How to do Keto the Healthy Way!

Macronutrient Breakdown

70ish % healthy fats, (easier to do then you think but we will get to that)

20 ish % protein, (there is an exact calculation but you don’t really need that right now)

10% or less of carbohydrates (primarily incidental carbs that are fiber sources, but we will get to that too!).

The number that is used in research is usually less than 50g of Carbs/day. Some people are more sensitive so you may need to go a bit lower.

Here is a basic shopping list:

Fats:

• Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• MCT oil (Medium chain triglyceride- derived from Coconut oil)
• Coconut Oil
• Avocado Oil
• Grassfed Butter
• Ghee Butter
• Natural butter from grass fed free range cows ONLY
• Heavy cream from grass fed free range cows ONLY
• Avocados
• Coconut (shredded unsweetened coconut goes great in a shake with peanut butter and almond milk)
• Bacon (yes this is considered more of a fat source, as close to organic, free range, nitrate free, paleo as possible)

Mixed, fats/carbs/proteins

• Macadmia nuts
• Almonds (dry roasted or raw, salted or unsalted)
• Nut butters – ALL NATURAL and as much organic as possible: Cashew, Peanut butter, Almond butter
• Nut Milks: Almond, Cashew milk, hazelnut, walnut (try to get the kind without fillers and sweetners)
• Dark Chocolate- True dark Cocao (80% or more ONLY)
• Seeds: Sunflower/pumpkin/flax/chia

Proteins (and fats):

The source of Meat is CRAZY SUPER IMPORTANT Forget the “lean meats”, opt for the fatty version, dark meat, 80% ground beef/bison… AS LONG AS THE SOURCE IS GOOD. Should be free-range, grass fed.

• Chicken (free range ONLY) but the recommendation is to eat the skin. Chicken thighs are a little fattier than chicken breast.
• Beef (FREE RANGE , GRASS FED ONLY)
• Pork (Free Range, humanely raised)- This goes great in a crock pot with bone broth and veggies
• Canned Sardines in Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Fish (wild caught)
• Eggs (free range, grass fed ONLY)
• Shrimp, Scallops (Wild caught as much as possible, especially shrimp)
• Bone Broth- Beef, chicken or turkey.
• Liver/organ meat if you can handle it.

Carbs:

None ☺

All kidding aside, you will get all the carbs you need from all the vegetables in the form of fiber. You can basically have ALLLLLLL the vegetables you want as long as you don’t bread them.

Spinach, zucchini, mushrooms, kale, green leafy vegetables ….etc. Also, no starchy “technically it’s a vegetable” stuff either. No potatoes, yams, sweet potatoes. Some in betweens: Carrots and beets- just to a minimum.

A mixed Salad loaded with egg, sunflower seeds, tuna salad and olive oil makes a great meal.

Carb Sources

• Blueberries. This is actually a MUST. Studies show they have brain protective power.
• Stick to mostly berries, Strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries. But no more than ¼- ½ cup a day.
• Dark Chocolate: 80% or more

Stay away from sugary fruits: Mangos, bananas, apples, oranges, watermelon, cantelope….etc.

MINIMIZE Vegetable oil. DO NOT EAT ANY CORN OIL, CANOLA OIL, SUNFLOWER OIL, RAPE SEED OIL, or SAFFLOWER OIL. These are HIGHLY processed and extracted using a dangerous combination of heat and chemicals. They are essentially poison and HIGHLY inflammatory. Be aware that these seed oils are used in many food items. You will find them used in dips, packaged foods, chips (even good ones) and in salad dressings.

Alcohol

You can drink alcohol, but must avoid sugar mixers. Keep to a minimum. Tequila, vodka, bourbon/whiskey…all have 0 carbs. BUT they have alcohol which is converted to sugar so try not to drink any alcohol for a solid 2-3 weeks when you first start, but it is OK once you get adapted to Keto. Wine is ok in moderation, approx. 1-2 glasses won’t kick you out of ketosis but again, avoid for the first 3-4 weeks.

The Number 1 Rule

Stay away from beer or anything with sugar, fructose, dextrose, cane sugar, High Fructose Corn syrup, or any other fancy name they call sugar all together.

Odds and Ends

Sneaky sources of Carbs:

• Nuts/Seeds- Just need to limit
• Granola
• Starchy/sugary vegetables:
  • Carrots, beets, Spaghetti squash, zucchini, egg plant
• Salad dressings, dips, sauces

Other notes

MCT oil- Do not put in Styrofoam cup

The liquid version can upset your stomach, start with about ½ tsp and gradually increase to 1 tbsp per day over the course of a few weeks.

Some things that can knock you out of ketosis:

1. Stress- Increases stress hormones and causes liver to produce/release glucose
2. Too much protein- Induces gluconeogenesis- Liver production/release by the Liver Lack of
3. Sleep/inconsistent sleep. Similar response as stress.

Intermittent Fasting Protocol

Sounds scary but its not! Here is my suggestion. You want to build up so that you are fasting for about 16-hours a day.

Pick a “window” and try to stick to it. Here is a suggested schedule.

Week 1. Fast from 8pm- 8am. Eat from 8am-8pm

Week 2. Fast from 8pm-10am Eat from 10am-8pm

Week 3. Fast from 8pm-noon Eat from 12 noon- 8pm… Ongoing

As you get more “fat adapted’ this gets easier because you don’t get the glucose rise/fall through the day that creates the cravings. Your body can get forever without food because it seamlessly switches to ketones for energy.

During your “eating window” you do not need to worry about eating every 2-3 hours. Just eat what you want from the above lists. Your body will tell you when you ate too much. At first, you may not be able to tolerate too much fat all at once, but as you go, you will adapt.

Net carbs vs Total Carbs:

This can get confusing. You will see packages that advertise for low number of Net Carbs even when the Total carbs is high. Basically, you take the Total Carbs in something and subtract the dietary fiber. This gives you the NET carbs. Here is the general rule. Vegetables don’t count for carbs so just don’t count them. They are mostly water and fiber. Other than that, for the first 21 days, count TOTAL carbs. Once you get down below approximately 25-50g of TOTAL carbs for 21 days, you can start to count Net carbs. This will give you a little more breathing room. The ONLY exception is true dark chocolate. You are allowed to subtract the dietary fiber from that because it is a true super food.

There are some “keto” stuff out there like “keto cookies” and “keto brownies” and “keto this or keto that”. I would stay away for at first. Then, they can help you satisfy a craving, but you need to be on point the first 21 days.

Some quick suggestions:

1. CLEAN OUT THE PANTRY - The first week can be very difficult. The less temptation the better.
2. Macadamia nuts are the perfect keto ratio of Macros for Fats, Protein and Carbs. Make this your “go to” snack at first.
3. Drink Lost of water. You may feel constipated or bloated at first. Water helps keeps maintain bowel motility.
4. Some herbs that keep things moving include Fennel, Senna and Cascara Sagrada. Try a tea or supplement if you feel constipated.
5. Add an electrolyte supplement if you do not feel well. Add liberal amounts of Himilayin Sea Salt.

 

REFERENCES

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Mark Sisson
Book: The 21 day Keto Reset Diet

Dom D’Agostino-
Website
Podcasts

Dave Asprey -
Bullet Proof

Dr. Jaime Seeman
@doctorfitandfabulous 

Ben Pakulski
@Ketomuscleintelligence 

Dr Peter Attia
@Peterattiamd
Website
Podcast also featuring Dom D’Agostino

Dr. Rhonda Patrick