MOST COMMON FAQ
Isn’t keto just the Atkins or the Paleo diet repackaged?
What is ketosis?
What are ketones?
How do you reach ketosis?
How do you know you’re in ketosis?
How long does it take to get into ketosis?
What are the benefits of being in ketosis?
What’s the different between ketosis and ketoacidosis?
What food am I allowed to eat?
What foods and ingredients should be cut out or avoided when on keto?
What is the keto flu and how to avoid it?
Erm…what can I do about constipation?
Why do I get headaches while on keto?
Is it a keto requirement to eat fat bombs and drink Bulletproof coffee?
What are some healthy fats?
Can I drink alcohol on keto?
What are macros?
Do I have to count macros?
Do I have to count calories?
Help, I’ve stalled, and I’m doing everything right.
What do the keto abbreviations, acronyms, and terms mean?
What can I drink besides water on a keto diet?
Won’t eating more fat make you fat?
Won’t eating high fat cause cholesterol to go sky high?
Can I have fruit on a keto diet?
Can you have low-carb sugar substitutes on keto?
Why do I all of a sudden have an increase in appetite while doing keto?
Aren’t carbs required for our bodies to function?
What are other names for sugar that should be looked for in ingredients and avoided?
What sugar substitutes should be avoided?
Can you go back to eating carbs once you reach your goal weight?
What supplements should I take?
What are your favorite cookbooks?
Can I have a cheat meal?
Who should do this diet?
What are the best macro/keto apps?
What is intermittent fasting?
What made you take the leap?
Isn’t keto just the Atkins or the Paleo diet repackaged?
Ummm…no. Not so much. They do have some things in common, but there are differences to be sure.
The ketogenic diet is very low carb (5%), moderate protein (25%), and high fat (70%). Most calories will come from healthy fats, and protein is more moderate than in the other two. Carbs are generally limited to 20g net (total carbs minus fiber).The goal of keto is to get your body to primarily burn fat instead of glucose (carbs) for fuel. This puts your body in a metabolic state called ketosis. This is not a primary goal of Adkins or Paleo.
Atkins is low carb and moderate fat and a little higher in protein. This program has phases you work through. The first, induction phase, is where you start out very low carb (basically keto), then gradually increase fiber/nutrient enriched carbs back in through the rest of the phases…to a point, about 100g. Some problems are that it allows processed foods, artificial sweeteners, toxic fat, & high protein while failing to emphasize good fats and low carb veggies.
Paleo focuses on the foods our hunter-gatherer ancestors would have probably eaten. In other words, eliminating any processed food or foods that weren’t available at the time. The big difference is that Paleo still utilizes carbs for fuel. It allows certain carbs like honey & sweet potatoes that the other two don’t, but no grains, dairy, legumes, or sugar (unless it’s natural like honey), or sugar substitutes. It’s really more low-glycemic than low-carb. Generally, you can go up to 150g of carbs. Protein is moderate and fat is moderate to high.
What is ketosis?
Most people are glucose burners which means they run on sugar (carbs for fuel). When you drastically reduce carbs (sugar), you can’t keep your glycogen stores filled, so your body has no choice but to find an alternative energy source, fat. Fat is broken down into ketones and becomes the new fuel source.
Ketosis is the metabolic state of having ketones in the blood (generally above 0.5mmol/L) which means your body is directly breaking down its FAT stores (adipose tissue) to use as energy.
What are ketones?
Ketones (ketone bodies) are byproducts of the breakdown of fat for energy. Ketones are the reason why the body can survive weeks without food. When glycogen stores are depleted after a few days without food, the body transitions to using ketones for energy.
How do you reach ketosis?
The best way is to reduce carbs to 20 net grams per day or less.
Other ways include:
Getting adequate protein without exceeding what your body needs.
Increasing healthy fats like avocados, olive oil, coconut oil, nuts, butter, and fatty fish.
Intermittent Fasting
Exercising
Cutting out snacking
How do you know you’re in ketosis?
Look for these symptoms:
Weight loss
Loss of appetite
Increased focus and energy
Frequent urination
Reduction in energy (short term)
Bad breath
Dry mouth/Increased thirst
You can also use a blood/glucose meter to test for the presence of ketones in the blood. Urine test strips are also available, but I find they are worthless, especially after the first week.
How long does it take to get into ketosis?
It will vary from person to person. Most people can reach ketosis by restricting carbohydrate consumption to 20g or less. Generally, your body will reach ketosis in 2-10 days once you start restricting carbs.
What are the benefits of being in ketosis?
Increased mental clarity
Fat loss
Increased energy
Improved physical performance
Improved insulin resistance
Hormone regulation
Appetite suppression
Reduced cravings
Blood sugar regulation
Decreased inflammation
Improved sleep
Improved body composition
Increased HDL levels
Decreased triglycerides
Higher belly fat loss
Increased muscle mass
Lowered blood pressure
Healthier liver
Slows down aging
Reduces dependence on medications
Freedom from food addiction
Decreased joint pain
Disease Prevention/Condition Improvement
Diabetes
High blood pressure
Alzheimer’s
Epilepsy
ALS
MS
Anxiety
Cancer
Arthritis
Acid reflux
Depression
Parkinson’s
Autism
Brain injuries
PCOS
Obesity
Heart disease
IBS
What’s the different between ketosis and ketoacidosis?
