Have you heard about The Keto Diet Many advised you and you searched for it a lot? Does the keto diet really deserve this fame and lose weight in a healthy and effective way, as is common about it, or does it have side effects that you should beware of? Follow this article with us to know all your concerns and questions about Keto diet And how it works and what is allowed and forbidden in the keto diet.

What is the keto diet?

Let’s start first by explaining the keto diet. This diet is based on drastically reducing carbohydrate intake, and unlike what is common in dieting systems, it depends on increasing the amount of fat in food instead of carbohydrates, and eating a moderate amount of protein.

This switching between carbohydrates and fats causes the body to enter a state of metabolism called carbohydrates Ketosis Or what the followers of this diet know as Getting into keto.

With the body entering the keto phase, the fats that enter your body are converted into very high energy that the body consumes, as the liver in your body produces ketones from fats, which are chemicals that provide the body with energy instead of glucose (blood sugar), which is the main source of energy in the body.

How do you follow the keto diet?

Some studies determined the percentages of fats, proteins and carbohydrates (these percentages are approximate and not fixed) as follows:

According to Harvard Medical Schools, in order for the body to produce more ketones needed to burn fat for weight loss, you must eat carbohydrates in an amount of less than 20-50 grams per day, and the body takes its time for a few days to enter the state of keto that we mentioned earlier and not Once you start the diet, he also warns that eating more protein than allowed can disrupt the production of ketones.

Therefore, adhering to the permitted percentages of fats, carbohydrates, and protein, and knowing the foods that are allowed to be eaten and the foods that are prohibited in The keto diet It will make the diet effective for losing weight, which we will show you below.

What is allowed and forbidden in the keto diet?

This question is the most important that you should ask before starting this diet because it determines its effectiveness. There are many foods that we offer, for example, but not limited to the following:

Meat and fish on the keto diet

You can eat all kinds of natural meat and poultry, provided you adhere to the permitted amount of protein, and you should also avoid processed meats such as sausage, luncheon meat, and hamburger, and also avoid breaded meat and poultry such as paneer and buffet.

You can also eat all kinds of fish, but avoid high-mercury fish such as mackerel and canned tuna (large-sized fish in general), and also within the limits of the allowed amount of protein.

Vegetables on the keto diet

Vegetables allowed on the keto diet

They are vegetables that do not contain starches or contain a very small percentage, but they contain a lot of vitamins and minerals, such as: artichokes, asparagus, cabbage, cauliflower, cucumbers, broccoli, eggplant, onions, mushrooms, peppers, spinach, tomatoes and zucchini.

Vegetables prohibited in the keto diet

They are vegetables that contain starches, such as: beans, corn, potatoes, sweet potatoes, chickpeas, parsnips, peas, and taro.

Fruits allowed on the keto diet

When you follow this diet, unfortunately, fruits are prohibited except for some very few fruits that contain very few sugars and carbohydrates. In order not to deprive yourself of fruits, you can eat avocados, watermelons, strawberries, berries, peaches, and cantaloupes.

Dairy products on the keto diet

Milk allowed on the keto diet

There are types of plant-based milk that you can eat with the keto diet, such as: almond milk, coconut milk, and soy milk. You can eat cow’s milk, provided it is mixed with a large amount of cream, so that the percentage of fat is much higher than the percentage of protein and carbohydrates. You can also eat full-fat yogurt.

Banned milk on the keto diet

As for what should be completely avoided from milk in the keto diet, cow or buffalo milk because it contains the sugar lactose, oat milk, rice milk and any type of milk with added sugars.

Also, avoid drinking tea with milk, coffee with milk, low-fat yogurt, and yogurt with added sugar, jam, or some kind of sweetener.

Cheese allowed on keto

All types of cheese are allowed in the keto diet, provided that they are full-fat (and of course, to be healthy, eat cheese made from animal fats). Full-fat creamy cheeses can also be used in cooking.

