Keto Diet for Beginners

OK. Let’s get to the nitty gritty, shall we?

Are you fed up with all the lists of thinks you can’t eat on keto?

I sure am!!

All this talk about don’t eat this, and can’t have that. Too many negative vibes for me!

Especially because when someone says I can’t have it, that’s all I want now.

Why focus on the negative when you can focus on the positive?

Let’s talk all about what we can eat today. Ummkay?

My friend Sasha from Life’s Carousel wrote this article for me. She has had amazing results from following the Ketogenic Diet that I am excited to share with you.

Knowing how difficult it was to navigate the keto waters in the beginning, she came up with this Ultimate Keto Food List for newbies and pros alike. Enjoy!

Why Keto?

When I first heard of the ketogenic diet I thought it was just another fad diet that only the rich and famous could follow. I dismissed it and couldn’t understand why my friends were trying it.

I changed my mind when I bumped into a friend who I hadn’t seen for 6 months. She looked amazing! She had lost a LOT of weight, her skin and hair looked amazing and she was exuding confidence – I almost didn’t recognize her!

How had she changed so much in just 6 months? Keto! (The keto food list is coming up below… just bear with me!)

I decided to research more into the ketogenic diet to find out exactly what it was all about. To start with it seemed confusing, but it’s really not that complicated once you get your head around it.

I’m a bit of a science nerd (OK, a LOT of a science nerd!), so the science behind the keto diet intrigued me and made perfect sense! Once you understand how our bodies produce energy, then it all makes sense!

It also makes sense why I was never successful with diets in the past!

The best “side effect” of the keto diet is the energy boost you get. I now have more energy than I’ve ever had before – seriously, even as a child I don’t think I had this much energy!

My hair and skin look great too (gone is my horrible adult acne!).

One thing that I wish I had when I first started on keto was a comprehensive keto food list. I spent hours (seriously!) in the grocery store reading every single food label to see what the nutritional values were.

So that’s why I decided to put together this keto food list to help beginners know what they can and can’t eat.

(Want the good stuff? Scroll down for the Keto Food List!)

Ketogenic Diet for Beginners

So what is Keto? What is the cool science?

A keto diet is basically a low carb, moderate protein, and high-fat diet. This might sound like some of the low carb diets you’ve tried before but this is different! I promise you!

By eating a particular combination of foods you stimulate your body to go into ketosis. When your body is in ketosis it changes the way it metabolizes food and basically makes your body burn more fat! How awesome is that?

When we eat a carb and sugar-rich diet our body’s use the glucose in carbs and sugars for energy. We produce insulin that transports that glucose around our bodies. This has been an effective way for bodies to get energy for millennia, but our diets have changed!

We now eat a LOT more sugar and carbs than ever before (seriously… there’s even sugar in bread!) and our bodies can’t store glucose, so it is converted into fat. The trouble is when there is a ready supply of glucose, our bodies don’t use that fat.

It just sits there (on our tights, hips, tummies….. you get the idea!).

The other problem is that once our bodies have used up all the available glucose (our body has turned the extra into fat already), then we get an energy crash!

We all know what that feels like! And what do we do? Reach for something that will give us another energy boost – like a candy bar or cookie! The cycle continues!

Fat Burning Machine

BUT… what if we can restrict the amount of glucose, so our bodies burn the fat instead? That’s ketosis!

When we restrict the amount of glucose in our diet, our bodies go into a state called ketosis. In this state, we literally burn fat for energy! Even while you are sleeping you will be burning fat!

On a traditional diet, you starve your body of calories, but you still will be producing insulin to handle the carbs and sugars that you eat – this insulin INHIBITS the release of fat as energy (it STOPS your body burning fat).

This is why you can restrict your calories a lot but still not lose weight.

But by restricting JUST carbs in your diet, then your body will gladly burn your fat stores! And the other bonus is that your fat stores are a constant supply for your body, so you won’t get the energy dips you get with glucose!

Stable, all-day energy!

Macros

So now you know how great keto is, you are probably wondering how you can get started! Well, first off you need to calculate your “Marcos”.

“What the hell are Marcos?” I hear you say!

Marcos is short of macro-nutrients. Those are the big general parts of your calorie intake – fat, protein, fiber, carbohydrates etc.

In the keto diet, you will be monitoring your fat, protein and carb macros. That’s why it’s so important to use a keto food list to help guide you towards the right foods and stay away from the bad foods!

