What is the best way to eat while on a ketogenic diet? This article explains how to choose ingredients and what to watch out for in an easy-to-understand way.

 

Table of Contents 1. What is the ketogenic diet? ・The relationship between ketogenic and ketone bodies ・The difference between carbohydrate restriction and calorie restriction 2. How to practice the ketogenic diet to increase its effectiveness ・Calculating the energy you need per day ・Incorporating moderate exercise ・Devising a diet for the plateau period 3. The advantages and disadvantages of the ketogenic diet ・Advantages ・Disadvantages 4. How to choose ingredients for the ketogenic diet ・Recommended foods ・Foods to avoid 5. Points to note when following a ketogenic diet ・Avoid following it for long periods of time ・Consume dietary fiber actively ・Consume good-quality fats 6. Summary

1. What is the ketogenic diet?

 

The ketogenic diet is a way of eating that drastically reduces carbohydrates and increases fats instead. In recent years, it has attracted attention as a way of losing weight efficiently in a short period of time. You may have heard of the terms 'ketogenic' and 'ketone body', but you may not know exactly what they mean. First, we will explain the relationship between ketogenic and ketone bodies, and the differences between carbohydrate restriction and calorie restriction.

The relationship between ketogenic and ketone bodies

Ketogenic refers to a state in which ketone bodies are increasing in the body. Ketone bodies are substances made from fat that can be used as an energy source. Both ketogenic and ketone bodies are essential points for the ketogenic diet.

Normally, the energy source used by the human body is glucose extracted from carbohydrates. However, when there is a shortage of carbohydrates, the body breaks down fat to produce ketone bodies as an alternative energy source. In the ketogenic diet, the amount of carbohydrates in the diet is reduced and the amount of fat consumed is increased to deliberately increase the amount of ketone bodies in the body.

The low-carb, high-fat diet used in the ketogenic diet was also used in medical practice to treat diseases. Rather than using carbohydrates as an energy source, the body burns more efficiently when it uses ketone bodies, which consume more oxygen, so you can lose weight more effectively.

 

・Differences between carbohydrate restriction and calorie restriction

Carbohydrate restriction and calorie restriction are similar to the ketogenic diet in some ways, so it is easy to confuse them. The ketogenic diet is a type of carbohydrate restriction because it reduces the amount of carbohydrates in the diet. However, while carbohydrate restriction only reduces the amount of carbohydrates consumed, the ketogenic diet differs in that it emphasizes the balance of the entire diet. With the ketogenic diet, you need to be aware of the three main nutrients - carbohydrates, fats and proteins - and make sure your diet is well-balanced.

Also, you may have the impression that dieting generally requires calorie restriction. On the other hand, with the ketogenic diet, there is no need to restrict calories. With the ketogenic diet, which uses fats as its energy source, it is important to consume the necessary amount of calories.

 

In order to reflect the calories you should be taking in your diet, you need to convert the calories into grams by nutrient type. On a ketogenic diet, you should be taking in protein: fat: carbohydrates in the ratio of “3:6:1”. If you are a woman and you are taking in 2,000 kcal, you need 600 kcal of protein, 1,200 kcal of fat, and 200 kcal of carbohydrates. If a man were to consume 2,400 kcal, he would need 720 kcal of protein, 1,440 kcal of fat, and 240 kcal of carbohydrates.
The calories per gram are 4 kcal for protein, 9 kcal for fat, and 4 kcal for carbohydrates. In other words, if a woman wants to consume 2,000 kcal, she needs to consume 150g of protein, 133g of fat, and 50g of carbohydrates. If a man wants to consume 2,400 kcal, he needs to consume 180g of protein, 160g of fat, and 60g of carbohydrates. The following table summarizes this information.
【The three major nutrients needed per day】

	Protein	Lipid	Carbohydrate
Woman	150g	133g	50g
Male	180g	160g	60g

A bowl of rice weighs about 150g, so you can imagine that you need to strictly control your carbohydrate intake to 50-60g.

・Incorporate moderate exercise

In the ketogenic diet, you need to not only be conscious of the balance of your diet, but also incorporate moderate exercise. For example, if you incorporate aerobic exercise, you can convert body fat into energy and progress with your diet more efficiently. During the ketogenic diet, your muscles are likely to lose weight, so it is a good idea to do anaerobic exercise (muscle training).

However, forcing yourself to exercise can actually lead to you failing in your diet. The ketogenic diet aims to achieve efficient weight loss in a short period of time, so even if you don't do any strenuous exercise, you shouldn't have to worry about losing a lot of muscle. Don't be too obsessed with exercise, and take it into account while considering your physical condition. The following is a guide to the amount of exercise you should be doing.

【Guide to moderate exercise】

Target	Aerobic exercise	Anaerobic exercise (muscle training)
Adult woman	About 20 to 30 minutes	About 20 to 30 minutes
Adult male	About 20 to 30 minutes	About 30 to 40 minutes

It is said that performing aerobic exercise after anaerobic exercise can promote energy metabolism more efficiently.

・Devising a meal plan for the plateau period

The plateau period of a diet is the time when the weight you have been steadily losing stops decreasing. In a diet that involves calorie restriction, a cheat day may be set up as a measure against the plateau period. In the ketogenic diet, strict dietary restrictions are imposed, so you may find yourself wanting to eat foods that are high in carbohydrates. However, even in the plateau period of the ketogenic diet, it is not recommended to set up a cheat day.

