Ketogenic Diet Example

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Premise

The following indications are for informational purposes EXCLUSIVELY and are not intended to replace the opinion of professionals such as a doctor, nutritionist or dietician, whose intervention is necessary for the prescription and composition of PERSONALIZED food therapies.

Ketogenic diet

Premise

ATTENTION! With this article we will try to report an example of a diet based on the unloading of dietary carbohydrates and the parallel increase of ketone bodies in the blood. It is essential to remember that we refer exclusively to A ketogenic diet (in a generic sense) and not TO A ketogenic diet (more or less specific method that can be claimed by some professionals); this small clarification is intended to safeguard the author of the article and healthiergang.com from any claim on the intellectual property of the ketogenic diet or from any conceptual-methodological disputes.

The ketogenic diet is an unbalanced diet that REQUIRES CONSTANT MONITORING BY THE SPECIALIST DOCTOR (through the analysis of ketone bodies, for example by testing the urinary pH). The ketogenic diet can be useful for the treatment of two totally different clinical conditions:

• Overweight and metabolic pathologies WITHOUT complications (kidneys and liver must be perfectly healthy)
• Drug-resistant epilepsy, especially in children (see article: Diet for epilepsy)

Below we will present an example of a ketogenic weight loss diet and not a ketogenic diet to reduce the symptoms of epilepsy.

Diet Chetogenica

The ketogenic diet is essentially based on 3 concepts:

• Reduction of simple and complex carbohydrates: foods that contain carbohydrates must be totally eliminated (even if this is practically impossible). The portions of the vegetables, which contain fructose, are maintained, causing the percentage collapse of complex carbohydrates in favor of the simple ones (which, however, we remember to be quantitatively very low). These nutrients represent the primary fuel of the organism and reducing them "to a minimum" forces the organism to dispose of excess fat reserves; moreover, carbohydrates are nutrients that significantly stimulate insulin (anabolic and fattening hormone), which is why their moderation should also have an important metabolic significance.
• Quantitative and percentage increase (therefore absolute) of fats, and only percentage of proteins, keeping the caloric intake constant: after eliminating carbohydrates, the portions of protein foods should be kept constant, at the same time increasing only the quantities of foods with a high fat content (oils, oil seeds, oily fleshy fruits, etc.). In theory, this compensates for the caloric reduction of the carbohydrate deficit thanks to the greater quantity of lipids. In practice, for obvious reasons of appetite (indeed, hunger!), It is also necessary to increase the portions and the frequency of consumption of protein foods. Some justify this "fix" by claiming that more protein is helpful in maintaining lean mass. However, it should be specified that many amino acids are glucogenic (they are converted into glucose by neoglucogenesis) and have a metabolic action similar to dietary carbohydrates, partially nullifying the effect on lipolytic enzymes and on the production of ketone bodies (see below). Furthermore, in clinical practice, with the "calculator in hand" the menu of the ketogenic diet is NEVER normocaloric and always provides less energy than necessary. You might as well try a well-structured low-calorie balanced diet before venturing into such a jumble.
• Production of ketone bodies: the hepatic neoglucogenesis necessary to synthesize glucose (starting from certain amino acids and glycerol) is not fast enough to cover the daily carbohydrate requirement. At the same time, the oxidation of fats (strictly correlated and dependent on glycolysis) "gets stuck" and causes the accumulation of intermediate molecules (in my opinion, waste) called ketone bodies. These ketones, which at physiological concentrations are easily disposed of, in the ketogenic diet reach levels that are toxic to the tissues.
  Toxic does not necessarily mean poisonous, but rather "that causes intoxication". This effect is clearly distinguishable with the reduction of appetite, that is the anorectic effect on the brain, although, like the heart, the nervous tissue is also partially capable of using the ketone bodies for energy purposes.
  The healthy organism is capable of functioning even with high blood quantities of ketone bodies, the excess of which is eliminated (we do not know with how much effort) by renal filtration. Obviously, people suffering from certain diseases (insulin secretion defect - typical of type 1 diabetes mellitus - renal failure - also triggered by advanced type 2 diabetes mellitus - liver failure etc.) have a very high risk of evolving into metabolic ketoacidosis, risking coma or even death.

