This ultimate guide is comprised of authentic data to inform beginners about the basic rules of keto diet. You will learn about losing weight, gaining optimal health, and becoming mentally fit. You will learn how the ketogenic dietary plan works, its benefits, and what & how to eat or avoid.
This beginner’s guide will help you start, and practicing, the benefit, and risks of the keto diet. This guide may make you a success story and motivation for others to be on the keto diet.
Know the keto diet
There are two energy sources for keeping our bodies healthy and fit to perform different tasks. One of them involves carbohydrates and getting calories from glucose. The other is known as the Ketogenic or keto diet, which eradicates carbs and burns fat to gain calories. Our body can use these sources of energy to maintain itself. Since, the keto diet involves maximum fat, moderate protein, and low carbs consumption, it helps losing weight (1) and diminishes the risks of many diseases including cancer (2), Alzheimer, and diabetes (3).
Process of Ketosis
Ketosis is the process when using a highly fatty diet, and scarce carbohydrates, sets the metabolism in a state, where the fatty acids produce ketones in the liver, and provide energy to the brain (4). Increasing ketones proves friendly in blood sugar reduction and maintaining insulin levels (5).
How to follow the keto diet?
The Keto diet does not have a strict pattern to follow and is flexible to the metabolic system. You can adjust the diet plan according to your choices by moving among different options. For example, you can adopt the cyclical keto diet method by taking more carbohydrates for one or two days a week. This will provide the needed carbs to the body for performing many integral procedures.
Kinds of keto Diet
Apart from the different types of keto diet, the researches particularly deal with these types of keto diet (6):
Standard ketogenic diet (SKD): In this type of diet the ratio of consumption for high fat, protein, and Carbohydrates is 70%, 20%, and 10% respectively.
Cyclical keto diet (CKD): This type of keto diet demands intake of rich carbs for 01 or 02 days on weekly basis as a keto diet cycle.
Targeted keto diet (TKD): in this version of keto diet you take more carbs, around 30 to 60 minutes before the intensive physical workout.
High-protein keto diet (HPKD): This seems standard ketogenic diet, with 60% fat, 5% carbs, and an increased ratio of 35% protein. Largely, the standard and High-protein keto diets are practiced. The cyclical and targeted keto diets have recently been added, liked, and preferred by athletes or bodybuilders.
Summary
Though all types of keto diets have their respective benefits, researchers and nutritionists recommend the standard keto diet (SKD).
Some health benefits of the keto diet
Many modern researchers advocate that the keto diet has optimal physical, and mental benefits, and have been proven beneficial in different health conditions and diseases.
Ketogenic diet is effective in losing weight
Answering the majority of overweight people, the keto diet is friendly to lose weight (1), as a low-fat diet. There is no worry about counting calories and food intake. As the keto diet reduces diastolic blood pressure, and triglyceride levels, and improves insulin sensitivity (7). People who follow the keto diet can lose more weight than following the low-fat diet (9).
Certain levels of diastolic blood pressure and triglyceride can be reduced by following the keto diet. Similarly, you can improve insulin sensitivity and lose more weight on keto diet than on a low-fat diet.
Alzheimer’s disease
The keto diet can slow down the progress of the Alzheimer’s disease (10). The keto fat makes a brain healthy as it helps improving mitochondrial and cellular metabolism functions.
Brain and spinal cord injuries
Studies have shown that the keto diet is of great importance in improving traumatic brain injuries (TBI) (11) and mild spinal cord injury.
Cancer
The results of different studies have added keto diet as an emerging treatment of cancer (12). This may help stop tumor growth.
Diabetics type-2
The Keto diet has also been proved valuable in controlling type-2 diabetics. It is vital to improve glycemic control as well as help in weight loss.
Epilepsy
Research has explored that the Ketogenic diet can support reducing seizures in epileptic children (13).
Fatty Liver
The keto diet helps decreasing fatty liver disease, and hepatitis in those patients who do not consume alcohol.
Parkinson’s disease
The ketogenic diet improves the non-motor symptoms, urinary issues, fatigue, pain, in addition to Parkinson’s disease (14).
Polycystic ovary syndrome
This diet has showed insulin level reduction in this disease (15). The keto diet has also been proved a vital non-pharmacological remedy for overweight women suffering from polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) (16).
Good foods for keto Diet
Our research based suggested list of ketogenic friendly food will certainly enhance your keto lifestyle. The variety of keto foods will make your choice easy in selecting full fat meals.
Beverages: such as coffee, coconut milk, bone broth, and mineral water.
Full-fat dairy products: such as cheese, butter, Ghee, kefir, Greek yogurt, heavy whipping cream, and sour cream.
Eggs: for protein and other essential vitamins and minerals.
Fish: oily fish like salmon, sardines, trout, mackerel, and tuna.
Meat: Fatty cuts of beef, lamb, and pork,
Nuts: macadamia, pecans, and walnuts etc.
Nut butters: Macadamia, walnut, pecan, almond, and hazelnut.
Healthy oils: animal fats, olive oil, ghee, coconut oil, avocado oil
Seeds: Chia seeds, flaxseeds, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, and hemp seeds.
Sauces & dressings: crafted from ingredients like mayonnaise, olive oil, or avocado.
Vegetables: broccoli, brussels sprouts, cauliflower, and greens.
Which Foods to avoid on keto Diet
You should avoid the foods with high carbohydrates when on the keto diet. It would be good to reduce or avoid to take high carbs food on keto. Following is the list of such foods:
- Alcoholic drinks: such as beer, cocktails, liquor, etc.
- Beans and legumes: such as lentils, peas, chickpeas, kidney beans etc.
- Condiments: ketchup, honey mustard, Dijon mustard, soy sauce, hot sauce, vinegar, wasabi, and barbecue sauce.
