Tag: Keto flu

So you’re interested in doing the Keto Diet? I personally love this diet for quick weight loss, therefore, I wanted to share some of my own advice. I know some people see it as more of a lifestyle than a diet. On the other hand, some do not believe that it is healthy whatsoever and aren’t interested in trying it, and that’s fine too! I personally LOVE this diet 1-2 months at a time. I’m speaking for myself here, as there are many different ways to do the Keto diet. BUT I have found that once your body goes into Ketosis, the fat just melts right off – or so it seems! I’m simply creating this post for those who are interested in the popular Keto Diet and would like to read some quick tips and tricks before starting. If you already follow a specific eating trend and are happy with it, that’s great too!

So what is the Keto Diet?

The Keto or Ketogenic Diet is when the food you consume is low in carbohydrates, moderate in protein and high in fat. When your carb intake is less than 50 g a day, your body will eventually go into “Ketosis”. Ketosis is when your body is burning ketones for energy rather than glucose, OR, you can say that your body is using fat for energy rather than carbs.

Personally, I aim for 20g Net Carbs at day or lower. Some people like to do 30-50g Net carbs. The lower amount of Net Carbs, the quicker you’ll get into Ketosis. What are Net Carbs? Total Carbohydrates – Fiber – Sugar Alcohol (if any) = Net Carbs.

It is very easy to spend lots of money (if you’re not careful) once you start this diet, but it definitely does not HAVE to be expensive. I learned the hard way, unfortunately. There are so many products on the market currently labeled as “Keto” with high prices. Some are great, and some are not. One my personal favourites is the “Unbun” https://unbunfoods.com/. I use these for cheeseburgers or breakfast sandwiches and they’re delicious, but they’re about $10.00 for 4 buns, and for that price I can definitely say that they are not a necessity.

What do some Keto meals look like?

• Oven roasted Chicken breast and cooked broccoli with cheese – I like to add Hot Sauce to my chicken for flavour
• Green Salad with chicken breast: Spinach, Lettuce, Onion, Cherry tomatoes, Goat Cheese, chicken breast, salad dressing (see below)
• Salad Dressing: Olive Oil, Apple Cider Vinegar, lemon/lime juice, salt, pepper – all mixed together in a bowl
• Spicy Chicken Wings: Fresh mini chicken wings seasoned with Lemon pepper, salt & pepper baked for an hour in the oven. When almost done, I dip each wing in hot sauce and bake for another 10-15 min.
• Taco Salad: Ground beef, cheese, low carb salsa (Tostito brand), 14% Sour cream, Avocado
• Cheeseburgers: burger patty, cheese, onion, pickles, mustard, low carb mayo (Hellman’s Organic) – all wrapped in lettuce OR use a Keto Bun
• Chicken Fajitas – made as a salad rather than in a tortilla wrap
• Steak with Cauliflower Mash: I put the cauliflower in my food processor, and then fry it on the frying pan with butter, salt & pepper
• Keto Chicken Soup – Like chicken noodle soap, just no noodles 🙂 I also add bean sprouts, ginger, Curry Paste, & fish sauce to give it a “Pho” Soup kind of taste. Delicious!

These are just a few of my favorite meals that I enjoy cooking throughout the week. I try to spice it up sometimes and get new ideas from Pinterest 🙂

What is the Keto Flu?

The Keto Flu was VERY REAL for me, especially when I first started this diet and had never done it before. The Keto Flu is basically a collection of symptoms associated with your body adapting to your new low-carb way of eating. It can last anywhere from 3-5 days. Mine lasted the whole 5 days, and it wasn’t fun. I stuck through it though, and afterwards I felt great. It’s not a real flu, but it feels like it. Symptoms can look like nausea, fatigue, lack of motivation, headaches, irritability, dizziness, sugar cravings and brain fog. Once these feelings are gone, your energy levels go way up and your cravings go way down, because you are probably burning Ketones 🙂

Keto Diet Essentials – Here are a few items that I personally must have if I’m doing the Keto Diet 🙂

• Heavy/Whipping Cream (0 Carbs)
• MCT Powder (Nutiva brand, Vanilla Flavored) – This is great for sweetening coffee and tea
• Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk
• Pickles (Mostly for the Pickle Juice) – On Keto, your electrolytes can become low if you’re not careful. This can cause exhaustion, weakness, dizziness, muscle cramps, moodiness and irritability and other symptoms. When I start feeling like this, I take a couple shots of pickle juice. Sometimes I’ll just take a shot before I start my day in the morning just to make sure my sodium levels are up. Magnesium, Sodium, & Potassium are all important when it comes to balancing your electrolytes.
• Liquid Stevia
• Swerve Sugar Replacement (Great for things like Fat Bombs, Broccoli Salad, and lots of other yummy recipes)
• Almond Flour
• Cheese
• Avocados!!! – These are high in healthy fat. Exactly what you want on the Keto Diet. They are also loaded with fiber and potassium.
• Olive Oil
• Magnesium Capsules – Magnesium has many health benefits, but it also helps to keep your bowel movements regular. When you first start the Keto Diet, your body is adjusting to a completely different way of eating. Constipation can unfortunately become a thing, especially if you aren’t eating enough fiber. Magnesium capsules can really help for this, just don’t take too many!
• Collagen Vitamins
• Sugar Free Chocolate Chips – I love these for when I just can’t kick my sweet tooth.
• Keto Urine Strips – These were so helpful for me, especially within the first 2 weeks of the diet. People have reported that after a while, they become not so accurate, but I find they are great for the beginning!

I hope this post is somewhat helpful to those who have any interest in the Ketogenic Diet! I’m not a professional at all, I just wanted to share some advice for those who have any interest in this wonderful diet. I hope you all have a wonderful day!