These super simple meals have minimal ingredients and take less than 30 minutes (some much less than that). And oh yeah—they’re delicious and satisfying too!

Simple Keto Meals: Breakfast Ideas

Many Keto Zoners keep breakfast super simple with just some Keto Coffee (or Keto Coconut Breakfast Chai if you don’t like coffee). Either can keep you full for hours!

But if you want more of a “normal” breakfast, easy ideas include:

• Eggs fried or scrambled in coconut oil with:
  • Cauliflower or other low-carb veggies
  • Side of cooked ham, sausage, bacon, fish, or chicken
  • Topped with avocado slices
• Overnight Chia Pudding (make it the night before to grab ‘n go)
• Keto smoothie like one of these or the Chocolate Smoothie from the Keto Zone Diet
• Keto Breakfast Cereal
• Baked Avocado Eggs
• A cheese stick rolled up in turkey slices
• Keto Bread, Coconut Bread, or Keto Zone Seed Bread (great with some almond butter or grass-fed butter!)
• Keto Granola Bars
• Keto Broccoli Cheese Bites
• Pumpkin Chia Muffins (make ahead to have during the week) or Muffin in a Mug

Also, see this post for easy keto snack ideas that can double as breakfast or snacks.

Easy Keto Lunch and Keto Dinner Ideas

Keto lunches and dinners are easily interchangeable—and you can even save time by having lunch leftovers for dinner later, or vise versa.

Simple keto lunch or dinner ideas include:

• Big salad with:
  • Spinach, arugula, and other low-carb vegetables
  • Cheese, hard-boiled egg, beef, chicken, or fatty fish
  • Sliced avocado or guacamole
  • Topped with olive oil/balsamic mixture, avocado oil, or full-fat low-carb ranch
• Chicken breasts and bacon slices cooked in coconut oil and spices on top of mixed leafy greens with a sliced avocado and keto-friendly ranch dressing
• Lettuce wraps filled with chopped turkey breast or beef, cheese, and low-carb mayo
• Salmon with Lemon Butter
• Salmon or hamburger steak baked or grilled for 10 minutes with grass-fed butter and a side of steamed greens
• Hamburger without the bun plus a side of okra or asparagus cooked in coconut oil
• Cauliflower “Rice” or zucchini noodles topped with grilled salmon or shrimp in butter or an egg fried in coconut oil
• Grass-fed beef patty with a side of Roma tomatoes and steamed green beans topped with melted grass-fed butter
• Keto chili (like the Slow Cooker Chili) with a side of raw or steamed leafy greens cooked in coconut oil or butter
• Chipotle Steak Bowl
• Sauerkraut and grilled sausage
• Deli meat with sliced cheese, cucumber slices, and full-fat ranch

Check out Dr. Colbert’s Keto Zone Diet book or our recipe archive for more simple keto recipes to keep you in the Keto Zone!

Plan and Prep to Save Time All Week

Simple meal prep on a weekend or less-busy day can also help reduce stress or overwhelm. For example, try cutting up extra veggies or making soups or salads that will last a few days.

Instant Pots and pressure cookers can be great easy keto meal tools too. Google or check Pinterest for keto recipes you can make in them to save time and have something ready quickly for dinnertime.

Also, keep in mind the longer you follow the Keto Zone diet, the easier it becomes. Use these simple keto meals for inspiration, stick with it, and you’ll be surprised how amazing the results can be!

The post Simple Keto Meals You Can Throw Together in Minutes appeared first on Keto Zone® | Dr. Don Colbert, MD.

Here’s what it is and tips for eliminating it as soon as possible.

What is Keto Rash?

As it sounds, keto rash is a rash some people develop after starting a ketogenic diet. It’s one of the more uncommon keto side effects.

The scientific name for keto rash is prurigo pigmentosa, which can appear as elevated red lesions and bumps that are red, light pink, or even brownish.

