Undoubtedly, there was a problem. Stella was aware of this, as seen by her weight, but she was unsure of how to proceed. She described the failure of each of her prior diet attempts as a “catastrophe.”
“Did you empty your cupboard, refrigerator, or freezer before you started a diet?” I enquired.
She gave me a bewildered expression. “No, I never did that before,” she answered. “I doubt I would want to waste all that delicious food. In addition, my hubby would not be very pleased with it.
“Some foods are pretty addictive,” I said. Did you know that certain studies have shown that sugar is more addictive than cocaine? So it will be quite difficult to resist if you keep sweet snacks about the house. You are placing yourself in a very challenging circumstance. Regarding your husband, he might be fine with it for a while. Try it. Look at what he says.
After returning home, Stella went through their whole kitchen and pantry that evening with the assistance of her husband. Some items were discarded, while others were donated. Even though she believed they were trashed, her husband had hidden a couple boxes of cookies in his top cabinet in the garage.
She next replenished her shelves with goods that were suitable for the Keto Lifestyle.
Later, she called my office a few weeks later. She beamingly said, “I still intend to come in next week, but I wanted to let you know in advance that it is working.” “On the Keto Lifestyle diet, not only is my body full and I’m not famished, but my mind is completely at ease. I believe it’s because I am aware that there is nowhere to run and no hidden supply of comfort food anyplace in the house. I’ve already shed eight pounds, too!
IT IS TRUE.
Foods are typically at their most alluring in the evenings.
Through the phone, I could almost see her smiling.
Cleaning the home
It is very wise to get rid of any goods in your freezer, fridge, and pantry that will cause you to leave the Keto Lifestyle or that are plain unhealthy.
It’s true what they say, “Out of sight, out of mind,” especially when it comes to food. I strongly advise you to start over because this is your body, your health, and your weight loss. However, since this is also your home, you must decide whether to do so.
The temptation of having the same old comfort foods around the house will be very difficult to avoid for many people. Simply dispose of them or deliver them to a friend’s, neighbor’s, or family member’s house. You don’t require the additional temptation.
These are some of the items that must be removed on clean-out day:
Boxed food: Discard packaged, processed goods that are contained in bags or boxes. To keep you in the Keto Lifestyle, they have too many carbohydrates, sweets, artificial sweeteners, hydrogenated oils, or processed oils. No spaghetti, breads, bagels, pretzels, chips, breakfast cereals, cookies, or frozen desserts are permitted.
Wheat, grains, and beans: Throw away all flour, grains, rye, oats, corn, wheat, popcorn, barley, brown rice, beans, peas, hummus, and lentils, whether they are dried or in cans.
Margarine, soy, and oils (such as those made from sunflower, cottonseed, canola, soybean, corn, grape seed, rapeseed, or safflower) should all be avoided.
Canned goods: Foods in metal cans, particularly canned vegetables, are renowned for carrying BPA (bisphenol A), which interferes with hormone function.82 Because it mimics estrogen, BPA can deceive the body into believing it is the hormone. According to studies, diabetes, obesity, poor sperm count, breast and prostate cancer, and other adverse consequences were more common in animals exposed to low levels of BPA, as well as diabetes, obesity, and other issues. While not all food in cans has BPA, many do contain sugary liquids made from a variety of fruits and vegetables and unhealthy additives that can cause you to leave the ketogenic state.
Get rid of all sugar and artificial sweeteners. Artificial sweeteners disrupt your hormones that control your appetite and are unhealthy. If it’s not too enticing, regular sugar should be put away or removed from the cupboard. Use stevia, monk fruit (lo han guo powder or liquid), sweet alcohols (erythritol and xylitol), or other low-carb, healthy sweeteners for the time being.
Dairy: All dairy products should be eliminated, with the exception of hard cheeses, heavy whipping cream, cream cheese, and grass-fed butter. It is advisable to select organic dairy products and to switch between eating dairy products every three to four days.
Low-fat: Foods with the “low-fat” or “fat-free” label are frequently particularly unhealthy due to the additional sugar and almost always cause you to leave the Keto Lifestyle.
Sauces and condiments: The majority of sauces and condiments, such ketchup, contain sugars; as a result, use caution while using them or read the label carefully. Herbs, onions, garlic, pepper, and salt are all acceptable spices that have very few to no carbohydrates.
Beverages: Do not consume any sodas, sports drinks, smoothies, sweetened coffees or teas, or beverages containing artificial sweeteners.
