***Though there are many links in this post, there are no affiliate links… (I will not get paid if you buy something. 😉 )
So you are thinking about trying a Low Carb or Ketogenic diet platform to improve your health? Good for you! If you stick with it, you won’t be sorry, but to be successful it’s helpful to have a pantry stocked with the right ingredients, and know what to do with them.
A Ketogenic or Low Carb Diet is a low, low carb, moderate protein, and high in healthy fats nutrition plan. The goal is to guide your body into burning fat for fuel instead of being a sugar burner. Fat is a cleaner burning fuel, causing less oxidation, and is therefore healthier for your body. Fat is the ingredient most needed and loved by your brain, nerves, and the membrane wall of every single cell in your body… the many trillions of them! And, fats are satiating, which means they will keep you feeling full long after a meal of traditional carbs would have left you feeling hungry and moody.
To truly do this right, you need to use healthy fats:
Coconut Oil~ Coconut oil is full of medium chain fatty acids, the same as God put in human breast milk. If it’s good for our babies, it has to be good for us!! Unrefined coconut oil is the best thing to buy, but according to Bruce Fife, author of The Coconut Oil Miracle, even refined coconut oil is better than using most of the other oils on grocer shelves. Refining the oil removes the “coconut-ty” smell and flavor, and can leave some chemical residue behind. If you are near a Costco, they sell both types of coconut oil at a competitive price. If you have an allergy or intolerance to coconuts, I recommend you look into the benefits of cooking with Palm Oil.
Olive Oil~ Once touted as the oil for everything, reserve olive oil for cold application. This oil is vulnerable to hot temperatures and will go rancid when cooked, making it not so healthy for you. Instead, use it for salad dressings.
Avocado Oil~ Avocado oil is great in cold recipes, but unlike most other oils has a much higher smoke point and will stay stable at higher temperatures. One study showed that the lipids (fats) extracted from avocados might prove photo-protective against harmful effects of radiation, such as sun damage, inflammation, and even skin cancer, if ingested before exposure. I buy my avocado oil at Costco.
Coconut Milk~ The canned, full of fat kind, and also the unsweetened carton in the dairy department are both items I use.
Dairy~ You will find a LOT of low carb and ketogenic recipes from food bloggers all over that use dairy. Cheese, whipping cream, more cheese… so if you don’t have any digestive issues or intolerance, get ready for some dairy. Grass fed and organic is best as this is the only kind that will be guaranteed free of damaging hormones and heavy omega 6’s that can be present in “normal” dairy from livestock that is fed a heavy soy and grain diet that has probably been heavily sprayed with glyphosates. I only use dairy sparingly. I can eat it, no problem, but if I’m aiming to lose weight… well, I lose the dairy. And if I want optimal liver function, I lose the dairy. We’re all different, and if you are hoping to lose weight and aren’t seeing results, this is a good thing to cut out and see.
And what about Fiber? A challenge that many people face when they go low carb is constipation. Not good! And not necessary. So make sure to stock the following…
Nuts~ They are full of healthy fats, and fiber too. The trick is to not eat too many. Even though we want to eat more fat, it is easy to go over our fat allowance with nuts, and too much of anything is a bad thing. Stock your pantry with walnuts and almonds and maybe pistachios, but plan, and measure. Want a different kind of nut? Look up the carbs, fat and fiber. You want to count net carbs. This means look at the total carbs and deduct the total fiber to get your net carb count per serving. And then do the math. Will this nut fit well into your target carb and fat count?
Nuts are much healthier if they are soaked and then dehydrated. They also taste better, in my opinion, and are easier on the digestion. To learn how, you can read this excellent article over at Gnowgflins.
Almond Flour~ This is used a lot in low carb receipes. I get mine at Costco. It is also available at Sams Club, on Amazon, and many other places.
Ground Psyllium Husks~ This can be used in bready recipes that are filling, provide fiber, and satisfying those cravings that are inevitable when you first pull grains and sugars from your diet. In addition, if you find yourself experiencing some constipation, you can mix a tsp. or two with water and drink it to help bulk up your stools. I buy this psyllium from Viva Naturals on Amazon and will be making recipe recommendations off of my experience with it.
