Keto Diet 101

In case you haven’t noticed, keto is everywhere. You might see the word Ketogenic, ketosis or just plain keto. They all refer to the same thing – a diet consisting of fairly high fat consumption, moderate protein and low in carbohydrates. The result of eating this way is that your body burns ketones for fuel instead of sugar. Hence the name keto.

In this article, I want to give you a quick primer on the keto diet – just enough information to help you make the decision as to whether or not this is something you should try. And maybe help you wade through a bit of the hype.

There are A LOT of people in the health space talking very loudly about keto. Some are big fans and others are not at all in favor. And they all voice their opinions loudly. The fact is that there are very few, very small human studies of the keto diet so any “evidence” is anecdotal, not really scientific. I don’t say that as a criticism because I fully believe that YOU are the only person who can determine if a particular diet is right for you. There are lots of “experts” who will tell you what they think will work for you, but in the end, you have to try it, see how you feel and make the decision as to whether it’s something you want to continue or not.

Let’s do this question and answer style. I’ll pretend you’re asking me the questions (because these are all questions I’ve received over and over) and I’ll pretend we’re having coffee together hashing out the answers. I say “hashing out” rather than straight up answering you because the answer will often be “it depends.” Sorry, but that’s the truth and I’m always going to tell you the truth.

Ok, let’s go!

Where did this diet even come from?

The keto diet has been around for a very long time. It gained it’s popularity originally as a therapeutic diet for children with seizure disorders such as epilepsy. It is still used that way today, but with so many medications available, most parents opt for that strategy over diet because of the fear of seizures and their side effects.

Who can benefit from the keto diet?

The short answer is anybody. The longer answer is that there are some people for whom the keto diet might be a better fit. The primary cause of most of our chronic diseases today is inflammation. Inflammation is one of those things that is good for us in small doses – think healing after an injury. It is the inflammation process that promotes healing. However, a high level of inflammation over a long period of time is what you want to avoid. This sustained state of inflammation promotes disease. Pure and simple. I’m thinking of diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, PCOS, obesity, autoimmune conditions, I could go on and on. Because the ketogenic diet is inherently an anti-inflammatory diet, anyone with an inflammatory condition could benefit. And frankly, if you’re suffering from something, chances are it’s inflammation-related. It’s just a fact. There are some exceptions though. See below.

For whom is the keto diet not ideal?

The only group of people for whom I would really hesitate to recommend they even try keto would be those who have suffered from eating disorders. Keto is an extreme diet in some ways and requires, at least initially, that you pay a lot of attention to your food choices. This obsession with food could be triggering to someone who is already prone to disordered eating.

Those of you without gall bladders – yes, you can do keto. You might find that you need some digestive enzyme supplementation with some meals, but unless you are really pouring on the fat (we’ll discuss that in a minute), you will likely find even that is unnecessary. Your body can handle a keto diet quite nicely. But the only way to know for sure is to try.

There are some genetic disorders that greatly inhibit the body’s ability to break down fat. Those people may have trouble with keto. These are rare, but they do exist.

That’s it really. Just about anyone can try keto and stands to benefit.

Exactly how much protein/fat/carbohydrate do I need?

It depends. Though it will take a little experimentation to figure out the right percentages for you, you can most likely get a pretty good start by seriously evaluating how active you are. Do you have a desk job? Do you have a job where you’re on your feet all day? Do you do intense workouts every day? Do you hate exercise and move as little as humanly possible? The more active you are, the more carbs you can handle and still be in ketosis.

A good rule of thumb is to start with 50 grams of total carbohydrate. No need to get into net carbs at the beginning. Just keep it simple. Go with 50g for a few days and up to a week, then evaluate. What do I mean by evaluate? Ask yourself one simple question….

How do I feel?