Ketoacidosis is a lethal state that occurs when there are dangerously high levels of ketones AND high blood sugar at the same time which causes the blood to become too acidic. The body can’t regulate the high ketone production which results in a high accumulation of ketones. This increase of acidic ketones causes a decreased blood pH and becomes toxic. Ketoacidosis is sometimes seen in Type 2 diabetics, but mostly found in Type 1 diabetics (under 1% of type 1 diabetics). It’s rarely seen in others. Alcoholic ketoacidosis and starvation ketoacidosis can happen, but it’s unusual.
Nutritional Ketosis is a natural and harmless metabolic process where your body is running on fat instead of glucose due to the reduction of carbohydrates. Babies are born in a state of ketosis. When we sleep, we’re in a state of ketosis. It’s very natural. Since blood glucose has to be extremely low to enter into nutritional ketosis and you need both high ketones and high blood glucose for blood to become dangerously acidic, it’s highly unlikely to enter ketoacidosis. Besides, the process of ketosis is closely regulated by the liver, so it rarely produces more ketones for fuel than it needs.
What foods am I allowed to eat?
The keto diet focuses on eating primarily healthy fats, moderate amounts of protein, and very little carbohydrates. Yep, say goodbye to processed foods, sugar, bread, and pasta.
Get ready to say yes to butter, eggs, and bacon once again. Basically, you will be eating decadent real foods that are low in carbs.
Foods that are on-plan are meats, leafy greens, above ground vegetables, high fat dairy, nuts and seeds, avocados and berries, and healthy yummy fats.
Here’s a comprehensive list of keto friendly foods/ingredients.
What foods and ingredients should be cut out or avoided when on keto?
On most ketogenic diet plans, all forms of sugar, grains of any kind, starches, most fruits, legumes, processed foods, trans-fat and hydrogenized fats are eliminated. Some also eliminate dairy. My personal philosophy is to eliminate all of the above with the exception of some low/no carb dairy (cheese, heavy cream, cream cheese, sour cream).
Other ingredients to watch for and to eliminate for health reasons are soy, artificial sweeteners, carrageenan, MSG, and sulfites. These aren’t good for anyone, regardless of what diet plan they are on.
What is the keto flu and how to avoid it?
The keto flu is probably the most dreaded of all the negative effects of keto. Some fear it so much that they immediately nix the whole way of eating without ever giving it a chance. Others will give up the minute they start showing any sign of it.
So what is it?
The keto flu (carb flu) is a term keto followers use to describe a series of symptoms they may experience when the body is transitioning into keto. Basically, the body is reacting to carb withdrawal. It’s detoxing from all the glucose it’s used to getting.
Some of the flu-like symptoms include:
Nausea
Headache
Irritability
Weakness
Dizziness
Muscle Soreness
Constipation
Diarrhea
Inability to Concentrate
Muscle Pain
Generally, these symptoms only last for about a week, however, some may experience longer times. Some people only have one or two symptoms and the lucky, like me, never experience any at all.
There are ways to reduce or prevent these symptoms from happening.
Drink plenty of water. The reduction of carbs will cause water to be flushed from the body, so you will need to replace that loss or risk dehydration and worsening symptoms.
Replace lost electrolytes. This is a biggie. When water is flushed from your body, so are electrolytes–sodium, potassium, & magnesium. Be more generous with sodium (pink Himalayan salt). Add it to food and to your water. Focus on eating more keto friendly foods to get in an adequate amount of potassium. If you need to supplement, you can add Nu Salt to your water or food. It contains potassium. CAUTION: If you’re taking a potassium sparing blood pressure medication, be very careful with increasing potassium. Magnesium tends to be an electrolyte that a majority of people are lacking regardless of diet. This may be one you might want to supplement in pill form. You can also increase keto friendly magnesium rich foods.
Be sure to get plenty of sleep, a minimum of 7 hours. Lack of sleep will cause the stress hormone cortisol to rise which can intensify the symptoms of keto flu like irritability and fatigue.
Ease into keto by gradually cutting carbs while increasing fat. This gives the body more time to adjust instead of throwing it into carb shock from the get-go.
Don’t jump into doing strenuous exercise unless your body is well adapted to it. Even then, you may want to reduce the intensity and duration for the first week. Light exercise like walking is a good option and may actually help with the symptoms.
Consider exogenous ketone supplements. Many will poo poo on this because they don’t believe in them or think they don’t have a place in the keto way of living. I disagree. Exogenous ketones will give you the same effects as creating your own within your body (endogenous ketones) like reduced cravings, reduced appetite, more energy, better concentration, better moods, and better sleep. They also contain electrolytes. All this combined makes the transition to keto so much easier. This is how I started. I never got the keto flu or suffered any negative issues other than keto breath. 😛 It seriously made the transition into keto super easy. Are they needed? No. But why suffer if you don’t have to? But to each his own. I figure I’ve suffered enough over the past 42 years of yo-yo dieting. Once fat adapted and your body is making its own ketones, then you won’t need exogenous ketones to reap the same benefits.
Erm…what can I do about constipation?
