Finding the perfect diet for you is not that easy. There are a lot of things to consider before you can stick to a diet that is effective enough to help you meet your goal. If you intend to change your eating habits to lose weight, to shift to a healthier lifestyle, or to manage risks of diabetes, cancer, epilepsy, or Alzheimer’s, you may consider Ketogenic diet. However, the Ketogenic diet is not as easy as eating keto cookies and meat. It has restrictions and food classification that you need to follow religiously. To further understand the Ketogenic diet, let’s discuss it starting with the terminology.
What is a Ketogenic diet?
The Ketogenic diet, popularly known as the keto diet, focuses on low-carb and high-fat food intake. It is similar to many low-carb diets. However, what makes it different from the rest is its drastic reduction of carbohydrate intake. The high-fat food intake will replace the carbohydrates reduced and this will place your body under the state of ketosis.
What is ketosis?
Ketosis is a metabolic state wherein your body uses fats as a source of energy instead of carbohydrates. Since the keto diet drastically reduces carbohydrates, there won’t be enough glucose or blood sugar as an energy source. Your body then begins to shift to fats as its source of energy, thus undergoing the state of ketosis. Fueling your body using fats is actually preferred by many cells in your body. It can also happen during infancy, fasting, pregnancy, and starvation.
To achieve this metabolic state, you need to eat a maximum of 50 grams of carbohydrates daily. Less sugar intake than 50 grams is actually better. You can go as low as 20 grams daily. Because of this restriction in a keto diet, one needs to be aware of the food they consume. You need to know what should be included in your diet and what you should discard.
Keto Diet Should Include:
- Meat
- Fatty fish
- Freshly made guacamole
- Seafood
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Avocados
- Low-carb vegetables
- Poultry
- Unprocessed cheese
- Coconut oil
- Plain Greek yogurt and cottage cheese
- Eggs
- Olive oil
- Berries
- Unsweetened coffee and tea
- Butter and cream
- Olives
- Nuts and seeds
- Dark chocolate and cocoa powder
- Shirataki Noodles
Keto Diet Should Exclude:
- Alcohol
- Grains or starches
- Sugary food
- Beans or legumes
- Sugary fruits
- Tubers
- Low-fat products
- Sugar-free diet food
- Condiments
- Root vegetables
- Sauces
- Unhealthy fats like processed oil and mayo
If you can’t decide what to eat for a keto diet, you can access sample keto meal plans online if you find it difficult to go through all the diet restrictions. You can also watch online videos that prepare keto recipes, and try them at home. There are also merchants who sell ready-made keto meals for those too busy to choose and prepare their keto meals. Since the diet is continuously gaining popularity, it is no longer difficult to find helpful online sources and products for keto.
However, not everyone can manage a strict keto diet. Before you start with it, consider yourself, your capacity, your current health condition, and how the diet will affect you. The best way to do that is to consult a nutrition expert and your trusted doctor who will help you find the best way to achieve your health goals.