I have never claimed to be an expert at dieting, I just have first-hand experience on what works for me and some of the things that have helped my friends lose weight.

The Keto diet is something I had heard about a long time ago and never gave it much thought.

The thing that made me curious was all the available pins on Pinterest that are keto diet-related.

After pinning quite a few recipes I decided to do some more in-depth research, I thought, who knows, “maybe I’m missing out on something”

Beginning any new weight loss diet can be challenging and confusing, I have done a lot of reading up and I spent a few weeks trying different recipes to see if the Keto diet was right for me.

For starters, the Keto diet requires you to stick to certain foods.

Like with any diet, if you don’t do things right, you can feel like crap, especially if you are active and work out.

Our body needs fuel to move, two important nutrients we need is glucose, a kind of sugar that is found in carbohydrates, like pasta, rice, bread, and potatoes.

The next important food we require is fat, this is found in things like meat, avocadoes butter, and eggs,

A low carb diet causes the body to use fat instead of glucose as its primary source of fuel.  When this happens the liver converts fat into energy molecules known as ketones which are used to give you energy. during this process, your body is undergoing something called ketosis.

In order for ketosis to be effective, you need to minimize carb intake, a safe number of carb intake in order to achieve ketosis would be about  20 grams per day, some may choose to consume less.

In order to achieve ketosis, you need to stick with foods that are high in healthy carbs and fats.

Following the keto diet is pretty straightforward, a lot of it is common sense in that you eat healthy food,

The basic guidelines include the following:

Eat whole foods

In order to maintain good health eating non-processed whole foods is the best approach.

Ditch the processed foods

Most of you already know that eating processed foods is not god for our health, these are unnatural foods that contain unhealthy substances which can include fast foods, condiments such as ketchup, salad dressings, and syrups.

Most things that are packaged are unhealthy, this is because they contain preservatives to extend the self-life for a long time, others contain hydrogenated oils and unhealthy fats, excess sugar, and sodium.

Avoid legumes and grains

Say what? Yes, these are supposed to be healthy for you, I mean lentils and whole wheat grains are nutrient-rich but they are also a source of carbohydrates.

Due to the high concentration of carbs in these foods, the Keto diet recommends eating only small amounts of them in order to stay within the guidelines, it is recommended that you eat no more than 20g of carbs per day.

Drinks

Like most diets, the Keto diet recommends drinking water, any kind of unsweetened tea, coffee, etc.

Avoid drinks that contain sugar or any kind of artificial sweeteners and flavors, you may even want to avoid mineral waters because many of them contain a lot of sodium.

The Keto diet does allow for things like coconut water, coconut milk, and natural kombucha tea.

Believe it or not, alcohol is allowed on the Keto diet (within moderation) allowed spirits include vodka, gin whisky, white and red wine.

Fruits in moderation

While fruits are considered healthy they contain natural sugars (fructose).

While on the Keto diet fruits should be limited this is because fructose is metabolized only by the liver whereas pasta, grains, rice, and bread can be metabolized by other cells in the body.

In order to achieve 100% ketosis, the liver needs to be depleted in order to produce a maximum amount of ketones, consuming fruit prevents this from happening and will take your body out of the state of ketosis.

Fruits allowed on the keto diet include:

• Coconut
• Olives
• Berries
• Limes and lemons  (limited amounts)

Vegetables

Vegetables are carbohydrates and some contain more than others, vegetables with high carb content can prevent you from getting into a ketosis state.

Allowed vegetables include:

• Alfafa sprouts
• Cabbage
• Bok choy
• Celery
• Asparagus
• Kale
• Lettuce
• Spinach
• Zucchini
• Brussel sprouts
• Cucumber

In moderation, you can have beets, potatoes carrots, sweet potatoes, squash, green beans, onions, and garlic.

