Author:  Maria Alfano

Looking for a lifestyle change and want to understand the ketogenic diet for beginners?  Any lifestyle change takes work.  And, going “keto” is no different.  It will take some getting used to.  Like anything else that you try for the first time – a new job, travel to a new place, becoming a grandparent for the first time, the ketogenic life does require some understanding.  You will find new terminology, new acronyms, and possibly new foods that will be introduced to you.  If you are not familiar with them, it can all become very overwhelming.

Avid keto followers will tell you this is not a diet.  In fact, I too struggle to call this a diet.  It is a way of life.  The ketogenic diet for beginners does not restrict me from eating anything except for carbohydrates.  Even that is not a bad thing to change because the low carb intake does not mean “no” carbs at all.  

Don’t fear the changes that this way of life can give you.  Embrace the possibilities of a healthier you in midlife and beyond.  One of the things that I personally love about keto is the ability to enjoy my favorite foods whether I want to eat a meat lovers meal or a vegetarian style dinner.  The ketogenic diet for beginners has a little something for everyone.

How To Understand The Ketogenic Diet For Beginners

In order to get to know keto, you need to start at the beginning, weigh the pros and cons, and determine if this is the best thing for you.  Keep in mind that your family may not support your decision and the keto meal plan you choose may not be what the rest of the family wants.  So, you could end up cooking 2 separate meals.  Enough with the bad vibes!

This post will help you to understand the terminology of the keto lifestyle, give you some reasons why it could be good for you, and provide you with a list of foods that are acceptable.

What is the Keto Diet

The ketogenic diet (often referred to as keto) is a diet low in carbohydrates, high in good fats, and moderate to high intake of protein.  I know what you’re thinking – ewwhh!  Fats!  Who wants to eat fat?  Well, actually you do.  It is not the amount of fat the makes your body gain weight, it’s the number of carbs you consume that the body cannot burn that get stored as fat.

There are good fats and bad fats.  All the saturated fats that are used in packaged foods like mayonnaise are bad for you.  But, avocado, olives, or butter from grass-fed cows are excellent sources of good fats that your body needs to survive.

Keto Terminology

Clean Keto refers to the traditional ketogenic diet.  It uses the premise that your body should be burning fat stores instead of carbohydrates as energy.  And, it requires you to eat whole unprocessed foods like eggs, raw veggies, and grass-fed meats, fish, and poultry.  Think about the caveman and what he ate.  There was no such thing as a loaf of bread, red velvet cake, or a bag of potato chips back in his day.  He ate what came from the land.

Dirty Keto (also called lazy keto) is not a bad word nor is it necessarily bad for you.  It follows the same rules as clean keto with the exception of permitting packaged and processed foods as long as they are low in carbs and high in good fats.  That bunless double bacon cheeseburger is covered in processed cheese.  While cheese is acceptable on keto, processed cheese is a no-no.

Meals

Fasting is probably the hardest hurdle for most people to get over.  They are flabbergasted that they have to go for an extended period of time without eating.  Technically humans fast every single day.  From the time they go to bed to the time they take their first bite the next day is fasting.  So, you see, you’re already doing it and you don’t even know it.  The easiest way to extend your fast is to delay a little bit each day when you eat your first meal of the day.  The most popular fasting times are 12/12, 16/8, and 20/4 meaning the first number is how long you fast in a 24 hour period and the second number is your eating window.

Eating Window refers to how many hours you have within which to eat your daily meal(s).  For example, with a 16/8 fasting schedule, you would stop eating dinner at 7 pm the night before.  Your next meal would be at 11 am the following day.  Your eating window is open for 8 hours.  And, you should be finished eating by 7 pm that same day.

OMAD means one meal a day.  It is very common to eat only one meal per day on the ketogenic diet.  This is especially true for folks who do 20/4 fasting.  As long as your caloric intake is sufficient, you can choose to at all in one sitting.  Your body will not suffer from this way of eating.

Keto Effects

Macros are the details on the label that tell you how many calories, how much protein, or how much fat is in what you are about to eat.  Get friendly with that label.  It will be your best friend on keto.

Ketosis is the process that your body goes through when it stops using carbohydrates and starts using fat to burn as fuel to keep you going.

Keto Flu comes after a few days of removing carbs from your diet.  It’s a bunch of symptoms that leave you feeling lethargic.  You can experience anything from a mild headache, nausea, trouble sleeping, or constipation.  Nothing to worry about.  The symptoms clear up once your body transitions to burning fat instead of carbs

Why Keto

More and more studies are coming out each year showing that the ketogenic diet for beginners is helpful in reducing or eliminating many common diseases.  I am not a doctor and this is not medical advice.  You should always consult your physician before making changes to your diet that could impact your health.  Before you take their word for it, you may also want to find a second opinion from a medical professional who understands keto.

Diabetics are finding that they can reduce the amount of insulin they take and some claim to come off insulin completely by maintaining a ketogenic lifestyle.

Your gut controls almost every ailment in your body.  By participating in this way of life, you would improve your gut health.

Brain clarity improves with fewer carbs and sugars that the body needs to process.

Cancers have been shown to shrink in some patients.

Obesity is rampant all around us.  A great byproduct of this way of eating is you will drop those unwanted pounds.

Refined sugar is the worst thing that we are putting in our bodies.  Carbs and sugar may taste awesome and make you salivate, but they are killing you from the inside out.  Think of that caveman.  He didn’t have any of those foods and he survived just fine without them.  So will you.  Cut out the extra sugar and bread and you will see amazing changes in your body and health.

Keto Foods

Below is a list of foods acceptable on the ketogenic diet for beginners.  You can add as many spices as you like to bring out the rich flavor.  Remember to include good healthy fats.  And, most of all enjoy!

Whole Foods

Fresh veggies and fruits that are acceptable include cabbage, broccoli, asparagus, Brussels sprouts, spinach, kale, green beans, peppers, zucchini, cauliflower, celery, strawberries, blueberries, and blackberries.

Nuts and seeds add the crunch element and are a source of healthy fats.  The best ones for keto are walnuts, pecans, almonds, and hazelnuts, as well as hemp, flax, sunflower, chia, and pumpkin seeds.

Protein and Cheese

Protein is a key ingredient for keto dieters.   Enjoy any of the following, grass-fed beef, chicken thighs, salmon, tuna, shellfish, eggs, bacon, Greek yogurt, and cottage cheese.  Who doesn’t love bacon?  It is a staple for many.  Use it in moderation.

Other cheeses that are acceptable include cheddar, cream cheese, Gouda, Swiss, and blue cheese. If your personal fave is not listed, compare the macros with those from one on this list to see if you can continue to eat it.

Beverages

Beverages round off the list of what you can indulge in while on keto.  You will be surprised at what is still on the list.  Enjoy any of the following – water, sparkling water, diet soda, green tea, black tea, coffee, protein shakes, milk alternatives, or no sugar added vegetable juice.

In Summary

Understanding the ketogenic diet for beginners is not so difficult.  This post went through the basic concepts and terminology, why keto is good for you, and provided a list of acceptable foods when on your keto journey.  Looking for some easy Keto recipes, try these from Nourishing Brands.

We would love to hear from you.  How is your keto journey going?  Do you have any questions you would like us to answer for you?