Debunking Common Keto Myths - Clean Keto Lifestyle

The Ketogenic Diet has become extremely popular over the past several years. But unfortunately, there are still a lot of misconceptions about keto. We are debunking the most common keto myths and half-truths once and for all!

Common Keto Myths graphic over a plate of pasta

Keto Diet Myths Debunked

There is a ton of misinformation related to ketogenic diet and myths that may give people red flags. Let's take a look at the top common keto myths and go over why these objections shouldn't hold you back from starting a Clean Keto Lifestyle today!

Myth 1: Keto Is Just For Weight Loss

Yes - weight loss does happen on keto and it is a big motivating factor for people to start this way of eating. But that is not the only benefit of a keto life.

In fact, achieving and maintaining ketosis by implementing the keto diet with quality foods is actually the best way for humans to operate most efficiently.

Being in ketosis can lead to additional benefits such as more energy, improved focus, better sleep, clear skin, strength gain, reduced appetite, better digestion, and balanced mood.

Research is also linking the ketogenic diet to a multitude of other benefits, including cancer treatment/prevention, chronic disease and autoimmune disorders improvement, Alzheimer's treatment, neuroprotection, and brain trauma injury healing.

Myth 2: Keto Is Bad for Your Health

We are living proof that this statement is completely a myth! By getting into ketosis, we were able to use a Clean Keto Lifestyle to significantly reduce the chronic inflammation within our bodies, which was the root cause in our autoimmune diseases. See our healing story here!

A huge benefit of being in ketosis is that it can lower inflammation because free radical production (which is extremely inflammatory) is reduced when burning ketones for energy instead of glucose. When you are burning ketones for fuel, your liver converts stored fat into beta-hydroxybutyrate, a fuel that produces less oxidation in the body than glucose.

Also, when you remove processed foods from your diet like you do with our keto approach, you consequently eliminate all inflammation-producing additives, artificial ingredients, preservatives and sweeteners and instead fill your plate with real foods full of minerals and vitamins that work to decrease internal inflammation in your body.

Myth 3: You Never Eat Carbs on Keto

While the key to keto is to limit your carb count so that you cut-off your glucose stores and force your body into ketosis - that doesn't mean that you will be removing carbs entirely from your plate.

On the Keto diet, you should be eating lots of fresh veggies and nuts that are full vitamins, minerals, and fiber.

We like to focus on net carbs so that you aren't eliminating foods that are high in fiber from your diet.

Net Carbs = Total carbs minus Fiber.

Let's look at an avocado! One avocado has approximately 17 grams of carbohydrates. But also have 13 grams of FIBER!! So the net carbs are only 4 grams.

And that's why we focus on whole, unprocessed carbohydrate sources like veggies and nuts. To ensure we are filling up on vital nutrients, but still keeping our net carb count low.

Myth 4: Any Low-Carb Food is Keto

Not all low-carb foods are created equal.

Yes, you can lose weight on the ketogenic diet by eating low-carb processed foods, consuming refined oils, and eating factory-farmed meat.

But the key to optimal health is eliminating food toxins like chemical additives, sugar, omega-6 seed oils, trans fats, grains, and starches that lead to chronic inflammation in the body.

Instead your diet should center around foods that encourage healing. These foods are healthy unrefined fats, grass-fed meats, pastured poultry, wild-caught seafood, organic raw nuts, and farm-fresh non-starchy vegetables. Each of these categories provides your body with the nutrients to heal inflammation, accelerate weight loss, and support both mental and physical health.

Myth 5: You Can Eat Any Type of Fat on Keto

There are many different varieties of fat ranging from healthy to downright dangerous for you (i.e. trans-fat and hydrogenated oils).

Because the ketogenic diet is centered around fats, it is vital that you are consuming the right ones! The fats you ingest should be from whole, unrefined foods such as olives, avocados, coconuts, grass-fed butter and meats, pasture-raised poultry and eggs, and wild-caught seafood.

And make sure to avoid trans-fats, processed foods made with low-quality vegetable oils, fast food, most fried foods, and poor quality meats and cheeses.