If you have keto rash, you might itch like crazy on your upper or lower back, armpits, neck or shoulders, chest, upper belly, sides, or upper arms. In some cases, the rash might look like psoriasis or another skin condition.

The rash and itching is usually symmetrical on each side of the body and may have a branching pattern.

Keto rash is a temporary and benign condition. Most people report it lasting from a few days to a week before subsiding, much like the keto flu.

Why Keto Rash Happens

While we can’t 100% for sure say why keto rash happens, the most popular theory is this:

Excess amounts of the ketone acetone come out through your sweat during ketosis, which can irritate and inflame your skin.

Plus, when the sweat dries and clothes rub on those areas, it can make the situation worse.

Other theories about keto rash causes include:

• The release of toxins that were stored in body fat during ketosis
• Slight autoimmune reaction to histamines dumping from the liver and gallbladder
• Nutrient deficiencies
• Irritated gut bacteria

A few studies have been done on prurigo pigmentosa [1,2,3]. A common conclusion is that dietary changes or fasting that induce ketosis are involved.

Keto Rash Treatment: 7 Remedies to Try

Here are some things you can start doing today to remedy a keto rash.

1. Drink Lots of Water

Drink at least two liters of water per day. This will dilute your sweat.

It can also help you detox and flush out any toxins.

2. Reduce Sweating: Don’t Let It Linger and Go Easy on Exercise

Shower or bathe as soon as possible after sweating to reduce irritation. If bathing isn’t immediately possible, at least wipe your body down to remove the sweat.

If you do intense workouts or have upped your exercise since starting keto, go easier for a few days. Either rest completely or switch to less cardio-based workouts, such as weight training, so you don’t sweat as much.

This brief break may help reduce the rash and also give your body a few days to get keto adapted while you wait.

3. Wear Loose, Breathable Clothes

Tight clothes made of synthetic material can be irritating to skin even without a low-carb rash. Try looser-fitting shirts made of cotton so your skin can breathe, especially in hot climates. And stay in air conditioned areas as much as possible.

4. Eat Slightly Less Fat Until You Adapt

Try temporarily lower your fat intake until your body becomes keto adapted. This can take some strain off your body and may reduce the keto rash reaction. Taking Fat-Zyme can also help your body adjust to the higher fat intake.

5. Focus on Anti-inflammatory Foods and Supplements

Since keto rash is an inflammatory condition, up your intake of foods that are anti-inflammatory and nutrient-rich. Those can include:

• Bone broth
• Omega-3s from salmon, sardines, or krill oil
• Spirulina and chlorella supplements (just be sure they’re tested for heavy metals)
• Leafy green keto vegetables
• MCT oil powder or coconut oil

6. Wait It Out to Let Your Body Adjust

For most people, keto rash subsides once your body becomes keto-adapted. And it usually resolves quickly on its own.

When body has enough time to become efficient at using ketones for energy, it should no longer excrete as much and irritation will cease.

Don’t be afraid to give it time to subside on its own!

7. Last Resort: Increase Carbs Slightly

If the tips above aren’t working, getting out of ketosis temporarily may help.

Try increasing your carbs to around 50 grams per day for a few days, and make sure they’re from whole food carb sources. This will kick you out of ketosis but still provide benefits of a low-carb diet.

If you’re experiencing keto rash, don’t let it discourage you! Remember why you started a keto diet in the first place, and keep your mind on the benefits.

More than likely, your keto rash will subside with time and the tips above. If for some reason is does persist past a week or two, you might need to see your doctor for additional help.

Sources:

1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22901017
2. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21929552
3. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12652193

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The post Curing Itchy Keto Rash: What It Is, Why It Happens to Your Body, and 7 Ways to Get Rid of It appeared first on Keto Zone® | Dr. Don Colbert, MD.

Fool-Proof Ways to Stay Keto While Traveling

Use these tips make fat burning on your trip as easy as possible.

#1 Get Keto Adapted Before You Leave

Being keto-adapted means your body has gotten used to burning fat for fuel instead of carbs.

