The Ketogenic diet, a well-known low carb, high-fat diet, has gained increasing popularity due to its numerous health benefits, such as lowering blood sugar and insulin levels, facilitating weight loss, and, according to some studies, this type of diet may even help fight diabetes, cancer, epilepsy, and Alzheimer’s disease. All of this, along with its typically indulgent meal plans, make for a very appealing option for many people seeking to transform their diet and evolve to healthier lifestyles.

The typical macronutrient breakdown for a keto diet is 70-75% of calories from fat, 20-25% from protein, and 5-10% from carbohydrates. This means that the diet restricts carbohydrates to a very low level (usually less than 50 grams per day), which forces the body to use fat as its primary source of energy.

Foods that are typically included in a keto diet include meat, fish, eggs, dairy products, nuts and seeds, and low-carb vegetables such as leafy greens. Foods that are high in carbohydrates, such as grains, sugars, and starchy vegetables, are generally avoided.

The keto diet has been shown to be effective for weight loss and improving certain health conditions, such as type 2 diabetes and epilepsy. However, it may not be suitable for everyone and should be approached with caution, as it can be difficult to follow and can lead to nutrient deficiencies if not done properly. It’s important to consult with a healthcare professional before starting a keto diet.

Looking to expand our knowledge on the ketogenic diet, and hoping to help others who are just getting started with their keto journey, we have gathered some first-hand guidance and tips from the most qualified and experienced keto experts.

What are keto diet macros and how should I use them? 

“Macros” refer to macronutrients, you probably know them as carbs, proteins, and fats. Food is made up of these macronutrients in different proportions. A keto diet has a very specific macro ratio that it aims for to put the body into a state of ketosis. There is some wiggle room, but you generally want 70-75% of your calories to come from fat, 25-30% of calories from protein and 0-5% of calories from carbs.

This is a dramatic departure from what most Americans eat, given that the standard American diet is 50%+ calories from carbs.

It might seem like there is a bunch of math involved and like it’s impossible to eat in this ratio, but it’s actually really easy with some practice. The first step is to remove all foods that are majority carbs. This means foods like bread, pasta, rice, etc. There is no place for these foods on a keto diet. The next step is to focus on eating fattier cuts of meat and even adding some fat to meals that are lacking it. These days lean meats are emphasized in the standard diet, so it is important to make an effort to correct that and eat more fat.

After you get down the basics and you have your macros in order, it is a good idea to continue to improve beyond that. A keto diet can be very healthy, but it can also be unhealthy depending on the foods you choose to include. It’s good to make a practice of sourcing quality food as much as possible, eating with the seasons, and engaging in other healthy lifestyle behaviors. Try eating in an ancestral fashion when possible. This means using the whole animal as opposed to just buying the tastiest parts, and learning healthier preparation methods. Think of your health journey as a long-term project and not something you can fix in a couple of weeks. Stick with it and the results will come with time!

-Matt Gaedke at Keto Connect

 What is intermittent fasting and can I do it while on a keto diet?

Intermittent fasting (IF) is a daily eating pattern that cycles between eating and fasting windows. During your fasting window, you avoid all foods and beverages that contain calories. Throughout your eating window—which is typically between 1 and 8 hours—you can eat and drink as you usually would.

Keep in mind that IF is not a low-calorie plan. The goal is not to restrict how many calories you consume but rather when you consume them. You need nutrients to keep your body healthy.

A good example of IF is to skip breakfast and have your first meal after 12:00 pm and your last meal before it hits 8:00 pm. Easy, right? This is known as a 16:8 fast—sixteen hours of fasting with an eight-hour window for eating. Many of my clients start with this IF plan and work up to 18 to 23 hours of fasting daily. There’s also OMAD (one meal a day), which is when you eat just one large meal each day.

It’s important to avoid all calories during your fasting window. A small snack or sip of a calorie-dense beverage can immediately break your fast and halt all of the benefits we’re after. On the other hand, low-calorie drinks such as collagen supplements won’t break a fast. These benefits include reduced hunger and cravings, better insulin sensitivity, improved energy, boosting brain function, and extremely effective fat-burning.

