Keto diet for weight loss: Diamond cuts diamond.

With the spread of obesity, the search for different weight loss diets has increased, among which the Keto diet for weight loss has emerged, sparking widespread controversy between impressive rapid results and harms that some people talk about.

Between this and that, there is a fine line of nutritional facts that clarifies the reality of the Keto diet: is it healthy or destructive? Or does it require certain conditions to benefit from it without harm? In this article, we will discuss the Keto diet in all its aspects, its advantages and disadvantages, and how to apply it in detail.

Different weight loss diets and the mechanism of weight loss:

Weight loss diets vary, and the mechanisms of losing weight differ from one diet to another. The most famous diets are the calorie diet, intermittent fasting, the small portions diet, and low-carb diets, the most famous of which are the Keto diet for weight loss, the Dukan diet, and others.

The mechanism of weight loss differs from one diet to another, but they all share the same goal: burning the excess body fat that causes obesity to obtain the necessary daily energy. You can learn more about weight loss diets here.

Keto diet for weight loss: the main idea and goal:

The idea of the Keto diet for weight loss is based on completely avoiding explicit carbohydrates such as rice, pasta, baked goods, fruits, and other starches, and limiting hidden carbohydrates in vegetables so that the amount of carbohydrates entering the body does not exceed a specific percentage, coming in an implicit form from vegetables.

This restriction results in reducing insulin production to the lowest possible level. In this case, the body resorts to consuming the fats present in food as an energy source due to the lack of sugars, which puts the body in the fat-burning stage or what is called the ketosis state. At that point, it gets rid of the body fat causing obesity.

• Allowed foods in the Keto diet:

Allowed foods include all animal proteins such as red meat, poultry, fish, eggs, animal fats like natural ghee and animal fats, healthy plant fats like olive oil and coconut oil, leafy vegetables such as parsley, arugula, molokhia, spinach, as well as avocado and some vegetables.

• Forbidden foods in the Keto diet for weight loss:

Foods completely forbidden in the Keto diet are for weight loss explicit starches such as:

1. Sugar.
2. Rice.
3. Flour and pastries.
4. All fruits except strawberries, blueberries, and avocado due to their low glycemic index.
5. Milk, yogurt, and buttermilk.
6. Sweets in general.
7. Starchy vegetables like potatoes, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, and taro.
8. Vegetables high in sugar like peas and carrots.

On the other hand, there are foods allowed in precisely calculated amounts in the Keto diet such as:

1. Cucumbers, tomatoes, onions, and bell peppers.
2. Zucchini, okra, green beans, and non-starchy vegetables.
3. Cream, cheese, Greek yogurt, and cooking cream.

How to build a Keto diet meal for weight loss:

A Keto diet meal consists of healthy fats, protein, and vegetables. You can divide daily calories into 70% from healthy fats, 25% from protein, and 5% from carbohydrates present only in vegetables (approximately 25 grams of carbohydrates from vegetables).

Ingredients and meal amounts are chosen according to personal preference within the above rules of allowed foods. Examples of Keto meals include:

• Fatty meat with green molokhia and a salad with olive oil.
• Roasted chicken with green beans cooked in natural ghee and arugula.
• Grilled fish with avocado salad, olive oil, and a green salad.

People prohibited from following the Keto diet:

• Type 1 diabetes patients.
• Children under 16 years old.
• Elderly people over 60 years old, except under strict medical supervision.
• Pregnant and breastfeeding women.

Advantages of the Keto diet for weight loss:

1. A feeling of fullness that lasts for a long time due to the fats in the food.
2. Weight loss comes largely from excess body fat if you consume the required amount of protein, meaning the risk of losing muscle mass is very low.
3. It regulates blood sugar levels for type 2 diabetes patients.
4. Sometimes used to treat some chronic diseases like certain types of epilepsy.
5. Regulates blood pressure when the diet is correctly followed.

Problems with the Keto diet for weight loss:

1. Requires precise application and a good understanding of the system and its rules, and any mistakes may cause health problems.
2. Following the Keto diet for weight loss requires consuming large amounts of leafy vegetables, and sometimes it is necessary to supplement part of them with certain supplements like magnesium.
3. Some may suffer from constipation, especially when failing to consume enough leafy vegetables.
4. Some may develop a skin rash when first entering the ketosis phase, called keto rash.
5. It needs careful planning to exit the diet upon reaching the goal; otherwise, an unplanned exit may cause rapid weight gain again.

Finally, it can be said that using the Keto diet for weight loss guarantees strong, rapid, and noticeable results, but it requires a good understanding and strict commitment to the allowed and forbidden foods, the permitted quantities, and consuming the appropriate amounts of leafy vegetables to avoid undesirable symptoms.