Keto for Beginners: The Ultimate Guide

Our Keto For Beginners Ultimate Guide is for anyone looking to start this way of eating and living the right way! If you want to transition to a keto lifestyle but feel unsure of where to begin, we've got you covered! Allow us to help ease the process with our Keto for Beginners: The Ultimate Guide.

What Exactly is Keto?

Our Keto For Beginners Guide starts with a quick science lesson! We believe knowledge is power, so understanding the science behind keto is the best place to start!

Did you know that your body has 2 fuel sources?

The first one is glucose.

In a standard diet, carbohydrates (grains, pasta, bread, sugar, etc.) that you ingest are converted into glucose, which the body then uses for quick bursts of energy.

Unfortunately, the process of converting these carbs to glucose sends your blood sugar on a roller coaster ride that we like to call the "glu-coaster"!!

Here is how it works:

After you consume carbohydrates (think refined grains and sugars), your body begins to digests them into glucose
This process of converting carbs to glucose causes a spike in your blood sugar and gives you an ensuing but temporary energy boost (this is where the term “sugar high” comes from)
In response to this aggressive blood sugar spike (and because a glucose overdose in your bloodstream can be toxic), your body reacts by signaling to the pancreas to release the hormone insulin which acts to remove the excess glucose from your bloodstream
The released insulin works swiftly to transport the glucose out of your bloodstream to burn as fuel and then puts the rest in storage (more on this in a minute)
As the insulin removes all the glucoses from your bloodstream, your blood sugar subsequently drops, your energy level declines, and you feel hungry again
So you eat more carbs and the cycle begins again…

This process is why most people get an afternoon energy crash around 3pm and start craving sweets or candy (aka carbs).

One piece of comfort we can give you is that it is not your lack of willpower that causes these cravings. It is your body saying “Hey! My blood sugar is low and I need more energy -- give me carbs now!”

If being on the never ending “glu-coaster” wasn’t bad enough - we have more bad news for you...

Since the body cannot use large amounts of glucose at one time, it has to be stored somewhere.

Some of the the extra supply is stored in the liver and muscles as glycogen. But the remaining extra supply is stored as FAT! Yes - it is sad but true...

Then you eat more carbs at your next meal, you jump on the "glu-coaster,” your body uses what it needs for energy and stores the rest as fat. And those fat cells keep piling up. This is the reason, you gain weight.

But we do have good news for you! Your body has another fuel source called ketones.

This is where the ketogenic diet comes in. If carbohydrates are limited, the liver instead uses ketone bodies for energy.

And the keto diet is a high-fat, adequate-protein, low-carbohydrate diet designed to enable the body to use ketones as its energy source. This phenomenon is called ketosis.

Ketones are these incredible little energy pods created by your body from stored fat! Yes, you heard us correctly: you can turn those stored fat cells into energy!!

And not just any kind of energy: energy that is long lasting and consistent, with no afternoon crashes. When you use ketones for energy, your body is using its own stored fat as fuel, thus you start losing weight. Brilliant, right?

When your body is in a state of ketosis, the body becomes a literal fat-burning machine!!!!

How to Achieve Ketosis

How do you get into ketosis? Well, it’s all about what you eat and how much you eat of each specific macronutrient (also known as “macros”).

There are three types of macronutrients in the human diet: fats, proteins, and carbohydrates. On the ketogenic diet, your daily macronutrient breakdown should be as follows:

75% fat
20% protein
5% carbohydrates

It’s true - approximately 75% of what you eat each day will come from fat. Fat is actually the most essential macronutrient that the body needs. You need fat to live. It keeps you feeling full and satisfied, it keeps cravings away, and it is 100% necessary for you to get into ketosis.

When following this macronutrient ratio, you can get into ketosis within 2 to 7 days depending on your current glycogen supply, body type, and activity level.

This means you can start reaping the amazing benefits of ketosis in as little as one week!

Benefits of the Ketogenic Diet

The ketogenic diet comes with a very long list of benefits, including the following:

Weight loss and fat burning. By definition, being in a state of ketosis means you are burning stored fat for energy. Weight loss happens quickly and can be significant, because you are turning your body into a fat-burning machine when you are producing ketones.

Increased energy levels. This occurs as a result of your body running on a more efficient fuel source in the form of ketones. Ketones are able to cross the brain’s blood barrier to provide consistent and superior energy, which (compared to glucose) means your energy levels will skyrocket.

Improved brain function. Other than fat loss, another big reason so many people turn to the ketogenic diet is for improved mental clarity; to finally lift that brain fog once and for all. In fact, a sharper mind is normally one of the first benefits you notice when achieving ketosis. This is because (compared to glucose), ketones are an upgraded fuel source for your brain. Studies have shown that ketones can provide as much as 70 percent of your brain's energy needs and is are more energy efficient than glucose.

