Keto Do's & Don'ts

You may have decided to compliment your Paleo diet with a Ketogenic Diet plan!

Whether you have arrived here as a beginner who wants to try out the keto diet or have experienced doing it before, it is very easy to make mistakes that could cause your results to stall out or keep you from getting the best results for fat loss and general health. The Ketogenic Diet (Keto) is not only a weight- loss protocol, it can also be a great option for anyone looking for a healthier lifestyle.  

Let’s take a look at some of the dos and don’ts to make the most of your Keto diet today! Take notes and do it right!

The Do’s

Approach the Diet In a Way That Fits You Best.

When you're in the process of changing eating habits, it is best to try and think of the specifics as guidelines rather than hard rules. Take the core ideas of the keto diet, and apply them to your life in a way that suits you and your needs.

When you are forcing yourself to change too much too quickly, it can become a whole lot more challenging to keep up with the program. In this case, it may be better to apply the different aspects of the diet in a more natural way that fits your lifestyle. This will make it easier to continue forward with your keto journey instead of falling off the wagon early on.

Enjoy Lots of Natural Whole Foods.

Your Paleo principles still apply. Include real food. If it feels like the food would not easily be found growing naturally on a farm, then chances are good that you should not be eating it. There are a few exceptions to this rule, but in a general sense, this type of idea will give you a great starting point

Eat your vegetables. It is important for you to have a healthy balance of vegetables in your diet. This means lots of non-starchy vegetables and some fruits, nuts and seeds,

Buy fresh meat that has been fed grass, is organic and free of drugs and antibiotics.

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Consume Healthy Fats.

Think avocado oil, coconut oil, butter, avocados, extra virgin olive oil, heavy cream, MCT oil and animal fats. Since fats are food for your brain and a source of energy that can provide your mind with clarity, they are something you will need to include in order to make the most of your Keto diet.

Hydrate Well.

Drink lots of plain, filtered water. While a good amount of water content is available in the vegetables you will be eating, you will still need to drink water to remain hydrated, especially if exercising or in a warmer environment. When following a Keto diet plan, the body is no longer storing water as it did when carbohydrate consumption was higher. Drink up!

It also pays to remember that caffeine is a natural diuretic. If you drink tea or coffee, pay extra attention to your water intake.

Restore Electrolytes.

When you begin a Ketogenic diet, your body often responds by flushing out water and electrolytes together. The effects of this process are often felt in the form of headaches, muscle spasms, dizziness, or other flu-like symptoms.

The best way to skip over or diminish the impact of this so-called ‘keto flu’ is by being diligent about replenishing your electrolytes. This will help combat those flu-like symptoms, and you may not even feel them at all if your electrolytes are at the right levels.

Add at least 2 tsp of a natural, high quality salt in your diet. Apart from making you feel better and help your food taste even more delicious, it will improve how you feel and increase your activity level.

Bone broth, avocados and coconut can further support electrolyte replenishment.

Remember Your Paleo Lifestyle.

The Paleo lifestyle translates well into a Ketogenic lifestyle too.

Exercise and daily movement are still vital. Move your muscles in the morning. It is a great way to get your body to wake up and stay active for the rest of the day.

Get plenty of sleep. This is how your body manages and recovers from much of its stress. Practice good sleep hygiene and aim for 7-9 hours of sleep ever night to rejuvenate and restore your body for the next day.

The Don’ts

Avoid Processed Foods.

Try your best to avoid going with fast food for your meals. Although this can be hard to avoid at times, try choosing a more natural alternative where ever and whenever possible. Most of the keto practitioners will find that processed foods and fast food meals no longer taste as good as they once did. This is especially true if you start thinking about how unhealthy they are. Many processed foods are filled with preservatives and chemicals that can stall your goal whether practicing a Ketogenic diet or not.

Don’t indulge in ‘low-carb’, ‘sugar-free’ packaging and stay away from consuming unhealthy fats in the form of vegetable oil, corn oil, hydrogenated oil, canola oil and soybean oil.

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Avoid ‘Low Fat’.

A large part of any keto diet includes lots of good fats. This is why you should avoid anything that is labeled as being ‘low-fat’. These foods will not give you the benefits that you are aiming for.

Indulge, instead in healthy fats including high quality bacon, full-fat dairy (if tolerated), coconut oil, avocado, butter, MCT oil, olive oil and more won’t disappoint.

Make sure to check the labels to see that the foods have retained all of their natural fat content. Altered foods are not wanted when you go keto.

Avoid Obsessing About Calories or Ketones.

This is especially true when you are first starting out on your keto diet journey. Obsessing over calories and all the minutia can become incredibly overwhelming. Take a little time to adjust to the changes before tackling all of the intricate details.

Embarking on a Ketogenic diet means introducing a lot more fats into your diet than you may be accustomed to. These fats can often increase the number of calories you are ingesting. Fats make you feel fuller for longer whilst providing health benefits and promoting nutrient absorption. This is part of the magic of going keto.

Follow along with your planned meals, and try not to worry too much about the number of calories.

Similarly, when it comes to measuring ketones, it is completely unnecessary to stress over the amount of ketones in your blood or urine. More ketones do not equate to better results. Once your body enters ketosis, it will be producing ketone bodies, which can be measured but as your body becomes fat-adapted, the spillover of excess ketones in the urine will diminish. This does not mean you are doing something incorrectly. Instead, focus on your results instead.

Avoid Too Many Nuts Or Too Much Dairy.

There’s nothing wrong with dairy or nuts as such if you digest them well (this will vary greatly from person to person). However, they are very calorie-dense (in addition to being very tasty!), so it is quite easy to overindulge and to underestimate your actual consumption.

If you feel that these might be trigger foods for you and cause you to overeat, try avoiding them for 2 weeks to see whether you see better results.

Avoid Overeating.

One of the great benefits of a Ketogenic diet is how filling and satisfying the foods are. Generally, caloric consumption is reduced naturally, without effort or any feelings of deprivation. Be mindful when eating and listen to your body. Don’t stuff yourself if you are feeling full. It is perfectly acceptable to eat less when you are feeling you have reached your limit. Don’t overeat.

A Keto Diet Can Make a World of Difference in Your Life

As with all things, a change of diet will probably not instantly produce a drastic change in your life. It takes time and dedication to see the real results. However, even within the first few days, the keto diet will begin to work its magic.

The key to the best results on s Keto plan is to ensure that you follow all the requisites and consume the right and the best quality food. Remember to follow your Paleo principles and ensure sure that the vegetables and proteins you purchase are well-sourced, ethically raised and have not been grown using chemicals.

Give your body and mind some time to adapt to this new aspect of your diet and lifestyle, and you will quickly start seeing the amazing health benefits of the Keto diet.

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