The keto Diet
Keto made simple:
- Meat, seafood, eggs and most vegetables and fruits are 'IN':
They provide protein, fat, electrolytes and vitamins. - Carbohydrates are 'OUT': sugars, digestible fiber.
e.g. bread, pasta, tortillas, sweet fruit, cookies, candy, alcohol ...
This is where people will look for acceptable substitutes.
By combining those two simple rules, you already get a low-carb diet that may help to control type-2 diabetes on condition that your pancreas isn't completely shot just yet and still can be revived into functionality.
- First thing to do is check the nutrition labels on every thing you eat and basically chuck everything that has carbohydrates listed. Be aware that those labels might not always be accurate.
See The Splenda "zero-calorie" Lie. - The reality is a little less black & white, but this is a good starting point if you're serious about doing this.
- At this stage, there is no need for calculators yet.
KETO requires a little bit more finesse.
- Protein and fat intake have to be balanced according to the outcome you want to obtain.
- Weight loss, diabetes control, muscle building, endurance performance, and weight gain all require different balances.
- All these goals require low carb intake, so the body can switch to a fat / ketone metabolism.
- All these goals require avoiding excessive protein intake where the excess would be metabolized into sugars, which could kick the body out of ketosis.
- This requires keto-calculators, macros an possibly other calculations that may help you track your food intake and energy consumption.
- This allows you to make sure that you stay within the limits of your goal setting. Failing to do so might prevent you from reaching your goals. You might even go the opposite way.
For simple keto:
Cook just like you used to, but ditch the potatoes or rice that you would have served with it.
For the majority of your meals, that will get you pretty close already.
The following pictures were taken by my sister Jo during a 2-week period. She effortlessly makes these plates look simple and delicious. Most of these meals are OMAD (One Meal A Day) which does not mean she doesn't eat anything else all day long, but that she can reach her macro targets of protein, carbs and fat in that one meal.
Pic1: smoked mackerel, cooked spinach, tea Pic9: sour herring, shrimp, veggies
Pic10: shrimp, radishes, avocado
Pic2: cod, Belgian endive, carrotsPic3: salmon, lettuce, tartare sauce
Pic4: mussel soup with cream
Pic5: sausages, broccoliPic6: steak with peppered cream sauce, Brussels sprouts
Pic7: lamb, ratatouille
recipe page links
I have divided keto-recipes in the same chapters as in the 'classic' recipes.
The links here will be duplicated in the 'classic' link pages, preceded by the word "keto:"
One does have to recognize however that many of the 'classic' recipes may already be keto-clean, or can be made keto-clean with some small adjustments. Just remember the basic rules: Meat, seafood, eggs and most vegetables and fruits are 'IN', carbs are 'OUT'.
Keep in mind that at micro-level every cell in all living organisms contain fats, proteins and sugars. What matters is the macro level. It may be impossible to go truly zero-carb on a natural foods diet, but one can limit the sugars. Generally, 20 grams of daily sugar intake is low enough to generate a low-grade ketosis which is sufficient for weight-loss purposes.
Chapter 8.1. keto soups
Whether a soup is keto-clean depends on what you put in it.
Keto-clean ingredients will get you a keto-clean soup. Because the ingredients are 'diluted' in a large volume of liquid, some otherwise avoidable ingredients may be more acceptable for soups.
Chapter 8.2. keto meats
Chapter 8.3. keto seafood
Meats and seafood by themselves are keto-clean.
Cured and processed meats and seafood may not be, depending on all the chemical crap they've put in it.
Chapter 8.4. keto eggs
Eggs are keto-clean and very popular. Again, add clean ingredients to have a clean keto dish.
Chapter 8.5. keto sauces
Sauces are often the big bogeyman for the beginning keto-dieter. Yet, they don't have to be.
- The roux-based sauces are indeed OUT. But do not forget that starches are not the only way of thickening / emulsifying sauces. Or you could forego thickening altogether.
- Suddenly mayonnaise is your friend. It is an easy and tasty way to load up on fat.
- Tomato sauces may be borderline, because tomatoes can have a lot of sugars.
Chapter 8.6. keto fruits & vegetables
Most fruits and vegetables are OK. Sweet fruits may be OK in small quantities. Starchy vegetables like potatoes, yams and beans will likely be questionable, with some exceptions.
Chapter 8.7. Little keto things
Forget about bread, cookies, milk, ice cream, pizza and pasta. Luckily, there are alternatives available for all those things.