Tuesday, April 23rd, 2024
The ketogenic diet or as some prefer to call it, the Keto diet or low carb diet is about consuming a lot of protein and fats but fewer carbs. This diet makes the body send the fats we consume to the liver, which transforms it into energy, to keep the body strong without feeling tired.
The word ketogenic is derived from the word “ketosis,” which is a state of the body when it doesn’t have enough glucose in it to turn into energy.
So it generates ketones that work as an amazing source of energy for both the body and the brain, which makes it a great option for losing weight quickly.
The keto diet prevents you from consuming a lot for carbs, which is the main reason for gaining weight, because the sugar makes you hungry most of the time.
When you consume small portions of carbs, and focus more on protein and fat, your body doesn’t pressure you to eat.
Instead, it uses those fats to satisfy your hunger and keep you active.
If you are looking for a diet that will help you lose weight quickly, the ketogenic diet is the perfect diet for you.
Not only does it help you achieve a great lean body, but also provides excellent health benefits.
4 Benefits Of The Ketogenic Diet
There are plenty of great benefits of the keto diet, making it suitable for anyone who wants to lose weight.
1. Increases the level of HDL: One of the best aspects of the ketogenic diet is it increases the level of HDL in the body. This is the good cholesterol that helps lower the risk of heart disease.
2. Helps in Alleviating Diabetes Type 2: By removing carbs from your daily meals, you’re saying goodbye to sugar and insulin because your body already has what it needs, while not having to worry about what you eat.
3. Lowers Blood Pressure: High blood pressure is a global catastrophe, because it can potentially lead to kidney failure, heart disease, strokes…
With this diet, you can say goodbye to all these issues and live a healthier life, free from malignant diseases.
4. Gum Disease: Gum disease can become painful. It’s caused by the consumption of too much sugar. Once you eliminate sugar from your daily meals, you can avoid gum disease and toothaches.
While on the keto diet, most of it consists of foods high in fats, coupled with a measured intake of proteins and low carbs.
8 Food Categories Of The Keto Diet
1. Proteins
Poultry: Free-range Cornish hen, quail, goose, pheasant, chicken, duck, and turkey.
Fish and Seafood: Cod, tuna, scrod, anchovies, mackerel, flounder, catfish, trout, mahi-mahi, halibut, sole, sardines, salmon, halibut, snapper, and calamari.
Always opt for wild caught fish to avoid toxins present in commercially caught fish.
Grass-fed Meat: These include beef, venison, goat, and lamb. Meat from wild animals are also acceptable; however, avoid sausages and meats that come with sugary sauces and those covered in breadcrumbs.
Choose chunks of meat with more fat since they contain less protein. Pork: Boston butt, pork chops, ham pork, and loin. When choosing ham, be on the lookout for added sugar.
Bacon and Sausages: Preferably, you should buy these at specialty health food stores. If this is not possible, always read the labels to avoid those which contain fillers such as soy or sugars.
Canned Tuna and Salmon: Canned tuna and salmon are okay to consume while on the keto diet. However, avoid seafood rich in fillers, breaded seafood, and fried seafood.
Vegetable Protein Powders: Protein supplements such as whey protein, hemp protein, pea, and rice are acceptable.
Whole Eggs: This includes chicken eggs, and quail eggs which you can prepare through any way desired; fried, soft or hard boiled, deviled, scrambled, or omelet.
Shellfish: Oyster, mussels, lobster, shrimp, crab (not imitation crab that contains additives), clams, scallops, and squid.
2. Fats And Oils
Since these are your main sources of energy while on this diet, go for the types of fats and oils you enjoy.
These include:
• Omega 3 fatty acids from fish such as tuna, shellfish, and salmon
• Fish supplements or krill
• Monounsaturated fats such as egg yolks, avocado, and butter
• Vegetable oils such as olive oil, coconut oil
• Non-hydrogenated beef tallow, ghee, and lard
• Duck and chicken fat
To make it easier to stick to the keto diet, know which types of fat your body can tolerate. Most seem to have zero or very low tolerance to vegetable oils and mayo.
This may be a good thing because most of these oils are rich in omega 6 fatty acids – the kind that is bad for your body’s cholesterol levels.
In this case, work with the listed monounsaturated fats to reduce the inflammatory effect brought by polyunsaturated fats.
