What You Need to Know About Keto Dieting

About Keto Dieting

The keto diet is a high-fat, low-carb plan that can help you lose weight and improve your health. But it may also cause unpleasant side effects, like fatigue and gastrointestinal issues, especially in the beginning. It’s important to talk to your doctor or a registered dietitian before trying the keto diet, and stick with it long enough to see results. Then, you’ll be more likely to maintain the changes and keep them off for good.

To reduce your carb intake and stay on the right track, make meal prep a priority. Having healthy meals ready to go will save you time and prevent you from reaching for something easier at the end of a busy day. Meal prep ideas include pre-cut or cooked vegetables, meats, fish and eggs, and fats like avocado, butter and cheese. You can even use frozen meals that require little to no cooking.

You should also avoid processed foods, added sugars and artificial sweeteners. Instead, choose natural sweeteners like stevia and erythritol, which are less processed. And don’t forget to load up on nonstarchy veggies, like spinach, broccoli, cauliflower, green beans and zucchini. They’re low in calories and carbs, but high in vitamins and minerals, especially vitamin C.

Limiting your carbs will help you enter a state of nutritional ketosis, which is when your body burns fat for fuel. But it’s a highly individualized process, so it may take a while to figure out how many carbohydrates you can safely consume. The goal is to get between 20 and 40 grams of net carbs (total carbohydrate minus fiber) per day.