Now that the New Year resolution season is in full swing, you must have surely thought about starting a new diet. Keto, perhaps? If you are planning to commit yourself to this low-carb, high-fat diet, it can help you to know a few things about it first, more specifically, unlearn some common myths. Falling prey to such myths and misconceptions can derail your process, making the approach more challenging, robbing you of the diet’s benefits and even posing health risks in worst cases. Here are some of them:
1. You cannot eat fruits and vegetables when on the keto diet.
Keto is about eating fewer carbs, not eliminating them from your diet. Specific fruits and vegetables are your major source of carbs when on keto. Non-starchy vegetables such as cauliflower, zucchini, broccoli, and cucumbers are recommended, as are fruits like strawberries and blueberries.
2. You can eat all kinds of fats.
Even though it is a diet that is rich in fats, Keto requires you to increase your intake of mostly unsaturated fats. You must not regard it as a green light to consume all kinds of fats. Consumption of saturated fats like bacon and sausage should be limited. Instead, include fatty products like olive oil, flax seeds, a moderate amount of nuts, avocados and so on.
3. You are only allowed to eat once a day.
OMAD or One Meal A Day is a kind of dietary plan that requires you to, well, eat only once a day. Some people mistake it to be a necessary part of the keto diet, which is not true. You can practice intermittent fasting once or twice a week if you would like, and many people find success by moving from 3 meals a day to only 2 or occasionally 1. However, it’s not a requirement to do it every day,
4. The keto diet is high in proteins.
No, it is not. While some people prefer to consume more protein in the form of meat and eggs when on keto, it is not an inherently necessary part of the diet. It is more about individual preferences. If you are looking to loose weight by going keto to much protein can take you out of Ketosis through a process called gluconeogenesis1, in which excess dietary protein is converted to glucose by your liver if it’s not needed to repair muscles and other tissues. So if your keto as part of a healthy workout routine you might need more protein than someone who is less active but still looking to utilize keto to shed weight. As always, listen to your body and if you see your results stalling out a bit consider if protein intake could be a cause.
Hopefully, we cleared some of your doubts and given you more reasons to consider a Keto diet as part of your health journey for 2020.
If you are already on a keto diet and are looking for some Keto-approved ways to satisfy your sweet tooth, check out our range of delicious keto diet desserts that include chocolate mug cakes and carrot cakes, among others.
