Hormonal problems are very common in modern society and can manifest in the forms of tiredness, stress, anxiety, depression, and physical pain. They also result in overeating and weight gain, causing numerous other health problems. So what is at the root of hormonal imbalances and problems? The simple answer is eating excessive carbohydrates and processed foods in the diet, which results in insulin resistance and does grave damage to hormonal systems over time. 

Carbs are basically sugar, which causes insulin levels to rise, and starches are just large chains of glucose molecules.

Insulin resistance is linked to many different types of diseases, so doesn’t it make sense to minimize insulin levels at almost any cost? Yet, the government and food industry recommends eating grains as the foundation of your diet. Even whole grains are made up of 70 percent carbs, which is essentially equivalent to sugar. All these grains and carbs trigger the release of insulin.

So what happens when you’re eating all those carbs that are basically the same as sugar? Well, having alarmingly high insulin levels and blood sugar levels that are constantly spiking, it hits the body with major stress. This causes imbalances in the hormonal systems. Cortisol levels can go up, which results in mental impairment, sleep issues, and increased belly fat. Thyroid levels can also be impacted, resulting in dramatic changes in weight and the nervous system.

Basically, hormonal imbalances and insulin resistance are lifestyle diseases. They are generally caused by a poor diet, whether it is a result of misinformation or just carelessness. The medical community loves to treat these diseases with drugs and medication, including pills and shots, which are just short-term fixes and don’t actually improve the long-term health of the patient. For hormonal imbalances, they use medication to target the hormone that is overproducing. If a patient has an overactive thyroid gland, it can be destroyed by injections of radioactive iodine. However, the patient will need to take thyroid hormone pills for the rest of their lives. Also, insulin is a drug often prescribed to control blood sugar, and it is just another temporary fix for a chronic disease.  

However, it is not as profitable to treat patients by helping them change their lifestyles. If everyone was to eat healthier and cure their diseases with diet changes, many doctors, drug companies and food industries would go out of business. Hormonal imbalances stemming from elevated insulin levels would be treated by changing people’s diets, simply by minimizing processed foods and carbs, such as grains and sweets. By adopting this type of low-carb diet and eating mostly unprocessed whole foods, most people can improve their hormonal systems and oftentimes completely cure their ailments resulting from hormonal imbalances.  

MCT oil is a healthy type of fat that is more easily digested and processed by your body, and it comes with amazing health benefits, especially if you’re on a keto diet. MCT stands for medium-chain triglycerides, with triglycerides being the molecules that make up most fats. These fats occur naturally in coconut oil, palm oil, goat milk and breast milk.

MCT oils are generally made from coconut oil or palm oil, and they get absorbed directly from the gut into the liver and converted into ketones, instead of being stored as fat, which means MCT’s get broken down faster than long-chain triglycerides. Ketones produced from MCT oil have incredible health benefits, including increasing fat-burning metabolism, satiety, energy, and brain function.  

Another reason MCT oil is so popular and important for those on a keto diet is because it is a great and easy source of fat, which is necessary to get into ketosis. However, MCT’s are generally not included in a typical Western diet, so they must be acquired through supplements, such as the Completely Keto MCT oil powder, which is one of the best: striveketo.com/caramel-mct

Studies show that MCT oil (especially C8 and C10) speeds up your body’s natural fat-burning processes and metabolism by helping it produce more ketones, which can help you quickly lose weight and burn calories. Ketones also suppress ghrelin (hunger hormone) and increase cholecystokinin, which makes you feel fuller for longer. MCT’s also increase production of two hormones in your body, Peptide YY and Leptin, which also makes you feel more full so that you end up eating less. MCT oil also supports your gut lining and growth of good bacteria, which can help you lose weight faster. This is important because when you have holes in your intestine, toxins, bacteria and food particles can escape your digestive tract and enter your bloodstream, putting you at serious risk for gastrointestinal disorders like inflammatory bowel disease and food allergies.  

