Interested in trying the keto diet but don’t know where to start? We’ve created a simple and approachable beginner’s guide to the keto diet. The body can run on two energy sources: glucose (which comes from carbs) or fat. The keto diet eliminates glucose so that the body is running on and burning fat. The metabolic state in which the body is running on fat as opposed to glucose is called ketosis. Ketosis is when the body breaks down fatty acids to produce ketones in the liver. Ketones can supply energy to both the body and the brain. People use the keto diet to lose weight and improve overall health. Research shows that the keto diet has been known to help improve health conditions like Type 2 diabetes and to lower blood pressure. Whether your goal is to improve a specific health condition or to gain specific health benefits such as weight loss, there are many successes you can take away from the keto diet when executed correctly. The keto diet is a low carb, high-fat diet. On the keto diet your carb intake will be limited and you will fill up on fats like meat, fish, eggs, nuts, and healthy oils. Remember to always talk to your doctor before starting a new diet. Keep reading to see the basic rules of the Keto Diet. Keto Rules 1. Cut out the carbs. Consume under 25 net carbs per day (total carbs minus fiber). This is going to equate to 5% of your daily food intake. Avoid any type of food that is high in carbs. This includes any sort of bean or grain as well as the more obvious starchy foods like bread and pasta. Keep reading to find some of our go-to bread and pasta alternatives. 2. Eat high quality protein. Keep your protein intake to 25% of your daily calories. High amounts of protein can be converted into glucose. Some examples of protein sources include seafood, meat, poultry, eggs, yogurt, and cottage cheese. 3. Go heavy on the fats. Your main source of fuel should be fats. This is going to equate to 75% of your daily food intake. Some examples of fats to incorporate into your diet are butter, peanut butter, nuts, seeds, MCT oil, cheese, olives, full fat mayo, olive oil, coconut oil, vegetable oil, avocado oil, ghee, heavy cream, and avocado. Because of the high fat content of this diet, it generally isn't necessary to count your calories. The increase in fat is going to decrease your hunger and make you fuller for longer periods of time. 4. Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. When you first reach ketosis it is not uncommon to experience negative side effects also known as the keto flu. These side effects can range from bad breath, to nausea, to fatigue, brain fog, and even constipation. Combat the keto flu by drinking plenty of water and avoiding intense exercise. 5. Stick to simple beverages. Avoid Sugary drinks like fruit juice. Stick to sugar-free coffee, unsweetened tea, nut milks, and if you really want to play it safe, water is your friend. If you are craving sugary drinks, look for sugar alcohols like stevia that satisfy your sweet tooth while still allowing you to stick to your diet. 6. Avoid starchy vegetables. When it comes to vegetables, avoid the starchy kinds like corn, potatoes, sweet potatoes, green peas, beets, butternut squash, and carrots. Instead reach for non-starchy vegetables. Non-starchy vegetables contain less sugar and more fiber, which will help you get to ketosis faster. Some examples of non-starchy, low-carb vegetables include arugula, black olives, purple cabbage, asparagus, brussel sprouts, celery, and red peppers. 7. Avoid starchy fruits. When people think about fruit, their mind doesn't necessarily jump to carbs. But make no mistake, carbs from fruit can definitely sneak up on you while trying to maintain ketosis. Apply the same logic to fruit as we just did to vegetables to limit your carbohydrate intake. Avoid high-carb fruits. Some high-carb fruits to avoid include bananas, apples, grapes, mangoes, and raisins. Instead, opt for low-carb options like watermelon, cantaloupe, strawberries, raspberries, and blackberries. For a detailed list of low carb fruit and vegetable options, check out our keto friendly guide. 8. Keep your food consumption to an 8 hour window. Incorporate intermittent fasting aka limiting your food consumption to an 8 hour window. This will allow you to get to ketosis faster. According to Healthline it typically takes around 2-4 days to reach ketosis. However, for some people it can take more than a week. Intermittent fasting will help with any potential delays. 