You can go to this website to get a calculation of exactly how much of each you want to be consuming each day – Macro Calculator.

The numbers will be different for everyone depending on your lifestyle and weight. But generally your diet will consist of:

Fat: 75%

Protein: 20%

Carbs: 5%

Keto Food List

So now you need to start paying attention to what is exactly IN all your foods! Enter… the Keto Food List!

It takes a bit of work to start with, but within a couple of days you will be a pro and know exactly what you can and can’t eat!

Below is my Ultimate Keto Food List to help you slide right into your keto diet.

Meats

• Beef (Taco Boats anyone?)
• Bacon
• Chicken (try out my Chicken Alfredo with Spaghetti Squash)
• Lamb
• Pork
• Turkey
• Ham
• Bologna
• Bison
• Cured Meats
• Jerky
• Duck
• Rabbit
• Veal
• Venison

Fish & Seafood

• Oily Fish
• Cod
• Salmon
• Halibut
• Lobster
• Mackerel
• Muscles
• Oysters
• Sardines
• Shrimp
• Trout
• Grouper
• Tuna
• Clams
• Scallops

Dairy

• Butter
• Glee
• Cream
• Milk
• Eggs
• Unsweetened Greek Yogurt (occasionally)
• Sour Cream
• Full-Fat Cheese
• Cream Cheese (so you can make Peppermint Mocha No-Bake Cheesecake)

Oils & Fats

• Coconut Oil
• Olive Oil
• Nut Oils
• Avocado Oil
• Duck/Goose Fat
• MCT Oil
• Tallow
• Lard

Vegetables

• Leafy Greens
• Bok Choy
• Cucumber
• Celery
• Eggplant
• Tomatoes
• Peppers
• Lettuce
• Brussel Sprouts
• Asparagus
• Artichokes
• Zucchini
• Spinach
• Radishes
• Sauerkrut
• Onions
• Mushrooms
• Cauliflower
• Green Beans
• Broccoli
• Cabbage
• Garlic
• Kale
• Leeks
• Kimchi
• Fennel
• Okra
• Spaghetti Squash (learn how to cook it 2 ways)

Fruits

Keep fruits to a minimum as they are high in natural sugar

• Avocado
• Berries
• Coconut
• Lime
• Lemons
• Olives
• Rhubarb

Nuts & Seeds

• Almonds
• Walnuts
• Pine Nuts
• Pecans
• Hazelnuts
• Brazil Nuts
• Macadamia Nuts
• Cashews (occasionally)
• Pistachios (occasionally)
• Hemp Seeds
• Sesame Seeds
• Sunflower Seeds
• Flaxseeds
• Chia Seeds

Flour

• Almond Flour
• Coconut Flour
• Other Nut Flours

Drinks

• Coffee (try Bullet Proof Coffee!)
• All Teas, especially Green Tea
• Bone Broth (check out how to make that here)
• Seltzer Water
• Lemon/Lime Juice
• Milo Water Flavors
• Unsweetened Nut Milk
• Coconut Water

Avoid

• Added sugars, such as soda, candy, cookies, doughnuts etc.
• Carbohydrates, such as bread, pasta, rice, couscous, corn, grains, oats, wheat flour etc.
• Beans and legumes, such as chickpeas, lentils, kidney beans etc
• Low-fat or fat-free dairy
• Root vegetables, such as carrots, potatoes, squash, pumpkin, sweet potatoes etc.
• Fruits, such as apples, bananas, pineapple, orange, peaches, raisins etc.
• Alcohol (check out this post with a list of some alcoholic drinks you can have!)

This isn’t an exhaustive list because I can’t possibly make a list of every single food allowed in a ketogenic diet! But it will give you a good idea and a framework.

I hope this keto food list helps and that you enjoy eating Keto as much as I do! I’m always amazed that keto never feels like a diet because I can eat so much food (I’m never hungry!) and so many yummy foods too!

Here’s a printable Keto Food List that you can take to the grocery store when you do your shopping. So you can always have the food you need to keep you on track on your keto journey!

I hope this list helps you out next time you go grocery shopping! It makes it so easy to always have the right food in the house to keep you in ketosis.

Don’t forget to download your copy today!

Peace, love, and shop on!

Love the list but need some inspiration? Here’s some awesome Keto & Low Carb recipes that you should try!

