It’s no secret – the keto diet has taken the world by storm. This dietary approach has allowed folks around the globe to get seriously amazing results with losing weight, while improving their overall health. But what’s lesser known is the importance of vitamins when following the keto diet, and how you too can “keto-up” and optimize your results with some simple vitamin supplementation!
Table of Contents
- 1. Keto Diet Basics: What to Know Before Keto-ing Up
- 2. Getting the Skinny on Keto-Friendly Vitamins
- 3. Scoundrels of the Keto Diet: Unhealthy Vitamin Sources
- 4. Supercharge Your Keto Diet and Feel the Vitamin Love
- Q&A
1. Keto Diet Basics: What to Know Before Keto-ing Up
If you’re considering diving into the low-carb, high-fat life known as the keto diet, there are a few things you should know before you get started. Here’s the basics of the ketogenic diet:
- What is a keto diet? It’s a low-carb, high-fat diet that shifts your body to burning fat for fuel instead of carbohydrates.
- What are macros? The macronutrients — or macros — of the keto diet consist of fats, proteins, and carbs, in ratios of 70 to 75 percent fat, 20 to 25 percent protein, and 5 to 10 percent carbs.
It’s important to understand the calorie counts of each macro and their impact on your body when deciding on meals. A basic understanding of food labels and understanding of portion sizes will help you to stay on track with your a keto diet and maximize its potential.
- Fats: Fats should make up about 70 to 75 percent of your daily calorie intake and approximately nine calories per gram.
- Proteins: Protein should make up around 20 to 25 percent of your diet and approximately four calories per gram.
- Carbohydrates: Carbs should make up the remaining five to 10 percent of your diet and about four calories per gram.
2. Getting the Skinny on Keto-Friendly Vitamins
Vitamins are an essential part of any healthy diet. And when following a ketogenic diet, vitamins become even more important. So how do you ensure that you’re getting the right nutrients to stay in ketosis and remain healthy? Here’s a breakdown of which vitamins are keto-friendly and how to get them:
- Vitamin A: This antioxidant helps with cell growth, vision health, and immune health. It can be found in leafy greens, meats, dairy, and eggs.
- Vitamin B1 (Thiamin): This vitamin is important for nervous system and enzyme functions. It can be found in turkey, strawberries, broccoli, oats, and kale.
- Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin): Another B vitamin, this one is mainly used to metabolize proteins and fats. It can be found in dairy, spinach, crabs, and mushrooms.
- Vitamin B3 (Niacin): This vitamin works with several enzymes to produce energy for the body and boost heart health. You can find it in salmon, beef, peanuts, and asparagus.
- Vitamin B6: This essential vitamin is needed to build protein and create hemoglobin. You can get it in pork, bananas, potatoes, and tuna.
- Vitamin B12: This vitamin helps create blood cells and DNA, as well as provides healthy nerve functioning. You can find it in burgers, fish, or milk.
- Vitamin D: This vitamin helps create hormones and aids in calcium absorption. You can get it from sunlight, some fish, and egg yolks.
- Vitamin E: This antioxidant is mostly used as anti- aging and it helps boost immunity. You can find it in soybeans, spinach, nuts, and olive oil.
- Vitamin K: This vitamin helps with clotting and wound healing. You can find it in fatty fish, cabbage, and liver.
By ensuring that you’re getting all the right vitamins while following a ketogenic diet, you can rest assured that you’ll stay healthy and remain in ketosis. Talk to your doctor or nutritionist if you’d like to further understand and monitor your keto-friendly vitamins.
3. Scoundrels of the Keto Diet: Unhealthy Vitamin Sources
When transitioning to the keto diet, it’s essential to watch what sources of vitamins and minerals you are receiving. While reducing your carb intake and increasing your fat intake is the cornerstone of this diet, you can still run into issues like deficiencies in certain vitamins and minerals.
Here are a few scoundrels of the keto diet you should watch out for:
- Sweets: A common misconception when starting the keto diet is that going low-carb means going all out on sweets. Not only do these often contain hidden, increased levels of carbs, but they also contain very little beneficial vitamins and minerals.
- Processed foods: If you thought that just because a food label advertises itself to be keto-friendly that means it has the nutrients and vitamins you need, then think twice. Many processed and packaged “low-carb” items contain very little vitamins, and even what vitamins they do contain are often synthesized and not naturally-occurring.
- Junky carbs: Due to its popularity and convenience, many people on the keto diet will opt for “junky” carbs instead of nutritious ones. Quick and easy snacks such as potato chips are a major no-no, as they contain no nutrients and only add “empty” carbs to your diet.
Of course, the keto diet isn’t all villainous. Eating healthy sources of essential vitamins and minerals such as fatty fish, eggs, kale, and chia seeds will help you build a rock-solid foundation of nutrition without having to sacrifice all the yummy fatty foods that make the keto diet so enjoyable!
4. Supercharge Your Keto Diet and Feel the Vitamin Love
Ready to take your keto diet to the next level? Vitamin and mineral supplementation should be part of any low carb dieter’s routine – vitamin deficiency is common among people on keto diet and can greatly affect your overall health. Here are some tips to help :
- Take a High Quality Multivitamin – Low carb diets can often be depleted of important micronutrients like Vitamin B complex, Vitamins C & D, and Critical Minerals like Calcium and Potassium. Supplementing with a high quality multivitamin can be the simplest and easiest way to cover your dietary bases.
- Consume Nutrient-rich Foods – Taking a multivitamin can’t replace the necessary vitamins and minerals found in whole foods like
vegetables, fruits, and quality proteins. Eating a balanced diet full of nutrient-rich foods is just as important as taking supplements. - Include Healthy Fats – Healthy fats like olive oil, avocado oil and coconut oil are wonderful sources of important fat-soluble vitamins and minerals. Get creative with your fats options to ensure your taste buds never get bored.
- Watch Your Magnesium Intake – Magnesium is involved in a variety of biochemical reactions in the body and can often become deficient in a low-carb diet. Foods like nuts, seeds, dark chocolate, and leafy greens can help to restore magnesium levels.
Don’t forget to stay hydrated! Keeping up with your water intake can also help to prevent vitamin deficiencies so drink up and enjoy the benefits that come with giving your body the love it needs.
All in all, following a Keto Diet doesn’t mean having to sacrificing your health! The right supplements can easily help you meet all your health and nutrition needs, boosting your immune system and your overall health. Embrace Keto-ing up and get your Keto vitamins today to stay healthy and happy!
