If you’ve been around the fitness industry or have tried to lose weight within the last few years, I’m sure you’ve heard about the KETO diet and have friends eating all sorts of craziness and still losing weight. Are the rumours true? Is there finally a diet that includes BACON?!?! What about the old saying “you are what you eat?” I’M CONFUSED!!!

If this is how you felt when you first heard about Keto, don’t worry, we’ve all been there. I remember the first time I had a friend explain to me he was consuming 75% of his macros in fat, I thought he was going to have a heart attack right in front of me.

Here is the truth:

The keto diet not only works for most people but it’s really a more efficient fuel source for the body than glucose. Studies have shown there are many positive side effects that come from switching over from glucose for energy to ketones.

Let’s take a look at how Keto diet work:

What is Keto diet exactly?

Keto stands for Ketogenics or Ketones. Our whole life we have been told that carbohydrates / glucose is the bodies primary source of fuel however recent studies have shown that there is another source of fuel much more efficient and that’s often underutilized that’s called Ketones.

What exactly do these “ketones” do?

Ketones are used by the body to break down fat and use it as fuel. When you deplete your body of glucose it begins to produce these ketones which then causes the body to use it’s stored fat for fuel. Ever wonder why we store fat to begin with? Now you know!

See before we had so much access to food, our bodies were actually designed to run on ketones. Babies when they are born are in a natural state of ketosis. It is said that our ancestors would go days without food and it’s these ketones that allowed them to survive long periods of fasting. Due to the heavy access of food we have now, we never get to use our stored fat because we are consistently eating. Often times, we over eat and store even more fat. We view food for taste when food was designed first for fuel.

Doesn’t the brain need sugar?

Yes! But see our bodies are so incredible that if it ever needs glucose, it can produce it through a process called Gluconeogenesis where it can take non carbohydrate substances like protein and convert that into glucose if need be. You will notice on a ketogenic diet that due to the low levels of sugar in the body, most people in ketosis have expressed how they have higher levels of energy and mental clarity.

In our modern day society, sugar is found in practically everything we eat and drink. When the label says “low fat” it then substitutes the fat for sugar to give it taste. The irony is that sugar converts to fat in the body when not use. These are the marketing plots we fall for when we don’t understand the way our body works.

Is keto for everyone?

I wouldn’t say it’s for everyone, there may be certain occasions where keto may not be the best suitable option for an individual, but I would definitely venture to say that it’s definitely worth trying for EVERYONE!

I believe even more than looking at the metrics like our body fat and weight, we need to learn how to check in with our bodies and see how we are feeling. I know this for sure, after 2 yrs of being on keto, it’s the best my body has ever felt.

How much fat do I intake?

The rule of thumb is you want to consume a ration of 3:1 or at least 2:1 of fats : protein + carbohydrates. So meaning if a snack has 3 grams of carbs and 3 grams of protein then ideally it should have around 12 to 18 grams of fat.

You can also track this by looking at your macros and keeping your fats at around 70%. I like to keep it at 70% fats, 28% protein and 2% carbs. (I look at net carbs which is the carbohydrate count minus fiber).

How the hell am I supposed to consume too much fat? 

Great question! Often times we don’t realize that what we cook with whether it be grass – fed butter or olive oil has a considerable amount of fat. I personally have a bulletproof coffee in the morning which is black coffee blended with grass fed butter and MCT oil or coconut oil will do. I know what you are thinking, that sounds freaking gross, but trust me, once you try it, you will never go back to regular coffee again. I find that if I drink one bulletproof coffee in the mornings, cook with oils or butter, and make a salad with high fat dressing and avocados that it leaves my macros at the perfect ratios

So can I eat all the bacon I want then?

Here’s the thing with that, just like any other diet, there are extremes we don’t want to go to. I remember I once tried Vegan and it was so hard to find good vegan places to eat at that I would catch myself eating bags of chips and calling myself vegan because I wasn’t having any animal products. Was I right? Yes, but I think the better question is how did I feel? and I felt terrible!

For me, being on a keto diet means I can enjoy bacon and cheese and full fat yogurt but in moderation. I try and stick to meats like ribeye’s, ground sirloin, salmon and salads with high fat and avocados. The cleaner my eating is, the better I feel.

So that pretty much sums it up guys! If you are on the fence about it, I say, give it a shot, but before you do, get some education on it.

If you have any further questions, don’t hesitate to contact me.

Talk to you soon!