What is the Keto Diet (and Why You Should Care)?

Have you heard of the ‘Keto’ or ‘Ketogenic’ diet everyone is talking about lately? Many people in St. Louis are already eating Keto -- for a variety of different health concerns.  The ketogenic diet has a long history of treating a variety of health issues -- as well as helping folks control their weight. In recent years, it’s gained a lot of press. Why?

In a nutshell, the Keto Diet consists of eating a great deal of fat (yes, fat….), a small amount of carbs, and a medium amount of protein.

In this blog, we’ll look at what the Keto Diet is, how exactly it works, and how to actually start following a Ketogenic meal plan.

Can You Lose Weight with the Keto Diet?

While the Keto Diet first was discovered as a powerful way for epileptics to control their symptoms, others have discovered that being in the state of ‘ketosis’ actually can help folks who need to lose weight. On top of that, the Ketogenic diet is also being researched for its ability to help fight back against metabolic diseases caused by insulin.

Why do you lose weight on a keto diet? All the high fat and low carbohydrate content get your body into a state of ketosis. Once you’re there, you start burning fat, not sugar (aka glucose) as your primary source of energy. When you’re burning fat, you burn stored fat as well (see ya, love handles).

You burn fat when you’re in ketosis because you’re working with your body’s natural metabolism processes. Generally, your body will burn glucose first. Why? It’s easier to metabolize in the short term. Ketosis forces your body to jump to burning fat first.

If you’re confused about exactly how keto diets differ from low-carb diets, you’re not alone. While both can help you lose weight, the Keto diet is far more based in nutritional science and is therefore, far more strict.

Here’s how the two diets differ: low-carbohydrate diets are all about cutting out those carbs (mostly grain and starch sources of carbs) while keto diets restrict carb intake to as few as 5 percent of your total intake of calories for the day (different keto protocols restrict carbs differently -- epileptics need to work with physicians to achieve the optimal ratio for controlling symptoms). This is one of the major differences between low-carb diets such as the Atkins diet and the ketogenic diet: low carb diets do not give strict guidance on ratios and caloric intake; ketogenic diets absolutely do.

Ketogenic Diet Basics

Your body always needs energy. Typically, we burn glucose (aka sugar) as our primary source of energy. When we burn glucose, our body produces insulin (a hormone for processing the sugar in glucose).

We don’t necessarily need to burn glucose as our primary source of energy. In the Western diet, however, it has become the primary source of fuel we run off (that, and maybe coffee -- just a joke). If you’re primarily burning glucose, that means you’re probably eating a high amount of carbs (think: pasta, pizza, breads, starches like french fries). Although carbs can be delicious, the downside to overdoing it on the glucose is that it gets burned quickly and while being burned, over taxes your body -- causing inflammation and possibly leading to conditions such as hypoglycemia and Diabetes Type 2. No bueno.

The good news? With the keto diet, you can actually have your body burn fat as the primary source of energy. How? Make the switch by feeding your body healthy fats instead of glucose: limit, reduce, and kick out unhealthy carbs from your diet. When you do this, you force your body to start producing ‘ketones’. Ketones are molecules produced when your body is forced into the state of ‘ketosis’ aka the goal of the Keto Diet. When you’re in ‘ketosis’, your body is burning fat first. Inflammation is reduced, and weight loss (if needed) is expected to follow.

Is Keto just another word for a low-carb or Atkins diet? Nope. While the keto diet is certainly low carb, it’s very different from something like ‘Atkins’.  In general, low-carb diets are low fat and high in protein. The keto diet is high in fat, and moderate in protein. With a low fat and high protein diet, insulin is released (and insulin tells your body to burn glucose). With the keto diet’s medium amount of protein and high fat intake, your body gets the command to burn fat first and foremost.

The History of the Keto Diet

The last 100 years have brought about a great number of different diets (thanks, in part, to hollywood stars pitching and following new fads).

In the 1930’s, for example, the Grapefruit diet became popular. Maria Callas brought national attention to the tapeworm diet in the 1950’s (yes….tapeworm).  In the past two decades, our culture has rapidly cycled through a large number of different diets and fads: Atkins, Paleo, Weight Watchers, Vegan (and many, many more).

Some of these new diets have taken off; some of them have fallen quite short….which brings us to the Keto diet. How did it get started...and how does it stack up?

The first thing to know about the keto diet is that it’s not a ‘diet’ in and of itself. The focus with ketogenic meal plans is not to lose weight...but to achieve optimal nutritional (and the associated health benefits).