It’s not uncommon for those starting a keto diet to have temporary constipation. Your body has been used to eating a lot of carbs and therefore a lot of fiber. Your body will need time to adjust. Most of the time it will correct itself.
Here are some common reasons why people get constipated:
Gluten & Grains–no problem, eliminated on keto
Casein (dairy)–ruh roh!
Cruciferous Veggies–ummm…yeah
Legumes–mostly eliminated except for occasional peanut/peanut butter
Nuts & Seeds–double ruh roh!
It’s not likely that eating more meat and fat and less fiber is causing the constipation unless you have certain conditions or surgical procedures (digestive diseases, gastric bypass). Unlike fiber, meat and fat are easily and completely digestible. Much less waste.
FYI: There have been some studies showing that increasing fiber can actually cause constipation, so I’m not including that as a solution. Nuts, seeds, grains, and legumes are difficult to digest and can cause issues. If you feel like you really need to add fiber try avocados, olives, cucumbers, and tomatoes. They are technically lower carb fruits and digest much easier.
NOTE: If you experience a difference in bowel movement regularity but aren’t in discomfort like bloating, gas, pain, or hard stools, it may be that you’re just producing less waste. The foods eaten on Keto tend to be more nutritious and dense, therefore, lower in volume which results in less waste.
Here are some things you can try:
Drink more water
Add a little salt to your water
Add MCT oil to drinks/food
Magnesium supplements
Take a probiotic
Apple cider vinegar
Eat sauerkraut
Reduce dairy
Reduce nuts & seeds
Check for food sensitivities (eggs, dairy, soy, peanuts, fish)
Exercise
Smooth Move Tea
Milk of Magnesia
Why do I get headaches while on keto?
Headaches also dubbed “keto headaches” are a fairly common side effect of a ketogenic diet. Due to the reduction in carbs which results in a reduction of glycogen, more fluid along with electrolytes are excreted which can cause dehydration. Glycogen usually helps with fluid retention.
Increasing fluids and good quality electrolytes (especially sodium) will generally help most “keto headaches.” If this is the issue, the headache will usually go away in about 30 minutes.
Another cause is sugar withdrawal. If you were addicted to sugar (bread, sugary drinks, fruit, candy, etc.) and are used to consuming large amounts of it, your body is probably going into shock. It will take a week or two to adjust. Hang in there! You’ll have to ride this one out. It really does get better and being free of sugar addiction is AWESOME!
Lastly, it could be caffeine withdrawal if you’ve cut out sodas and/or coffee. Again, you’ll have to ride this one out, too.
Is it a keto requirement to eat fat bombs and drink Bulletproof coffee?
Absolutely not!
You may find you need some extra fat for the first few weeks while you’re trying to break carb addiction, hunger, and cravings during the transition from being a sugar burner to a fat burner.
Now, if you find you’re not getting in an adequate amount of good fats and protein limit is already met, or you find you’re getting hungry again within a few hour of eating, fat bombs may be an easy solution without going over your protein goals.
Fat coffee is fine, but after the initial first few weeks, it would be better to have it as a meal replacement.
But no, neither one is mandatory on keto. Psssst…you don’t have to eat plates of bacon or sticks of butter, either. 😛
What are some healthy fats?
Fat is the main macro of keto and makes up 70% of total daily calories, but what exactly is HEALTHY fat?
Saturated fats found in meat, butter, cream, eggs, and coconut oil.
Trans-fats (natural) found in meat and dairy, specifically from grass fed cows.
Monounsaturated fats found in olive oil, macadamia oil, and avocados.
Polyunsaturated fats (natural) found in chai seeds, flax seeds, fish, and fish oil.
Healthy oils/Fats
Olive Oil
Avocado Oil
Coconut Oil
Ghee
Butter
Lard
Tallow
Duck Fat
Foods With Healthy Fats
Avocados
Eggs
Ground Beef (80/20)
Bacon
Salmon
Olives
Macadamia Nuts
Brazil Nuts
Almonds
Cheese
Heavy Cream
Coconut Milk
Chai Seeds
Flax Seeds
Sardines
Can I drink alcohol on keto?
Yes, you can, but you might want to avoid or limit it while actively trying to lose fat, especially if you’re just starting keto or are in a stall.
First off, alcohol has no nutritional value. Zero. In other words, it’s full of empty calories. Also, it has 7 calories per gram and alcohol can cause you to make bad food decisions and eat more.
But the HUGE reason to not drink alcohol is that it turns off the body’s ability to use fat for fuel. Since alcohol is toxic to the body, it will focus all its energy trying to get rid of it via the liver. Everything else is paused until it’s processed and out of the body. And if you eat a meal full of carbs and calories, that’s not a good combination.
If you do choose to drink, try to find more keto friendly versions:
Tequila
Whiskey
Rum
Scotch
Brandy
Vodka (unflavored)
Rum
Gin
Cognac
Cabernet Sauvignon
Pinot Noir
Merlot
Pinot Grigio
Sauvignon Blanc
Chardonnay
Riesling
Champagne
Bud Select
Michelob Ultra
Miller Lite
Michelob Ultra Amber
Coors Light
Bud Light
Avoid:
Non light beer (also known as liquid bread)
Sugary Mixers
Sweet Wines
Flavored Alcohols
What are macros?
