Aashu’s Dilemma
Aashu and his friends are now attracted to the Ketogenic or Keto Diet. This diet is especially popular among dieters due to its properties of being low-carb but high on healthy fats which makes it a good meal for weight loss.
Also, Aashu’s gym trainer has told him that there are numerous benefits of adhering to a keto diet schedule, especially on the well-being of the brain & body.
Most people consider it a diet suitable for children with epilepsy but in reality, a keto diet can be beneficial in preventing the occurrence of type-2 diabetes, cancers & Alzheimer’s among adults.
Aashu has been warned by one of his neighbour that there are certain risks associated with adopting this diet. It is alleged that one Bengali actress lost her life due to this diet.
So, here are the information that Aashu has found at knowurdiet about the Keto diet and what are the benefits & risks associated with it:
What is the Ketogenic or Keto diet?
In simple words, a Ketogenic or keto diet is extremely low in carbs but has a high content of healthy fats. You can compare it with the Atkins diet which is also low on carbs.
Ketosis is the process which is stimulated by this diet. This diet eliminates the sources of carbs from your regular meals. Now, we all know that carbs are the primary source of energy for our body. You will feel drowsiness & fatigue due to lack of energy in 3-4 days after starting the diet. But once your body starts turning towards stored fats for energy, you will start feeling well due to the faster metabolism of fats. This process is termed Ketosis.
So, this diet is a way to turn your source of energy from carbs to fats which can help you in getting rid of stored fats & all diseases associated with them.
How Keto Diet come into Existence?
You will certainly receive several health benefits from the ketogenic diet but this diet came into limelight in the early 1920s as a meal plan for children suffering from epilepsy.
The purpose was to have a meal plan that can provide a good substitute for fasting in epilepsy therapy. As new therapies introduced, doctors now use the ketogenic diet as a way to prevent the occurrence of disease in the children that have the early symptoms of the disease.
What to Eat & What to Avoid in your Keto Diet Schedule:
As we know, a ketogenic diet is based on the concept of removing your carb consumption & replacing it with a high intake of fats & protein.
What to Include
Following is the list of all those keto diet foods that should be in your meal plan:
| Category | Food |
|---|---|
| Meat | Red meat, lamb meat, chicken, pork. |
| Seafood | Indian tuna, pomfret, Indian mackerel. |
| Dairy | Butter, cream & cheese that is grass-fed if possible. |
| Nuts & Seeds | Almond, walnut, pistachios, flaxseeds, pumpkin seeds. |
| Oils | Virgin coconut oil, MCT oil, virgin olive oil. |
| Fruits | Strawberries, Watermelon, Avocado, Lemon, Raspberry |
| Vegetables | Low-carb veggies such as tomatoes, onions, spinach, cauliflower. |
| Spices & herbs | Cumin, coriander, basil, cinnamon, mint. |
What to Avoid
Following are the foods that must be avoided in a Ketogenic food plan:
| Category | Food |
|---|---|
| High-sugar foods | Ice cream, soda, juices, pastries, candy, etc. |
| Grains | Wheat products, rice, pasta, cereal. |
| Fruits | Banana, Mango, Blueberries, Apple, Pineapple, Grapes. |
| Vegetables | Potato, sweet potato, corn, carrots. |
| Unhealthy fats | Vegetable oils, vanaspati ghee, mayonnaise, etc. |
| Alcohol | You must avoid alcohol due to its high carb content. |
| Junk foods | Burgers, hotdogs, french fries, pizzas, etc. |
Occasional consumption can be allowed but in minimal quantities.