The best way to get the most out of IF is to also do keto. Keto and intermittent fasting are made for each other. A healthy keto diet significantly enhances these benefits because it keeps your insulin low.

When your insulin is constantly being spiked by carbohydrates, your hunger and cravings are virtually impossible to overcome. On keto, your body can effortlessly tap into your fat stores when it needs energy, so you don’t need to eat as often.

Here are some simple rules for intermittent fasting and keto…

Don’t eat unless you’re hungry – If your eating window is approaching and you’re still not hungry, you can always wait a little longer before you eat. If you start feeling dizzy or lightheaded, you make sure you have a nutritious meal.

Replenish vitamins, minerals, and electrolytes – Healthy nutrient levels are essential for an effective keto and IF plan. 7 to 10 cups of low-carb vegetables per day is ideal. You can also use nutritional supplements during your fasting window as long as they don’t contain calories.

Replenish fluids – Water with lemon, tea, coffee, and other low-calorie beverages are safe during your fasting window. Just don’t drink too much, or you’ll flush out vitamins and minerals. Avoid protein powders, bone broth, and sugary drinks.

Add more fat to your meals – Healthy fats keep you feeling full and satisfied for longer, so you don’t feel hungry during your fasting window. Olive oil, coconut oil, keto fat bombs, avocados, and MCT oil are great for keeping cravings low.

– Dr. Eric Berg at Dr. Berg

 

What is the keto diet? 

A keto diet is one in which glucogenic (glucose-producing) substrates (non-fiber carbohydrates and glucogenic amino acids) are low enough to force the body to rely primarily on fat as fuel and increase the production of ketone bodies.  Typically, this

is achieved by eating a higher fat (50-75% of calories), moderate protein (20-30% of calories), and low carbohydrate (5-10% of calories) diet.  When you switch from eating a high carbohydrate diet to a ketogenic diet, your body starts using your own body fat as fuel and in turn, produces ketones from that breakdown of fat.  

While it was originally used to help treat epilepsy in the 1920s (and still is used today), the benefits of the keto diet extend far beyond epilepsy. Today, many people are using a keto diet to achieve weight and body fat loss since keto does many things other diets simply don’t – help lower hunger.  

Typically, when we diet and reduce our calories, our hunger hormones tend to go up which inevitably leads most people to binge and regain all of their weight. However, ketosis specifically helps lower those hunger hormones which allow you to reduce calories easily without the same “feelings of deprivation” you have with traditional diets.  

Lastly, while many continue to see keto as a fantastic tool for weight loss, research shows ketosis can also be beneficial for increased focus, energy, performance, and even longevity.  Further, medical research is now showing promise for the use of a keto diet in reversing Type 2 diabetes, improving symptoms of Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and Traumatic Brain Injuries, lowering inflammation in inflammatory bowel conditions, and even having profound, positive benefits with cancer when combined with the standard of care.  

While the keto diet has been around for over 100 years, its unique ability to provide a clean, alternative source of fuel for our bodies delivers health benefits far beyond just weight loss.  

-Chelsea Malone at Ketogenic

How can I take advantage of my air fryer while on keto? 

The air fryer is one of the best game-changing tools when following a keto diet or lifestyle. When you cut carbs drastically, you’ll find yourself in need of much more healthy protein which can sometimes be time-consuming to make. When you use your air fryer to cook protein, you’ll not only get food with the perfect texture, but you’ll also have it cooked much quicker than usual. 

Essentially, the air fryer is a small convection oven. It cooks food using dry circulating heat. Not only does the heat cook food from the top, but it also gets cooked all around every surface because of its unique airflow.  This means the food gets cooked much faster than you would get in a traditional oven. Because of this, you can also cook foods without the use of excess oil and still create a crispy texture on the outside keeping food moist and tender on the inside. 

