usually lasts from 3 to 4 weeks and in it you can feel somewhat overwhelmed and even have stages of anxiety. For this Martina Slajerova leaves what, in her opinion, are the keys to the success of this phase: simplify your diet, eat enough protein and fat, avoid binge eating and avoid snacking between meals.
- Ketogenic adaptation phase : it does not have a specific duration, everything depends on the goals that each person sets. Martina Slajerova says that being a complex process in which almost all the body’s systems are involved, it is normal to feel tired or even notice the symptoms of ” ketogenic flu ” , since the body needs to get used to using fatty acids and ketones as main sources of energy.
- Maintenance phase : as in any diet, this phase is the most difficult to carry, since the objective is to follow the new style of nutrition in the long term and you can fall into more than one temptation. Willpower is the fundamental pillar on which people must lean to successfully exit this final phase.
Despite the drawbacks that, a priori, reflects the keto or ketogenic diet, the truth is that there are many cases of people who have obtained great results following this nutritional regimen.
If you are considering starting the keto diet we recommend that you take note of several things: