August 28, 2019

08/28/2019 | Comment

A Carb Sensitivity Test is the best way to find the perfect keto macro ratios for you.

When you’re new to keto you might find it difficult to know what ratio your macros should be in, so you download a handy app to calculate your keto macros for you. You stick to it religiously, monitoring every morsel you eat, but somehow you still can’t seem to lose weight…

Every calorie is accounted for and your percentages look perfect on the app. You can’t understand why keto isn’t working for you.

Don’t worry, you are not alone!

The fact is that while these apps are great for tracking your daily intake, they aren’t so great at working out your specific keto macro needs. They use “algorithms for the masses”, but each of us are unique in our own special way.

So you might not be in true ketosis, which is keeping you from losing weight as quickly as the keto experts promise. On a keto diet your weight loss and keto macro ratios boil down to your personal carbohydrate (and protein) sensitivity.

An app on your phone cannot tell you how sensitive you are to carbs or protein.

It may be suggesting you eat more carbs or protein than you should to maintain optimal ketosis. Which prevents you from losing any weight.

Even if you are losing a bit of weight you may still not be in optimal ketosis, which is making the whole keto diet thing a saga instead of a sinch. But how do you calculate what your carbohydrate (and protein) sensitivity is?

It’s as simple as chewing a cracker.

This test is based on a relatively new study by Sharon Moalem, who suggests that simply chewing on a cracker for 30 seconds can determine how well your body digests carbohydrates.

The theory is that the amount of amylase in your mouth (the enzyme that breaks carbs down into sugars) will determine how long it takes for the cracker to start breaking down and tasting sweeter. And it WORKS!

In a student study, the first student to detect a sweeter taste did so after only 17 seconds of chewing their cracker. Another took 35 seconds before detecting a change in taste and some reported no change in taste.

But what does this mean?

The better you digest carbs, the less sensitive you are to them. The student who detected a sweeter taste after only 17 seconds had the most amylase in their mouth, so they are not sensitive to carbs because they are more adept at digesting carbs. While those that took 30 seconds or longer have very little amylase present, are sensitive to carbs and should monitor their carb intake closely.

The great thing about this test is that you can do it at home! All you need is a cracker and your cellphone stopwatch. Start the stopwatch as soon as you put the cracker in your mouth. Notice how the cracker tastes when you first bite into it. Then keep on chewing until you start to notice a change in the taste – it starts tasting sweeter. As soon as you notice the change, stop the stopwatch. You can spit the remaining cracker-goo out at this point.

How long did it take for you to notice the change?

10-20 seconds

You have a higher than average amount of amylase present and can eat more carbs than the average person. On a keto diet, you may be able to get away with up to 50g of carbs per day (or more) and still stay in ketosis. But increase your daily carb intake steadily and monitor your ketone production instead of jumping straight to 50g carbs per day. Stop increasing your carb intake as soon as you notice you’re producing less ketones and go back to the last amount you still noticed no change. So if you notice you produce less ketones at 35g carbs, go back to having 30g carbs.

20-30 seconds

You have an average amount of amylase and fall under the regularly suggested keto macro ratio of 10:15:75 carb, protein and fat ratio. If you’re having trouble losing weight try lowering your protein intake rather than your carb intake. Your plateau may be due to the way your body digests protein instead of carbs. Remember, excess protein gets digested and stored in the same way carbs do.

30 seconds or More

You have less amylase than the average person and should watch your carb intake very closely. It’s difficult for your body to digest carbs and that means that you fall in the category of people that have to have less than 20g of carbs per day in order to stay in ketosis.

This test will give you the average of how sensitive YOU are to certain glucose producing foods and help you determine what your specific ratios are. After running the test you may find that you can have slightly more carbs a day, that you’re sensitive to protein and not carbs or that you should really cut down your carbs to an absolute minimum.

Once you know whether you digest carbs well, or you’re sensitive to carbs, it’ll be much easier to reach the optimal ketosis zone and the pounds will start melting away!Well, you could go for a series of pricey MRI scans, or you could get our Simple Keto Test Strips and track your progress at home.

You will need:

- - Simple Keto Test Strips
  - A pen and paper to track your progress.

How to do it:

Start with our baseline ratio, 5% carbs, 20% protein and 75% fats, with the carbs amounting to no more than 20g total carbs.

