Eating Do’s and Don’ts
When you’re following the keto diet, there’s a few do’s and don’ts to pay attention to. You’re only going to experience the health benefits of the diet if you follow it correctly.
So, what should and shouldn’t you eat on this popular diet? Below, you’ll discover some of the key do’s and don’ts you’ll need to follow.
Eating Do’s
The foods you’ll want to focus on with the keto diet include:
- Fatty animal proteins
- Vegetables
- Natural fats and oils
A large part of the keto diet consists of consuming fatty animal proteins. This includes eggs, poultry, meat and fish. Unlike a lot of other diets, when you’re eating poultry on this diet, you’ll keep its skin on to ensure you’re consuming the essential fats contained underneath it.
You’ll also eat a lot of vegetables such as spinach, cucumbers, kale and broccoli. In terms of oils, you’ll want to stick to sustainable palm and canola oils, alongside natural fats like cacao butter latte.
Eating Don’ts
Now that we’ve looked at the foods you can eat, what about the foods you can’t? The main things you’ll need to avoid on the keto diet include:
- Sugar
- Alcohol
So unsurprisingly, you’ll cut out sugar from the diet. This is a common thing a lot of diets restrict. However, the keto diet is a little stricter than most as it also prevents you from consuming natural sugars found in fruit. So, besides being able to consume limited amounts of berries, you’ll want to avoid eating any other fruits on the diet. You’ll also need to swap artificial sweeteners for something such as Stevia.
Alcohol is also advised against when you’re in the ketosis phase.
Eating Restrictions
As well as the foods you can and can’t eat on the diet, there are some which should be restricted. This means you can eat them in very small amounts. The foods included here are:
- Starchy root vegetables
- Carbohydrates
While you can eat most vegetables on the keto diet, you’ll want to limit the number of starchy veggies you consume. These include potatoes and root vegetables such as carrots and parsnips.
Carbohydrates are also obviously restricted. You’ll want to consume no more than 50g per day, ideally sticking to 20g per day for best results.
A Few Ground Rules to Follow
To make following the keto diet easier, there are a few ground rules you can adopt. For example, you won’t be getting much in the way of electrolytes. So, you’ll want to replace the ones you lose with sea salt. Rather than turning to electrolyte drinks, drink chicken broth instead.
You’ll also want to avoid consuming low-fat or low-sugar products. If you’re eating yogurt, for example, make sure it’s full fat and not a low-fat option. You’re going to need a good level of fat in your diet so it shouldn’t be restricted. Also don’t forget you’re focusing on heathy fats. This means you can’t just fill up on fatty junk foods.
These are the basics you need to know when it comes to what you can and can’t eat on the keto diet. If you want to gain the best results, you’re going to need to follow these simple rules.
Keto Diet Risks and Side Effects
When you’re thinking of following any diet plan, it’s crucial to learn more about its risks and side effects. Every diet that restricts some type of food group will have a number of risks and side effects – major or minor depending on the diet.
With the keto diet, there are a few factors you’ll need to consider before deciding whether or not it’s right for you. Here are some of the key risks and side effects to be aware of before starting the diet.
What Short-Term Side Effects Can Occur?
When you’re just starting out with the keto diet, there are a lot of short-term side effects which can crop up. This is because you’re making drastic changes to your normal diet.
Anything drastic you change is going to be a shock for the body. If you’re used to consuming a high level of carbs each day, suddenly reducing them can have a number of effects. These include:
- Excessive thirst and increased urination
- Fatigue
- Flu-like symptoms
- Lightheadedness
- Hunger
It’s really common for followers of the diet to experience flu-like symptoms and fatigue. These tend to last for up to three days, and they can be accompanied by hunger and lightheadedness. Excessive thirst and frequent urination also go hand in hand.
While these side effects can be difficult to deal with, they are only temporary in most cases.
Understanding the Long-Term Side Effects
If the keto diet is followed for long periods of time, you may also experience a few long-term side effects. Children following the diet can experience kidney stones. In fact, it is estimated that around 5% will suffer from kidney stones as a result of the keto diet.
There is also an increased risk of a bone fracture. This occurs due to acidosis and changes within the insulin style growth factor 1. The bones can be eroded over time and they can also become much weaker. Therefore, it is advised you take vitamin supplements to ensure you’re still getting the nutrients required from your limited diet.
What about the Risks?
As well as the side effects above, there are also a few risks you’ll need to be aware of. If you’re diabetic, there is the chance you’ll develop ketoacidosis, a potentially dangerous condition.
If you’re following the keto diet for weight loss, there’s also a risk you could regain the lost weight once you finish the diet. In fact, the keto diet has one of the biggest weight-regain rates of any diet. This basically means when you go back to eating normally, you’ll start to put the weight back on that you’ve lost.
Over time, you may also lose muscle mass with the keto diet. It can also decrease athletic performance.
So, while the Keto diet can provide wonderful short-term benefits, it does produce a number of side effects and risks. The above are just some of the most common you’ll need to be aware of. As it isn’t a diet you can follow for the rest of your life, it’s important to understand the short- and long-term side effects that you may need to deal with.
