In fact, while getting into, and staying in the Keto Zone®, you need more electrolytes and more fluids than those who are not in the Keto Zone.

Why?

Let’s dive in. Here’s why you are more at risk of dehydration, and how to make sure your keto hydration is up to par this summer!

Keto Hydration: How Much Fluid Do You Really Need?

You Need Extra Fluid and Electrolytes in the Keto Zone

Why does the Keto Zone® increase your fluid needs?

Simply put, you need more fluid because your body holds less in the Keto Zone®. As you get into ketosis, your body will make less insulin. With less insulin, your body will store less carbs in its system, including glycogen (stored carbohydrates in muscle tissue). Glycogen is a heavy compound that holds fluid with it.

With every gram of glycogen decreased, your body will excrete 3 grams of fluid.

This means less fluid held, and more needed to keep your body in good keto hydration and balance.

Your Kidneys are Working Hard

As you decrease stored carbs and fluid, your kidneys will work to excrete the water grams rather than retain them.

You will feel less bloated and begin to look leaner and better.

However, your fluid losses means you need to ingest more fluid in your diet to both keep your body in a state of hydration and decrease the workload on your kidneys. Dehydration can hurt your kidneys overtime (1), so drink up!

Avoid the Biggest Keto Hydration Mistake

Of course, fluids are very important to hydration, no matter how you eat. But, electrolytes are the key to keto hydration.

Why?

First, they are excreted with the glycogen grams of water.

Second, electrolytes in your fluids help your digestive tract absorb them.

Third, electrolytes are vital to life. They are minerals that enable many functions in the body, including muscle contraction, heart contraction, hydration of the whole body and brain, nerve function, digestion, and much more (2). If you’ve ever been extremely dehydrated or low on electrolytes, you know your body will dysfunction in a hurry.

The most important and most impacted mineral electrolytes are sodium, calcium, potassium, and magnesium.

Ever Experienced Keto Flu? It’s the Missing Electrolytes

As you get into the Keto Zone®, electrolytes tend to rebalance without the glycogen. But, if you’re just beginning, or cycling in and out of ketosis, you’re at risk of low electrolytes again and again.

Low electrolyte status is also known as the Keto Flu.

As electrolyte levels fall, you can begin to feel symptoms of heart racing, headaches, poor digestion, and more. This is just an adjustment period, but it can be avoided. And, you can easily keep electrolytes balanced in general while in Keto Zone.

The Low-Down on Keto Hydration Electrolytes

Since you’ll no longer carry electrolytes in glycogen, it’s imperative you replenish them through your diet.

Here’s how:

1. Sodium: You can simply add more salt. Although salt, in general, has a bad name, it’s a vital mineral electrolyte and simply needs to be consumed according to your diet and lifestyle. Keto Zone eaters need more; athletes need more. You can drink bone broth or a zero-carb electrolyte drink for added sodium.
2. Potassium: With a good variety of foods in your diet, you can easily obtain potassium through whole foods. Eat salmon, nuts, avocados, veggies, and mushrooms to get enough.
3. Calcium: Calcium is also readily available in the Keto Zone®. You can get calcium in fortified non-dairy milk, like coconut milk and almond milk, in high-fat dairy products, like Greek Yogurt, and in dark leafy greens, broccoli, and fish. If you choose to supplement, make sure you’re also consuming vitamin D.
4. Magnesium: Magnesium is incredibly important (3), and often deficient mineral in adults. It’s found in hemp heart seeds, raw cacao, leafy greens, and more. However, it’s not easily absorbed by humans and may need supplementation. If concerned about magnesium levels, read 7 Signs of a Magnesium Deficiency.
5. Electrolytes in Balance: A great way to get a baseline of electrolytes (with the exception of sodium) in a balanced formulation is to also add Dr. Colbert’s Enhanced Mutlivitamin each day!

How Much Fluid & Electrolytes Do You Really Need?

So, how much fluid should you drink? How should you add electrolytes?

1. For most in the Keto Zone®, you can simply aim for 64-80 oz. fluids per day. You can usually accomplish this by drinking to thirst. Older adults are typically more at risk for dehydration (4). Make sure to consume at least this amount of fluids throughout the day.
2. Then, unless you have high blood pressure, consume salt with meals and add 1-2 daily servings of bone broth, boullion, or zero-carb electrolyte drinks while re-entering the Keto Zone®. Then, add a daily dose of Dr. Colbert’s Enhanced Mutlivitamin.
3. Make sure to eat a variety of high potassium, calcium, and magnesium foods. Most adults should also supplement with 200-400 mg of magnesium per day.
4. If you notice you’re sweating when working outside or exercising, add 24-32 oz. fluid and 600-800 mg sodium for every hour of your workout. This does not need to be consumed during the workout, but before, during as needed, and after is fine. You can use low-carb electrolyte drinks, like NUUN, if desired for exercise.
5. Be diligent after any period out of the Keto Zone®. You’ll go through the glycogen-depleting phase again, and need to supplement with extra electrolytes to avoid the Keto Flu.

Bottom Line

It’s getting hot out there. This means it’s time to stay on top of your keto hydration. Form a plan to drink enough each day. Don’t forget electrolytes; add electrolyte drinks, bone broth and Dr. Colbert’s Enhanced Mutlivitamin. Then, have a hydrated, safe, and healthy summer in the Keto Zone.