Assuming that your calorie intake is in deficit to lose weight, let’s make your total calories per day 1505. This is an easy deficit to maintain for the average person and you won’t really feel like you’re starving yourself in the process.

But if you have different needs, for example you’re reasonably active, or you are slightly taller or shorter than average, feel free to adjust the total calories up or down.

BUT: Remember that you risk losing muscle mass if you go below about 1300 calories per day for an extended period of time. And muscles burn calories, so you’ll be making it even more difficult to lose weight in the long run if you lose any muscle mass.

Once you’ve decided what your personal calorie intake requirements are, get the amounts of each macro by dividing your total calories by 100 and multiplying by the percentage for each macro.

For example for 1505 cal per day:

Your daily calories from total carbs will be 80 cal, or about 20g, with no more than 20g net carbs.

VERY IMPORTANT: Remember that fiber amounts to 2 cal per gram and this can actually be what is keeping you from losing weight if you’re highly sensitive to carbs. So if you eat 16g (64 cal) net carbs you can have 8g (16 cal) fiber for a total of 80 cal and 24g total carbs. The total calories are your indicator for carbs, more so than the grams.

From proteins you will get: 300 cal, or 75g

From fats you will get: 1125 cal, or 125g

If your total daily calories is 1400:

	Total Daily Calories	Calories	Total Carbs
5% carbs	1400 ÷ 100 x 5	70 cal	÷4 = 17.5g maximum net carbs if fiber is 0
20% protein	1400 ÷ 100 x 20	280 cal	÷4 = 70g
75% fat	1400 ÷ 100 x 75	1050 cal	÷9 = 117g

If you want to calculate your own amounts the following may be helpful:

	Calories
1g of net carbs	4 cal
1g of fiber	2 cal
1g of protein	4 cal
1g of fat	9 cal

Follow this 5:20:75 ratio for 5-7 days, to give your body time to adjust to the change.

Then it’s time to start testing!

Do a keto test when you wake up and between 30 min-2 hours after each meal for a total of 4 tests each day. Take note of the amount of ketones you’re producing and how this relates to what you ate.

If you had processed starch for lunch and you see a dip in your ketones, it means you are sensitive to the carbs in what you ate. If you had a large steak for dinner and woke up producing less ketones that the morning before, where you had eggs and bacon with mayo and butter for dinner the night before, this means you are sensitive to protein and it’s equally important.

The optimal keto zone is clearly marked on the strips, so it should be easy to tell when what you ate is having the wrong effect and making you produce less ketones.

Do this for about 3 days, which should be enough for you to get an idea of your ketone trends. Then take a look at your ketone counts at the different times each day and how this corresponds with what you ate.

If you find that your ketone levels dipped after eating a specific food it means that you are sensitive to this and that it is the culprit keeping you out of optimal ketosis. It could be a starchy carb or even a certain type of meat. Some people’s digestive systems are really good at breaking down protein, which means it’s absorbed in the form of glucose, which makes it “the same as carbs”. The same goes for fiber!

So how do you adjust?

If you find that your ketone levels are stable, but still low and it’s rather infuriating, try increasing your fat percentage and decreasing your protein percentage.

For example eat 80% fat and 15% protein. On a 1505 cal daily intake this will be

1200 cal from 134g fat, and 225 cal from 56g protein. Your total carbs will still be 80 cal from 20g.

If you find that meals with lower amounts of protein keep you in the optimal ketosis zone, more so than meals with a lot of protein, you can also raise your fat percentage and lower your protein percentage as shown above.

If you find your ketone levels dip after starchy carbs, try replacing refined carbs with carbs that have more fiber, but remember to keep the same amount. So if your 20g of carbs included something like almond flour and this lowered your ketones, replace these ingredients with carbs that have more fiber, like zucchini or asparagus.

If you find that a certain type of protein makes your ketones dip, try replacing that protein with another that doesn’t have that effect on your ketone levels.

If you’re one of the lucky few who find their ketone levels are dangerously high (also clearly marked on the test), try adding more protein rather than carbs. So you can make your ratio 5% carbs, 25% protein and 70% fats. On 1505 cal a day that will be 80cal (20g) carbs, 375 cal (94g) protein and 1054 cal (117g) fat.

If you find you are highly sensitive to protein, but not really to carbs while using the 5:20:75 ratio, try lowering your protein and raising your carbs for a ratio of 10% carbs, 15% protein and 75% fat. On 1505 cal a day that will be 150,5 cal (about 38g) carbs, 226 cal (56g) protein and 1125 cal (125g) fat.