The Ketogenic diet is actually a therapeutic diet that was started in the early 1920’s as a method of treating epileptic children. It worked: into the 1930’s, the keto diet was the first line treatment for controlling epilepsy. Enter the era of anticonvulsant drugs, and the Keto diet slowly became less well known.

Fast forward to the 1990’s and a producer in Hollywood (Jim Abrahams) turned to the Keto diet to treat his son Charlie’s uncontrolled epilepsy. It being Hollywood, a movie was made about Charlie’s condition and treatment (the movie starred Meryl Streep) in 1997.

Jim then founded the Charlie Foundation: an organization focused on promoting the ketogenic diet and to raise funds for awareness and research around it. Jim’s work led to widespread awareness of the Keto diet’s transformative benefits: today, keto diets are being researched for how they may be able to treat a wide variety of different health ailments.

What’s an Overview of What I Can Eat on a Keto Diet?

The truth is that there isn’t a one-size-fits-all ketogenic meal plan. The Charlie Foundation actually lists six varying ketogenic diet protocols, including:

• Classic Keto,
• MCT (containing Medium Chain Triglycerides),
• Modified Atkins,
• Modified Keto,
• Low Glycemic Index,
• and Intermittent Fasting.

Which protocol should you select? It really depends upon your needs and goals. Epileptics need to work with physicians and will probably need the classic keto.

Which keto diet for weight loss or general improved health? Later on in this blog, we do give you a meal plan and as well as info on the ‘fat adapted’ keto meal plan -- a low-key version of the far stricter classic keto meal plan.

Many people first think that with the Keto diet, you can go out and load up on fats. You can’t. While ketogenic diets are high-fat, fried foods and sources of unhealthy fats are a big no-no.

Good fats to eat include: lean proteins, avocados, eggs (and, of course, a certain number of veggies and fruits).

How Long Do I Have to Be on a Keto Diet?

The answer is...it depends. Why are you starting keto in the first place? If you really just want to lose weight, you may not be on the keto diet forever. If you’re interested in the amazing health benefits that come along with ketogenic eating, you may become a lifelong convert. If you’re an epileptic, you’ll work on it with your physician.

If you’re just interested in weight loss and not the health benefits, you probably won’t be on the keto diet long term. If you’re interested in keto for health, you may well find that a fat-adapted keto diet ends up working really well for your body (see later on in this blog for more on the fat adapted ketogenic diet).

The Science Behind the Keto Diet

Ah, science. It’s an amazing thing. How, exactly, does the Keto diet work? To truly understand, you first need to learn more about some of the processes happening in your body. When there is Glucose in your blood (after you eat a bag of potato chips, for example), your body responds by:

1. Use the glucose for fuel
2. Store the extra glucose in your liver and muscles
3. Store any excess beyond that as fat

That stored glucose is your body’s go-to source for fuel -- but we can only store a few thousand calories at a time before it gets converted to fat.

When you have high levels of sugar (aka glucose) in your bloodstream, your body produces insulin to attempt and convert it to ‘glycogen’ (the stored form of glucose). When you’ve got insulin present, fat burning takes the back burner (no pun intended). Glucose is burned first.

Remove glucose from the equation and your insulin levels simmer down. Now, it’s time for your brain to tell your body to eat (aka: you get hungry). With this constant eat-glucose-burn-glucose produce-insulin cycle, you’re ending up with varying energy levels and food cravings.

When you make the switch to the Keto, your insulin levels start to fall. When this happens, your body releases ‘glucagon’ (stored glucose) and your liver starts converting it into glucose so your body can burn it. In a nutshell, your body starts burning fat. Fat cells become your body’s primary fuel source.

So….do you even need glucose in your body? Yep, absolutely. Some of your body’s metabolic processes rely on glucose...but you don’t need carbohydrates like pizza for that. Believe it or not, your body can actually break down amino acids and fatty acids and convert them to glucose. (Don’t worry, we’re not telling you to ban all carbs, unless your doctor specifically says that).

So….How Hard is the Transition to a Keto Diet?

Truth be told, many people struggle when making the jump to following the Keto Diet. There’s a period of cravings...and yes: withdrawal. How much you feel the transition to Keto will really depend upon what your diet looked like before Keto. Generally, it takes a few weeks to come out of it and enter your optimal keto stage.

When you do get to that optimal keto stage, amazing benefits start happening. You’re less hungry (naturally) and you don’t end up with that dreaded “I will eat everything and the house” feeling we all get when our primary source of energy is carb-based.  Less cravings, less overeating.

