Ketogenic Diet
A ketogenic diet, or LCHF diet, focuses on consuming a low amount of carbs and a high amount of fat. Most dieticians will tell you to limit your daily carb intake to 20-50 grams of carbs per day in order to start seeing some success on an LCHF diet. Many people have noticed a major difference with this diet. There is also some evidence that the keto diet is effective for diabetes, cancer, Alzheimer’s and epilepsy.
There are four (4) different types of ketogenic diets. These are:
-Standard ketogenic diet (SKD): This is the most common version of the keto diet. It is very high in fat and low in carbs, typically with 75% fat, 20% protein, and 5% fat.
-Cyclical ketogenic diet (CKD): This diet involved periodic days of higher carb consumption. This is a common choice for people who do a lot of cardio. The typical choice is to have two (2) days out of the week where you eat a lot of carbs, usually on the days where you exercise.
-Targeted ketogenic diet (TKD): This diet is similar to the CKD. It allows you to fit in a higher amount of carbs depending on your workouts. The TKD is the type of keto diet that lets you consume the most amount of carbs, even more that you would with CKD.
-High protein ketogenic diet (HKD): This diet is essentially the same as SKD, but includes more protein. The percentages for HKD are usually 60% fat, 35% protein, and 5% carbs. This type of diet is good for people who have a heavy workout lifestyle.
The following is an extensive list of foods that are acceptable to eat when you are following a ketogenic diet.
1. Seafood: Fish are rich in potassium, B vitamins, and selenium, and virtually carb free. Be aware that shellfish do contain carbs. Although they are very low in carbs, it is important to take those into account when following such a low carb diet. Following are the carb counts for 3.5 oz servings of popular types of shellfish:
Clams: 5 grams
Mussels: 7 grams
Octopus: 4 grams
Oysters: 4 grams
Squid: 3 grams
2. Vegetables: Low carb vegetables (avoid potatoes, corn, peas, etc) are low in carbs and calories, and high in many other nutrients and minerals. When calculating carbs for vegetables, look at the digestible carb count, which is the total carbs minus fiber.
3. Cheese: Cheese is high in fat and low in carbs which makes it a great choice for the keto diet. Studies show that cheese may protect against heart disease, help with fat loss and body composition, and even help to increase muscle strength!
4. Avocado: Avocados are another great healthy fat option that is low in net carbs. Avocados are also high in vitamins and minerals, and may help improve cholesterol and triglyceride levels.
5. Meat and poultry: Fresh meat and poultry contain no carbs and are staple sources of protein. Grass-fed animals are particularly healthy, as they produce meat with higher amounts of omega 3 fats and antioxidants than meat from grain-fed animals.
6. Eggs: One large egg contains less than one gram of carbs and fewer than six grams of protein. It also triggers hormones that increase feelings of fullness, so you tend to eat less for up to 24 hours. Consuming eggs reduces the risk of heart disease.
7. Coconut oil: Coconut oil is used for a variety of medicinal purposes. It contains MCTs which are used as a rapid source of energy. It may also increase metabolic rate and help obese adults lose belly fat.
8. Plain Greek yogurt and cottage cheese: Both options are high in protein and fairly low in carbs. They also increase the feeling of fullness and decrease your appetite. Yogurt and cottage cheese can both be enjoyed on their own, or combined with fruit, nuts, or sugar free sweeteners.
9. Olive Oil: Olive oil is a pure fat source and contains no carbs. It protects heart health by decreasing inflammation and improving artery function. Olive oil is best used in low heat cooking or after food has already been cooked.
10. Nuts and Seeds: Nuts and seeds are high in fiber and low in net carbs. Frequent nut consumption has been linked to a reduced risk of depression, cancer, heart disease, and other chronic illnesses. Following are the net carb counts for 1 oz servings of popular types of nuts and seeds.
Almonds: 3 grams
Brazil nuts: 1 gram
Cashews: 8 grams
Macadamia nuts: 2 grams
Pecans: 1 gram
Pistachios: 5 grams
Walnuts: 2 grams
Chia seeds: 1 gram
Flaxseeds: 0 grams
Pumpkin seeds: 4 grams
Sesame seeds: 3 grams
11. Berries: Most fruit has too much sugar to be included in a keto diet, but berries are the exception. Following are the net carb counts for 3.5 oz of different types of berries.
Blackberries: 5 grams
Blueberries: 12 grams
Strawberries: 6 grams
Raspberries: 6 grams
12. Butter and Cream: Butter and cream contain a negligible amount of carbs per serving, and may reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke. They can help decrease hunger and manage blood sugar spikes.
13. Shirataki Noodles: Shirataki noodles have less than 1 gram of carbs and 5 calories per serving. These noodles are made from a fiber called glucomannan which can absorb up to 50 times its weight in water.
14. Olives: Olives have the same benefit as olive oil. They have antioxidants that may help protect bone and heart health. They have 1 gram of net carbs per serving.
15. Unsweetened Coffee and Tea: Unsweetened drinks contain no carbs, and are actively healthy for you in multiples ways. They can help increase your metabolism, and improve your physical and mental health. They can also decrease your risk of diabetes.
16. Dark Chocolate and Cocoa Powder: Cocoa powder has been called a super fruit, as it has at least as much antioxidant as acai berries. Dark chocolate may reduce the risk of heart disease. It is important to choose a chocolate the has a minimum of 70% cocoa solids. 1 oz of 100% cocoa has 3 grams of net carbs; 1 oz of 70-85% dark chocolate has up to 10 grams of net carbs.