Don’t change too much of the diet at once! Rather do the test series a couple of times so you can isolate exactly what it is that’s keeping you out of the optimal ketosis zone.

Follow your “new” keto diet for 5-7 days, keeping track of your ratios. Then run the test series for another 3 days. Have you improved? What is still causing your ketone levels to fall? Are you very sensitive to carbs or protein? Which types of carbs or protein are you most sensitive to?

This test will give you the average of how sensitive YOU are to certain glucose producing foods and what your specific ratios are. After running the test a couple of times you may end up finding that your best ratio is 13,5% carbs, 10,5% protein and 76% fat, or even 8% carbs, 19% protein and 73% fat.

But once you have your specific ratios there is nothing that will keep you out of the optimal ketosis zone and the pounds will start melting away!

Keto Basics

08/28/2019 | Comment

Not a lot of ketoers know this, but carbs play a vital role in keeping your body hydrated. That’s why drinking lots of water on a keto diet isn’t just healthy, it’s vital.

Carbs retain water, so without them your body is storing less of the water you consume and also excreting more of the water you drink. This can make you very thirsty, which can be mistaken for hunger…

And the resultant dehydration can cause the “Keto Flu”.

But staying hydrated on a keto diet is not as simple as guzzling down gallons of water, it goes much, much deeper than that. A 20g or less carb Keto diet can cause some strange and wonderful consequences in your body, but one of the most important consequences is related to the way you absorb, retain and excrete water.

Let me explain the five ways hydration changes in your body on your keto diet (and why it’s so important to understand this)

1. No Carbs = No Water Retention

This might sound amazing, because you’re thinking you’ll be losing a lot of water weight…

But this can be quite disastrous to your health.

Carbs add water to our bodies in two ways:

1. 1. There is a lot of water in carb-based foods, while oils and fats have MUCH less water.
  2. Carbs actually help your body to retain water it then uses to metabolize the food you eat.

But without carbs in your diet you’re losing out on ingesting and retaining water. This means that on keto you actually need MORE water than you would have needed on a standard diet.

So you need to up your water intake for this reason, but also…

2. Thirst is often Mistaken for Hunger

Yes, sometimes you’re not hungry, you’re just thirsty. Your body is craving water, but you mistakenly assume that you’re hungry and eat something. This is often the case when your electrolyte balance is off. Then your body isn’t just craving water, it also wants the essential salts that act as electrolytes (Sodium, Potassium, Calcium and Magnesium) that are found in certain foods…

But after the water, and essential electrolytes from your meal is absorbed you’re still thirsty… So you eat something again…

It’s a vicious circle and can add a lot of unnecessary calories to your diet. The best cure is to add a well balanced electrolyte supplement to your diet and make sure you get your 8 gallons a day. This will make sure you have the right balance of salts in your cells to help them absorb the water you’re drinking, keeping them hydrated and working at full capacity.

As your body adjusts to eating less carbs a number of things are happening and these are the three remaining reasons why staying hydrated is SO important:

3. You’re producing Less Insulin

Like losing water weight, producing less insulin is a perk of keto, right?

Well, yes and no. Besides regulating your blood sugar levels, Insulin also tells your kidneys to retain sodium. Sodium is one of the essential electrolytes you NEED to maintain proper cell function. Without it your muscles start cramping, your nerves don’t work right, your blood pressure isn’t regulated properly…

You can even go into a state of hyponatremia, the symptoms of which are very similar to that of “Keto Flu”. The low sodium in your kidneys also does something else, it makes them

4. Flush Your System

Again, this sounds good… You’ll be getting rid of toxins, especially with all that extra water you’re drinking to make up for not eating carbs.

BUT (and this is a big one )

Along with the water and toxins, you’re also flushing out electrolytes. So, while you may be getting enough water to “stay hydrated”, the electrolyte balance in your body is completely off. It doesn’t matter how much water you drink, you’re going to STAY thirsty. You’ll probably also start craving salty carbs, in your body’s attempt to retain water and get some more electrolytes!

5. Proper Hydration Combats the “Keto Flu:

The dreaded “Keto Flu” is one of the big reasons a lot of people stop doing keto before they even see the amazing benefits. The symptoms associated with the “Keto Flu” are exactly the same as those associated with dehydration.