Here are the benefits to remember when the going gets tough:

• Less inflammation, less bloating
• More energy
• Less brain ‘fuzz’, more focus
• Fewer cravings
• Weight loss or weight management is easier
• Better Sleep
• Can help IBS
• Can help Diabetes Type 2 (always talk to your doctor about any significant diet change like following the Keto Diet)
• Generally feeling better, and living a better life
  

Ketogenic Diets --  in a Nutshell

Want a simpler version of what Keto is?

1. Lower your carbs to less than 10% of your overall calories.
2. When you do this, your body begins to use up that remaining glucose.
3. After the remaining glucose is gone, your body begins using fat (both dietary and stored] for fuel. When this happens, your body begins producing ketones.
4. You go through a process known as “gluconeogenesis” to satisfy your bodily processes that require glucose.
5. Finally, you can start reaping all the amazing benefits of Keto.
   

 Keto Myths: What’s Actually True?

Although the Keto diet can be transformational for many people,  your individual results may vary. You will need to speak to your physician, and gauge your progress and health as you go. That being said, let’s look at some of the most common myths associated with Ketogenic diets.

Fat is Bad

Fat in your body can be bad in excess. Eating fat, though? That’s a whole different story. When you feed your body a high-carb diet, your body stores those extra carbs as fat. By reducing carbs, you stop relying on glucose as your primary energy source -- and your body starts relying on burning fat, instead.

Keto Diets Make You Tired

Sorry, just no. While some folks go through cravings when first starting Keto, that’s the result of withdrawing from a sugar addiction (hard truth).

Truth be told, Keto should give you more energy (and energy that lasts longer through the day). Why? When glucose is your primary energy source, you’ve got a problem. Your body can only store 1,300 calories from glucose at a time. After that, you crash (and get tired). With the Keto diet, you end up with more available energy -- from fats -- that can be used throughout the day.

Keto Diets Make Your Cholesterol Sky High

Believe it or not, keto diets can actually help improve your cholesterol. How? All cholesterol is not bad. What?

Cholesterol helps control inflammation: if you didn’t have cholesterol in your body, you could end up seriously inflammation (and inflammation leads to a host of serious/fatal diseases you want to avoid at all costs). Beyond reducing inflammation, cholesterol helps out your digestive track (and leaking guts), provides protections against dementia -- and helps you repair and extend cell life on a micro level.

To sum up? Without cholesterol, we’d die….and without enough cholesterol, we get sick.

Don’t We Need Carbs in the Morning?

Again, no. Believe it or not, it makes more sense to have carbs before bed than in the morning. Why? It’s all about your natural fat burning process. When you wake up in the morning, your body is ready to burn fat (thanks, sleep). Feed your body with a ton of carbs in the morning and you’re switching your morning fat burning state into a state of burning glucose instead. And, as we’ve discussed, when you’re burning carbs...you’re dealing with sugar crashes, fatigue, cravings, and storing fat. Yuck.

When you choose to begin your day with a high-fat meal, you’re setting yourself up for success. You keep your body in that optimal fat-burning zone, you get more energy that lasts longer, and you can curb cravings.

Want to Get Started on Keto? Quick-Start Guide

If you’re ready to take the plunge and go Keto (or maybe just check out the shallow end of the pool), you’re in the right place.

What’s the best way to get started? We propose a two or three day challenge. Why? With a challenge, you can start seeing fast results and the true impact that a high fat and low carb keto diet can have on your body (and life).

I suggest you do this: try doing Day 1 twice. Then do Day 3 or Day 1 and Day 2 - then follow it with Day 3. Note: Day 2 is actually an ‘intermittent fast protocol’ --  lunch won’t happen until around noon. Dinner? Eat a healthy meal (nothing extreme). Why relax here? By the morning, your body will go back into that optimal fat burning zone (again, thanks sleep).

While doing this, take note. Keep a food journal and answer the following, each day:

• How long after breakfast did you become hungry?
• How long did you wait between breakfast and before you ate lunch?
• After lunch, how long did it take for you to get hungry again?
• What was the time gap between eating lunch and eating dinner?
• When did you get hungry after dinner?
• How energetic/tired are you throughout the day?
• Notice any more focus/concentration?
• Any cravings for sweets or sugary foods? (If yes -- very common in in Day 1 and 2 -- this is due to your body being used to having a sugar spike when in glucose burning mode).
• Notice less stomach bloat (if that’s an issue for you)?
• How are you feeling overall? Less irritable? More calm?
• How well are you sleeping?

