As with any choice to improve your health and wellness, one of the biggest keys to success is sticking with it. We want to make your commitment to a keto diet as easy as possible. Building on past low-carb diets and research around controlling epilepsy, the modern keto diet has a focus on proteins, fats, and veggies and restricts carbohydrates to two - four percent of calories (compared to 45 - 65 percent of typical western diet). The diet triggers ketosis, a natural process where your body converts fat into ketones and then uses it as a source of energy. Research has shown diets that encourage this process - ketosis - can support weight loss and help suppress your appetite.

 

Five Tips To Keep You On Track And Thriving

1. Be Ready For the Keto Flu

A keto diet is a big change for your body. Typically the first couple of weeks have a quick loss of water and minerals. This can make you feel like you have a hangover or the flu. Symptoms can include:

• Sugar cravings
• Dizziness
• Brain fog
• Irritability
• Poor focus and concentration
• Stomach pains
• Nausea
• Cramping
• Muscle soreness
• Insomnia

Many of these symptoms can be mitigated by supplements and hydration. A quality electrolyte supplement like Ener-C Sport is a balanced way to make sure your mineral needs are being met. Taking Magnesium Bisglycinate can help your body digest the additional fats and proteins you will be consuming.

 

2. Add MCTs to Your Diet

Medium chain triglycerides (MCTs) are a rapidly absorbing fat that directly target the liver where they can be used right away for energy or converted into ketones. Coconut oil can be a good choice with four different MCTs, plus 50 percent of its fat is from the MCT lauric acid which may produce a sustained level of ketosis. Studies have shown you don’t need to cut your carbs to extremely low levels, but instead if your diet is high in MCT you may only need to cut carbs to 20 percent. We have many different options for MCTs from supplement powders that can be added to baking or smoothies to oil supplements or pure coconut oil. When adding coconut oil or MCTs to your diet do it slowly. If you head straight to a full dose it may wreak havoc on your digestive system and have you quitting keto before it really starts.

 

3. Boost Your Physical Activity

Studies are showing a link between keto diets and improved physical performance - including endurance sports. A keto diet inhibits the body from replenishing its glycogen stores with carbs leading to more ketones. Keep your body’s most basic building blocks strong as you transition to the new keto lifestyle by adding supplements like calcium and iron, plus Green Superfood can offer a nice boost of energy.

 

4. Track Your Consumption

Getting a keto diet right and keeping it sustainable can be a bit daunting a first. Using an app to track your eating can help you see which foods and nutrients you need to boost and where you need to cut back. People typically underestimate the calories they consume - by a lot. You want to track so you can look back and see why you might plateau or why you aren’t losing weight in the first place.

 

5. Watch Out For ‘Dirty Keto’

One of the challenges of eating gluten free is the abundance of new processed products - gluten free but not nutrient rich. The same is true for keto eating. Don’t turn to processed sources like sandwich meat and processed cheese. Sure, they fall in the parameters of keto but they aren’t nutrient dense and have preservatives and salt levels you don’t want. Don’t go ‘dirty.’ If you want a quick go to, choose a dietary supplement like Alora Naturals Vegan BCAA something easily added to water for the post workout boost rather than a cheese stick.