Keep Weight Loss Strategically Simple with Keto
Many of my patients who have embarked on a diet ask me if I can give them a supplement or some other product to help with their weight loss. Here’s what I tell them: “Just eat from the earth.” Why make something that is just that simple more difficult? And the perfect diet for eating wholesome natural foods served up by mother nature is to go ketogenic. Not familiar with the ketogenic diet? Let me tell you about it.
KISS (Keep it Strategically Simple)
The Ketogenic diet – commonly called “keto” is gaining momentum as an easy, effective weight loss regimen. The focus is not so much on counting calories but eating certain foods that burn fat and cutting your carbohydrate intake way down. What’s fascinating about keto is you actually eat fat to generate energy.
It sounds crazy at first, but once you know the science, it makes perfect sense. By eating a diet that’s high in healthy fats, a moderate amount of proteins, and a minimal amount of carbs, your body enters a metabolic state called “ketosis” (hence the same ketogenic). Instead of your body using sugar (glucose) to generate energy, it uses fat. When you set up specific proportions of fats, carbs, and proteins – which are the three basic macronutrients our bodies need to encourage weight loss – your body starts burning fat for fuel. And voila! … You start to lose weight.
Proportions vary, but as a general rule, macronutrient proportions for keto dieting are:
- 70% to 80% healthy fats
- 25% protein
- 5% to 10% carbs
You can fine-turn the proportions based on your weight, how much you exercise, and how much weight you want to lose.
What to Eat
Keto is a balance of micronutrients that are based on fresh, organic, whole foods.
So what does my plate look like when I’m eating keto, you ask? As an example, your plate might be filled with:
- A modest helping of red meat (poultry, pork, or fish are ok too) using coconut oil to saute, bake, or broil
- A vegetable salad with virgin olive oil-based dressing
- A side of avocado slices, leafy green vegetables, tomatoes, mushrooms, cucumbers, or “super foods” like broccoli, spinach, Brussel sprouts, or kale
- And go right ahead and sprinkle on whatever dry spices you like to jazz up your meal
Drink mostly filtered water for your beverage during meals. Herbal teas, coconut milk or a cup of coffee (no sugar, no milk) are good for between meals. Just make sure to drink lots of water too. No sodas –and that goes for diet drinks too. Avoid those so-called healthy bottles of fruit juices which are loaded with sugar. For snacks, munch on veggies or raw nuts. Or, sprinkle nuts on your salad while eating a meal for that satisfying sense that your stomach is full.
What’s Off Limits
Added sugar and fruits are no-nos, but berries, grapefruit, lemons, and limes are ok if you really have a hankering for fruit or need a little something sweet. Peanuts and peanut butter are off the list. Although they have the word “nut” built into their name, peanuts are technically not nuts; they’re legumes. These fruits and most nuts make delicious filling snacks.
Other foods and condiments that are not keto-friendly are: frozen dinners, rice, potatoes, premade soups, salsa, ketchup, flavored yogurt and most packaged foods; that’s because of either the high sugar content or because they are too rich in carbs.
Other Perks of Keto
While you eat great-tasting, healthy, and filling foods, watch those pounds melt away. It’s one of the easiest diets to not cheat on because the foods you eat are so satisfying, don’t require you to sharply reduce your calories, and they don’t set off cravings like sugar and starchy high-carb foods like rice, potatoes, and beans do.
When eating keto, you’re:
- Reducing appetite. You feel satisfied after eating, you’re not walking away from the table hungry, and you’re not getting those uncomfortable hunger cravings between meals
- Reducing inflammation. Eliminating sugar not only helps with weight loss, but it also decreases chronic inflammation which leads to chronic diseases.
- Lowering insulin levels. Keto is a great diet for diabetics and it’s heart healthy too.
- Increasing muscle mass. Metabolically, keto helps promote muscle mass. You get to show off your tight tummy muscles and toned arms and legs like a dedicated athlete.
Now tell me keto isn’t strategically simple?
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be ageless…..Dr. Roz
