The Keto Diet, Explained

When I shared my weight loss journey with you all in my last post, I was shocked at how many views it got! So many people were interested in learning more about the Keto Diet – and I got so many questions in my DMs on social media. Since it was the most interaction I’ve gotten to date, I figured today we’d geek out and talk about the science of it all. (In the least science-y way possible because science is not my favorite subject.)

Let’s get straight to it:

What is Keto?

Keto is a high fat, moderate protein diet. You cut out sugar, and you eat very low amounts of carbs a day. How low are we talkin’? We’re talkin like 20-30 grams per day. To put that in perspective, one baked potato is about 37 grams of carbs! So yeah, basically eating one of those would put you over your daily allowance of carbs for the day.

Using Fat for Fuel VS Carbs for Fuel

Why do we “need” carbs? For energy. This is why so many people stress that you eat them! Your body DEPENDS on it for energy! Doesn’t it?

Our bodies are fueled primarily by glucose, or blood sugar, most of which we get from carbs in foods like potatoes, bread, fruits, and sweets.

Not on Keto.

On Keto, your carb intake is so low, that your body looks for other ways to keep going.

That’s where fats step in. With low carbs, the liver takes fat in the body and converts them to ketone bodies, (ketones for short!) as an energy source. This process is known as ketosis, which is the ultimate goal for those on the keto lifestyle.

What is Ketosis?

Ketosis is a metabolic state where your body burns fat instead of carbs for fuel. The aim of the keto diet is to put, and keep, your body in this state.

How to know you’re in Ketosis

The time it takes to get into Ketosis varies from person to person, and depends on your dependency on carbs and sugar. You’re completely changing the way your body works! It can take 3 days for some, a week, or even several weeks. (It took me about 4 days)

Signs of being in Ketosis Include:

• Natural Energy
• You no longer crave sweets (as much)
• Short term rapid weight loss
• Appetite suppression (due to alterations to hunger hormones)
• Increased mental clarity and focus
• Insomnia (Due to sudden increased energy, it’s hard to sleep in the first few weeks on Keto)

You can also do physical tests to see if you’re in Ketosis. Some “tests” are more accurate than others. See some options below:

• Blood testing for increased Ketones – the most accurate test, but most expensive.
• Pee Test strips (not most reliable but very affordable and fun for beginners) I ordered these from Amazon.
• Breath analyzers? – I’ve only recently heard of these, so not sure on the accuracy.

What you Can Eat

Some people adhere to stricter macros than others, but the general rule of thumb (that I follow as well) is to eat 70% Fat, 25% Protein, and 5% carbs.

Which means all the Steak, Burgers (bunless!) and Cheese! Isn’t that refreshing? Here’s a comprehensive list of what to eat and what to avoid, but long story short, you can eat:

All Meats & Seafood: Make sure they’re not breaded or fried, and that they’re high in fat!

Eggs!

Vegetables: The kind that grow above ground! So no potatoes or carrots. Some veggies tend to have carbs so here’s a full guide on veggies here.

High Fat Dairy: So Butter, Fatty Cheese and Heavy Cream are ok here. Beware of milk, the carbs add up REALLY fast! A drop or 2 in coffee is fine, but it’s better to replace with heavy cream.

Nuts: See Full list here.

Berries: Fruits are OUT on Keto, but small amounts of berries are approved. (Think literally anything that ends in the word “berry”, so strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, etc.)

Beverages: Water, Coffee, Tea, and anything that doesn’t have sugar or carbs.

What you CAN’T Eat

In short, say no to grains and sugar!

Low Fat: We’re looking for HIGH fat. Foods low in fat are most likely loaded with sugar and carbs. (Issa GIMMICK, ya’ll)

Grains: Bread, Wheat, Oatmeal, Rice, Quinoa, Pasta, Corn, etc.

Starchy Veggies: Potatoes, Carrots, Corn, Plantains (trust me, that one hurt me as a Puerto Rican – no more platanos or tostones!)

Fruits: None, except berries. (Too sweet & carb-y)

Sugar: That includes honey and syrups.

Sauces: Stay away from carb and sweet sounding sauces like BBQ sauce, Honey Mustard and Ketchup. You’re better off going with fattier options like Ranches, Olive Oils and Sour Cream.

This is NOT a “Meat” diet

This is not a high protein diet, its high FAT, like I said before. So, check those nutrition labels and make sure fat is the highest ingredient, protein is second, and carbs should be the lowest number. Sugar should be as nonexistent as possible.

Do NOT mess this up. I’m serious!

See below comparison of 2 different meat packages. Just because it’s “meat” doesn’t mean it’s highest in protein. You want FAT to be the highest number.

The “Keto Flu”

Some people start the keto diet and produce ketones without a single side effect, no problems, etc.! You are the lucky ones.

But, things can go wrong.

Your body is switching your metabolism from burning carbs to fat for fuel. Along with that is the drastic reduction in glucose and sugar you had flowing in your system. These side effects also depend on how addicted you were to carbs and sugar. You’re going to go through a withdrawal period. Also, some people just don’t do their research and approach the diet wrong, causing these reactions.

I personally didn’t experience “the keto flu” during the transition to being fat adapted. I had one day where I experienced a severe headache. One of the reasons for that is a lack of salt. When your body is getting rid of all the water weight in the beginning, it flushes out salt too, losing electrolytes.

When that happened, I added more salt to my food and drank some bone broth. A few times a week as a preventative method, I add a few drops of this Mio sport liquid to my water, ensuring I get my electrolytes in. (You can also just straight up drink salt water, but that’s not pleasant for me – I’d rather just salt my food!)

To learn more about the keto flu and how to prevent/treat, read this article here.

Is the Keto Diet Right For You? Is it healthy?

Other diets, since you depend on carbs and sugar, will suggest that you eat 6 meals a day because you constantly have to “stabilize blood sugar spikes” With Keto, that’s no longer a dependency. Fat will keep me full and from crashing for hours on end. Carbs just make me crave more carbs…and sugar.

If you think about it – back in history this is how we survived. We did not eat 6 meals a day, we hunted and gathered. We ate when the food was available and it lasted us long periods of time. That’s what Keto brings you back to.

In the end, it’s up to you. Do you want to eat high carb/low fat? Or high fat/low carb? Doing high carb/high fat will probably make you gain, so you’ll probably want to choose one or the other.

Conditions Keto has helped Improve Include:

There are tons of conditions it has helped improve, such as:

• Epilepsy
• Diabetes
• PCOS
• Some Cancers (YES!)
• Autism
• And so MANY more! see this article that lists 15 health conditions Keto can help with!

I seriously recommend you watch the doc The Magic Pill on Netflix. It really opens your eyes to how INSANE it is that doctors always recommend medicine for a cure BEFORE even asking “WHAT ARE YOU EATING?” Wouldn’t the stuff you put IN your body play a role in the state of your health?

I could go on and on about Keto, but we’d be here all day! Let me know of any other Keto-specific topics you’d like to discuss below! If you’re shy, you can always direct message me on Instagram – it never bothers me when people ask a ton of questions ’cause I genuinely love talking about this!

And REMEMBER – ALWAYS do your own research and discuss with your doctor before trying any new dietary lifestyle.

Did this help at all? Are you intrigued by the Keto diet yet? There’s a reason people can’t stop talking about it!