Maintaining Ketosis by Eating Real Food
When starting on a keto diet, you might be tempted to snack between meals to make up for not getting all the protein and carbohydrate calories from your daily meal. Snacking is a bad idea in a keto diet because your body will usually need more carbohydrates than protein to maintain normal levels. Also, it wastes valuable carbohydrate time that you could be using to fuel your muscles for the day. If you snack, you should limit your snacking to no more than a quarter of an hour. If you find that you still need energy, you should take in your daily allotment of carbohydrates.
Another way to avoid snacking is to plan your shopping lists before you go shopping. Some keto dieters do not like the idea of having to keep their pantry and fridge stocked with items for just one diet. For these people, planning shopping lists in advance can help. Stock up on healthy foods such as spinach, beans, nuts, low carb veggies, and fruit. Avoiding sugar is also recommended in order to maintain your keto meal plans.
When shopping for ingredients, be sure to stay away from any products that contain high levels of refined sugars. Your goal should be to limit your carbs so as to maintain ketosis, which means low amounts of glucose in your blood. When looking for ingredients to put into your pantry or fridge, look for ones that are high in complex carbs such as oats, bran, and rice instead of highly processed flour. Keep your per day sugar intake low, which will prevent you from building too much fat.
In addition to limiting your fat intake, another way to maintain ketosis is by eating high-fat sources such as butter and coconut oil. Although some may find butter to be decadent, it does have high-quality health benefits such as reducing heart disease and lowering cholesterol. Similarly, coconut oil is an excellent source of medium-chain fatty acids, which have been shown to lower bad cholesterol while increasing good cholesterol. High-fat foods are also known to increase ketones in the body, so eating high-fat meals can also boost your keto diet’s effects.
If you’re wondering what types of fats you should avoid in order to maintain ketosis, know that saturated fats are the worst kinds to avoid. Saturated fats are found in many foods, including heavily processed butter and shortening, while unsaturated fats are found in certain natural oils, such as olive oil and avocados. The reason why you should avoid these fats is that they are oxidized, meaning that they have lost the ability to burn fat for energy. Instead, ketones are produced, which leads to weight gain and the accumulation of fat around the belly, thighs, and neck. Instead of eating saturated and trans fats, many people prefer to eat fats that are unsaturated and mono-unsaturated, which include nuts, seeds, olives, and fish.
Vegetables are also a great way to get ketones into your diet, particularly dark green vegetables, which have nearly twice the amount of the carbohydrates found in fruits and vegetables. While these vegetables may be higher in fat than other types of vegetables, they are loaded with essential fiber that leads to efficient bowel movement and regular elimination of waste products. Also, you should eat more vegetables because they are low in calories and highly nutritious. Although experts don’t recommend that you eat a salad every day, eating enough vegetables can help to keep your weight at a healthy level.