5 COMMON MISTAKES WHEN GOING KETO

Going Keto is right up there with one of the best decisions I’ve made in my life! That and me deciding to get rid of all baggy jeans in my close vicinity. What were we thinking?? That’s why it gives me great pleasure to be able to share this gift with anyone willing to listen, and that number increases daily. But, like with anything, there is a right and a wrong way of doing things, and if not managed correctly, you can easily deprive yourself of all the amazing benefits of clean low-carb living. Here are the top 5 mistakes I have seen people make when first going Keto, indulge:

1. Too Many Carbs

Low-carb really means very low-carb. The toughest part about going Keto is realizing just how addictive sugar is. Believing you can simply go cold turkey and replace those sweet delectables with dry rice cakes and kale sticks is guaranteed misery. Instead consuming nutrient dense high-fat foods that are rich in flavour and that will leave you feeling full for long, is a much more bankable solution. Also, watch out for the hidden sugars in things like table sauces, condiments and so-called diet drinks. It all adds up. Lastly, know that almost everything that is ‘low-fat’ is most probably high in sugar as manufacturers need to find a way to replace the taste lost from removing natural fats. Rather stick to good healthy fats and whole foods and dump the processed goods.

2. Not Enough Green Leaf Vegetables

Many people experience something commonly referred to as the ‘keto-flu’ when first going Keto. This is because you are completely re-adapting your body’s fuel source and your body will only switch over to ketosis once all the glucose in your system has been burned out. And so as your glucose levels drop towards zero, your overall energy levels will be affected until you are fully adapted. This can take between 2–10 days depending on each person. Additionally, all the minerals that are responsible for the transporting and storing of glucose, like sodium, are suddenly less in demand and, as a result, get flushed out through your urine. This can lead to a slight mineral imbalance which must be restored. The good news is that this can easily be avoided just by replacing these minerals and electrolytes through diet. The richest source of minerals like sodium, magnesium and potassium are green leafy vegetables. Although vegetables are still carbohydrates, the high fibre content means they don’t get absorbed into our blood system the same way simple carbs do and thus do not cause the same insulin response. Thus, they are not just compatible with a ketogenic diet, but extremely necessary to our overall health.

3. Still Being Afraid of Fat

Let’s face it. We have all been led to believe our whole lives that fat is the enemy. There is hardly an aisle in any grocery store that doesn’t contain atleast one ‘low-fat’ or ‘fat-free’ product. And this is mainly due to the idea that calorie counting is the be all and end all of weight loss. You see for every gram (g) of fat, there are 9 calories (kcal) on average. Whereas for every gram of carbs and protein, there are just 4kcals. So simple maths will tell you that eating lots of fat will make you fat right? Well, that equation doesn’t take into account the satiating nature of good healthy fats. Fats release energy much slower than simple and even complex carbs which means you feel full for longer and don’t suffer from cravings the same way you do on a high-carb diet. Furthermore, our bodies need fat for many of the daily processes like the production of hormones and the rebuilding of cells. Thus, high quality fats like avocado, nuts and coconut oil are essential nutrient sources and must be part of any healthy diet.

4. Starving Yourself

Another mythos that we have been bred to believe is that you need to starve yourself if you truly want to lose weight. With the ketogenic lifestyle the goal is to take care of the quality of your nutrients and the quantity will take care of itself. Being in a state of starvation will trigger the stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline as your body prepares you for survival. These hormones will not let you burn any more calories than is necessary as it may need them to deal with this period of supposed famine. Our bodies are immune to our motives and perceive starvation as detrimental to our chances of survival. Thus, starving yourself will have the opposite effect long-term resulting in a slower metabolism as our bodies become more conservative with the release of energy. As mentioned above, low-carb, high-fat foods are pleasantly satiating and trigger the production of leptin (the hormone that tells your brain that you are full) in a way that sugary foods don’t. Additionally, because fat releases energy much slower than carbs, your energy levels are much more consistent during the day and you don’t have to worry about the blood-sugar roller-coaster we have all become so accustom to. No more muffin cravings at 10am, or the need for an afternoon nap. Instead you get to experience a sense of mental clarity that allows you to be far more productive during the day.

5. Being Too Strict

Keto is more than just a diet, it’s a lifestyle. Believing it is all or nothing is the quickest route to failure. It is important to understand that in truth, there is nothing you CAN’T eat when going Keto, just things that will slow down your progress. Like anything in life, our journeys aren’t purely linear and in fact, if the journey is miserable, chances are you won’t be able to stay along the path long enough to reach the destination. So have fun, experiment and most importantly, love yourself no matter what point of the road you are on.

SOURCE MATERIAL:

Textbooks:

Allen, L. and Prentice, A. (2005) Encyclopaedia of Human Nutrition. Netherlands. Elsevier.

Guyton, A. and Hall, J. (2015) Textbook of Medical Physiology. London. WB Saunders.

Kang, J. (2013) Nutrition and Metabolism in Sports, Exercise and Health. London. Routledge.

Novels:

Berg, E. (2010) The 7 Principles of Fat Burning: Get Healthy, Lose Weight and Keep It Off. Illinois. KB Publishing.

Berry, K. (2019) Lies My Doctor Told Me: Medical Myths That Can Harm Your Health. Nevada. Victory Belt Publishing.

Ferriss, T. (2011) The 4-Hour Body: An Uncommon Guide to Rapid Fat-loss, Incredible Sex and Becoming Superhuman. New York. Penguin Random House.

Fung, J. (2016) The Obesity Code: The Bestselling Guide to Unlocking the Secrets of Weight Loss. Melbourne. Scribe Publications.

Goldacre, B. and Farley, R. (2010) Bad Science. London. Fourth Estate.

Greene, R. (2018) The Laws of Human Nature. London. Profile Books.

Harari, Y. (2011) Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind. New York. Penguin Random House.

Noakes, T. (2017) Lore of Nutrition: Challenging Conventional Dietary Beliefs. Cape Town. Penguin Random House.

Pollan, M. (2007) The Omnivore’s Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals. London. Penguin Publishing Group.

Taubes, G. (2016) The Case Against Sugar. California. Portobello Books.

Volek, J. and Phinney, S. (2011) The Art and Science of Low Carbohydrate Living. Connecticut. Beyond Obesity LLC.

Wilson, J. and Lowery, R. (2017) The Ketogenic Bible: The Authoritative Guide to Ketosis. New York. Simon & Schuster.

Courses:

Nowicki, S. (2004) The Great Courses — Biology: The Science of Life. Duke University.

Shaw Academy (2018) — Sports & Nutrition Certification Course