For breakfast, I use my air fryer to cook bacon and even use it to make hard “boiled” eggs for a quick meal. You can cook marinated chicken breasts as well as steaks and pork chops. My favorite thing about the air fryer is the ability to cook meat straight from frozen. If I forget to thaw my chicken, fish, or steak, I’ll pop it in the air fryer where it both defrosts and cooks without any need for oil or frying. The air fryer is also great for making keto appetizers like sausage balls, jalapeno poppers, or a batch of bang bang shrimp. 

Whenever I’m following a keto lifestyle, you can be sure an air fryer is right beside me at all times. It helps make the transition easier for you and your family and will help keep you on track with your healthy lifestyle! 

-Valerie Skinner at Thyme & Joy

 

What does being in ketosis mean?

Being in ketosis means that your body is now burning fat for energy instead of carbohydrates. It is the state of having elevated blood ketone levels. This can happen in a few different ways, such as by:

  1.     Following a very low-carb, high-fat diet
  2.     Fasting
  3.     Prolonged strenuous exercise

When you are in ketosis, your body produces ketones to use as fuel from the fat you eat or from fat stored in your body. When your body is in a state of nutritional ketosis, it’s easier to tap into stored fat for fuel than if you were following a carbohydrate-based diet. This is because your blood sugar level isn’t constantly being spiked due to carbohydrate intake. A more stable blood sugar level leads to reduced hunger pangs and reduced cravings. Additionally, because fat is so satisfying, it’s easier to eat at a caloric deficit and not feel deprived when you’re in a state of nutritional ketosis.

When your body is already running on fat for fuel, it will more readily tap into stored fat. This is because insulin isn’t constantly being secreted, so the fat-burning mode is left on. When eating fewer calories than you burn (i.e., eating at a caloric deficit) while following a ketogenic diet, weight loss occurs. A big benefit of a ketogenic diet for weight loss is that you can preserve more lean body mass and lose a higher percentage of body fat than on a carbohydrate-based diet. Limiting carbohydrate intake forces your body to run on fat as your primary fuel source, and eventually puts your body into a state of nutritional ketosis.

-Faith Gorsky At The Keto Queens 

 

Are keto and paleo the same?

The Paleo diet and Keto diets can be similar, but they have a lot of differences. The Paleo diet is based on what our Paleolithic ancestors ate when they were hunter-gatherers. When you go to a zoo, and you see pandas exclusively eating bamboo, that seems like a natural scenario. Pandas are supposed to eat bamboo. They actually eat 26-84 pounds of bamboo a day. Their digestive tracks are miles long to digest bamboo fibers. When you start to think through different animals, you realize that all animals have a very specific diet. Why wouldn’t humans be the same way? 

Our Paleolithic ancestors demonstrate for us what humans would have eaten “in the wild,” before the industrial revolution and farming provided us with food. They ate mainly meats, fish, vegetables, fruits, and nuts and seeds. This is what is the Paleo diet consists of today, along with healthy fats like olive, coconut, and avocado oils. Some of the things that are removed from your diet (grains, legumes, and dairy) are some of the biggest culprits for digestive issues, brain fog, inflammation, and more. People who eat the Paleo diet specifically love the way that their body feels and functions when eating this way. 

The Paleo diet is typically more cemented, and there isn’t a lot of variety in how people go about it. Some people treat the Paleo diet like an elimination diet, then add foods back in one at a time to see if they tolerate them. Then whatever works for their body, say rice, for example, they add back into their regular rotation. 

The Keto diet, on the other hand, was specifically formulated as a possible therapy for epilepsy patients in the 1920’s. The entire goal is to keep your body in ketosis. This happens when you eat so few carbohydrates that your body has to burn fat and ketones for fuel instead. Unlike the Paleo diet that is pretty set in stone, the Keto diet varies a lot in how people go about it. Some people eat literally whatever they want, using lots of packaged foods and sugar substitutes while keeping their total carb count where they want it. Others do a cleaner version of Keto that is dairy-free and sugar substitute free. This cleaner version of Keto is a lot closer to the Paleo diet. 