Cheesy Mushroom Stuffed Chicken Breasts ~ Keto & Low Carb

Fabulous Keto No-Crust Broccoli Cheddar Quiche

The Best Keto Chicken Bacon Ranch Casserole in the World

Fantastic Cheesy Chicken Patties ~ Keto & Gluten-free

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You’ve been going along for about a week or so on the ketogenic diet and things are amazing!

You’ve got more energy.

You can focus better.

You’re sleeping better than you have in ages.

You’ve even dropped a few pounds.

And then, one morning you wake up and BAM! You feel like you got run over by a semi.

What gives?

This keto thing is supposed to be all rainbows and sunshine!

Well, my friend, you may be having a close encounter of the keto flu kind.

Yup. It’s really a thing.

And most people transitioning to a keto lifestyle have the symptoms to one degree or another. And here’s why.

What Causes the “Keto Flu”?

The ketogenic diet is high in fats, and low in carbs. Most of us, at least in this country, are used to eating way too many carbs.

That includes all the sugar that we eat on a daily basis as well as breads, pasta, rice, potatoes…you know the stuff. AND we eat too much fat.

Because we eat a diet high in carbs and fats, our bodies will burn off the sugar first and store everything else as fat. Sugar is the most readily available fuel source, so it’s consumed first.

Any sugar that doesn’t get burned off, also gets stored as fat. Which, honestly, is probably more that we realize.

When you switch to a high fat, low carb diet, suddenly all that sugar is no longer available for fuel.

Eating a ketogenic diet makes our bodies change from predominately burning sugar for fuel, to predominately burning fat. And that’s a good thing.

As this change occurs, our bodies go through an adjustment period. This adjustment period includes withdrawal from sugar.

Depending on how much sugar you have everyday, that could be akin to going cold turkey from a drug. Only not quite so bad.

Symptoms of the Keto Flu

So, what kind of symptoms are we talking about with the keto flu?

• headaches
• drowsiness
• lethargy
• difficulty focusing
• weakness
• stomach discomfort
• nausea
• constipation
• muscle cramps
• dizziness

If you become lightheaded, or experience cramps, you are most likely dehydrated and lacking in electrolytes.

The keto diet acts as a diuretic. So if you aren’t drinking the amount of water that your body needs you will most likely become dehydrated.

It’s crazy to me to think that most people are carrying drinks around with them all the time now, and yet we are a pretty chronically dehydrated lot.

Mostly because people aren’t drinking water. They’re drinking all kinds of other things.

The easiest way to correct an electrolyte imbalance is to drink some pickle juice. As long as it’s not sweet pickles. But you knew that already.

I know, sounds weird, but that will replace sodium as well as potassium and magnesium and stop the muscle cramps.

A lot of people go ahead and take potassium and magnesium supplements daily already. That should go a long way to preventing muscle cramping from the beginning.

What Can You Do About It?

To help mitigate the other keto flu symptoms, there are several things you can do.

The first thing of course, is to transition more slowly into the keto diet. The symptoms won’t be nearly as noticeable.

Of course, you won’t see the benefits as fast either. But it’s not a bad trade off.

So, what else?

• Make sure that you drink plenty of water. What’s plenty? Plenty is a minimum of 1/2 ounce of water per pound of body weight.

So if you weight 150 pounds, you need to drink 75 ounces of water per day. Not coffee. Or tea. Not vitamin water or Gatorade or any of those other things. Just plain water.

• Make sure you are getting enough sleep. Especially during the first few weeks of the diet. You need 7-8 hours of sleep every night.

I know, I know, you don’t have time.

Find the time.

Seriously.

Your health is important.

• Make sure you are hitting your macro goals. Eating the right amount of fat will provide energy for your body as you transition into this new way of living.

It can be difficult at first to get enough fat without eating more protein than you should. It gets easier as you go, though.

After about 2 weeks or so your body will become adapted to burning fat as it’s primary fuel source and everything should settle down.

Except everything will be better than it was before.

You’ll have more energy, sharper focus, and be more productive.

A lot of people wake up before their alarms all bright eyed and bushy tailed.

Personally, my favorite part is that I no longer have the joint pain that has plagued me for the past decade.

And you know what? I don’t miss it a bit!

Peace, love, & keto chocolate!

PS: If you are looking for a community to help you navigate the keto waters, check out Keto Bootstrap. It’s an awesome tribe that I love and they’ve helped me stay the course.

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