Why you should try the Keto Diet (If you haven't already)

You've heard us say before that diets don't work in the long term. And while we stand by that statement, if you follow the keto diet as more of a long term lifestyle system rather than as a short term diet then you will reap a LOT of different health benefits.

However, the basic Keto diet, in our opinion, is missing a few crucial pieces. Dr. Josh Axe has written a great book titled "Keto Diet" where he does a great job filling in the holes from the standard Keto diet system.

Remember too that the Keto diet is essentially based on healthy universal principles so it'll still work for you whether you follow it religiously or loosely. We will certainly be going deeper into the workings of the Keto diet in some other blogs and podcasts, but for now let's look at some of the fundamental principles to making it work for you. And of course the different foods we list below are not all inclusive but just trying to give you some ideas.

• Superfats - At any time we should be eating more good quality fats than proteins or carbs. The superfats food group includes: Avocados, Coconut oil, MCT oil, Ghee, Grass-fed butter, grass-fed meat, pasture raised chicken eggs, olives, nuts & seeds, and wild caught salmon.

• Proteins - in particular collagen proteins. You can buy collagen supplement, and/or eat more organ meat, bone broth, organic poultry, tendons and ligaments of meat, eggs, fish, mushrooms and turmeric. And this should only be approximately 30% of your overall food intake compared to about 60% or more of fats.

• Veggies - These should be consumed with every meal as they provide a lot of important nutrients and fiber, as well as helping to alkalinize the body. Try and focus on some of this list to get the best from your vegetables: Dark leafy greens, mushrooms, cucumbers, radishes, Brussels sprout, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, garlic. Just a note, if you're positive for the MTHFR gene (can find out through genetic testing) then go easy on the cruciferous vegetables as your body may struggle to deal with the sulfur.

• Herbs - Even more nutrition dense than vegetables, and help our cells to heal and stay healthy. Try herbs such as cinnamon, turmeric, licorice root, or ashwagandha.

• Hydration - Try to drink half your body weight (pounds) in clean filtered water. For example if you weigh 200 lbs then drink 100 ounces daily.

• Minerals - Add Himalayan salt to your meals regularly, and also to your water (or other trace minerals instead of salt). It'll help with the electrolyte issues that can occur when your constantly in a state of ketosis.

• Fermented Foods - This will help your microbiome (the bacteria ecosystem within your gut). This includes kimchi, sauerkraut, miso, and full fat yogurt. You can take a good quality probiotic as well.

• Natural Sweeteners - Stevia or monk fruit only. The artificial sweeteners (such as aspartame or splenda) are proving to be very toxic to the human body.

• Supplements - This should include for almost everyone: Multivitamin, Probiotic, Vitamin D, Omega 3 (fish) oil, digestive enzymes, MCT oil, collagen, bone broth protein

• Stress Reduction - Use essential oils, Epsom salt baths, get 8 hours sleep per night, decrease technology usage (when you're not consuming our content), take up meditation and/or yoga, write in a daily gratitude journal, and become more social.

As you can see, this is more a list of universally recognized healthy principles rather than just a "diet." And what do you not see on the list? Sugar, grains, processed foods, sweetened beverages, alcohol, cow's milk, and low-fat dairy. We are all human and thus we will almost certainly all partake in these things occasionally, just so long as it stays occasional and not consistent.

If this blog sparks any questions then please reach out to us on any of our social media channels or via email!