What You Should Know Before Starting A Keto Diet

There are many diets that promise similar results. And whether you think you should eat less and move more, that it’s all about calories consumed versus calories burned, it’s still important to decide what foods you’re going to eat. Everyone is different, and while some people thrive on high-carb, low-fat diets, others struggle. Some people love salads, others prefer a meat dinner. If you’ve tried other diets before and found that they don’t suit you, Keep may be the one for you because it’s not like any other diet out there. It is high in fat, moderate in protein and low in carbohydrates. Keep reading to know more.

What is the ketogenic diet?
A ketogenic diet is a low-carbohydrate diet. The idea is to limit carbohydrate consumption to less than 50 grams a day and instead get most of your calories from fat and protein. The way this works is that within a few days, your body will run out of easy fuel, like blood sugar that comes from carbohydrates, and will instead turn to the fat and muscle reserves it has and use them as energy. That process is called ketosis and that’s where the name “keto” comes from.

Ketogenic diet for beginners
Beginners might think that the ketogenic diet sounds very similar to the Atkins diet. But that’s not exactly the case. While Atkins is a low-carb but high-protein diet, Keto is a high-fat, moderate-protein, low-calorie diet. It is also important to consult a doctor before starting a ketogenic diet because it can be quite hard on the body, especially the kidneys.

How to start the ketogenic diet
To start the ketogenic diet, it is important to first know which foods have the highest amount of fat and the lowest amount of carbohydrates. And we also have to change the perspective on diets. This is very different from other diets. Although most diets recommend many fruits and vegetables, you will hardly be able to consume them on this diet due to the high carbohydrate and sugar content in these foods. You should also be prepared to cook a lot because while there are many processed foods that are high in fat, you don’t want to eat processed foods all the time.

What to eat on the ketogenic diet
When starting a keto diet you will have to say goodbye to sodas, sweets, cookies, chocolates, pizzas, chips and other foods rich in carbohydrates. However, you won’t be able to eat a lot of chicken breast either because it is a protein-rich food. Most of your meals will consist of a small portion of protein with a generous helping of fat and some low-calorie, non-starchy vegetables.

Ketogenic diet foods
The idea is to eat enough fat and moderate protein, so fatty fish, steak, ham, eggs and cheese are good things to base your meals on. To add more fats to your diet, you can also incorporate healthy oils like avocado and olive oil, butter, heavy cream, just fresh avocados, and various nut butters. You need some carbs, but they should mostly come from low-carb vegetables like spinach, arugula, celery, asparagus, and tomatoes.

Ketogenic diet snacks
Generally, a ketogenic diet is quite filling, so you won’t feel the need to snack as often. Most people just stick to three main meals and feel fine. However, keto snacks are pretty easy. You can snack on nuts as they are full of fat when you want something fresh; Celery or cucumber with cream cheese are your best friends. And you can also find plenty of keto snack recipes, like peanut butter balls and other fat bombs, on Pinterest.