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Even though autumn has already begun, the weather is still warm. You shouldn’t have to wait until it cools down outside to enjoy pumpkin season. 

You can easily add pumpkin spice MCT Oil Powder to your morning smoothies and still get your pumpkin fix! 

Try our cool and refreshing Vanilla Pumpkin Pie smoothie recipe; it’s perfect for the transition between hot summer and crisp fall.

Keto Zone Vanilla Pumpkin Pie Shake

Ingredients

• 1 scoop MCT Oil Powder (Pumpkin Spice), OR ½ cup organic pumpkin spice purée
• 1 scoop Keto Zone Shake (Vanilla)
• 1 cup keto-friendly yogurt
• 1/2 cup ice
• 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk
• 1 serving Homemade Pumpkin Spice mix

Instructions

1. Combine MCT Oil Powder, Keto Zone Shake, yogurt, ice, almond milk, cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla extract to a blender.
2. Blend and enjoy!

Nutrition Facts

Calories: 400 kilocalories

Serving Size: 1 

Per Serving:

Fat: 28 grams

Carbohydrates: 26 grams

Net Carbs: 15 grams

Protein: 29 grams

Recipe adapted from Allrecipes.com

The post Keto Zone Vanilla Pumpkin Pie Shake appeared first on Keto Zone® | Dr. Don Colbert, MD.

But you don’t always have to add a smoothie or coffee to get the full benefits!

You can add a scoop of the Shake into your morning oatmeal, sprinkle on apples for an afternoon snack, and even into baking for dessert!

Our Keto Zone No Bake Chocolate Almond Cookies are sweet and delicious, but most importantly, packed with an abundance of quality fat for all your ketosis needs.

The best part about no bake cookies: You can make them to your own liking and preferences. Substitute gluten-free rolled oats for coconut flakes, use peanut butter instead of almond butter, or add extra cocoa powder for dark chocolate cookies. The choice is yours!

Ingredients

• 1 1/3 cups creamy almond butter
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 scoop Keto Zone Shake – Rich Chocolate
• 2 cups coconut flakes unsweetened OR gluten-free rolled oats, depending on your preference
• 2 tablespoons grass-fed butter melted
• 1 teaspoon keto sweetener, like erythritol (to taste)

Instructions

1. Prepare a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the almond butter, vanilla extract, melted butted, coconut flakes (or oats), keto sweetener and Keto Zone Shake. 
3. Stir until well combined, the mixture should be dense and sticky.
4. With a spoon, scoop batter onto your prepared baking sheet. Use the back of the spoon to gently shape each scoop into a 3″ cookie. 
5. Place in freezer for 30 minutes to set.

Nutritional Facts

Yields about 20 cookies

Serving Size: 1 cookie

Calories: 403 kilocalories

Fat: 33 grams

Carbohydrates: 20 grams

Net Carbs: 11 grams

Protein: 13 grams

Recipe adapted from Green and Keto.

The post Keto Zone No Bake Chocolate Almond Cookies appeared first on Keto Zone® | Dr. Don Colbert, MD.

Did you know you can mix the Keto Zone Shake with coffee?

It’s true!

And since it’s technically still summer, what better way to get your morning caffeine boost and high-quality fats than with a blended iced coffee, with chocolate of course. 

Our Keto Zone Iced Almond Mocha Shake is your very own healthy knock-off version of a Starbucks Mocha frappuccino, without all the extra artificial flavors and sugars. You can take the iced shake on-the-go or enjoy on your patio during a hot summer day. 

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons almond butter
• 1 scoop rich chocolate Keto Zone Shake
• 1/2 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
• 2 cups cold brewed coffee
• Ice cubes
• Keto sweetener to taste

Instructions

1. Add almond butter, Keto Zone Shake, almond milk, iced coffee, ice cubes and keto sweetener to blender. 
2. Blend and enjoy!

Nutrition Facts

Servings: 1 glass

Calories: 480 kilocalories

Fats: 39.3 grams

Carbohydrates: 22.5 grams

Net Carbs: 11 grams

Protein: 16.1 grams

Looking for more Keto Zone Shake recipes? Check out:

• Keto Zone Chocolate Coconut Meal Replacement Shake
• Keto Zone Strawberry Avocado Shake

The post Keto Zone Iced Almond Mocha Shake appeared first on Keto Zone® | Dr. Don Colbert, MD.

The answer is no!

You can add both our French Vanilla and Rich Chocolate flavored Keto Zone Shake into smoothies for a quick breakfast boost, an afternoon snack, or a dinner entree option. 

Feel free to mix and match any fruit or veggie ingredients you normally put in your smoothies. 

For a starter, we’ve created a Keto Zone Strawberry Avocado Shake recipe. 

Strawberries are stock-full of antioxidants, vitamin C, manganese, folate or vitamin B9 and potassium. 

