#ketothoughts

On June 21 at 3:00 pm, I sat down to watch an episode of Bluff City Life (a local program promoting things going on in the city of Memphis). This particular episode starred yours truly, cooking a meal. After watching the episode, I spent the next five minutes trying to convince myself that I wasn’t the big guy I just saw on screen. Following those five minutes, I immediately went to the scale, which confirmed my suspicions. I faced the facts and realized that I was the guy. It was on this day that I decided to try Keto. I didn’t just jump into it; I had to make sure I could do it safely. After two weeks of research, I was finally ready to start my ketogenic journey. After four months of Keto and being 20lbs lighter, I have five tips for you when it comes to Keto


1. Do your research!

Whenever doing and type of diet, research is most important. Make sure that you know what you are doing and that you are doing it safely. During my two weeks of research, I also purchased products that would help with meal preparation and tracking.

2. Find an excellent macro tracker.

This diet is not one that you can do without tracking calories- at least at the beginning. Having a good tracker helps you stay on track by giving you a good overview of your caloric intake. I used the keto app, which allows you to choose whether you want to track total carbs or net carbs.

 3. Find out what you “can’t live without” and figure out how to fit it in your diet.

 I quickly took an inventory of the things that I felt I needed on the keto diet. The main thing I realized I could not live without was bread. I then did my research and found bread that I could eat while on my journey.

4. High fat does not mean highly processed.

Whole Foods will always be better for you. A lot of my calories thought out the day on Keto come from chicken thighs, fatty steaks, avocado, nuts, unrefined coconut oil, and eggs. I limited my intake of sugar substitutes, processed low carb items, and sugar-free drinks. It is also imperative that you drink lots of water because your body is not able to store as much water while on Keto, this can easily lead to dehydration.

5. Include plants, fiber, and Vitamins in your diet!

People attempting to do a keto diet often make the mistake of not incorporating enough vegetation and fiber in their diet. Coniferous vegetables, leafy greens, and low glycemic vegetables (high water and low starch content) can all (and should) fit into a ketogenic diet. They are all traditionally high in fiber, vitamins, minerals, and water, which are all critical of the food. Fiber is essential to maintain gut health, which can become compromised while on this diet. A lot of sugar substitutes can be detrimental to the microbiota in the gut, and fiber provides prebiotics for the biota to feed on, in turn, keeping your gut healthy and active. Lastly, while in ketosis, your body releases a lot of vitamins and minerals as waste. Two of the biggest ones are Magnesium and Potassium. These two minerals are vital for a lot of regulatory functions in the body. Adding Pink Himalayan Salt, electrolyte, and mineral supplements will help replenish your vitamin and minerals. I’m not saying don’t eat the bacon, butter, and eggs; just mix it in with fresh vegetables, fiber, and minerals to help get the most out of the diet.

Keto Can be a daunting task, but with the right preparation and research, it can be fun. I will leave you with two links; one is to the bread recipe that helps me make it through my journey, and the second is a recipe that I created that will help you kick the chocolate craving while on Keto.

1.Diedre's "For Real" Low Carb Bread - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sFdN4tF_eCQ



- Jamarcus Frazier

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular Posts