Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you've probably heard the word “keto”. But, how much do you know about it?
Now, before I carry on I must say that I don’t live a keto life, although I have done so for a few months in the past and I am neither pro or against it. Like any “diet”, when you google it you tend to find a lot of numbers, facts and figures as well as a load of science jargon that, let's be honest, unless you have a PhD you have no idea what they are saying. So, I am going to tell you all about keto in a way that will hopefully make sense.
So, what is keto?
I remember the first time I heard the word “keto” - it was in one of those Channel 5 true movies that you have on in the background whilst cleaning the house. After that I started hearing it everywhere: on Netflix, from celebrities, in magazines and let's be honest, when Halle Berry is such a fan who’s not going to give it a go?
You will find many different answers to this but in simple terms, keto is…
High fat - Medium Protein - Low Carb.
And when I say low, I mean low. You're only allowed to consume 20g of carbs a day and if you think that a banana has 23g you can get an idea of just how low that means. It’s also important that you eat a lot of fat - this means loading up on the butter.
I've heard people say that you don’t have to track your calories on keto… errrr, no! This is incorrect! If you want to live a keto lifestyle then tracking is important.
The thing with keto is you’re eating foods that are going to fill you up, hence the fact you find you’re less hungry, and therefore less prone to overdo the calories. However, please remember that butter, although high in fat (winner), is also high in calories (not such a winner).
With only 20g of carbs they add up quickly, so be sure to get those veggies in (mushrooms, spinach, cauliflower, etc.) You will be sad to know though that there are many veggies that are a no-go keto zone, such as sweetcorn, carrots, parsnips and be careful with those onions!
My experience on the keto diet
I've got to say, when I started keto I was completely lost due to all the crap on the internet and it took me a while and a lot of research before I felt ready to do it.
My first week was great - I followed the rules and I used a great free app called “Carb Manager” which worked out all my calories and broke down how much fat and protein I needed to eat and all I had to do was log what I ate (this app was my bible). I also turned to an account on Instagram called @MariaEmmerich - she saved me when I NEEDED bread with her protein sparing recipes.
I added extra salt to my food to stop what they call “Keto Flu” and I lost a lot of water weight. I was drinking so much water, and my body was releasing it. I had also just completed a week where I had removed a whole food group from my diet. My calories were also restricted and as with any diet choice, if you are in a calorie deficit you will lose weight.
After that first week I didn't lose much more weight, the “Keto Flu” arrived and I felt rubbish. I was walking around with a banging headache constantly, no sleep, and when I did I dreamt of all the white foods (cake, bread, cake, more cake).
Eventually, the headaches disappeared and my energy levels stabilised, however, I just couldn’t live my life how I liked! Don’t get me wrong, I could still drink my beloved Gin on keto (one of my favourite parts), but I couldn’t just go around to a friend's house for dinner in case they had added a carrot or a sweet potato into the meal.
This is something you need to remember. As soon as you accidentally eat more carbs than you should, you’ll leave the state of ketosis, so having a “cheat meal” or a secret chocolate hobnob with no one watching doesn’t work on keto. And when I did go back to eating a “normal” diet I gained the weight I had lost back, I bloated and it took my body a while to recover.
My thoughts on keto
Like I said right at the beginning, I am neither pro or anti keto. But I do believe that any restrictive eating plan does tend to end badly, as for some people being so strict can lead to unhealthy habits.
I’m a strong believer in everything in moderation - follow a balanced diet, contact your GP, dietician or nutritionist and move more if weight loss is your goal.
If you’re seriously considering keto, make sure you download the app (see above), follow the rules, eat the veggies that you can, get your steps in, do your research, cook fresh food, buy decent protein, eat the good fats and don’t live on meat and cheese.
Above all stay healthy, be happy and if your body is saying no there is a reason. I choose to eat a varied diet of absolutely everything and I am healthy and happy.
Supplements for keto
Collagen
Those on the keto diet already tend to keep the skin, bones and cartilage on the meat they eat for the extra protein, so it makes sense to double down on that with collagen supplements. Collagen is the body's most abundant protein, acting as the scaffolding of our skin, cartilage and bones. Collagen Zooki contains 5g of hydrolysed marine collagen and comes in four delicious flavours.
Probiotics
One of the key aims of the keto diet is to support gut health. Gut supporting supplements, like Gut Biome Zooki, are a great way to support your gut microbiome, ensuring you have a have a healthy balance of gut bacteria!
All Zooki products are free from sugar, alcohol, GMOs, gluten and are naturally-sourced. We use coconut derived glycerin which is a natural carbohydrate and some people following keto diet prefer to not to consume it so it’s a personal choice.
