What is the Keto Diet?

Everywhere you look you can currently hear and read about keto (ketogenic diet), how quickly you can lose weight with it and how good it is for your health. In fact, “keto” was the most searched diet term in 2018 [i]. But what exactly is this diet about? Here you get an overview of the basics of the ketogenic diet and an answer to the question: "Can I really eat bacon and butter and lose weight?"

What is the Keto Diet?

Keto is an abbreviation for the so-called ketogenic diet , which is ultimately an extreme form of low-carbohydrate diet . The principles of the ketogenic diet are high fat, moderate protein intake, and very little carbohydrate. The ratio of these nutrients is typically 70–80% fat, around 10–20% protein and 5–10% carbohydrates [ii].

For a typical menu with an average of 2,000 calories per day, this means:

• 165 g fat
• 75 g protein
• 20-30 g carbohydrates [iii]

But how is it that you can eat so much fat and still lose weight?

The initial weight loss is mainly due to the body losing a lot of water from the sudden and extreme reduction in carbohydrates . Of course, if you omit an entire food category (in this case carbohydrates) there is less to eat; which means you probably eat less in general.

In addition to consuming less food , the body is forced to get its energy from ketone bodies instead of glucose . This is what is known as "ketosis".
In order to understand ketosis , one should first clarify how our body gains energy from the foods we consume.

The body cells prefer to use glucose (carbohydrate building block) as an energy supplier [iv]. When carbohydrate intake is drastically reduced and replaced with high-fat foods, the body is put into a state of ketosis. In this case, the liver converts in the body to stored fat into so-called ketone bodies , which are used instead of glucose for energy; so fat is burned instead of carbohydrates [v].

Everywhere you look you can currently hear and read about keto (ketogenic diet), how quickly you can lose weight with it and how good it is for your health. In fact, “keto” was the most searched diet term in 2018 [i]. But what exactly is this diet about? Here you get an overview of the basics of the ketogenic diet and an answer to the question: "Can I really eat bacon and butter and lose weight?"

What is the Keto Diet?

This is a sub-category of the low carb diet, also known as the fat diet. The rule of thumb for keto is: 60F / 35P / 5KH. This means that 60% of the calories should come from fat, 35% from protein and 5% from carbohydrates. The carbohydrate intake of max. 50 g per day must not be exceeded. 

كيتو دايت

Why low carb?

Carbohydrates are essential for your metabolism. But too large amounts overwhelm your blood sugar level and promote the storage of fat. To lose weight, you need to start with carbohydrates.

Top 4 Carbohydrates Suppliers

1. Fruit

contains important vitamins and minerals that are also indispensable in an LCHF diet. In addition, it provides you with other healthy substances, such as antioxidants. This particularly applies to brightly colored fruits such asBerry, Papayas or Apricotsto. Easy to remember: the sweeter the fruit, the less suitable it is for a ketogenic diet. Make sure to consume fruit unprocessed if possible, because sugar is often added during processing. Frozen fruit is also good because it is harvested when it is optimally ripe and tastes delicious.

2. Vegetables

Cucumberscontains many vitamins, minerals and the bases that are particularly important in the ketogenic diet. The daily allowable amount of carbohydrates should mainly be covered by vegetables. AllCabbage varieties, Leaf lettuce, Cucumbers, spinach, tomatoes, asparagus, broccoli, Eggplant, zucchini, paprika, Onions and Mushroomsyou can consume without worry. Take advantage of the high fat content ofavocado and Olives. Frozen vegetables are a healthy and practical alternative to fresh produce. But they are cautious about root vegetables, because plants store carbohydrates in roots and tubers.

3. Legumes

Although they provide high quality protein, lentils and chickpeas in particular also contain a lot of carbohydrates. If you want legumes, then better onPeas and Beans avoid, which are lower in carbohydrates in comparison.

4. Flour alternatives

can replace pure carbohydrate carriers such as sugar, potatoes, rice and grains that are not very suitable for the keto diet. Almond flour , which only contains about 6 g of carbohydrates per 100 g, is suitable as a flour substitute . You can use it with sweetener in baked goods. Other nut flours or ground flax seeds, pumpkin or pine nuts are good substitutes for grain flour.

Basics of the keto kitchen

Good fats, meat, fish, vegetables, fruit, salads and dairy products - a large selection from all categories enriches the ketogenic diet. You only need to be careful with foods that are high in carbohydrates.

Fats / oils

Avocado, hemp, coconut, flax, olive oil

Butter, ghee, clarified butter

Nut oils (walnut, hazelnut, macadamia nut oil)

Fish / seafood

Eel, herring, salmon, mackerel

Prawns, crabs

Shellfish

Preserves in olive oil (sardines, tuna)

Meat / meat products

fat bone broth

Skin-on poultry (chicken, duck, goose, turkey)

Lamb, beef, pork, game

Salami, chorizo, ham, bacon

Dairy products

high fat cheese

Cream, cottage cheese

Sheep cheese (feta)

Nuts and seeds

Hazelnuts, macadamia nuts

Chia seeds, flax seeds

Vegetables, salads

all types of cabbage, sauerkraut

all leaf salads

artichokes

Eggplant

Avocados

spring onions

cucumber

leek

Swiss chard

Olvien

paprika

Mushrooms

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Radish, radish

celery

Asparagus (green, white)

spinach

tomatoes

zucchini

fruit

Apples

Apricots, plums

Berry

Pomegranates

Grapefruits, oranges

Litchis, papayas

Herbs, spices, condiments

all types of herbs

Mayonnaise, aioli, bérnaise sauce

Pesto

Tomato paste

sugar-free mustard (mustard powder)

Furthermore

Eggs

Dark chocolate (at least 80% cocoa content)