So it comes as no surprise that staying hydrated can lessen or even prevent the “Keto Flu” from hitting you during your first week of keto. Here it is even more important to add a well balanced electrolyte supplement to your diet. Now you may be thinking of having some Gatorade, it has electrolytes, right?

Well, not quite…

You see, for optimal hydration, a Harvard Medical School study showed that you need a special ratio of electrolytes to make all the symptoms of dehydration and electrolyte imbalance to disappear.

The golden ratio is “4:4:2:1”

For optimal hydration and function your body needs the following:

- - Four parts Sodium: balances water levels across cell membranes to maintain blood pressure and support healthy nerve and muscle function.
  - Four parts Potassium: keeps nerves firing, so there is optimal communication between your brain and body. Remember your brain regulates most of your bodily functions including heart beat, all muscle contractions and reflexes.
  - Two parts Calcium: for muscle contractions, heart and nerve functions and good bone health.
  - One part Magnesium: is key in over 300 biochemical reactions in your body including steady heartbeat, nerve and muscle functions, a healthy immune system and bone structure.

Nutralytes provides this ratio of electrolytes along with a host of other vitamins that will give you energy and keep funny food cravings at bay. As you can see, staying properly hydrated on a keto diet isn’t just about guzzling down more water. You also need to make sure you have the right balance of electrolytes to avoid some serious health complications.

Keto Basics

08/28/2019 | Comment

If you’re eating an 80% fat Keto diet, you want to be eating the right fats..

Because eating too much saturated fat can still lead to nasty problems such as high cholesterol, heart problems and weight gain, even if it gets metabolised.

This is the main reason why Doctors and other health-conscious people, like my dad, advise against the Keto diet.

The good news is, because of the rise in Keto popularity, new research is shining a light on the more obscure and misunderstood fat sources.

Not only are some of them good for Keto, they are also heart boosting and even have a higher thermogenic score (so they burn more calories!)

In this newsletter, we will take a deep dive into one of these new OBSCURE fats:

MCT’s

Which has actually been a part of the Asian diet for decades in the form of coconut oil, a trend which has recently gained popularity in the West.

I recently told my dad about all the benefits of using MCT’s in his diet. His very cynical, health-conscious reply was, “I can’t cook with coconut oil! It’s saturated fat; it’s like cooking with poison!”

I then went on to explain how recent studies have shown that while MCT’s may be a “saturated” fat, they fall into a different class than the saturated fats found in the standard American diet. Unlike the LCT saturated fats he’s used to, these Medium Chain Triglycerides are actually healthier than the usual “healthy fats”, like his favorite; Avocado Oil!

In fact MCT’s can:

- - Kick-start your ketosis by delivering ketones straight to your bloodstream
  - Suppress your appetite AND help you lose weight
  - Boost your brain and heart
  - And even work against the negative effects of saturated fats

That makes MCT’s a must for any keto-er, especially if you’re very health conscious and want fast results!

That’s why you’ll find a lot of MCT supplements on the market…

The trouble with MCT is that finding natural sources of with the right ratios to aid your keto diet the most effectively is very difficult, and finding the right MCT supplement can be just as difficult.

So let’s take a look at why MCT’s are better than other fats and how you can choose the right supplement to give you the best results:

What ARE MCT’s Really?

MCT is short for Medium Chain Triglyceride. This is a type of fat that is easily digested and turned into ketones. MCT’s contain anywhere between 6-12 carbon atoms. Their molecular structure means they don’t need to be broken down, instead they get absorbed straight to the liver. From here they can be transported throughout the body as a source of fuel.

When you’re on a keto diet it means your body is using ketones for fuel instead of glucose. In the beginning phases of ketosis it can be quite a shock to your system. Your body panics and all kinds of hormones are released. But because MCT’s are so easily absorbed and transported as ketones, it means this shock is lessened or even avoided altogether.

Unlike other fats, MCT’s are the most easily absorbed and used as fuel.

So MCT’s are Better than LCT’s and SCT’s?

Yes

When it comes to fats it’s best to know the differences. While each type of fat, except trans fats, have their own unique benefits…

For the purpose of weight loss and ketosis, MCT’s are the best to get you in the sought after Keto Zone with the least problems.

