What is the keto diet? Everything you need to know

Welcome to the world of keto. If it is something you’ve heard about and are interested in trying, or simply want to learn more about it, we’ve developed this guide to help you understand what the keto diet is all about, what it involves, its benefits and how to know if you’re doing it right. 

What is Keto?

A keto diet is to eliminate almost all carbohydrates from your diet, whilst decreasing protein levels and increasing fats to put you into ketosis. The perfect keto diet looks like this:

• Approx. 75% Fats
• Approx. 20% Protein 
• Approx. 5% Carbohydrates

With very low carbs and higher fats, your body is put into ketosis. One sign you are in ketosis is if your breath temporarily has a smell similar to nail polish remover. If you experience this, don’t worry, it doesn’t last long. You can also get easy-to-use home testing strips that measure ketone levels via urine.

Why go Keto? 

The main benefits of the keto diet are the associated health benefits. Keto can be a great tool for shedding weight as research has suggested a ketogenic diet can reduce one’s level of hunger compared with intaking the same amount of calories as other diets. Simply put, if you try the keto diet you won’t feel as hungry. There are also a number of serious health conditions keto is said to help prevent, such as:

• Alzheimer’s
• Parkinson’s
• Epilepsy
• Type 2 diabetes
• Heart disease

What food is allowed and what’s not?

Keto is one of the most fun diets in terms of what you can eat. Fatty cuts of meat are at the top of the list in terms of taste and affordability. Fatty fish (salmon), eggs, avocado, oils, nuts, seeds and full-fat dairy are all on the ‘nice’ list. 

On the ‘naughty’ list are pasta, rice, potatoes, kumara, and anything sugary such as lollies, cereal, biscuits, chocolate, soda and most fruits. Alcohol is also not permitted on the keto diet. 

Can anyone do keto?

Before embarking on a new diet, you should do your research. We hope this guide has been the first step in learning more about keto. Unfortunately, whilst keto can be beneficial to a whole range of people, there are some exceptions. 

Pregnant women

Pregnant women, or those breastfeeding, require a higher calorie intake with a wider range of nutrients, so a keto diet is not well suited in either of these scenarios.

Athletes

Whilst in training mode, athletes require a high intake of carbohydrates to fuel training and competitive performance. Carbs are our most readily available fuel source, so it’s a good idea to increase carbs for quick energy, rather than fats.

Children

Placing children on special diets isn’t advised. It can potentially impact their development by limiting the range of nutrients they are receiving.

With this beginner’s guide to the keto diet, you can take your first step to change yours. Shop for meat boxes with us today to support your keto diet.