Piling on the pounds in lockdown? Or just bored and want to try a new diet? Research shows that following a keto diet is an efficient way to send your body into 'fat-burning mode' so you will be slimmer faster even, in theory, without exercising. I am actually a bit of a fan of the keto diet as it does seem to work well admittedly I exercise quite a lot, but that's been less easy recently than before all this 'situation' kicked off.
So, we put together a 1-week keto meal plan to help you get started in your weight loss journey. Starting the keto diet can seem daunting but with the sample keto meal plan below, it should seem doable at least.
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When you try to put your own keto diet meal plan together, you will need to remember that in order for your body to go into ketosis a metabolic state when your body mainly uses ketones from fat for fuel as opposed to glucose from carbohydrates you will need to keep your carbs levels low each day. And we mean really low: calories from carbs should be under 5% of your total calorie intake and definitely under 50 grams a day. Strict keto even goes a step further and requires you to keep the carb levels as low as under 20 grams a day.
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Sure, following an effective keto diet meal plan means you will have to say goodbye to potatoes, rice, fruits and sweets, but in return, you can also say goodbye to body fat, cravings, mood-swings, insulin spikes and much more. Once you get over the initial 'keto flu' which is only a possibility, not a certain side effect you will feel more balanced overall and won't miss any of the sweet treats you used to have as a pick-me-up.
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And although you have to let go some of the popular food items when you're on keto, you will be rewarded with being able to eat more cheese and meat than you ever thought you could. Better still, even if you follow a relatively strict keto diet meal plan, you can still have a wide variety off food and take in ample amount of micro and macro nutrients.
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Modern day ketogenic diet was introduced and still use for today to treat neurological diseases like epilepsy and therefore it has been researched extensively. Apart from epilepsy, there are studies showing that following a keto diet meal plan can help reduce risk of heart disease, treat cancer, reduce symptoms of Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease and even to treat acne.
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As well as all that, keto can reduce insulin levels in the blood (lack of carbs/sugar spikes throughout the day) and many people claim keto diet made them more relaxed and "less on the edge".
From a dietary point of view, the effects of keto is similar to fasting: due to lack of carbs, your body will start breaking down fat into ketones and use that as fuel. Once you are on keto for a while, your body will get more efficient in breaking down fat, let it be dietary fat or the ones stored in your body, making you lose weight faster.
Most types of meat and cheeses are allowed on keto, so are eggs, cream, butter and healthy oils like avocado or olive oil. You could also have black coffee and green tea without any sugar.
Things to avoid: processed and low fat dairy products have additives and plenty of sugar in them, making them unsuitable for keto (and generally not healthy). Milk also has lactose (milk sugar) in it so be careful not to introduce too much milk into your keto diet meal plan.
Most of the green vegetables are good to go but bear in mind that many types vegetables will add to your carbs mainly, so thread them lightly. Try to keep them varied, even throughout the day so you won't get bored with any one of them.
Things to avoid: root vegetables such as potatoes, carrot, parsnip etc. All types of grains and rice.
Pro tip: spinach is best to have raw (washed, however), since wilted spinach just doesn't have the same mouthfeel. 100 grams of raw spinach with some olive oil, salt, pepper and a teaspoon of balsamic vinegar makes an excellent base for a salad.
PLEASE NOTE: The below carbohydrate content is /100grams.
Modern day fruits have been engineered through selective crossbreed crops to be super sweet and less fibrous so popular fruits such as apples, pears, grapes, oranges are not allowed on keto diet. Good news is, after the initial period of sugar deprivation, you won't crave for these anymore.
Either way, even the fruits listed here should only be eaten in small portions throughout the day.
Things to avoid: banana, grapes, mango, pineapple, pear, apple, kiwi, orange, peach etc
Pro tip: berries are great in smaller quantities and contain plenty of vitamins and some fibre too
PLEASE NOTE: The below carbohydrate content is /100grams.
Feel free to snack on dried meat like jerkies or biltongs
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You won't find any sugary sweets here, but you can have plenty of nuts, dark chocolate and a range of dips, too. Try making your own dips to avoid at home from fresh vegetables and avoid processed food with preservatives and high sodium content.
Things to avoid: sugary snacks, biscuits, milk chocolate, cashews etc.
Pro tips: to make the best salsa, cut up a larger, ripe tomato and make sure you don't waste pulp, that'll make the salsa less dry.
PLEASE NOTE: The below carbohydrate content is /100grams.
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Should you feel the need to supplement your diet, there are plenty of keto-friendly supplement options on the market today. These high fat and most usually high protein products can effectively top your vitamin and micronutrient levels. We have also listed some options to replenish electrolytes and introduce even more green goodness into your keto diet.
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When assembling this 1-week keto meal plan, we followed these guidelines:
Each day has around 2,000 calories-worth of food
Daily carbohydrate amount is under 40 grams
We used a low-carb, moderate-protein and high-fat template for each day (5% carbs, 20-25% protein and 70-75% fat)
Pro tip: try to portion your food out into five 400-calorie rations so you can eat five times a day which will help you feel more sated in the initial transition period.
PLEASE NOTE: this is not a medical diet and if you need to go on a keto diet for medical reason, please consult your doctor first. Also, going from a high-carb diet to a low-carb one can result in side effects such as nausea, light-headedness and headaches. The preferred way is to gradually reduce carbs in order to reduce the impact of keto diet on your metabolic system.
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Lockdown could be a great time to try the keto diet and this keto meal plan could really help with weight loss - T3
