Now a day’s Ketogenic diet is a hot trend in all the food industry due to all the research and studies showing the benefits of being on a low carb diet and how it`s beneficial to health. Keto diet is all about reducing your intake of carbohydrates and replacing it with healthy fats. When you cut carbs from your diet, you re-alter the body to run on body fat as its main fuel of energy.
Studies show that following a high fat, low carbs diet can provide many health benefits like drastic weight loss, improved brain function and reduced inflammation. But the thought of reducing carbs from the diet can de-motivate people from adopting this way of eating.
If you are a beginner then you must have heard about various myths like calories don’t matter you can eat as much as you want on keto etc. Such false information creates confusion and puts a new keto dieter in a dilemma that should he\she start his\her journey of keto diet or not.
In this article, you will get to know the tips and tricks about how to go about this diet. Also, you’ll be able to clear all the myths and misconceptions and all these tips will help you give practical strategies so that you can get the desired results.
Here are some of the tips to keep you going on your keto journey:
Take no stress
Stress creates a barrier for your body to enter ketosis. Because cortisol which is stress hormone increases the blood sugar level, which in turn hinders the body from melting fats for energy because there is too much sugar in the blood already. It is not advised not to go on a keto diet if you are going through a high-stress period.
The best idea is to go on a keto journey when there is minimum or no stress so that you can focus more on getting into ketosis rather than something else. You can also reduce your stress by exercising frequently, listening to good music, do what you love, having enough sleep, following some relaxation techniques like yoga and meditation, etc.
Many people may demotivate you by saying that keto causes chronic stress and that you have to be in starvation mode. Once you enter ketosis and you remain on ketosis; your stress levels automatically decrease and your body gets adapted to all the changes in diet.
Stay hydrated
Drinking a plenty amount of water is important in every diet you follow be it high protein, high fat, gm diet, etc. Staying hydrated in keto diet is more important because when there are no carbs in your body, it excretes more amount of water.
Your goal should be drinking half of your bodyweight (ounces)of H2O at least. You must drink more water when there is more sweating after workouts or on a hot summer day.
Be ready for Keto Flu
When you start a low carb diet you will certainly face flu-like symptoms in the first few days initially. This is due to there is a drastic loss of water and minerals. Most of the flu symptoms can be corrected by keeping yourself well hydrated all the times and by taking mineral-rich foods in your diet.
If you experience these symptoms even after 2-3 weeks then you must consult a doctor to see whether this diet is ideal for you or not.
Focus on your sleeping pattern
There must be a proper sleeping schedule that must be followed when on keto diet for optimum results. As we have discussed above that stress level increases if we have poor sleep and as a result, it hinders the body from burning fats and become a source of energy for the body. Also, one should focus on the quality of sleep.
1. Your sleep goal should be at least 7-9 hours of quality sleep every night.
2. One can try these simple tips for better sleep:
3. Wear eyeshades and earplugs.
4. Sleep and wake up at the same time every day.
5. No alcohol before bed.
6. Sleep in a dark, chilly room.
7. Have exposure of sunlight every day.
8. No screen time before bed.
9. Try to stop the consumption of caffeine afternoon.
Try intermittent fasting
Intermittent Fasting (IF) is the most important and effective step which can put you in action for ketosis and helps you shed pounds. IF is a type of fasting where you eat\drink for a limited period of time. As a result, calorie intake is allowed only for an allotted period of time. When you limit the intake of calorie to a few hours, the body starts reducing all the available glucose which is stored in the body. For body to start burning the fats for energy which is the main point of the keto diet, body has to first utilize all the glucose that is present in the body.
Most people naturally stop having breakfast once they start keto because when you become fat adaptive, automatically there is a decline in your hunger pangs, which makes it easy to stay away from food for longer period of time. The primary rule of low carbs is to eat when you are starving and stop when full. Having food within a window of 8 hours called 16:8 fast
If you are stepping on to IF as a beginner, then you can try with skipping breakfast in the morning first which can help you boost your keto journey.
If you already follow keto then fat fasting is also good for weight loss plateau. Fat fasting is that when the intake of fat is 80-90%of calories for only a limited period of time and reducing other foods, this should not be done for more than 3-5 days. This will help your body to speed up the metabolism to reduce weight and burn fat.
Include fibers and minerals from vegetable sources
You must include all the required vegetables in the diet to make sure that your body is getting all the major nutrients for maintaining and improving your gut health.
Your goal should be for non-starchy and nutrient-dense vegetables because they are generally low in calories like spinach, cauliflower, broccoli, kale, cabbage, etc. You must try these if you want your stomach to feel full.
Plan first and then follow your budget
Whenever you start or follow a new diet you should start planning for your meals. Planning of meals and snacks before time can help you with your grocery list and will also avoid the feeling of having nothing to eat away. Your aim should be of 5 grams carbs in each meal to balance the carb consumption and to be on track throughout the day.
