You can’t surf the internet much these days without at least one mention of the Keto Diet, it seems to be one of the hottest buzz words of the past year. It involves drastically cutting down on your carb intake and replacing it with healthy fats and you need to make sure you're eating the best and healthiest kind of fat to give your body the nutrition that it needs.
This is a general rule to follow the Keto Diet:
60-75% calories from fat
15-30% calories from protein
5-10% calories from carbs (usually 50g carbs per day, although some people limit them to 20g)
This reduction in carbs puts your body into a metabolic state called ketosis where the body becomes efficient at burning fat for energy instead of sugar. The Keto Diet can cause a decrease in blood sugar and insulin levels which have numerous health benefits. (1)
Did you know?: “Science shows a clear pattern of evidence that carbs make you fat while fat makes you thin. Foods like white rice, breads, pastries and sugary beverages promote obesity and related disease. Fat foods like nuts, oily fish and olive oil promote weight loss and reduce the risk of disease when you cut out sugar and refined carbs.” (2)
What to eat: Red meat, poultry, eggs, fatty fish, butter, cream, cheese, nuts, low carb veggies, avocado, berries.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil is one of the easiest and healthiest fats to add to your diet. Simply drizzle on top of fish, chicken, vegetables and salad. It enhances the flavor of your food, and the high number of anti-oxidants will give a boost your overall health & lower the risk of developing certain diseases.
What not to eat: eliminate all forms of carbs, pasta, grains, bread, sweets, root vegetables, legumes, fruit (except berries), alcohol
A Word of Caution: Many people report rapid weight loss at the initial stages of the Keto Diet. One of the reasons is that the body starts shedding excess sodium & water as you switch to a low carb diet. Just be sure to replenish by adding 1-2 tsp per day of Papa Vince Sea Salt to your diet, or you could end up with a mild sodium deficiency. (3)
Suggested Recipes:
Spaghetti Zucchini with Alfredo Sauce
Mediterranean Tuna Salad
Eggplant Pizza
Asparagus with Eggs
Low carb veggies drizzled with Extra Virgin Olive Oil or Lemon Olive Oil.
(1): healthline.com The Ketogenic Diet: A detailed beginner’s guide to Keto
(2) P. 63, Eat Fat, Get Thin, Mark Hyman MD, published by Little, Brown and Company, 2016
(3) healthline.com 5 most common low carb mistakes