7 Day Keto Diet Plan
When we talk about a Ketogenic food plan, we need to adhere to a strict dietary plan. As per experts an ideal intake of calories for an adult person is Men- 2200 cal & Women- 1800 cal, so we have designed a 7-day plan as per it:
| Men- 2200 calories & Women- 1800 calories |
| Day 1 | Monday |
|---|---|
| Wake up drink | ½ glass of Lemon water. |
| Breakfast (Men- 600, Women- 500) | 2 Egg omelette (204 cal) in 2 tbsp butter (188 cal) with 300g watermelon (90 cal). |
| Lunch (Men- 800, Women- 650) | 200g Indian salmon (412 cal) grilled in 2 tbsp virgin olive oil (238 cal) with 300g spinach salad (69 cal). |
| Healthy snack (Men- 250, Women- 200) | Soaked Almonds- 5, Pistachios- 5, Peanut- 10, Dry fig- 2. |
| Dinner (Men- 550, Women- 450) | 150g Lamb chops (441 cal) with garlic & 1 large mashed cauliflower (209 cal). |
| Goodnight Drink | ½ glass protein shake with water. |
| Day 2 | Tuesday |
|---|---|
| Wake up drink | ½ glass of Lemon water. |
| Breakfast (Men- 600, Women- 500) | 1 Keto Peanut butter sandwich (296 cal) with 2 boiled eggs. |
| Lunch (Men- 800, Women- 650) | Cheesesteak rolls prepared with 50g cheese (201 cal) & 200g lamb meat (580 cal). |
| Healthy snack (Men- 250, Women- 200) | Apricot dried- 2, Raisins- 20, Dates- 2, Walnut-2, Cashews- 5. |
| Dinner (Men- 550, Women- 450) | 1.5 cups Coconut milk chicken curry (480 cal) with 2 cups cauliflower rice (80 cal) |
| Goodnight Drink | ½ glass protein shake with water. |
| Day 3 | Wednesday |
|---|---|
| Wake up drink | ½ glass of Lemon water. |
| Breakfast (Men- 600, Women- 500) | Cheese, chilli, garlic and mushroom omelette (291 cal) & 1.5 cups strawberry smoothie (190 cal). |
| Lunch (Men- 800, Women- 650) | Braised 200g chicken thighs (354 cal) in 1.5 tbsp coconut oil (175 cal) with a whole Avocado (240 cal). |
| Healthy snack (Men- 250, Women- 200) | Soaked Almonds- 5, Pistachios- 5, Peanut- 10, Dry fig- 2. |
| Dinner (Men- 550, Women- 450) | 300g Garlic lemon shrimp (300 cal) prepared in 2 tbsp virgin olive oil (238 cal). |
| Goodnight Drink | ½ glass protein shake with water. |
| Day 4 | Thursday |
|---|---|
| Wake up drink | ½ glass of Lemon water. |
| Breakfast (Men- 600, Women- 500) | 1 cup Smoothie prepared with coconut milk (191 cal) & 50g almond butter (357 cal). |
| Lunch (Men- 800, Women- 650) | Keto bread made up of 3 tbsp almond flour (490 cal), 1 egg (143 cal) and 30g Parmesan cheese (130 cal). |
| Healthy snack (Men- 250, Women- 200) | Dry dates- 2, Flaxseeds- 1 tbsp, Pumpkin seeds- 2 tbsp. |
| Dinner (Men- 550, Women- 450) | 200g Zucchini noodles (40 cal) with 200g chicken breast (330 cal) & 30g pesto sauce (160 cal). |
| Goodnight Drink | ½ glass protein shake with water. |
| Day 5 | Friday |
|---|---|
| Wake up drink | ½ glass of Lemon water. |
| Breakfast (Men- 600, Women- 500) | 2 Fried eggs (390 cal) in 1 tsp coconut oil (40 cal) with 200g of raspberries (106cal). |
| Lunch (Men- 800, Women- 650) | 200g Asparagus spears (40 cal) stuffed with 200g salmon (420 cal) & 50g cheese (200 cal). |
| Healthy snack (Men- 250, Women- 200) | Apricot dried- 2, Raisins- 20, Dates- 2, Walnut-2, Cashews- 5. |
| Dinner (Men- 550, Women- 450) | Chicken rolls prepared with 4 piece chicken breasts (340 cal), 200g spinach (46 cal), 1 large artichoke (70 cal) & 1 tbsp Olive oil (120 cal). |
| Goodnight Drink | ½ glass protein shake with water. |
| Day 6 | Saturday |
|---|---|
| Wake up drink | ½ glass of Lemon water. |
| Breakfast (Men- 600, Women- 500) | Salad of 1 large Tomato (33 cal), 300g cucumber (45 cal), 100g lettuce (15 cal) with 2 cups almond milk (480 cal). |
| Lunch (Men- 800, Women- 650) | 300g Pan-fried salmon (630 cal) on 1 tbsp virgin olive oil (120 cal) with lemon & chillies. |
| Healthy snack (Men- 250, Women- 200) | Dry dates- 2, Flaxseeds- 1 tbsp, Pumpkin seeds- 2 tbsp. |