On the Paleo diet, the emphasis is what you’re eating. You’re not tracking calories or macros. On the Keto diet, the emphasis is your macros. You don’t just count your carbohydrates, but also your fat and protein intake. Because of that, the emphasis is way less on what you’re eating and way more on the macros and total calories of what you’re eating. 

-Caroline Fausel at Olive You Whole

What is the hardest part of the keto diet?

The hardest part of the keto diet is eating enough fat. Just the concept of being on a diet that requires fat consumption to lose weight seems backward right!  I’ve spent a lifetime yo-yo dieting on trendy weight loss plans that require limiting fat intake not increasing it! On a Keto diet, you must alter your natural instincts and habits to eat more fat instead of avoiding it! Since fat is not created equal it is a struggle to figure out what “healthy” fats are best. Sorry, grandma’s banana cream pie has lots of fat but not the right kind!  

For me, many keto-friendly healthy fats are not palate-pleasing, like salmon and avocados.  Instead, I eat and cook with healthy fats like eggs, butter & cheese. Nuts & seeds are my go-to snack and coffee and tea always have a splash (or two) of fat-rich whole whipping cream. 

Accepting that eating fat is a necessary part of a keto diet and knowing what fats to consume was difficult at first. Once I figured out what healthy fats will help me and not hurt me, the mindset changed and the keto diet has worked in not only losing weight but maintaining the loss.  

-Tami Kraus at Tami in Between

What’s the Difference Between Total Carbs & Net Carbs?

While following a ketogenic lifestyle, there is a lot of confusion in whether you should track total carbs or net carbs. That is simply personal preference in my opinion. However, many people do not even comprehend the difference.

Tracking your carbs is key when starting a ketogenic lifestyle because carbs can sneak into your body without you even realizing it. There are plenty of tracking apps available.

When you look at a foods nutrition count, you will see the grams of fat, carbohydrates, and protein. Under the carbohydrates, you will see also see fiber and sugar alcohols in grams.

The net carbs are the grams of total carbs (which appear on the label) less the grams of fiber and sugar alcohols.

Since fiber and sugar alcohol calories are not absorbed by your body, you deduct them to calculate your daily carb allowance.

For example, one half of a medium avocado has 120 calories, 12 grams of fat, 6 grams of carbohydrates, 4 grams of dietary fiber, and 1.5 grams of protein. Therefore, one half of a medium avocado has 2 net carbs (6-4=2) 

You can check this with a little math. Each gram of fat has 9 calories, and each gram of carbohydrates or protein has only 4 calories.

12 x 9 = 108

2 x 4 = 8

1.5 x 4 = 6

This adds up to 122, which they round to 120.

My clients are instructed to count net carbs, so they do not fret about eating high fiber vegetables. Other coaches may have their clients count total carbs. I recommend eating between 20-25 grams of net carbs per day. Eat whole food for 90% of your meals with the occasional clean protein shake or bar thrown in as needed.

-Tracee Gluhaich at High Energy Girl

Can I drink alcohol while on the ketogenic diet? 

The low carb, high fat ketogenic lifestyle has become globally recognized for both rapid weight loss and whole health transformation. Food manufacturers have caught onto the craze, resulting in tons of keto-friendly options in almost every grocery and convenience store, including alcoholic beverages. 

From liquor to wine, to low carb beers and sparkling drinks, ketogenic dieters have many low-carb options to fit their macronutrient goals. While finding a keto-friendly drink is easy, for those who are turning to keto for weight loss, there is too much of even a zero-carb thing.

After just two alcoholic drinks, the body’s ability to burn fat is reduced by as much as 73%. That is the case for any alcoholic drink, regardless of how low carb.  Here’s why:

  • Alcohol can increase cortisol and decrease testosterone levels in the body, which can break down muscle which will slow down the metabolism.
  • Dehydration – a side effect of drinking alcohol – prevents the liver from flushing out stored fat.
  • The higher your estrogen levels, the slower you’ll break down alcohol and get back to burning fat, and alcohol actually increases estrogen by as much as 300%.