- Corn: corn is not friendly in the keto diet.
- Diet Products: certain sugar free and low-fat sweeteners, salad dressings, candies, mayonnaise, syrups, condiments, and puddings etc.
- Fruits: Commonly found fruits like mango, apple, orang, grapes, and banana etc.
- Low fat products: vegetable oils.
- Starchy products: Rice, cereal, pasta, and wheat-based foods.
- Sugar saturated products: sugar, ice creams, fruit juices, candies, different smoothies, etc.
- Vegetables: carrot, potato, parsnip, sweet potato, and yam.
Summary
You need to cut down intake of high carbs to get healthy results of keto diet. Be meticulous while selecting your beverages, fruits, and vegetables etc.
Keto diet recipes and weekly diet plans
Keto diet allows you to enjoy a variety of delicious and nutritious meals. To get the maximum out of the keto diet you can follow many keto diet recipes, or make your own weekly keto diet plans.
Try healthy Keto Snacks
Here is a plenty of Keto snacks to try between the meals.
- Avocado
- Cheese
- Dark chocolate
- Fat bombs
- Hard boiled eggs
- Greek yogurt and nut butter
- Meat and fish
- Nuts and seeds
Keto diet tips
Follow these tips to be committed on a challenging keto diet.
- An advance planning about meals will save your time.
- Always try to check the labels of food items to determine your desired keto contents.
- There are many food Apps, blogs, websites, and cooking books to guide for keto recipes.
- Try several food delivery services, offering healthy keto meal choices.
- Frozen keto foods are also for your busy schedules.
- Take your keto meal to a social gathering to maintain keto diet plan.
Instructions for eating out on keto diet
There are many restaurants, offering healthy keto foods. Follow these tips in such a place.
- Commonly, Mexican restaurants offer meet with extra sour cream, guacamole, cheese and salsa.
- Choose dessert with cream, cheese, or berries.
- Order dishes consists of meat or fish.
- Prefer extra vegetables to high carb meals.
- You can order egg-based foods.
- Go for extra cheese, bacon, and eggs instead of fries.
- Choose dessert with cream, cheese, or berries
Test your ketosis at home during the keto diet
While staying at home, you can gauge and test your ketone level without consulting a healthcare professional. This will assist managing the required quantities of fat and carb.
- Use urine stick and blood meter to mark your ketone level.
- Acetone level can be tested with the help of a breathalyzer.
Common side effects on keto diet (and treatment)
Most of healthy people find Ketogenic diet as safe, as well as without any radical change. However, a person may have some initial adverse effects known as keto flu (17) . You should aware of the effects referred as keto flu, showing symptoms of:
- Aching in muscles
- Augmented hunger
- Brain fog
- Constipation
- Cramps
- Diarrhea
- Odor of acetone in breath
- Metallic taste of mouth
- Sleep issues
- Vomiting
Be content, as these symptoms are temporary and may be resolved in a few days. Here are certain ways for the treatment of keto flu symptoms.
- Drink enough water
- Reduce strenuous physical activity
- Take important nutrients for replacing electrolytes
- Take proper sleep
- Take enough fat
Summary
A number of mild side effects of keto diet may be reduced and limited with the help of a good intake of water, proper rest and consuming recommended supplements.
Common mistakes on keto diet
When you are changing your diet plan, avoid such common mistakes on keto diet
- Avoid drinking sufficient water
- Being conscious for increasing ketones in your body.
- Taking extra protein
- Taking hidden carbs in your diet.
Some supplements
Supplement are not required in keto diet. However, you can take these healthy supplements on keto diet, if needed. Such supplements are Caffeine, Creatine, Electrolyte,
Conclusion
This ultimate guide on the keto diet can make the beginners understand the basics science and practice of this diet plan. The keto diet can offer you the maximum opportunity to gain a healthy body, and brain. This requires an increase of healthy fat intake, and a reduction in carbs taking. The keto dietary plan adapts the body in using fat for gaining energy, and losing weight. This also improves physical and mental health. However, consult your doctor, if you intend to go on keto diet for a long period to avoid the side effects.
Frequently asked questions
Following are some repeatedly asked questions regarding ketogenic diet.
1. Is there any difference between keto and ketogenic diet?
Keto is an abridge form of ketogenic diet, and both refer to ketogenic diet.
2. Can I lose sufficient weight in 1 week on keto?
Yes, you can lose about 0.5 kg to 05 kg weight in a week.
3. Is the keto diet good for everyone?
Keto diet is good for everyone who want to make their lifestyle metabolism better. Consult your doctor for knowing the suitability of keto diet for you.
4. I’m an overweight person with diabetes, can I use keto diet?
Yes, you can use keto diet for losing weight, and insulin control.
5. I’m on keto diet and having some digestion and diarrhea issues. What should I do?
Such effects are commonly found during the first month on keto diet. You can eat vegetables with rich amount of fiber.
6. What should I do, as my breath smells?
Drink simple water to control this common side effect of keto diet. You can also try a sugar free chewing gum.
7. I feel weakness, and tiredness?
You should review your diet, and reduce carbs to be in proper ketosis. This condition can also be improved by taking MCT oil, or utilizing more rich fats.
8. How much protein I can take?
You can take maximum 35% of your total calories in the form of protein.
9. Is ketosis dangerous?
Do not confuse ketosis with ketoacidosis, which is a dangerous thing. In contrast, ketosis is good for health when you are on a keto diet.
10. Is the keto diet good for muscle building?
Yes, you can, however, you need to know the keto diet and exercise performance.
11. I lift weights, can the keto diet lose my muscle?
To avoid the muscle losing, taking proper protein and good ketone levels can reduce this risk.
12. Why my urine smells?
This shows that your body excretes certain temporarily created products during ketosis.
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