Believe it or not, you should see changes in the above very quickly -- maybe even during the first or second days.

As you continue, compare the days. Don’t be consumed by testing - but it’s nice to keep tabs on the daily changes you experience. The big thing you should notice quickly? Satiation -- aka less hunger. With the keto diet, you stay feeling full longer.

Below are the test days and meals below (we also included a quick journal to help you keep organized):

Test – Day 1

Breakfast/Lunch

Plan

• BREAKFAST
• Coffee or Tea (Your Choice)
• 2 TBPS Coconut Oil or MCT Oil with unsweetened coconut milk
• 2-3 Eggs (hard boiled or scrambled) in Avocado or extra virgin olive oil
• Garnish with hot sauce and/or Pink Himalayan or Celtic Sea Salt
• 1 cup of Spinach (lightly sautéed ) in Avocado Oil
• Season with Pink Himalayan or Celtic Sea Salt
• LUNCH
• Chicken Breast or Thigh, grilled/roasted in Avocado Oil  and lightly seasoned seasoning (no sodium) and a dash of pink himalayan or celtic salt
• Celery Stalks (a few): sliced and fill w/ Cashew or Almond Butter (no sugar added)
• 1 Cup of Green Beans or Broccoli

 

Day 2 Breakfast/Lunch Test – (optional, ‘intermittent fast’)

Plan

• BREAKFAST (Intermittent Fast)
• Coffee or Tea (your choice)
• 1-2 TBSP MCT Oil w/ Coconut Milk (no sugar added, not sweetened)
• LUNCH
• Salmon Fillet roasted or grilled with Avocado Oil
• Green Beans/Asparagus
• Celery Stalks (a few) cut and filled w/ Cashew or Almond Butter (no sugar added)

 

Day 3 Breakfast/Lunch Test

Plan

• BREAKFAST
• Coffee or tea (your choice)
• Low-fat cream plus the sweetener you choose
• Oatmeal (both instant and old fashioned are fine) 2 Cups
• Bananas, blueberries, or strawberries 1/2 Cup
• Yogurt (only if you have room)
• LUNCH
• Chicken Breast
• White/Brown Rice (at least 1 cup cooked)
• Crackers or chips
• A sweet snack of your choice such as an apple or banana
  
  

Ready for your challenge journal?

 

QUESTIONS	Day 1	Day 2	Day 3
After your breakfast how long until you were hungry?
How long did you go between breakfast and lunch?
After lunch how long until you were hungry?
How long did you go between lunch and dinner?
Once you start to get hungry is it subtle or all at once?
How is your energy level through the day?
How is your mental clarity throughout the day?
Did you crave something sweet after your meal?
How is your stomach bloat, did it change?
How was your overall well-being, were you irritable?

 

Keto Diet: Get Prepared

Once upon a time, I tracked my daily macronutrient intake. I only do that now when it’s the holidays and I need to recover from carb-overload quickly.

In the beginning, though, tracking my daily carb intake was a very helpful way to get fully on track with the Ketogenic diet (as a general rule of thumb, actually, tracking your daily macronutrient intake is very helpful with any diet you’re starting).

Why is this so important? You’re building accountability, self-awareness, and staying true to your intentions of changing your health for the better. By tracking, you get to know your body via this structured format.  You get to know which foods make you feel a certain way -- and what triggers the need for carbs (pay attention to what you’re craving and what you’re not craving).

When you become self-aware about what you’re eating (and how it makes you feel), you’re well on your way to fully achieving your health goals. Becoming self-aware is a huge piece to living a health life and having the ability (tools) to make necessary changes is the end goal!

I’ve found two excellent ways to track this:

1. Stick to a Meal Plan
   This tends to be the most effective way to start the Keto diet. These days, I just eyeball my meals (for the most part), but in the beginning a meal plan is what truly taught me how to eat well.
   
   I followed a 5-day meal plan to start laying out, and designing, the best meals for transitioning to a Keto diet plan. With this, I knew I was getting the nutrients my body needed and I knew I was on my way to that optimal state of ketosis.
   
   It also takes some of the stress off: no waking up worrying that I won’t know what to eat or that I’ll be full, craving snacks, hungry or hangry, and on and on).
   