Dairy products

While this may seem a little weird, whole dairy products are allowed on the Keto diet and are considered “Keto-friendly” the include:

• Ghee
• Whole butter
• Whipping cream
• Whole milk
• Whole cheese
• Sour cream
• Cream cheese, cottage cheese, and greek yogurt (allowed in moderation)

What is not allowed on the Keto diet is low-fat dairy products such as yogurt, because these tend to contain added sugars.

Avoid dairy products that contain sugars and additives.

Fat

Unlike many diets that restrict fats, the Keto diet allows between 60-70% of the total calories you consume in a day. This means that the majority of your calories need to come from healthy fats.

When choosing fats you need to be careful because some of them can cause issues with your health.

Healthy fats should come from things like coconut, avocado, and walnut oil, lean fish such as salmon and mackerel.

Unhealthy fats should be avoided especially in the form of processed oils which include vegetable, corn canola, and soybean oil.

Keto-approved fats include animal fats which include grass-fed beef, chicken fat, duck fat, egg yolks, pork lard, and fish oils.

Seeds and nuts

Nuts and seeds are nutrient-packed foods that should be included in your diet, these contain healthy fats, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.

Nuts that are approved on the Keto diet include cashews, pistachios, chestnuts, brazil nuts, macadamia, pecans, and pumpkin seeds.

When choosing seeds and nuts please try and ensure that you choose all-natural and avoid those that contain additives and salt if you can.

Meat proteins and seafood

The Keto diet is not just about eating unhealthy ar fat dense foods, 20-35% of your calories should come from protein. Consuming too much protein will end ketosis through the process of gluconeogenesis and prevent you from losing weight.

Keto-approved seafood includes crab, cod, lobster, oysters, salmon, sardines, shrimp, trout and tuna.

Keto approved meats include bacon, beef, chicken, whole eggs, goat, lamb, pork, steak, turkey, veal, and venison.

Processed meats are allowed in moderation which includes pepperoni, ham, bacon, sausage, and salami.

If possible try to avoid meats that contain nitrates and preservatives.

Take a close look at the condiments.

Believe it or not, condiments can make or break any diet, the Keto diet is no different, you should avoid thinks like teriyaki sauce, sweet mustard, ketchup, and salad dressings, many of these contain sucrose and sugar which can create an issue while trying to maintain ketosis.

Final thoughts

The Keto diet can be an effective way for you to lose weight, is it for everyone? Probably not especially if you are someone who is not a big fan of the foods you are required to eat. Women who are active and workout a lot will most likely find this diet effective.

I should acknowledge that my list of foods you can eat in this article is limited and is just a baseline guide of some of the foods you can eat on the Keto diet. If you want a more complete list of foods you can eat on this diet there is a big list here on the Dr. Axe website you may want to check out.

References:

Long term effects of the Keto diet

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16652223/

Pros and cons of the Keto diet

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31805451/

women6723t

The post What is the Keto Diet appeared first on Women and Muscle.

We all know that one of the best ways to maintain a healthy body is to exercise, I have been through phases where I have worked out really hard lifting heavy, while other times I have kept my training moderate and not pushed my limits.

When I do work out hard for several consecutive days, I begin to feel rundown. There are several things that can cause you to feel this way, the main reason is poor nutrition, not enough, rest, and a weak immune system.

Click Here to Boost Your Immune System

Obviously this can be prevented by toning down my workouts and eating better. In order to maintain energy and a strong immune system, there are some foods that can be considered that can help maintain a healthy immune system.

You may be thinking to yourself that the foods I am going to mention are not going to taste good, however, many of the immunity-boosting foods on my list are quite tasty.

1. Oranges, Lemmons, and Kiwi Fruit

Citrus fruits are a great source of vitamin C, oranges, lemons, and kiwi fruit are great sources. While there is no proof that vitamin C can prevent colds there are studies that show that it can reduce the severity of the symptoms and shorten the duration of a cold.

2. Almonds

Almonds are a  great source of certain vitamins and minerals, almonds contain vitamin E, manganese, magnesium, and fiber. A quarter cup of almonds makes a healthy snack that is filling and is great for boosting your immune system.

