There are lots of guides about the keto diet for beginners, but here's what makes this one different:
You'll discover Healthy Ketosis
Healthy Ketosis uses high-quality ingredients full of nutrients to support your health, unlike traditional forms of the keto diet.
This guide will teach you how to start your own keto diet plan, even if you have no prior experience.
If you are an experienced keto dieter who has limited their carb intake, become keto-adapted, and enjoyed the anti-inflammatory benefits of eating low carb, you will find tips and tricks on this website that you are unlikely to find anywhere else on the internet.
What is a ketogenic Diet?
A ketogenic diet is a diet in which your body breaks down fat into ketones and uses them as energy instead of using carbohydrates as energy. Ketones are acids your body produces when it starts breaking down stored or dietary fat for energy rather than carbs. They’re actually a very efficient fuel for your body. The most common ketone, beta-hydroxybutyrate, is also the most beneficial.
On a typical American diet, your body gets its energy from converting sugar from carbs into energy. If you change to a diet high in fat and limit your net carbs, your body will start producing ketones for energy. When you restrict carbohydrates in your diet, your body starts burning fat for energy.
In a keto diet, the goal is to reduce your reliance on sugar as a source of energy, and instead rely on fat.
Do You Really Need Carbs?
Carbohydrates are defined as “substances that provide the body with energy” by the dictionary.
Simple carbohydrates made of refined flour and added sugar are quickly converted to blood sugar (glucose) when you consume them. Complex carbohydrates, such as grains and beans, are not as easily converted into glucose. All carbohydrates turn into sugar in the body, so if you eat a lot of carbs, you will gain weight.
You've been told your whole life that you need carbohydrates for energy, or that your brain can only run on glucose made from carbs – a type of sugar. Healthy, happy individuals on low-sugar or low-carbohydrate diets disprove the myths about those diets. You can run your body on fuel sources such as fatty acids and ketones instead of sugar. While your body does need glucose to function, it does not need carbs to produce glucose. It can produce all the glucose it needs from fat or protein.
You only need carbs from vegetables for the vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and fiber they supply. If you don't eat carbohydrates, your body will not be healthy. In fact, the opposite is true. Carbohydrates, particularly refined carbohydrates, can cause nutritional deficiencies and negatively affect your health. Carbs turn to fat in your body, which makes it harder to burn fat. The reason you haven't been able to lose weight on a high-carb diet is because you haven't been following a strict high-carb diet.
Ketosis Simplified
Your body is in a state of ketosis when it is converting fat into energy. A ketogenic diet is one that uses a particular combination of foods to put your body into ketosis, a process called ketogenesis.
The goal of the ketogenic diet is to have your body burn ketones for fuel, instead of glucose. In ketosis, your body creates energy more efficiently, resulting in better performance both physically and mentally.
The excessive consumption of carbs and sugar and high protein intake can lead to being thrown out of ketosis. So too will frequent eating.
When you get your body into ketosis, it's like flipping a switch from using energy from carbs to using energy from fat. As a result of this, you will slowly start to burn fat throughout the day without having to put any effort in.
Traditional Keto Diet Plan Vs. Healthy Ketosis
Low net carbs is the main factor of all keto diets that causes ketosis, but not all keto diets are the same. There is no difference in the type of food consumed in a traditional ketogenic diet. Many times they include processed, genetically modified foods, gluten products, unhealthy trans fats, and synthetic vitamins. This gives keto a bad rap. A healthy keto diet is one that includes a variety of healthy food options. Keto's primary goal is not good nutrition, but rather rapid weight loss or a reduction in epilepsy symptoms. When you lose weight or reduce symptoms, you could become less healthy overall.
A ketogenic diet limits your net carbs, which also reduces the hormone that stores fat. However, there are many long-term health benefits to a ketogenic diet that are worth considering.
To distinguish my keto program from others, I coined the term “Healthy Ketosis.” It’s based on a guiding principle of mine:
It’s not “Lose weight to get healthy,” its “Get healthy to lose weight!”
Healthy Keto is different from other diets because it focuses on getting nutrients from high-quality foods, such as organic vegetables, full-fat organic dairy, and wild-caught, grass fed, pasture-raised meat, fish, fowl, and eggs. The goal is to get healthy to lose weight, not to lose weight to get healthy.
No Counting Calories On The Keto Diet
Diets that focus on calorie counting are common and well known. You will lose weight if you consume fewer calories than you burn, no matter where the calories come from. This is not only wrong but it’s unhealthy.
When you look at the definition of food in the dictionary, you’ll see why:
Food is something that you eat to give your body energy and help it grow. The word “food” comes from an old English word “foda” which meant nourishment.
Eating is more than just consuming calories; it's about getting nutrients from those calories. At Healthy Keto®, we believe that you should be able to get all the nutrition you need from the foods you eat.
This means that some calories are much better for your hormones than others. Carbohydrate-rich foods are more likely to stimulate hormones that promote fat storage, while fats have little effect on these hormones.
You need to consume keto-friendly fats to lose fat.
Who Is a Good Candidate for the Keto Diet?
According to Dr. Steelsmith, the keto diet is helpful for people with a variety of health concerns.
