We have all heard about the Ketogenic diet, most of us know someone who has tried it or we have tried it ourselves, but what are the benefits?
Inflammation is involved in all illnesses and diseases. By reducing carbohydrates you will also reduce your inflammation.
Why does keto reduce inflammation? By reducing carbs your body will start burning excess fat in the form of ketones, you will start to feel a difference with your joints and pain very quickly.
When your body is burning off the stored fat you will not only feel better but you will look better!
Things to avoid when beginning keto is pretty simple, you don't eat more than an average of 50 carbohydrates, but..... if you choose to eat "dirty keto", bacon, eggs, hamburger patties, pork rinds, and cheese you may not end up with the health benefits that you would on "clean keto".
Things I recommend on clean keto include: Organic clean meats, no sucralose, only clean fats (ditch the margarine and vegetable oils, these are super inflammatory), limited dairy, and what dairy you choose needs to be organic, conventional dairy is loaded with inflammatory properties.
Snacks can include macadamia nuts, pecans, almonds (in moderation due to the phytic acid), and brazil nuts.
Don't jump in head first and end up quitting... if you deprive yourself you may end up bailing out too soon.
Remember, fat is good! But if you're not going to reduce your carbs, DON'T increase your fats!
The macro tracker I use is Cronometer, it's free, just search it on the app/play store.
One big problem many people run into is substituting a meal with a low-quality shake. There are some good ones out there but you need to read the labels! If your shake has maltodextrin in it, RUN away! Maltodextrin is a sugar and will cause you to gain weight.
If your shake has sucralose in it, avoid it, it kills your good gut bacterial which is essential for weight loss and good health (both physical and mental health)
The main problem when starting a low carb diet is people don't get enough fiber or electrolytes. Be sure your fiber is mainly insoluble and you are getting at least the minimum recommended amount daily. Tip: add some "REAL salt" to your water to help with electrolytes.
Worried about cholesterol on keto? You may see your LDL increase which means your body is releasing stored fat, you will likely also see your HDL increase, this is the GOOD cholesterol, this and triglycerides is what you need to focus on! Did you know that inflammation in the arteries is the cause of elevated cholesterol?
If you chose to do "dirty keto" you ultimately can use the FAKE sugars but make sure your little packets do not include maltodextrin, this is common when individually packaged and may prevent you from getting into ketosis.
The best tip I can give to a keto NEWBIE is to start with intermittent fasting... this will support the excess fat burn off and also gives your digestive tract a break.
We have a support group that is free to join, we are there to help with all your weight loss and health needs.
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