It is common for keto dieters to get confused between which foods they can eat and which they cannot. Here’s a quick checklist for you to know the best foods that can help improve the results of a keto diet.

Seafood

Most seafoods like shellfish and salmon have very low carbohydrate content and a rich amount of vitamins and minerals like selenium and potassium. 

If you want to avoid carbs completely, you can choose shrimp as it is nearly carb-free. 

Mackerel, sardines, salmon, and other fatty fish are also good to include in your keto diet as they offer a rich source of healthy omega-3s. 

Vegetables 

Consume non-starchy vegetables low in carbs and calories but high in nutrients including vitamins and minerals.

Vegetables contain plenty of dietary fibers that can promote weight loss and improve diabetes control. The best non-starchy and cruciferous vegetables for keto dieters include:

• Raw spinach 
• Artichoke
• Broccoli 
• Brussels sprouts 
• Asparagus
• Kale
• Cauliflower 

Meat and eggs

Eggs and fresh meat have very low-carb content and offer a great source of proteins that can help preserve your muscle mass during a low-carb keto diet. 

Eggs also provide powerful antioxidants for your body such as zeaxanthin and lutein, which can control your cholesterol levels and protect your vital organs against free radical damage. 

Coconut oil

Coconut oil contains MCTs or medium-chain triglycerides, which can be taken up directly by your liver where they can be readily converted into ketone bodies to be used up as energy.

Coconut oil can also help you lose tummy fat by stimulating fat burning processes and enhancing your metabolic rate.  

Olive oil

Olive oil has a high concentration of monounsaturated fats such as oleic acid, which can help you get into ketosis faster. The extra-virgin olive oil contains natural antioxidants such as phenols that can reduce inflammation and improve heart functions. 

Olive oil is also free of carbs making it an ideal base for salad dressings and for preparing keto-friendly mayonnaise.

Some more foods you can include in your keto diet

• Yogurt
• Cheese
• Avocados 
• Nuts and seeds

Following a keto diet can become easy when you have the list of acceptable foods with you. Stock your kitchen shelves with these items so that you are never short of foods needed to get into ketosis. 

A keto diet comprises of an intake of a low amount of carbs, plenty of healthy fats, and a moderate amount of proteins. 

These are the basic rules you have to follow if you want to derive faster and better results. But, these basic rules need to be understood properly so that you make no mistake. Let’s have a look at the basic dietary rules you must follow when you are on a keto diet.

Carbohydrates

When you begin your ketogenic diet plan, make sure you track the amount of carbohydrates in your meals. Keep in mind that you need to reduce your carbohydrate intake by at least 20 to 60 grams per day initially. 

In some cases, the intake of 100 grams or less of carbs per day is adequate to stimulate ketosis. However, some people need to cut down their carbohydrate intake drastically to achieve the state of ketosis. 

The more you reduce your carbohydrate intake, the better will be the results! 

However, the idea is to reduce your carbohydrate intake slowly until your body learns to use fats to fuel its functions. 

Fats

Make sure your diet comprises of healthy fats such as polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats. Foods rich in healthy fats like omega 3 fatty acids include avocado, fish, almonds, and olive oil.

Avoid the consumption of foods contain unhealthy fats like trans and saturated fats. 

Proteins

Your body needs proteins to ensure proper growth and repair the damaged tissues. Hence, you must include an adequate amount of proteins in your keto diet. 

Eating an excess of proteins may interfere with ketosis while eating too less may cause fatigue.  The required protein intake depends on your gender, height, and the nature and extent of your physical activities or workouts. The ideal protein requirement of the body is about 1.5 to 2 grams per kg of body mass. 

To summarize, the nutritional content of a ketogenic diet includes 20 to 25% calories from proteins, at least 75% calories from healthy fats, and not more than 10% from carbs.  

A ketogenic diet offers numerous health benefits to help you stay fit and healthy as given below:

Weight loss

A keto diet can support a faster weight loss by mobilizing stubborn deposits of fats to be used as a source of energy. The weight loss results are faster when you stop eating carbohydrates in any form completely.

Diabetes control

A ketogenic diet could be beneficial for patients with type 2 diabetes struggling to control their blood sugar levels. It can help to improve insulin sensitivity by reducing inflammation caused due to excess carbohydrates and thus, enhance the effectiveness of insulin. 

It can also control obesity, which is a common precursor to diabetes thereby reducing the risk of developing this condition. 

Epilepsy

A keto diet can reduce the frequency of seizures in patients suffering from epilepsy. It is believed to work by increasing the supply of ketone bodies to the brain. 

Cancer prevention

The ketogenic diet has been found to reduce the risk of cancers of the stomach, colon, and rectum.  The cancer cells are dependent on carbohydrates for their survival. Depriving these cells of sugars can create unfavorable environments for the abnormal cancer cells thereby resulting in their death. 

Controls lipid levels

A keto diet can regulate the breakdown and metabolism of fats thereby controlling the levels of lipids such as cholesterol and triglycerides. Since a keto diet is rich in healthy fats, it can also increase the good or HDL cholesterol and reduce the bad or LDL cholesterol levels. 

Flat tummy

If you are struggling to get rid of those excess fats from your tummy, you can try a keto diet. The deposition of fats in the belly region can be eliminated when your body is forced to switch to using fats as its source of energy. It will help to burn the belly fat making your tummy flat, just the way you like it! 

Making sure you eat the foods high in healthy fats and low in carbohydrates will help you derive these benefits of a ketogenic diet.