   When building your keto meal plan, you can prep your meals in advance and package them up ahead of time (Sundays are the perfect day for this)...or you can find a meal prep delivery company that can prep your meals for you (be sure they are prepping your meals with high-quality ingredients and are well informed around the principles of nutrition and the keto diet).
   
   
2. Track Your Keto Meals
   
   To track your keto meals, you can use a meal tracking app or a macro tracking app. Good options include MyFitnessPal.
   
   Just put in what you ate and how much you ate, after each meal. You can look at the past 5 days to see what you’re actually eating as opposed to where you thought you’d be.

How to Know If You’re in Ketosis?

This is a popular question: how can you know if you’re really in ‘ketosis’? There are numerous ways to find out: you can do a blood, breath, or urine test. Blood testing is going to be both the most accurate and the most expensive. Urine testing is the least accurate but also the least expensive.

Testing is the most exact, but your body will give you clues as to whether or not you’re in ketosis.  Some folks go through what’s become known as the ‘carb flu’ when they reduce carbs in such an extreme way (so consider this a heads-up if you make the change to keto).  In general, the keto flu only lasts a week but some folks have reported it can go on a bit longer than that. The symptoms you may experience here are the result of your body making the big switch from burning glucose to burning fat as the primary source of energy.

Here’s what to be aware of as you go through the carb flu and switch into ketosis:  

• Do you get hungry slowly or is it coming on fast and hard (aka hangry)
• Are your energy levels steady during the day or are you having big highs and big lows?
• How’s your mental focus and clarity? Pay special attention to how you feel in the AM.
• Are you able to last 3-4 hours without eating?
• Which are you craving: high-fat or high-carbohydrate snacks?
• After you eat a meal, are you craving sweets and/or carbs?

Not all of these are 10000% percent accurate, you will start to become familiar with your body and understand when things seem ‘off’.

I begin my days with a high-fat drink and zero carbs. Doing it this way, I don’t get hungry until around noon (and I don’t get hangry...it comes on slowly).

After a high-fat, low-carb lunch, I can go until dinner without getting ‘hangry’.

On the flip side, if I start my day with a carb overload, I get super hangry by mid-morning -- and then I’m hangry again after lunch.

Your Basic Keto Diet Plan

Thinking you want to jump in and try out keto? Congratulations: you will see some amazing changes that will improve your health and life.

There isn’t a paint-by-numbers approach to this. Everyone is different, and working with your physician or nutritional consultant may be your best bet in creating an optimal keto meal plan for your body.

Below is a general list of foods broken up by calories, protein, fat, and carb contents:

Ketogenic Food Guide:
Calories Protein Fat Carbs

(1 large) Egg 74 6.29g 7g .38g

(4oz cooked) Chicken Breast 124 25g 1.4g 0g

(4oz cooked) Turkey 116 19g 1.88g 0g

(4oz cooked) Salmon 166 25g 6.72g 0g

(1 cup) Broccoli 30 2.48g .33g 5.84g

(1 cup) Asparagus 27 3g .16g 5.2g

(1 cup) Spinach 7 .86g .12g 1.09g

(1 whole) Avocado 322 4.02g 29g 17g

(1 tbsp) Coconut Oil 120 0g 14g 0g

(1 tbsp) MCT Oil 120 0g 14g 0g

(2 oz) Cashews 330 9.5g 27g 17g

Below is a macro percentage -- adjusted for calories you eat each day as well as the corresponding grams of macronutrients. This chart is easy to quickly look at and put to work when you’re designing a keto meal plan that works for you:

 

	DAILY CALORIC INTAKE
MACRO PERCENTAGES	1300	1400	1500	1600	1700	1800	1900	2000	2100	2200	2300	2400	2500
	CONSUMPTION IN GRAMS
CARBS
5%	16	18	19	20	21	23	24	25	26	28	29	30	31
10%	33	35	38	40	43	45	48	50	53	55	58	60	63
15%	49	53	60	64	64	68	71	75	79	83	86	90	94
20%	65	70	80	85	85	90	95	100	105	110	115	120	125
PROTEIN
15%	49	53	60	64	64	68	71	75	79	83	86	90	94
20%	65	70	80	85	85	90	95	100	105	110	115	120	125
25%	81	88	100	106	106	113	119	125	131	138	144	150	156
30%	98	105	120	128	128	135	143	150	158	165	173	180	188
35%	114	123	140	149	149	158	166	175	184	193	201	210	219
FAT
55%	79	86	98	104	104	110	116	122	128	134	141	147	153
60%	87	93	107	113	113	120	127	133	140	147	153	160	167
65%	94	101	116	123	123	130	137	144	152	159	166	172	181
70%	101	109	124	132	132	140	148	155	163	171	179	187	194
75%	108	117	133	142	142	150	158	167	175	183	192	200	208
80%	116	124	142	151	151	160	169	178	187	196	204	213	222

Before you use the graph, be aware of the following:

• You want your percentage on the left to be 100% for your day.
• What daily calorie intake do you want?
• How do you want your macronutrients to break down?