A ketogenic diet, or LCHF diet, focuses on consuming a low amount of carbs and a high amount of fat. Most dieticians will tell you to limit your daily carb intake to 20-50 grams of carbs per day in order to start seeing some success on an LCHF diet. Many people have noticed a major difference with this diet. There is also some evidence that the keto diet is effective for diabetes, cancer, Alzheimer’s and epilepsy.
There are four (4) different types of ketogenic diets. These are:
-Standard ketogenic diet (SKD): This is the most common version of the keto diet. It is very high in fat and low in carbs, typically with 75% fat, 20% protein, and 5% fat.
-Cyclical ketogenic diet (CKD): This diet involved periodic days of higher carb consumption. This is a common choice for people who do a lot of cardio. The typical choice is to have two (2) days out of the week where you eat a lot of carbs, usually on the days where you exercise.
-Targeted ketogenic diet (TKD): This diet is similar to the CKD. It allows you to fit in a higher amount of carbs depending on your workouts. The TKD is the type of keto diet that lets you consume the most amount of carbs, even more that you would with CKD.
-High protein ketogenic diet (HKD): This diet is essentially the same as SKD, but includes more protein. The percentages for HKD are usually 60% fat, 35% protein, and 5% carbs. This type of diet is good for people who have a heavy workout lifestyle.
The following is an extensive list of foods that are acceptable to eat when you are following a ketogenic diet.
1. Seafood: Fish are rich in potassium, B vitamins, and selenium, and virtually carb free. Be aware that shellfish do contain carbs. Although they are very low in carbs, it is important to take those into account when following such a low carb diet. Following are the carb counts for 3.5 oz servings of popular types of shellfish:
Clams: 5 grams
Mussels: 7 grams
Octopus: 4 grams
Oysters: 4 grams
Squid: 3 grams
2. Vegetables: Low carb vegetables (avoid potatoes, corn, peas, etc) are low in carbs and calories, and high in many other nutrients and minerals. When calculating carbs for vegetables, look at the digestible carb count, which is the total carbs minus fiber.
3. Cheese: Cheese is high in fat and low in carbs which makes it a great choice for the keto diet. Studies show that cheese may protect against heart disease, help with fat loss and body composition, and even help to increase muscle strength!
4. Avocado: Avocados are another great healthy fat option that is low in net carbs. Avocados are also high in vitamins and minerals, and may help improve cholesterol and triglyceride levels.
5. Meat and poultry: Fresh meat and poultry contain no carbs and are staple sources of protein. Grass-fed animals are particularly healthy, as they produce meat with higher amounts of omega 3 fats and antioxidants than meat from grain-fed animals.
6. Eggs: One large egg contains less than one gram of carbs and fewer than six grams of protein. It also triggers hormones that increase feelings of fullness, so you tend to eat less for up to 24 hours. Consuming eggs reduces the risk of heart disease.
7. Coconut oil: Coconut oil is used for a variety of medicinal purposes. It contains MCTs which are used as a rapid source of energy. It may also increase metabolic rate and help obese adults lose belly fat.
8. Plain Greek yogurt and cottage cheese: Both options are high in protein and fairly low in carbs. They also increase the feeling of fullness and decrease your appetite. Yogurt and cottage cheese can both be enjoyed on their own, or combined with fruit, nuts, or sugar free sweeteners.
9. Olive Oil: Olive oil is a pure fat source and contains no carbs. It protects heart health by decreasing inflammation and improving artery function. Olive oil is best used in low heat cooking or after food has already been cooked.
10. Nuts and Seeds: Nuts and seeds are high in fiber and low in net carbs. Frequent nut consumption has been linked to a reduced risk of depression, cancer, heart disease, and other chronic illnesses. Following are the net carb counts for 1 oz servings of popular types of nuts and seeds.
Almonds: 3 grams
Brazil nuts: 1 gram
Cashews: 8 grams
Macadamia nuts: 2 grams
Pecans: 1 gram
Pistachios: 5 grams
Walnuts: 2 grams
Chia seeds: 1 gram
Flaxseeds: 0 grams
Pumpkin seeds: 4 grams
Sesame seeds: 3 grams
11. Berries: Most fruit has too much sugar to be included in a keto diet, but berries are the exception. Following are the net carb counts for 3.5 oz of different types of berries.
Blackberries: 5 grams
Blueberries: 12 grams
Strawberries: 6 grams
Raspberries: 6 grams
12. Butter and Cream: Butter and cream contain a negligible amount of carbs per serving, and may reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke. They can help decrease hunger and manage blood sugar spikes.
13. Shirataki Noodles: Shirataki noodles have less than 1 gram of carbs and 5 calories per serving. These noodles are made from a fiber called glucomannan which can absorb up to 50 times its weight in water.
14. Olives: Olives have the same benefit as olive oil. They have antioxidants that may help protect bone and heart health. They have 1 gram of net carbs per serving.
15. Unsweetened Coffee and Tea: Unsweetened drinks contain no carbs, and are actively healthy for you in multiples ways. They can help increase your metabolism, and improve your physical and mental health. They can also decrease your risk of diabetes.
16. Dark Chocolate and Cocoa Powder: Cocoa powder has been called a super fruit, as it has at least as much antioxidant as acai berries. Dark chocolate may reduce the risk of heart disease. It is important to choose a chocolate the has a minimum of 70% cocoa solids. 1 oz of 100% cocoa has 3 grams of net carbs; 1 oz of 70-85% dark chocolate has up to 10 grams of net carbs.