Looking for some ideas on how to beat the summer heat? With temperatures rising, so too is the desire for cold drinks, ice cream, popsicles, and other frozen treats. Even if you’re not typically a fan of sugary foods, chances are you might enjoy an occasional sweet treat now and again. Fortunately, there are plenty of ways in which keto can be incorporated into your diet without feeling like you’re sacrificing anything. That being said, it might take some experimenting to find the right balance between keto food choices and your favorite non-keto foods. So, whether you’re looking for new ways to eat keto or are simply curious about the various types of low-carb diets available, here’s a guide to get you started.
What is keto?
Dr. Robert Atkins developed the keto diet, which is low in carbohydrates, in the 1940s. It is also sometimes referred to as a “fat-burning diet.” Both terms are used because the keto diet causes your body to burn fat for fuel, rather than carbohydrates or sugars. This means you will lose weight much faster and experience more energy on this type of eating plan.
Keto basics
Before getting started, it’s important to know what defines a ketogenic diet. Low carbohydrate intake is one of the key components. This means that your body uses fat as its primary source of fuel. Another key component is high-quality proteins and healthy fats, like eggs and avocados. When combined with moderate amounts of vegetables and some fruit, this makes for a mostly low-carb diet with plenty of nutrients. It also has an impressive list of health benefits, including weight loss and protection against disease.
The benefits of keto dieting
Keto is becoming a popular approach to weight loss in the mainstream. Low carb, high fat, and occasionally protein are the main components of this diet plan. The goal of keto is to get your body into a metabolic state known as ketosis, where you’re burning fat for fuel instead of sugar or carbs. Some individuals discover that the ketogenic diet offers numerous advantages, including aiding in weight loss, reducing inflammation, and enhancing hormonal function.
But what exactly are some of these benefits you might be wondering? Well, here are a few of the most impressive: weight loss, improved mental clarity, decreased cholesterol levels, reduced risk of type 2 diabetes, and cancer prevention. People also report feeling less hungry when on keto due to increased satiety hormones.
How to do a keto diet: step by step
While there are many different kinds of ketogenic diets, high-fat, moderate-protein, and low-carb diets are the most popular. In general, the goal is to maintain healthy blood sugar levels by avoiding or limiting foods that are high in sugar, starches, or processed grains. As a result, your body enters ketosis.
To get started on a keto diet, you need to figure out what your ideal macros should be for the day (i.e., how many grams of fat should you have, how many grams of protein?). To do this, you’ll likely want to use some kind of keto calculator or tracking app. Then, plan out your meals for the day and make sure they fit within those parameters:
• Low-carb breakfast – eggs with cheese and bacon
• Low-carb lunch – chicken breast with vegetables
• Low-carb dinner – pork tenderloin with vegetables
At the end of each meal, plan out your snacks for each day so you can keep tabs on what types of food combinations work best for your body and goals. For example, if you want to lose weight and build muscle, then try including carbs like sweet potatoes in your meals while still limiting carbs overall.
If you want to focus more on fats, then choose low-carb snacks like nuts and nut butter or avocado with meat or fish. Lastly, if you want more variety in your diet then experiment with boosting certain macronutrients by adding more carbs or fats before each meal
Sample keto diet menus for beginners
Keto can be a difficult diet to get used to. It’s important to remember that it’s not all about food. The number one focus of the keto lifestyle is eating the right types of foods and exercising regularly. Meal prep is a great way to do this so you’re always prepared with keto-friendly options on hand.
If you are looking for an introduction to keto, check out Dr. Eric Westman’s 5-Day Keto Diet Challenge, which provides recipes and tips for both beginners and those more familiar with the diet.
Banting and maintenance keto diets
In order to stay in ketosis, it is important to consume adequate amounts of fat. That said, there are two types of keto diets: the Banting and maintenance keto diets. Dr. Robert Atkins has endorsed the Banting diet, a high-fat, low-carb eating plan. In contrast, the maintenance keto diet is one that people who have maintained a steady state in their body’s metabolic state for at least one month can follow. This type of diet consists largely of protein and vegetables.
Optimal and targeted keto diets
There’s more than one way to approach keto, and it all depends on what your needs are. If you’re looking for a short-term diet to jumpstart weight loss or speed up the process of burning fat, then a low-carb diet might be right for you. If you have specific goals in mind, like managing diabetes or raising HDL cholesterol levels, then you may want to choose a specific kind of keto diet.
If you’re looking for an option with fewer restrictions, then there are plenty of other options as well. Instead of focusing on calories from carbs, some people might want to focus on calories from fat. For example, if someone is trying to lose weight but doesn’t consume any carbs whatsoever and wants to maintain their taste for sweets, they could try a ketogenic diet that includes both moderate protein and high amounts of healthy fats.