Fruit juices: Though tasty, freshly squeezed orange juice has a high sugar content. It will immediately ruin your diet and force you to leave the Keto Lifestyle. Juice from all fruit removed.
Alcohol: It is advisable to completely avoid alcohol. You will be forced out of the Keto Lifestyle and your daily carbohydrate intake cap will be messed up. Additionally, it makes you groggy and hungry, and it makes it harder for you to resist urges. Just cut it out of the diet for the time being.
Fruit: Although delicious and healthful, fruits including bananas, grapes, mangos, oranges, peaches, pears, pineapples, and plums contain too much sugar for you to stay in the Keto Lifestyle.
Dried fruits: Despite being organic and healthful, dried fruits are high in fructose. Cut them out for now.
Preserves, jams, and jellies: These contain far too much sugar.
Candy and chocolate: The Keto Lifestyle diet does not work with any candy or chocolate that is not at least 85% low-sugar dark chocolate or dark chocolate that contains stevia.
Carrots, potatoes, beets, sweet potatoes, yams, and winter squashes (such acorn and butternut) must be eliminated because they are starchy vegetables.
Make sure to discard the meals you are aware you are addicted to and that could jeopardize your diet after you have gathered all of these foods on the kitchen table. This includes foods that you are aware are bad for you. Keeping them inside the house is not worth the danger.
Nevertheless, if there are any goods you can preserve, like a jar of handmade blueberry jam, an unopened bottle of wine, a tub of baking flour, or any other food item, keep them. This isn’t about being cold and uncaring or getting rid of things you appreciate and might want again in the future. Save them. Keep them hidden. That’s okay. If something is too alluring for you, let it go since only you know how you feel about it. More significant than whatever you might have put on the kitchen table is your nutrition and your health.
IT IS TRUE.
Only gluten rivals pasteurized milk as the allergen with the highest prevalence in the Western diet.
It is acceptable to have healthful meals that are frozen rather than raw, such as spinach. Save them. Food kept in glass jars is also OK. But I would avoid using metal cans, especially when using tomato products.
It’s time to refill the shelves now that they are empty.
RESETTLING YOUR SHELVES
You want to enter the Keto Lifestyle as soon as possible because it is the best place for burning fat as well as the point for peak performance and health, and you want to stay there as long as you want. The main objective of the food you will purchase to restock your shelves is that.
When letting go of some meals, particularly comfort foods, and grasping hold of new foods, I believe it’s extremely crucial to have that aim front and center in my mind. Although giving up foods is uncomfortable, your body will benefit much from doing so.
IT IS TRUE.
Fiber is taken into account when calculating net carbohydrates. For instance, 14 cup of sliced strawberries provides 2 net carbs, or 3 total carbs and 1 fiber carb.
The framework is an intake of 70% lipids, 15% proteins, and 15% carbs from green vegetables, however you can choose the specific items. A decent starting point would be the following:
THE PROTEINS (15%)
You are aware of the daily protein requirement (1 gram of protein for every 2.2 pounds of body weight) and, consequently, the amount of protein required every meal.
114 g for 250 pounds. 38 g of protein each day. (5 to 6 oz. protein) per serving
80 g for 180 pounds. 27 g of protein each day. a meal (4 ounces of protein)
68 g for 150 pounds. 23 g of protein each day. (3 to 3.5 oz. protein) per serving
Keep in mind that 7 grams of protein are contained in 1 ounce of protein from an egg, fish, chicken, or steak. This makes the arithmetic rather simple. For women, that equates to 3 to 4 ounces of protein per meal, whereas for men, it ranges from 3 to 6 ounces. You have the freedom to decide how to satiate that need.
Fish (better when wild and with little mercury)
- Natural salmon
- Halibut
- Sardines
- Perch
- Fish Pollock
- Sole
- Fish Tilapia
- Trout
- the herring
- Sardinians
- Tongol (tuna)
- Sea bass
Shellfish (wild is preferable to farmed)
- Clams
- Seafood
- Shellfish
- Shrimp.
- Squid
- Crab
- Poultry
Eggs (preferably pastured organic eggs)
Poultry
- Duck
- Goose
- Hen of the Corn
- Quail
- Duck
- Pheasant
- Turkey
Meat (organic grass-fed beef is best)
- Beef
- Goat
- Lamb
- Pork
- Veal
- Venison.
Dairy (organic, grass-fed dairy is ideal).