Macro is short for macronutrient which consists of fats, protein, and carbohydrates. They make up the calorie content of food and provide fuel for the body. The ratio of each macro can dramatically affect your health and weight loss results!
Fats (9 calories per gram)
Dietary fat is needed for growth, absorption of certain vitamins (Vitamins A, D, E, K, and carotenoids), protective cushioning of organs, maintaining cell membranes, and providing energy.
Fat is broken down into glycerol and fatty acids. Since our bodies can’t produce two of the fatty acids it needs (linoleic acid, alpha-linolenic acid), dietary fat is an essential macro.
Fats help keep us full and satiated and is a major component in the ketogenic diet, consisting of 70% of daily calories.
Protein (4 calories per gram)
Protein is an essential macronutrient. It is the building blocks of our body.
The body requires us to consume protein because it cannot make 9 amino acids (histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, valine, tryptophan, phenylalanine, methionine, threonine) on its own.
Protein plays an important role in growth, immune function, production of essential hormones and enzymes, tissue repair, preserving lean muscle mass, and providing energy when carbohydrates are restricted.
To preserve muscle mass, you need a minimum 0.7 to 0.8 grams of dietary protein per pound of muscle. Protein makes up 20% of total daily calories.
Carbohydrates (4 calories per gram)
Carbs are not an essential macronutrient. Our bodies can make glucose if needed from other sources.
Carbs are made up of sugar, fiber, and starches. The body uses carbs to create glucose which provides an energy source.
Carbs make up about 5% of daily calories or 20 net grams total.
Do I have to count macros?
I highly recommend that you count macros at least for the first month until you get a good grip on what your body needs. Then after that, revisit macro values as needed like if you hit a stall or start gaining. Also after a decent amount of weight loss (20 lbs), you will usually need to recalculate macros to stay on track.
Do I have to count calories?
Calories do matter, however, they tend to not play as big of a part in keto due to the satiating effect of fat. It’s harder to overeat fat than it is to overeat carbs. Also, appetite and cravings are greatly reduced due to carb restriction which also lends to eating less.
Help, I’ve stalled, and I’m doing everything right.
Okay, first off, let’s talk about what a true stall is.
It’s not failing to lose a little each and every day. Or week. Or even a month.
A true stall is when you have ZERO change in weight or measurement for a minimum of 6 weeks. Yeah, it sucks not seeing results as often as you’d like, but it doesn’t make it a stall or mean your body is not actively working on it.
Your body is a complex biological machine. There are many changes going on besides just weight loss. And a huge one is hormones.
Just understand that amazing things are going on within your body that cannot be measured on a scale. Inflammation is going down and diseases that took years to accumulate are being improved or reversed. Your body is working hard to restore your health from within.
Remember that fat storage is the body’s survival mechanism against starvation, so it will fight much harder to hold on to its fat than it does to keep fat from increasing..
If you happen to lose a good amount of “weight” the first week or two, don’t compare that with future weight loss. It’s primarily water loss and that’s a good thing! When you ingest carbs, they get converted to glycogen and stored in the muscles for later use. And for every gram of glycogen stored, there is 2.7 grams of water stored along with it. When you restrict carbs, that water storage is eliminated.
Also, don’t ever compare your results with someone other than YOU. Each person is unique and will have his/her own journey. No two people will lose exactly the same. Well, maybe if they are identical twins. Don’t know the exact science behind that one.
Losing fat takes time. Trust the process and keto on!
Things to try to jump start a true stall:
Count calories to make sure you’re where you need to be
Recalculate macros to your current weight
Up calories a little
Lower calories a little
Cycle between calorie restriction and maintenance calories
Lower carbs more or start counting total carbs instead of net
Exercise, but not too strenuous
Check for hidden carbs in spices, drinks, condiments, etc
Add in intermittent fasting, but only if you’re fat adapted
Try cutting out or limiting dairy
Cut out keto desserts and bread
Cut out/reduce nuts
Cut out/reduce sugar substitutes
Cut out/reduce alcohol
Check to see if protein is too high or not adequate enough
Get adequate sleep
Reduce stress the best you can
Remember that the closer you get to your goal weight, the harder it becomes and the longer it may take. The body doesn’t want to give up its survival stores of energy. It doesn’t know we have abundant food sources unlike our ancestors. Plus, more than likely, your resting metabolic rate has dropped along with your weight. In other words, you need fewer calories the less you weigh.
What do the keto abbreviations, acronyms, and terms mean?
ACV: Apple Cider Vinegar
AS: Artificial Sweetener
BG: Blood Glucose
BMI: Body Mass Index (ratio between height and weight)
BMR: Basal Metabolic Rate (# of calories your body needs to function at rest)
BPC: Bullet Proof Coffee
Carb: Carbohydrate
CICO: Calories in, Calories out
CW: Current Weight
FA: Fat Adapted
Fat Bombs: a keto diet treat that’s high in fat
GF: Grain Free
Ghee: Clarified Butter
Gluconeogenises: Process where the liver converts protein into glucose
Glycolysis: A metabolic state where the liver turns carbs into glycogen (sugar/glucose)
GW: Goal Weight
H1c/A1C: a test that averages the last three months of blood glucose levels
HF: High Fat
HWC: Heavy Whipping Cream
IF: Intermittent Fasting
IR: Insulin Resistance
Keto Adapted: When the body’s preferred fuel is fat/ketones
Keto Flu: Flu like symptoms that develop after starting a ketogenic diet
Keto Rash: An itchy rash that can develop after starting a ketogenic diet.
