Coconut Oil | Meat | Fish | Eggs | Nuts/Seeds | Cheese | Avocado | Greens | Cauliflower | Minerals | Video

Here is our list of 10 foods to get you keto adapted fast!

10 Foods to Get Keto Adapted Quickly [Video]

What Does It Mean To Be Keto-Adapted

When you restrict carbs, to the point that you induce nutritional ketosis, you are said to be keto adapted.

When you are keto adapted, your body is more efficient at burning fat, and your brain is more clear because it runs off of the ketones you are producing.

#1: Coconut Oil

Becky:

So, food number one to get keto adapted is coconut oil.

Coconut oil is a good option for cooking because it is a saturated fat. This means there is nothing to oxidize when it is exposed to heat.

It also contains MCTs or medium-chain triglycerides that we’ve talked about many times before. MCTs are a good source of energy, but harder for your body to turn into fat.

Keith:

That’s right, and I’m going to give an honorable mention to MCT oil itself. We have done several articles about MCT oil and how it helped me get into ketosis.

We should also say that coconut oil is good to cook with because it is pretty inexpensive.

#2: Red Meat & Poultry

Becky:

Alright, next is meat.

Keith:

There are basically no carbs in meat. Right?

Meat is a good source of B vitamins. B vitamins are useful for helping convert your food intake into energy.

They are also a pretty high source of selenium.

Becky:

Selenium is an antioxidant that benefits your brain and thyroid.

Keith:

Right. So it helps turn the inactive form of thyroid hormone into the active form of thyroid hormone.

#3: Fatty Fish

While we are on this idea of utilizing hormones, let’s talk about fatty fish, which is our third top food. For example, this wild-caught salmon.

Fish is known for being high in omega-3s, right? Well, omega-3s provide many, many benefits to our health.

One of the benefits is they help to build the integrity of our cell membranes.

Why is that important?

Well, hormones and nutrients must crossover that cell membrane to get into our cells where they are used – hormones like thyroid hormone.

#4: Eggs

Keith:

Okay, next on our list is eggs. Eggs are inexpensive, convenient- you can find them anywhere, a good source of protein, and a good source of fat.

They are a good source of choline as well. We have done a video on eggs, and whether they are safe to eat every day. We say yes, choline is very important for your liver health and your brain health.

Becky:

Yes, and I will add that it is a water-soluble compound, so you do need to be taking in choline often. Your body will make a little bit of choline, but it is mostly dependent on you getting it in through your diet.

#5: Nuts & Seeds

Becky:

Next is nuts and seeds. They give a good mix of everything.

So they are a good mix of protein, a good mix of healthy fats, and a good mix of fiber.

Nuts and seeds do have calories, for sure, but there have been many studies that show they are very hunger-satisfying.

So even though you are eating these calories, the studies have shown that when you eat nuts, you are eating fewer calories throughout the day.

Keith:

Nuts and seeds are also a good source of selenium and “mellow magnesium.”

Becky:

Right. I always call it “mellow magnesium” because magnesium is a mineral that kind of mellows us out.

So it helps us calm down, it helps us to sleep, it helps with muscle cramps.

If you are suffering from muscle cramps, magnesium from nuts is a great food to get keto-adapted.

#6: Cheese

Keith:

So next, our list is cheese, which is one of my favorites!

Cheese is a good source of protein, a good source of fat, and a good source of calcium.

It also contains CLA or conjugated linoleic acid, which we have done a video on in the past. It is useful for reducing inflammation as well as promoting some fat loss.

Becky:

Now the challenge is that some people do not tolerate dairy well.

I will say that if you do not tolerate cheese, because of lactose intolerance, for instance, you might want to try higher fat cheese sources, not low-fat.

Low fat will have more of the lactate, which is a problem for a lot of people. So try high-fat dairy, and it might be a different story.

#7: Avocado

The next food is avocados. The nutrition powerhouses.

Avocados have lots and lots of great healthy fats and lots of fiber.

Now I will add that probably one this size (medium) has about 12 grams of carbohydrates, but many of those are fiber grams. Also, they are very high in potassium.

Keith:

Also, an avocado is a better source of potassium than a banana. Potassium is a nutrient that reduces blood pressure.

#8: Leafy Greens

Becky:

Next, let’s go into leafy greens. Leafy greens are a great source of fiber and do not contain many calories.

They also contain many, many vitamins and minerals. One of which is vitamin K.

When women get to be my age, fifty years or older, we start to think about bone health, osteoporosis, and things of that sort.

A very large study done on women that were already suffering from some bone loss showed that consuming vitamin K1 over the course of the study reduced fractures by 50%. (1)

So leafy greens can benefit us and protect us against bone fractures as we as we get older.

Keith:

Right. There are two forms of vitamin K. They are K1 and K2. K1 comes from dark leafy greens, and K2 primarily comes from fermented foods and animal products.

Becky:

I’m going to give one last word on leafy greens.

Two cups of leafy greens, which weighs about 85 grams, and has just three grams of carbohydrates.

You can fit this into a ketogenic diet, and for that matter, a salad is an excellent vehicle for healthy fats.

You can Put nuts and seeds on top or add cheese. It is a great vehicle.

Keith:

Leafy greens are very filling too.

#9: Cauliflower

Becky:

Next on our list is cauliflower. It is very versatile. You can eat it riced, eat it mashed, or incorporated it into recipes.

One cup has about 4 grams of carbohydrates, but half of the carbs are fiber. So it is going to be satisfying for you, and it is going to help your gut health.

Keith:

Cauliflower is also pretty high in antioxidants and a surprisingly good source of choline. It is an easy food to add to your diet to get keto adapted.

So if you are not going to get your choline from eggs, you better be getting it from cauliflower.

#10: Mineral Supplement

Becky:

All right and one last food. We will probably get some complaints that this is not a food, but we wanted to throw it in here – a good mineral supplement.

A mineral supplement is very, very important for low-carb and keto dieters to take on a daily basis.

Minerals will not be held in your body when your insulin levels are chronically low. So when you are on a low-carb diet, your body will flush water out, and minerals follow that out.

It is important to be replenishing those minerals. If not, you might be suffering from symptoms like sluggishness, muscle cramps…

Keith:

…moodiness, fatigue…

Becky:

…or irritability.

Conclusion

Becky:

So that is our top 10 foods to get you keto adopted. Incorporate these into your diet.

Keith:

I just want to add that we plucked every single one of these foods off of our shelves this morning. We did not have to go to the store.

This is the way we live.

Becky:

It is. You have to practice what you preach.

Thank you so much for watching, we will be back next week with another video, thanks.

References:

(1) DiNicolantonio, James J., Jaikrit Bhutani, and James H. O’Keefe. “The health benefits of vitamin K.” Open heart 2.1 (2015): e000300.