The most important component of physical health is eating right. We all know the American diet is terrible, but breaking free from bad eating habits is not that difficult and the rewards are immense:
A low-carbohydrate diet decreases insulin levels (since the primary energy source shifts from glucose to fat), lowers triglyceride levels, raises HDL levels, and reduces inflammation. Other benefits include weight loss, improved complexion, a decrease in appetite, and a lower risk of tooth decay.
I believe the keto diet is the best choice. Here’s what it looks like:
- Meat, including seafood, and eggs (at least 3 per day) should be the core components of your diet – feel free to season with salt, pepper, mustard, hot sauce, and other spices.
- Priority should be given to ruminant meats (from cattle, sheep, goats, bison, deer, etc.); however, seafood, poultry, and pork can also be included. (Don’t neglect liver and other organ meats!)
- You can eat vegetables that grow above ground (preferably green) and whole-fat dairy (e.g. semi-hard and hard cheeses, cream, sour cream, yogurt) with your meat and eggs.
- Pork rinds, beef jerky, sardines, oysters, and tree nuts are healthy snacks.
- Very little fruit should be eaten since all fruits contain fructose.
- Drink 6-8 glasses of water per day. (In addition to water, you can also drink unsweetened coffee and tea.)
Avoid carbs – anything with sugar, cereal grains/flours (wheat, oats, rice, etc.): breakfast cereals, bread, chips, pasta, crackers, tortillas, etc.
Avoid sweet foods and drinks (including fruit juices!) regardless of the sweetener that is used (sweeteners trigger hunger)
Avoid vegetable/seed oil (e.g. canola, soybean, sunflower, etc.)- stick with butter, extra-virgin olive oil, and coconut oil
Avoid milk
Avoid alcohol
If the core of one’s diet is ruminant meats and eggs, supplements–like multivitamins, calcium, vitamin C, probiotics, MCT oil, fish oil, etc.–are unnecessary for most people.1 (Taking potassium and magnesium is a good idea and possibly D3.)2 If you live in northern regions or are unable to get outside (see Tip 1 below), you should take a daily vitamin D3 supplement. Furthermore, when carbs are eliminated, or dramatically reduced, supplemental fiber is no longer needed.
If you’re trying keto to lose weight, eat 2-3 meals per day and don’t snack in between. (Some people have body fat they can’t get rid of because there are certain foods or drinks that are high in carbs they are unwilling to give up. Of course the best option would be to stop consuming these carbs, but the next best option would be to practice intermittent fasting: Eat breakfast and then wait 12-16 hours before eating again.)
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Notes:
1If you take medications, your doctor may recommend some supplementation.
2If you live in northern regions or are unable to get outside (see Tip 1 below), you should take a daily vitamin D3 supplement.
Other Tips:
1. In addition to eating and drinking the right things, try to get out under the sun every day for 10-15 min. without sunscreen (not so long that your skin turns pink), ensure you have an exercise routine, and get eight hours of sleep every night.
2. Avoid unhealthy additives (e.g. barbeque sauce to meat, sugar to yogurt, ketchup to eggs, French dressing to salad, honey to tea, etc.)
3. There are several salad dressing choices that are keto-friendly.
4. You may experience a loss of energy for a few days when first starting this diet, but after the body adjusts, energy will be more constant since you won’t have the cycles of highs and lows that happen when your body burns carbs/glucose.
5. As well as avoiding vegetables that grow underground like carrots, onions, and potatoes, you should also avoid starchy vegetables that grow above ground like corn and legumes (e.g. peas, beans and lentils).
6. While it’s true that refined carbs are the worst, there are no “good” carbs.
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