The post Keto Hydration: How Much Fluid Do You Really Need? appeared first on Keto Zone® | Dr. Don Colbert, MD.

Keto Zone Bacon Pickle Fries

Bacon pickle fries are just how they sound: pickles wrapped in bacon. These low-carb ingredients make for a great combo, especially when dipped in a keto sauce or topped with cheese.

Ingredients

12 organic dill pickle spears

12 slices organic, uncured bacon

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 425°F.
2. Wrap each pickle spear in a slice of bacon and place seam-side down on a large baking sheet.
3. Bake for 20-25 minutes, turning each bacon pickle fry over at the halfway mark. Remove from oven when bacon is cooked through and crispy, then transfer to a serving plate.
4. Serve warm and enjoy!

Nutrition Facts

Servings: 6

Per Serving:

Calories: 134

Fat: 11 g

Total Carbohydrates: 6.5 g

Fiber: 3.2 g

Net Carbs: 3.3 g

Protein: 2.8 g

Recipe adapted from dinneratthezoo.com

5 Health Perks of Pickles

Fermented pickles have amazing benefits. However, most of the pickles you find in stores aren’t fermented. Instead, they use vinegar and spices to reach that classic pickled treat, but this doesn’t mean they don’t have benefits, too! With the help of the vinegar and cucumbers, there are quite a few advantages to consuming typical pickles.

1. Helps Blood Sugar Control

Studies show vinegar may help to regulate blood sugar and insulin after a meal, which means Type 2 diabetics can benefit from adding vinegar products, like pickles, into their diets. (5,6)

2. Treats Physical Conditions

Vinegar has been used medicinally for thousands of years because of its acetic acid and antimicrobial properties. It can help treat burns, infections, fungi, and warts. (7,8)

3. Lowers Cholesterol

In some reviews, the acetic acid in vinegar was also shown to reduce cholesterol and fat composition. (9) This in mind, those struggling with high cholesterol and obesity might benefit from including vinegar pickles in their meals. (10)

4. Eases Muscle Cramps

Pickle juice has proved to add relief to muscle cramps, and all it takes is 1/3 cup. It’s thought the vinegar directly impedes the pain-creating nerve signals, lessening the symptoms. (11,12)

5. Contains Antioxidants

While cooking can downgrade the antioxidants found in fruits and vegetables, pickling can preserve them. Thankfully, cucumbers have loads of antioxidants, and if you eat dill pickles specifically, you also get the many antioxidants found in the dill herb. (13)

Why Pickles are Great for Keto Zone

During the keto flu, your electrolytes are out of balance as your body secretes more water while phasing into ketosis. The high amount of sodium in pickles can help rebalance the minerals in your body, giving relief to those struggling with keto symptoms like headaches and fatigue. (You can also use Keto Zone Instant Ketones to rebalance electrolytes!) On top of that, one cup of pickles add up to only 2.1 grams of net carbs, making it a great addition to recipes like Quick and Easy Keto Zone Egg Salad or Spicy Keto Zone Chicken Salad. (14)

Which Pickles are Best & How Much to Eat

Overall, fermented pickles are the better way to go, because they have lots of probiotics to improve your gut health. You can either find them in stores or make them yourself. But vinegar-based pickles work well too, as long as they’re organic. Stick to including them in your meals, but don’t go out of your way to consume more than a few jars a week. Too much pickle juice can lead to bloating and high blood pressure from excess sodium. As always, everything in balance. Too much of anything can cause harm!

Bottom Line

The Keto Zone Bacon Pickle Fries recipe above offers a lot more than just a tasty addition to the menu. Pickles have loads of extra health pros, especially if you’re on Keto Zone looking to enjoy the fat-burning benefits of ketosis. So, stock up on healthy fries and enjoy!

The post Keto Zone Bacon Pickle Fries & the Surprising Health Perks of Pickles appeared first on Keto Zone® | Dr. Don Colbert, MD.

However, there’s no need to be alarmed! Here we’ll go through everything you need to know on why you need sleep, what is keto insomnia, and how to beat it to go on living healthily on keto.

Why You Need Sleep

You’ve probably been told your whole life to stick to 7-9 hours of sleep. But according to the CDC, only one in three people get the recommended amount. (1) In this day and age, stress and busy lives easily get in the way of rest, but our bodies have a hard time responding positively to the aftermath.

Lack of sleep slows weight loss progress, amplifies the likelihood of storing fat, raises cortisol (stress hormone) levels, increases appetite, boosts sugar cravings, and lowers motivation. (2,3,4,5,6) On top of that, it escalates your risk for obesity, Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease. (7,8)

Skimping out on one or two nights of rest a month probably won’t put you in these risk categories. But they’re worth noting if you have a hard time sleeping more than 3-4 times a week.

What Causes Keto Zone Insomnia?

In a nutshell, insomnia is when you have trouble falling and staying asleep, and it isn’t just caused by the keto diet. Those who consume excess caffeine or struggle with stress, anxiety, depression, certain medications, hormonal problems, and sleep apnea can have insomnia as a result.

However, keto insomnia is a different story. Instead, it’s usually caused by these factors:

• Keto Flu
• Extra Energy
• Electrolyte Imbalance
• Excess Urination
• Food Cravings

Keto insomnia is perfectly normal to experience during the first few weeks of ketosis as your body adjusts to burning fat for fuel. And it doesn’t last forever! Check out How to Know You’re In Ketosis: 5 Signs to Look Out For.

