5 Ways To Boost Your Keto Journey

Ketogenic diets have hit main stream and have seemingly started to die off now that they have worn off some of the flair from the celebrities. That could be a very good thing, but it also could be a bad thing knowing that research dollars will begin to slip away and start pouring into other areas. With all that we who have been on a keto diet know for a fact how good we feel, how our vitals look after spending week s on the diet, and want to continue to reach our goals.

Being that its the beginning of January many people are just starting out so here are 5 tips to keep you on your keto journey.

Cut The Alcohol

Alcohol is allowed on keto, but many alcoholic drinks are filled with sugars. The process of making alcohol actually requires yeast to eat sugar and convert that to alcohol. But usually there is residual sugars left in the drink to make it palatable. The only time there isn’t is in a pure spirit, or a very dry wine.

Pure spirits do not include specialty spirits like fireball whiskey… these are backfilled with sugar… lots of sugar.

Here is the reason I say cut the alcohol —

The body metabolizes alcohol to rid the itself first. Meaning it has to store fat and put the metabolism of other items as secondary. Once the alcohol is done then it can process other items. Now is the body truly a single action organism. I certainly don’t believe it is. However I have read that it prioritizes items that may be dangerous such as alcohol.

Stick With Real Unprocessed Foods

This is important. The more real foods you eat the easier the body digests them. Processed foods aren’t real. They have additives, colors, flavors and other things that are not meant to be in your body. Choose real vegetables, fruits (berries and other low carbs) and unprocessed meats whenever possible. Doing so will help you retain less water, increase your bowel functions, and ultimately help you feel better overall.

Stay away from artificial sweeteners whenever possible, including sugar alcohols. You’re best bet is to have it unsweetened. If you are going to consume sugar alcohols, be sure to know which ones are okay. Erythritol is one of the few that is known to be okay with few side effects. Stevia is one of the natural sweeteners that is okay on keto.

Sweeteners of any kind should be used in limited quantities.

Drink Lots Of Water

The biggest mistake people make is not drinking enough water, whether on keto or not. Keto is notorious for making people dehydrated. So its even more important on a ketogenic diet. If you are starting out on keto if you think you are drinking enough, you probably aren’t.

You should be drinking so much where you need to be peeing just about every hour or so. (Seriously? — Well, yeah you should be drinking 8 cups a day normally. And with keto you’re flushing extra. So you need 10–12 cups a day minimum).

Drinking that much also helps to keep you satiated. So you feel less hungry and don’t snack. If you aren’t hungry cravings for things you used to eat will be less. That’s important if you are just starting. Those first few weeks can be a bear. Believe me, I’ve been through it a few times…

Have A Plan Of Attack

I have tried to go about things in a few ways. I have done it where I was looking in the fridge and decided I didn’t like what I was doing and just said, “Screw this, I’m starting keto tomorrow.” Other times I said I am starting keto in 3 weeks. And planned appropriately.

When I planned appropriately and made sure I had the food in my house to make it work, and discussed things with those around me who have an impact on how you day goes; things tend to turn out better. Having a meal plan or plan of attack for how you want your keto journey to go will always serve you well in determining how to handle situations. There will be times you have to make hard decisions…

Its just food — but its sometimes relationship strains that you are dealing with. Plan accordingly.

Understand Why

Probably the biggest issue people have when undertaking anything new — be it personal finance, investing, health, or any other area they look to explore is that they want to be told what to do. There is something special about actually learning why something works and how it works.

The ketogenic process in the body is a science and is quite fascinating. I always recommend the ketogenic bible to those who are starting out or are looking to learn more. This book is a very interesting and well written title that dives into the science behind and keto as well as keeps it simple and interesting enough for someone who doesn’t have a PhD in biology to understand. If you want to buy it you can get it on Amazon.

Understanding is a way to know all about a subject and why its important, the safety, and how to convey the information to others.

When you understand why it works, you also want to stick with it more and make it a lifestyle. You are less likely to create unhealthy habits around it like eating high fat combined with high carbohydrates.

Enjoy Your Journey

The best part of keto for me was the food. I had some fantastic physiological side effects such as a reduction in migraines, increased clarity, and overall better health. But I really enjoyed my food.

As with anything, you need to be happy with what you are doing in life. So if you are not enjoying your diet you ultimately will not stick with it. Learn all you can to make it yours. Keto on!