9. Check your ketone levels to make sure you’re in ketosis. Who wants to load up on fat without being sure that they have actually reached ketosis? When in doubt, purchase Keto Test Strips. This will allow you to know within seconds if there are ketones in your bloodstream. 10. There are keto-friendly alternatives for almost all types of foods. Don’t feel like you have to restrict yourself! Just because you’re on the keto diet doesn't mean that you can’t make traditionally carb heavy items like bread, pasta, and pancakes with alternative ingredients that allow you to stay within your macros. Check out some of our favorite recipes below: Keto Bread Keto Oatmeal Keto Pancakes Keto Pasta Keto Chocolate Cake Keto Chocolate Chip Cookies Keto Crack Chicken Bottom Line If you are looking for an efficient way to lose weight and burn fat, the keto diet is a great option. Rather than thinking about it as a scary and prohibiting diet, remember that you can actually eat a lot of great things and that it is truly easier to follow than you might think. Incorporate your favorite foods and have fun with it! If done correctly, you will be sure to hit your weight loss goals. And don’t forget, it’s not recommended to do this diet over the long term, 6 months max. Headed to the grocery store and don’t know where to start? Check out our complete keto grocery list to simplify your shopping experience! Lastly, if you’re going keto, we can assume that you’re going to need delicious, yet easy and portable snacks. Don’t forget about our absolutely fantastic sugar-free keto beef jerky. Happy Chomping!
What is the PSMF Diet? Don't try PSMF until you have read this guide! What you need to know about the PSMF diet to lose fat safely!
Kickstart your weight loss and start eating well with our ultimate keto diet plan for weight loss. Get into ketosis and start burning fat faster than ever!
Here's my favorite quick and easy keto breakfast ideas. They taste great, take 5 minutes to prepare, and will keep you full all morning.
Low carb, high fat diets such as keto can promote fat loss and help certain health conditions. Here's a keto diet meal plan and sample menu for 1 week.
Although keto may seem restrictive, there are actually many keto-friendly foods. Here’s a full list, along with a guide to reading food labels on keto.
The ketogenic diet is a low carb, high fat diet that offers many health benefits. Here is a quick guide on how to start a keto diet.
These frugal fast and easy keto dinners are a great healthy step towards improving your health and help you lose weight fast. They are budget friendly too.
Try these low carb ketogenic meals to stay in ketosis state for longer. These keto recipes have only up to 5g of carbs so you can have these meals for a keto lunch or dinner.
This delicious and healthful Ketogenic Diet Mayonnaise Recipe is perfect paleo, low carb and keto mayo that will add flavor and life to your keto salad dressings and sauces! This is perfect for gaps and scd diet too!
This 21-day vegan ketogenic diet plan is filled with simple, easy-to-make, low carb vegan keto recipes you'll love. With over 80 recipes to choose from, weight loss has never tasted so good!
Get 50 of our most popular free low carb recipes that truly are the BSET easy keto recipes for beginners to the ketogenic diet. Be sure to print the recipe below for our popular low carb white chicken chili.
This 21-day vegan ketogenic diet plan is filled with simple, easy-to-make, low carb vegan keto recipes you'll love. With over 80 recipes to choose from, weight loss has never tasted so good!
These 11 mistakes are killing your fat-burning ketosis. Avoid these 11 ketogenic killers to lose weight faster and start to burn fat today!
A complete keto food list for beginners with healthy foods you can eat on the ketogenic diet. Learn what to eat and avoid to stay in ketosis!
Cheated on keto? No worries! Follow these steps and you'll be back in ketosis in no time! Don't want to read the entire post? Watch the video instead. https://youtu.be/3Xoov8oFyA4 Ok, So you
Wondering what are the signs of ketosis once you are in ketosis? Well, check out these facts and become more efficient with your keto diet to lose weight faster and healthier.
This 21-day vegan ketogenic diet plan is filled with simple, easy-to-make, low carb vegan keto recipes you'll love. With over 80 recipes to choose from, weight loss has never tasted so good!
