Complicated diets are the worst, aren’t they? They’re restrictive, which makes it impossible to follow through. What if there was a diet that wasn’t that complicated and could help dieters achieve their goals? It turns out this diet does exist, and we explain what it’s all about in the Body Reboot book. The ketogenic diet, a high fat, low carb diet, doesn’t have to be complicated. In fact, it’s pretty simple! If people are saying, it’s complicated, pay them no mind. The keto diet is easy, and what’s more, it’s also easy to lose weight! No, we’re not kidding! Check out how the keto diet is helping people reach their health goals in this article. 

Ketovangelist breaks it down into four simple steps. We think these steps are powerful. If you treat them as your keto bible when things get “complicated,” going back to the basics will be a lot easier.

What does this look like and put in to practice? I’ve boiled it down to four basic steps:

Wake up

Eat when you are hungry

Stop when you are satisfied

Be happy

You may have to learn what true hunger is, and that’s okay; you have time to figure that out. If Keto is a new way of life for you, there is no hurry, you don’t need to race to a finish line or be a Keto superstar by doing it faster.

Keep it simple. Eat real food. Put butter on your veggies. Cook your veggies in butter or coconut oil. Dip your meat bites in butter with a little garlic for taste. Eat the skin on the chicken and buy the fattier hamburger meat. Don’t attempt to “ketofy” every dessert known to man, that just makes things harder on you and keeps you craving.

Are you curious about what you should focus on eating while on the keto diet? Ruled.me clearly lays out by telling us about what high-fat foods to eat. They also explain how and why the keto flu may happen in the early stages of being on a diet. 

A ketogenic diet should be high in fat, moderate in animal protein, and low in carbohydrates. Knowing and counting your macronutrients is encouraged until you reach your goals. At goal weight, employ the tactic “eat until full.”

Eat generous amounts of saturated fats like coconut oil and butter or ghee. Beef tallow, lard, and duck fat are great for cooking as they have high smoke points. Olive, avocado, and macadamia oil are also good fats to use in salads and drizzle over food. Do not use these for high-heat cooking.

It’s common to experience the “keto flu” when transitioning to a ketogenic diet. Drink plenty of water and supplement electrolytes. Consider drinking bone broth as it’s filled with micronutrients that will make you feel much better. Most side effects are caused by dehydration or lack of electrolytes.

Make sure that you read nutrition labels and ingredient lists. There are tons of products out there with hidden carbs and sugar inside. Be especially careful with “low-carb” products that are not using good sweeteners.

You don’t have to eat three square meals a day, do what feels most natural to you. Eat when you’re hungry and don’t worry if you skip a meal – everything balances out. If you find that you feel better when you skip a meal, you can always consider adding intermittent fasting into your routine.

Eating out is inevitable, but that doesn’t mean you have to throw your diet out the window! Healthline gives us advice below about eating out while you’re on a high fat, low carb diet. The good news is it’s possible to stick to your weight loss goals and still enjoy a tasty meal. 

Tips for Eating Out on a Ketogenic Diet

It is not very hard to make most restaurant meals keto-friendly when eating out.

Most restaurants offer some kind of meat or fish-based dish. Order this, and replace any high-carb food with extra vegetables.

Egg-based meals are also a great option, such as an omelet or eggs and bacon.

Another favorite is bun-less burgers. You could also swap the fries for vegetables instead. Add extra avocado, cheese, bacon or eggs.

At Mexican restaurants, you can enjoy any type of meat with extra cheese, guacamole, salsa and sour cream.

For dessert, ask for a mixed cheese board or berries with cream.

Having an essential list of keto-friendly foods can simplify your diet. Healthline explains which foods you should avoid and which foods to focus on eating! 

Any food that is high in carbs should be limited.

Here is a list of foods that need to be reduced or eliminated on a ketogenic diet:

Sugary foods: Soda, fruit juice, smoothies, cake, ice cream, candy, etc.

Grains or starches: Wheat-based products, rice, pasta, cereal, etc.

Fruit: All fruit, except small portions of berries like strawberries.

Beans or legumes: Peas, kidney beans, lentils, chickpeas, etc.

Root vegetables and tubers: Potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots, parsnips, etc.

Low-fat or diet products: These are highly processed and often high in carbs.

Some condiments or sauces: These often contain sugar and unhealthy fat.

Unhealthy fats: Limit your intake of processed vegetable oils, mayonnaise, etc.

Alcohol: Due to their carb content, many alcoholic beverages can throw you out of ketosis.

Sugar-free diet foods: These are often high in sugar alcohols, which can affect ketone levels in some cases. These foods also tend to be highly processed.

You should base the majority of your meals around these foods:

Meat: Red meat, steak, ham, sausage, bacon, chicken and turkey.

Fatty fish: Such as salmon, trout, tuna and mackerel.

Eggs: Look for pastured or omega-3 whole eggs.

Butter and cream: Look for grass-fed when possible.

Cheese: Unprocessed cheese (cheddar, goat, cream, blue or mozzarella).

Nuts and seeds: Almonds, walnuts, flax seeds, pumpkin seeds, chia seeds, etc.

Healthy oils: Primarily extra virgin olive oil, coconut oil and avocado oil.

Avocados: Whole avocados or freshly made guacamole.

Low-carb veggies: Most green veggies, tomatoes, onions, peppers, etc.

Condiments: You can use salt, pepper and various healthy herbs and spices.

Ketogeek recommends going on a “simple keto diet,” and we couldn’t agree more. To keep things simple on the keto diet, focus on eating food high in fat. Remember to keep ingredients and foods simple and going on a high-fat diet will be much simpler. 

Simple Keto Diet: 

A simplified approach is focused on consuming a diet that contains adequate protein, restriction of carbs and eating fat to satiety. For many people this has the side effect of fat loss without using any calculations or tracking.

Fats are another source of fuel for the body and are prioritized to be burnt when consumption of carbohydrates is restricted or totally removed. These fats are converted into Ketone bodies which are further used to fuel the body.

Fats are primarily found in animal products, nuts and seeds. They can be further extracted to make butters, ghee, tallow and various oils.

During the first week or two, most people get what is called the ‘keto flu' which makes them feel lethargic, fatigued and have flu-like symptoms. This can be potentially remedied by increasing the electrolytes magnesium, potassium and sodium from various sources, including the ones below. During this time period, the body is switching from utilizing carbohydrates to fat as its primary source of fuel. You may also notice a drop in physical performance which is part of the entire “Keto Adaptation” Period. Most people notice a return to peak strength in 2-3 months.

Simplicity is the key here with in the form of simpler foods with simple ingredients. We encourage people to focus more on life elements like trying new activities such as gym, yoga, crossfit, spending time with family, friends and nearby community, adding value to the people around and striving to become a human being. We think these elements are far more important than just diet alone. If we are making such a big change in one aspect of life, why not change other areas too? Also, when you change, you become a beacon of change for others and you lead others by inspiration. Now let's get started on this new way of life!

Some diets may seem complicated, but the keto diet isn’t one of them. We wrote the Body Reboot book to encourage people to transform their health and explain how they can meet their goals! Help us cover shipping and visit this page to get your free copy!

Sources: Ketovangelist, Healthline, Ruled.me, Ketogeek