Benefits in strawberries include: strengthening your immune system, reduce inflammation, promoting heart health, skin health, tissue growth, and cell function. Strawberries also regulate blood sugar, decrease oxidative stress, improve blood lipid profile, and more (1). 

Avocados are filled with a magnitude of benefits as well, such as promoting eye health, reducing inflammation, and high fiber content, to name a few. For more information about the benefits of avocados, take a look at our 8 Proven Health Benefits of Avocados.

Ingredients

• 1 pound frozen strawberries
• 1 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk
• 1 scoop Keto Zone Shake, French Vanilla
• 1 large avocado
• 1/4 cup keto sweetener

Instructions

1. Add strawberries, almond milk, Keto Zone Shake, avocado, and keto sweetener to blender.
2. Blend and enjoy!

Nutrition Facts 

Serving Size: 1 glass

Calories: 337 kilocalories

Fat 25.2 grams

Carb 34.3 grams

Net Carbs: 12.6 grams

Protein 10.5 grams 

Recipe adapted from Wholesome Yum.

The post Keto Zone Strawberry Avocado Shake appeared first on Keto Zone® | Dr. Don Colbert, MD.

Medium chain triglycerides oil (MCT Oil) and avocado oil powder make up the fats in the Keto Zone Shake. These are no ordinary fats. They are health-benefiting fats that can help you reach ketosis while improving heart, brain, and whole-body health.

Here is everything you need to know about these fats and why they are in the Keto Zone Shake.

Healthy Fats in the Keto Zone Shake

The first fat in the Keto Zone Shake is MCT oil. MCTs are special fats that have shorter carbon chains than most fats in the diet (1). Why should size matter to you?

The size of the fat directly affects its function in the body.

MCT oils are derived and isolated from several natural foods, most often coconut oil. In fact, there are four types of MCTs found in nature: caproic, caprylic, capric, and lauric acid. MCT oils contain all but lauric (this is an advantage).

Caprylic acid (C8) is the most ketone-producing and possibly the most healthful of all the MCTs. There is significantly more caprylic acid in MCT Oil than coconut oil.

The shorter the MCT, the quicker and easier the digestion. Here’s how the fatty acid in MCT oils, specifically caprylic acid (C8), affect the body.

Proven Benefits of MCT Oil in the Keto Zone Shake

MCT oil is quickly digested and metabolized in the body. It can:

1. Improve Heart Health

Medium chain triglycerides in MCT Oil Powder have been shown to improve cholesterol profiles by decreasing LDL cholesterol, decreasing the number of LDL particles, and increasing HDL cholesterol (2, 3).

In one recent study, 17 overweight women were given MCTs for 27 days.  When tested, their LDL cholesterol decreased, HDL increased, cholesterol ratio improved, and plasma glutathione increased (a powerful natural antioxidant). Researchers stated that their cardiovascular risk profile was improved (4).

2. Reduce Inflammation

MCTs can reduce inflammation in the body. In 2014, 30 adults with high cholesterol and inflammation consumed MCTs for 30 days. When retested, scientists found significant reductions in LDL, increases in HDL, and reductions in C-reactive protein (a marker for inflammation) (6).

3. Improved Brain Health and Focus

When you’re in ketosis, and you consume MCT oil, your body is able to produce more ketones. Currently, scientists are studying the effects of ketones, like those from MCTs, in preserving healthy brains and inhibiting degradation from aging (7).

Additionally, researchers have found that ketones are usable fuel for the brain in those with Alzheimer’s disease, similar to young healthy brains. (8). In Alzheimer’s disease, there is an impairment in the use of glucose by the brain. Utilizing ketones in the brain rather than glucose may result in memory improvements and brain function (9).

4. Weight Loss and Improved Blood Sugars

Amazingly, MCTs can promote weight loss and improved BMI.

How? First, they improve satiety you also won’t feel too hungry even while trying to lose weight (9, 10). Secondly, they are digested and used by cells for energy rather than stored.

Next, they improve blood sugars and decrease insulin output, thereby improving health and fat metabolism (11).

In fact, MCTs can help reduce the risk of diabetes by:

• Decreasing insulin resistance
• Providing an alternate energy source to carbohydrates
• Preserving beta-cell health (decline in these cells contributes to diabetes)
• Promoting weight loss

In one recent study, scientists concluded that MCT oils provided benefit to beta cells in both mice and humans. One key to combating diabetes is improving the health of these cells (12).

5. Energy and Athletic Performance

If you’re looking for a fuel that increases energy, MCTs are one such fuel. Once delivered to the liver from the intestines, MCTs increase energy output in the mitochondria. Mitochondria are the energy producers in cells (13).

When recreational athletes consumed MCTs, they experienced lower lactate levels during moderate and intense workouts than they did with other fats. This may lead to improved endurance and performance (19). Other researchers found that MCTs reduce high-temperature exercise performance issues and improve overall performance (14).