6 Tips to Beat Keto Zone Insomnia

Now that you know what’s behind keto insomnia, let’s talk about how to beat it.

1. Don’t Eat Right Before Bed

Try to eat 4 hours before bedtime, so you don’t feel starving when you hit the sheets, but you feel comfortable enough to sleep. Falling asleep on a full stomach interferes with your snooze because it can give you an energy jump and require your digestion to get moving.

2. Focus on Electrolytes

At the beginning of keto, your electrolyte balance might be out of whack since you’re excreting more water. Unfortunately, this imbalance can cause sleep issues. To stabilize them, take Keto Zone Instant Ketones, use Keto Zone Hydrolyzed Chicken + Marin Collagen with Probiotics, and sip on bone broth during the day. (9, 10, 11)

3. Drink Less Water Before Bed

When you excrete more water, you also have to urinate more often, which means frequent trips to the bathroom in the middle of the night. These trips can mess with your sleeping pattern if you have to get up too many times. To help, slow down on your water intake before bed.

4. Balance Out Your Body Temperature

Keep your bedroom cool, but not so cold that your hands and feet can’t warm up along with the rest of your body. If your extremities are warmer than the rest of you, your body naturally relaxes and falls asleep much easier.

5. Banish Blue Light

To regulate sleep, our bodies use the circadian rhythm, which is based on the light of the sun– darkness instigates sleep by raising melatonin levels, whereas light does the opposite. When you stare at the blue light on electronic screens, you can confuse the melatonin receptors into thinking it’s daytime, which messes with your sleep cycle.

Although you can remove the blue light factor from screens, it’s probably best to avoid them altogether to refrain from getting sucked into a social media wormhole. You can also dim the lights as a way to signal your brain that it’s bedtime.

6. Exercise Earlier in the Day

Exercise does wonders for increasing your energy levels, but it also means it’s not a great idea to do it right before bed. You might find yourself too wound up and awake after a 7 pm or later workout.

Instead, stick to a morning or afternoon exercise routine and try to implement them 2-3 times a week to see positive sleeping results.

Bottom Line

Keto insomnia can put your sleep out of sorts. But after using the above tips, purchasing your Keto Zone supplements, and sticking it out for a week or two, many keto-dieters actually claim they sleep better than before they started the diet! (12)

The post How to Beat Insomnia: Sleeping Well on Keto Zone appeared first on Keto Zone® | Dr. Don Colbert, MD.

Less than 2% of the United States population reaches the daily 4,700 mg potassium recommendation. (1) It tends to sit on the backburner of standard diets. But in reality, it’s a powerful mineral that does more for the body than we realize.

Let’s break down what potassium is, why we need it, and how to get it.

What is Potassium?

Potassium is one of the seven most important macrominerals, the third most common mineral in our bodies, and also an electrolyte. This means when it’s placed inside of our body’s water content, it turns into either negatively or positively charged ions.

In potassium’s case, it carries positively charged ions that conduct electricity throughout the body. In turn, these electrical abilities help vital functions like contracting our heart muscles to keep us alive and thriving.

Almost all the potassium in your body is found in your cells, of which 80% are muscle cells and 20% are liver, bone, and red blood cells. (2)

Why You Need Potassium

The electricity created by consuming potassium is used to maintain fluid balance, nerve signals, normal blood pressure, and muscle contractions. (3, 4) Without these regulations, our bodies would suffer from serious dehydration and the inability to move our muscles, sustain a steady heartbeat, or have responsive reflexes. Those are big deals!

On top of being responsible for those fundamental functions, eating enough potassium can reduce the risk of heart disease and osteoporosis, protect muscles, fight kidney stones, and aid bloating. (5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)

As a critical mineral, potassium plays an enormous role in our overall wellbeing. And it’s not the only one! Magnesium is, too. Read What You Need to Know About Magnesium on Keto.

6 Signs of Potassium Deficiency

Since 98% of the population is not eating enough potassium, there’s a chance you may be potassium deficient. Here are some signs to look out for:

1. Fatigue/Weakness

If your potassium levels are low, your muscles aren’t able to make strong contractions, which makes you feel weak and tired. (12)

2. Poor Digestion

Your brain needs potassium to convey signals to your gut, and if it isn’t able to “talk,” the result could be digestion issues like bloating and constipation. (13, 14)

3. Muscle Cramps

When your brain doesn’t receive the potassium it needs, it could also result in muscle cramps or spasms. The nerve signals to your muscles may be weaker than usual, which can lead to prolonged muscle contractions. These longer, often painful contractions are cramps. (15,16)

4. Tingling and Numbness Sensations

Tingling and numbness are other results of a lack of potassium straining the communication from your brain to your body. It’s called paresthesia and usually appears in your legs, feet, hands, or arms. (17, 18)

5. Heart Palpitations

When potassium is in the blood and travels to your heart, it helps regulate your heartbeat. But when you don’t have enough potassium, it can cause heart palpitations. Usually, they make your heart beat faster, harder, or skip a beat. (19,20)

6. Shortness of Breath

The muscles in the lungs contract and expand because potassium helps the brain send those clear signals. But if you don’t have a good storage of potassium, your lungs might struggle to complete those contractions all the way, resulting in breathing difficulties. (21)

