The low-carb diet and the ketogenic diet have been noisy, and the debate on “how to eat” has never stopped for decades. In the end how to distinguish? Let a nutritionist tell you!
How does the ketogenic diet work?
In a hungry or fasted state, the body tends to use fat as its main energy source, rather than the usual carbohydrates, for energy.
The ketogenic diet requires fasting for 1 to 3 days, that is, fasting first, allowing the body to switch the way of using energy, and then giving a fat-based diet. In the state of very little sugar, the liver will break down fat into fatty acids And ketone bodies, ketone bodies are transported to the brain to replace glucose as an energy source, so the amount of fat needs to be 2 to 3 times more than a balanced diet
| Balanced diet | Ketogenic diet | |
| Carbohydrate | 50-60% | 4-5% |
| Protein | 15-20% | 5-15% |
| Lipids | 25-30% | 80-90% |
The truth of the ketogenic diet
It can be clearly found that the ketogenic diet is much less carbohydrate and protein than the usual diet, and many people do not know very much about carbohydrate foods. In addition to the well-known rice and noodles, winter noodles, sweet potatoes, pumpkin , corn, red beans, mung beans, etc. are also staple foods high in carbohydrates, and many processed foods, such as hot pot ingredients, sausages, hot dogs, etc., also contain carbohydrates or sugar.
In addition, although fruits are healthy, they are also foods with high carbohydrate content. If you eat too much, you will gain weight. And nuts are mainly composed of oil, but they also contain a little carbohydrate!
In addition to avoiding these carbohydrates, even vegetables must be limited in intake. In 100 grams of vegetables, there are 5 grams of sugar, unlike the general diet that advocates eating more vegetables.
People who want to implement a ketogenic diet need to calculate the percentage of calories throughout the day to achieve better results!
For example, a girl who needs 1600 calories a day can only eat 20 grams of carbohydrates, 60 grams of protein, and 142 grams of lipids. Therefore, when choosing meat, it is recommended to choose high-fat meats to easily meet the lipid standard, such as Additional oil is required, and it is recommended to use plant-based oils as much as possible, such as olive oil, canola oil, and nuts (a little).
Low-carb diet vs ketogenic diet
The “carbon” of the recently common low-carb diet refers to carbohydrates. The difference from the ketogenic diet is that the restrictions on carbohydrates and proteins are less strict.
The proportion of protein is high, and the types of protein are: beans, eggs, fish, meat, seafood, etc. The intake of protein foods has a higher thermic effect of food, so it is easier to feel full, and it is easier to implement than the general fat-reducing diet. , so you don’t need to eat extra oil
However, it should be noted that in the case of more protein, it is recommended to focus on plant-based protein to avoid high cholesterol. For example, tofu and sugar-free soy milk are good sources of high protein.
If you are a person who often eats in restaurants, you should also pay special attention to the quality of the fat you ingest. The same priority should be given to vegetable fat, and the design of the portion should be asked by professionals.
| Ketogenic diet | Low-carb diet | |
| Carbohydrate | 4-5% | 10% |
| Protein | 5-15% | 25-30% |
| Lipids | 80-90% | 60-65% |
Precautions:
Regardless of ketogenic diet or low-carb diet, the following symptoms may occur during the initial adjustment of the diet: constipation, dizziness, short temper, sugar dependence, cramps and other symptoms. Therefore, during the implementation period, special attention should be paid to the supplementation of water and electrolytes to avoid dehydration.
If you have symptoms for a long time, you should seek professional assistance as soon as possible.
In addition, due to the limited variety of foods to choose from, it is recommended to take a diversified intake within the optional range to balance nutrients, reduce side effects, and help psychological satisfaction in the process of fat loss.
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