Proven Benefits of Avocado Oil in the Keto Zone Shake

While there are many benefits to MCT oil, fats from avocados are no slouch either. They contain:

1. Carotenoids and Vitamin E for Eye Health and Reduced Inflammation

You may think are only found in orange/red vegetables such as carrots, bell peppers, and tomatoes. But, avocados are a great source. In fact, they contain a spectacular array of carotenoids including:

• beta-carotene
• alpha-carotene
• lutein
• neochrome
• neoxanthin
• chrysanthemaxanthin
• beta-cryptoxanthin
• zeaxanthin

What’s more, the fats in avocado actually increase the carotenoid absorption from other vegetables, by as much as 15 times (1)! Carotenoids directly support eye health and brain health (15).  And, they are highly anti-inflammatory.

Next, avocados are the best fruit source of vitamin E, an essential vitamin that protects against many diseases and helps maintains overall health. Specifically, Vitamin E is an antioxidant that supports brain, cardiovascular, and respiratory health.

2. Healthy Fats

Like other high-fat foods, avocados were once considered too high in calories and fats to be healthy. In fact, avocados are 85% fat. These fats are extremely healthy, anti-inflammatory, and they promote healthy blood sugars. They are perfect for Keto Zone eating.

3. Potent Anti-Inflammatory Components and Glutathione

Avocados offer 3-way anti-inflammatory benefits. First, avocado’s fats are made of phytosterols. They are key supporters of our inflammatory system. Specifically, research has shown the anti-inflammatory benefits of avocados’ phytosterols for arthritis.

Next, avocado’s polyhydroxylated fatty alcohols (PFAs), which are abundant in ocean plants but fairly unique among land plants, are highly anti-inflammatory.

Third, the high amount of oleic acid aides our digestive tract and improves healthy fat absorptions while decreasing inflammation.

Lastly, avocados are a good source of glutathione. This super-antioxidant is produced by our own cells, and sometimes found in foods.   It promotes cellular health, anti-aging, and overall good metabolism and cellular cleansing.

4. Fiber 

Our favorite carbohydrates, fiber, are abundant in avocados. In fact, ½ cup provides 5 grams of fiber (and only 1 gram of sugar) (3). An avocado’s fiber can improve cholesterol, balance blood sugars, and promote digestive health.

5. Cancer Prevention

Avocados have been determined to help prevent the occurrence of cancers in the mouth, skin, breast and prostate gland. Cancer risk factors often include excessive inflammation and oxidative stress.

Avocados likely reduce risk due to their unusual mix of anti-inflammatory and antioxidant nutrients. What’s more, avocados increase programmed cell death cycle (apoptosis) of cancer cells.

How Much Fat in the Keto Zone Shake?

Healthy fats are the central nutrient in the Keto Zone Shake. This is no accident.

In fact, 74% of the Keto Zone Shake’s calories come from fat.

Why is this important to you?

To get in and stay in the Keto Zone, you need more than 70% of your calories to come from fat. This provides the substrates needed to synthesize ketones, reduces carbohydrate intake, and offers the many health benefits of a high fat Keto Zone Diet. It will:

1. Satisfy Hunger: When you eat a snack high in healthy fat, with little protein or carbohydrates, they signal our brains to tell us that we are full. In fact, in an individual food or meal, fats improve leptin and ghrelin balance to help us identify fullness vs. hunger.
2. Improve Overall Health: Healthy fats have a lot to offer nutritionally. When they replace carbohydrates, they can improve cholesterol ratios, reduce triglycerides, optimize blood sugars, improve brain health, and more.
3. Promote Ketosis: A high-fat diet, with minimal carbs, promote ketone creation.
4. Bust Cravings: You can lose weight on the Keto Zone Diet without feeling deprived. Fats bust cravings and satisfy hunger.

Bottom Line

To get in, or stay in the Keto Zone, don’t choose any shake. Opt for Keto Zone Shakes. They are convenient, healthy, and the fats in the Keto Zone Shake will promote health, wellness, and ketosis for your whole body.

The post What Are the Fats in the Keto Zone Shake? appeared first on Keto Zone® | Dr. Don Colbert, MD.

But you may have noticed one tiny, questionable ingredient added to the Keto Zone Shake that isn’t exactly keto-friendly: Sweet Potato Powder.

Why is Sweet Potato in the Keto Zone Shake?

You’re probably thinking: “Now wait. Dr. Colbert’s book ‘Keto Zone Diet’ specifically states you’re not supposed to eat sweet potato. Why is sweet potato an ingredient?”

And you’re right. Sweet potato is a starch-heavy vegetable and is typically avoided in the Keto Zone Diet, since the vegetable’s net carbohydrates outweigh the fats. Depending on your Keto Zone goals, your net carb intake should fall between 20 grams and 50 grams every day. And typically, a medium-sized sweet potato is 100 grams with about 16 grams of calculated net carbs: 20 grams total carbohydrates − 4 grams fiber. 