Potassium-Rich Keto Zone Foods

Now that you know why potassium is important, it’s time to eat it. Here are the top keto-friendly sources of potassium (22):

• Spinach (2 cups): 334 mg
• Chicken Breast (3 oz): 332 mg
• Salmon (3 oz): 326 mg
• Beef (3 oz): 315 mg
• Greek Yogurt (6 oz): 240 mg
• Broccoli (1/2 cup): 229 mg
• Turkey Breast (3 oz): 212 mg
• Cashews (1 oz): 187 mg
• Coffee (1 cup): 116 mg
• Iceberg Lettuce (1 cup): 102 mg
• Peanut Butter (1 tablespoon): 90 mg
• Black Tea (1 cup): 88 mg
• Egg (1 large): 69 mg

Bottom Line

Without potassium, our bodies would be in a world of trouble! It’s super important to make sure you’re aiming for the recommended daily dose. And thankfully, foods like spinach, chicken, and salmon are incredibly high in potassium while being keto-friendly. Win/Win!

Along with eating the above foods, you can also balance out your electrolytes with Keto Zone Instant Ketones.

The post Are You Getting Enough Potassium on Keto? Why You Need It & What to Eat appeared first on Keto Zone® | Dr. Don Colbert, MD.

But not to worry! You can make Thanksgiving entirely keto-friendly, starting with the low-carb stuffing recipe down below. And if you’re stressing out about staying on track for the rest of the holiday season, you’re covered there too! All of the tips you need are below the recipe to help you get through Thanksgiving and beyond.

Keto Zone Thanksgiving Stuffing

This keto recipe easily replaces traditional stuffing by removing high-carb grains and adding in low-carb vegetables. It’s easy, nutritious, and won’t ruin your ketosis progress. Win!

Ingredients

8 tablespoons grass-fed butter

1/4 cup organic minced onion

1 organic celery stalk, thinly sliced

1 organic clove garlic, minced

1 large head organic cauliflower (roughly chopped)

1 cup organic chopped mushrooms

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 cup organic bone broth

1/4 cup chopped fresh organic parsley

2 tablespoons fresh chopped organic rosemary

1 tablespoon fresh chopped organic sage

1/2 cup chopped pecans

Instructions

1. Over medium heat, melt butter in a large skillet.
2. Add onion, celery, and garlic, and cook until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes.
3. Add cauliflower, mushrooms, salt, and pepper and cook for another 10-15 minutes, or until cauliflower is soft.
4. Stir in bone broth, parsley, rosemary, sage, and pecans.
5. Cover with lid and let cook another 5-7 minutes, or until cauliflower is tender and bone broth is completely absorbed.
6. Serve and enjoy!

Nutrition Facts

Servings: 8

Per Serving:

Calories: 297

Fat: 31 g

Total Carbohydrates: 6.1 g

Fiber: 3.8 g

Net Carbs: 2.3 g

Protein: 4.1 g

Recipe adapted from betterthanbreadketo.com

How to Stay in Ketosis During the Holidays

‘Tis the season for sugary, processed eats that don’t agree with the Keto Zone diet. Some may think it’s impossible to get through the holiday season without slipping up on festive foods. But this isn’t the case, especially when you implement the following tips.

1. Focus on Sleep

Lack of sleep can put hunger and appetite hormones like leptin and ghrelin out of whack, which means it’s extra important to get your 7-9 hours every night during the holidays. (1) You already have enough temptations as it is, and a bad night’s sleep will only boost the cravings.

2. Use Keto-Friendly Holiday Recipes

It might seem like nothing can compare to the standard carb-loaded Thanksgiving foods like mashed potatoes and pumpkin pie. But recipes like Keto Zone Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes and Keto Zone Pumpkin Pie tell a different story.

Instead of eating foods that can knock you out of ketosis, make keto-friendly substitute recipes that will keep you enjoying both the holiday favorites and fat-burning benefits.

3. Fuel Before You Go

Holiday parties are often the culprit of keto slip-ups. To avoid a social binge, eat a high-protein, high-fat meal along with lots of water before you head out the door. This way, you’re too full-on healthy, keto-friendly foods to even consider those holiday cookies.

As an easy before-party fix, drink a Keto Zone Shake!

4. Eat When You’re Hungry

During the holidays, eating unhealthy foods becomes a social ritual. All of a sudden you find yourself grabbing a slice of cake because everyone else is– not because you’re hungry.

Combat this by becoming more in tune with your appetite cues and only eating when you’re hungry.

5. Move

The holidays are crazy busy, and as a result, exercise is often thrown out the window. However, it’s actually one of the most important times of the year to keep up with physical activity as we tend to eat more food in general.

You can make time to move by going for a relaxing walk after a meal or by making an effort to play with the little ones in your family. Any movement counts!

6. Keep Up with Keto Zone Supplements

The festive season means your routine will be out of balance, which is okay! It doesn’t mean to throw all of your healthy habits to the curb.

Stick to the basics, like using Keto Zone MCT Oil Powder in your coffee and including supplements like Keto Zone Instant Ketones and Keto Zone Hydrolyzed Chicken + Marine Collagen with Probiotics in your diet. Not only are they gentle reminders to stick to your keto plan, but they’ll also aid in continuing fat loss throughout the holidays.

Instead of leaving the season feeling down about gaining weight, leave it feeling ecstatic because you shed pounds!

