What is Keto Diet Plan for Beginner and Menu That Can Transform Your Body

A Keto Diet Meal Plan and Menu That Can Transform Your Body

If you find yourself in a conversation about dieting or weight loss, chances are you’ll hear of the ketogenic, or keto, diet.

That’s because the keto diet has become one of the most popular methods worldwide to shed excess weight and improve health.

Research has demonstrated that adopting this low-carb, high-fat diet can promote fat loss and even improve certain conditions such as type 2 diabetes and cognitive decline 

This article explains what to eat and avoid while following a keto diet and provides a one-week keto meal plan to get you started.

Ketogenic Diet Basics

The keto diet, as a rule, is very low in carbs, high in fat and moderate in protein.

When following a ketogenic diet, carbs are typically reduced to 20 to 50 grams per day, though looser versions of the diet exist (3

Fats should replace the majority of cut carbs and deliver approximately 75% of your total calorie intake.

Proteins should account for around 10-30% of energy needs, while carbs are usually restricted to 5%.

This carb reduction forces your body to rely on fats for its main energy source instead of glucose — a process known as ketosis.

While in ketosis, your body uses ketones — molecules produced in the liver from fats when glucose is limited — as an alternate fuel source.

Though fat is often avoided for its high-calorie content, research shows that ketogenic diets are significantly more effective at promoting weight loss than low-fat diets (4

Plus, keto diets reduce hunger and increase satiety, which can be particularly helpful when trying to lose weight (5

SUMMARY

The ketogenic diet relies on a very low-carb routine. Carbs are typically restricted to 20-50 grams per day, replaced mostly with fat and moderate amounts of protein.

Ketogenic Diet Meal Plan

Switching over to a ketogenic diet can seem overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be difficult.

Your focus should be on reducing carbs while increasing the fat and protein content of meals and snacks.

In order to reach and remain in a state of ketosis, carbs must be restricted.

While certain people might only achieve ketosis by eating 20 grams of carbs per day, others may be successful with a much higher carb intake.

Generally, the lower your carbohydrate intake, the easier it is to reach and stay in ketosis.

This is why sticking to keto-friendly foods and avoiding items rich in carbs is the best way to successfully lose weight on a ketogenic diet.

Keto-Friendly Foods to Eat

When following a ketogenic diet, meals and snacks should center around the following foods:

• Eggs: Pastured, organic whole eggs make the best choice.
• Poultry: Chicken and turkey.
• Fatty fish: Wild-caught salmon, herring and mackerel.
• Meat: Grass-fed beef, venison, pork, organ meats and bison.
• Full-fat dairy: Yogurt, butter and cream.
• Full- fat cheese: Cheddar, mozzarella, brie, goat cheese and cream cheese.
• Nuts and seeds: Macadamia nuts, almonds, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, peanuts and flaxseeds.
• Nut butter: Natural peanut, almond and cashew butters.
• Healthy fats: Coconut oil, olive oil, avocado oil, coconut butter and sesame oil.
• Avocados: Whole avocados can be added to almost any meal or snack.
• Non-starchy vegetables: Greens, broccoli, tomatoes, mushrooms and peppers.
• Condiments: Salt, pepper, vinegar, lemon juice, fresh herbs and spices.

Foods to Avoid

Avoid foods rich in carbs while following a keto diet.

The following foods should be restricted:

• Bread and baked goods: White bread, whole-wheat bread, crackers, cookies, doughnuts and rolls.
• Sweets and sugary foods: Sugar, ice cream, candy, maple syrup, agave syrup and coconut sugar.
• Sweetened beverages: Soda, juice, sweetened teas and sports drinks.
• Pasta: Spaghetti and noodles.
• Grains and grain products: Wheat, rice, oats, breakfast cereals and tortillas.
• Starchy vegetables: Potatoes, sweet potatoes, butternut squash, corn, peas and pumpkin.
• Beans and legumes: Black beans, chickpeas, lentils and kidney beans.
• Fruit: Citrus, grapes, bananas and pineapple.
• High-carb sauces: Barbecue sauce, sugary salad dressings and dipping sauces.
• Certain alcoholic beverages: Beer and sugary mixed drinks.

Though carbs should be restricted, low-glycemic fruits such as berries can be enjoyed in limited amounts as long as you’re maintaining a keto-friendly macronutrient range.

Be sure to choose healthy food sources and steer clear of processed foods and unhealthy fats.

The following items should be avoided:

• Unhealthy fats: Margarine, shortening and vegetable oils such as canola and corn oil.
• Processed foods: Fast food, packaged foods and processed meats such as hot dogs and lunch meats.
• Diet foods: Foods that contain artificial colors, preservatives and sweeteners such as sugar alcohols and aspartame.

Keto-Friendly Beverages

Sugar can be found in a wide variety of beverages including juice, soda, iced tea and coffee drinks.

While on a ketogenic diet, high-carb drinks must be avoided just like high-carb foods.

