By Lindsay Ford, MS, RD.
PSE Fuel Head Coach

Are you following a Ketogenic (Keto) diet?

For those who may have heard of it but aren’t sure what it is, a Ketogenic nutrition plan is high in fat, moderate in protein and very low in carbohydrate.

Those following a Ketogenic plan typically consume less than 5-10% of their energy intake from carbohydrates.

I have prepared the following list of foods to help people follow a Ketogenic diet. I can’t imagine anyone practicing the Ketogenic diet without these foods.

Bottle of Olive Oil
If you just consumed a small, 12 oz. bottle of olive oil every day you should lose up to 3 pounds of fat in just 7 days!!! If you don’t believe me, you should try it. Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner = Olive Oil. I know, pretty awesome. You should probably eat some other foods with the olive oil, but make sure they go well with the olive oil, you don’t want to hinder your palate.

Squirrels
These creatures are probably in your backyard so you can get in some high-intensity interval training while you hunt them down therefore burning more fat. Roast these over a fire and they should be done in no time. If you don’t know what to pair with the Squirrel, watch the The Hunger Games because Katniss Everdeen is quite the pro with all things squirrel.

Liver
Get excited! The next time you sit down for dinner as a family, you get to serve this special organ meat. I guarantee your ten-year old will request this every week after trying just one bite. I tried to Google “liver recipes” and this phrase popped up, “how to eat liver without tasting it.” Hmm… weird.

Crickets
These crunchy insects would go great with an Avocado Salad. Consider these the perfect crouton, but totally not a crouton. According to the Internet, Crickets are environmentally friendly AND give you a solid dose of protein. #winning.

Sardines + Mayonnaise
This dynamic duo is so delicious that you can’t help but smile with every bite. You can’t beat that. Although I would question if someone is actually smiling or fighting back the urge to spit out the slimy goop. You know what I’m talking about…go back to when you were five years old and your mother was force-feeding you pureed green beans.

Block of Cream Cheese
There is nothing better than peeling off that foil to spoon out the creamy goodness of cream cheese. Even better, full-fat cream cheese is gluten-free, nut free, non-GMO, 100% organic, low in sodium, free from lectins, sugar free, contains no added sugar, AND gives you 60 grams of saturated fat per block!!!

Eggs Yolks over Cauliflower Toast
This combination is like you are actually eating eggs and toast, but you aren’t. Mind tricks. The Ketogenic diet likes to do this to followers. Keto Cookies. Keto Pancakes. Keto Cake. Keto Pasta. Mind tricks. Before you realize it, you will be CRAVING Keto French Toast – stuffed with the block of cream cheese of course.

Bears
Bears love berries. And Bears are fat. Berries are lower in sugar than other fruit. Fat + low sugar = Bears are good. Be careful when searching for bears, they can bite.

“Coffee Cake”
Fried in coconut oil, garnished with a stick of butter. This is like Bullet Proof coffee, but in a different form. You pretty much don’t need to eat anything else all day because you will be pooping your pants and nothing else will sound appealing.

Banana
Oh wait you can’t eat this. Wrong blog. If you do eat this food while following a Keto diet, you should probably go sit in the corner of SHAME. How dare you crave energy, electrolytes and foods that help with your recovery.

Traditionally, the Ketogenic style of eating was practiced as a short-term tool for fat loss, fat adaptation and enhanced insulin sensitivity. It is typically not recommended to follow it for longer than 12-weeks.

Additionally, this high fat diet is only appropriate for those fit for the protocol while, in conjunction, being supported by trust-worthy professionals or someone you trust with your nutrition.

News Flash!!!!
The Ketogenic Diet is being abused, misused and practiced among too many people for too long of a timeframe (ahem, think 12-months, not 12-weeks). Outside of being misused, many people struggle physically with the ability to handle a high fat diet, especially a diet high in saturated fat due to their genetic make up. I have met numerous athletes and individuals that know a Ketogenic plan doesn’t work for them AND it took testing it before coming to the conclusion.

There are two things to do before and after going on ANY nutrition protocol.

1) Collect blood work.
2) Tap into how your body feels (e.g., energy levels, recovery, sleep, etc.).

Be your own researcher. Advocate for your health and better understand what works for you and what doesn’t. I could say this same thing with a high-carbohydrate diet, gluten-free, vegetarian and so forth.

• How does your body respond?
• How does your body feel?
• Are you sleeping better?
• Are you mentally stable?

And the questions continue…

Please reach out via email if you have any further questions, concerns, thoughts.