The Biggest Mistake You're Making on the Keto Diet

The keto diet works for weight loss by reducing carbohydrate intake to the point where the body is encouraged to begin using stored and dietary fat as a source of energy.

In order to do this, most meals will consist of protein, healthy fats, low-carb vegetables and maybe even a small amount of low-carb fruit.

In an effort to keep carbohydrate intake as low as possible, many people will reduce their fruit and vegetable intake while increasing their protein and fat intake.

This is where the problem starts..

Within our digestive system lives billions of bacteria (microbes), good and bad.

Good bacteria play several roles in creating optimal health. They keep our gut wall healthy, they reduce inflammation, they improve or glucose balance and ward of type 2 diabetes. Good bacteria improve our gut motility (so we can stay regular) AND best of all, they regulate and reduce our appetite leading us to crave less and eat less.

These good bacteria have a direct effect on the hormones related to hunger and satiety and stimulate the hormone (leptin) to signal to us that we have had enough to eat.

There are also billions of "not so" beneficial bacteria in our digestive system. Bacteria that can increase your risk of IBS, leaky gut syndrome, bowel cancer, bacteria that can cause you to gain weight, increase your histamine production (hello hay fever!) and produce by-products that can have a harmful effect on our health in other ways too.

What we eat on a daily basis has a direct effect on our gut bacteria.

Our good bacteria feeds on plant fibre and resistant starch, the bad bacteria predominantly feeds on protein and the mucous lining of our gut wall (ouch!)

So do we all ditch keto and become vegan? Not quite..

When following a keto diet, it is important to ensure you are eating adequate amounts of vegetables and FIBRE!

In fact, the current recommended amount of fibre we should be consuming each day is 28g for women and 38g for men.

To put that into perspective 1 cup of raw broccoli contains about 1.2g of fibre. 1 punnet of strawberries (250g) contains about 6g of fibre. 1 cup of cucumber contains approximately 1g of fibre and 1 serving of steak, chicken or fish contains 0g of fibre!

So, are you meeting the reccomended fibre requirements each day?

Failing to enjoy a wide variety of fruits and vegetables not only affects the health of your microbiome (gut bacteria) and ability to lose weight, it can also have a severely negative effect on your mental and emotional health too. 

Many of the microbes that are capable of producing serotonin require fibre to survive so when we start ourselves of fibre, our serotonin levels suffer too. Low serotonin levels are linked to feeling of anxiety, depression, low motivation and cravings for foods that make us "feel nice".

Constipation is a common side effect experienced on the keto diet and simply taking a laxative or eating more fat in an attempt to move the bowels is like putting a band aid over a bullet wound! We must look at fibre intake and support the bowel to do what it does best.

Now I know eating more fibre isn't the glamorous weight loss solution anyone is looking for but it might just be the one thing that you're lacking that has been holding you back!

If you're struggling to reach your daily fibre requirements using fruits and vegetables alone, you can look at supplementing your diet with psyllium husks, chia seeds or flaxseeds to give you a fibre boost. 

The take home message for today is...

Do not be afraid of eating more vegetables on your keto diet. Meeting your fibre requirements is equally as important for weight loss (if not more) as it is to remain in ketosis.

My top tips to support easy weight loss on a keto diet include:

• Eating a wide variety of fruits and vegetables to keep your microbiome happy, healthy and diverse
• Ensure you are eating adequate fibre each day
• Drink 2L (minimum) of water each day
• Keep your healthy fats to a sensible serving size

If you are unsure about how to introduce more fibre and vegetables into your diet without affecting your weight loss results, contact me for some personalised guidance and support.

All of my low-carb and ketogenic programs are nutritionally balanced to ensure you achieve optimal results. My goal is to help my clients achieve their weight loss goals while improving their health and well-being, reach out and contact me today!