Why Isn’t Milk Keto Zone-Friendly?

Overall, whole milk specifically is very nutritious. One cup contains high amounts of vitamins and minerals like (1):

• Vitamin A
• Vitamin B12
• Vitamin D
• Phosphorus
• Magnesium
• Zinc
• Riboflavin
• Calcium

However, one cup of milk also contains 12 grams of carbohydrates that come from its natural sugar content, otherwise known as lactose. On the Keto Zone diet, that’s very close to the total daily limit of 20 grams. And for those who eat 3 meals a day, consuming more than half of your carb intake from a single serving of milk isn’t effective. (2)

On top of it not being low-carb safe, nearly 70% of people struggle with lactose intolerance, resulting in bloating, cramping, and other digestive issues. (3)

What About the Other Keto Zone Dairy Products?

If you’re confused by the fact that you can’t have milk but can have other dairy products, you aren’t alone! Let’s break it down.

High-fat dairy products like butter and cream have less lactose in them, meaning fewer carbohydrates. For example, one tablespoon of butter has 0 grams of carbohydrates, and it takes 4 more tablespoons to reach only 0.1 grams of carbohydrates. (4) Dairy with less lactose also means it’s easier to digest– perfect for those with lactose intolerances.

Although yogurt has a lesser fat content, it’s considered Keto Zone-friendly because of its healthy probiotics and lower carbohydrate number compared to milk. Just make sure to go always go for the full-fat, unsweetened versions!

It’s important to note that while lactose-free milk seems like it would be a good keto substitute, it contains the same number of carbs as regular milk. The “lactose-free” part means it’s regular milk that contains the enzyme lactase, which helps break down lactose.

Best Keto Zone Milk Substitutes:

If lactose-free milk isn’t a Keto Zone option, what are the alternatives?

Unsweetened Almond Milk

Unsweetened almond milk is the perfect low-calorie substitute with only 1.1 grams of carbohydrates per cup. (5) It’s made by blending almonds and water, then straining it to remove the excess. Unfortunately, this process removes a lot of the nutrients found in almonds, but thankfully, most brands are enriched with added vitamins and minerals.

These nutrients come with several health benefits:

• Strengthens Bones: Enriched almond milk can contain up to 45-50% of the recommended daily dose of calcium and enough vitamin D to help prevent osteoporosis and maintain bone solidarity. (6, 7)
• May Reduce the Risk of Heart Disease: Almond oil contains oleic acid, which has been shown to improve blood lipids, and its high vitamin E content can lower bad cholesterol. Both of these factors contribute to a reduced risk of heart disease. (8, 9, 10, 11)
• Fights Free Radicals: The vitamin E in almond milk is also a powerful antioxidant that can help protect your body from the harsh chemicals found in the environment. (12)

You can add almond milk into your diet by pouring it into your morning coffee, drinking it plain, or trying recipes like Keto Zone Iced Almond Mocha Shake.

Unsweetened Coconut Milk

Unsweetened coconut milk is another great low-carb milk substitute with only 0.6 grams of carbohydrates per cup. (13) There are two types of coconut milk: thick and thin. Although thick coconut milk is considered more nutritionally dense, they both have valuable benefits like:

• Aids Weight Loss: The MCT fats in coconuts suppress appetite and decrease caloric intake, thus aiding in weight loss. (14, 15, 16, ) In high amounts, these fats also produce the ketones necessary to burn fat and provide more energy. (17, 18) To get these in-bulk benefits, use Keto Zone MCT Oil Powder Coconut Cream Flavor.
• Improves Cholesterol: Studies show coconut lowers bad cholesterol, LDL, improves good cholesterol, HDL, and has positive impacts on triglyceride levels. (19, 20, 21, 22)
• Fights Bacteria: The lauric acid found in coconuts can fight bacteria and viruses that lead to infection. (23, 24, 25)
• Decreases Inflammation: Findings show coconut oil and extract have the ability to decrease inflammation, possibly helping inflammatory diseases like eczema and psoriasis. (26, 27, 28)

Coconut milk is one of the best low-carb substitutes to use instead of cow’s milk. Try this Keto Coconut Breakfast Chai recipe.

Bottom Line

Lack of carbs doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy milky beverages. Almond and coconut milk are both great alternatives, as well as Keto Zone Shakes.