Since medium-sized sweet potatoes are naturally 16 grams net carbs, you’d already hit the minimum carbohydrate intake for the day — which doesn’t leave room for any other food. 

Even though the Keto Zone Shake contains sweet potato powder, the Shake only has 7 grams of net carbs. This means you’re barely making a dent in your carbohydrate intake with one serving of the Keto Zone Shake!

Additionally, Dr. Don Colbert specifically chose to add sweet potatoes as an ingredient in the Keto Zone Shake because of the high amount of prebiotic fiber inside the vegetable. Prebiotics are a type of fiber that feeds the friendly bacteria in your gut, helping the gut bacteria produce nutrients for your colon cells and digestive health (1).

Sweet potatoes have an abundance of essential nutrients and health benefits, such as:

Nutrients in Sweet Potatoes

• Vitamin A naturally protects your eyes and retinol function to help improve your vision. Vitamin A also supports immune system function, bone health, reduces acne and skin blemishes and promotes healthy reproduction (2).
• Vitamin B-6 regulates your body’s serotonin and dopamine levels to improve mood and reduce depression. Vitamin B-6 also promotes brain health, prevents clogged arteries to reduce the risk of heart disease and helps maintain inflammation in the digestive system (3).
• Vitamin C helps prevent iron deficiency and improve iron absorption, lowers heart disease risk and contains antioxidants to reduce the risk of chronic diseases (4).
• Iron controls fatigue, boosts immune system function, battles anemia, boosts hemoglobin and improves concentration, as well as muscle strength (5).
• Calcium builds and maintains strong bones, promotes healthy neuron transmission between the brain and the body, reduces blood clotting and boosts muscle growth (6).

Health Benefits of Sweet Potatoes

1. High in fiber

The fiber in sweet potato helps lower the bad LDL cholesterol levels, protects against cardiovascular disease, and stabilizes blood sugar levels. The digestive enzymes in fiber promotes a healthy gut function while boosting satiety to help you feel full for longer (7).

2. Supports digestive health

Speaking of digestive health, the sweet potato is a prebiotic fiber to prevent constipation and strengthens your digestive system. Sweet potato contains a resistant starch, which plays a role in feeding your body’s good bacteria.

3. Helps fight cancer and boost immunity

Sweet potatoes are rich in antioxidants and have anti-inflammatory properties to help your immune cells fight off diseases. They’re also rich in manganese, magnesium, and phosphorus to keep your body and immune system healthy (8).

4. Beneficial for your eyes

Sweet potatoes’ vision-enhancing properties come from the alpha-carotene, beta-carotene, lutein and zeaxanthin within the vegetable. These will help protect eyes from cell damage and vision loss; they also help with inflammation in the body. 

5. Fuels your brain

Sweet potatoes contain choline, which is an essential nutrient for brain growth and development. They also contain manganese, which helps move electrical impulses through neurons faster, boosting memory. 

Bottom Line

There’s no need to be nervous or skeptical about the sweet potato in our new Keto Zone Shake. The sweet potato in the Shake is just the right amount to give you all the essential benefits, but not enough to pack on the carbohydrates and calories. 

The post Why is sweet potato in the Keto Zone Shake? appeared first on Keto Zone® | Dr. Don Colbert, MD.

You probably live a busy and active life. This means you do not always have the time and energy to make a whole foods keto meal from scratch.

Now, with Keto Zone Shake, you can make a delicious and nutritious meal replacement shake made from high quality real food ingredients.

Our Keto Zone Chocolate Coconut Meal Replacement Shake combines the Keto Zone Shake formula with coconut milk, coconut butter, chocolate powder, and chia seeds, to make an amazingly rich and creamy keto shake that is low in carbs and full of flavor!

Ingredients

1 cup organic full-fat coconut milk
1 scoop Keto Zone Shake – Rich Chocolate
2 teaspoons organic cacao powder
1 tablespoon organic coconut butter
1 tablespoon organic coconut flakes
1 tablespoon Living Chia Seeds with Probiotics
1 tablespoon organic cacao nibs
4 ice cubes

Instructions

1. Combine all the ingredients in a high powered blender.
2. Pulse blender until ingredients are well combined.
3. Top with extra coconut flakes, cacao nibs, and chia seeds if desired.
4. Serve and enjoy!

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size: 1 shake

Calories: 275 kcalories

Fat: 21 grams

Total Carbohydrates: 6 grams

Fiber: 3 grams

Net Carbs: 3 grams

Protein: 16 grams

The post Keto Zone Chocolate Coconut Meal Replacement Shake appeared first on Keto Zone® | Dr. Don Colbert, MD.