SCT’s vs. MCT’s vs. LCT’s

SCT’s	MCT’s	LCT’s
Aid in digestion and are not used as a source of fuel.	Are easily absorbed and turned into ketones.	Require bile and pancreatic enzymes to digest, putting strain on your digestive system.
Are naturally produced in the gut, especially in the presence of fiber	Are found in natural sources and in the form of supplements.	Are the most abundant types of fat, found in the form of saturated, unsaturated and polyunsaturated fats.
Aids in digestion.	Aids in ketosis and weight loss.	Supplies vitamins, minerals and energy.
Doesn’t get stored as fat.	Doesn’t get stored as fat.	Can get stored as fat.

The other two fats explained:

SCT’s

These are Short Chain Triglycerides, also known as Short Chain Fatty Acids. Fatty Acids fall into this category if they have less than 6 carbon atoms.

SCT’s are naturally produced by the bacteria in the gut. They are used as part of the production of glucose and other fatty acids. So, while it might seem as though they should be more easily absorbed than MCT’s, because they have a shorter carbon chain, they are actually vital in the absorption of fats and glucose.

SCT’s have a lot of benefits, including cancer fighting and anti-inflammatory properties, but as far as their use in a keto diet goes, they promote gut health. They do not directly assist in reaching, or maintaining ketosis and weight loss. If you want to incorporate SCT’s in your diet to get the benefits you can add more fiber, which naturally stimulates your gut to produce more SCT’s, but this won’t have a major effect on your ketone levels.

LCT's

As you may have guessed, LCT is short for Long Chain Triglycerides. This is the most abundant type of fats as fats that fall into this category have 13 or more carbon atoms in a chain. Despite their abundance, these are the most difficult to digest and require bile and pancreatic enzymes to be broken down and absorbed. If you’re new to keto this can put quite a strain on your body!

You may already be familiar with saturated, unsaturated and poly-unsaturated fats? All of these fall into the LCT category and is only an indication of how many double bonds an LCT has. So, even if you’re keeping your keto-diet “light”, by eating more unsaturated or poly-unsaturated fats, you’re still putting more strain on your pancreas and liver than you need to. (In fact you could be on the road to malnutrition, because sources of saturated fats, such as animal protein and by products, contain more vitamins and minerals.)

It’s important to have LCT’s in your keto diet, but it’s equally important to balance them out with SCT’s and MCT’s to ensure that you don’t shock your system. Because LCT’s are so energy rich, any extra energy produced by them can also be stored as fat, so keeping an eye on moderate intake is also important.

Why are MCT’s so special?

Let’s take a look at the four types of MCT’s, what are their structures and uses?

Caproic Acid

Has a chain of 6 carbon atoms (C6), and is the most easily absorbed of all MCT’s. C6 might sound like a good addition to your keto diet, but the taste is unbearable (like a mix between rotten milk, cheese and soap). That is why it is excluded from MCT supplements.

Caprylic Acid

Has a chain of 8 carbon atoms (C8). C8 naturally makes up 12% of coconut oil. But as this is one of the best MCT sources of ketones, giving you a quick dose of stable energy, most MCT supplements have a much greater percentage of C8. This raises your ketone levels a lot faster than coconut oil, making your keto diet more effective, helping you to lose more weight faster.

Capric Acid

Has a chain of 10 carbon atoms (C10). C10 naturally makes up 10% of coconut oil. It is also easily absorbed by the liver and turned into ketones, but less so than C6 and C8. it does however have amazing benefits and is therefore a key part of MCT supplements.

Lauric Acid

Has the longest chain, with 12 carbon atoms (C12). C12 makes up 40% of coconut oil. While C12 is technically considered a MCT it acts more like an LCT, because of the long carbon chain. While adding a bit of C12 to your diet can teach your body how to break down LCT’s more effectively, this MCT is not preferred to help raise your ketone levels and aid in weight loss.

Which MCT’s are Best?

As you can see, while MCT’s are naturally found in coconut oil, the ratios aren’t right. You get too much C12 and too little C8 and C10. That means you get less ketones and more energy.

It’s also worth mentioning that C8 and C10 are natural appetite suppressants, due to the quick and stable release of energy in the form of ketones they increase leptin levels and decrease ghrelin levels.

That’s why you need a supplement with high levels of C8 and C10 for the best keto results, but that’s not the only benefit of using a well formulated MCT supplement.

With a well-formulated MCT Supplement you’ll get:

1. 1. Boosted Weight Loss
  2. Cardiovascular Health
  3. Increased Gut Health and Absorption
  4. Boosted Brain and Liver Function
  5. Boosted Immune System
  6. Stable Energy
  7. Increased Vitality

Worried about side effects?