Ready to purchase your needed Keto Zone Supplements? Shop here.

The post Low-Carb Milk: Best Keto Zone Milk Substitutes 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.

When you’re trying to figure out whether or not a vegetable is low-carb, stick with these two rules of thumb:

• If the vegetable grows below ground, it’s probably high-carb, whereas if it grows above ground, it’s low-carb.
• Green veggies are usually lower in carbs than the rest. For example, green cabbage is lower in carbs than red cabbage, and green bell pepper is lower in carbs than red and orange bell peppers

If these rules don’t go into enough detail, hang tight! See below for the full Keto Zone diet vegetable breakdown.

Keto Zone-Friendly Vegetables:

To ensure you don’t accidentally go over 20 grams of carbohydrates per day, here’s a list of all of the veggies you can munch on without worrying.

Cruciferous Vegetables

• Broccoli
• Cauliflower
• Cabbage
• Cucumbers
• Zucchini
• Brussel Sprouts

Cruciferous vegetables offer low-carb options with plenty of nutritional benefits. Not only do they contain anti-inflammatory properties, but they also have plenty of vitamins E, C, and K, dietary fiber, folate, and minerals. Studies have also shown these veggies to protect cells and have antiviral and antibacterial properties. (1)

Leafy Greens

• Spinach
• Kale
• Lettuce

Leafy greens are the best option for receiving as much nutrition as possible in a low-carb setting. These powerful greens can aid heart, bone, brain, eyesight, and blood clotting health and can even have anti-aging effects. (2, 3, 4) Drop them in a salad or try Keto Zone Spinach Artichoke Dip.

Alliums

• Garlic
• Onion
• Shallots
• Chives
• Scallions

The allium family of vegetables is most known for its two superstars: garlic and onion. Garlic is an amazing anti-inflammatory that can help gastrointestinal issues, infections, fevers, Alzheimer’s, dementia, bone health, cholesterol, and blood pressure. (5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)

Onion is on the same playing field with its ability to boost gut health, fight infections, promote strong bones, control blood sugar, and resist cancer. (11, 12, 13, 14, 15)

Herbs and Spices

• Rosemary
• Cilantro
• Holy Basil
• Turmeric
• Ginger
• Cinnamon

These herbs and spices don’t even touch the surface, as there are so many different types. However, just this list alone can lower blood sugar, help inflammation, fight infection, and impede allergy symptoms. (16, 17, 18, 19, 20) Make Keto Zone Immune Boosting Ginger Tea for some of these impressive benefits.

Vegetables to Avoid on Keto Zone:

Here’s a list of all of the high-carb vegetables to be on the lookout for, as they can kick you out of ketosis.

Grains

• Corn
• Oats
• Rice
• Quinoa
• Wheat
• Millet
• Buckwheat
• Rye

This list may seem long, but not to worry! These grains can easily be replaced with squash. For example, instead of pasta, cook spaghetti squash and fork out the insides. It looks and tastes very similar – except you don’t have to worry about overdoing your carbohydrate intake!

Legumes

• Lentils
• Peas
• Beans
• Soy

You might be surprised to see these nutritious foods up on the list, however, they’re all loaded with unnecessary carbohydrates with the exception of one: peanuts. Peanuts are considered legumes, but their low-carb to high-fat ratio makes them keto-friendly.

To substitute out legumes, focus on your meat intake like chicken, beef, and fish for protein and eat high amounts of fat.

Root Vegetables

• Potatoes
• Sweet Potatoes
• Beets
• Parsnips
• Carrots
• Yams

This list doesn’t have to ruin your Thanksgiving favorites. Instead, try out recipes like Garlic Mashed Cauliflower and Secret Ingredient: Keto Zone Thanksgiving Stuffing.

Bottom Line

Did this guide help? Now you should have a better understanding of what keto zone-friendly vegetables to eat and which ones to avoid.

Removing the no-go for keto veggies isn’t as hard as it seems. You have plenty of other recipes and supplements to choose from, like the Keto Zone Shakes.

While you fill your shopping list with keto-friendly vegetables, add Keto Zone supplements to the list!

The post The Ultimate Guide to Keto Zone-Friendly Vegetables 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.

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.