The ketogenic diet is a low carb, high fat diet that offers many health benefits. Here is a quick guide on how to start a keto diet.
Being on keto diet just got easier with these ketogenic dishes. They are very low carb in carbs, under 3g of net carbs each, so a great choice for ketogenic diet.
Nuts can be a great ketogenic snack due to the high fat, but not all nuts are keto friendly, too many could threaten ketosis. Find out which can be beneficial in comparison to those that may be...
Here are the 5 most common keto mistakes people make when starting a low-carb or keto diet and how to avoid them.
Keto Asian Recipes. 12 Delicious Keto Asian recipes to help stay in ketosis and lose weight whilst on a ketogenic diet. Which will be your new favorite?
Want to know how to get into ketosis in 24 hours? Simply follow this easy 7-step plan! Thinking about going Keto, but don't kno...
This 21-day vegan ketogenic diet plan is filled with simple, easy-to-make, low carb vegan keto recipes you'll love. With over 80 recipes to choose from, weight loss has never tasted so good!
Try these low carb ketogenic meals to stay in ketosis state for longer. These keto recipes have only up to 5g of carbs so you can have these meals for a keto lunch or dinner.
Just because you’re on a keto diet doesn’t mean you can’t dine at popular fast food places. In this guide, we’ve put together a list of keto-friendly fast food options so you can always stay on track whether you’re traveling or simply don’t have time to meal prep!
When it comes to improving body composition, appetite control, and satiety, there is arguably not a single more effective, well-established dietary factor than optimizing one’s protein intake. While the Institute of Medicine (IOM) has established a recommended dietary allowance (RDA) of protein intake at 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day
If you're looking for a low carb option in your diet, consider these 9 ketogenic recipes. They taste amazing and will help you drop those unwanted pounds. They're also easy to prepare and a couple of them are quick to make.
These healthy lettuce wraps are a light and flavorful easy dinner that is vegan, low-carb and anti-inflammatory.
Knowing how difficult it is to navigate the keto waters in the beginning, here's a printable Ultimate Keto Food List for newbies and pros alike.
25+ easy keto dinner recipes that will be family favorite. These are easy keto dinner recipes and keto lunch recipes that will help with your weight loss plan.
Discover my 8 favourite, go-to, carnivore dessert recipes for special occasions. Indulge, celebrate, and stay carnivore!
New to ketosis? Learn about acceptable foods to eat on the Healthy KetoTM diet with this printable Ketogenic Diet Plan Food List Cheat Sheet.
What is cacao butter and should you include it in your ketogenic diet menu planning? If you’ve never used cacao butter before, you should know it’s one of the best fats on a ketogenic diet. And it’s also packed with incredible health benefits to help you get your body on track. In this guide, you’ll learn the science behind cacao butter as we explore why it’s worth becoming a staple in your keto pantry. Check out the guide to learn more about this powerful zero carb, dairy-free, high-fat superfood now! ????????????????????????????
Looking for the best vegetarian keto recipes that aren't boring or bland? We've gathered our favorite low carb vegetarian recipes just for you.
This post shares a carnivore diet food list and includes a printable PDF to help you learn what you can and can't eat on a carnivore diet.
While a majority of people follows the keto diet for weight loss, epileptic patients use it to significantly ease their everyday life.
Are you making these simple mistakes on the carnivore diet? This post outlines the major and often missed mistakes while on the carnivore diet.
If you're looking for high-fat low carb recipes - these fat bombs are great if you're on the keto diet. If you want a low carb dessert or something to get more fats into your system, try these keto fat bombs.
This 21-day vegan ketogenic diet plan is filled with simple, easy-to-make, low carb vegan keto recipes you'll love. With over 80 recipes to choose from, weight loss has never tasted so good!
This 21-day vegan ketogenic diet plan is filled with simple, easy-to-make, low carb vegan keto recipes you'll love. With over 80 recipes to choose from, weight loss has never tasted so good!