The ketogenic diet is very popular and known today, however, as with all “fad” diets, many people make simple mistakes when starting out due to their ignorance and the lack of a plan tailored to their specific needs.
The best known concept of this diet is that you should eat less carbohydrates, without depriving yourself of protein and fat keto supplements. The detail is that such a generic statement can cause confusion when choosing the foods to include in the diet.
What kind of fats should be eaten? Should Carbs Be Eliminated Completely? Are all proteins the same? Are there any side effects?
To clarify these doubts, we have prepared a list of tips, ideal for all those who are starting on the ketogenic diet and who want to obtain the best possible results.
- Reduce carbohydrates and increase fat intake in a balanced way
The keto diet requires reducing carbohydrate intake and replacing it with fat and protein, a very drastic change for the body.
By limiting carbohydrates in the diet, the body burns its glucose stores and then begins to use the stored fat for fuel. When enough ketones are present in the blood, we enter a state called ketosis.
While the keto diet is definitely a low carb diet, it is not a “no carb” diet. Make sure you don’t completely exclude them from your diet.
- Be careful with hydration
The reduction in carbohydrate consumption generated by the keto diet has a direct impact on the fluid balance in the body.
Our body stores carbohydrates with water. By reducing carbohydrate intake, we also lose water reserves, which is why when starting the keto diet it is very common to suffer from symptoms of dehydration.
Make sure to drink more water per day than usual to avoid these symptoms and ensure a correct balance of fluids in your body.
Electrolytes are essential minerals for maintaining water balance in the body. When doing the ketogenic diet, these are more difficult to retain and are eliminated in the urine. An easy way to avoid this mistake is to increase the amount of salt in your food. Also, isotonic drinks (without adding sugar) can be prepared and combined with ketogenic supplements.
- Know the side effects of the keto diet
The first few days of the diet can be a lot like having the flu. It is common to feel a headache, weakness or fatigue, muscle cramps, nausea, diarrhea, or constipation.
When the ketosis process begins, the body breaks down its fat stores to produce small molecules called ketones, which it can use for energy instead of the glucose that you normally get from carbohydrates.
“You are asking your cells to do something they are not used to,” says Robert Santos-Prowse, RD, author of The Cyclical Ketogenic Diet. “When you suddenly deprive them of the fuel they are used to using, there can be a period of sluggishness or mental confusion.” Another reason that can make symptoms worse is the dehydration mentioned above.
After spending the first few days on the diet, the body will get used to it and start to feel better. During the transition it is advisable to avoid high impact sports,
- Include foods rich in Omega-3 in your meals
When starting the ketogenic diet, be sure to eat foods rich in Omega-3, particularly those that contain EPA, ALA, and DHA.
Some examples of foods rich in Omega-3 are tuna, salmon, and shellfish. If you opt for a vegetarian keto diet, chia seeds or chia oil should be incorporated into your diet. Other foods with Omega-3s are flax seeds and avocados.
- Consumption of meat, in moderation
Did you think that keto diets only have to do with protein? That is not entirely true, fats also play an important role. Now would be a good time to memorize this mantra: It takes fat to burn fat.
“A keto diet essentially swaps the percentages of fat and carbohydrates,” Santos-Prowse explains. That means getting 60% to 90% of your calories from fat and 5% to 10% from carbohydrates.
The remaining 10% to 35% should come from protein, which is about the same as standard high-carb diets. In other words, the goal is not to fill your plate with meat or chicken.
So what should be on your plate? At each meal, you should have 3 to 4 ounces of protein, such as lean beef, chicken, fish, or pork, depending on your macronutrient needs.
Santos-Prowse suggests including 1/2 cup of non-starchy vegetables (such as green leafy vegetables, broccoli, or cauliflower) and a few servings of healthy fats (such as olive oil, nuts, or avocado).
- Control the intake of cheese, bacon and processed meats
While proponents of the keto diet rave about the prospect of eating cheeseburgers and bacon without bread every day and still losing weight, this could actually cause inflammation issues and affect blood sugar levels.
One of the benefits of the keto diet is its ability to reduce inflammation, but processed meats and dairy can increase it, not to mention being high in sodium and nitrates.
Consuming dairy products also causes an increase in our insulin levels, raising blood glucose, which is the opposite of what a ketogenic diet is intended to do.
For a healthier version of the keto diet, processed meats should be limited to the minimum possible, choose nitrate-free options, and eliminate dairy.