Ketogenic Diet: Low carb, high fat, moderate protein
Ketosis: Metabolic state where the liver turns fat into ketones and uses as fuel
KO: Keto On!
LBM: Lean Body Mass
LCHF: Low Carb High Fat
Macros: Macronutrients (fat, protein, carbs)
MCT: Medium Chain Triglycerides associated with coconut oil
Net Carbs: Total cabs – fiber- minus sugar alcohols (erythritol)
NK: Nutritional Ketosis
NSV: Non-Scale Victory
SA: Sugar Alcohols
SAD: Standard American Diet
Shark week: menstrual cycle
TDEE: Total Daily Energy Expenditure (total calories burned in a day, including exercise)
SW: Start Weight
WOE: Way of Eating
WOL: Way of Life
What can I drink besides water on a keto diet?
Tea
Coffee
Flavored Water/Sparkling Water
Hint
La Croix
Bai
Vitamin Water Zero
Nestle Splash (contains sucralose)*
Fruit 2 0 (contains sucralose)*
Ice (contains sucralose)*
Soda
Zevia
Sports/Energy Drinks
Powerade Zero (contains sucralose)*
Bang (contains sucralose)*
Monster Absolutely Zero
Water Enhancers
Stur
Crystal Light LIQUID (contains sucralose)*
Mio (contains sucralose)*
Dasani Drops (contains sucralose)*
Milk Substitutes
Unsweet Coconut Milk
Unsweet Almond Milk
*The pure liquid form of the artificial sweetener, sucralose, doesn’t contain blood sugar spiking bulking ingredients like Splenda does, however, limiting the intake of sucralose is advised.
Won’t eating more fat make you fat?
First of all, healthy fat is an essential macronutrient, meaning you can’t live without it. The body relies on dietary fat because it cannot make the fatty acids, linoleic and linolenic.
Healthy fat (olive oil, avocados, nuts, salmon, olives, coconut oil, butter) alone will not make you fat unless it’s eaten in excess. The studies “proving” the “fat makes you fat” theory only had the subjects ingesting bad trans fat, not healthy fats. HUGE difference. But the food industry and our government don’t care about that little detail and continue to this day to perpetuate this false narrative. Calories are not all the same! It may be true in a laboratory where they use a bomb calorimeter (currently, the Atwater system is used), but not in the human body where hormones play a huge part.
Having an excess of dietary fat combined with sugar and refined carbohydrates is a whole other story and a disaster in the making. It’s not the fat causing the issue, but the carbs in combination with the fat. When you ingest sugar and refined carbs, blood sugar spikes, causing insulin to spike in order to deal with the excess glucose. Since insulin is a fat storing hormone, it will shuttle any unused fat along with the glucose into storage as adipose tissue. Voila! Not so lovely love handles, belly rolls, and saddle bags!
Here’s a good video from Thomas DeLauer on saturated fats.
Won’t eating high fat cause cholesterol to go sky high?
Thomas DeLauer does a much better job of explaining this than I ever could.
Well worth the little bit of time it takes to watch each one, especially if you’re really worried about the high fat nature of the keto way of eating and cholesterol.
Dr. Ken Berry does a good job of explaining in simple terms how you can increase your HDL and lower your triglycerides.
Dr. David Diamond gives a lecture on the demonization and deception in research of saturated fat, cholesterol, and heart disease.
Can I have fruit on a keto diet?
Fruit is full of sugar (fructose) and is often thought of as nature’s candy. It will spike blood glucose much like candy which in turn will spike insulin. Spiking insulin is what we want to avoid on keto. When insulin is spiked, fat burning will cease.
The key is finding lower carb fruits like berries (strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, blueberries) and eating them in moderation. Another all around good fruit is avocados. Yep, it really is a fruit! And it’s the lowest carb fruit of them all. And as a bonus, it’s packed with nutrients like healthy fats, vitamins, minerals, fiber, antioxidants, phytonutrients, and protein.
Avoid higher carb fruits like bananas, apples, mangos, peaches, grapes, pineapple, and watermelon. I know, my favorites, too. Ugh!
Can you have low-carb sugar substitutes on keto?
There are certain keto groups and keto gurus that claim you shouldn’t have any sweeteners at all because it may cause sugar cravings, insulin spikes, and possibly getting kicked out of ketosis for some people. Generally speaking, for most people keto approved sweeteners are not a problem and can be enjoyed in moderation. I would suggest checking blood glucose levels after using a sweetener to make sure it doesn’t affect you. Some may while others won’t. Find what’s right for you.
Keto “approved” sweeteners that tend to have less effect on blood sugar for most people are:
Erythritol
Stevia
Monk Fruit
Allulose
Inulin
Sucralose (pure form, no Splenda)
Always be sure to check ingredients. Many of the powdered sugar substitutes are bulked with ingredients that are known to spike blood sugar/insulin like maltitol, dextrose, or maltodextrin.
