It is a diet that goes decidedly against the tide and therefore it is not always shared by all the experts: he claims that to lose weight you need to eat more fat, the good ones obviously. According to proponents of the ketogenic diet, to lose weight, reduce inflammation and improve overall health, the meal plan definitely needs to be re-studied compared to other diets. Proteins (meat, fish or eggs or seasoned cheeses), low-carbohydrate vegetables (such as green ones) and fats (from dried fruit to olive oil) can be added to the dish. While sugars (even sweeteners), cereals, fruit (or at least limited) and particularly fatty cheeses must be eliminated.
Stefania Cazzavillan biologist, nutritionist and naturopath, with a three-year course in Functional Medicine and four years in Neurotraining, explains the importance of fats in this type of diet in the book “Supermetabolism with the Ketogenic Diet” (Sperling & Kupfer). He says that “the increase in fat in the diet (olive oil, dried fruit, avocado) and the reduction in carbohydrates triggers a profound change in the metabolism that can be perceived from the very first days: the excess fat is used to produce energy and therefore weight loss is fast and definitive, without compromising the muscles”. Dr. Cazzavillan has been studying and applying this type of diet for years and claims that people who follow it not only reach their ideal weight without going hungry, thanks to this “super-metabolism”, but also see a reduction in swelling, digestive and intestinal problems, tiredness, joint pain, anxiety. The method developed by the author enhances the effects of the ketogenic diet with MCT fats (present in coconut for example) and intermittent fasting by reducing the inflammation that underlies both overweight and many chronic diseases.
What are the pros
According to Cazzavillan, maintaining a state of ketosis has some benefits: “Excess fat deposits are lost, hunger is controlled, inflammation and oxidative stress that cause aging and disease are reduced, balance is restored hormonal and metabolic, glucose and insulin levels are normalized”. Stephen Phinney, professor of medicine emeritus at the University of California at Davis, talks about keto-adaptation, or the phase in which the body returns to the metabolic state for which it was designed. In this state it is able to repair tissues quickly, restore hormonal rhythms and improve the quality of sleep. When the brain is fully adapted to ketones (in a healthy person, keto-adaptation can occur in four to six months) mental performance, concentration and memory increase and mood is significantly improved.
What are the cons
Against the ketogenic diet, especially the high-protein version, there is Sara Farnetti , doctor, specialist in Internal Medicine with PhD in Pathophysiology of Nutrition and Metabolism at the University of the Sacred Heart of Rome (author of “Never again on a diet” and the latest “Think about it first” both published by Rizzoli). “In general – he explains – the ketogenic diet is a fast symptomatic diet. It is based on the total exclusion of carbohydrates, even the few that we are going to introduce with vegetables. It is a violent solution, much more than fasting. It would be better to use food as tool to mimic fasting or ketosis: I get the same hormonal effect, but without hurting my body, so as not to inflame us and protect us from all diseases. Food has a lot of potential as a therapeutic tool. It is the first drug and should return to medicine. This is a diet that must be followed, as foreseen at the origin, under strict medical supervision”.
How the ketogenic diet works
We start by eliminating sugars because they can be addictive and cause deficiencies in some nutrients (vitamins and minerals) as well as inflaming the body. Cazzavillan in his book identifies five steps to follow.
1. Eliminate grains and legumes. The starting point may not seem so easy. Because we are used to having meals or snacks with sandwiches, focaccias and pizzas, crackers and snacks. Everything around us often looks like a “carbohydrate festival”. But be careful: carbohydrates are hidden in many foods. Legumes, from a ketogenic point of view, are very rich in fiber, have a low glycemic index, but also have many carbohydrates. They are in this sense “dangerous” because they can inhibit ketogenesis.
2. Insert the fats. For a long time fats were considered the cause of all ills, but scientific studies are currently demonstrating the opposite, that is, their use is safe and beneficial to health. It is also important to remember that fats are an essential nutrient, in the same way as proteins, vitamins and minerals, while carbohydrates are not. Saturated fats then become a fuel that is used in place of carbohydrates and polyunsaturated fats, such as omega-3s, are essential nutrients and help keep inflammation under control.
3. Insert high quality animal proteins (meat, fish and eggs). The choice of animal proteins must be made with great care. The same goes for eggs and fish. Eggs from free-range hens or at least from eco-sustainable organic farming can be safely taken every day. The protein quota, beyond animal proteins, must also take into account the many other foods that contain proteins (for example, dried fruit and oilseeds).
4. Reduce fruit consumption. Fruit provides high amounts of sugars that disrupt ketogenesis. Some fruits have relatively low amounts of net carbohydrates, such as berries, avocados and coconut. Carbohydrates will be taken mainly from vegetables which contain much less and provide good amounts of fibre, minerals and nutrients. With vegetables it is possible to abound without incurring the risk of exaggerating with sugars to the point of inhibiting ketogenesis.
What to put on the plate
The advice of the expert Stefania Cazzavillan, to achieve better results in a shorter time, is to eat three meals a day, eliminating snacks, to better control insulin levels.
To regulate, the amount of macronutrients is between 20 and 50 g of carbohydrates, proteins based on weight (if the body weight is 70 kg, 70 grams of protein are counted per day, bearing in mind that 100 grams of adult bovine meat contains about 21.3 grams of protein), then fats: about 70 percent of the day’s calories.
Meal setup is very simple. It starts with proteins: eggs, fish, meat, cheese; then vegetables (no potatoes, no legumes, no carrots, no squash) and a source of fat: olive oil, coconut oil, high mountain or clarified butter. An aid to increase the amount of fat is given by foods rich in fat such as: avocado, olives, sauces (olive sauce, pesto, guacamole, mayonnaise or homemade tuna sauce).
A few ideas that may work for ketogenesis: salmon and avocado (or guacamole), butter curls, buttered spinach leaves; mackerel plus mixed salad with avocado, olives, walnuts and plenty of extra virgin olive oil; Greek cucumber and tomato salad with feta, olives and plenty of extra virgin olive oil; tenderloin of beef seared with melted butter plus well-seasoned leafy greens or buttered herbs; salt and pepper prawns, salad, olives and avocado.