Ironically, despite alcohol blocking the body’s ability to use stored fat for fuel, alcohol can actually increase ketone production. This is because the liver converts alcohol into acetate – a type of ketone body. When acetate levels are high, the body burns acetate instead of body fat for fuel. Think of alcohol as the fourth macronutrient; it becomes a fuel source, but if you’re burning alcohol for fuel, then you aren’t burning fat. 

Oh, and any food you consume while the body is running on acetate will be unused and converted into extra fat on your body. With lowered inhibitions driving poor food choices, alcohol and snacking are the arch-enemy of weight loss. 

Can you still enjoy a drink from time to time without hindering your progress? Probably, but be sure to stick to the low-carb/zero-carb options, and definitely drink responsibly. Have two full glasses of water (with lemon to keep your pH levels as alkaline as possible) for each alcoholic beverage, and try to stop after one drink, two drinks max.

Aside from weight loss – and of course, the long-term effects of too much alcohol for an extended period of time – there’s another reason why you may want to avoid alcohol on a keto diet: the hangover from hell. After spending time in ketosis, alcohol hits your system faster than it may have in the past. Even two drinks may go straight to your head. Remember to stay hydrated and take it slowly so you can enjoy yourself the day of, and the morning after.

-Kate Jaramillo at Ketogenic Living 101

What is the targeted keto diet? 

The targeted keto diet is very similar to the standard ketogenic diet, both are high fat, low carb diets. The main difference between the two diets is the targeted keto diet suggests eating additional carbs before, during, or after a workout (we recommend before a workout). 

This means that on days where you are working out your macros will be slightly adjusted. Fat intake will decrease and carb intake will increase while your protein content will stay in the 20% range to support lean muscle mass.

Why do we want to increase carbs on workout days? Those additional carbs can help fuel your workout and help with recovery. And because you’re burning those calories this shouldn’t knock you out of ketosis.

This last part is going to vary from person to person. You will want to monitor your ketone levels during this time to ensure you’re not kicking yourself out of ketosis with the additional carbs. Also, keep in mind, if you’re having a light workout you might not need the additional carbs, the carb bump can be reserved for high-intensity workouts.

Another important thing to note is if you are just trying to get into ketosis for the first time you may want to stick with the standard ketogenic diet. Once you’ve reached ketosis and understand your personal ideal macro breakdown you can start experimenting with things like the targeted keto diet or a cyclical keto diet.

-Daniel Thompson at Left Coast Performance 

Does the Keto Diet work for everyone?

The weight loss wonder- Keto Diet comes packed with tons of health benefits, and has emerged as the most effective means of achieving fitness. Time and time again, you may have tried every diet plan out there, but the weight doesn’t budge. You try eating less, swearing off carbs, or spending hours in the gym, and yet, nothing is working. But if you’re someone who has now happened to stumble upon the ketogenic way of eating, you would have definitely gotten results you thought you’d never get. 

But does the Keto diet work for everyone? The answer to that is- No. For instance: People with Medical Complexities like, Type 1 Diabetes, Kidney Stones, Gall Stones, Polycystic Kidney Disorder, or Women who are expecting cannot do the Ketogenic Diet either. 

If you’re someone who doesn’t have any of the issues mentioned above, you’re a clear-cut eligible ketoer and you shall see 100% results on the same, provided you follow the diet correctly and under the guidance of an Expert. 

-Akshada Sharma at Keto India

How can I fight sugar cravings while on keto?  

I have definitely found that my cravings for sweets have reduced significantly since adopting a keto lifestyle. When I first started my keto journey I would turn to higher fat options when I did crave something sweet, so a spoonful of cream cheese on some super dark chocolate was my go-to choice. The fat content in the cream cheese helped me feel satisfied quickly and allowed me to stick to my macros. I also love experimenting with recipes and from the beginning of my keto journey, I loved trying to recreate things I loved into keto-friendly desserts. Being keto doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy flavors you love, it just means tweaking ingredients and being thoughtful about healthier alternatives, that is how I make the keto lifestyle sustainable for me. 