Not only is our MCT Oil Powder less messy, but it’s even more easily absorbed than MCT Oil, making the chances of side effects even less.

All you need to do is start off with 1 tsp or less and work your way up to 2-3 tablespoons gradually.

From the very first time you use MCT Oil Powder you’ll be getting the benefits of this keto superfood.

Still not convinced? The evidence of the benefits of MCT Oil Powder are right HERE.

Keto Basics

08/28/2019 | Comment

Hunger is a natural response when you’ve finished digesting the last meal you ate. Even on a keto diet, where you’re naturally primed to burn excess body fat you may still be suffering from hunger pangs. Or you may be eating more calories than you need to!

What will help is eating “keto friendlier” food that takes longer to digest. The faster food is digested the quicker you feel hungry and the more likely it is that you won’t use up all the available energy and store it as body fat!

Foods that take longer to digest give you a steady energy flow which will not only keep you feeling full for longer, but will also aid in the benefits of being in ketosis, like sustaining your energy throughout the day, with no mid-morning or mid-afternoon energy dip.

These types of food are called low-GI foods. All sources of sugars, carbs and fiber have a GI count, even dairy products have a GI count (glycemic index) because of lactose, milk sugar. The lower the GI count is the better, especially on a keto diet. GI measures the effect the food has on blood sugar levels and insulin. The lower the count, the less the effect, helping you to maintain ketosis and stay full for longer.

On a keto diet most of your calories will be coming from fats, which digest slower than sugars and carbs, but even nuts, proteins and dairy can affect your blood sugar and insulin levels and you need to choose the right types of food if you want to keep the cravings at bay.

The Right Nuts and Oils:

Pick	Be Careful Of	Don’t Pick
Macadamia Nuts	Almonds	Cashews
Sunflower or Pumpkin Seed Butter or Macadamia Nut Butter	Almond Butter	Peanut Butter
hee or Purified Butter	Butter	Margarine
Coconut Oil	Lard	Vegetable Shortening
Avocado Oil (for cooking)	Coconut Oil (for cooking)	Other Cooking Oils like Sunflower or Canola Oil

When it comes to choosing the right nuts on keto you want to pick the ones with the least carbs. Almonds may look like a healthy option, but they contain anti-nutrients, a type of toxin that lines your gut and stops you from absorbing calories, vitamins and minerals.

Sounds perfect right? Actually not. Not only will you be doing the equivalent of eating “empty calories”, but this mineral deficiency can lead to other cravings. So a few almonds a day are okay, but be careful.

Commercial peanut butter contains a lot of hidden carbs, usually in the form of sugars. Almond butter poses the same threat as almonds. That’s why it’s best to stick with seed butters in this category.

Ghee or purified butter contains none of the milk proteins and sugars, so it’s pure fat, which is better than traditional butter and much, much better than margarine, which is basically plastic.

Coconut oil has some medium chain triglycerides, which will help you produce ketones and burn body fat for fuel (our MCT oil powder contains the essential balance of MCT’s which will really get you burning body fat, meaning you get more energy without the added calories). While lard is acceptable for baking do steer clear of vegetable shortening, which like margarine, is quite toxic.

Avocado oil is the best for cooking as it has a very high smelting point. This means it only undergoes hydrolysis at high temperatures (which creates toxic trans fats), making it healthier and more digestible for cooking. Coconut oil also has a relatively high smelting point, but other oils, especially sunflower and canola oil should be avoided completely as they have already undergone a lot of hydrolyses during processing and contain trans fats.

The Right Protein:

Pick	Be Careful Of	Don’t Pick
Grass Fed, Organic Bacon	Turkey Bacon, Grain Fed	Ham, Polony
Grass Fed, Organic, Full Fat Ground Beef	Grain Fed Ground Beef	Turkey
Wild Salmon		Farmed Salmon
Grass Fed, Pasture Raised, Organic, Unprocessed Meats	Grain Fed Meats	Processed Meats
Red Meat	Fish or Poultry

You’ll see that the foods that you should avoid are usually more processed or unnatural and there’s a good reason for this.

The more processed a food is the more funny additives there are. Not only can these be hidden carbs, but they can also be toxins.

And this is very important on a keto diet, because most toxins are stored in fat, especially animal fats. That’s one of the reasons it’s so important to always go for the most natural source of protein you can find.