Here’s a good video on the effects of low carb sweeteners:
Why do I all of a sudden have an increase in appetite while doing keto?
It could be several different things…
Lack of sleep
Stress
Certain time of the month (shark week)
More carbs than usual
A reaction to sugar substitutes
Dehydrated
Not enough fat
Not enough protein
Not enough calories
Lack of electrolytes
Lack of nutrient dense foods or not eating a variety of foods
Close to IDEAL weight
Pregnancy
Aren’t carbs required for our bodies to function?
So what is the minimum amount of carbs that are essential to our bodies?
Big fat ZERO! Yep, that’s right. Carbs are not essential to life if you eat enough and the right kinds of fat and protein.
Essential means that you must consume something because your body can’t make it on its own.
Fat and protein ARE essential to life because the body can’t produce all of what’s needed from them. For example, there are some fatty acids (linoleic acid and alpha linolenic acid) and amino acids (phenylalanine, methionine, lysine, leucine, isoleucine, threonine, histidine, valine, and tryptopan) that must be ingested.
Our bodies can manufacture glucose when needed from other substrates using the process of gluconeogenesis. It doesn’t have to rely on carbs. And fats can be used as a direct energy source.
FYI: Humans have only been consuming grains for a very short period from an evolutionary point. Our bodies are not genetically adapted to grains. Hello gluten intolerance and celiac disease.
Carbohydrates may not be an essential nutrient, but I do believe they have a place in the ketogenic way of eating. Just be sure to choose the more healthy, keto friendly, and nutrient dense options.
What are other names for sugar that should be looked for in ingredients and avoided?
Since food manufacturers know many of us are checking labels for sugar, they try hiding it in plain sight by using different names. Pretty tricky and a little bit evil.
See, adding sugar to foods makes you addicted to it and want even more. They are well aware of the effect sugar has on us. It’s like a drug–give them a little here and a little there until they can’t live without it. Pretty sad, but true. And that’s why sugar ends up in foods that it doesn’t belong in like soup, potato chips, seasonings, canned vegetables, etc. A whopping 70+% of processed foods are loaded with sugar. Ugh!
I can’t stress enough how important it is to check labels for ingredients. You will be surprised just how many products contain various forms of sugar.
Watch for any ingredient with the word “syrup” or “sugar.”
The words “crystals” and “concentrate” should be scrutinized as well.
Words ending in “-ose” usually mean added sugar.
Also, the higher the word is on the ingredient list, the more of it the product contains.
Here are some of the sneaky and not so sneaky words they use:
Agave nectar
Barbados sugar
Beet sugar
Blackstrap molasses
Brown sugar
Brown rice sugar
Cane juice
Cane sugar
Caramel
Coconut sugar
Corn sweetener
Corn syrup
Confectioner’s sugar
Carob syrup
Castor sugar
Date sugar
Dehydrated corn juice
Dextran
Dextrose
Diatase
Ethyl maltol
Fructose
Fruit juice
Fruit juice concentrate
Galactose
Glucose
Golden sugar
Golden syrup
Grape sugar
High fructose corn syrup
Honey
Lactose
Malt
Maltodextrin
Maltose
Malt syrup
Mannitol
Maple syrup
Molasses
Oat syrup
Organic raw sugar
Powdered sugar
Raw sugar
Refiner’s sugar
Rice syrup
Sorbitol
Sorghum syrup
Sucrose
Tapioca syrup
Treacle
Turbinado sugar
Yellow sugar
What sugar substitutes should be avoided?
Sugar Alcohols
Some sugar alcohols are higher in glycemic index and cause more stomach issues. Use caution when consuming these:
Maltitol
Sorbitol
Lacitol
Glycerol
Isomalt
*Xylitol
*Many on keto use this because it tastes closest to sugar, but I added it to the list because of the higher rate of stomach issues, higher glycemic index than erythritol, and because it’s toxic to dogs even in small amounts. Use caution if you choose this sugar substitute.
Artificial Sweeteners
Artificial sweeteners are commonly used in processed foods like sodas, candy, baked goods, dairy products, powdered drink mixes, and canned foods.
Some people claim to have glucose spikes after ingesting these sweeteners. I would suggest checking with a blood glucose meter to see how they affect you.
I personally don’t recommend any artificial sweetener due to their potential negative health effects, but pure sucralose in moderation is fine.
Aspartame (Equal, NutraSweet)
Saccharin (Sweet ‘N Low)
Acesulfame K
*Sucralose (Splenda)
*The pure liquid form of sucralose has a 0 glycemic index and is not bulked with higher glycemic sweeteners, so it should be fine used in moderation.
Can you go back to eating carbs once you reach your goal weight?
The ketogenic way of eating is not a short term fix. It’s a lifestyle change. In other words, you’re in it for the long run. Not just lose a few pounds and go back to the way you used to eat that got you in the place where you needed to lose weight in the first place. Remember, “diets” don’t work for this very reason.
And if you started the ketogenic diet for other reasons than weight loss, you most definitely don’t want to go back to eating what caused or aggravated your condition to begin with. Eliminating the inflammatory substance temporarily won’t forever cure the issue.