-Jen Fisch at Keto in the City

Why should I start a keto diet?

A keto diet is a low-carb diet that primarily helps with weight loss by improving one’s metabolism and reducing hunger-stimulating hormones. Following a Keto diet can have remarkable mental health benefits as well. It certainly has a positive effect on a person’s mood. The diet also improves skin health as studies show that a reduced carbohydrate intake can reduce acne and improve gut health. Keto diet also promotes rapid fat or cholesterol burn which is important for good heart health.

What happens during a Keto diet?

The purpose of this diet is to initiate ketosis. Ketosis is a natural metabolic state that occurs when the body doesn’t have enough carbohydrates and thus burns fat for energy.

Since the body would rely solely on fat for energy, fat-burn would happen at a faster rate which would, in turn, lead to weight loss.

Ketones are water-soluble molecules that are produced by the liver from fatty acids when the body doesn’t produce enough insulin to convert glucose into energy. Thus, ketones are an alternative fuel that is made in your liver when there is not enough glucose (sugar) for energy.

What are the benefits of a ketogenic diet:

  • It promotes weight loss.
  • Supports in managing Type 2 Diabetes by lowering the blood sugar levels.
  • Reduces the symptoms of Hormonal disorders such as PCOS.
  • Lowers bad cholesterol levels (LDL) therein, preventing heart diseases.

What are all the foods you can eat in a keto diet?

  • Meats: Turkey, bacon, chicken, eggs, paneer, fatty fish- salmon, mackerel & tuna.
  • Healthy Fats: Olive oil, avocado, cheese, nuts, and seeds
  • Vegetables: Tomatoes, capsicum, gourds, green leafy vegetables.
  • Flours: Millet based or low-carb flour

What foods should you avoid on a keto diet?

Refined flours, bread, sugary foods, soft drinks, alcohol,  starchy food like roots, tubers, beans, and legumes.

Who should avoid a keto diet?

Underweight individuals, pregnant and lactating women, hypothyroid patients, children under 18, people with eating disorders, and high-performance athletes.

People with diabetes should consult a doctor before pursuing one as the body can’t regulate insulin, glucagon, and other hormones. This could lead to a chemical imbalance in the blood.

-Adithya G at Grow Fit

What are the essential items in a keto pantry? 

If you’ve decided to finally try keto, you might be wondering what you can eat. Foods that are low in carbs for sure, but what else? Unless you’ve been a label reader all of your life, low-carb foods may not be totally familiar to you. Let’s start with things to avoid because that’s probably the easiest. Sugar, sugary drinks/juice, pasta, noodles, rice, most fruit, starchy vegetables, and bread are the most common things to avoid.

A well-stocked keto pantry will at least give you good alternatives when you start to crave sugar. Anything that makes it easier to choose keto-friendly food over carbs will generally allow you to make better food choices.

There are a few really easy things to add to your pantry that will make these choices easier. Having good species on hand is important so you can make meat taste more interesting. Most spices have a negligible amount of carbs and are critical to take the flavor to the next level!

A keto flour is a next thing you may want on hand. When you’re first transitioning to a low carb one of the things people miss most is bread. You may want to experiment with low-carb bread recipes made from alternative, keto-friendly flowers such as almond and coconut.

You’ll definitely want some high-quality oils in your keto pantry as well. Ditch the seed and vegetable oils and instead go for avocado, coconut, olive, tallow, and lard. Consumption of Omega 6 oils has skyrocketed in the last 50 years and it’s becoming more obvious that it’s not a good thing. Personally, I avoid corn, soy, safflower, and anything in that category like the plague.

Finally, you’ll want condiments. They’re sneaky because most traditional condiments contain sugar or high fructose corn syrup (also sugar). Look for keto-friendly or whole 30 approved condiment brands. A great one is Primal Kitchen but there are starting to be more and more on the market.

