Is it possible to eat meat instead of rice to lose weight?

I want to increase my meat and vegetable intake, and avoid rice and starchy foods to lose weight. Is this possible, and what should I keep in mind? (Ngoc Han, Ho Chi Minh City)

Reply

Replacing rice with meat to lose weight is also known as the keto diet. By drastically reducing carbohydrate intake and increasing protein and fat in daily meals, protein intake is kept at 10-25% of total daily energy intake, helping the body maintain ketosis. This stimulates the pancreas to burn fat, converting it into ketones to provide energy for the body.

Adopting a keto diet can lead to rapid weight loss and a significant reduction in blood sugar levels. However, you need to keep the following points in mind.

First, the keto diet focuses on minimizing starchy foods, not eliminating them completely. Second, the body's long-term use of ketones instead of carbohydrates can alter internal metabolism and increase levels of bad cholesterol, causing various health problems.

People with weakened immune systems or those suffering from metabolic disorders, high cholesterol, cardiovascular disease, impaired liver function, kidney disease, etc., should not follow the keto diet. This is because the diet carries the risk of worsening these conditions or causing dangerous complications.

Abusing the keto diet for a long period of time can increase blood uric acid levels, increase urinary calcium, cause hypoglycemia, and increase the risk of cardiovascular disease.

If you need to adopt a keto diet for weight loss for a specific period, you should consult your doctor for specific advice to ensure appropriate carbohydrate intake based on your health condition. It's advisable to supplement with vegetable oils (soybean, sunflower, olive, rapeseed) rich in omega-3 ALA, which is good for cardiovascular health. Supplementing with the bioactive compound GDL-5 (extracted from South American sugarcane pollen) helps regulate blood lipids, reducing excess bad cholesterol and increasing good cholesterol.

The principle for safe and effective weight loss is that the total calorie intake must be lower than the daily calorie expenditure. In addition, you need an exercise regimen that suits your health condition.

Doctor Tran Thi Tra Phuong
Nutrihome Nutrition Center

Readers can submit their nutrition questions here for the doctor to answer.

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