When you’re keto-adapted, it’s much easier to stay keto while traveling—and to jump back into ketosis if you have a day of too many carbs.

You’ll also avoid the symptoms of not being keto-adapted, such as headaches, mood swings, dips in blood sugar, and feeling hungry every 4-6 hours or less, that can happen when you get out of the Keto Zone.

#2 Prepare and Bring Your Own Keto Snacks (and Water!)

Make sure you always have options on your trip by bringing travel-friendly keto snacks. Focus on options you can store easily during travel.

Any of these fat burning keto snacks are great. If you can, bring a cooler so your snacks stay cooler longer. You could even pre-make some simple keto dishes to store in the cooler.

And don’t forget supplements! MCT oil powder, Instant Ketones, and Hydrolyzed Collagen are great for stirring into water or coffee to keep you in ketosis on-the-go.

And stay hydrated! Buy a reusable water bottle to take with you at all times. Staying hydrated will keep you energized, more alert, and feeling great.

#3 Have a Food Plan for Where You’re Staying

Where will you be staying on your vacation? Try choosing a place with a refrigerator and maybe even a stove or kitchen. This will allow you to shop, store, and prepare keto-friendly options. Also, call and ask the front desk about breakfast or room service options.

Many hotels offer at least a fridge. You can also look for AirBnB homes or apartments to rent in your vacation area. They’re often cheaper than hotel rooms!

#4 Do Some Online Research on the Location

Search your travel destination with the word “keto” and see what comes up for hotel, restaurant, farmer’s markets, and grocery store options. This will give you a plan for good places to go when you get there.

Look at reviews on Yelp or TripAdvisor. Trying searching “keto” here too for the city you’re visiting or resort you’re staying in. See if anyone else has mentioned low-carb or keto options.

#5 Call Restaurants or Businesses Ahead of Time

Look up food places in the area you’re traveling to. Call ahead or at their website for keto-friendly options. Most places have their menu online and often include nutritional information!

You’ll be more prepared for what to order (or special request) when eating out on your vacation.

See our Keto Zone Guide to Eating Out for more tips on staying keto at restaurants.

#6 Remember: It’s Not About the Food

There are many perks of travel and vacation beyond food:

• De-stressing
• Time off from work
• Time with people you love
• Seeing new places
• And more!

Focus on these things, and remember food is just fuel for your body! And you’re giving it the best fuel by eating keto.

#7 Don’t Be Hard on Yourself

While staying in the Keto Zone during vacation is doable, it’s certainly more challenging.

Just do the best you can on keto while traveling, pray for guidance, enjoy all of the non-food parts of your vacation time, and be ready to jump back into your regular routine when you get home!

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The post How to Stay Keto on Your Vacation: 7 Stress-Free Tips appeared first on Keto Zone® | Dr. Don Colbert, MD.

Once you know the basics of how ketones and ketosis work, what to eat, and what to avoid on keto, you also need to understanding the best supplements to take when starting the keto diet. Here they are, in order of importance, as recommended by Dr. Colbert.

1. MCT Powder for Quick, Fat Burning Energy

MCT stands for medium-chain triglycerides, a type of fat that—unlike other fatty acids—your body can metabolize right now [1]. That means your body can more quickly convert the fat into ketones to be used as energy (instead of being stored as fat!).

In other words, with MCTs you stay in fat-burning mode longer and they’re a perfect complement to a ketogenic diet.

As supplements, MCTs come from palm oil or coconut oil and are available as MCT powder or oil. Be careful about what’s added—look for all-natural flavors and only natural, sugar-free sweeteners so carbs are kept very low.

2. Digestive Enzymes for a Happier Stomach

A ketogenic diet like the Keto Zone™ program is very high in good, fat-burning fats and rich in vegetables and proteins. While these are great for health, your body might need a little help adjusting to the changes.