Next, MCT oil keeps your sugar levels under control, which helps you stay in ketosis. Recent studies have shown that people who take MCT oil everyday have a significant reduction in body weight, belly fat, and insulin resistance. They also require up to 30% less sugar to maintain healthy blood sugar levels, making MCT oil very beneficial for those who are pre-diabetic or suffer from type-2 diabetes.

MCT oil also helps reduce the risk of heart disease by increasing fat burning and weight loss. Those who include MCT in their daily diet often see a significant reduction in bad cholesterol and C-Reactive Protein (an inflammatory marker that increases risk of heart disease). 

Not only that, MCT’s also provide an instant source of energy for your brain, promoting better brain health. When your body has a low enough level of carbs, high quality MCT oil can be converted into ketones in just minutes, which (unlike glucose) can cross the blood-brain barrier and be used as fuel for brain cells. This results in better brain performance, mental focus, energy, and concentration.

All in all, using MCT oil is a no-brainer, whether you are on a keto diet or not. However, you will get the maximum benefit of MCT’s when you are on a keto diet, because the ketones produced while in ketosis will improve your fat-burning metabolism, energy levels, heart health, and brain functions.      

Arguably the most important part of a ketogenic diet is keeping your daily carbs in check. If you want to get into ketosis or bust a weight loss stall, carbs are usually the biggest challenge in your way. That’s why being able to spot and identify hidden carbs can be a very valuable skill that will help you achieve your keto and weight loss goals over time. 

Face it, the food industry is obsessed with carbs and they are mass produced and dumped on consumers wherever you go, making them very hard to avoid. Not only do you have to be very disciplined to keep carbs out of your diet, you have to be very discerning and aware of all the hidden carbs in the food that you eat.

Total Carbs VS Net Carbs

When food labels show the number for total carbs, this is actually different from what is called net carbs. Net carbs don’t count the carbs from fiber, because fiber has little impact on your blood sugar levels. They’re slowly digested and gradually released into the bloodstream, mitigating any effect on your blood sugar levels. So if you want to calculate the net carbs in a particular serving of food, you take the total carbs and subtract carbs from fiber and also sugar alcohols. 

When first starting off on keto, you can decide whether you want to track the total carbs or net carbs in your diet. Those new to keto may decide to start tracking their net carbs, because it is easier to limit net carbs since your overall carb intake will likely be higher than if you track total carbs. This will allow you time to adapt to a low carb lifestyle, and then if you want to boost your keto diet results, you can switch to tracking only total carbs, which will give you a more powerful effect on your diet and help you get into ketosis even faster.

Sugar Alcohols

There are many foods that are labeled sugar-free and carb-free and usually they contain sugar alcohols, but these ingredients are actually not zero-carb and many of them can actually spike your insulin and blood sugar levels. Some of these sugar alcohols include names such as: honey, agave, molasses, xylitol, sorbitol, maltitol, Splenda, vegetable glycerin, yacon syrup, etc.

Better alternatives to these include stevia, monk fruit, and erythritol. It’s important to monitor the effects that these types of ingredients have on your blood sugar, because different people react differently and some are more sensitive to these types of sweeteners than others.

Sauces and Seasoning

Most people are already aware that sweet sauces contain sugar, but many other types of sauces and seasonings all contain carbs that can add up quickly if you don’t account for them. It’s best to use seasonings and sauces that have minimal carbs. Some seasonings, herbs, and spices that contain one gram of carbs or less per tablespoon include cinnamon, garlic, ginger, mint, basil, tarragon, black pepper, cloves, coriander, curry powder, bouillon cubes and powders, ginger root, and lemon/lime juice. 

The seasonings, herbs and spices that have more than a gram of carbs per tablespoon should be monitored more carefully because they can add up fast. Some seasonings, herbs and spices that have about three to six grams of carbs per tablespoon include: chili powder, oregano, garlic powder, cayenne, paprika, onion powder, and ground cumin. 

When it comes to dressings such as for salads, you should be aware of what kind of dressing you are putting on your salad. Per tablespoon, balsamic vinegar has two grams of carbs, plain balsamic oil has three grams of carbs, and processed balsamic oil has nine to twelve grams of carbs. As you can see, the processed balsamic oil is significantly heavier in carbs than the other dressings. White, cider and wine vinegar actually has no carbs at all.   

