The ketogenic diet is a dietary model in which the lipids (fats) provide most of the calories (70 to 80% or 90%) while the carbohydrates (sugars) are made in very small quantities (up to 10% of calories). When the body is deprived of carbohydrates in this way, fat becomes its main source of energy (whether it comes from meals or is taken from reserves) and part of it is transformed into ketone bodies, hence the term "ketogenic". Ketones can be used as fuel for different organs, but they are mainly directed to the brain.

1. Benefits Of Keto Diet
What is ketosis?
What exactly do we mean by that? Normally, carbohydrates are the main source of energy. It's
not for nothing: glucose is just a fuel that is very easy to transport and use. However, if you are
(virtually) not eating carbohydrates anymore, your body needs to find a different solution.
You then enter a ketogenic state, or ketosis for short. It really is just an expensive way of saying
that (body) fat is the main source of energy. Of course, this doesn't happen automatically,
because fat isn't as easy a source as carbohydrates. They must therefore first be converted into
ketones.
What is the ketogenic diet?
As mentioned, the ketosis diet is sort of an extreme form of a low carb diet. Most “standard”
low-carb diets still allow around 100 grams of carbohydrate per day. With the ketosis diet, that's
really out of the question. The often mentioned limit is around 30 grams. Enough to be able to
eat vegetables, then, but really no more than that. Even fruit is out of the question.
Additionally, the ketosis diet is made up of protein and most importantly a lot of fat. These fill more
than half of your calories. Lots of fish, eggs, meat, nuts and dairy, in other words! All of this to get
your body into ketosis.

2. What are ketones?
One of the main disadvantages of fat as an energy source is that the fat particles cannot reach your
brain through the blood. This means that it is difficult to supply your brain with energy when you are
in ketosis. Fortunately, your liver can convert fat into ketones, which can reach your brain. Ketones
are also needed for additional energy supply.
Once your body "shifts" to a position where the fat in your diet is a major source of energy, it also
becomes easier to burn body fat. However, the same chemical conversion process is behind this.
This way, a keto diet will help you shed those extra pounds more easily.
Benefits of the keto diet
What exactly are the advantages of this configuration? There are two important benefits to the keto
diet, which we'll briefly mention and explain here:
Fat saturates more than you probably think. So the chance is very low that you will ever go hungry
on a ketosis diet. In addition, due to the lack of carbohydrates, you no longer have fluctuations in
your blood sugar.
If you now often eat a lot of fast sugars through binge eating, that will probably decrease too! Finally,
the meals you eat are often quite tasty, precisely because of their high fat content. Only the variety is
not particularly impressive.
One of the apparent drawbacks of fat as an energy source is that the fat particles cannot reach your
brain through the blood. This means that it is difficult to energize your brain when you are in ketosis.
Fortunately, your liver can convert fat into ketones, which can reach your brain. Ketones are also
needed for additional energy supply.
Once your body "shifts" to a position where the fat in your diet is a major source of energy, it also
becomes easier to burn body fat. The same process of chemical conversion is behind this. This way,
a keto diet will help you shed those extra pounds more easily

3. What can I eat?
Recommended foods
Recommended foods are foods that contain fat or protein.
The meat , including more fat: lamb chops, loin or ribs, entrecote of beef, chunks of lamb, pork, beef
or veal stew (stews, blanquettes ...);
The birds , with their skin duck, turkey, chicken, chicken;
The meats : hams, sausages;
The fish , particularly fatty fish: herring, mackerel, sardines, salmon;
The eggs ;
The aged cheeses ;
The nuts : almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts, pistachios ... and other nuts , avocado and olives;
The seeds rich in lipids : from chia , flax , pumpkin , sesame , sunflower ...
Tofu and tempeh ( high protein soy products ).
The fats in generous proportions.
Butter, sour cream and coconut oil are recommended daily , since they are rich in " short or medium
chain fatty acids" , lipids that promote the process of ketosis.
The canola oils and nuts are recommended on them for their omega 3 essential.
It is advisable to drink at least 1.5 to 2 liters per day , in order to compensate for the low water intake
of food (in general, foods high in fat contain little water).

