Kick-Starting Keto: Safe Strategies For Beginners

The ketogenic diet is a high-fat, low-carb eating plan that can be challenging to start. It involves a significant departure from the standard American diet, which is typically high in carbohydrates and processed foods. To start keto safely, here are some essential steps to follow:

1. Understand the basics: Keto is a high-fat, low-carb diet that puts your body into a state of ketosis, where it burns fat for energy instead of carbohydrates. This can lead to weight loss and potential health benefits, but more research is needed.

2. Know your foods: Familiarize yourself with keto-friendly foods like meat, fish, eggs, nuts, healthy oils, and low-carb vegetables. Avoid high-carb foods like bread, pasta, sugar, fruits, starchy vegetables, and processed foods.

3. Adjust your fat intake: Keto involves consuming a lot of fat. Start by making small changes, such as cooking with more oil or choosing non-starchy vegetables instead of potatoes or rice.

4. Moderate your protein intake: Protein should be kept in check as it can be converted into glucose. Aim for a small portion of meat topped with a generous amount of fat.

5. Plan your meals: Look for keto-friendly recipes and plan your meals accordingly. This will help you stay on track and avoid cravings for high-carb foods.

6. Be mindful of side effects: The keto flu is a common side effect as your body adjusts to burning fat. You may experience fatigue, mental fog, constipation, or diarrhea. It's recommended to start keto when you have a less busy week to allow your body to rest.

7. Up your electrolytes: Keto can lead to increased excretion of water and electrolytes. Ensure you're getting enough sodium and potassium by salting your food, drinking bone broth, and eating non-starchy vegetables.

8. Consult a healthcare professional: Keto may not be suitable for everyone. Consult a doctor or dietitian, especially if you have medical conditions or take medications for high blood pressure or diabetes.

9. Have a long-term plan: Keto is typically not a long-term diet and is often followed for a few months. Have a plan for maintaining a healthy diet after keto to avoid falling back into unhealthy habits.

Eat the right foods

The keto diet is a high-fat, low-carb, and low-to-moderate protein diet. It involves drastically reducing your carbohydrate intake and replacing it with fat. This reduction in carbs puts your body into a metabolic state called ketosis, where your body uses fat for fuel instead of carbs.

• Know your food groups: Understand which foods are high in carbs and should be avoided, such as grains, sugar, fruit, tubers, and starchy vegetables. Also, know which foods are keto-friendly and can be consumed liberally, such as meats, low-carb vegetables, high-fat dairy, nuts, seeds, avocados, and healthy oils.
• Read labels carefully: Many packaged foods, beverages, and medications contain hidden carbs and sugars that can kick you out of ketosis. Look for ingredients like maltodextrin, dextrose, sugar, cane syrup, and starch.
• Use keto-friendly alternatives: You can still enjoy your favorite carb-rich foods by using keto-friendly alternatives. For example, use zucchini noodles instead of regular pasta, or try keto-friendly sweeteners and flours in your baking.
• Eat plenty of foundation vegetables: When limiting carbs, ensure you eat plenty of nutrient-dense, non-starchy vegetables like kale, broccoli, spinach, asparagus, mushrooms, and peppers. This will provide your body with essential vitamins, minerals, and fiber.
• Increase healthy fats: Since fat is your primary source of calories on a keto diet, choose healthy fats from high-quality sources such as olive oil, avocado oil, coconut oil, cheese, eggs, nuts, and fish. This will help you feel satiated and prevent hunger pangs.
• Maintain adequate protein intake: Protein is essential to supply your liver with amino acids and support muscle mass. However, excessive protein intake can prevent ketosis. Aim for 20-30% of your diet to be made up of protein.
• Stay hydrated: Keto diets have a diuretic effect, so it's important to drink plenty of water and stay hydrated. Aim for 6-8 glasses of water per day, or more if you're active or in a hot climate.

Eat the right amount of those foods

To eat the right amount of keto-friendly foods, it is important to understand the role of each macronutrient in the diet.

Firstly, carbohydrates should be limited to 20-50 grams per day, or 5-10% of total calories, to remain in ketosis. This can be achieved by avoiding sugary and starchy foods such as bread, cakes, cookies, grains, rice, and most fruits.

Secondly, protein intake should be moderate, as excessive protein can be converted into glucose and slow the transition into ketosis. Aim for 0.55-0.77 grams of protein per pound of lean body mass, or at least 70 grams per day.

Lastly, fat intake should be adjusted based on individual goals and results. If weight loss is the goal, ensure you are in a calorie deficit by consuming less fat. If you are trying to gain weight, consume more fat to be in a calorie surplus. Choose healthy fats such as olive oil, avocado oil, nuts, seeds, and fatty fish.

It is important to note that these are general guidelines, and individual needs may vary. It is recommended to consult a healthcare professional before starting any new diet, especially if you have a medical condition or are taking medications.

Prepare for the keto flu

The keto flu is a collection of symptoms that some people experience when they start a ketogenic diet. The symptoms are similar to those of the flu and are caused by the body adapting to a new diet consisting of very few carbohydrates. The keto flu can last from a week to a month, but some people may never experience it. To prepare for the keto flu, you can:

• Ease into the diet: Start with a typical low-carb diet and give your body time to adjust before going full keto.
• Stay hydrated: Drink plenty of water to prevent dehydration, which can cause headaches and low energy levels.
• Take electrolyte supplements: Add electrolytes like salts, potassium, and magnesium to your diet to prevent cramps and nausea.
• Increase healthy fat intake: Make sure to consume enough healthy fats, as low calories can trigger keto flu symptoms.
• Get plenty of rest: Take Epsom salt baths to relax your muscles and improve electrolyte absorption.
• Try light exercise: Light activities like yoga or leisurely walking can help relieve muscle pain and tension.

