Ketogenic diet - the first week at home

In previous articles, we've discussed the benefits of the ketogenic diet and everything you'll need before embarking on it. Today we're going to really get into it. After reading this article, you'll know exactly what to do the first week of the ketogenic diet.

How to avoid ketosis?

In the past, people have complained in droves about experiencing flu-like symptoms shortly after starting the diet. This can have a variety of causes, but is definitely preventable (with proper discipline).

Slowly cut back on carbohydrates before the diet.

The most common mistake is cutting carbs too quickly. If you have been eating a lot of carbs and little fat, the body will need some time to adapt. The type of food you eat has a huge impact on the microflora in your digestive tract, and this is usually behind the initial digestive difficulties.

Gradually cut back on carbohydrates before starting the keto diet. This will give your body and digestive microflora time to prepare for the change in nutrient ratios. Foods with prebiotic fiber will serve you well here.

Get plenty of essential vitamins and minerals.

More than ever, you need a balance of electrolytes in your body. If you eat enough dark, leafy greens, this shouldn't be a problem. If you are averse to vegetables, a mineral supplement will be good.

Also, focus on vitamins, whether from food or supplements. Zinc, magnesium, calcium, sodium and potassium are essential for electrolyte balance. Depending on how much meat you eat, it's a good idea to add vitamins B6 and B12 as well.

Check out the table below to see how much of which vitamin you should be taking (if you're not getting enough of it from your diet). Then you'll avoid the keto flu in an arc.

The trick for high fat levels

This section is for those of you who find it hard to gain weight. Ketogenic diets are extremely satiating due to their high fat ratio. So if you find it hard to eat enough even on a normal diet, you'll probably find it even worse on a keto diet. Don't worry, we have a few tricks up our sleeve to help you ingest enough fat and not feel stuffed all the time.

Fat powder is a friend

Powdered fats like coconut oil powder and MCT oil powder can be added to any protein drink. You can snack on avocados, macadamia nuts, almonds and other sugar-free nuts all day long. 30g of nuts usually have about 20g of fat, 4g of carbs and 2g of protein, which means they fit pretty well into the keto diet.

So stock up, you'll need them. And add olive oil to everything (just watch the carb content).

Avoid ketosis killers

You will need to absolutely focus on what you eat. Some foods harbor carbohydrate bombs. Read food labels. A good example is balsamic vinegar, which is full of carbohydrates. Also on this list of ketosis killers are carrots, milk, ketchup...

If you don't keep a lid on these foods, ketosis will be over. Watch out for the following foods:

Stick to these tips and you will make it through the first week of the ketodiet

We'll just give you a little refresher. Take the last few weeks of your carb diet slowly so you don't shock your system so much. Then jump into ketosis.

Look for foods with prebiotics to support your gut flora. Monitor your vitamin and mineral intake and supplement as needed. You don't want the flu. Keep plenty of high-fat foods and fatty supplements on hand that won't make you feel so full.

And last but not least, check the nutrition labels on all foods to avoid the ketosis killers.

Next week, we'll post some tasty recipes to get you into ketosis. In the meantime, you can start tightening up your carb intake.