Therefore, in order to continue with the ketogenic diet, you will need to get through it without having a cheat day. If you want to know about methods that have actually worked, please refer to the success stories and reviews of people who are also practicing the ketogenic diet. Recipes suitable for the ketogenic diet that are published on the internet are also useful.

3. The advantages and disadvantages of the ketogenic diet

The ketogenic diet has many advantages, but it is important to be aware of its disadvantages as well. We will explain the advantages and disadvantages of the ketogenic diet.

Advantages

The main advantages of the ketogenic diet are as follows.

• You can lose weight efficiently in a short period of time.
• You don't need to do any hard training.
• It is easy to feel satisfied with your meals.

 

The major benefit of the ketogenic diet is that it allows you to lose weight efficiently in a short period of time. It is useful if you want to lose weight quickly or if you need to lose weight in a hurry. Also, because it does not require hard training, it can be practiced by people who cannot exercise for some reason or who are not good at sports. However, please incorporate moderate exercise for your health.
Although the ketogenic diet requires a restriction on carbohydrates, it does not require a restriction on calories. Another advantage is that you can get the fat you need from your diet, and it is easy to feel satisfied. With the ketogenic diet, you can eat out if you know which foods are okay to eat.

Disadvantages

The main disadvantages of the ketogenic diet are as follows.

• There may be cases where you are concerned about body odor or bad breath.
• There may be cases where you feel a sense of heaviness in the stomach.

When you are following a ketogenic diet, there may be cases where your body odor or bad breath smells sour due to ketone bodies. However, there are individual differences in terms of changes in body odor and bad breath, and there are also many people who do not notice any change. Since you are only concerned about body odor and bad breath while you are following a ketogenic diet, it is best to think of it as a symptom that occurs for a limited time.

Also, because the ketogenic diet involves eating a lot of fat, you may experience some stomach discomfort. If you get used to the food, the discomfort tends to go away. If you are concerned about stomach discomfort, try to eat a lot of medium-chain fatty acids, which are quickly digested, and try to avoid letting the fat sit in your stomach.

 

4. How to choose ketogenic diet ingredients

We will introduce in detail the recommended and avoided foods for choosing ketogenic diet ingredients.

Recommended foods

The following are recommended foods for the ketogenic diet.

• Meat
• Seafood
• Eggs
• Dairy products
• Oil
• Soy products
• Nuts
• Vegetables with low carbohydrate content

On a ketogenic diet, you should eat animal products such as meat, seafood and dairy products, and actively consume fats and proteins. Soy products and nuts are also rich in protein and fats. Unlike diets that restrict calories, the consumption of oil is also recommended.

Some vegetables contain a lot of carbohydrates. Make sure you know which vegetables you can eat while on a ketogenic diet. The following vegetables are recommended.

• Leafy vegetables
• Tomatoes
• Green peppers
• Onions
• Broccoli
• Zucchini
• Olives
• Avocados
• Mushrooms

You can also eat small amounts of fruit as a snack. Choose drinks that are sugar-free.

Foods to avoid

The following foods should be avoided while on a ketogenic diet.

• Rice
• Bread
• Pasta
• Udon
• Oatmeal
• Beans
• Sweeteners
• Alcoholic beverages

Try to avoid carbohydrates such as rice, bread, pasta, udon and oatmeal as much as possible while on a ketogenic diet. If you do consume carbohydrates, keep your intake to 50g or less based on the energy calculations introduced above.

Some types of beans, such as peas and chickpeas, contain a lot of carbohydrates, so you should avoid them while on a ketogenic diet. You should also avoid consuming all sweeteners, including sugar. Beer and sweet wine contain a lot of carbohydrates. On the other hand, it is fine to drink alcohol that contains little sugar, such as whiskey and dry wine. However, please be careful not to drink too much.

 

 

5. Points to note about the ketogenic diet

The main points to note about the ketogenic diet are as follows.

• Avoid continuing it for a long period of time
• Consume dietary fiber actively
• Consume high-quality fats

We will explain each of these in detail.

・Avoid continuing for long periods of time

It is important not to continue the ketogenic diet for long periods of time. The ketogenic diet requires strict dietary restrictions, so you should think of it as a temporary diet. If you continue the ketogenic diet for longer than necessary, there is a risk that it will cause a decrease in metabolism and muscle mass.

The recommended period for following a ketogenic diet is 2 to 3 months. After this period, you should switch to a diet that involves calorie restriction and normal carbohydrate restriction. Please try to focus on the ketogenic diet for a short period of time.

Also, since the ketogenic diet is not suitable for everyone, you should stop it if you feel unwell after trying it for a few days. It is important to proceed with caution while considering your own physical condition.

・Consume dietary fiber actively

While on a ketogenic diet, it is necessary to actively consume dietary fiber. Dietary fiber is a general term for the components of food that are not broken down by human digestive enzymes. Dietary fiber is said to have a beneficial effect on the intestines and to help control blood sugar levels. To consume dietary fiber, actively include leafy vegetables, mushrooms and seaweed in your diet.

There are two types of dietary fiber: soluble dietary fiber, which dissolves in water, and insoluble dietary fiber, which does not. Soluble dietary fiber is found in vegetables, fruit, seaweed, etc., while insoluble dietary fiber is found in grains, mushrooms, etc. Both are important for maintaining good health, so it is necessary to consume both.

Not only during a ketogenic diet, but a lack of dietary fiber can have a variety of negative effects on your health. For example, if you don't get enough dietary fiber, your intestinal environment will worsen, causing constipation. Your blood sugar level will also rise more easily, and your risk of lifestyle-related diseases such as diabetes will increase.