What is the Keto Diet and How do I Follow It?

The keto diet has taken Hollywood by storm. Celebrities like Kelly Ripa and a Kardashian have all been raving about its benefits. So, what is the keto diet? The keto diet, or ketogenic diet, is a low-carb and high-fat diet. The diet helps you remove sugars from the foods you eat and in response your body’s insulin and glucose levels lower. This boosts metabolism and helps you burn fat. In addition to increasing your metabolism, studies have shown that following a ketogenic diet might help you stave off diabetes, Alzheimer’s, epilepsy, and cancer. The diet isn’t restricted to Hollywood celebrities, it’s also a favored diet in Silicon Valley. Entrepreneurs and techies are getting in on the trend and sharing their ketone levels on Twitter.

Why is this diet so attractive to early adopters?

The keto diet has been around since the 1920s and was originally developed to treat children suffering from epilepsy. Later, doctors and researchers decided to take a deeper look at how the diet lowers glucose levels in the blood and found it might be a healthy diet for people with diabetes. With the advent and popularity of the Atkins diet, which essentially is a variant of the keto diet, people began thinking about the benefits of a low-carb and low-sugar diet. Both diets help you burn fat and not just residual sugars in the body. This is attractive to celebrities who are paid to look their best. It’s attractive to Silicon Valley types because the keto diet can increase productivity and brain function. It makes perfect sense that people are willing to give the diet a shot. And, you can pretty much eat all the bacon you want.

Which foods can I eat on a keto diet and what’s restricted?

High-fat foods like meat and cheese are a big part of the diet paired with leafy greens and fiber-rich vegetables. Think of eating more eggs, fish, meat, butter, avocado, kale, and cheese.  The goal is to increase the fat without sugar. You will want to stay under fifty grams of carbs a day. The traditional food pyramid suggests you eat between 200-300 grams of carbs a day. That’s a big difference. That means no breads, rice, pasta, corn, potatoes (and other starchy foods), and of course sugar. The diet is more complex than this and to truly follow it to the letter, you’d need to employ the services of a doctor and a licensed dietician. They’ll probably set you up with a strict diet and ketone testing device for you to track your progress. However, you can order prepared meal kits that are created specifically for people on the keto diet (more on this later).

How many people are following the keto diet?

The diet has gained in popularity since the nineties and it continues to grow today. Google searches for “keto diet” and “what is keto diet” have skyrocketed over the last three years. Before keto, the most popular diet searches were paleo and gluten-free. Now, the keto diet is trending and more people than ever want to give it a shot. As the market for keto dieters increases, new companies are testing out snacks that are high in fat and adhere to the keto diet guidelines. In addition to prepared, prepackaged foods, meal kit delivery services are rolling out their own keto diet meals. It can be difficult for people on the keto diet to eat out because most menu items have some form of carb or sweetener. For instance, you might think a mixed green salad could be a safe bet. Think again. Most salad dressings contain sugar. With dining options limited, preparing your own meals is ideal because you know every ingredient. Meal kits and meal kit delivery services allow consumers to have an easy option for a home-cooked meal that works with the keto diet.

What meal kit delivery services offer meals for keto dieters?

Here’s a chart of the top five meal kit delivery services with keto diet meals. Each one of these services will allow you to plan, schedule, and order keto-friendly meals that are delivered right to your door. Not everyone can have a nutrition team to support them. With meal kits, you can get that dietary guidance and try this diet out with ease. You may be wondering more about what a “meal kit delivery service” is. When you go to the grocery store, it can be stressful getting all the right ingredients for a recipe. Perhaps your grocery store doesn’t carry organic produce or more current healthy foods. With a meal-delivery kit, you can skip the grocery store altogether. You just pick which keto diet meals look the best to you and when you want them delivered. Many of the services allow you to schedule meals weeks in advance, which makes meal planning so much less of a hassle. The next thing you know, you’ll be cooking easy-to-prepare meals at home for you and your family. All the ingredients and seasonings will come prepackaged for you. It’s never been easier to follow a diet and save time while doing it.

Is the keto diet for me?

Ultimately, you’ll need to make that decision. You might want to consult with your doctor before giving it a shot. But, most people are seeing a lot of success following a keto diet. When you’re eating a bunch of carbohydrates, your body processes them and stores them as sugars. These sugars are quickly metabolized and as a result you feel a “crash” after. Think about the time after lunch when you got exhausted. You might reach for a coffee or tea to get you through the rest of the day. Then, you eat dinner and you’re faced with the same issue. People who eat using the keto diet guidelines will feel more sustained throughout the day. This is because their bodies aren’t breaking down a ton of sugars. They’re breaking down proteins and eventually ketones, and these provide much better fuel for the body. Your mind will feel sharper and you won’t get that three o’clock crash between lunch and dinner. Also, your body becomes a fat-burning machine. What more could you ask for?

Most people lose about ten pounds after the first two months of keto diet. It might seem counterintuitive that eating more fat will cause you to burn more fat, but when you’re not full of sugars, it works. With so many great meal kit options offering keto diet friendly meals, it’s just so easy to give this diet a try. You might surprise yourself.