Over the years, I’ve dabbled with numerous trendy diets. None of them provided lasting results and most were virtually impossible to maintain, despite a few having some advantages. Many diets require individuals to give up their passion for food in order to shed a few pounds, a notion that’s incredibly hard to stick to. However, there is one diet that completely flips this concept on its head by encouraging a high intake of fats.
Essentially, all you need to do is cut out carbohydrates from your diet and let your body do the rest. This is the ketogenic diet, which doesn’t ask people to entirely give up their favourite foods at dinner time – they just need to imagine their plates without carbs.
So, what exactly is the keto diet?
Well, the basic idea is that your body uses glucose from carbohydrates as its main energy source. When this energy supply runs out, the body turns to using reserves from the liver and muscles, reports Surrey Live.
After about three to four days when these reserves are exhausted, the body then begins burning stored fat, with the liver converting this fat into ketones – a process known as ketosis. The time it takes to reach ketosis varies among individuals based on their BMI.
To sustain ketosis, it’s advised to restrict carbohydrate intake to approximately 20-50 grams per day. On a 2,000-calorie diet, a typical keto diet will consist of 55-60% fat, 30-35% protein, and only 5-10% carbs. In short, cut out the carbs and your body will burn the unwanted fat because it has no other energy source.
What foods should be avoided while following a keto diet?
If you’re eager to stick to a keto diet, it’s key to cut down significantly on the biggest carb culprits – this includes alcohol. Beers are not only high in carbs but also offer little nutritional value.
Mixed drinks that include vodka, gin or rum usually have a hefty carb count due to sugary sodas and fruit juices they’re often combined with. The surge in blood sugar levels caused by honey and syrup can knock you out of ketosis; they’re essentially all sugar, but eliminating them from your diet won’t do any harm.
The same goes for juice, sugary soda, and sweets – better to steer clear of the snack aisle during your weekly shop. Even sauces can present unexpected challenges; it turns out ketchup and sweet chilli sauce are full of sugar, which can disrupt ketosis.
Likewise, “low fat foods” often compensate for reduced fat content by adding more sugar. To sum up, refined carbohydrates and sugary snacks are definitely not your friends when on a keto diet.
Always check the carb and sugar content on labels with vigilance if you’re giving this diet a go. Keto diet swaps.
The dietary horizon isn’t completely grim—you’d be mistaken to think the pleasures of eating are all but lost. In fact, relishing your meals while sticking to a ketogenic lifestyle is entirely doable with savvy food knowledge and choices.
Staving off cravings can certainly present a hurdle when following strict diet protocols, yet there’s no necessity to whip up separate dishes to remain on course if you employ some smart food swaps during dinner time. Amongst these, cauliflower takes centre stage; when mashed and seasoned, it becomes a versatile “rice” substitute that complements an assortment of main meals.
Its texture bears a striking similarity to couscous, and for those yearning for a customary Sunday roast, a generous portion of “mashed potato” crafted from cauliflower completes the plate—it just takes blending and boiling to perfect the consistency. And for the pasta enthusiasts, fear not—courgettes have got your back.
By deftly slicing them with a mandolin or grating them like cheese, you rapidly produce “spaghetti”; a quick boil later and you’re ready to tuck into a hearty spaghetti bolognese. Market aisles often stock pre-made vegetable pasta alternatives for those opting out of the DIY approach.
When it comes to snacks, butternut squash can be transformed into chip-like wedges through baking. For aficionados of Mexican cuisine, lettuce leaves can ingeniously encase your favourite burrito and taco contents, offering a different yet equally delectable taste experience.
When it comes to beverages, swap out sugar-laden fizzy drinks for their zero-sugar counterparts or simply hydrate with water. Pub outings aren’t a no-go; wines, particularly red or dry white, are generally low in carbs, boasting less than 5g per serving.
There’s an abundance of sauces on offer to inject some zest into your dishes. Hot sauces like Tobasco and other vinegar-based condiments are perfectly fine, as are mustard and mayonnaise.
Plus, you’ll discover a range of low-sugar alternatives in most supermarkets. Here’s a glimpse at my keto diet menu, which allowed me to reinvent my meals with fresh flavours and recipes every day: Breakfast – Yoghurt, Lunch – Salad, Dinner – Grilled chicken.
Before I delve into this, I should mention that I’ve dabbled in numerous diets, many of which I wouldn’t recommend. From the coffee diet where snacks are replaced with a hot cup of joe, to completely cutting out red meat and carbs, I’ve given them all a go.
However, the keto diet was by far the most straightforward and rewarding I’ve ever embarked on. The toughest part of any diet is grappling with feelings of hunger and dissatisfaction, often leading to a fridge raid. But eating keto felt like indulging in all my usual favourites. There were curries, tacos, fajitas – you name it.
The only real struggle was the absence of sweet treats, but fewer of those is always a good thing. Meal planning wasn’t the intimidating chore it often is with other diets.
It simply involved asking myself, “What am I substituting this evening? ” and then getting on with it. In the end, I noticed my stomach had shrunk due to the absence of bloating. I no longer had to hold in my stomach to appear slimmer in certain outfits. The bloating had disappeared and my self-assurance soared.
I’ve always experienced bloating even after the smallest snacks, so this was truly a transformative experience. I’d advocate for trying keto even if your sole aim is to reduce bloating.
But there were additional advantages. Without making a concerted effort, I managed to shed 5lbs. There was no rigorous exercise routine or drastic diet reduction involved. By merely tweaking a few elements of my meals, the weight naturally dropped off with minimal exertion.
I ate as I pleased and still enjoyed the benefits. However, the most significant transformation was how I perceived myself in the mirror rather than the number on the scale.
The fat distribution around my body altered (or vanished) and suddenly I carried my weight more comfortably. After one month, the changes weren’t dramatic enough for a before-and-after comparison, but I could see and feel the difference, which is what truly counts.
The keto diet is touted as one of the most straightforward and less risky options compared to many other diets out there. Its simplicity is a major draw, with advocates claiming you’ll never feel downhearted when it’s time for dinner.
However, not everyone is convinced about the benefits of this high-fat, low-carb regime. Senior dietitian Victoria Taylor from the British Heart Foundation has voiced her concerns, noting: “It’s quite difficult to have a balanced keto diet, especially when it comes to getting enough fruit and vegetables and fibre, and it also contains more saturated fat than is recommended. With fewer foods to choose from, the diet can get boring, and doesn’t always fit with eating with friends and family. All of this means it can be hard to stick to.”
She further cautioned against its adoption due to insufficient research backing its long-term efficacy, stating: “With limited research into the keto diet for weight loss, and few long-term studies, we wouldn’t recommend it. There are other diets that limit carbs, but not as much as the keto diet (typically allowing 50-130g of carbs per day) which have been found to be safe and effective in the short term, for example for people with type 2 diabetes. Or you could try a Mediterranean-style diet, which has benefits for heart health.”