Basically, your keto pantry should be full of things that will help you make good choices in line with your new lifestyle choice. For a more in-depth article and access to our pantry list, please go to HealNourishGrow.com

-Cheryl McColgan at Heal Nourish Grow

What are the differences between a keto and a low carb diet?

When you are on a true ketogenic diet, it means your body has shifted into a completely different metabolic state— ketosis.

To be in a state of nutritional ketosis, our intake of carbs must be low enough (generally under 25g of carbs/day, but it varies from person to person) that your body is forced to turn fat into ketones as an energy source.

Normally, our bodies run off glucose from carbohydrates for energy. But when carbs are extremely restricted, our bodies realize they won’t have enough glucose to support themselves and they begin turning fat- from either food or our own body fat- into ketones in our liver, which then supports our entire body-brain, muscles, other organs- everything.

When you are in a ketogenic state, you get some benefits from the ketone bodies themselves that you won’t get on just a low-carb diet.

Ketone bodies stimulate mitochondrial production, protect and regenerate the nervous system, act as antioxidants, and can help prevent the growth of some cancers. The antioxidant benefit of ketone bodies can be life-changing for people with high inflammation levels.

A low carb diet simply means you are eating a diet low in carbs, but not necessarily making ketones, so eating low carb is generally more for body fat loss than it is getting the health benefits of ketosis.

Depending on how low those carbs are and how active a person is, they may drift in and out of ketosis on a low-carb diet, getting some of those benefits.

From a body fat loss perspective, being low carb can help a person dip into their fat stores for energy. But that can also be achieved by eating moderate or even high carbs and restricting overall calories. The research on this subject has shown that fat loss is about the same on low fat or low carb diets when overall calories are accounted for.

That being said— if someone has high blood sugar, a low carb diet or keto will likely be a much more enjoyable and successful ticket to fat loss than a calorically-restricted low-fat diet, because they won’t have blood sugar spikes and drops leading to low energy and cravings.

Also, going too low fat can cause drops in hormone levels, brain function, and cellular health, so it is recommended to get at least 25% of total calories from fat. 

For athletes, going low carb can cause drops in athletic performance, particularly in high-intensity activities, so most athletes doing high-intensity work will want to get at least 25% of their total calories from carbs.

In conclusion, a ketogenic diet means you are shifting into a metabolic state in which your body turns body fat or dietary fat into ketone bodies which fuel your entire body and have specific health benefits, and a low carb diet simply means you are eating fewer carbs to increase the likelihood of using fat for energy, and decreasing the incidence of blood sugar spikes and drops.

–Coach Tara Garrison

Maintaining a ketogenic lifestyle involves more than just adhering to dietary guidelines; it’s about ensuring a holistic and sustainable approach to your well-being. Just as you pay attention to your body’s nutritional needs, it’s crucial to extend that mindfulness to your living environment. One often overlooked aspect is the home, where a reliable home warranty can play a significant role in supporting your keto journey.

1. Ensuring kitchen appliances’ reliability: In a keto lifestyle, your kitchen becomes a central hub for preparing low-carb, high-fat meals. To support your culinary endeavors, having reliable kitchen appliances is essential. A home warranty can provide coverage for your refrigerator, oven, stove, and other essential appliances, ensuring they remain in optimal working condition. This reliability allows you to focus on your dietary goals without unexpected interruptions due to appliance malfunctions.

2. Protecting your investment in high-quality kitchen equipment: As you embrace a keto lifestyle, you might invest in high-quality kitchen equipment, such as blenders, food processors, or air fryers. A home warranty can offer protection against unexpected breakdowns, potentially saving you from costly repairs or replacements. This ensures that your kitchen remains well-equipped to support your keto journey.

Final thoughts

A ketogenic diet might be ideal for those who are overweight, diagnosed with diabetes, or simply looking to boost their metabolic health. It’s important to ask your doctor whether a keto eating plan will be helpful for you, considering your health goals. If you choose to follow a ketogenic lifestyle, remember to seek the guidance of a professional, in order to achieve great results and improve your wellbeing.