Adams Media - Keto Basics: Your Guide to the Essentials of the Keto Diet—and How It Can Work for You!

Adams Media

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First Adams Media trade paperback edition January 2019

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ISBN 978-1-5072-1009-3

ISBN 978-1-5072-1010-9 (ebook)

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The information in this book should not be used for diagnosing or treating any health problem. Not all diet and exercise plans suit everyone. You should always consult a trained medical professional before starting a diet, taking any form of medication, or embarking on any fitness or weight-training program. The author and publisher disclaim any liability arising directly or indirectly from the use of this book.

Always follow safety and commonsense cooking protocols while using kitchen utensils, operating ovens and stoves, and handling uncooked food. If children are assisting in the preparation of any recipe, they should always be supervised by an adult.

Contains material adapted from the following titles published by Adams Media, an Imprint of Simon & Schuster, Inc.: The Everything Guide to the Ketogenic Diet by Lindsay Boyers, CHNC, copyright 2015, ISBN 978-1-4405-8691-0; The Everything Ketogenic Diet Cookbook by Lindsay Boyers, CHNC, copyright 2017, ISBN 978-1-5072-0626-3; The Everything Big Book of Fat Bombs by Vivica Menegaz, CTWFN, copyright 2016, ISBN 978-1-4405-9675-9.

Youve heard a lot about the benefits of the ketogenic diet. It can help you lose weight, reduce your risk of heart disease, lower your cholesterol, and so much more. But with so many rules and restrictions, where do you begin?

With the basics.

Keto Basics teaches you everything you need to know about the keto diet in a quick, easy-to-understand way. Wondering what you can eat? Youll discover the wide variety of delicious foods included in the keto diet. Confused about what ketosis is and what effect it has on your body? Youll find a clear explanation along with easy-to-follow guidelines. Are you concerned a low-carb, high-fat diet will just lead to weight gain? Not to worry! Youll learn why fat is your friend and how it can actually help you slim down. Plus, there are more than fifty delicious recipes that make it easy to stick to your keto guidelines!

Youll learn the ins and outs of keto-based eating. Once you have the information, you can tailor it specifically to your life. Maybe you want to calm chronic inflammation in your body or maybe you want to improve mental focus and boost your energy levels or maybe youre looking to shed those stubborn pounds youve been struggling with for years. Whatever your motives, with the Keto Basics covered you can be confident and successful in your diet decisions.

No matter what your reasons are for the ketogenic diet, this book is here to help you understand the keto diet and apply it to your lifeeasily and effectively.

As the name implies, the ketogenic diet is a diet plan that puts your bodys innate intelligence to work by forcing your body to enter into a state of ketosis. Youll learn in the next chapter all about ketosis and how your body reacts to it, but for now know that ketosis is a metabolic state that can lead to significant weight loss when done properly. Your body already instinctively knows how to get into ketosis when you dont eat carbohydrates, but the point of the ketogenic diet is to force it to happen and keep it going for as long as you want. If youre interested in starting a ketogenic diet, the following information can help you get started.

The ketogenic diet encourages you to get most of your calories from fat and to severely restrict carbohydrates. Unlike a typical low-carbohydrate diet the ketogenic diet is not a high-protein diet. Instead, its a high-fat, moderate-protein, and low-carbohydrate diet. Although your exact macronutrient ratio will differ based on your individual needs, a typical nutritional ketogenic diet looks something like this:

Fat: 60 to 75 percent of calories

Protein: 15 to 30 percent of calories

Carbohydrates: 5 to 10 percent of calories

These are just general guidelines, but most people on a successful ketogenic diet fall somewhere in this range. In order to figure what you should be eating, youll have to calculate your individual macronutrient ratios. As your diet progresses and your body begins to change, you may have to recalculate these numbers and make the proper adjustments to your diet plan.

If youre used to following a standard American dietone in which most of your calories come from carbohydratesa ketogenic diet is a major change, but it isnt so difficult that you wont be able to do it. All it takes is some commitment and preparation.

You have two choices when it comes to starting the keto diet: jump into it cold turkey or slowly wean yourself off carbohydrates, increasing your fat intake until your macronutrient ratios fall within your goal. When you go into it cold turkey, youre more likely to experience unpleasant carbohydrate withdrawal symptoms, so easing into it slowly is often the best bet for success.

Congratulations! Youve decided to start the keto diet. Thats the first step toward a healthy lifestyle change. Now that youve made the decision, youll need to prepare your kitchen to set yourself up for success. This is a two-part process. First, youll need to remove off-plan foods. Next, its time to stock your refrigerator and pantry with the essentials. Sounds pretty easy, right?

If you live alone or with others who are also following a ketogenic diet, removing off-plan foods is simple. Go through your pantry and refrigerator and take out all the foods that dont fit into your diet plan. Dont forget to check the labels on your spices and dried herbs. Sometimes these contain sugar or other artificial ingredients that dont belong on a ketogenic diet. Donate unopened items to your local food pantry and toss the open ones in the trash.