Bottom Line

The challenge of eating healthy throughout this upcoming season hopefully seems a little less worrisome.

Have you added Keto Zone supplements to your holiday cart yet? Now’s the time you’ve been waiting for!

The post Keto Zone Thanksgiving Stuffing & 6 Tips to Stay in Ketosis During the Holidays appeared first on Keto Zone® | Dr. Don Colbert, MD.

Some go into ketosis within the first few days of the keto diet, whereas for others it takes a couple of weeks. So how are you supposed to know when you’re in ketosis? Here are 5 signs to look out for.

1. Weight Loss

Although it’s believed that the first few pounds to go on keto are fat, they’re actually made up of water. As your body transitions over to using fat for energy, it excretes all of the excess water and carbohydrates your body has been holding onto from overconsumption and poor food choices. (1)

The weight loss doesn’t stop there though! Once you’re in the full state of ketosis and your body has used up all of its glycogen stores, it will start to lose fat long-term. (2, 3, 4) But at the beginning of the keto diet, significant water weight loss is a sign you’re in ketosis and on the right track to the fat-burning stages.

2. Increased Ketones in Urine

Did you know there are ways to test if you’re in ketosis? You can do this either with blood tests, breath analyzers, or urine test strips. Blood tests measure ketone levels by figuring out how much BHB, the main ketone, is in your blood, and breath analyzers measure acetone, another main ketone.

Blood tests and breath analyzers can be quite expensive, however, which is why I created Ketone Test Strips as an inexpensive way to test your ketones regularly. These urine test strips provide accurate assessments of ketones, are easy to use, and offer all of the results you need to ensure your keto success.

If you want to see whether or not you’re in ketosis, try one!

3. Better Energy and Mental Clarity

Although the keto flu offers a variety of side effects like fatigue and headaches, once you reach ketosis, your energy levels, and mental clarity increase.

Ketones are a very powerful fuel source for your body and brain, and even go on to benefit those with concussions, memory loss, Alzheimer’s, dementia, Type 2 diabetes, epilepsy, and bipolar disorder. (5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)

Push through the beginning side effects, and ketosis is waiting to offer all of the advantages. If you notice better energy and mental clarity, you might be in ketosis.

4. Fewer Cravings

The keto diet proves fat doesn’t make you fat. In fact, eating more fat can help curb food cravings like snacks and sweets that do aid in weight gain.

In ketosis, your body has fewer amounts of the hunger hormone, ghrelin, and more amounts of CCK, the peptide that makes you feel full and satisfied. (11) As an added pro, the Keto Zone also doesn’t allow the consumption of sugar, which is very addicting. Once you cut sweets out of your diet, there’s less of a chance you’ll crave it regularly. (12)

So if you’re going 5-8 hours without feeling hungry and craving the usual sugary foods, you could be in ketosis.

5. Bad Breath

Unfortunately, keto breath is one of the less glamorous tell tales of entering ketosis with a low-carb, high-fat diet. The culprit is one of the ketones, acetone. When your body adjusts to the Keto Zone, it produces more acetone than usual and often comes out in your breath creating a foul smell. (13, 14)

It doesn’t happen to everyone. And to those it does, it’s nothing to worry about and usually goes away within the first weeks of keto. To prevent it, brush your teeth often or chew sugar-free gum. (Make sure to check for extra carbs!)

Bottom Line

Once you’re in ketosis, it’s a surefire way to produce long-term weight loss results. But if you’re not there yet, don’t fret!

Read Top 8 Keto Mistakes to Avoid to prevent carrying out the mistakes that deter you from entering ketosis and purchase Keto Zone Instant Ketones to speed up the process.

Haven’t tried the Keto Zone yet? What’re you waiting for! Get your Keto Zone supplements here.

The post How to Know You’re in Ketosis: 5 Signs to Look Out For appeared first on Keto Zone® | Dr. Don Colbert, MD.

These headaches are associated with the keto flu, although they’re far from contagious and dangerous. Keto headaches are perfectly normal to experience and a part of the symptoms that occur during the first few days on the keto diet.

But Why Do You Have It?

There are a variety of factors that go into having a keto headache.

Dehydration

Glycogen, the stored form of carbohydrates, binds with water, and as you use up the rest of your glycogen energy before entering ketosis, you also remove water. (1, 2) This not only gets rid of excess water weight, but it can also lead to dehydration. The dehydration then leads to an array of other lack of water symptoms such as headaches. (3)

Low Blood Sugar

On the keto diet, you use ketones for energy, but in the transition of going into ketosis, your body is still reaching for glucose (carbohydrates) for energy. Since you are limiting your carbohydrate intake, your blood sugar levels can drop to a new low, placing strain on your brain and nervous system. (4)

Studies show that sugar is also highly addictive and can exhibit a response similar to that of a cocaine addiction. (5) Once you cut out all of the added sweeteners and unnecessary sugars from your diet, you can experience some withdrawal symptoms like headaches.

Loss of Electrolytes

Insulin regulates the glucose you consume, and when you cut back on glucose, your body cuts back on how much insulin it produces. When there’s less insulin, your body eliminates a large amount of sodium, which can throw off other electrolytes like magnesium and potassium. (6, 7) This electrolyte imbalance can lead to headaches.