Nevertheless, work to balance both fats because you cannot survive on monounsaturated fats alone.
Avoid hydrogenated fats such as margarine however, to reduce the amount of trans-fats you consume.
3. Fresh Vegetables
For vegetables, always opt for organic or better yet, grow your own to avoid pesticide toxins.
Avoid starchy vegetables (corn, sweet potatoes, potatoes, peas, and winter squash) that are high in carbs. Instead, opt for moderate intake of sweet vegetables (squashes, peppers, tomatoes, and carrots).
Vegetables on the keto list are:
• Celery
• Collard Greens
• Onions (high in sugar; moderate intake)
• Alfalfa Sprouts
• Beet Greens
• Broccoli
• Spinach
• Dandelion Greens
• Bamboo Shoots
• Cabbage
• Brussels sprouts
• Garlic
• Mushrooms
• Shallots
• Kale
• Bok Choy
• Sauerkraut
• Chives
• Celery Root
• Swiss chard
• Cauliflower
• Snow Peas
• Bean Sprouts
• Olives
• Cucumbers
• Turnips
• Scallions
• Dill Pickles
• Leeks
• Radishes
• Chard
• Asparagus
• Salad greens and lettuces: Romaine, Arugula, Fennel, Bok Choy, Boston lettuce, Endive, Mache, Escarole, Sorrel, Radicchio, Chicory Water Chestnuts
4. Dairy Products
• Mascarpone cheese
• Unsweetened whole milk yogurt (limit intake of this type of yogurt because it’s high in carbs)
• All soft and hard cheeses
• Cream cheese
• Full fat sour cream (do not forget to check for additives)
• Full fat cottage cheese
• Heavy whipping cream
In any case, always go for raw milk products and if you do not have access to them, go organic.
5. Beverages
• Bulletproof coffee
• Decaf Tea
• Flavored seltzer water
• Decaf coffee
• Water
• Herbal tea
• Lemon and lime juice (limit intake)
• Clear broth or bouillon
6. Nuts And Seeds
Nuts: almonds, macadamias, pecans, and walnuts are nuts with the lowest level of carbs meaning you can consume them in small amounts.
Other nuts such as chestnuts, pistachios, and cashews contain a higher amount of carbs; thus, you should carefully monitor their intake.
Nuts are best soaked for a while before being roasted.
Nut flours: these are necessary because while you are on this diet, it does not mean you can no longer bake. Nut flours such as almond flour will suffice.
7. Sweeteners
Some options include:
• Erythritol
• Splendor-liquid
• Inulin and Chicory root
• Lo Han Guo
• Liquid Stevia
• Xylitol
• Swerve
8. Spices
Some spices allowed on the keto diet:
• Sea salt
• Peppermint
• Ginger
• Basil
• Chili pepper
• Cloves
• Thyme
• Cilantro or coriander seeds
• Rosemary
• Black pepper
• Cumin seeds
• Oregano
• Turmeric
• Cayenne pepper
• Cinnamon
• Mustard seeds
• Parsley
• Dill
• Sage
The keto diet is NOT a highly-restrictive dieting plan. It offers you an excellent variety of foods to choose from, thus, you should not feel restricted.
There are however foods you should avoid to achieve optimal ketosis, as your body makes the switch from using glucose to synthesizing fats for ketones.
Foods To Avoid To Achieve Optimal Ketosis
If you stick to the foods listed in the previous section, you do not have to worry about not achieving optimal ketosis.
On the same note, as you increase intake of those foods, you should be on the lookout for the following foods which may hinder ketosis:
Avoid all grains including rye, wheat, oats, barley, corn, millet, rice sorghum and buckwheat. Also, avoid all products made from grains. These include foods such as crackers, pasta, pizza, and cookies.
• Avoid refined fats and oils like sunflower, canola, grape seed, corn oil, soybean, and Trans-fats such as margarine
• Avoid milk (only full-fat raw milk is acceptable). For coffee, replace milk with reasonable amounts of cream
• Avoid tropical fruits such as bananas, pineapples, mango, papaya, etc., and some high carb fruit
• Avoid fruit juice
• Avoid factory-farmed pork and fish
• Avoid all artificial sweeteners containing Aspartame, Sucralose, Saccharine, etc.
