Credible studies have demonstrated that the keto diet can help to improve your health and stimulate weight loss. Keto diets have also been shown to have benefits for people who have several medical conditions such as cancer, Alzheimer’s disease and diabetes. The diet itself can be best described as being a very low carb, high fat diet. It consists of drastically reducing carbohydrate intake, by replacing it with a higher fat intake. This drastic reduction in carbs forces your body into a metabolic state which is officially called ketosis. Once this occurs, your body becomes more efficient at burning fat. In this post, we take a look at some keto diet list of foods.
1) Dark Chocolate
One of the more interesting item on our keto diet list of foods, is dark chocolate and cocoa. What very people know is that dark chocolate actually offers just as much antioxidants as acai berries and blueberries. They also have flavanols which can help to lower blood pressure and keep your arteries in tip top shape. However, when it comes to the ketogenic diet, ensure that you eat dark chocolate which has a minimum of 70% cocoa solids. In addition to that, you should eat it in moderation.
2) Butter And Cream
Cream and butter are two good fat sources to include in a keto diet. While they have a high fat content, they only have trace amounts of carbohydrates in them. While it may be true that the medical community believed that butter and cream contributed to heart disease, modern studies have demonstrated that it isn’t linked to it at all. In fact, several studies have shown that moderate consumption of high fat dairy such as butter and cream, can help to reduce your chances of getting stroke or heart disease.
3) Berries
Unfortunately, most fruits have too much carbohydrates in them to be included in a keto diet. However, some berries are the exception. Not only are berries low in carbohydrates, they are high in fiber. The body takes much longer to breakdown fiber than other nutrients and can cause you to feel full upon consumption. In addition to that they are also packed with antioxidants. Some type of berries you can include in the ketogenic diet are:
- Blackberries
- Raspberries
- Blueberries
- Strawberries
4) Beef, Pork and Chicken
Meat, whether it may be from mutton, beef, pork, lamb and poultry are categorized as being staple foods in a ketogenic diet. This is because meat is rich in important vitamins but does not contain carbohydrates. They are also an excellent source of protein. When it comes to the keto diet it’s highly recommended that you use grass-fed meat. Grass-fed meat contains higher amounts of antioxidants and omega-3 fats than grain-fed meats.
5) Fish. Shrimp and Crabs
Certain types of seafood such as fish and shrimp are ideal for keto diets. Fish are rich in selenium, potassium and vitamin B. Even though several kinds of shellfish are rich in carbohydrates, some shellfish such as shrimp and crabs, do not contact any carbohydrates at all.
6) Cheese
Cheese is one of the must-have foods that people consume on a weekly basis. It can help to spice up any kind of food whether it may be fish, chicken, beef, you name it. Fortunately, several dozen types of cheese are high in fat and low in carbohydrates, making them perfect to include in a ketogenic diet. Cheddar cheese is regarded as having the least amount of carbohydrates. An ounce of cheddar cheese has 6.5 grams of protein, excellent calcium content and only 1 gram of carbohydrates. Cheese is also rich in conjugated linoleic acid which is a type of fat that has been linked to improvements in body composition and fat loss. Some other kinds of cheese that are ideal for a keto diet, include:
- Blue Cheese
- Havarti
- Manchego
- Feta
- Goat Cheese
- Camembert
- Halloumi
- Chevre
- Brie
- Cream Cheese
- Cottage Cheese
- Parmesan
- Romano
- Muenster
7) Nuts And Seed
Nuts have always been regarded as being healthy food items to include in any diet. This is especially the case for ketogenic diets as they are healthy, low carb, high fat foods. Consumption of nuts and seeds have been associated with a reduced risk of depression, heart disease and several other chronic diseases. They are also high in fiber which helps to keep you feeling full. Some of the type of nuts that are good for keto diets include:
- Flaxseeds
- Brazil Nuts
- Walnuts
- Pecans
- Macadamia Nuts
- Pumpkin Seeds
- Chia Seeds
- Sesame Seeds