It’s no small matter that sugary beverages have also been linked to various health issues — from obesity to an increased risk of diabetes 

Thankfully, there are many tasty, sugar-free options for those on the keto diet.

Keto-friendly beverage choices include:

• Water: Water is the best choice for hydration and should be consumed throughout the day.
• Sparkling water: Sparkling water can make an excellent soda replacement.
• Unsweetened coffee: Try heavy cream to add flavor to your cup of joe.
• Unsweetened green tea: Green tea is delicious and provides many health benefits.

If you want to add some extra flavour to your water, try experimenting with different keto-friendly flavour combinations.

For example, tossing some fresh mint and lemon peel into your water bottle can make hydration a breeze.

Though alcohol should be restricted, enjoying a low-carb drink like vodka or tequila mixed with soda water is perfectly fine on occasion.

SUMMARY

A healthy ketogenic diet should revolve around high-fat, low-carb food choices and restrict highly processed items and unhealthy fats. Keto-friendly beverage options must be sugar-free. Consider water, sparkling water or unsweetened green tea and coffee.

How does the Keto Diet Work?

The ketogenic diet includes high fat, low Carbohydrate, and modern protein eating patterns. It varies from extensive and healthful eating guidance. Many nutrient-rich foods are a good source of carbohydrates involved in the Keto diet. These foods contain whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and milk products.

The Keto diet restricts carbs from every source. One needs to keep a goal of keeping carbs under 50 grams per day. People who take the keto diet plan need to restrict bread, cereals, or grains. He needs to limit fruits and vegetable intake as they contain carbs. Keto diet needs to make big shifts in eating habits.

Why do carbs restrict in the keto diet?

Carb plays the role of chief energy source for the human body. In case an individual is not consuming enough carbs, the body cracks fat into ketones. The ketones turn into a primary fuel source to provide energy for muscles, kidneys, and heart. Ketones are the substitute energy source for the brain.

A ketogenic diet also refers to partial fasting for our body. Complete fasting or a state of starvation leads the body to lose energy source. Hence, it breaks down the mass of lean muscles for fuel to generate energy. With the keto diet, ketones produce an energy source. Keto diet assists to preserve the mass of the lean muscle.

Scientific Facts about Ketogenic Diet

The Keto diet helps in managing disorders like epilepsy, diabetes type 2, and seizures. Studies show that the keto diet is a substitute for dietary treatment for obesity. Research detects the benefits of the keto diet for various health conditions.

A Ketogenic diet works by exhausting the sugar reserves of the body. As an outcome, it begins to generate energy by breaking down fat. This helps in the manufacture of molecules that our body uses for fuel refers to Ketones. It burns the body fat that leads to weight loss.

Benefits of Ketogenic diet plan

The ketogenic diet plan required a deliberate attempt to cut back the carbs. The food that is easy to digest like white bread, bakery items, and sugar. Here are certain benefits of the Keto diet:

Improve good cholesterol

A low-carb diet helps in increasing the High-Density Lipoprotein levels. A high-fat ketogenic diet proves to be an excellent way to improve HDL levels. That results in the prevention of heart diseases.

Dominate bad cholesterol

Bad cholesterol increases the risk of diseases related to the heart. Eating low-carb and high LDL (Low-Density Lipoprotein) both reduces blood LDL levels. It is straight away correlated to the enhancement in the health of the heart.

Diminished Triglycerides

Fat molecules in the body are referred to as Triglycerides. High Triglycerides level is a symptom of the high risk of heart diseases. An excellent method to turn down triglyceride levels is consuming a low-carb diet.

Management of insulin

A low-carb diet is the best method to control insulin levels. It also helps in turning down the blood sugar levels and crashing the sugar level. Thus, the Keto diet provides a natural and effective treatment for type 2 diabetes.

Quick Weight Loss

A ketogenic diet helps in generating a speedy weight loss journey as:

• A low-carb diet supports eliminating weight due to excess water.
• It lowers the insulin level that means the kidneys remove the surplus sodium from the body. It also helps in burning stubborn belly fat.

Administer appetite

Consuming fats in the ketogenic diet (low-carb), our body burns fat to generate energy. Fat-rich food restrains the need to overeat or frequent snacks.

Prevent Metabolic Syndrome.

Metabolic Syndrome is a group of risk factors. They include a condition like diabetes, stroke, and heart diseases. A low-carb diet diminishes the risk factors that are a source of metabolic syndrome. It also prevents the disease and complications involved in cardiovascular.

Basics of Ketogenic Diet

The Keto diet is high in fat, low in carbs, and moderate in protein. Carbs decreased to 20 to 50 grams per day while following it.

• High-fat diets replace carbs and deliver 75% of total calorie intake.
• Moderate protein reports for 10-30% of the energy that is high in comparison to carbs that restrict to 5%.
• Low carb forces the body to depend on fats as the main source of energy instead of glucose, known as ketosis.