What you can and cannot eat on the Ketogenic Diet.

                                                   

Keto or ketogenic diet is a low-carb, high-fat diet that can help you burn fat more effectively. It has many benefits for weight loss, health and performance. Losing excess body fat without hunger, and for reversing type 2 diabetes.

The “keto” in a ketogenic diet comes from the fact that it allows the body to produce small fuel molecules called “ketones”.

This is an alternative fuel source for the body, used when blood sugar (glucose) is in short supply.

Ketones are produced if you eat very few carbs (that are quickly broken down into blood sugar) and only moderate amounts of protein (excess protein can also be converted to blood sugar).

The liver produces ketones from fat. These ketones then serve as a fuel source throughout the body, especially for the brain.

The brain is a hungry organ that consumes lots of energy every day, and it cannot run on fat directly. It can only run on glucose… or ketones.

On a ketogenic diet, your entire body switches its fuel supply to run mostly on fat, burning fat 24-7. When insulin levels become very low, fat burning can increase dramatically. It becomes easier to access your fat stores to burn them off.

 This is great if you’re trying to lose weight, but there are also other less obvious benefits, such as less hunger and a steady supply of energy. This may help keep you alert and focused.

When the body produces ketones, it enters a metabolic state called ketosis. The fastest way to get there is by fasting– not eating anything – but nobody can fast forever.

A keto diet, on the other hand, can be eaten indefinitely and also results in ketosis. It has many of the benefits of fasting – including weight loss – without having to fast.

The most important thing for reaching ketosis is to avoid eating too many carbs. You’ll probably need to keep carb intake under 50 grams per day of net carbs, ideally below 20 grams. The fewer carbs, the more effective it appears to be for reaching ketosis, losing weight or reversing type 2 diabetes.

This means that on a keto diet you’ll basically need to avoid sugary foods completely, as well as starchy foods like bread, pasta, rice and potatoes. Also avoid processed foods, and instead follow our keto diet advice.

Furthermore, the food should primarily be high in fat, and only moderately high in protein, as excess protein can be converted to blood sugar in the body. Avoid low-fat diet products. A rough guideline is about 5% energy from carbohydrates (the fewer carbs, the more effective), 15-25% from protein, and around 75% from fat.

What You Can Eat on a Keto Diet

 Water. This will be your staple, go-to source for hydration. You can drink still or sparkling water

 Broth. Loaded with vitamins and nutrients. More importantly, it will kick-start your energy by replenishing your electrolytes

                                                          

Meat

chicken, pork, steak, ground beef, lamb, bacon, ham, turkey, sausage (in limited amounts and fattier cuts)

Most Fats and Oils

butter, coconut oil, olive oil, ghee, lard, avocado oil, mayonnaise

Some Vegetables

cauliflower, cabbage, avocado, broccoli, zucchini, peppers, eggplants, tomatoes, asparagus, cucumber, onion, mushroom, spinach, lettuce, green beans, olives

High-Fat Dairy

skim milk, skim mozzarella, greek yogurt, low cheese, heavy whipping cream, spreadables including cottage cheese, cream cheese, sour cream, mascarpone, crème fraiche, mozzarella, brie, Colby Monterey jack, aged cheddar, parmesan, feta and swiss

 Nuts

Macadamia nuts, brazil nuts and peacan nuts can be consumed with meals to supplement fat.

Walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts, peanuts and pine nuts can be used in moderation to supplement for texture and flavour.

Pistachios and cashews should rarely be eaten or avoided, as they are very high in carbohydrates. (2 hand full of cashews is almost a full day’s allowance of carbs.

Seafood

Salmon, snapper, trout, tuna, cod, catfish, halibut, clams, oysters, lobster, crab, scallops, mussels

Berries (Sparingly)

 Blueberries, blackberries, raspberries

Artificial Sweeteners (Sparingly)

Stevia, sucralose

Alcohol (Sparingly)

 Hard liquor, dry wine, champagne

Choose hard liquor. More beer and wine will be too high carb to consume. Frequent consumption of alcohol will slow weight loss down

Eggs

Unsweetened Coffee and Tea

Coffee. Improves mental focus and has some added weight loss benefits.

Tea. Has the same effects as coffee. Try to stick with black or green

Due to its major amounts of lactose (a.k.a. sugar, a.k.a., carbs), milk is not keto-friendly (one cup of whole milk has 11 grams of carbs). And that means all dairy milks—skim, one percent, two percent, are not keto-approved.

Coconut/Almond milk. You can use the unsweetened versions in the carton from the store to replace your favorite dairy beverage

Spices

 Cayenne pepper, chili Powder, cinnamon, cumin, basil, cilantro, parsley, rosemary, thyme.

Both salt and pepper can be used for seasoning without worrying about the nutritional information.

What You Can Not Eat on a Keto Diet

Fruit

Apples, bananas, oranges, grapes, watermelon, peaches, melon, pineapple, cherries, pears, lemons, limes, grapefruits, plums, mango, etc.

Grains and Starches

Wheat, rice, rye, oats, corn, quinoa, barley, millet, bulgur, amaranth, buckwheat, sprouted grains

Root Vegetables

Potatoes (both sweet and regular), carrots, yams, parsnips, yuca, beets, turnips

Grain Products

Cereal, bread, pasta, rice, corn, oatmeal, crackers, pizza, popcorn, granola, bagels, muesli, flour

Legumes

Black beans, kidney beans, pinto beans, navy beans, soybeans, peas, chickpeas, lentils

Sweeteners

Cane sugar, honey, maple syrup, agave nectar, Splenda, aspartame, saccharin, corn syrup

Sweets

Candy, chocolate, cakes, buns, pastries, tarts, pies, ice cream, cookies, pudding, custard

Some Oils

Canola oil, soybean oil, grapeseed oil, peanut oil, sesame oil, sunflower oil

Alcohol

Beer, cider, sweet wines, sweetened alcoholic drinks

Sweetened Drinks

Juice, smoothies, soda, sweetened tea and coffee

Low-Fat Dairy

skim milk, skim mozzarella, fat-free yogurt, low cheese and cream cheese

Sweetened Sauces and Dips

ketchup, BBQ sauce, tomato sauce, some salad dressings and hot sauces