3. Bell Peppers

Bell peppers have high amounts of vitamin C which helps strengthen your immune system. Not all bell peppers are equal in vitamin C content.

Yellow bell peppers contain 500 percent of the RDA followed by red bell peppers which have 9 times more vitamin C than green bell peppers. Even so, green bell peppers still have 200 percent of your suggested daily allowance.

4. Sunflower seeds

Sunflower seeds are loaded with vitamin E a powerful antioxidant that may help improve your immune system, by fighting off free radicals that cause damage to your body’s cells.

5. Berries

Fresh berries are not only tasty they are beneficial for reinforcing and boosting your immune system, one article published in the online magazine Nutrition Reviews looked at the benefits of berries on the immune and digestive system.

The study concluded that eating berries help strengthen the immune system due to their phytochemical content.

Regardless of the kind of berries you like to eat most of the are high in vitamin C. A cup of strawberries has the recommended daily amount of vitamin C. 100 grams of blueberries contain 9.7mg, one cup of raspberries has 32mg of vitamin C.

The best thing about berries is they are great tasting and they make the perfect addition to any breakfast.

6. Broccoli

Broccoli is another superfood that can help boost your immune system, it is rich in Vitamin C, A and E, it also contains plenty of antioxidants, not only is the dark green vegetable great-tasting its a healthy choice for any meal.

7. Spinach

Spinach is a dark green vegetable and another good source of vitamin c, beta carotene, and antioxidants, this combination can help fight off infections and viruses. Besides being rich in vitamins one cup of spinach contains .09g of protein, 29.7mg of calcium, 167mg of potassium, and 23.7mg of magnesium.

8. Coconut

Besides containing healthy fats, the key thing about coconuts is that it has anti-microbial elements that may help fight bacteria, fungus, and pneumonia.

9. Ginger

Ginger has been used for centuries to treat a variety of ailments, including nausea and indigestion and stomach disorders. It has also been used to treat the common cold. Ginger is easy to take, you can chew on a raw piece of the root which is rather spicey, or you can make a tea and combine with a little honey.

10. Garlic

Garlic has been used for a long time for treating many ailments including the common cold, in fact, it was considered a cure-all in the second century, it was used to treat chronic cough and infectious diseases. In world war I and II it was used as an antiseptic to treat gangrene.

Garlic contains a sulfur concentration called allicin which has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties that can help fight off infections.

11. Mint Tea

Mint tea hot or cold is a refreshing way to strengthen your immune system, improve digestion, and reduce aches and pains, it has a nice aroma which makes it the perfect drink for overall health.

12. Red Peppers

Spicy chili peppers contain a compound called capsaicin which is often found in weight loss pills because it helps gives your metabolism boost, it also has anti-inflammatory properties which may ease symptoms of arthritis.

13. Turmeric Root

The compounds in turmeric interact with the body’s immune system at a biochemical level in a number of ways. Turmeric help enhance the body’s immune system.

There have been studies that show that whole root turmeric can strengthen the body’s immune system and prevent cellular invasion from viruses and disease. It can help strengthen the immune system against viral attacks.

Final Thoughts

Eating any of these 13 foods may help strengthen and reinforce your immune system and help your body fight off infection.

What is important is that your immune system is very complex, so besides eating a well-balanced diet is just one of the ways to help boost your immune system.

There are other things you can do to contribute to a healthy immune system which includes:

• Limit alcohol consumption to no more than two drinks per day
• Stop smoking
• Avoid eating processed foods
• Get plenty of rest
• Exercise 4 times a week

If you are someone who suffers from frequent colds or feels sick often you should speak with a doctor.

Rosalie Bennoto

Hi My name is Rosalie and the author of Womenandmuscle.com I started this blog to help women understand a little about the side effects of anabolic steroids and share some of my favorite alternatives that have helped me stay in shape and improve my performance in the gym.

The post Foods to Keep Your Immune System Healthy appeared first on Women and Muscle.