When it comes to sauces, Tabasco hot sauce has no carbs. Soy sauce has half a gram of carbs per tablespoon, plain and Dijon mustard have less half a gram, and mayonnaise has half a gram. If you’re into flavor extracts such as vanilla, orange and almond, they have about half a gram of carbs per tablespoon.

Protein and Dairy

All kinds of deli meats that you buy at your local grocery can have starch and sugar, such as ham, sausages, corned beef, etc. Also the more processed they are, the more they are loaded with carbs. You have to be careful to read the labels on these processed meats to get the number of carbs. The more natural and quality meats can have one gram or less of carbs per serving. However, the more processed meats can have ten times more carbs!

The best meats for a ketogenic diet include chicken, beef, lamb, goat, and pork cuts because they have no carbs. Eggs are also a favorite on the keto diet because one large egg contains only about 0.6 gram of carbs. When it comes to seafood, most contain varying amounts of carbs depending on the type, so it is imperative to check the nutrition labels to determine the carb content.

All dairy products contain some amount of carbs, but full fat dairy is the best for low carb and high fat content. Low-fat and not-fat are not ketogenic because when there is lower fat concentration, the concentration of carbs increases. That’s why it is best to choose whole, full cream and full fat.

Natural butter has no carbs, heavy cream has .8 grams per two tablespoons, and sour cream has one gram per ounce. Meanwhile, whole and Greek yogurts have six to seven grams of carbs, so you have to monitor your intake when eating yogurt. 

Vegetables

When it comes to vegetables, it’s important to track the carb content of the veggies that you are eating. Many people think that because vegetables are healthy and low in calories, you can eat an unlimited amount. However, eating too many of the wrong types of veggies can easily put your diet over the daily carb limit.

That’s why you need to be discerning when it comes to the types of veggies you are eating. For example, vegetables grown above the ground generally have lower carbs than vegetables grown in the ground (root vegetables). Examples of vegetables grown about ground include: spinach, lettuce, asparagus, cabbage, zucchini, cucumber, cauliflower, avocados, olives, kale, peppers, broccoli, green beans, brussel sprouts, and tomatoes. Vegetables grown below ground include: carrots, potatoes, and onions. Vegetables grown below ground can have seven to seventeen carbs per 100 grams, while above ground vegetables generally contain less than five carbs per 100 grams. This can make a huge difference on a ketogenic diet, which is why above ground vegetables are preferred. 

When it comes to tracking carbs, it’s important to not only pay attention to the obvious foods that have carbs, but also the hidden carbs in foods that are not so obvious. This includes vegetables, meats, dairy, and sauces and seasonings. Therefore, you need to be diligent in checking the nutrition labels and making sure you don’t eat excess carbs, which can hinder your progress on a ketogenic diet.

When checking the ingredients list of packaged foods, you might run into an ingredient called vegetable glycerine and wonder what it is. Vegetable glycerine (aka glycerol or glycerine) is a sugar alcohol synthetically derived from plants, such as soybeans, coconut oil, and palm oil. 

In its natural form, glycerine is actually a molecule that is produced in the body from glucose, protein, pyruvate, and other substances. The body produces it on its own so you don’t need to eat glycerine. Glycerol works to bind together triglycerides in the body, which are important for storing energy and are made up of three fatty acids that are bound together. 

When you use up glycogen in the body, which is stored glucose, glycerin can be converted into glucose to fuel your body. So glycerin overall is generally considered safe up to five grams per kilogram of body weight.

Vegetable glycerine is found in many different kinds of consumer products because of its uses as a sweetener, moisturizing agent, medical aid, and preservative with properties of being nontoxic, colorless, odorless, and sweet. Products that include vegetable glycerine include food, medical ointments, soap, shampoo, toothpaste, skincare products, an even antifreeze.   

