Keto Diet – The Ultimate Guide

Keto is one of the most popular diet plans being followed across the world. People aiming for promising weight loss usually opt for keto plan that works like magic and harvests visible results within a few weeks. Keto is similar to many other low carb diets as it allows only a few carbohydrates and judicious use of fats and proteins. It involves replacing carbohydrates with fats as a primary source of energy for the body.

Normally, the body breaks glucose to produce energy.  In the absence of sugar intake, body cells shift to use ketones (fats particles) in a process known as ketosis. The process of ketosis starts when we take less than 50gms of sugars per day shifting the energy balance towards fats. The body goes into a virtual state of fasting and the brain signals the body to breakdown fats consistently for meeting energy needs. The onset of ketosis is a subjective process and varies from person to person. In some individuals, it may start within a few days after cessation of carbs while in others it may take longer.

A basic complete guide for getting started on Keto:

Here are the basics steps and information of foods that need to be incorporated while starting on the keto diet plan:

1. Make a note of your weight.
2.  Find out your macros using your age, height, weight, and body fat percentage using keto Calculators widely available online on many websites.
3. Make quick changes to your diet. Stop using carbohydrates. Avoid bread, rice, lentils, bakery, sweets, and cold drinks immediately.
4. Use ghee (clarified butter), natural butter, and coconut oil instead of cooking oil.
5. Use eggs, meat, and green vegetables.
6. Drink plenty of water.
7. Eat only when you are hungry. Take care of the amount you eat and eat on an empty stomach.
8. Good sleep is essential for weight loss. Try to get at least 7-8 hours of sleep per night.
9. Get 70% of your energy from fats such as homemade butter (natural), coconut/olive oil, or animal fats (such as buttermilk). Besides, cheese, Greek yogurt, and fresh milk can be taken. Any processed oil or vegetable oil, margarine, or mayonnaise is prohibited in this diet plan.
10. Do not use olive oil for cooking as it burns over medium or high heat to make food bad for health.
11. Get twenty percent energy from proteins including chicken, fish, prawn, goat, lamb, beef, egg yolk, etc. You can also use the heart, kidney, liver, and brain of animal origins. Only five percent of energy from carbohydrates is allowed and should be targeted in the same manner.
12. In vegetables, we use only green leafy vegetables (okra, squash, iceberg, gourd, bitter gourd, green onion, eggplant, spinach, capsicum, broccoli, cucumber, cabbage, cabbage, greens, salad leaf, red Radish, etc.)
13. Tomatoes, onions, garlic, ginger, and radishes can be used in moderation. No other vegetables can be eaten.
14. In fruits, Strawberries, berries, avocados, and other fruits cannot be used in this diet. Because most fruits are high in fructose (fruit sugar), it stimulates insulin production which is the biggest obstacle to weight loss.
15. In dried fruits, you can take only a small amount of nuts, almonds in dried fruits.
16. In carbs, try to get as much fiber as possible, which not only digests the body but also prevents constipation.
17. Permissible beverages in keto include green tea, bulletproof tea/coffee, Greek yogurt strawberry shake, lemonade.
    
    

What is prohibited in keto which is quite common in use?
 

• Rice, flour and farina, etc, Black and white gram, basin, beans, and all kinds of pulses are forbidden.
• Wheat, barley, corn, stomach, rice, all these things, and everything made from them like bran bread, pasta, noodles, bakery items, biscuits are all prohibited.
• All types of sweets such as sugar, sugar, jaggery, brown sugar, artificial sweeteners, honey, and all kinds of sweets including sweet fruits are restricted in the ketogenic diet.
• You can use stevia in moderation as needed, and that too after going into ketosis, not at first.
• Use rock salt or pink salt to make up for the lack of salt.
• Country chicken, mutton, beef, or bone broth is very useful for supplementing electrolytes, which gives us natural potassium, and magnesium.

Simple keto menu as an example:

Here is a simple keto diet menu for giving an example about how to get started on this plan. All foods are simple that is easy to prepare.

Breakfast: Eggs (boiled, fried, half-fried omelet). You can add tomatoes, green peppers, onions, coriander, spinach, garlic, ginger in an omelet. Meat or nuts, liver, etc. can also be eaten.

Lunch and dinner: Beef, goat, chicken – barbecue, grill, fried in ghee/coconut oil, or broth. (Keto vegetables can also be added … such as cabbage meat, spinach meat, okra meat, bitter gourd meat, etc.). Or you can eat any keto vegetable curry made in ghee/coconut oil.

Other sample eatables during the day: Butter tea (Black hot tea, 2-3 tablespoons desi butter, one tablespoon coconut oil in a blender and blend for 10 seconds). Cow or goat bone broth (Cook the bones with salt for at least 8-10 hours on low heat). Lemon water with salt; at least 2 – 4 glasses are recommended per day. Plain 3-4 liters of plain water at room temperature to remain well hydrated. Also, the use of flax seeds and chia seeds are very helpful in achieving diet goals and maintaining good fitness levels.