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According to many doctors specializing in the treatment of epilepsy, a great effect is achieved by using a ketogenic diet. Epilepsy is a disease that is accompanied by characteristic seizures: convulsions, mood changes, mental disorders, hallucinations, aggression, panic attacks, delirium, etc.
Significantly improve the condition of patients, as well as stop epileptic seizures, will help complex therapy, which includes: physiotherapy, drugs, ketogenic diet.
The essence of the ketogenic diet
Currently, in the treatment of epilepsy, specialists use the ketogenic diet, which is contraindicated in infants under the age of 1 year. Due to very severe dietary restrictions, this diet should be prescribed by the attending physician, after a comprehensive examination of the patient.
Long-term restriction in the nutrients supplied to the body from various products can significantly reduce the frequency of epileptic seizures. In some cases, the attacks of the disease completely disappear, and patients can lead a full life. When prescribing a diet to patients, the attending physician should constantly monitor their condition and take action if any side effects or disorders are detected. Its main principle is fasting. The first three are allowed to drink drinking water without gas.
Patients are strictly forbidden to drink mineral water, as it contains various microelements and gases in its composition. While on a ketogenic diet, patients are strongly advised to reduce physical activity. The attending physician may prescribe bed rest to the patient if he sees every reason for this. Starting from the fourth day of fasting, patients need to gradually introduce solid food into their daily diet.
The daily norm of products should be divided into small portions (4 times less than usual), which can be eaten in 5-6 meals. Patients should learn to self-calculate the amount of nutrients consumed, as this is very important for their body and overall well-being. They should focus on the following indicators: 4 parts of fat / 1 part of proteins / 1 part of carbohydrates. During a ketogenic diet lasting 3 days, patients should completely exclude the following foods from their diet: beets, potatoes, carrots, cereals, wheat bread, pasta.
During the treatment of epilepsy in children whose age ranges from 1 year to 12 years, specialists use a slightly modified ketogenic diet. It differs from the standard diet in the following way: young patients should consume special fatty milk-based cocktails. Such a milk drink has a special composition, which is being developed by professional nutritionists.
Patients can choose in what form they will consume this drink: in the form of ice cream or in the form of a cocktail. The main task of nutritionists who have developed a milk drink is to accustom the child’s body to regular consumption of foods high in fat. This is due to the fact that fatty foods have an antiepileptic effect. The attending physician individually for each young patient determines the list of foods that can be eaten. A ketogenic diet can not only restore lost forms, but also help the body fight serious diseases, in particular epilepsy.
Противопоказания
Before starting a ketogenic diet, the patient should consult with their doctor, as there are a number of contraindications for it:
diseases of the kidneys, liver (a large amount of fat can adversely affect the work of these organs);
diseases of the cardiovascular system;
cerebrovascular and lipid diseases.
Each patient on a ketogenic diet should keep their own food diary. In it, he will be able to note the frequency and duration of epileptic seizures. The duration of the diet can only be determined by the attending physician, after studying the dietary diary of his patient.
Some patients may develop side effects:
decreased activity;
violation of the chair;
decrease in blood acidity;
for diabetic patients, such a diet can be fatal.
The category of patients for whom a ketogenic diet is contraindicated is recommended to abandon indigestible, spicy, salty and smoked foods. They are also advised to limit fluid intake.
Menu for the week
During a ketogenic diet, patients can consume the following foods: turkey and chicken meat, eggs, sour-milk and dairy products, sea fish, in particular tuna, salmon, herring.
Menu for a week of a ketogenic diet:
1,2,3 days:
Water.
4 day:
chicken eggs (boiled) 2 pcs., butter 1 tsp, coffee or tea with cream (high fat content);
boiled sausages 2 pcs., mayonnaise 1,5 tsp., 1 quarter of a tomato;
fat cottage cheese with the addition of sour cream 150 gr.;
boiled chicken breast 1 pc., butter 10 gr., steamed green beans, olive oil 2 tbsp. l., tea or coffee with cream.
5-й день
A piece of butter, with the addition of 1-2 hard-boiled eggs;
turkey meat 150 gr., vegetable salad (cucumber and onion), olive oil for dressing;
cabbage soup with the addition of fatty sour cream, pork fried with tomatoes, tea with cream;
scrambled eggs, with the addition of brisket, fresh cucumber and a slice of bread.
6-й день
hard-boiled quail eggs 4 pcs., coffee with cream;
boiled beef 150 gr.;
boiled turkey fillet, tomatoes seasoned with mayonnaise;
a piece of boiled low-fat fish, boiled asparagus beans (half serving).
