The Keto Diet Plan
The Keto plan, otherwise known as the Ketogenic diet, is a diet that is low in carbohydrates and high in fat. Dr Gianfranco Cappello is the person that came up with the diet back in the 1920s.
He was an associate professor of surgery at the time, at the Sapienza University that is in Rome, Italy. The diet was actually designed to help epilepsy patients.
The Keto plan has become very popular and an effective way of losing weight and maintaining it. According to some clinical trials that were done, the Keto diet is effective in the treatment of dementia and Alzheimer’s- this is because the diet is high in fat, which helps to preserve ones memory.
How Keto Works
Keto cuts out sugars and carbohydrates- these two are actually the body’s main and preferred fuel sources. The intake of healthy fats are increased and protein is eaten in moderation.
One can say that Keto is similar to Banting as it’s a diet that’s not high in prorein, and the emphasis is more on eating non-starchy vegetables, healthy fats and lean proteins like fish and chicken.
By following this diet, your body is forced to enter a fasting state- that is when fat is used for energy instead of carbohydrates and glucose. Once the body begins to do this, small ketones are produced- these are small molecules, these molecules build up in the blood stream.
Once these molecules reach a certain level, ketosis is reached- which is when there is significant weight loss and fat is broken down in the liver.
Types of Keto Diets
There is the standard diet, which is the one that we will be focusing on in this Keto diet guide. This diet is co consistently high in fat, moderate in protein and low in carbohydrates. It’s also the most widely used diet which has been shown to be of benefit.
The other diet is the cyclical diet which is also known as carb-cycling. This diet involves the consumption of high carbohydrates into the standard Keto diet, so that the glycogen stores can replenish themselves for muscle growth to take place. However, this version of the diet hasn’t been studied very well and is more focused upon bodybuilders and serious athletes.
The targeted diet is based upon the consumption of carbohydrates around the workouts that you do to improve your performance as an athlete without getting yourself knocked out of ketosis for a long period of time. This diet is also focused upon hardcore exercisers.
Keto Diet Macros
The standard macros for the Keto diet are 5% of carbohydrates, 70% to 80% of fats and 15% to 20% of proteins.
Foods to Eat
Read on below for a general list of what to eat.
Meat : beef, turkey, lamb, chicken, pork, and sausage.
Tofu
Fatty fish and shellfish: mackerel, shrimp, salmon, trout and scallops.
Eggs : ideal when cooked in fat
Berries : blackberries, blueberries, strawberries and raspberries.
Non-starchy vegetables : leafy greens, like spinach and kale, broccoli, cauliflower, celery, cucumber
Nuts and seeds : pumpkin seeds, macadamias, walnuts, pecans, hemp hearts, chia seeds, flaxseeds and coconut.
Nut and seed butters (with no added sugar) : sun butter, peanut butter and almond butter.
Full-fat dairy : cottage cheese, yogurt, sour cream, cheese and heavy whipping dairy.
Avocados
Fats and oils : butter, almond oil, avocado oil, coconut oil, flaxseed oil, olive oil, hemp oil, sesame oil and mayonnaise.
Sugar substitutes : personal preference whether to include Dark chocolate in limited quantities.
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Foods Not to Eat
Read on below for a general list of what not to eat.
Grains (white and whole) : rice, bread, cereal and pasta.
Starchy vegetables: sweet potatoes, corn and potatoes.
Legumes : beans, quinoa, chickpeas, lentils and peas.
Fruit : most of the fruit types, due to their content of natural sugar (bananas are especially high in sugar).
Traditional desserts : cakes, cookies, ice cream and candy.
Dairy : Milk and most low-fat dairy, including flavored yogurts.
Added sugar, including agave and honey : salad dressings, especially in condiments, and pre-packaged sauces and soups.
What to Drink
Water or sparkling water.
Coffee and tea.
Alcohol : dry wine or vodka (one or two drinks maximum).
Calorie-free beverages (without artificial sweeteners).
Unsweetened nut milk : cashew and almond.
Supplements to Take
Multivitamin
Calcium
Vitamin D
Potassium
MCT Oil
One Week Diet Plan
Monday
Breakfast : Keto Green Smoothie.
Lunch : Grilled cheese sandwich on Keto bread.
Dinner : Lettuce wrapped burger with spicy mayo.
Tuesday
Breakfast : Pepper, egg and cheddar breakfast muffins.
Lunch : Egg salad stuffed avocado.
Dinner : Crust-less mushroom and bacon quiche.
Wednesday
Breakfast : Scrambled eggs with tomatoes and full-fat cheddar.
Lunch : Roasted chicken with broccoli and cauliflower
Dinner : Parmesan and turkey baked meatballs with zucchini noodles.
Thursday
Breakfast : Spinach and bacon omelet.
Lunch : Cauliflower pizza crust with non-starchy vegetables and sausage.
Dinner : Cooked steak in butter with asparagus.
Friday
Breakfast : Scrambled eggs with sliced avocado and bacon.
Lunch : Chicken salad lettuce wrap.
Dinner : Lamb chops with Brussels sprouts.
Saturday
Breakfast : Flaxseed porridge with cinnamon and blueberries.
Lunch : Tuna salad with stalks of celery.
Dinner : Stir-fried tofu with vegetables in sesame oil.
Sunday
Breakfast : Vanilla chia pudding.
Lunch : Green salad with salmon and oil-based dressing.
Dinner : Taco salad with guac, sour cream and ground beef.
Benefits of the Keto Diet
Some of the benefits of the Keto diet are weight loss, improved nutrition, reversing type two diabetes, improves cholesterol level, lower insulin levels, improve cognitive function, curb hunger, conserve your protein, no more blood sugar swings and may lower blood pressure.
Downsides of the Keto Diet
Some of the downsides of the Keto diet are Keto flu, changes in blood lipids, social changes and vitamin deficiencies.
As you can tell, the benefits outweigh the downsides, so the Keto diet is definitely worth it. Just remember to keep track of your progress, whether it’s in a journal or in an app- write or type everything down. Join Keto support groups on a platforms like Facebook, share your story, get inspired and maybe make some new friends- most importantly, stay motivated to reach your goal.
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