What foods are not allowed during the ketogenic diet? We will also explain how to choose the right foods.
The ketogenic diet is a method of dieting that obtains its main energy source from fat and strictly limits carbohydrate intake. By following a ketogenic diet, you can expect to see effects such as appetite suppression, fat burning, and suppression of post-meal blood sugar level rises.
In this article, we will introduce the detailed effects, advantages and disadvantages, and OK and NG foods of the ketogenic diet. If you are interested in trying the ketogenic diet or want to know more about which foods are OK to eat, please refer to this article.
What are the effects of the ketogenic diet?
The ketogenic diet is a method of dieting that limits the amount of carbohydrates consumed and uses fats as the main source of energy.
When carbohydrates are restricted, the body becomes more active in breaking down fats, and the amount of ketone bodies, which are substances that produce energy from fats, increases. The increase in ketone bodies is expected to have a dieting effect, such as promoting fat burning and suppressing appetite.
First, we will explain in detail the effects of the ketogenic diet.
It suppresses your appetite
In the ketogenic diet, you are encouraged to actively consume fats and proteins instead of carbohydrates. Fats and proteins take longer to digest, so they are characterized by their ability to make you feel full. For this reason, the ketogenic diet is expected to suppress your appetite.
Unlike many diets that require you to endure hunger, the ketogenic diet is easy to continue both mentally and physically, so you will be able to get closer to your ideal body.
Fat burning is accelerated
When you follow a ketogenic diet, your body enters a state called ketosis, in which ketone bodies increase in the blood. In a state of ketosis, the body uses ketone bodies as its main energy source instead of carbohydrates.
Since ketone bodies are produced by changing lipids, they can be expected to have a fat-burning effect.
They can help to suppress rises in blood sugar levels
When you are eating a normal diet with no restrictions on carbohydrates, carbohydrates are the main source of energy for the body. After eating a meal with a high carbohydrate content, blood sugar levels rise sharply and insulin is secreted. Insulin can easily lead to obesity and overeating, and may interfere with dieting
On the other hand, when you follow a ketogenic diet, which is low in carbohydrates and high in fats, ketone bodies, which are produced from fats, become the main source of energy. Since ketone bodies do not affect blood sugar levels, there is no problem with insulin being secreted. Furthermore, since ketone bodies actively burn fat, you can expect to lose weight as a result.
The advantages and disadvantages of the ketogenic diet
While the ketogenic diet has many advantages, it also has its disadvantages. In order to succeed with the ketogenic diet, it is important to be aware of its disadvantages. So, here we will introduce the advantages and disadvantages of the ketogenic diet.
Merits
The main merits of the ketogenic diet are as follows.
- No need for hard exercise or training
- Can lead to weight loss in a short period of time
- Can be adjusted even when eating out
- Little stress over meals
The key to the ketogenic diet is limiting carbohydrates. The ketogenic diet is a diet method that mainly involves adjusting your diet, so it is a diet method that is easy to continue without any hard exercise or restrictions on anything other than carbohydrates.
With any diet, you can't expect to see significant results in just 1-3 days, and the key to success is to continue it over the long term. On the other hand, one of the great advantages of the ketogenic diet is that it is easy to see results in a short period of time without overdoing it.
Disadvantages
The main disadvantages of the ketogenic diet are as follows.
- There is a possibility that body odor and bad breath will become stronger
- The stomach is likely to feel heavy
During a ketogenic diet, the body lacks carbohydrates and has an increased amount of fat, so a sour smell called ketone odor is likely to appear as body odor. Ketone odor appears not only in body odor such as sweat and urine, but also in exhaled breath, so it can also cause bad breath. If you are concerned about the smell during a ketogenic diet, adjust the duration of the ketogenic diet and the amount of fat and protein you consume.
Because the ketogenic diet involves the consumption of large amounts of fats and proteins that take a long time to digest, it is important to be aware that it can put a strain on the stomach and intestines and cause you to feel bloated. If you find that you are particularly prone to feeling bloated, it may be a good idea to choose dairy products that contain a lot of medium-chain fatty acids, which are fats that are digested quickly.
What kind of ingredients should I choose for a ketogenic diet?
- Meat (beef, pork, chicken, etc.)
- Eggs and dairy products (cheese, yogurt, etc.)
- Seafood (mackerel, clams, etc.)
- Soy products (tofu, natto, etc.)
- Vegetables and mushrooms (broccoli, shimeji mushrooms, etc.)
- Fats and oils (sesame oil, olive oil, etc.)
When choosing foods to eat on a ketogenic diet, it is important to remember to choose foods that are as low in carbohydrates as possible.
Basically, the above foods have low carbohydrate content and high fat and protein content, so there is no problem with any of them. For beverages, alcohol and seasonings that are not listed, choose sugar-free beverages such as coffee, tea and whiskey, or use some seasonings such as salt, pepper and soy sauce, while checking the carbohydrate content.
Nuts such as almonds and walnuts are low in carbohydrates and high in fat, so they are recommended as snacks or toppings for dishes while on a ketogenic diet.
Foods that are not allowed on a ketogenic diet
In order to efficiently experience the results of a ketogenic diet, please avoid the following foods as much as possible while on a ketogenic diet.
- Legumes (adzuki beans, chickpeas, etc.)
- Fruits (apples, etc.)
- Grains (rice, wheat, etc.)
- Root vegetables (sweet potatoes, potatoes, etc.)
