In order to understand how the keto diet works, first you need to understand what it means to be in ketosis. Ketosis is a metabolic state of when the body burns fat for energy because it is deprived of carbohydrates. This happens by avoiding the consumption of sugar and carbs. The keto diet can help you lose weight and improve your overall health. Ultimately, this diet shifts the body’s metabolism away from using carbs and towards utilizing fat and ketones.
The beautiful part about this diet is that it is super non-restrictive. As you can see from the image on the right, you can basically eat anything– anything except carbs. The keto diet is a low-carb, high-fat (LCHF) diet, which will induce your body to always be in ketosis.
All you need to do is follow the ketogenic diet breakdown below.
Yes, you are reading this correctly. 75 percent of your daily caloric intake should consist of fat. On keto, fat is your friend. And a lot of that fat will come from the protein you choose to consume… So indulge in that ribeye steak you have been resisting all these years, and don’t be stingy with the garlic butter sauce! Examples of healthy fats include: cheese, butter, lard, cream, coconut cream, olives, olive oil, avocado, avocado oil, nuts, fatty fish, grass-fed animals, eggs, and seeds.
Since much of your fat intake will depend on the protein you consume. Choose omega-3 rich proteins such as: fatty fish (like salmon, mackerel, and anchovies), grass-fed animals (including bacon and hamburger patties), and eggs.
In order to reach ketosis, you must deprive your body of sugar so that it becomes dependent on fat as fuel. Often times, sauces and dressings contain sugars that we are used to overlooking, a helpful tip to avoid these hidden sugars is: if something tastes sweet in your mouth, it is likely to contain sugar (unless you know the sweetness comes from erythritol).