Remember that even while dairy and nuts are classified as sources of protein, they also contain carbs that contribute against your daily limit of 20 grams. These are net carbohydrates, which are calculated as total carbs minus fiber.
- Grass-fed butter: 2 tablespoons and 1 gram. “net carb”
- 4 ounces of organic cheese. 1 g maximum per day. per ounce of net carbs
- 2 Tbsp., or 0.8 g, of organic cream cheese. “net carb”
- Full cream, zero grams (heavy whipping cream). “net carb”
Nuts
- 1 cup and 1 g of almond milk. “net carb”
- Coconut milk: one cup and one g. “net carb”
- 24 almonds, or 2.3 g, total. net carbohydrates
- 1 tablespoon, 2.5 grams of almond butter. net carbohydrates
- 9 nuts, 4.3 g: cashews. net carbohydrates
- 22 nuts, or 1.5 g, of peanuts. net carbohydrates
- 1 Tbsp., 2.4 g of peanut butter. (Avoid most processed peanut butter because it typically contains hydrogenated fats.) net carbohydrates
- 10 whole pecans (1 oz), or 4 g, total. net carbohydrates
- 8 medium-sized macadamia nuts (1 oz), or 4 g. net carbohydrates
- 20 hazelnuts, or 4.5 g, total. net carbohydrates
- 10 whole (1 oz) walnuts, 3 g. net carbohydrates
- Freshly shredden coconut, 12 cup, 6 g. net carbohydrates
- Coconut: dried, unsweetened, 1 oz., 7 g. net carbohydrates
- Coconut cream butter: 2 tablespoons and 2 grams. net carbohydrates
The best nuts to eat are whole, unroasted ones. If eating nuts makes you feel like you have the flu, stop eating them or eat them in moderation. Keep in mind that some nuts, including cashews, have more carbohydrates. You can leave the Keto Lifestyle by eating too many nuts or eating higher-carb nuts like cashews (and peanuts, even though they are legumes), which may occasionally cause flu-like symptoms in certain people.
IT IS TRUE.
A high-speed blender is used to mix coconut to make coconut cream butter, which has a consistency akin to peanut butter (2 tablespoons of coconut butter have 17 grams of fat and 2 grams of net carbohydrates). For desserts, smoothies, and soups, coconut cream or coconut butter can be used as a dairy substitute because it is typically thicker, richer, and sweeter than coconut milk. The coconut cream is the cream that floats to the top of a can of coconut milk.
THE VEGETABLES (15%)
Consider vegetables for salads and those you would prepare. Salads are measured in cups (1 cup), while half cups (12 cup) are used to measure cooked veggies.
You should aim for 2 to 6 cups of salad and 1 to 2 cups of cooked vegetables per day, but you can typically eat as much green leafy vegetables as you like. You should also use generous amounts of extra-virgin olive oil about 3 parts olive oil to 1 part apple cider vinegar and green leafy vegetables. Many of the common vegetables that you can eat are listed here. These are net carbohydrates, not total carbs.
Raw vegetables (preferably organic)
- 3 slices, 1 oz., 2 g of avocado. net carbohydrates
- Avocado: 2 tablespoons. mashed, 1 ounce, 2 grams. net carbohydrates
- Broccoli pieces: 1.6 grams in 1 cup. net carbohydrates
- Green beans: 4.2 grams per cup. net carbohydrates
- Cabbage: 2.2 grams in 1 cup. net carbohydrates
- Celery: one rib, 0.8 grams. “net carb”
- Cucumber: 2 g from 1 cup. net carbohydrates
- One cup and 0.4 grams of mixed greens. “net carb”
- Five black olives weighing 0.7 g each. “net carb”
- Green olives: five count, zero grams. “net carb”
- 2 tablespoons of onion. 1.5 g of chopped. net carbohydrates
- Green pepper: 4.2 grams per cup. net carbohydrates
- Romaine lettuce: 0.4 g in 1 cup. “net carb”
- Spinach: 0.2 g in 1 cup. “net carb”
- One small (3 to 4 oz.) tomato, 2.5 g. net carbohydrates
- Prepared Veggies
- Green beans: 2.9 grams per half-cup. net carbohydrates
- Bok choy: 0.2 g, half a cup. “net carb”
- Broccoli: 1.7 g in half a cup. net carbohydrates
- Brussels sprouts: 3.6 g in 1/2 cup. net carbohydrates
- Cauliflower: 0.9 g in half a cup. “net carb”
- 12 cup and 2 grams of collard greens. net carbohydrates
- Eggplant: 2 g, or half a cup. net carbohydrates
- Kale: 2.4 g in 1/2 cup. net carbohydrates
- Button mushrooms: 4.6 g in a half-cup. Net carbohydrates (use caution with the number)
- Onion: 8.6 g from 1/2 cup. Net carbohydrates (use caution with the number)
- Green pepper: 3.8 g from 1/2 cup. net carbohydrates
- Snow peas: 3.4 g from 1/2 cup. net carbohydrates
- Spinach: 2.2 g in half a cup. net carbohydrates
- Half a cup, 8.6 g of tomato. Net carbohydrates (use caution with the number)
- Zucchini: 1.5 g in half a cup. net carbohydrates
OLIVE OILS (70%)
Oils don’t contain any carbohydrates, making them perfect for satiating your appetite, reducing hunger and cravings, staying within the 20 gram carb restriction, and giving your body the best possible fuel source.