How to Prevent It

Whether you’re looking to prevent the keto headache or remedy it, here are 6 things to try:

 1. Drink Water

Drinking water can help rehydrate the body and ease the head pain. Try to get in 64-80 oz. of water per day and avoid drinking too many beverages that are natural diuretics like coffee and tea. Instead, drink 8 oz of broth or bullion 3-4 times a day.

2. Add Salt

To replenish the lost sodium, add a little bit of salt to every meal or even add a pinch to your glasses of water throughout the day. It can help to restore your electrolyte balance and ease headache symptoms. However, if you have high blood pressure, avoid this tip.

3. Sleep

With lack of sleep comes high levels of cortisol, which contributes to irritability, stress, and even headaches. (8, 9) During your first few days of keto, try to get as much sleep as possible to aid your transition.

4. Eat More Fats

Drastically reducing your carbohydrate consumption means you need to be eating enough fats to replace your energy. If you’re not eating enough, the side effects, in the beginning, could come on a little stronger.

Make sure to hit that 70% range of calories from fats. Add butter and coconut oil to all of your meals and eat fatty meats like chicken thighs and bacon.

5. Include Magnesium & Potassium

With the loss of sodium, comes an imbalance of magnesium and potassium in the body. To replenish these electrolytes, eat adequate amounts of:

• Spinach
• Avocado
• Broccoli
• Almonds
• Peanuts
• Plain yogurt

They’re keto-friendly and loaded with electrolytes to ease your headache. (10) Adults should also supplement 200-400 mg of magnesium per day.

6. Add Instant Ketones

To avoid more dehydration, add Instant Ketones to your diet for extra sodium and ketone substrates. Not only will they help bring balance back to your electrolytes, but they’ll also aid the process of getting into the Keto Zone.

Bottom Line

Good news! Keto headaches don’t last forever. You can expect them to stick around for a few days to a week, depending on how your body handles the keto changeover.

Once you adapt to your new diet, keto can actually help headaches and migraines. (11, 12) Push through the first week, and it gets better.

To prevent the keto headache, click here to shop Instant Ketones and other supplements.

The post Keto Headache: Why You Have It & How to Prevent It appeared first on Keto Zone® | Dr. Don Colbert, MD.

How to Start the Keto Zone Diet

1. Know the Basics

What is the Keto Zone? The Keto Zone is when your body enters into a state of ketosis, where it burns fat for fuel instead of using glucose. It naturally allows for weight loss, balanced blood sugar, decreased inflammation, better energy, and more focus. (1, 2, 3, 4, 5)

To enter this state, you must be eating fat as your primary source of food with fewer carbs and adequate amounts of protein.

The breakdown looks like this:

• 70% of calories are fat
• 10-15% of calories are protein
• 10-15% of calories are carbohydrates

When you know the basics, you have a better understanding of how to go about the diet.

Dr. Colbert’s New York Times Best Selling Books The Keto Zone Diet and Quick and Healthy Keto Zone Cookbook are the perfect places to start learning about the keto diet!

2. Learn to Count Macros

What are macros? Macro is another term for macronutrient, which refers to the protein, fat, and carbohydrates found in food. (6)

To get into the Keto Zone, you must be eating less than 20 grams of carbohydrates per day. Counting your macros helps ensure you’re reaching and not going above that number. Get used to paying attention to nutrition labels, as often you’ll be surprised at how many carbohydrates are in everyday foods.

Once you get familiar with how many carbs are in what foods and make a habit of counting, it will come naturally and without much thought.

3. Become Familiar with Keto Foods

Even though you’re reducing your carb intake, you still have plenty of delicious food options to play around with. Take this Hearty Healthy Oatmeal Cookie recipe for instance! Here are some of your choices to familiarize yourself with.

• Meats: Chicken, turkey, beef, salmon
• Vegetables: Spinach, garlic, onions, squash
• Fruits: Avocados, blueberries, strawberries
• Nuts: Almonds, pecans, walnuts
• Dairy: Organic cheese, heavy cream, grass-fed butter
• Fats/Oils: Organic peanut butter, MCT Oil Powder, olive oil
• Coffee/Tea

Try to avoid high-carb foods such as legumes, grains, added sugars and sweeteners, and root vegetables like potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots, and beets. It’s easier than you think! A high-fat diet makes you feel full for longer, curbing your normal high-carb cravings. (7, 8)

Overall, a better understanding of what you can and can’t eat helps to make the keto diet less overwhelming.

4. Prepare for Side Effects

You may have heard of the keto flu, which is an array of flu-like symptoms caused by the keto diet. Your body goes through a “withdrawal” from carbs, as it adjusts its metabolism and enters ketosis. (9)

Headaches, fatigue, nausea, muscle aches, and irritability are all normal during the first few days of the Keto Zone. They go away with time and can easily be treated with more water intake, sleep, light exercise, and eating more fat. (10, 11, 12, 13)

For more info on how to deal with the keto flu, check out 5 Easy Remedies for Keto Side Effects.

Keep in mind that while you begin Keto Zone, you may experience these side effects, but remember that they don’t last forever.

5. Purchase Your Supplements

The last step is to purchase the supplements you need to aid your keto diet journey.

Keto Zone Instant Ketones make it easy to enter ketosis, and MCT Oil Powder provides clean energy that aids the fat-burning process. The Keto Zone Shakes bring a quality keto-friendly meal replacement, and Hydrolyzed Collagen provides essential protein, probiotics, and collagen.

