The keto diet is becoming increasingly popular among people, not least because of its positive effects on physical and mental performance.
This article explains how the keto diet works, which foods are suitable, and what the advantages and disadvantages of the ketogenic diet are.
Table of contents
1. How does the keto diet work
To understand how the keto diet works , you should first understand the underlying biochemical process in your body. This diet puts your body into a state of ketosis . This is a metabolic state in which your body burns ketones and fatty acids instead of glucose for energy.
This, however, requires a change in diet , as you must drastically reduce your carbohydrate intake if you want to achieve ketosis. Since the keto diet is based on food-induced ketosis (" starvation metabolism "), your diet includes more healthy fats and very few digestible carbohydrates. You can still eat protein , but only in moderation , as your body also metabolizes protein into glucose.
2. Who is the keto diet suitable for?
Humans are naturally omnivores , and their flexible metabolism provides the ideal basis for a ketogenic diet. Under normal circumstances, any healthy person can start the keto diet.
However, this diet is much more difficult for vegetarians and vegans to implement , as fruits , in particular, but also some vegetables, contain carbohydrates . No matter how you eat, the basic keto rules always apply: lots of fat , moderate protein , and very few carbohydrates .
Eggs , fish , and meat are essential sources of macro- and micronutrients on the keto diet. If you don't eat any of these as a vegetarian, you'll need to get these nutrients through other means, such as supplements. Then all you have to do is make sure your diet includes plenty of healthy, low-carb vegetables and fat.
As a vegan, you'll find it most difficult to adhere to the rules of the keto diet. Since you're completely avoiding animal products, some high-fat foods (including butter and cheese) are also eliminated, and the idea of a low-carb, high-fat diet falls apart. It's therefore very important that you ensure you get an adequate supply of vitamins and minerals .
Of all the alternative diets , flexitarianism is best suited to the keto diet. Although meat consumption isn't your main focus, high-quality meat products will still make their way onto your plate from time to time. This ensures you're getting important protein and micronutrients.
3. 8 Keto Foods
You're probably wondering which keto foods are particularly suitable. There are some foods you can safely consume in large quantities every day. Others, however, should be eaten with caution, as they contain a lot of protein as well as high fat.
- Avocados – Very high in fat
- MCT oil, coconut oil and olive oil – practically pure fat
- Eggs – Contain a lot of fat, but also a lot of protein
- Low-carb vegetables – spinach, broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, kohlrabi, etc.
- Fish & Meat – seafood, beef, pork, but be careful with poultry
- Nuts – Macadamia, almonds, pecans, walnuts
- Butter – from pasture-fed milk
- Water, coffee and tea – pure
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4. Forbidden foods during the keto diet
You should avoid anything that contains too much sugar throughout your keto diet . This will make it easier to transition and maintain your keto diet, and help you stick with it longer. More treacherous than avoiding sugar are some vegetables that are generally healthy, but reveal " hidden carbohydrates " during cooking or frying. Any vegetable that naturally becomes sweeter through preparation contains more carbohydrates than before.
You should avoid the following vegetables and foods , among others:
- Carrots
- pumpkin
- (Sweet) potatoes
- corn
- Beans
- paprika
- rice
- noodles
Fruit is also almost completely eliminated on the keto diet, as it typically contains a lot of fructose. Exceptions are low-sugar berries like the following:
- Raspberries
- strawberries
- Blueberries
- Elderberries
- currants
Forbidden, unhealthy snacks and drinks:
- Soft drinks: Cola, Sprite and lemonade
- Fruit juices: apple juice, grape juice, orange juice, etc.
- Mixed drinks
- Beer
- (sweet) wine
- Flavored water
- chips
- Chocolate
- Energy drinks
- sweetened tea or coffee
- Milk
This is a brief overview of the prohibited foods on the keto diet. We recommend that you always pay attention to the nutritional information on the packaging when purchasing food .
5. Benefits of the Keto Diet
In ketosis, your body burns existing body fat and uses the ketogenic diet for external energy. This allows you to lose weight faster with the help of keto.[1]
In addition, the ketones produced influence important hormones in your body that are responsible for the feeling of hunger . Ghrelin , the "hunger hormone," is suppressed, while cholecystokinin (CCK) signals to your brain that you are full.[2]
Ketones also help you gain more mental clarity . They provide up to 50% of your base energy needs during periods of starvation and supply your brain with plenty of pure energy.[3]
You can also use the ketogenic diet to improve your training performance . Once you've adapted your metabolism to keto, you can achieve at least comparable results in muscle building and endurance sports as with a normal carbohydrate diet.