Avocado oil and extra-virgin olive oil are perfect for salad dressings. Coconut oil, avocado oil, ghee, and grass-fed butter are all suitable for cooking. These oils are suitable for sauting as well.
IT IS TRUE.
We get fat from artificial fats.
MCT oil helps you enter the Keto Lifestyle and is excellent for boosting energy. MCT oil fat is just used as fuel and is not stored. I advise adding 1 to 2 tablespoons to your coffee in the mornings in particular. For my coffee, I use MCT oil powder. To prevent loose stools, start with a lower dose of MCT.
For the Keto Lifestyle, these are the perfect healthy oils (a serving size with oils is one tablespoon). Additionally available are nut butters.
(Best for cooking) Saturated fats
- Grass-fed butter
- Coconut oil extra-virgin
- MCT oil (liquid, powder, or pill)
- Ghee (grass-fed, clarified butter)
- Palm oil (only organic)
- Cocoa butter, which is typically not used in cooking
- Individualized Fats
- Olive oil extra-virgin
- Oil from avocado
- Nutella oil
- Oil from macadamia nuts
MISCELLANEOUS
These foods, aside from lipids, vegetables, and proteins, are safe to consume when following the Keto Lifestyle diet, including spices, fruits, and beverages. Be careful to factor their carbohydrate content into your 20 gram daily limit.
Fruits
- Fresh blueberries: 1/4 cup, 4.1 g. net carbohydrates
- Frozen blueberries: 1/4 cup, 3.7 g. net carbohydrates
- Fresh blackberries: 1/4 cup, 2.7 g. net carbohydrates
- 1/4 cup (4.1 g) of frozen blackberries. net carbohydrates
- Fresh raspberries: 1/4 cup, 1.5 g. net carbohydrates
- Frozen raspberries: 1/4 cup, 1.8 g. net carbohydrates
- Fresh, thinly sliced strawberries: 1/4 cup, 1.8 g. net carbohydrates
- 1/4 cup (2.6 g) of frozen strawberries. net carbohydrates
- Lemon juice: 2 tablespoons, 2.1 grams. net carbohydrates
- Lime juice: 2 tablespoons, 2.6 grams. net carbohydrates
Beverages
- Water
- Sparkling beverages
- Caffeine
- Leaf tea
- Dark chai
- “Yerba mate”
- Nut milks (coconut and almond have minimal sugar content).
- Low-carb nut milks are great for smoothies. Use only low-carb varieties that contain 1 gram or fewer of carbohydrates per 8-ounce serving.
Supplements
- A daily multivitamin with 400 mg of magnesium and 1000 2000 IU of vitamin D
- 1 to 2 g of omega-3 (EPA/DHA). day as well as krill oil (350 to 1000 mg) daily
- Electrolyte packets: People frequently require more magnesium, salt, and potassium during the first month of the Keto Lifestyle.