You can also use the Keto Zone Fat-Zyme to help with keto digestion. All of these Keto Zone formulas are a great combination of supplements to produce the best possible results for you and your needs.

Bottom Line

Beginning the Keto Zone diet doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Keto comes to knowing the basics, learning about macros, becoming familiar with keto-friendly foods, preparing for side effects, and grabbing your supplements.

Are you ready? It’s time to get started. Shop Keto Zone here.

The post How to Start the Keto Zone Diet in 5 Simple Steps appeared first on Keto Zone® | Dr. Don Colbert, MD.

If you’re used to drinking sugary sodas and lattes every day, water can seem especially boring. Thankfully, there are plenty of delicious keto-friendly options to choose from. Here’s what you can and cannot drink on the Keto Zone diet.

What You CAN Drink on Keto Zone

Coffee

Coffee (hot or iced), espresso, and americanos are great keto choices. Coffee has been proven to aid the ketosis process, as it boosts fat loss, appetite suppression, and metabolic rate. (1, 2, 3) To learn more benefits of coffee, check out 13 Jaw-Dropping Benefits of Coffee.

If you don’t like your coffee black, add a splash of unsweetened heavy cream and some keto sweetener like stevia, monk fruit, and erythritol. Not ready to give up your lattes yet? Make it with unsweetened nut milk without flavoring.

MCT Oil Powder is always our go-to coffee creamer and is perfect for an extra boost of healthy fats in the morning!

Tea

Tea has been around for centuries for good reason. Green and black tea support the body by offering antioxidants, anti-aging benefits, weight loss improvement, heart disease protection, and a lower risk of cancer, (4, 5, 6 ).

You can also try herbal teas like peppermint, ginger, and Calming Keto Zone Chamomile Tea.

Sparkling Water

Fizz things up! Sparkling drinks such as non-flavored San Pellegrino are a great way to change up your water intake. Popular sparkling beverage, La Croix, even comes in many different delicious flavors like Blackberry Cucumber and Coconut that are low-carb and sugar-free.

Bone Broth

Bone broth is made by boiling down bones from meat like chicken and beef. It can restore gut health, protect joints, offer a healthy dose of collagen, aid weight loss, fight osteoarthritis, and positively impact your immune system. (7, 8, 9, 10) Make some yourself by trying the Keto Zone Anti-Inflammatory Turmeric Bone Broth recipe.

Shakes & Smoothies

Even though a lot of fruits aren’t keto-friendly, you can still enjoy a smoothie. (And even a shake!) Here’s what you need:

• Healthy fat source: Coconut oil, MCT Oil Powder, avocado, or nut butter
• Protein: Keto Zone Hydrolyzed Chicken + Marine Collagen with Probiotics
• Fruits: Strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries are all keto-friendly. You can also add in some veggies like spinach or kale for extra nutrients.
• Extras: Keto Zone Instant Ketones or Keto Zone Coffee

When it comes to whipping up a delicious keto shake, use the Keto Zone Cookies & Cream Shake for a high-fat, low-carb meal replacement and read The 5 Must-Have Ingredients in a Health Shake.

What You CAN’T Drink on Keto Zone

Sodas

As tempting as it is to grab that diet or zero soda and call it keto-friendly, they’re often loaded with artificial sweeteners that will do more harm than good.

And as you probably guessed, regular soda is out of the question too. One 12 ounce can of Coca-Cola has 33 grams of sugar and 35.2 grams of carbs– not keto-friendly! (11)

Juice

Those juices marked down as healthy are more than meets the eye. Usually, fruit and even sometimes vegetable juices have an excess amount of added sugar. This goes for orange juice, apple juice, pineapple juice, and other sugary drinks like lemonade.

Sports Drinks

Beverages like Gatorade, Powerade, and even Vitamin Water are full of unnecessary sugar and carbs. One bottle of Gatorade has almost 40 grams of carbohydrates and 32 grams of sugar! (12)

At the end of the day, it’s best to stay away and make your own electrolyte drink at home using a pinch of salt and a glass of water. Or, you can drink low-carb, unsweetened coconut water instead.

You can also take Instant Ketones since they’re filled with electrolytes and are a perfect source of hydration.

Sugary Coffee

Unfortunately, those pumpkin spice lattes, milky beverages, and Frappuccinos don’t make the cut. Their sugary, high-carb substances outweigh the benefits of the coffee, but that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy your favorite coffee treat. Try making a Homemade Pumpkin Spice Mocha.

Bottom Line

Water isn’t your only option. You have plenty of yummy, keto-friendly drinks to choose from to avoid getting bored or discouraged in the Keto Zone. Try out one of the recipes above and head over to our Keto Zone shopping page to purchase all of the products you need!

The post Keto Drinks: What You Can & Can’t Drink on Keto Zone appeared first on Keto Zone® | Dr. Don Colbert, MD.

It’s no indication of failure.

With any health or weight loss journey, there will be times of progress and plateau. We can learn through it all.

If weight has stopped on keto for you, take a look at these 7 reasons why, and get right back in the Keto Zone!

7 Top Reasons Your Weight Loss Has Stopped on Keto and What to Do

1. Plain and Simple, You’re Eating Too Many Carbs

Most new keto eaters know they have to cut carbs. Some count every gram; others simply cut out carb-foods. Either way is fine, as long as you’re seeing results.