Studies with professional gymnasts and taekwondo athletes have shown that the keto diet had no negative effects on the athletes' performance.[4,5] In addition, American researchers from Ohio and Florida were able to show in their 2014 study that the ketogenic diet is even better for building muscle than a normal, Western diet.[6]
And what can the keto diet do for endurance performance? Scientists at Oxford University answered this question in five independent studies, each involving 39 high-performance athletes. They found that both ketosis and the keto diet could contribute to improved performance .[7]
In another study, Polish scientists from the Department of Sports Training-Academy of Physical Education in Katowice demonstrated that mountain bikers were able to significantly improve their VO2max values through a ketogenic diet.[8]
6. Disadvantages of the keto diet
Those who are healthy and follow the guidelines of the keto diet usually only have to expect a few temporary side effects such as headaches , fatigue , bad breath , diarrhea or constipation .
The more unbalanced your diet, the more disadvantages you can expect. That's why it's so important to pay attention to the balance and intake of macronutrients and micronutrients and avoid vitamin and mineral deficiencies.
7. What you need to pay attention to on a keto diet
Contrary to what the name suggests, the keto diet isn't a "traditional diet" that you follow for 4-8 weeks. Rather, it's a lifestyle that biohackers and office athletes, among others, live to get more out of themselves.
The keto diet is a nutritional approach in which 70% of energy comes from healthy fats, 20% from proteins , and a maximum of 10% from digestible carbohydrates . Your individual energy distribution may vary slightly depending on factors such as health, body type, age, and gender. However, with the above-mentioned distribution, recommended by experts, a successful start is easily possible.
You should be aware that your body will need time to adjust to the new diet. For years, it's been accustomed to supplying the brain, muscles , and all other cells with glucose. However, when you follow a ketogenic diet, healthy fatty acids are your new energy source.
So, a change in your metabolism is taking place, and that takes time —usually several weeks . The better and more frequently you follow the keto diet, the easier the transition will be for you. With sufficient training, you'll become a "fat-burning beast" and can adjust your metabolism as you see fit. Then you won't even mind the occasional cheat day.
Things are different if you're not yet keto-adapted . In that case, a cheat day featuring high-carbohydrate meals will kick you out of ketosis, meaning you'll have to start the process all over again.
8. Conclusion
No matter where you are or what you're doing, the keto diet can help you get more out of yourself. The added mental clarity will prepare you to tackle even the most stressful projects.
The energy from these healthy fatty acids can increase both your muscle strength and endurance. It's important to be patient in the beginning, pay attention to the distribution of macronutrients, and avoid vitamin and mineral deficiencies.
9. Sources
[1]Bueno, N. et. al (2013) British Journal of Nutrition, p: 1178-87. Very-low-carbohydrate ketogenic diet v. Low-fat diet for long-term weight loss: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. doi: 10.1017/S0007114513000548 [ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23651522 ]
[2] Gibson, A. et. al. (2015) Obesity Reviews, p. 64-76. Do ketogenic diets really suppress appetite? A systematic review and meta-analysis. doi: 10.1111/obr.1223 [ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25402637 ]
[3] White, H., Venkatesh, B. (2011) Critical Care London, p. 219. Clinical review: ketones and brain injury. doi: 10.1186/cc10020 [https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21489321 ]
[4] Hyun-seung, R., Su-Youn, C. (2014) Journal of Exercise Rehabilitation, p. 326-331. The effect of weight loss by ketogenic diet on the body composition, performance-related physical fitness factors and cytokines of Taekwondo athletes. doi: 10.12965/jer.140160 [ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4237850/ ]
[5] Paoli, A. et. al. (2012) Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, p. 9-34. Ketogenic diet does not affect strength performance in elite artistic gymnasts. doi: 10.1186/1550-2783-9-34 [ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3411406/ ]
[6] Rauch, J. et. al. (2014) Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, p. 40.The effects of ketogenic dieting on skeletal muscle and fat mass. doi: 10.1186/1550-2783-11-S1-P40 [ https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/1550-2783-11-S1-P40 ]
[7] Cox, P. et. al. (2016) Cell metabolism, p. 256-68. Nutritional Ketosis Ages Fuel Preference and Thereby Endurance Performance in Athletes. doi: 10.1016/j.cmet.2016.07.010 [ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27475046/ ]
[8]Zajac, A. et. al. (2014) Nutrients, p. 2493-508. The effects of a ketogenic diet on exercise metabolism and physical performance in off-road cyclists. doi: 10.3390/nu6072493. [ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24979615/ ]
