The main principle of the ketogenic diet is that it is low in carbs and high in fat. The aim behind this diet is health improvement. Because of the way it is based on the best nutrients, the ketogenic diet offers numerous health benefits. Here is some information suggesting that the keto diet has certain benefits against epilepsy, diabetes, cancer, and Alzheimer’s disease. So, switching to this type of nutrition may be a bit challenging at the very beginning, because it demands being dedicated and well-informed. In our quest to dive into the fundamentals of the keto diet, we have prepared a short list of the things you should and should not eat.
Keto Fundamentals
Just as we have mentioned in the introduction, the keto diet is extremely low in carbs and high in fat, which makes it similar to some other types of dieting such as Atkins and low-carb diets. It is based on drastically reducing carbohydrate intake and replacing it with some other nutrients-fat. With the reduction of carbs, your body will be put into a metabolic process known as ketosis. As the ultimate result of this process, your body will start burning fat for energy, instead of carbs. In addition, the process of ketosis turns the fat into ketones in the liver, which are responsible for supplying the brain with energy.
What to Eat If You Are Eating Keto?
Normally, you will be worried about your diet changes and will always question your decision to switch to a certain diet. But, worry not. The list of tasty keto foods is quite long. If you are going keto, you should look for foods that are low in net carbs and high in fat. For instance, you might assume that cheese is not a keto-friendly food. Yet, some types of cheese, such as cottage cheese, are a source of healthy fats, but you need to be careful when choosing a brand and type. Unprocessed cheeses such as cheddar, blue, goat cheese, and mozzarella are keto safe if taken in moderate amounts.
Another type of keto-safe food is meat. Red meat, ham, steak, sausage, chicken, bacon, and turkey should definitely find their place on your plate. To this end, fatty fish is everything. A lot of species, such as salmon, tuna, trout, and mackerel, have high-fat indexes. Besides, animal-originating foods such as eggs are super loaded with omega-3 acids. In addition, you should use healthy oils such as extra virgin olive oil or avocado oil.
Nuts and seeds, even though you should eat them moderately, should find their place on the list of keto groceries. Almonds, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, flaxseeds, chia seeds, and many others have numerous benefits for your health. Given the fact that these seeds are quite high in fat, they make a great keto snack option. We have previously mentioned that some types of cheese are keto safe. Yet, there are also some other dairy products you can add to your shopping list. Grass-fed butter and heavy cream are keto friendly.
Not to forget to mention that veggies are a very important part of this diet. Low-carb veggies such as onions, peppers, tomatoes, and green veggies can be used for food preparation while on a keto diet. When it comes to condiments- pepper, salt, herbs, and spices will make your keto cooking unmatched.
What to Avoid If Eating Keto?
Since keto is about eating fewer carbs than normal, there are some foods you will want to avoid, limit, or completely eliminate from your diet. The foods on the list are sugary foods. Things such as soda, smoothies, ice cream, candy, fruit juice, cakes, etc. should be avoided at all costs. These foods are super rich in carbs and may put you in a situation of not being able to burn them out, which will eventually result in gaining weight.
You might be surprised, but fruit, unlike vegetables, should be avoided. All fruit types, except small portions of berries, should be eliminated. In this line, legumes and beans such as peas, lentils, kidney beans, and chickpeas are not part of your grocery list anymore. Veggies such as potatoes, sweet potatoes, parsnips, and carrots should be either limited or entirely eliminated.
The keto diet has numerous health benefits that will prove to have long-term effects on your body. When starting eating keto, the most important thing to remember is that you need to be well-informed and educated about this form of dieting. This way, it would be much easier to plan and prepare your meals while being sure you are sticking to them.