Help out your digestive system by supplementing with a digestive enzyme. It’ll help your body break down the fats and vegetables better so you can receive their nutrients without uncomfortable symptoms like gas, bloating, or indigestion.

But don’t reach for just any standard digestive enzyme! The type matters.

Here’s what to look for:

Fat Digestion Enzyme: Lipase

This is the best digestive enzyme to take on the keto diet.

When you eat common healthy keto fats like extra virgin olive oil, avocados, and keto nuts and seeds, your pancreas naturally releases lipase. But here’s the problem: your body probably won’t make enough lipase to handle keto-level fats.

So, look for a high-lipase digestive enzyme supplement to provide exactly what you need to break down these foods.

Vegetable Digestion Enzymes

A healthy keto diet like the Keto Zone™ is not only high in fats but also rich in vegetables—more than the average American eats, that’s for sure.

To account for the high veggie intake, Dr. Colbert also advises supplementing with enzymes that target cellulose, a tough-to-digest substance in most keto vegetables.

Those enzymes are cellulase and hemicellulose.

For best results on keto, seek a digestive enzyme containing at least these three enzymes.

3. Collagen Protein for Joint and Tissue Support

After MCT powder and digestion enzymes, collagen protein is highly recommended on a ketogenic diet.

Collagen is the most abundant protein in your body and is popular as a supplements for many reasons. It contains vital amino acids for optimal health.

There are different supplemental forms of collagen protein: type I, type II, and type III.

Supplementing with all three collagen types can support healthy hair, skin, nails, connective tissue, and gut health, but type II collagen is uniquely used for medicinal purposes, joint mobility, and flexibility too.

Collagen supplements are typically made from either beef collagen or chicken collagen, which is mostly type II collagen. Hydrolyzed chicken collagen is most recommended for those on the Keto Zone™ program.

4. Exogenous Ketones for Energy and Entering Ketosis Quickly

Entering ketosis means your body has made the switch from burning carbs and sugar for fuel to burning fat. This is what we also called the “Keto Zone,” and it’s the sweet spot when you’re burning fat, gaining energy, and improving your health and mental clarity.

Exogenous ketones help you with two main things:

• Entering ketosis quickly, whether you’re just starting the keto diet or getting back into it after a period of eating higher carb.
• Boosting energy levels once you’re already in ketosis and your body is thriving on ketones for energy, clarity, and fat loss.

Look for exogenous ketones that are free of added sugars (stevia is best for sweeteners), high in the ketone beta-hydroxybutyrate (BHB), and contain electrolyte salts—which is our next listed supplement.

5. Electrolytes for Your Nervous System

As you drastically reduce carbs and enter ketosis, your body initially drops a lot of water—taking important electrolyte minerals with it.

Your body needs electrolytes to conduct electricity throughout your nervous system and keep everything firing and working properly, such as your digestive system and heart. Replenishing electrolytes also helps prevent the symptoms of keto flu.

Those electrolytes are:

• Sodium
• Magnesium
• Potassium

A simple way to increase sodium is by adding more sea salt to your food or dissolving some in water.

For the magnesium and potassium, you might need to supplement, such as adding mineral/electrolyte drops to water—or you can look for a ketone supplement that already contains added electrolyte salts.

Also, Don’t Forget: Drink Water

Since low-carb diets tend to increase water loss, remember to drink water very often. Dehydration is a common symptom of ketosis that’s preventable with regular water intake!

Reading for Starting the Keto Diet: Keto Zone Diet Book

To jumpstart your keto success, Dr. Colbert also recommends “supplementing” with the Keto Zone Diet book for an optimal healthy living plan covering how to use these supplements and everything you also need to know when starting the keto diet (or getting back into it).

Get ready to lose weight, balance hormones and appetite, burn fat, and live a purpose-driven life with your new balanced keto diet plan.

The post Starting the Keto Diet? 5 Doctor-Recommended Supplements You Need appeared first on Keto Zone® | Dr. Don Colbert, MD.