So, you’ve decided to embark on a ketogenic lifestyle to support your fitness regime, lose some weight, or just improve your overall health? Keto is a low-carb, high-fat, and protein approach to eating. Fans all over the world rave about the results they achieve without the hunger pangs associated with more traditional diets based on calorie counting and carb-heavy snacks.
In Keto, foods are eaten in combination so that your body relies on energy from ketones produced when fat is burned, rather than glucose. Typically, calorie intake (not food volume) consists of around 70% fat, 20% protein, and only 10% carbohydrates.
So to get started, it’s a good idea to make use of resources like https://www.drberg.com/blog to help you understand the foods and food groups that will form the basis of your daily nutrition.
Meat and Poultry
Choose the meat and poultry you enjoy most and make these the basis of a good number of your meals. One thing to be aware of is that you should avoid lean cuts – streaky bacon and meat with good fat content is preferable. In Keto, quality is emphasized as much as quantity. Whenever possible, choose organic, free-range, grass-fed meat and poultry. Many companies will now deliver steak packages as well as other meats, so once you find a good source, it’s easy and convenient to maintain the quality you need.
Omega 3
Omega 3 oils, especially those found in fish, are linked to a wide range of health benefits and are known to have powerful anti-inflammatory properties. Whether you prefer mackerel, salmon, bluefin tuna, or herrings, make fish a regular part of your keto lifestyle. If you don’t like fish, other useful sources of Omega 3s are walnuts and flax seeds (aka linseeds), which can be sprinkled on salads.
Brassica vegetables
The health benefits of brassica vegetables such as kale, broccoli, and cauliflower have been well-documented. Containing a wide range of vitamins and minerals, they’re linked to decreased cancer and heart disease risk. Steamed, sautéed, or added to stir fry, they’re an invaluable source of unrefined, high-fiber carbs on a healthy keto diet.
Avocado
A true superfood, an avocado is a nutritional powerhouse. Just one will contain 17% of the DV (daily value) of vitamin C; 26% of the DV of vitamin K; 20% of the DV of Folate; 14% of the DV of potassium; 13% of the DV of vitamin B6, and 10% of the DV of vitamin E. And more! Being high in fat and fiber avocados are great for snacks as they control hunger.
Eggs
Another nutritional superfood, eggs contain a wide range of vitamins, minerals. They also contain all nine essential amino acids, and egg white is a good source of high-quality protein which is easily absorbed by the human body. Free-range and organic eggs are best if you can get them, but regardless, they make a versatile base for a huge range of meals.
Fruits
While many fruits are considered to be too high in carbs to be suitable for a keto way of eating, some, such as watermelon, berries, lemons can be valuable to add variety and flavor to salads and desserts.