If you are feeling sluggish, flu-like symptoms, and/or see no noticeable signs of ketosis, you have two choices: add in a few more carbs, like 10-15 grams more per day, or stick it out for a few more days. The “keto flu” or “carb flu” should really last only a few days if at all, so if you feel bad for more than a week, make a change. **This is a 101 class so if you want to get into this in more depth, I’d love to chat with you one-on-one.**

If, on the other hand, you have lots of energy, you are clear-headed, you are experiencing keto breath or other detectable symptoms of being in ketosis, yay! You have found a good starting point for you. Now, bear in mind that you may (likely will) need more carbs on heavy workout days. And you may need less on more sedentary days. Very few of us have a life in which everyday look the same so there will be a variation in the amount of carbs your body needs to get into and stay in ketosis. It will take some experimentation. Don’t get discouraged.

How long does it take to get into ketosis?

Please don’t hate me….it depends. There are so many variables here, but most people can get into ketosis in under a week.

Males vs. Females – I’ve heard keto isn’t good for women

There have been some small research studies on mice that indicated that females did not benefit as greatly as males from a ketogenic diet. However, those studies are relatively small and were conducted on mice and mice are not the same as humans.

There is a great deal of anecdotal evidence that women benefit greatly from a ketogenic diet, especially those with Type 2 Diabetes, metabolic syndrome or a lot of weight to lose.

What exactly do I eat on a ketogenic diet?

Well, I can’t tell you exactly what to eat, but in general I would say that quality trumps everything else. Focus on high quality, pasture-raised meats and wild caught fish, organic (when appropriate – see dirty dozen) vegetables and healthy fats like avocado, olive oil, coconut oil and naturally high fat foods like nuts and grass-fed dairy. And yes, I said vegetables. They are high in carbohydrates, mostly in the form of fiber and you need these to remain healthy. Eating vegetables will not kick you out of or keep you from getting into ketosis. Trust me.

Do NOT, I repeat, do NOT heap on extra, unnecessary fat. You can have a taco salad with lots of veggies, grass-fed beef (don’t drain the fat), avocado, a little cheese, but don’t feel the need to pile on the cheese and sour cream. There’s enough high quality fat in the meat and avocado that this is a perfect keto meal without the addition of unnecessary dairy. This is just one example. If you need help coming up with keto-friendly meals, just ask. I have lots I can recommend.

Can you eat fruit? Yes, some, but not a lot. Naturally low sugar fruits are best, such as berries.

How do I know if I’m in ketosis?

There are ways to track such as breath meters, blood meters or urine strips. The blood and breath meters are more expensive and also more accurate. The urine strips are testing the ketones in your urine, which means you are eliminating them. The goal with ketosis is to get your body to burn ketones, not eliminate them. They are to be your body’s fuel source (rather than sugar). So yes, a urine strip can be a cheap and easy way to see if your body is actually producing ketones, but after a while, you don’t want to see ketones in your urine, so their usefulness diminishes over time.

My advice is to look for the natural signs your body is in ketosis:

• weight loss – don’t expect to lose 5 pounds in a day, but steady loss is a sign of ketosis
• increased energy
• less brain fog
• reduced appetite
• “keto breath” – it’s kind of hard to describe, but it’s sort of acidic. What you’re smelling is acetone, so think fingernail polish remover. Yeah, yuck. It goes away though. To help, drink lots of water.

A few final thoughts on ketosis before we take this into a master’s level class!

Beware of keto on the internet. Yes, I get the irony. I’m really talking more about recipes and advice than information based articles like this one. ; )

You do NOT need keto bombs or fat bombs. As I mentioned above in the “what to eat” section, just eat real, quality foods, naturally high in fat and protein and eliminate the excess carbs.

Green leafy vegetables and nuts contain the micronutrients you need to help stave off the keto flu. Drink lots of water and eat these nutritional powerhouse foods and you should have nothing to fear.

Start slow if you want to. Go low-ish carb, then low carb, then keto. Give your body a chance to adapt. You absolutely can go in whole hog if that’s how you roll, but it is completely unnecessary. There are no rules here. Do what works for your body. And if, after giving it the good old college try, you decide keto is not for you, then the worst that happens is that you spent some time cleaning the junk out of your diet and that would be a good thing for every body!

Have questions? Want to have a conversation about keto? Comment below, email me at elizabeth@totalwellnesshealthcoaching.com or set up an appointment to meet one-on-one.