Women with polycystic ovarian syndrome have a higher chance of benefiting from the keto diet than the general population, according to Dr. Steelsmith. “It helps to keep insulin levels under control and encourages hormone balance,” she notes. Women who are having difficulties with infertility may also benefit from this medication, due to its ability to help control insulin levels.
Keto is also a good option for anyone who struggles with calorie-counting or who wants to jump-start weight loss, she says. Some research suggests that regular consumption of garlic may help protect against cancer, due its possible ability to reduce levels of the hormone insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1). IGF-1 is important for cell development and may be involved in the development and progression of cancer. A keto diet may help to lower the risk of cancer in the long term by reducing IGF-1 levels.
Dr. Steelsmith is a fan of the keto diet for Type 2 diabetes patients because it can help lower their blood sugar levels. A study published in Nutrition & Metabolism found that Type 2 diabetes patients who followed a ketogenic diet that was low in carbohydrates saw greater improvements in glycemic control and more frequent medication reduction/elimination than those who followed a low-glycemic index diet.
After looking at the data, the researchers determined that making changes to your lifestyle – like eating a low-carbohydrate diet – can help improve Type 2 diabetes and even reverse it.
Sowa says that people with Type 2 diabetes or hypertension who are on medication should work closely with a physician, as a ketogenic diet can quickly change the required dosing of these medications.
Who Should Avoid the Keto Diet?
Zarabi notes that people with Type 1 diabetes should not follow the pattern of eating described in the text. After all, the diet lowers insulin levels.
If you find it difficult to stick to a long-term plan or don't like preparing meals in advance, this may not be the right approach for you.
Zarabi is also concerned about athletes following the plan. The speaker would be concerned about electrolytes imbalance, vitamin and micronutrient deficiencies, and low performance in athletes. If you participate in moderate to intense cardiovascular exercise, you may need to take in more carbs to sustain your energy levels.
It's important to keep in mind that being on the keto diet can result in some negative side effects, like bad breath, flu-like symptoms (nausea, brain fog and muscle soreness), for the first seven to 30 days as your body adjusts to the diet. Additionally, you may experience insomnia and low energy at the beginning, but these should improve over time. Zarabi points out that it is important to speak to a medical professional if you are considering following this diet for an extended period of time, and to consider your goals before making any drastic changes.
Keto Diet Food List: What Are Keto-Friendly Foods?
Some of the best foods to eat on a ketogenic diet include quality fats, small amounts of clean protein, low-carbohydrate vegetables, and very few complex carbs. RELEVANT DAIRY PRODUCTS IN MODERATE AMOUNTS ARE ALLOWED, SO YOU CAN EAT ORGANIC GREEK YOGURT, COTTAGE CHEESE, CREAM CHEESE, MOZZARELLA, OR CHEDDAR.
Keto Diet Food List: What Foods Should You Steer Clear Of?
You should avoid eating grain-based, processed foods like pretzels, chips, store-bought cookies or other baked goods. You should also cut out sugar entirely and keep alcohol to a minimum. You are allowed to eat low-glycemic fruits like blackberries, but you cannot have fruits or fruit juices. Root vegetables that grow below ground such as yams, beets, sweet potatoes, onions, garlic, and potatoes are not allowed or are significantly reduced. Additionally, condiments such as ketchup and maple syrup are not allowed.
The Best Keto Foods for Breakfast
Try adding heavy cream or MCT oil to your coffee in the morning. MCT oil is made from medium-chain triglycerides, which act more like carbohydrates and can help spur ketone production. If you're looking for a rich source of MCTs, try cooking with coconut oil. It's a healthy option for scrambling eggs with spinach, kale, cheese, or avocado. You can have smoked salmon and cream cheese instead of eggs, or deli meat and cheese.
The Best Keto Foods for Lunch
A protein-based lunch does not have to be boring. You can make a delicious and healthy salmon dish by garnishing it with spinach, olives, toasted almonds, lemon juice, and oil. A different way to havefish is by putting a cup of kale with olive oil, Avocado, a tablespoon of garbanzo beans, radishes, olives, mushrooms, and Feta cheese. A quick deli salad can be made by mixing canned tuna or chicken salad with mayonnaise, celery, carrots, mustard and salt and black pepper to taste and serving over romaine lettuce.
The Best Keto Foods for Dinner
Good choices for dinner are chicken (ideally fattier dark meat like thighs), fatty fish (like mackerel or salmon) or steak (think fattier cuts like ribeye) cooked in about a tablespoon of coconut or olive oil and wrapped in lettuce with avocado, sprinkled with Parmesan cheese and any spice. You can also prepare your food by serving your protein with steamed vegetables that are low in carbohydrates.
The Best Keto Snacks
If you want a satisfying and easy to grab snack, pair a low-carb vegetable with a high-fat spread. Some possible food combinations that you could try are celery with almond butter or guacamole with cucumbers. Reach for 10 to 12 macadamias, full-fat cheese, or jerky when looking for a snack. Dr. Steelsmith says that a good snack for people who have a sweet tooth are low-sugar fruit parfaits. You can make them by combining 1-2 teaspoons of blackberries, raspberries, or strawberries with half a cup of coconut cream or full-fat plain yogurt. adding a handful of chia seeds will give the parfait a healthy dose of omega-3 fats.