Keto diet drinks

First and foremost, we recommend water, as it is your loyal friend in any diet, especially the keto diet, to avoid dehydration and the side effects of this diet, which we will mention to you later. You can add slices of lemon or cucumber to it for more rich flavor.

You can also drink coffee and tea in moderate quantities with the addition of cream for more energy, but in the event that you notice the stability of your weight, you should completely stay away from adding cream to your drink. You can also add different herbs to tea, and completely avoid adding sugar.

Keto nuts

It is easy to think that nuts will be friendly to the ketogenic diet because they contain healthy fats, so you feel that you can eat them as much as you want, which is a very easy thing because they are small in size and entertaining and you do not feel the quantities that you eat, here we must warn you! There are types of nuts that are completely prohibited in this diet because they are high in carbohydrates, there are medium types that must be limited, and there are nuts that are low in carbohydrates that you can eat, we divide them for you as follows:

High-carb nuts (which you should avoid):

• cashews
• pistachio

Medium-carb nuts (eat them in very small amounts):

• Nut
• Almonds
• pine
• Peanuts
• Walnut or walnut

Low-carb nuts (eat them in a reasonable amount as a palm-sized, unsalted snack):

• American walnut
• Brazil nuts
• macadamia

Allowed and prohibited oils and fats in ketogenic

You can use the permitted oils, as follows:

You should completely avoid these oils and fats:

• Margarine or vegetable shortening
• Vegetable oils such as canola oil and corn oil

Spices, seasonings, food flavorings and sauces

You can add all kinds of spices and seasonings to your food. You can also add lemon, mayonnaise (without sugar), salt, pepper, vinegar, and salad dressings (without sugar). And avoid adding barbecue sauce, ketchup, and any type of sauce with added sugar.

Read in detail: Ketogenic diet foods for more effective results

Benefits of the keto diet

Some studies and research have been done about the keto diet, with its widespread spread, to see the extent of its effect on the body, and the possibility of some benefits appeared, But More research is still needed before these effects can be adopted as real benefits. We offer you the following:

Benefits of the keto diet for weight loss

The keto diet helps you lose weight within 3-6 months more than other diets, as some studies have proven that it is more effective in burning fat than other types of diets that rely on reducing fat intake, as calories are consumed to convert fat into energy more than the calories consumed to convert carbohydrates for energy.

Cancer prevention

There is some research that believes that the keto diet can prevent cancer. In the ketogenic diet, sugar is not stored in the body, and therefore insulin is not produced in a large way, which helps the growth of cancer cells, but there is still a need for more research on this matter.

Acne prevention

Where carbohydrates have always been associated with the appearance of skin problems, including acne, so reducing carbohydrate intake in the keto diet and lack of insulin secretion (which in turn stimulates more other hormones) helps avoid skin problems, but there is also not enough research to prove this.

Prevention of epileptic seizures

There is old research suggesting that the keto diet can reduce seizures caused by epilepsy, but you must first consult a doctor and talk to him before following it.

Benefits of keto for PCOS patients

With less insulin secretion and water loss from the body in the keto diet, it is possible to reduce the fluid collected around the ovaries caused by PCOS, but also with a change in the lifestyle and exercise regimen.

Signs of getting into keto and its side effects

To know that the keto diet has begun to take effect, ketones will be produced in the body, which results in some signs that tell you to enter into keto, including:

• Noticeable weight loss in the first days of starting the diet, but according to studies, it results from the loss of water from the body and not fat, as the actual loss of fat occurs after a few weeks.
• With the loss of water, you will feel thirsty more than normal, and dehydration may occur, so you must drink fluids permanently to maintain the water balance in your body.
• The feeling of muscle cramps also results from the loss of water, along with mineral salts.
• Headache also occurs with dehydration, low blood sugar and mineral salts deficiency, and you should consult a doctor if the headache continues for more than a week.
• Oral odor changes to a strange smell similar to acetone, as a result of increased secretion of ketones.
• Feeling tired and exhausted, as a result of the body shifting from burning carbohydrates to burning fats, after a few weeks you are supposed to return to your active state, but if this does not happen, you should go to the doctor.
• It is possible to feel stomach pain as a result of your sudden change in diet, and to avoid this, you should drink plenty of water and fluids and avoid eating starchy vegetables.
• There may also be a change in sleep habits and a feeling of some disturbances during sleep, which are supposed to disappear after a while.
• It is also noted, according to some studies, that after the disappearance of the headache and the feeling of fatigue, there will be an increase in the level of concentration, to increase the production of more energy needed for the activity of the brain and nerves.