But, both strategies can succumb to a plateau.

If you are counting your grams of carbs, aim for 20 grams or less net carbs. Net carbs are total carbs minus fiber and sugar alcohols (like those in erythritol).

Use this algorithm: Carbs – (Fiber + Sugar Alcohols) = Net Carbs.

If you haven’t been counting, but find that weight loss has stopped, it’s a good time to start, or at least do so for a short amount of time, until you’re sure you’re restricting carbohydrates enough. Again, aim for 20 grams net carbs.

Double-check and make sure you’re not missing any hidden carbs. Here’s a good list of hidden carbs.

2. You’re Not Tracking Keto Levels and/or Not Achieving Ketosis

Knowing your ketone levels puts the control in your hands.

Everybody is different.

While your spouse, your friend, or your cousin gets into ketosis regularly with a certain level of carbs, your body may require a different or lesser amount.

Not knowing if you’re in ketosis, and not losing weight is a source of unnecessary frustration.

Instead, check your ketone levels with Ketone Test Strips and use them to adjust your diet and reach ketosis.

3. You’re Eating Processed & Inflammatory Foods

Like any type of eating plan, you can make good and bad choices. Vegetarians can eat Oreos for every meal, or they can focus solely on vegetables.

Similarly, Keto Zone eaters can eat unhealthy, processed, low-carb foods, or they can eat healthy fats with protein and vegetables alongside.

Eating a diet high in processed foods is never a good idea, for weight loss or health, no matter your eating plan (1).

Instead, always check food labels for healthy vs. unhealthy fats. Make as much as you can at home. Be choosy about your food.

4. Your Total Calories Intake is Too High

While many people will lose weight simply by cutting carbs without regard to calories, some won’t. For some, a big overage in calories will halt weight loss or even cause gain. Yes, even while eating low-carb.

Luckily, Keto Zone eating helps you control portions, and most people feel hugely satisfied with it.

So, if it’s not big portions, look to calorie-dense foods. The most common culprit? Nuts, believe it or not.

When going low-carb, many people start eating huge amounts of nuts. Nuts are good, healthy food. But, too many nuts are a problem.

It leads to too many calories and unfortunately, too high a diet in omega-6s.

If this seems to be an issue for you, consider keeping nuts to no more than ½ cup per day, and adding more variety to your diet, including vegetables, to control calories (2 tablespoons of nut butter = ¼ cup nuts)

5. You’re Eating Out Too Much

Unfortunately, it can be tough to stay in the Keto Zone if you eat out often. It helps if you have a game plan to start.

But, sometimes, even good Keto Zone restaurant choices have added carbs.

If you’re wondering why the salad tastes so good, it may have a sweet dressing.

Steak rubs, marinades, and otherwise low-carb sauces can have added sugar at a restaurant.

Typically, the restaurant is more concerned with pleasing your taste buds than your carb count.

So, you must be diligent. Take a look at our Keto Zone Restaurant guide. Then, go a step further and ask about preparation if you’re concerned.

It’s worth the awkward waiter questions to stay in the Keto Zone and start losing weight again.

6. All-Day Calorie Restriction

If you’re simply eating low calories for 16 hours per day, your body may begin to adapt and cause you to burn less.

Study after study has shown that our bodies adapt to low-calorie eating.

The antidote?

Intermittent fasting.

If you eat for 8 hours per day and consume your daily fats and calories needed, and then fast for 16 hours per day, your body will lose weight (2).

To start: Eat an early dinner, only drink no-carb coffee when you wake (you can add MCT Oil Powder), and then delay your first solids until late morning. This schedule can help you incorporate intermittent fasting easily.

7. You’re Near Your Goal Weight

If you have one hundred pounds to lose, the weight will come off faster than if you have ten pounds to lose.

Once near their desired goal weight, many dieters find weight loss has stopped.

Your body is in homeostasis and conservation, it will resist change when it thinks the change is too much.

You’ll have to double down your efforts and have patience.

What’s more, Keto Zone eating is highly effective during those first few months of ketosis. It’s sort of a “shock” to the system, and your body simply loses weight.

Keto will continue to be effective for the long haul but may take more work as you get closer to your goal.

How to Break Through Your Weight Loss Plateau on Keto

While we’ll go into each of these in detail next week, here’s a summary of what you can do to break a plateau:

1. Count net carbs and keep them to 25 grams or less per day
2. Make sure you’re getting enough daily calories with 75%+ from healthy fats, such as MCT Oil Powder
3. Use ketone strips to monitor ketosis
4. If not yet in ketosis, use Instant Ketones
5. Intermittent fast for 16 hours per day, and consider adding one 24-hour period each week or every other week
6. Be diligent at restaurants and ask about preparation
7. Get enough sleep.
8. Have patience, be positive, and focus on overall health and well-being.

Bottom Line

Almost everyone hits plateaus in their weight loss journey. But a plateau isn’t the end, it’s just a momentary pause and opportunity to get better and smarter at your Keto Zone plan. If you’ve hit a weight loss plateau on keto, double-check these reasons listed above.

With a few small steps, you can get back in the Keto Zone and lose weight again.

The post 7 Reasons Your Weight Loss Has Stopped on Keto and What to Do appeared first on Keto Zone® | Dr. Don Colbert, MD.