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.

Some contain huge amounts of sugars, too much protein. Most contain far too little healthy fats.

Want to know what should be in your health shake? Here’s our list:

5 Must-Have Ingredients in a Health Shake

1. Healthy Fats as Ingredients in a Health Shake

Especially if you are in the Keto Zone, healthy fats are likely the most important ingredient in your health shake. Here’s what healthy fats do, and which ones you should choose:

Benefits of Healthy Fats:

There are many benefits of including enough healthy fats in your diet.  They include:

1. Having the right nutrients to get into ketosis. Although your body will enter ketosis anytime you consume very little carbohydrates, it will do so more efficiently when adequate fats are present in the diet.
2. Weight loss without hunger. Fats help you feel full and satisfied, even when losing weight (1).
3. More abdominal fat loss. When carbohydrates are replaced with fats, people lose more abdominal fat. This is great news since abdominal fat is associated with heart disease and other chronic conditions (2, 3).
4. Improved health once in ketosis. Ketosis provides many health benefits including improved cholesterol ratios, reduced dangerous triglycerides, optimal blood sugars and insulin, improved brain and eye health, and reduced inflammation.
5. Ketones that are brain fuel. Not only does high-fat, Keto Zone eating provide brain fuel that improves focus and clarity, it also has neuroprotective properties (4).

Healthy Fats in Keto Zone Shakes:

MCT Oil: MCT oil is one of the best fats for ketosis. It is quickly digested, used for ketones, and provides many health benefits.

Avocado Oil Powder: Avocado fats promote health in many ways, including fighting cancer cells, fighting metabolic syndrome, improving heart health, and more.

Healthy Fats NOT in Keto Zone Shakes:

No inflammatory hydrogenated fats (trans fats), soybean oil, or other high omega-6 oils.

2. Whole Food Fibers

Especially if you are in the Keto Zone, it’s important to look for low-carb fiber sources as ingredients in a health shake. Contrary to popular belief , you can easily get enough fiber when in the Keto Zone.

Benefits of Fiber:

Dietary fiber is associated with digestive health, optimal cholesterol levels, improved blood glucose, and weight loss.

Fibers in Keto Zone Shakes:

Keto Zone Shakes pack in 8 grams of fiber per serving! These grams come from sweet potato fiber, broccoli powder, and chicory root, a fructooligosaccharide (FOS). Fructooligosaccharides provide amazing nourishment for the healthy bacteria in the gut, keeping the whole body healthy (5, 6, 7).

Carbohydrates NOT in Keto Zone Shakes:

You won’t find refined grains, sugars, aspartame or saccharin in Keto Zone Shakes. High inflammatory foods not only spike blood sugars and promote insulin resistance, but they can also alter your gut flora.

3. High-Absorption Protein

Although you don’t need much protein in Keto Zone, even if trying to build muscle, you need good sources of protein. Whey protein isolate is one of the best.

Benefits of Bioavailable Proteins:

Proteins do a lot in the body. They help your muscles rebuild after stressing your muscles, support immune function, support hormone balance, and help you feel full even with fewer calories.

Healthy Fats in Keto Zone Shakes:

Whey protein isolate is the protein of choice for Keto Zone Shakes. This highly bioavailable (absorbable) protein works quickly to repair muscles and impact cells. It is a lean protein and is generally well-digested even for anyone who is lactose intolerant.

Protein Powders NOT in Keto Zone Shakes:

You won’t find incomplete vegetarian proteins as the protein source in Keto Zone Shakes. While proteins like pea protein and rice protein are not necessarily harmful, they do not contain the complete array of needed dietary amino acids, are not nearly as bioavailable, create a chalky mouthfeel and taste, and can cause digestive issues.

4. Antioxidants and Anti-Inflammatory Nutrients

Antioxidants and anti-inflammatory foods are crucial for whole-body health. Especially if you’re depending on a health shake for all your daily nutrients (for a limited amount of time), it’s incredibly important that they contain these powerful nutrients.

Benefits of Antioxidants and Anti-Inflammatory Foods:

Every day that you live, different biochemical reactions occur in your body. These reactions are necessary for life, but they can also produce free radicals. In addition, environmental and dietary toxins, unhealthy foods, and more can contribute to free radical build-up called oxidative stress.

One of the most dangerous things about free radicals is that they can oxidize cholesterol, allowing it to enter artery walls and form plaques.

Antioxidants neutralize free radicals and render them harmless.

In much the same way, anti-inflammatories reduce chronic inflammation in the body, which can lead to many chronic diseases including heart disease, metabolic syndrome, diabetes, cognitive decline, and more.

Antioxidants and Anti-Inflammatory Sources in Keto Zone Shakes:

Sweet Potato Powder: Sweet potatoes are loaded with beta-carotene, a strong antioxidant. What’s more, they promote gut health, supports healthy vision, contain cancer-fighting properties, enhance brain function and support the immune system.

Broccoli Powder: Broccoli is one of the most nutrient-packed vegetables available. It has great amounts of antioxidants, detox nutrients, and can even help slow the natural aging process and supports a healthy brain function.

Avocado Oil Powder: Avocado fats are both antioxidants and anti-inflammatories. In fact, they fight metabolic syndrome specifically by reducing inflammation (8).

Junk Ingredients NOT in Keto Zone Shakes:

You won’t find fake flavorings and colorings in Keto Zone Shakes. Many poor-quality shakes rely on man-made flavors and dyes for flavor. Why, when you can have great flavor and incredible nutrition from real foods?

5. The Right Macro Make-Up

Keto Zone Shakes are perfect for ketosis. The percentage of fats, and grams of carbohydrates is incredibly important to maintain the Keto Zone.

Benefits of a High-Fat, Low-Carb Macro Make-Up:

To stay in the Keto Zone, you need an overall fat percentage greater than 70%. You also want less than 25 net grams of carbohydrates. With high-fat and low-carbs, you can efficiently get into the Keto Zone and enjoy all the benefits of ketones.

Macro Make-Up of Keto Zone Shakes:

Keto Zone Shakes contain 74% fats, from MCT oil and avocado oil powder. It contains just 7 grams of net carbs, including 15 grams of carbohydrates and 8 grams of fiber from sweet potato powder, avocado oil, and chicory root.

Macro Make-up of Other Shakes:

Most shakes have 15-30 grams of carbs per shake, and often very high protein. Neither are suitable for Keto Zone. Look to Keto Zone for high-fat and low-carb.

Bottom Line

You’ve got a choice when it comes to health shakes. You can settle for subpar, or know that you’re choosing the best ingredients in a health shake. Keto Zone Shakes have been formulated from top to bottom with your health in the Keto Zone in mind. Your choice.

The post 5 Must-Have Ingredients in a Health Shake appeared first on Keto Zone® | Dr. Don Colbert, MD.