Many people believe that keto diet is an expensive diet but eating healthy should never be expensive. By following certain tips and tricks, you will end up spending less than before. Some of the tips are as follow:
1. Search for offers, coupons, discounts and then plan your meal accordingly.
2. Buy and make meals in bulk.
3. Prepare most meals on your own.
4. Make your meals using simple and cheap ingredients.
5. Stick to less expensive beverages.
6. Buy seasonally available vegetables.
7. Avoid keto supplements.
8. Skip snacks and desserts.
9. Use coconut oil, extra virgin olive oil for cooking.
By following these tips, you can cut costs of many meal and stay on keto without spending much.
Increase salt intake
When we eat carbs then automatically the amount of sodium because high carbs mean high insulin and high insulin means that kidney start to retain sodium. So high intake of salt is restricted in high carbs diet.
When you are following low carb diet, then insulin levels are low and body excretes excess salt because there are no carbs in body hold onto sodium.
When you are in the state of ketosis, you can add 3-5grams of salt in your diet which in turn helps you avoid electrolyte imbalances.
Some healthy ways to add more salt in your diet:
1. Adding pink salt to your water.
2. Sprinkling pink salt on your meals.
3. Eating cucumber and celery which are low carb foods.
4. Adding salted nuts to your diet.
5. Having bone broth regularly.
Regular exercise
To get into the state of ketosis, body needs to remove all the glucose present in body. A person following keto diet should maintain a daily exercise schedule to boost the ketone levels and to get on this lifestyle of high fat and low carb diet quickly. Working out uses different forms of energy for fuel like carbs, fats, amino acids.
For glycogen stores to get depleted from body, one must exercise on a daily basis. And once there are no glycogen stores, body uses other forms of fuel.
For the balance of blood sugar, you must include high intensity and low-intensity exercises in your routine. You can include weight training, walking, jogging, running.
Use supplements
Supplements like MCT (medium-chain triglyceride) oil can help you get into ketosis faster without full depletion of glycogen stores. They are instantly metabolized into ketone bodies and use it for energy without going through your stomach for digestion. Coconut oil is the same as MCT, but it is different at the molecular level.
Restrict soda
Zero calories don’t mean that it’s a keto drink. Diet sodas contain some sugar substitutes which shows that sugar is entering your body, which results in high blood sugar levels. No sweeteners should be included in the diet because they only increase your cravings.
You can have sparkling water, instead of diet soda.
Calculate your carbs intake
Consumption of carbs should be limited to only 50grams max through the day. While calculating carb intake, only calculate the net carbs of total daily intake.
Net carbs= total carbs-fiber
You should always measure carbs intake.
You should also be careful about the hidden carbs in certain foods which are loaded with sugar.
You should always check the labels and find the ingredients.
You should always look at nutritional facts to know everything about that particular food.
Some of the examples of keto foods with hidden carbs:
- Milk
- Fruits
- Low-fat foods – yogurt
- Breaded meats
- 5.Chicken wings with sauces
Consume keto-friendly snacks
Time is an immense factor with regards to adhering to the ketogenic diet. Numerous individuals are disheartened because of the measure of handmade dinners you need to make. An extraordinary solution for this is to get ready the same number of keto-friendly snacks as you can, carb substantial bites when you are lacking in time.
Some examples of keto snacks are:
1. Hardboiled eggs
2. Keto chips
3. Finger foods
4. Flaxseed crackers
5. Keto fries
6. Chocolate mousse
7. Keto cookies
8. Beef jerky
9. Superfood meatballs
Collaborate with people who follow keto diet
Social support is the most overlooked tip and is very useful. When people who share same questions, concerns, struggles, etc., it is easier to stay and get the desired results. You should read the success stories and struggles of people to motivate yourself and to be on track.
Eat homemade food
After reading so much about keto diet, you now know what all to eat and what all to avoid. There are so many recipes online about keto, which you can pick and cook for yourself. You can find breakfast, lunch, dinner, keto-friendly condiments, keto desserts. You can buy all the ingredients in advance to prepare your meals.
The benefit of making your meal on your own is that you know every ingredient you put in your recipe and then you can calculate your carbs. Invest in meal plans.
Try Batch cooking
Batch cooking is cooking your meals for a week so that you don’t slip up when the mealtime comes. It helps cook makes tasty meals for keeping you on track throughout the week.
No carbs in your kitchen
Once you decide to follow keto diet, your first step should be cleaning your kitchen and clear out all the carb from the kitchen including pasta, rice, candy, bread, sodas, etc. this step will help you remain on a keto diet.
Many people stick to keto only if they have access to healthy keto food. You should replace all the carbs food to keto-friendly food. So that when those carb cravings start, you can only have keto food rather than your comfort food.
Be prepared for outings and dinners
Now a day’s every restaurant’s menu has a dish which is keto-friendly. You must go for that option or request them to make a dish according to your needs. With a lot of creativity and skills, cafes and restaurants are growing and started listing of food according to dieters too.
When you initially start with the diet, you may be confused with what all to eat and what not to eat. But with time it gets easier.
Here are some of the options you can choose when you are out:
1. Breakfast: Any type of eggs and green salad
2. Lunch: You can have salad alternatives which every restaurant has. Food cooked in olive oil.
3. Dinner: Meat dominant meal, steak, serving of vegetables.
It’s better to check the restaurant’s menu before going.
Follow these basic tips and tricks and you will definitely get benefits from your diet and you’ll start seeing the desired results.