Sustained adherence is where the magic happens. And if you really give it a shot, you’ll feel so good and realize how easy it is to maintain any weight loss, that you won’t want to go back to eating what caused the issue.
A few minutes of pleasure eating does not compare to the awesome benefits you receive from maintaining a clean keto way of eating. I really didn’t think I could give up sweets or bread. Now, it doesn’t even bother me. Besides, I can find some kind of substitution for almost anything.
*steps off soapbox* 😛
Now, after you’ve reached your goals, you may be able to add back in some good carbs a little at a time until you find where your happy place resides. That doesn’t mean bread, sugar, and processed crap. 😛
Start by raising your carb limit by 10-20 grams a day. Do that for a week and see how that works out. Once you start feeling a little blah or gain weight, you’ll know you reached your limit.
Some won’t be as lucky in upping carbs, like if you have Hashimotos disease or are seriously insulin resistant. Sucks, but it’s the truth. Each person is unique and will have his/her own issues. Adjust accordingly.
What supplements should I take?
With the exception of sodium, here are a few supplements you might want to consider regardless of what diet you follow. Sodium is the only keto specific supplement suggested.
Due to the diuretic affect of low carb diets, electrolytes and especially sodium tend to get eliminated from the body along with the fluid loss. Sodium deficiency is a major contributor to many of the side effects of going low carb/keto. For most of our lives, we’ve been told that sodium is bad and should limit it. Not so much when you greatly reduce carbs. You will need to increase it, especially in the beginning.
Symptoms: weakness, fatigue, difficulty concentrating, headaches
Add a pinch of salt to your water and/or be a little more liberal with salting food.
Due to poor diets filled with processed foods and medications that zap magnesium, many are lacking in the magnesium department. For most, it’s probably not a bad idea to check into it. And many of the magnesium rich foods are NOT very keto friendly like beans & fruit.
Symptoms: muscle twitching or cramping at night or after exercise, irritability, trouble sleeping
Daily need: 400mg
Avocados, spinach, chai seeds, and almonds are good sources of natural magnesium.
Warning: check with your doctor if you have kidney disease or if you’re on a medication that might react negatively with magnesium.
Omega 3 (fish or krill oil)
Since Omega 6 tends to be found in more abundance in the typical American diet, it’s good to supplement with Omega 3 to help balance Omega 6. An imbalance of Omega 6 can cause inflammation.
Look for a 500mg combination of EPA and DHA per 1,000mg
Salmon, sardines, and anchovies are great sources.
Warning: consult a doctor if you’re on a blood thinning medication
Vitamin D3 (“Sunlight” vitamin)
Many are deficient in this vitamin regardless of diet.
More extreme symptoms: muscle and bone pain, depression, & increased blood pressure. Mild deficiencies don’t really have noticeable symptoms.
Not really any good food source for this. Get some sun for a natural boost.
***Always check with your doctor before starting any supplements.
What are your favorite cookbooks?
Here are some of my favorites.
Journey to Health: A Journey Worth Taking: Cooking Keto with Kristie
The Everyday Ketogenic Kitchen
Bacon & Butter: The Ultimate Ketogenic Diet Cookbook
Simply Keto: A Practical Approach to Health & Weight Loss
The Keto Diet: The Complete Guide to a High-Fat Diet
Easy Keto Desserts
Can I have a cheat meal?
I’m not a big fan of calling eating off-plan “cheating.” The definition of cheating is
a person who behaves dishonestly in order to gain an advantage. Well, the way I see it is there really isn’t any “advantage” gained by eating off-plan. Perhaps the 2 minutes of pleasure you gain from tasting the food, but that’s about it.
Personally, I feel that if you choose to eat off-plan, then accept the responsibility and consequences of that choice. You’re an adult with free will. If you make that decision, own it. Understand that there will be consequences. And sometimes it’s a way higher price than you anticipated, so be sure it’s worth it to you.
Don’t get upset and mad at yourself later when those consequences come to fruition. Remember, you made that choice knowing the possibility that there would probably be a setback of some kind. No need to feel guilt or confess how bad you were.
Just jump back on plan and keto on!
I don’t eat off plan (including holidays) except the once or twice a year my husband and I go on a cruise. Even then, I mostly eat on plan and follow my intermittent fasting schedule. I allow drinks and one dessert. I know that I will gain about 5lbs and I’m okay with that. I get right back on plan the minute I step off the ship. I usually have it back off in a week. I know the consequences, make the choice that it’s worth it, then get right back on track. No surprise. No guilt. No blame.
Basically what I’m getting at is that when special occasions arise, you are not “cheating” if you allow yourself to partake in non-keto foods. You are making a CONSCIOUS choice! There are no keto police out there watching every move you make. Just be sure you’re ready for the consequences of your choice.
NOTE: Changing your mindset from “I can’t have that” to “I CHOOSE not to have it because it’s not worth it” makes all the difference in the world. Let’s get real. Unless you have someone who follows you around and slaps food out of your hand, it’s YOUR choice. Choices over restrictions. This isn’t a diet in the traditional sense of the word. It’s a lifestyle and life is meant to be lived.
IMPORTANT: if you’re doing keto for reasons other than weight loss, please use caution when making the choice to eat off-plan. It can cause symptoms to come flooding back. It’s just not worth it.
