A keto diet is a low-carbohydrate, high-fat, and moderate-protein diet. It mimics the effects of fasting by forcing your body to rely on fat it stores for energy, instead of glucose. The diet restricts daily net carb intake to roughly 20–50 grams. Protein accounts for 10 percent of total caloric intake. There are many benefits to following a keto diet, including weight loss, health, and performance gains. The major downside is that it’s tough to follow and can be more expensive than a standard American diet. When on keto, you should avoid these 7 things.
1. Grains and Sugars
Keto diets rely heavily on animal fats, so it’s best to avoid processed foods made with refined sugars. If you have to, choose dark chocolate over milk chocolate or candy with natural sweeteners like stevia or erythritol. Though they’re natural sugars, you still want to be mindful of how much sugar will affect your blood glucose.
2. Low-Fat Foods
Fats are an essential nutrient on keto, so consuming low-fat foods can stall weight loss progress. Avoid anything that says ‘low fat’ or has less than 3 grams of fat per 100 calories. Good fats include olive oil, coconut oil, and grass-fed butter.
3. All Fruit
Fruits are generally high in fructose, which slows fat loss. They’re also high in carbs, so you want to limit your intake of keto. You can eat berries like strawberries or blueberries occasionally (1 cup per day), but they shouldn’t be a staple of your keto diet. Fruits to avoid include bananas, oranges, and apples.
4. Artificial Sweeteners
Artificial sweeteners are even worse than sugars, which is why you should avoid them on keto. They can make you crave sugary foods and delay weight loss progress. The only time artificial sweeteners could be helpful is for flavoring unsweetened coffee or tea.
5. Unhealthy Fats
While fat is essential for keto, you don’t want to eat any and all types of fats. Stay away from pro-inflammatory seed oils like soybean, corn, and sunflower oils. Fats from these oils are highly processed and considered inflammatory. However, you should stick to extra virgin olive oil or coconut oil instead that are high in MUFAs and contain less omega-6 fatty acids.
6. Vegetables
Surprisingly, despite the benefits of vegetables in our diet, there are a few you should avoid on keto. Keto discourages consumption of starchy vegetables like potatoes, peas, and corn. This is because they will slow down weight loss and can lead to insulin resistance. If you must eat veggies on keto, stick to low-carb options like cucumber or zucchini.
7. Alcohol
People tend to think that drinking alcohol on keto is okay because it doesn’t have any carbs. However, alcohol still affects your liver’s ability to process fats. Ultimately, you’ll end up storing more fat because of the alcohol intake, which is the complete opposite of what keto is trying to achieve. Also, alcohol is generally harmful to your health and should be avoided at all costs.
These are the seven things you should avoid eating and drinking while following a keto diet. Though difficult to follow, the ketogenic diet takes a short time, so you should devote yourself to it for the best results. This way, you’ll avoid any keto sabotaging and can achieve your weight loss goals much faster.