| Dinner (Men- 550, Women- 450) | Shahi paneer prepared with 150g Paneer (375 cal),1 large tomato (33 cal) and ¼ cup cashew cream sauce (140 cal). |
| Goodnight Drink | ½ glass protein shake with water. |
| Day 7 | Sunday |
|---|---|
| Wake up drink | ½ glass Lemon water |
| Breakfast (Men- 600, Women- 500) | 2 Scrambled eggs (180 cal) prepared in 1 tbsp coconut oil (117 cal) with 100g spinach (23 cal) and 50g cheese (200 cal). |
| Lunch (Men- 800, Women- 650) | 2 cup Miso soup (160 cal) with 1 cup mushrooms (22 cal), 100g green onions (32 cal) & 200g tofu (156 cal) with 150g grilled beef kebabs (375 cal). |
| Healthy snack (Men- 250, Women- 200) | Apricot dried- 2, Raisins- 20, Dates- 2, Walnut-2, Cashews- 5. |
| Dinner (Men 550, Women- 450) | 200g Roasted salmon (420 cal) with honey and 1 tbsp mustard oil (124 cal). |
| Goodnight Drink | ½ glass protein shake with water. |
Health Benefits of Ketogenic Diet
Other than weight loss, a ketogenic diet can help you in tackling many other chronic diseases. In children, the diet is popular to cure epilepsy but in adults, the ketogenic diet reduces the risks of having many chronic diseases. Some of them are:
Type-2 Diabetes
A keto diet can greatly help you in lowering the risk of type-2 diabetes as it allows the loss of excess fat from your body.
Higher fats in your body can increase the blood sugar levels & insulin resistivity with it. This all can put you at greater risk of having type-2 diabetes.
A recent study has shown that adherence to a ketogenic diet for a year can reduce your insulin resistivity by nearly 70-80%.
Metabolic Syndrome
A health condition where your body’s ability to dilute extra fats in energy goes significantly down which in turn raises the risk of type-2 diabetes & heart diseases.
Thanks, to its low-carb & high-fat nutritional content, which prompts the body to convert the extra fat in the body into energy as an alternative to carbs.
This allows a boost in your metabolism & can cure your metabolic syndrome.
Heart Diseases
As we know, the keto diet emphasises on the metabolism of extra fat in your body. It can help you in lowering the level of bad cholesterol (LDL) in your body.
LDL is responsible for blocking the arteries & this can increase the risk of having strokes & other heart diseases.
A study has proved that following a Ketogenic food plan for 3 months can lower the risk of heart disease by 15%.
Health Risks of Keto Diet
Although, a keto diet has a lot of health benefits, then also some studies have shown the adverse effects of having this form of diet for a very long time. Some of these effects are:
Kidney Stone
When you turn your body to digest more fat than regular, there is a chance that you might suffer from kidney stones in the near future. That’s why it has been advised to have a high water intake in a Ketogenic diet.
Nutrient Deficiency
You can also suffer from nutrient deficiency. due to its low-carb properties, this diet cuts down many essential food items from your meal plan.
Constipation
If you are suffering from regular constipation, then you should avoid the ketogenic diet as it worsens the condition.
Not for Pregnancy
This diet is not for the condition of pregnancy as it cuts down the carbs intake that can lower their energy levels.
Conclusion
Now, after going through so much information about the Ketogenic food plan. Aashu can make a better conclusion. Following a keto diet schedule can help him with weight loss & muscle development.
A Ketogenic diet is all about low-carb intake but moderate protein & high fat intake that helps lower the levels of stored fats in your body by faster metabolism.
But with health benefits, this diet can also have some adverse effects in the form of kidney stones, constipation & nutritional deficiencies.
Many health practitioners also advise that Ketogenic diet foods are not for patients with Type-2 Diabetes, high Blood pressure & women with pregnancy conditions.