Know what foods you can and can't eat

Knowing what foods you can and can't eat is a crucial part of starting the keto diet. Here's a detailed breakdown of the do's and don'ts:

Foods to Eat

Meat: Red meat, such as beef, pork, and lamb, and poultry like chicken and turkey are all excellent choices. They contain no carbs and provide a good source of protein.

Fatty Fish: Salmon, trout, tuna, and mackerel are great options. They're rich in healthy fats and low in carbs.

Eggs: Pastured or omega-3 whole eggs are a perfect fit for the keto diet.

Butter and Cream: Grass-fed butter and heavy cream are delicious, natural sources of fat.

Cheese: Unprocessed cheeses like cheddar, goat, cream, blue, or mozzarella add flavour and variety to your meals.

Nuts and Seeds: Almonds, walnuts, flaxseeds, pumpkin seeds, chia seeds, etc., are nutritious and filling snacks.

Healthy Oils: Extra virgin olive oil and avocado oil are excellent choices for cooking and salad dressings.

Avocados: Whole avocados or freshly made guacamole provide healthy fats and essential nutrients.

Low-carb Vegetables: Green veggies like spinach and broccoli, as well as tomatoes, onions, peppers, and other non-starchy veggies, are great to include in your meals.

Foods to Avoid

Sugary Foods: Soda, fruit juice, smoothies, cake, ice cream, candy, and other sugary treats are off the menu.

Grains and Starches: Wheat-based products, rice, pasta, and cereal are high in carbs and should be avoided.

Fruit: Most fruits are restricted due to their natural sugar content, except for small portions of berries like strawberries.

Beans and Legumes: Peas, kidney beans, lentils, chickpeas, and other beans are high in carbs and should be limited.

Root Vegetables and Tubers: Potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots, parsnips, and similar veggies are starchy and should be avoided.

Low-fat or Diet Products: Low-fat mayonnaise, salad dressings, and condiments often contain added sugars and are best avoided.

Unhealthy Fats: Processed vegetable oils and mayonnaise are not recommended due to their high content of unhealthy fats.

Alcohol: Beer, wine, liquor, and mixed drinks can interfere with ketosis and are best consumed in moderation, if at all.

Sugar-free Diet Foods: Sugar-free candies, syrups, puddings, sweeteners, and desserts often contain artificial sweeteners and are not recommended.

It's important to note that the keto diet is not just about avoiding certain foods but also about enjoying a variety of delicious, nutritious options. Focus on whole, unprocessed foods and listen to your body's hunger cues to ensure you're getting adequate nutrition while staying within the guidelines of the keto diet.

Understand the health benefits and risks

Understanding the health benefits and risks of the keto diet

The keto diet is a high-fat, low-carb, and moderate-protein diet. It involves drastically reducing carbohydrate intake and replacing it with fat. This reduction in carbs puts your body into a metabolic state called ketosis, where your body becomes incredibly efficient at burning fat for energy.

Health Benefits

The keto diet has been shown to have many health benefits, including:

• Weight loss: The keto diet is an effective way to lose weight and lower risk factors for disease. Research shows that the keto diet may be as effective for weight loss as a low-fat diet.
• Improved metabolic health: Ketogenic diets may play a strong role in improving several markers of metabolic health, including blood pressure, blood sugar, HDL cholesterol, and triglyceride levels.
• Blood sugar control: Keto and low-carb diets can provide powerful blood sugar control for people with type 2 diabetes. Carbohydrates raise blood sugar much more than either protein or fat.
• Improved brain health: The keto diet may help reduce symptoms of Alzheimer's disease and slow its progression. Some research also suggests that the diet could improve outcomes of traumatic brain injuries.
• Reduced seizures: The keto diet originated as a tool for treating neurological diseases such as epilepsy, and studies have shown that it can cause significant reductions in seizures in epileptic children.
• Other potential benefits: Although more research is needed, the keto diet may also be beneficial for heart disease, cancer, Parkinson's disease, polycystic ovary syndrome, and irritable bowel syndrome.

Health Risks

While the keto diet has many potential health benefits, there are also some health risks to consider:

• Nutritional deficiencies: Potential risks of the keto diet include nutritional deficiencies, especially if the diet is not well-planned and includes a variety of nutritious foods.
• Kidney stones: The keto diet may increase the risk of kidney stones due to changes in electrolyte levels and increased oxalate excretion.
• Bone loss: There is some concern that the keto diet could lead to bone loss due to increased acid load and reduced calcium intake.
• Increased LDL cholesterol: In some cases, the keto diet has been associated with elevations in LDL ("bad") cholesterol, especially if the diet includes too much protein and not enough fat.
• Other side effects: The "keto flu" is a common side effect experienced by people starting the keto diet, which includes symptoms such as fatigue, mental fog, digestive discomfort, and decreased exercise performance. These symptoms are usually temporary and can be minimized by easing into the diet and taking mineral supplements.

Frequently asked questions