For example: if your plan is to eat 1,500 calories a day and you want to follow a strict keto diet, your macronutrient ratio would be 5% Carbs/75% Fat/20% Protein. If so, you would neat to eat 19g Net Carbs/133g Fat/80g Protein.

Designing your meal plan should include meeting daily food intake requirements. Below are some generalized keto macronutrient meal plans:

Full Keto – 5% Carbs/75% Fat/20% Protein

Mod Keto – 5% Carbs/70% Fat/25% Protein WITH CARB UP DAY - 20% Carbs/60% Fat/20% Protein

Fat Adapted – 10% Carbs/65% Fat/25% Protein With Carb UP DAY – 20% Carbs/60% Fat/20% Protein

Generally, I recommend going with the full keto diet for approximately 5-10 days (this will get your body into ketosis).

After that, I’d transition into the modified keto diet for 5-10 more days. In both modified and fat-adapted, you’ll have a ‘carb-up’ day. This is NOT a ‘cheat day’ at all: it’s simply a time to add some high-quality carbs to your day so that you may boost your metabolic system.

Keto Diet: Final Thoughts

You’ve read through a great deal of info….congratulations. Becoming informed are the first steps to long-lasting change.

Below are some powerful tips that may make your transition to keto a bit easier for you:

• Tip 1 – Measure Your Total Carbs Versus Your. Net Carbs
• With daily carbohydrate intake, you have total carbs (all the carbs you eat in a day) and you have net carbs (the carbs you actually eat after you subtract fiber content).
  
  Fiber is a carb -- but it’s a good carb that doesn’t spike your blood glucose (and doesn’t increase your body’s insulin production).  When measuring your carb intake, be sure to take your total carbs number and subtract from it your fiber number. This will give you a true idea of how much in carbs you are intaking.
  
  
• Tip 2 – Make Sure You Get Enough Fat Intake
• Believe it or not, it’s not easy to take in 70-100 grams of fat every single day. Be sure to start finding high-fat snacks (without carbs). MCT oil and high-fat snacks will be your new best friends.  Fat Bombs (find recipes on the internet) are both delicious and sustaining -- providing you with the fuel you need to stay active, alert, and stick to the keto diet.
  
  
• Tip 3 – Sleeping/Muscle Spasm Issues
• When first transitioning to Keto, folks can go through a period of rough sleep and muscle spasming. Why? In general, it’s the result of a magnesium imbalance. You may want to supplement with a high-quality magnesium if this happens -- and up your leafy green and avocado intake.
  
  
• Tip 4 – Don’t Forget ‘Intermittent Fasting’
• Fasting every once in a while goes along with the Keto Diet. Fasting has metabolic benefits. Intermittent fasting just means you only eat 8-9 hours one day (and don’t eat the remaining 15-16 hours).  You can eat fats during this period (MCT oil coconut oil, aminos, teas, and coffee).
  
  A day of intermittent fasting may include the following:
• AM coffee/tea with MCT Oil and coconut milk that’s unsweetened
• Lunch at 12 PM
• Dinner at 8 PM
  
  

• Tip 5 – Don’t Forget to Have Fun
• The keto diet is meant to be a temporary one. It’s not a fad. It shouldn’t be stressful. Ease your way into the keto diet if that is what works best for you.
  
  Once you start seeing the results, it can be highly motivating and make the full transition much easier.
  
  Remember that you’re doing this diet to achieve the highest quality of life you can.

In our blogs, we are continuously providing you with the latest and most current info on the keto diet as well as other ones such as Paleo and Vegan. We are a resource for you both in building your special diet meal plans such as Keto  -- and, if you’re in St. Louis, preparing your meals and delivering them right to you.

We offer a large variety of different keto meal options -- including a 5 day get started plan. Our meals are delicious, made with local (whenever possible) and organic produce, gluten free, and always prepared using the highest quality ingredients on the market. You can either pick up your meals - or get them delivered.

They come in ready-to-heat BPA-free and microwave-safe containers.