All of these signs can be noticed at the beginning of entering the keto diet, caused by the changes that occur in your body as a result of its dependence on energy resulting from excess ketones instead of sugar, which should gradually disappear after your body gets used to this system, but if these symptoms persist for a while For a long time, you should consult a doctor because the keto diet also has damages that you should know about, so follow up with us.

The harms of the keto diet

Any unbalanced diet can have risks that you should know before you decide to follow it, and the keto diet, regardless of its prevalence, also has several risks that you should be careful of, and because it is a system that relies primarily on fats in high proportions, it is not at all excluded that an increase in Bad cholesterol in the body, which leads to heart disease, and also leads to:

• MalnutritionIt occurs as a result of an imbalance in the intake of nutrients because you are unable to eat all kinds of vegetables, fruits and grains, so your body loses many vitamins and minerals important for carrying out its vital functions, such as selenium, magnesium, phosphorus, B vitamins and vitamin C.
• Liver problems: With the amount of fat you eat that requires the liver to deal with it to break it down, it is very possible for the keto diet to cause major problems for anyone suffering from any liver disease.
• This low-carb diet can cause kidney stones.
• Constipation due to lack of intake of foods rich in fiber and legumes.
• Mood swings and confusion in thinking as a result of the body not getting enough vitamins and essential nutrients.
• Keto flu: It is not the flu in its literal sense, but rather the definition of all the side effects that we mentioned earlier that occur with the body’s transformation to secrete ketones, such as headache, fatigue, fatigue, nausea, feeling thirsty and dehydrated. Find out how to relieve these symptoms from this article: Getting rid of the keto flu and important tips.

Read more about: All the harms of the keto diet in detail

Frequently asked questions about the keto diet

Is the keto diet suitable for diabetics?

Although diets based on reducing carbohydrates help lower blood sugar, the keto diet depends on increasing the production of ketones to burn fat, so in the case of diabetes, especially type 1 diabetes, an increase in ketones in the blood can cause a health problem for a patient. Sugar, so if you are diabetic, you should consult your doctor first before you change your diet.

What is the difference between keto and Atkins diet systems?

There is no set percentage for protein intake Atkins diet However, the allowed amount in the keto diet is a specific amount, and it is about 20% of the protein, and the production of ketones in the Atkins diet occurs only in the first phase of it, while the production of ketones in the ketogenic diet continues throughout the period of following the diet.

Is muscle lost in the ketogenic diet?

The possibility of muscle loss in any diet is possible, but it is possible that the body does not lose muscle significantly in the ketogenic diet because protein is allowed to be consumed even if it is in a limited amount, but this does not guarantee that the body will preserve its muscles, so this diet is not suitable for bodybuilding and muscle building, And you must know the best bodybuilding diet.

Is the keto diet dangerous to health?

The state of keto in the ketogenic diet is always confused with the state of diabetic ketoacidosis, which occurs in the case of high blood sugar and is a serious condition, while the state of keto is in Ketogenic diet It is a completely normal condition and takes place under the control of the body, while adhering to the dieting instructions and making sure of your health condition.

Finally, every body has its own nature, not everything that is beneficial to others will naturally be beneficial to you, even if it is The keto diet It is completely safe and everyone who follows it, who you know praises it and its success, so you must know the condition of your body first before you follow any diet that depends on an imbalance in nutrients that changes the chemistry of the body, so we always advise you to consult a doctor and make sure that you do not suffer from any health problem Subtle it can interact negatively with any diet you follow.