Drink your water, eat your veggies!
My little sister is in her first year of nursing school, and they've talked a lot about the ketogenic diet. She's taught me some important things. One of the biggest being the importance of having your blood "balanced". When you are burning/excreting ketones which happens when your body breaks down fat for energy) your blood can have the potential of becoming too acidic, which at best can be uncomfortable, and at worst, dangerous. You may experience some side effects like "keto rash". When I started keto, I wasn't eating enough high alkaline foods. I was focusing too much on hitting my protein and fat macros, and as a result I got "keto rash". My dad (master researcher, remember?) told me I needed to start drinking MUCH more alkaline water. After suffering from keto rash for weeks, it started to clear up within a few days of upping my alkaline intake. I usually drink water with a pH of 9.5 or higher, but if you don't usually drink alkaline water, start at a lower number (7.5/8) and work your way up to. You can also make alkaline water to save a few bucks.
AAV- Qlways Add Veggies
This is something I see a lot of keto-ers "forget". VEGETABLES. Keto can be very healthful, but there's a reason I don't usually promote zero carb. While doing zero carb may be a short term solution to breaking a plateau and burning more fat, I personally do not view it as being very healthy. For the most part, when doing keto you eliminate a lot of fruits because of the sugar. However, it is unfathomable to me that one can be healthy and NOT eat vegetables. Impossible. You NEED veggies. I don't mean just onions, garlic, mushrooms. LEAFY GREENS. They're low carb, nutritious, and can be added to almost anything. So, AAV, Always Add Veggies. If your having bacon and eggs in the morning, add a handful of baby spinach in your eggs. Low carb pasta is great for certain dishes, but try zoodles which will give you a tasty, nutrient dense pasta alternative. For dinner, a classic lettuce wrap with a little extra lettuce (iceberg is okay in a pinch, but please remember it has NO nutritional value, so romaine is better). Don't EVER beat yourself up about eating vegetables. If you go over your carb macros over a meal full of nutrients and fiber, count net carbs. Being healthy is about more than just losing weight. It's about changing your lifestyle to improve how your body functions. And, vegetables are a huge part of that.