Chia seeds~ You may like them, and if you’re a woman, soak them, use them for fiber, for a binder, etc… not recommended for men’s prostrate health. 😦
Coconut flour~ Yep, coconut is still good for you, and the flour is a good source of fiber as well as great for bready recipes. The best value I have found for our neck of the woods is also on Amazon, from Anthony’s. Check out the jokes on the bag… 🙂
Unsweetened, shredded coconut~ You may like this in a breakfast porridge, or many people just spoon some into a bowl with some coconut oil, stevia drops, and cocoa for a sweet fix.
Fruits and Vegetables~ Well, vegetables anyway. This is where you will get most of your carbohydrates. Avocados and tomatoes are actually fruits, and I use them, but they won’t satisfy your sweet tooth. Carrots are starchy, so use them sparingly if at all, and potatoes are out–too many starchy carbs. Go for asparagus, spinach and kale (unless you have a history or kidney stones), zucchinis, lettuce (not ice berg), peppers, other cruciferous veggies like cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, and brussel sprouts. You may find some veggies I’m not used to using. I love onions, but they are a little high on the carb count so I use them sparingly. You may occasionally splurge on a few pieces of Granny Smith apple, a strawberry, or blueberries… that is up to you. You can use the cronometer.com calculator to help you decide.
Protein~ Yes, you need moderate protein, so besides the nuts you want to have eggs and meats on hand. Just keep in mind, “moderate” may be less than you think…
Eggwhite Protein Powder~ I like to make Maria Emmerich’s Keto bread, and you will need this Eggwhite Protein Powder to make it.
Sweeteners
Yes! I did say sweet. Lots of the sweet ketogenic recipes you find use the “tols”, sugar alcohols, like erythritol or xylitol. They are not sugar or alcohol, don’t affect blood sugar, don’t cause cavities, etc… and if you can use them, great, but I can’t. They are not completely absorbed by your body and like a lot of other people, they cause me to have intense bloating and stomach cramps when I eat them and since they aren’t good for me I notice that I don’t lose weight as fast if I use them. Not worth it. So I use other alternatives. If you try them, make sure they are not combined with other low-calorie or artificial sweeteners such as aspartame, acesulfame-K, neotame, saccharin, or crystalline fructose. Swerve is a well known brand that combines erythritol and stevia, and is recommended by many food bloggers.
Stevia~ I use stevia in many forms. It is a natural food derivative, many times sweeter than sugar, and a little goes a long way. I can be combined with other sweeteners. And it does the body good, the whole leaf stevia being found to lower blood sugar levels and kill bacteria (even the lyme disease bacteria, better than antibiotics).
What kind of stevia?
I use the Sweet Leaf Stevia drops with vanilla a lot in my tea or other quick treats. It comes in plain and other flavors, but I like vanilla and it is a cheap add on from Amazon Prime. You can also get it from Swansonvitamins.com, Azurestandard, and your local health food store, among many retailers!
I also use the Sweet Leaf powdered stevia, and you only need a pinch for most recipes, so it lasts a loooong time. I buy mine through AzureStandard.com.
A lot of foodies use Stevia Glycerite in their recipes.
The other good sweetener recommended for the Ketogenic diet is Lo Han Fruit (also called monk fruit) extract. Recently featured on draxe.com for being a recommended ketogenic sweetener, along with stevia, it is many times sweeter than sugar and has many health benefits. Watch out when you buy, as it is often combined with other unhealthy artificial sweeteners, so read labels. I buy mine from Swansonvitamins.com, combined with inulin (a sweet fiber and prebiotic that feeds good bacteria that nourish the gut). I use this in recipes I will share.
Real Salt~ Not table salt. Use RealSalt brand, unbleached sea salt, or himalayan salt that is whole and rich in minerals.
Supplement Smart. Take a good multi-vitamin. If you aren’t getting enough iron or amino acids, look into taking dessicated beef liver. Need more C? Take rose hips. Have magnesium on hand. I recommend Plexus Biocleanse. Just want to clean out your bowels and relax? Magnesium Calm will do the trick. Do probiotics. Swansonvitamins does regular sales. If you sign up for emails they will send you coupons that will make it worth your while.
There are a few other foods and supplements I will be sharing with you in future posts, but these are the main ones you can do without having to learn “how to”. I hope this is helpful. God bless.