4. Prohibited foods
Prohibited foods are the main sources of carbohydrates.
Breads, rusks and breakfast cereals;
Starchy foods: pasta, rice, potatoes, semolina, corn, quinoa, sweet potato, pulses;
The savory preparations paste : quiches, pizzas, pastries;
Breaded fish or meat;
The meals, soups and sauces trade ;
The sweet products : cookies, cakes, pastries, chocolate bars, candies, jams, honey, table sugar;
The sweet drinks : soft drinks, fruit drinks, iced teas ... and fruit juices.
It is possible to use a synthetic sweetener (aspartame, sucralose, stevia, etc.) to "sweeten" coffee or
tea or make desserts in which the flour is replaced by ground hazelnuts or almonds 8 .
Foods to moderate
Foods to moderate are foods containing low proportion of carbohydrates :
The dark chocolate over 85% cocoa;
Milk and plain dairy products: yoghurts, fermented milk and fresh cheeses: maximum one per day
(they provide lactose, which is a sugar);
Vegetables: maximum 150 g per meal;
The fruits least rich in sugar : lemon, red fruits, papaya, watermelon: maximum 50 g (the equivalent
of barely half a tray of raspberries) per day. Other fruits are not allowed.
Cons of the keto diet
A diet where you don't go hungry and lose weight - it seems like the perfect combination! Yet there
are still some holds in the grass. The keto diet has several drawbacks as well, of which we list the
three most important ones below:
A diet where you don't go hungry and lose weight - it seems like the perfect combination! Yet there
are still some holds in the grass. There are several drawbacks to the keto diet as well, of which we
list the three most important below:
The first month that you are on a keto diet, you will often feel bad. The reason is that your body is
not accustomed to the primary use of fat for energy. This makes it particularly difficult at the start to
maintain sufficient energy.
So you will feel very weak for a few weeks to a month, and maybe even just have the flu.
Headaches, fatigue and drowsiness are well known complaints. Fortunately, this “ketogenic flu” will
resolve itself over time.
A more structural problem is the one-sided side of the diet. You eat mostly meat, fish, eggs, and
dairy, supplemented with oil, avocados, nuts, and veg here and there.

5. So what you are completely missing are whole grains, for example. Although they can also provide
important nutrients, such as fiber! As a result, with a keto diet, you often need to take the
supplements to make sure you don't accumulate major deficiencies.
One final issue that will be important to many of our readers: A ketogenic diet is not ideal if you are
exercising fanatically. As an athlete, you only need carbohydrates because you use a relatively large
amount of energy.
Are you on the ketosis diet?
Is it helpful for you to follow a keto diet, or shouldn't you be? In any case, we do not recommend
following the diet for a longer period of time. During this time, you are building up too many
deficiencies, and the lack of carbohydrates can affect your insulin sensitivity. Moreover, after a while
you will also be tired of the limited variety of foods.
But do you want to try another way to lose fat? And aren't you so fanatic that you really need your
carbs? Then, it is definitely worth trying the keto diet for a limited time!
How do you get into ketosis?
Do you choose to start with the ketosis diet? Then, as said, it's important to really leave out all the
carbs except the veg. It doesn't just mean more bread, oats, pasta, rice and potatoes. Fruits are also
prohibited. You cannot drink even the smallest amounts of carbonated drinks and alcohol.
Your diet should be about 70% fat, 25% protein, and 5% carbohydrate. What is left then? As said:
lots of vegetables, protein and fat. It sounds a bit one-sided (and admittedly it is), but you can still do
a bit with it. We give you some short examples below.
Keto Recipes
Certainly, because you can of course vary endlessly with vegetables and meat, it is still relatively
possible to do so.
Ketones in urine
Then one last point. Now suppose you have been on the ketosis diet for a week - how do you know
if you are actually doing the right thing? After all, the intention is for your body to truly enter ketosis.
Fortunately, this can be tested using the aforementioned ketones. These must also be excreted from
your body. Some of it comes out through your breath, which is why bad breath is a common
complaint among people on this diet. However, much of it is also excreted in your urine.
Ketosis test
The latter is useful for a ketosis test. There is something called ketostix: test sticks with which you
measure ketone levels in your urine. So you can easily perform a test at home. Simply dip the swab
in your urine and if it becomes discolored, you will know you are in ketosis. Congratulations: your
body burns fat!