Who should do this diet?
Let me start by saying I’m not a doctor, nutritionist, or health professional. I’m speaking from over a year of experience and a ridiculous amount of research. To be safe, consult with your doctor before starting any diet, especially if taking medication.
For most people, a well-formulated ketogenic diet is a safe and healthy way to eat and contains all the brain and body requires to function. It’s definitely better than the Standard American Diet (SAD) that’s full of grains, sugar, and processed foods.
The ketogenic diet can improve and sometimes reverse chronic diseases and conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure, inflammatory diseases, and mood disorders.
But there can be some potentially problematic issues. If you fit into these categories, it would be wise to have medical supervision, especially during the beginning.
Medications
Blood pressure medications–sudden drops in blood pressure due to fluid loss and weight loss. You may need to adjust medication.
Diabetes medication–sudden drops in blood sugar can happen because of the carb restriction, so medication may need to be lowered.
Lithium–lithium can become more concentrated due to the loss of fluids in the blood.
Medical/Psychiatric Conditions
Gallbladdar diseases–increased fat intake can be hard to digest
Bariatric surgery–increased fats are harder to absorb
Very lean body–may lose even more fat
Rare metabolic disorders that interfere with normal fat metabolism
Pancreatic insufficiency–fats are more difficult to digest
Pregnant or breastfeeding women
Children
What are the best macro/keto apps?
Carb counter
Barcode scanner
Tracks net carbs
Weight and BMI charts
Water intake tracker
Meal plans
Recipes
Articles
Analysis (streaks, benchmarks, macros, intermittent fasting, and more)
Available online, iTunes, Google Play
Cost: basic-free, premium-$39.99/year
Track both macro and micronutrients
Accurate food database
Very detailed macro and micronutrients
Weight, mood, sleep tracker
Barcode scanner
Based on Dr. Mercola’s book Fat for Fuel
Available online, iTunes, Google Play
Cost: online-free, basic app-$2.99, Gold-$ 5.99/month or $34.95/year
Food & macro tracking
Barcode scanner
Large food database
Progress graph
Water intake tracker
Social sharing
Available online, iTunes, Google Play
Cost: basic-free, premium-$9.99/month or $49.99/year
What is intermittent fasting?
Fasting is abstaining from food and drink for a period of time. It’s been around for thoughsands of years and is not the same thing as “starving” yourself. Starvation is generally the involuntary absence of food. Fasting is choosing to abstain from food for spiritual and/or health reasons.
While in a fasted state, your body burns fat that isn’t accessible when it’s in the fed state. In order to access fat, insulin has to be very low. This can’t happen while food is still in your system. Food (especially carbs) triggers the release of insulin, so that means no fat burning. That’s why the whole eat-6-meals-a-day thing is not such a great idea if you are trying to access your fat store. Your body isn’t in a fasted state long enough to burn that fat.
Intermittent fasting is a pattern of eating that involves cycling between periods of eating and fasting. You have a specific window of time in which you eat.
Here are some popular patterns:
16:8-fast for 16 hours of the day and eat within an 8 hour window
20:4-fast for 20 hours of the day and eat within a 4 hour window
OMAD-eating one meal a day
5:2-eat normally for 5 days and restrict calories to 500-600 on the other 2 days
Eat-Stop-Eat-24 hour fast once or twice a week
Benefits of fasting:
Weight loss
Improved mental clarity
Decreased blood sugar and insulin levels
Promotes insulin sensitivity
Increased energy
Type 2 diabetes reversal
Increased fat burning
Increased growth hormone
Decreased cholesterol
Decreased inflammation
Potential increase in life span
Potential prevention of Alzheimer’s disease
Potential autophagy (cellular cleansing)
Sounds a lot like the benefits of a ketogenic diet, huh?
Speaking from experience…
Keto + IF = Supercalifragilisticexpialidociously AWESOME
What made you take the leap?
Honestly, I stumbled onto keto. Sometimes I need a catalyst to get things started. And after regaining 55lbs of my hard won 90 lbs weight loss, I needed something fast. My daughter wanted to try some exogenous ketones a friend of hers promoted, so I decided to give it a go with her.
After taking it for one day, I was hooked. I felt awesome. My cravings and appetite decreased to the point I no longer cared about food. And believe me, that’s huge. Anyway, I decided to do more research on those crazy euphoric inducing little things called ketones and came across the ketogenic way of eating.
Since I really had no cravings or appetite due to the exogenous ketones, it was super easy to transition to keto, especially since I had already started cutting out most of the “bad” carbs like sugar, bread, pasta, rice, processed foods, etc, anyway.
And once I started adding in fats after soooooooooo many years of eating low fat/no fat, I was in heaven. OMG! I had no clue how good food could be. I seriously don’t miss my old way of eating. Well, okay, perhaps I do miss Chuy’s Mexican Martinis. BUT, my hubby makes a pretty darn good keto friendly substitution, so it’s all good!
I completely and totally love the ketogenic way of eating. I plan to eat this way for the rest of my life. It’s the most liberating experience I’ve ever had because food no longer controls me. I’m free of food addiction! And that’s why I do what I do. I want everyone to have the same experience as me.