Controlled appetite. One of the most profound benefits of the ketogenic diet is the fact that you aren’t hungry all the time and you don’t experience cravings for sugar! When you burn ketones as fuel rather than glucose, your blood sugar levels are stabilized.

Relief from/reversal of symptoms of some autoimmune conditions. Your digestive system and gut microbiome play a huge part in your immune system and in autoimmune disease. The ketogenic diet promotes the healing of your gut lining because you are ridding your body of inflammatory grains and sugars. This healing combined with the keto diet reducing inflammation overall can make it an effective tool for reversing the symptoms of autoimmune conditions.

Other benefits. People have also reported better sleep, less acne, improved skin conditions, better muscle tone, and a balanced mood after adopting a ketogenic diet, which makes them look and feel younger! Research also links the ketogenic diet to a multitude of other benefits, including cancer treatment and prevention, reduction in chronic disease, Alzheimer's treatment, neuroprotection, and brain trauma injury healing.

Additionally, by cutting out empty, processed carbs, like you do with a Clean Keto Lifestyle, skin issues often diminish, as do energy crashes and the inability to focus! You can kiss afternoon slumps and sugar crashes goodbye, all thanks to keto.

What to Eat on the Keto Diet

Many keto beginner's always have the same question - "What can you eat on keto?"

Here at Clean Keto Lifestyle, we don’t just follow a keto diet, we follow a clean keto diet. This means that in addition to following keto guidelines, we aim to consume only high quality, whole, nutrient-dense foods.

If a clean keto diet is on your agenda, it’s time to purge the non keto foods (oils, sugary alcohol, soda, margarine, grains, pasta, etc.) from your kitchen! Consider donating any unwanted items or giving them to a friend or family member.

If you find it hard to part with items that you’ve spent your hard earned cash on, remind yourself that your feelings are valid, but that you’re going to feel great health improvements as you embark on this journey.

To get started on the right foot, here’s a quick list of approved and non-approved foods:

Keto Foods to Embrace:

Healthy fats: Quality oils (olive, avocado, coconut), animal fats (egg yolks, ghee, beef tallow), nuts and seeds, nut butters, and dairy (cheese, plain Greek yogurt, heavy cream)
Non-starchy vegetables: Spinach, kale, broccoli, cauliflower, celery, tomatoes, zucchini, onions, peppers, carrots, cucumbers, mushrooms, asparagus, etc.
Protein: Chicken, turkey, duck, steak, beef, pork, bacon, sausage, etc.
Carbs: Lemons, limes, raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, strawberries
Other: Drinks (water, seltzer, coffee), baking (dark chocolate, raw cacao powder, cacao nibs), spices (fresh and dried)

Keto Foods to Avoid:

Grains and starches
Refined Oils: Vegetable, canola, soybean, corn
Sugar of all kinds
Margarine
Artificial sweeteners
Factory farmed meat
Processed foods
Soda

For more detail, here is our complete K etogenic Food Guide.

Check Out This Recipe You Can Enjoy on Keto

Preparing for the Low-Carb Flu

Once you reach ketosis, it’s smooth sailing. However, to get to that point will take a bit of determination and grit, especially during the days that you undergo the “low-carb flu.”

When you transition to the keto diet, your body undergoes a huge process. When it begins to feel deprived of carbs, you may experience what seasoned ketoers refer to as the low-carb flu. These flu-like symptoms occur as a result of dehydration and a loss of electrolytes.

With this flu comes carbohydrate withdrawal symptoms that can include a dip in energy, physical and mental cloudiness, nausea, headaches, fatigue, and sugar cravings. Basically - it feels like you have the flu!

To make your low-carb flu less daunting, there are a few things you can do to prepare and weaken symptoms.

Stay hydrated: First and foremost, be sure to drink enough water each day. Dehydration can make flu-like symptoms worse, so drinking extra water will be key.
Ease into keto: Instead of rushing in cold turkey and going from a high carb diet to a very low carb diet, start slowly. Limit your carbs, starting at or around 90 per day, and gradually decreasing from there.
Intake enough minerals: Be sure that you are intaking enough magnesium, sodium, potassium, and calcium, as levels often dip when transitioning to keto. We like to sprinkle pink Himalayan salt into our water to restore our minerals.
Get enough rest: Allow your body to rest and recharge during this time.

Though these symptoms aren’t enjoyable for anyone, know that they will soon pass. Stay strong! Remember that the keto flu isn’t forever, and the way you’ll feel once it’s over will make the experience more than worth it.

So…Where to Begin?

Now that you have the lowdown on the keto diet and what it entails, it’s time to get started! It all starts with learning and getting organized, followed by grabbing the correct foods and carefully planning your meals.

Though it’s a lot to take in at one time, you can totally handle it. Trust, you’ve got this! To help you with the process, we’ve put together a complete checklist.

If you’d like a streamlined keto diet plan with done-for-you directions, handled macro calculations, reduced time in the kitchen, and more, then you need CKL 21.

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