How to Start Keto

I started doing keto in 2016 with great success for couple of months during chemotheraphy and radiation but as I got stronger and better; rice, noodles and carbs starts creeping in and the weight comes back. I was bloated and constantly lethargic, after a 'normal' meal of rice or carbs and my body then shuts off into 'food coma'. The final draw is when I was down with bronchitis twice and as a result of constant coughing had incontinence! at the age of 45 years old there's no way I will ever, EVER going to go around wearing adult diapers. Not yet anyway.

So thats when I decided to go back to KETO.

I'm sharing below what I did when I first started doing keto and what helps me along during this journey. Hope some of it is helpful in your journey to wellness as well. InsyaAllah.

Step 1 :

Few simple rules :

1. Find apps to help you monitor your carbs intake. This is especially helpful in the beginning. I used Carbs Manager and track food intake daily for about a month. After that I was already good at adjusting food macros accordingly. I still use even now once in a while to re-set caloric intake in accordance to weight reductions.

2. Eat less than 20g net carbs per day. This is very important if you want to get into ketosis. This is why you need apps like carbs manager to calculate. I only calculate net carbs ( Total carbs - Fibre = Net carbs). Most importantly, take it easy and don't stress if you eat more on some days, simple adjust the next day by doing intermittent fasting.

3. For motivation I use Urine Ketone Strip. Some says its unreliable as it measure the ketone being excreted through urine and not body ketone. Personally I like it as its not invasive and cheap. Its a confirmation that my body is in ketosis as the strip won't change colour otherwise or on days I eat lots of carbs (get kick out of ketosis). On average it takes 3-7 days to get into ketosis. More reliable methods to check ketone would be using the following 1. Blood Ketone Meter 2. Breathing Testing 3. Testing Blood Glucose Level.

4. Eat Himalayan salt (add in water) or salted bone broth to replenish your electrolytes. I take multivitamins that include potassium, magnesium, also high dose of Vitamins C. Bone broth is especially helpful when you get carbs withdrawal for the first few days (keto flu).

Step 2 :

Recommended Shopping List For KETO Beginners

1. Butter - Kerrygold, Anchor and Westgold

2. Extra Virgin Coconut Oil - Cold Pressed (for supplementing fat)

3. Coconut oil for cooking (many brands available)

4. Extra virgin Olive oil (salad/cooking)

5. Cheese - mozzarella, Cheddar, Brie

6. Cauliflower (grated and turn into Caulirice)

7. Zucchini Zoodles and Shirataki Noodles to replace your pasta and noodle dishes

8. Any green leafy vegetables like broccholi, bak choi, kangkung, spinach, mustard green, long beans, luffa (petola), asparagus, pucuk manis, bitterguard, herbs (Ulam-ulaman) etc

9. Himalayan Salt (to cook as well as supplement your electrolysis)

10. Sweetener replacement (swerve, Stevia or lakanto)

11. MCT oil / cremer 12. Checking your ketone level - Urine Strip is cheap but less accurate than blood meter or breathe acetone. You can buy this in most big pharmacy. .

“Lets just start and see what happens”

Step 3 :

Who should NOT do a ketogenic diet?

Normally keto is quite safe but if you are taking medication for diabetes ex. insulin? or high blood pressure medication or breastfeeding?

We suggest seek your doctor's advice before starting Keto.

(#keto #howtostartketo #ketostartingkit #ketostarter #ketokit)

Zucchini noodles (zoodles)