We understand it may be challenging to stick to a healthy low-carb diet, especially if you're just starting to learn about it. You may or may not have heard of the ketogenic diet which is discussed in the Body Reboot book. It is a very low-carb, high-fat diet. Typically a ketogenic diet consists of limiting your carbohydrate intake to just 20–30 net grams per day and closely following the diet food list.

There are plenty of keto-friendly foods to eat, but at the same time, there is still a lot to avoid. The Keto diet approach is fairly simple: It's all about following a low-carb diet that focuses on eating real food, not just low carb food.

Avoid Completely
Food rich in carbohydrates, factory-farmed meat and processed foods
1) All grains, even whole meal (wheat, rye, oats, corn, barley, millet, bulgur, sorghum, rice, amaranth, buckwheat, sprouted grains), quinoa and white potatoes. this includes all products made from grains (pasta, bread, pizza, cookies, crackers, etc.) sugar and sweets (table sugar, HFCS, agave syrup, ice creams, cakes, sweet puddings and sugary soft-drinks).

2) Factory-farmed pork and fish are high in inflammatory omega 6 fatty acids and farmed fish may contain PCBs, avoid fish high in mercury.

3) Processed foods containing carrageenan (e.g. some almond milk products – watch for additives), MSG (e.g. in some whey protein products), sulphites (e.g. in dried fruits, gelatin), BPAs (they don't have to be labeled!), wheat gluten.

4) Artificial sweeteners (Splenda, Equal, sweeteners containing Aspartame, Acesulfame, Sucralose, Saccharin, etc.) – these may cause cravings and have been linked to other health issues.

5) Refined fats / oils (e.g. sunflower, safflower, cottonseed, canola, soybean, grapeseed, corn oil), trans fats such as margarine.

6) “Low-fat”, “low-carb” and “zero-carb” products (Atkins products, diet soda and drinks, chewing gums and mints may be high in carbs or contain artificial additives, gluten, etc.)

7) Milk (only small amounts of raw, full-fat milk is allowed). Milk is not recommended for several reasons. Firstly, from all the dairy products, milk is difficult to digest, as it lacks the “good” bacteria (eliminated through pasteurization) and may even contain hormones. Secondly, it is quite high in carbs (4-5 grams of carbs per 100 ml). For coffee and tea, replace milk with cream in reasonable amounts. You may have a small amount of raw milk but be aware of the extra carbs.

8) Alcoholic, sweet drinks (beer, sweet wine, cocktails, etc.) – you can try my low-carb cocktails and drinks.

9) Tropical fruit (pineapple, mango, banana, papaya, etc.) and some high-carb fruit (tangerine, grapes, etc.) Also avoid fruit juices (yes, even 100% fresh juices!) – better to drink smoothies if any, but either way very limited. Juices are just like sugary water, but smoothies have fiber, which is at least more sating. This also includes dried fruit (dates, raisins, etc.) if eaten in large quantities.

10) Mainly for health reasons, avoid soy products apart from a few non-GMO fermented products which are known for their health benefits. Also avoid wheat gluten which may be used in low-carb foods. When you give up bread, you shouldn't eat any part of it. Beware of BPA-lined cans. If possible, use naturally BPA-free packaging like glass jars or make my own ingredients such as ghee, ketchup, coconut milk or mayonnaise. BPA has been linked to many negative health effects such as impaired thyroid function and cancer. Other additives to avoid: carrageenan (e.g. almond milk products), MSG (e.g. in some whey protein products) and sulfites (e.g. in dried fruits, gelatin).

11) Legumes (beans, chickpeas, lentil, peanuts, etc). Apart from peanuts, legumes are relatively high in carbs and should be avoided. Apart from their high carb content, legumes contain lectins and phytates which makes them hard to digest. They have been linked to leaky gut syndrome, PCOS, IBS and Hashimoto's. When it comes to peanuts, some people avoid them while others use them in moderation.

The keto diet has tons of benefits and we're dying to tell you more. Now that you know food groups to avoid, you'll be happy to learn that there are still a lot of food items high in fat and protein that are okay to eat. Your body will thank you after you cut back on the diet sodas and other processed foods it doesn't need. Plus, once a body goes into ketosis (burning fat as opposed to carbohydrates), you'll feel a lot healthier. Learn more about which foods to avoid on the Keto Diet App.

At the time of writing this post, we're currently giving away free copies of the Body Reboot book. We're doing this because it's our mission to increase awareness and to help people lose weight and get healthy! If you help us cover the cost of shipping, we’ll send a copy to your door FREE. Go over to this page to see if there are any copies left.