- A digestive enzyme containing more lipase to aid in the breakdown of fats, particularly for people over fifty-five
Condiments and Spices
- Garlic: 0.9 g, 1 large clove. net carbohydrates
- Ginger: 1 tablespoon, 0.8 grams. net carbohydrates
- Pesto sauce: 1 tablespoon, 0.6 grams. net carbohydrates
- Apple cider vinegar: 1 g and 1 tablespoon. net carbohydrates
- Sea salt: 1 teaspoon, 0 grams. “net carb”
- Pink Himalayan salt: 1 teaspoon (0 grams). “net carb”
- Rosemary, 1 g and 1 tsp. “net carb”
- 1 tbsp. and 1 g of turmeric. “net carb”
- Oregano: 1 g and 1 tsp. “net carb”
- Thyme, 1 tsp. and 1 g. “net carb”
- Black pepper: 0.5 g, 1 teaspoon. “net carb”
- Vanilla extract: 0.5 g, 1 teaspoon. “net carb”
- Cinnamon, 1 tsp. and 2 grams. net carbohydrates
Eating out while maintaining a ketogenic diet
You can dine out while remaining within the Keto Lifestyle. Although you might need to bring your own apple cider vinegar, grass-fed butter, olive oil, or avocado oil (like I do), it is definitely achievable.
You can make it work and stay in the Keto Lifestyle whether you’re on vacation or just going out to dine.
Another enjoyable approach to pamper yourself is to eat out. Stella and I used to go out to dinner on Monday nights at a nearby restaurant, where we would share a salad with mozzarella cheese, tomatoes, basil, olive oil, a little balsamic vinegar, and a ton of other herbs and spices. It’s referred to as a Caprese salad. We both remained in the Keto Lifestyle, and it was fantastic.
IT IS TRUE.
When eating grass-fed steak, it is typically recommended to select the fattier pieces, such as a rib eye, as opposed to the leaner cuts, such as a fillet, when eating grain-fed steak.
Make the restaurant’s menu work with your Keto Lifestyle diet, whether it’s for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.
If you accidentally leave the Keto Lifestyle, you might feel it the following day. That’s okay. Simply get back into it, and you should be back in about a day.
A SIMPLE PLACE TO STAR
You’ll need a few fundamentals to get started. I refer to it as a “Keto Lifestyle starter kit,” but it is really just a collection of staple items that will help you restock your refrigerator and pantry with meals that will help you enter and stay in the Keto Lifestyle.
I provide this simple breakdown to anyone planning to start the Keto Lifestyle diet:
- Nuts, fats, and oils
- 500 ml of MCT oil powder
- 1 to 2 quarts of extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 to 4 sticks or 3/4 to 1 lb. of grass-fed butter or ghee
- Coconut oil extra-virgin
- Oil from avocado
- Acai berries
- 2 to 3 cans of each of the following: almonds, pecans, macadamia nuts, walnuts, or peanuts.
- Cheese, cream
- Natural cheese
- Sea salt and vinegar peanuts (2 to 3 cans), which saved my wife’s life.
- Mayonnaise made with avocado or olive oil
- Almond and peanut butter that is organic
- Heavy cream (between 1 and 2 quarts)
- Proteins
- Two dozen organic pastured eggs
- Grass-fed beef (at least 12 ounces)
- Rib eye raised on grass
- A prepared chicken and tuna salad (store in the refrigerator)
- Chicken from pastures (12 ounces or more)
- Tuna tongol
- Turkey from a pasture
- Wild prawns
- Fillets of wild salmon
- Smoked fish
- Veggies of all colors
- Salad greens (a few tubs or bags), including romaine, spinach, field greens, arugula, and mixed greens
- Additional raw vegetables include broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, cucumbers, peppers, tomatoes, onions, and olives (as many as you want and desire).
- Cookable vegetables (as much as you like and desire). You can eat frozen.
- Beverages
- Coffee, preferably from a single source.
- Black and green tea
- Water (alkaline, sparkling, filtered, or spring)
- Low-sugar almond milk (1/2 gal.)
- Low-sugar coconut milk (1/2 gal.)
- Miscellaneous
- Two bottles of apple cider vinegar
- Three bars of dark chocolate that is at least 85% cacao and low in sugar or sweetened with stevia
- Salt: 1 box of Himalayan salt or sea salt
- Dietary supplements such a quality multivitamin, vitamin D3, and magnesium
- Omega-3 oil or krill oil, taken twice daily in one capsule of each;
- An additional lipase-containing digesting enzyme
You will learn more about the foods and your tastes as you proceed, week by week. You will eventually be able to switch up your meals every three to four days so that you are getting the right amounts of fats, proteins, and green vegetables while still enjoying your meals.
Naturally, maintaining the Keto Lifestyle is the main objective.
The line in the sand that you do not cross is the 20 gram carb limit. In order to maximize the Keto Lifestyle and its ability to burn fat, keep your carb intake modest for the time being. Eventually, you can increase it from 20 grams to 50 grams and even more.
