Let’s Talk Keto!

The Keto diet has been a hot topic lately – but maybe you’re unsure if this could be right for you?  At QOL we believe that the keto diet can be a great way for some people to achieve their health goals. The word keto has been thrown around a lot lately but in case you’re unsure of what this diet really entails we are here to give you a crash course.

A keto or ketogenic diet is a very low-carb diet, which turns the body into a fat-burning machine! A Ketogenic diet typically limits carbs down to 20-50 grams per day. While this may seem challenging, many nutritious foods can easily be fit into this way of eating.

There are different types of Ketogenic Diets:

• Standard ketogenic diet (SKD): This is a very low-carb, moderate-protein and high-fat diet. It typically contains 75% fat, 20% protein and only 5% carbs.
• Cyclical ketogenic diet (CKD): This diet involves periods of higher-carb refeeds, such as 5 ketogenic days followed by 2 high-carb days.
• Targeted ketogenic diet (TKD): This diet allows you to add carbs around workouts.
• High-protein ketogenic diet: This is similar to a standard ketogenic diet, but includes more protein. The ratio is often 60% fat, 35% protein and 5% carbs.

However, only the standard and high-protein ketogenic diets have been studied extensively. In general, when following a keto diet you should eat the following foods:  

• Fish and shellfish – preferably anything that is caught wild like catfish, cod, flounder, halibut, mackerel, mahi-mahi, salmon, snapper, trout and tuna. Fattier fish is ideal.
• Low- carb vegetables – fresh or frozen are fine! Choose vegetables growing above ground – especially leafy and green items including cauliflower, cabbage, avocado, broccoli and zucchini.
• Berries – A moderate amount of berries is ok on a keto diet!
• High-fat dairy – The higher fat the better. Butter is good, high-fat cheese is fine and high-fat yogurts can be eaten in moderation. Heavy cream is also a great ingredient to cook with for this diet.
• Meat and poultry – Unprocessed meats are low carb and keto-friendly. If you can get meat that is organic and grass-fed. Remember that keto is a high fat diet – but not a high protein diet. You do not need huge amounts of meat!
• Eggs – Eat them any and every way! Boiled, fried in butter, scrambled or as omelets.

• Fats & Oils – get your fats from natural sources like meat and nuts and supplement this with saturated and monounsaturated fats like coconut oil, butter, and olive oil.
• Nuts and Seeds – In moderation, nuts and seeds can be used to create some fantastic textures. Try to use fattier nuts like macadamias and almonds.
• Beverages – stay simple and stick to mostly water. You can flavor it if needed with stevia-based flavorings or lemon/lime juice.

The following foods should be avoided on a Keto diet:

1. Sugary foods: Soda, fruit juice, smoothies, cake, ice cream, candy, etc.
2. Grains or starches: Wheat-cased products, rice, pasta, cereal, etc.
3. Fruit: All fruit, except small portions of berries
4. Beans or Legumes: Pease, kidney beans, lentils, chickpeas, etc.
5. Root vegetables and tubers: Potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots, parsnips, etc.
6. Low-fat or diet products: These are highly processed and often high in carbs
7. Some condiments or sauces: These often contain sugar and unhealthy fat
8. Unhealthy fat: Limit your intake of processed vegetable oils, mayonnaise, etc.
9. Alcohol: Due to its carb content, many alcoholic beverages can throw you out of ketosis
10. Sugar-free diet foods: These are often high in sugar alcohols, which can affect ketone levels in some cases. These foods also tend to be highly processed.

Here are some Keto friendly recipes you should try!

• These cottage cheese pancakes are a great Keto friendly breakfast choice
• Craving quesadillas? Whip up a batch of these keto quesadillas for lunch!
• Looking for the perfect mid-day keto friendly snack? These Keto cheese chips will tide you over until dinner.
• This keto friendly pizza is both delicious and fun to make. You can also be creative with the toppings!

While following a diet like this you can get most of the necessary nutrients though foods – but it is also important to take the right supplements to achieve optimum health!

Supplements on a ketogenic diet can be useful to aid your transition into ketosis – which is when the real fat-burning and benefits start! In a typical American diet, we have much more omega-6 than omega-3. Meat has far less omega-3 and it is important for everybody to have a good omega ration since it’s an essential food for the human body. Also, increasing omega 3 fatty acids may protect against inflammatory diseases, cardiovascular disease, improved joint health and skin conditions.

If you are planning on trying keto – stock up on our Neptune Krill Oil! It is rich in omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA and has significantly better bioavailability, stronger antioxidant activity and purity than fish oil.

We hope you enjoyed the keto diet crash course and if after reading through this post you believe it is for you – we wish you all the luck on your health journey!