• Avoid alcoholic “sugary” drinks such as beer, and sweet wine
• Avoid all soy products
How to Quickly Get Into Ketosis
It takes 48 hours to get into a state of ketosis. To get there, you need to adapt the basics of the keto diet.
Listed are tips that should help you do just that, and get your body into ketosis faster:
Tip 1: To quickly get into ketosis, eat less than 20g of carbs a day.
Tip 2: Drink water, about 100 ounces per day. Drink more to lose more.
Tip 3: Get some validation the diet is actually working which is a great motivator, as the initial first few days can be difficult.
Tip 4: Do not panic as there’s a condition called the keto flu which you will experience. There will be dizziness, irritability, and fatigue. You will feel this on the first three days along with mood swings. Stay with it, don’t give in. Reward yourself with bacon and other delicious keto friendly foods as you crave for carbs and sugars. The craving will disappear as long as you’re full.
Tip 5: Consume more salt. This is really important. While on the keto diet, your body does not retain water as it normally would, so electrolytes like sodium will quickly flush out of your body. You need constantly replenish; otherwise, you will feel awful. Opt for sea salt.
Tip 6: Never open the door to hunger. When you feel a hunger pang, immediately eat high-fat low-carb foods. The moment you get hungry, it forms the temptation pathway. Remember: go simple. Do not over plan things because when you do, you may end up making everything strict and less fun. The keto diet should be fun.
Tip 7: Remember: this is not a high protein diet. The keto diet is a high fat, low carb, and moderate protein diet. Moderation is the key word here.
Tip 8: Embrace the fat. Eat fat to lose fat is your new motto. Do not shy away from the fat because it is your ticket to a healthier you.
Common Keto Diet Mistakes You Should Avoid
Nobody is perfect, and no diet is perfect. As you adopt this diet for better health and weight loss, you are bound to make several mistakes. This is normal.
The best way to avoid or minimize the effects of mistakes, is by learning and preparing for them.
Common Keto Diet Mistakes
Eating Too Many Carbs
There is no exact definition of what “low carb” means. Some would say it is simply anything under 100 to 150 grams a day, simply because they get amazing results within this range.
However, this may be excessive if your aim is to have plenty of ketones in your bloodstream. Most keto dieters go for under 50-grams of carbs per day to get into optimal ketosis.
Anything beyond that is termed as excessive.
Eating Too Much Protein
Remember: the keto diet is all about protein moderation.
As you adopt the keto diet, you need patience to get into ketosis, and patience to adapt to ketosis. Understand that previously, your body’s main source of energy was carbs.
Now, it has to adapt to a new source of energy, which is fats. The body requires time to do this, therefore, be patient.
Obsessing Over The Scale
The number on your weigh scale should not determine your keto diet success. Let this be the least of your worries. Just live life and enjoy your diet.
Weight loss will happen; do yourself a favor and keep away from the scale.
Not Eating Enough Fats
The unrestricted consumption of fats may seem excessive. However, the keto diet is a high-fat diet. Just trust keto and enjoy eating the fat.
However, you should eat the right kind of fats, preferably monounsaturated and saturated fats.
Eating Processed Keto Foods
When you are on the keto diet, always think about it this way. The intention is to eat natural ingredients and not foods that come in wrappers such as Atkins bars or Quest bars.
Although you can occasionally eat these, the idea is for a large portion of your diet (we are talking about 70-80% of your entire diet) to consist of natural ingredients.
It’s Not A Quick Fix
If this is your aim, do not start the diet. The keto diet is more of a lifestyle change than a short-term diet plan.
Dropping a few pounds and then going back to your normal bad eating habits, will be a waste of time.
Half-heartedly adopting the keto diet could be the worst thing you could do to yourself, because you are just wasting time.
If you are not all in, you will not survive through the temporary effects that come with adopting the diet.
Get A Customized 8 Week Keto Diet Plan
Other than just rapid fat loss, the keto diet also has plenty of other health benefits.
Variety is the spice of life. With the variety of foods to choose from, you can easily get into the Keto Lifestyle in an easy, painless and hassle-free way. Make it a new way of life.
Take the journey to a leaner healthier lifestyle. You are one step away to get your own custom keto diet plan. Take the questionnaire.