- Confectionery (sweets, snacks, etc. - all confectionery that uses sugar)
- Seasonings (some)
- Beverages (juices, carbonated drinks, etc. - all drinks that use sugar)
- Alcoholic beverages (beer, sweet sours, etc. - all alcoholic beverages with a high sugar content)
The above foods all have a high carbohydrate content, and are mainly made up of carbohydrates such as rice and potatoes. Although soybeans are fine, beans such as azuki beans, chickpeas and peas have a high carbohydrate content and low levels of nutrients that lead to ketone bodies, so be careful not to confuse them.
How can I enjoy a ketogenic diet when eating out?
As mentioned above, there are no special rules for a ketogenic diet other than limiting carbohydrates. By knowing the correct method, you can enjoy eating out while on a ketogenic diet.
It is important to be careful, as many of the dishes on restaurant menus contain carbohydrates such as rice and bread, and many dishes use sugar in their seasoning. As with your usual diet, try to avoid foods that are high in carbohydrates, and choose dishes that use ingredients that are high in fat and protein.
Also, if you are going to be drinking, choose drinks with low sugar content such as highballs or shochu, and for snacks, we recommend meat and sashimi that are high in protein and as little flavored as possible. In recent years, many restaurant chains have started including food composition tables in their menus. Even if the menu at the restaurant doesn't include one, some restaurants have them available on their websites, so we recommend checking them out as a reference when making your choice.
3 points to enhance the effects of the ketogenic diet
The basic rule of the ketogenic diet is to thoroughly manage your diet, but there are a few tricks to significantly increasing the effectiveness of the diet.
From here, we will introduce three points for efficiently progressing with the ketogenic diet. If you want to see results in a short period of time, please try working on them while referring to this.
1. Thorough meal management
The key to maximizing the effects of the ketogenic diet is meal management. While you need to be very conscious of limiting your carbohydrate intake, most ingredients, foods and dishes contain carbohydrates. If you eat high-carbohydrate carbohydrates or sweets thinking “it's okay to have just one meal like this”, you will find it harder to return to a state of ketosis, and there is a risk that the effects of the diet will decrease.
In order to experience the effects of the ketogenic diet as quickly as possible, you should thoroughly limit your carbohydrate intake and understand the nutritional content of the food you eat before consuming it.
2. Consuming high-quality fats
In addition to limiting carbohydrates, the ketogenic diet also requires you to consume fats. When doing so, try to consume as many high-quality fats as possible.
There are various types of fats, including those containing neutral fats and those containing cholesterol. In addition, the composition of fats differs depending on whether they are of animal or plant origin.
When on a ketogenic diet, it is important to avoid fats that contain trans fats. Trans fats are one of the components that make up fats, and are found in margarine and shortening. If you consume too many trans fats, you may be at increased risk of developing angina or a heart attack, so you should be careful. Fats from plant-based foods such as olive oil, avocados and nuts do not contain any unnecessary ingredients, so you should actively consume them.
3. Intake of dietary fiber
Up until now, we have mainly been talking about carbohydrates and fats as the rules for meals on a ketogenic diet, but it is also important to actively consume dietary fiber as a way to further enhance the effects. Dietary fiber has the effect of regulating bowel movements, and will support your ketogenic diet.
Since you need to avoid carbohydrates while on a ketogenic diet, it is important to get enough dietary fiber from foods other than carbohydrates. Be sure to eat seaweed, vegetables and mushrooms, which are low in carbohydrates and high in dietary fiber.
5 recommended products for the ketogenic diet
There are now foods such as bread and sweets that can be eaten while on a low-carb diet. Among these, we recommend the low-carb, sweet and delicious NATUVEW products for a stress-free ketogenic diet.
From here, we will introduce NATUVEW's recommended products, so please check them out.
Serial
NATUVEW's serial is characterized by the fact that it contains only grain-free, high-protein grains such as rice and wheat. It also contains a rich source of dietary fiber and vitamins, as well as chia seeds, which provide a rich source of many nutrients, so you can get all the nutrients you need during a ketogenic diet in just 40g.
Muscle Chips
Muscle Chips are a snack made from thinly-rolled chicken breast. Even though they are not fried in oil, you can enjoy the crispy texture that you would expect from a snack. They are low in carbohydrates and contain 44.3g of protein per bag, so they are a great snack to have on hand when you feel a little peckish or have a craving.
Financier - Hazelnut
Financier Hazelnut is a financier that uses a generous amount of almonds and hazelnuts. As it is made using high-quality grass-fed butter, you can enjoy the richness of the butter just as much as you would with a normal financier. Each financier has 4g of sugar and 8.4g of dietary fiber, so it is low in sugar but rich in dietary fiber. This is a great product to have on hand when you feel like eating something sweet, to help you continue your ketogenic diet with less stress.
almond chocolate
Amand Chocolate is a low-sugar chocolate-coated almond confection.
cassata
Cassata is a rich ice cream cheesecake made with mascarpone cheese and cream cheese. NATUVIEW's Cassata uses Italian mascarpone cheese, and the cake is filled with plenty of organic dried cranberries dried cranberries. Each cake contains 27.4g of sugar, which is about 69% less sugar than a normal cheesecake, and each cake also contains 48.8g of dietary fiber. Being able to cut it up and eat it little by little is also a great point for those on a diet.
Choose ingredients that are suitable for the ketogenic diet to enhance its effectiveness
The key to success with the ketogenic diet is to thoroughly limit carbohydrates and choose ingredients that allow you to get the right amount of good fats, proteins and dietary fiber. Let's make the ketogenic diet a success by being aware of the ingredients introduced in this article.
NATUVIEW, a brand specializing in keto foods, offers snacks that you can enjoy while on a ketogenic diet. At NATUVIEW, you can choose from a wide range of products, including cakes, chocolates, and baked goods. Please make use of NATUVIEW to help you succeed in your ketogenic diet without difficulty.