Between meals, patients can have snacks: yogurt, fermented baked milk, cottage cheese, kefir. During the ketogenic diet, patients burn fat tissue, and there is no effect on muscle mass. Currently, many bodybuilders have begun to use this principle of nutrition, so that they are always full of energy and strength.
Recipes for the ketogenic diet
Egg omelet with bacon
Ingredients:
eggs (chicken) – 2 pcs.;
pork bacon (lean) – 2 pieces;
butter – 1 tablespoon;
cream (low-fat) – 100 gr;
salt and pepper – to taste.
Method of preparation: cut the bacon into small strips and fry in a hot frying pan for 1-2 minutes on each side. After that, pre-beaten eggs with cream (with the addition of salt and black pepper), pour over the bacon. Cook the omelet for 10-15 minutes over low heat.
Scrambled eggs with ham slices:
Ingredients:
chicken eggs – 2 pcs .;
ham – 50 gr .;
processed cheese – 50 gr.;
vegetable oil – 1 tbsp. a spoon;
herbs, spices to taste.
Method of preparation: First of all, you need to fry the ham, then add the eggs. Put the cheese on a practically ready dish and fry the scrambled eggs over low heat for 3 minutes. Sprinkle with herbs before serving.
Grilled vegetables:
Ingredients:
onion – 2 pcs .;
bell pepper – 200 gr.;
olives (olives) – 1 tbsp. a spoon;
olive oil – 1-2 tbsp. spoons;
capers – 1 teaspoon;
spices, vinegar to taste.
Method of preparation: Cut the vegetables into rings and marinate in a special sauce (vinegar, spices, capers, olives). Put on a wire rack and bake until characteristic stripes form.
Baked Turnip:
Ingredients:
turnips – 400 gr.;
cheese (hard varieties) – 150 gr.;
eggs of chicken – 1 pcs .;
butter – 1 tbsp. l .;
sour cream – 1 or 2 tbsp. l.;
spices, salt to taste.
Method of preparation: peeled turnip must be poured with cold water and boiled for 1 hour. After the turnips are ready, cool and mix with sour cream and spices with a kitchen assistant. Add the egg and cheese to the resulting homogeneous mass, then beat in a blender for a few more minutes. Put the resulting mixture into a mold and put in the oven to bake until golden brown. The temperature in the oven must be in the range of 170 °C. Cool before serving and sprinkle with chopped herbs.
Results, reviews and recommendations of doctors on ketogenic nutrition
The involvement of the ketogenic diet program in the treatment of epilepsy is due to the fact that patients do not experience discomfort during the entire fasting period. They dull the feeling of hunger, despite the limited intake of calories. When entering the ketogenic diet in patients, the pancreas begins to produce insulin in smaller quantities. As a result, the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases is reduced.
Currently, the ketogenic diet has become used in the treatment of cancer. According to many experts who left their reviews of the ketogenic diet, 70% of patients noticed significant improvements in the general condition of the body, including a decrease in the number of seizures, and 30% of epileptics did not feel any effect. When prescribing a diet to young patients, there were cases of complete healing from this severe disease. Many people use the ketogenic diet to correct their weight. Only six days of dietary nutrition allows you to get rid of 5 extra pounds.
When using a diet for weight loss, experts recommend not limiting yourself to fluids so that toxins leave the body faster and its cells are renewed at an accelerated pace. Before eliminating certain foods from your diet, any person should consult their doctor or professional nutritionist. The human body is able to independently produce from body fat the necessary amount of nutrients for the full functioning of the brain.
Everyone knows that the liver contains a certain amount of glycogen (glucose), which is enough for no more than 1 day. Having used up this reserve, the body begins to start a process (ketosis), in which fats begin to be burned (the pancreas processes fat cells into keto bodies, which in their composition can replace glucose).
After ketones penetrate the brain of a person suffering from epilepsy, relief of seizures is observed, since they have an anticonvulsant effect.
Over the years, various studies of epilepsy have been carried out, the result of which suggests that there is a direct relationship between the patient’s well-being and the nutrition system used by him. Patients who participated in the trials and were on a ketogenic diet were found to be dehydrated, which was achieved by eliminating carbohydrates from the diet.
The menu for patients should be calculated by specialists, since for young epileptics it is extremely important to have fatty milkshakes or ice cream in the daily diet. Such products are able to replace the necessary carbohydrates, so they should be eaten in sufficient quantities. Adult patients do not need to consume products that replace carbohydrates, as they must be completely excluded from the diet for the duration of the diet.