Concerns about the ketogenic diet

Personally I consider the ketogenic diet a rather extreme method and I don't think its application can be defined as ethically correct; however, as many clinicians show, it is sometimes necessary to act quickly on obesity to safeguard the health of the critically ill patient. For my part, I leave it to the doctors to evaluate and apply such a diet.
The PROTRACTED and DISOMPENSED ketogenic diet (as we said above, in the case of a pre-existing disease) can favor the manifestation of:

• Syndrome this “keto flu", That is a condition of generalized discomfort caused by the metabolic imbalance still not fully compensated by the body
• Changes in mood and asthenia from physical activity
• Acidosis or otherwise lowering of blood pH
• Liver fatigue (although not always measurable in healthy subjects)
• Kidney fatigue (although not always measurable in healthy subjects)
• Tendency to systemic dehydration
• Ailments of various kinds, such as hypoglycemia and low blood pressure that can begin with a blackout
• Hypovitaminosis, salt and dietary fiber deficiency
• Depletion of muscle tissue, especially in the case of motor activity.

Note: It is curious to verify how many of the symptoms and clinical signs mentioned above are common to marasma (generalized malnutrition).

The ketogenic diet CANNOT and MUST NOT be practiced for a long time and, if you decide to undertake it, it would be advisable to remember that it is necessary to alternate periods of ketogenesis with days of restoring glycogen stocks. The body, especially the nervous tissue, needs about 180g / day of carbohydrates to function effectively and efficiently (although 50-100 grams should prevent ketoacidosis - Calloeay 1971), but this also means that following the ketogenic diet does not will NEVER enjoy an OPTIMAL psycho-physical form. Moreover, many professionals who recommend starting the ketogenic diet suggest NOT to stop it since the ketosis itself (which arises after a few days from the beginning) is essential for the proper functioning of the system.
The ketogenic diet is not concerned with the relationship between complex carbohydrates and simple sugars, since carbohydrates are so scarce that their metabolic impact is almost marginal.
The ketogenic diet is NOT applicable to sportsmen and endurance athletes.

Useful supplements

The supplements useful in the case of a ketogenic diet are those that guarantee coverage of hydro-saline and vitamin needs. Many readers will think that increasing the intake of vegetables is enough to reach some vitamin and saline levels in the ketogenic, but unfortunately it is not that simple. Vegetables are rich in mineral salts and vitamins, as well as in fiber and chelating anti-nutritional molecules; therefore, increasing the vegetable excessively increases the risk of malabsorption or partial absorption of nutrients (iron, calcium, vitamins, etc.). Furthermore, according to the principle of the ketogenic diet, it is essential to minimize the intake of carbohydrates, however well present (albeit to varying degrees) in all vegetables.

The dosage of hydrosaline and vitamin supplements cannot be illustrated or suggested with precision since, given the heterogeneity of the products on the market, it would be an approximate and misleading indication. I therefore suggest to consult the label and to make a MAXIMUM daily quantity of supplements based on mineral salts and / or vitamins equal to 50-80% of the total requirement (personal opinion). It is also advisable to consult your doctor or pharmacist. In addition, it is desirable to give preference to supplements containing minerals with an alkalizing action, such as citrates (potassium citrate, magnesium citrate, sodium citrate) or bicarbonates (sodium bicarbonate, potassium bicarbonate, etc.).
Note: the ketogenic diet does not respect the principles of nutritional balance of the classic method and, by definition, it is an unbalanced eating style as it is hypoglucidic, hyperlipidic and tendentially hyperproteic (in the context of the Mediterranean diet). It requires ignoring the calculation of needs, maintaining a TOT carbohydrate intake not exceeding 50-100g / day even if, according to what some experts write, the lower the intake of carbohydrates, the greater the ketosis and the effectiveness of the system.

The ketogenic diet also suggests providing a greater portion of unsaturated lipids than that of saturated ones.

The protein intake can reach values ​​that are decidedly out of the ordinary (up to and over 3g / kg of physiological weight), sometimes also reducing the quantity of the “very precious” total lipids.

Example

Note: This example of a ketogenic diet represents a compromise between different currents of thought. It is therefore basically "incorrect" IF evaluated in the context of "PURE" ketogenic diets, both as regards the daily intake of carbohydrates, and as regards the choice of inserting one or two days of carbohydrate recharge per week. However, this type of ketogenic diet can also be used by people who choose NOT to give up motor activity, as long as it is of moderate volume and intensity. Obviously, it needs to be customized.

• Subject: middle-aged woman, works as a secretary and does not practice physical activity; you are overweight, suffer from impaired blood sugar and hypertriglyceridemia
  

Ketogenic Diet Example - Day 1

Ketogenic Diet Example - Day 2

Ketogenic Diet Example - Day 3

Ketogenic Diet Example - Day 4 - RECHARGE

Ketogenic Diet Example - Day 5

Ketogenic Diet Example - Day 6

Ketogenic Diet Example - Day 7 RECHARGE