Toxins can stop your body from absorbing nutrients which can make you feel hungry or cause cravings for certain foods as you can’t absorb what you’re eating. So be very careful. If you can’t find (or afford) the organic all natural meats pick the lean option and add your own fats from trusted sources.

Red meat also takes longer to digest than meat from fish or poultry, so if you’re trying to keep yourself from hankering for another helping, try eating mostly red meats.

That being said, it’s also VERY important to remember that the majority of your calories should come from fats, not protein. Protein can be converted into glucose if you eat to much of it. An added bonus is that fats also slow down your digestion, making the energy you consume last longer, keeping you full.

The Right Dairy:

Pick	Be Careful Of	Don’t Pick
Blue Cheese, Goat’s Cheese, Feta, Parmesan, Organic Cheddar, Mozzarella, Gouda, Swiss Cheese	Camembert, Brie, Cottage Cheese	American Cheese, Cheese Wiz, Velveta, Muenster Cheese, Gorgonzola, Processed Cheddar
Bulgarian or Greek Yoghurt or Sour Cream	Normal Full Fat Yoghurt	Sweetened or Flavoured Yoghurt
Heavy Cream	Half and Half	Milk

When it comes to dairy you need to be careful of the lactose content as well as the hidden ingredients in processed products, especially cheese. In fact most of the processed cheeses on this list are less than 50% cheese… Always go for products from organic grass fed sources as far as possible, as they will contain the least amount of chemicals and unnatural hormones.

When it comes to yoghurt and keto, it might be obvious to go for the full fat, unflavored and unsweetened options, but also try to get Bulgarian or Greek yoghurt with live cultures if you can… These cultures aid in digestion. Now, this might sound contrary to what you’re looking for. Won’t cultures make you digest things faster?

Well actually, these cultures won’t necessarily make you digest the food you eat faster, but it will help you digest everything you eat and maintain good gut health. That means you’ll be getting all the nutrients and minerals out of the food and you’ll find you have less cravings, making you feel full for longer.

Pick heavy cream over half and half and milk as well. While milk and half and half are acceptable on a keto diet, they do contain more lactose and less fat than heavy cream. On this subject, another thing to look out for is “-ose” in the ingredients list of the foods you’re buying. While the carb count may look relatively harmless on the nutritional table, the ingredients may include lactose or sucrose or any other -ose, which is actually a sugar!

The Right Carbs:

Pick Be Careful Of	Be Careful	Don’t Pick
	Almond or Coconut Flour	Wheat Flour, White Rice Flour
“Vegetable” Fruit like Avocado, Tomatoes, and Olives	Fruit	Sweet Fruit
High Fiber Vegetables like Cauliflower, Broccoli, Zucchini,Eggplant, etc.	“Low-GI” like Sweet Potato and Squash	Starchy Vegetables like Potatoes
Green Bell Pepper	Red or Yellow Bell Pepper

Very important to take note of here is that almond or coconut flour may be more keto friendly than normal wheat flour, but because it’s so processed it’s best to steer clear of these too.

When it comes to carbs, rather pick whole or leafy vegetables with a high fibre count, which will stagger the energy release. Steer clear of sweet fruits (for a complete list of fruits to enjoy or avoid take a look here) and even mildly starchy vegetables. This includes pumpkin, butternut, other squash and even sweet potatoes, on top of the more obvious potatoes and corn.

Even though squash and sweet potatoes are “low GI” they still have too many carbs compared to fiber and will spike your sugar levels on your keto diet just enough to make you hungry quickly. You’re looking for things like asparagus, broccoli, green bell peppers (yellow and red have more carbs), cabbage, spinach, zucchini, eggplant or aubergine (which absorbs a lot of fat when you fry them), cauliflower, tomatoes…

These all have a high fiber count and a lower carb count. While fiber will still give you 2 calories per gram, they also slow down the release of calories, so it’s a good option to help you stay full.

Remember, the longer a food stays in your stomach the longer you will feel full and the easier it will be to stay on track with your keto diet. If you want to kick start your ketosis to burn body fat for fuel, you need to use MCT oil. While MCT oil is naturally found in Coconut Oil, our MCT oil has the perfect balance of MCT’s to get you into the keto zone. Once you’re in the keto zone you will also stay fuller for longer as you burn away any excess body fat for energy, relying less on what you eat and more on what you want to get rid of.

Keto Basics