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.

And it’s just how it sounds, keto-caused side effects that resemble the flu. The symptoms include headaches, fatigue, nausea, muscle aches, irritability, and more, but thankfully only last for the first few days on the diet.

But Why Do Keto Side Effects Even Occur?

Reducing carb intake can often make the body go into a “withdrawal” phase, as the body adjusts its blood sugar. (1) Glycogen, stored carbs in the body, bond with water, which means the fewer carbs consumed the more water levels drop. (2) Since keto is a low-carb diet, dehydration happens during the adjustment period, which leads to an array of keto flu-like symptoms. (3)

So how do you relieve the symptoms?

Here are 5 easy remedies to ease the side effects of the Keto Zone Diet.

1. Drink Water

As mentioned above, one of the main causes of the keto flu is dehydration, and it can play a role in some of the other symptoms like headaches, fatigue, and muscle aches. (4)

This means staying hydrated can alleviate some of your symptoms and replenish lost water, making for a smooth keto transition.

Make sure to keep up with your daily dose of water and avoid too many cups of coffee, as the caffeine is a natural diuretic and can contribute to dehydration. (5, 6)

2. Sleep

Everyone has a bad night’s sleep now and then, but studies show prolonged lack of sleep can raise cortisol levels, which leads to bad moods, more stress, and worse keto-flu symptoms. (7, 8)

Aim to be well-rested in your first week of keto to alleviate that fatigue and irritability.

To improve your sleep, take one serving of Keto Zone MCT Oil Powder before bed, turn off all of your devices at least 1 hour before sleep, and get out in the morning sun to regulate your circadian rhythm. For more sleep advice, check out 7 Simple Steps to Improve Your Sleep.

3. Exercise Light

Even though you may not feel like exercising, don’t rule out getting off the couch completely.

Studies show that exercise improves mood and fatigue, which directly correlates with some keto flu symptoms. (9)

As your body readjusts to its new energy source, it’s probably best to stick to light exercises like walking and mild stretching instead of high-impact activities. Even just moving around the house with a couple of chores can do the trick.

4. Eat Magnesium-Dense Foods

Magnesium is not only important to our everyday diet, but it can also be a source of relief for keto symptoms like headaches, fatigue, and muscle cramps. (10, 11)

Keto Zone foods like raw cacao, hemp heart seeds, spinach, almonds, cashews, peanuts, avocado, and plain yogurt are all great sources of magnesium to enjoy during your first few days of keto.

They’re delicious, keto-friendly, and can help alleviate the first few days of side effects.

5. Eat Enough Fat

Studies show that high-fat foods, like almonds, increase satiety, which means the more fat you eat the fuller you’ll feel. (12)

This is a very important aspect of the keto diet, as it helps decrease your cravings for sweets and high-carb food choices. (13) To aid the low-carb transition, make sure you’re eating enough fat to replace your previous amount of carb intake. Otherwise, your side effects might come on a little stronger.

You might also consider making a slower transition to ease the symptoms. Instead of cutting out the full amount of carbs at first, only cut out 50%, wait a few days, then cut down again until you reach your goal.

Bottom Line

The keto flu doesn’t last forever, and there are plenty of easy ways to combats its side effects. Drink water, get your sleep, exercise lightly, and add enough magnesium and fat into your diet for an easier transition.

At the end of the day, some people have a hard time with the symptoms, whereas others don’t have any at all.

If you’re looking to start your keto diet journey, shop Keto Zone here.

The post 5 Easy Remedies for Keto Side Effects appeared first on Keto Zone® | Dr. Don Colbert, MD.