Healthy fats should come from the farm—not factories—and have no added ingredients. When available, always opt for organic versions to limit your exposure to GMO’s, pesticides, herbicides, and other toxins.

Myth 6: Glucose is the Preferred Fuel for the Brain

Your brain has a "blood barrier" which is a very tight barrier that only allows certain components of your blood to penetrate it. Glucose is one component that can’t directly cross the blood barrier, meaning you get inconsistent energy to the brain depending on how much glucose is available to cross the blood brain barrier at any point in time.

On the other hand, ketones are actually small enough to cross this blood brain barrier and can facilitate a constant supply of energy to the brain. That means no more brain fog or 3pm afternoon crash!

The brain can get up to 75% of its energy from ketones, which is an amazing source of alternate fuel for it to rely on. This is why the ketogenic diet has shown amazing healing benefits for those with Alzheimers, Parkinson’s, autism, and epilepsy. But even for those with good brain health, switching to a fat-burning metabolism means more energy for the brain because ketosis actually increases the number of mitochondria in brain cells, little “energy factories” that allow for more energy uptake. Ketosis also balances out neurotransmitters, specifically GABA — the calming one — and glutamate — the excited one. By keeping these in balance, we can modulate stress better and maintain focus more easily.

Myth 7: Keto is Just Like the Atkins Diet

Newsflash!! The ketogenic diet is not all about meat and cheese. Actually for from it.

While the Atkins diet and other low-carb diets only focus on reducing carb intake, the keto diet actually provides specific macronutrient ratios guidelines designed to achieve nutritional ketosis.

These specific macros consist of approximately 75% fat, 20% protein, and 5% carbs. As you can see, only 20% of your daily calories should come from protein.

This equates to around 60-120 grams of protein each day depending on your weight and activity level. You are probably eating just as much or even more protein today with a Standard American Diet (SAD) vs. on the ketogenic diet.

Why is protein limited on the ketogenic diet? It all goes back to science. Excess protein in your body is converted to glucose and used as fuel. When you are on the ketogenic diet, you are trying to convert your fuel source from glucose to ketones. When you ingest too much protein, you hinder your body’s ability to achieve ketosis and burn ketones as fuel especially while in the beginning stages.Most people think that keto is high-fat and high-protein.

Myth 8: The Keto Diet Is New

The Ketogenic diet has become something of a buzz word over the last couple of years, but it has an incredible 100-year history. The keto diet has history dating back to the early 1900s, when it was first used to help control epilepsy in children.

This same method used to help children then slowly evolved and became further developed over the past 50+ years as doctors and researchers began to understand that a high-fat, adequate-protein and low-carbohydrate diet forced the body to burn fats rather than carbohydrates as fuel in a state known as ketosis.

Now, the science and medical studies focused on keto and its benefits continues to grow and expand. Additional clinical trials show that Keto may help people manage the symptoms of autism, depression, migraine headaches, heart disease, cancer treatment, polycystic ovary syndrome, Parkinson’s disease, and diabetes to name a few.

Myth 9: Keto is Not Sustainable

The keto way of life is absolutely sustainable and to be honest, it just keeps getting better every day.

One of the most amazing things that happens when you are keto-adapted is all of your cravings and hunger DISAPPEAR!

That's right! When you are in ketosis, you seldom feel hungry, your cravings subside, and you don’t have to worry about counting calories. No more food drama - we promise!

Really - it's true. On the keto diet, we enjoy nutrient-dense meals that are both delicious and satisfying!

Now that we have achieved food freedom and optimal health, we would never going back to a Standard American Diet!

Check Out This Recipe You Can Enjoy on Keto

Myth 10: Keto is Confusing and Hard to Start

We have helped thousands of people start the keto diet and see fantastic results! Trust, you’ve got this!

To help streamlined this starting process, we have created a comprehensive keto plan called CKL 21 with done-for-you directions, handled macro calculations, reduced time in the kitchen, and more!

CKL 21 is our Ultimate Keto Accelerator Plan that will allow you to kick off keto the right way. Get your plan now!