One of the drawbacks of vegetable glycerine is that it is a carbohydrate and is included in many processed foods as a sweetener, so it raises blood sugar. So if you are on the keto diet, you have to be aware of this fact and monitor eating foods that contain vegetable glycerine and determine whether it is impacting your blood sugar levels and state of ketosis. 

Other side effects of vegetable glycerine include fluid retention in the body, because it draws water into the intestines and body tissue. This can lead to short term weight gain from increasing water weight. It can also lead to overhydration when drinking too much water combined with increased fluid retention, causing a dilution of sodium levels in your blood, called hyponatremia. This will result in an electrolyte imbalance and cause symptoms such as muscle cramping and various other physical ailments. 

Although vegetable glycerine is generally considered safe to eat, it is not technically a ketogenic ingredient and may negatively effect some people on their diets.  One way to make sure you are avoiding vegetable glycerine is to eat whole, organic and unprocessed foods. This will ensure that you are avoiding synthetic ingredients in the foods that you are eating. Also make sure you are always checking the ingredients list of foods that you are purchasing at the supermarket to confirm that nothing you are eating will negatively effect your diet and health. 

This is a tough one, because we get conflicting opinions on the topic of soluble corn fiber (SCF), also known as resistant maltodextrin, which is different from regular maltodextrin. Although this substance is used by many so-called health food companies, we should be really examining whether it is a substance that we should be eating on a keto diet. Soluble corn fiber is super cheap and used by food companies to thicken and preserve processed foods. It also causes lower spikes in blood glucose than IMO’s, which is why Quest Nutrition replaced IMO’s in their foods with soluble corn fiber. Some people say soluble corn fiber is allowed on a keto diet because it is not the same as corn, but rather fiber that is extracted from corn with a low net carb profile.   

In general, dietary fiber, which is found mostly in vegetables, fruit, legumes and grains, is known for helping bowel movements, lowering cholesterol, and balancing gut bacteria. All fiber is non-digestible, and soluble corn fiber is no exception. However, soluble corn fiber, unlike dietary fiber, actually spikes your blood glucose levels. Compared to white sugar though, it is lower on the glycemic index at 25, compared to white sugar, which is 100. Even so, this is enough to possibly knock you out of ketosis. Also soluble corn fiber is not a natural substance. It is processed from corn syrup, which is already a chemically processed substance. 

Are there any benefits to eating soluble corn fiber? Some say it acts as a prebiotic fiber, but there are plenty of other natural options that work better. Some better high fiber and natural foods include: avocado, broccoli, cauliflower, zucchini, eggplant, coconut meat, etc. 

All in all, low amounts of soluble corn fiber might not do damage to your diet, but in sufficient amounts it could cause harm. So it is best to avoid soluble corn fiber and other substances of similar nature. Also, different people have different body chemistries, so everyone needs to experiment with different foods and ingredients and analyze how it effects them to determine what is beneficial for them and what is not.  

When starting a ketogenic diet, we have to train ourselves to study the ingredients of the foods we eat, because food labels alone can be misleading, as the FDA doesn’t have the strictest guidelines on the true accuracy of these food labels. That’s why when you run into an ingredient that you’ve never heard of or that sounds weird, it’s time to be detective and do some research into it. 

When searching for keto-friendly products, we often find an ingredient called soluble or prebiotic tapioca fiber in the ingredients list. At first glance this may seem like a natural ingredient and not worth fretting about, but when digging deeper, it can be surprising what you may find.

For example, there seems to be a link between soluble tapioca fiber and isomaltooligosaccharides (IMO) on food labels. More directly speaking, many companies are including IMO’s in their products and calling it soluble tapioca fiber, most likely because both soluble tapioca fiber and IMO’s are created from corn and tapioca starch. This is problematic, because real tapioca fiber is not the same as IMO, which means it is incredible confusing and difficult to differentiate between the two on a food label. (For the sake of consistency and avoiding confusion, we will refer to IMO’s as soluble tapioca fiber for the rest of the article.)

The name soluble tapioca fiber is also misleading, because IMO’s are not actually dietary fiber and actually effect your blood glucose levels. There have been studies that show IMO’s can spike blood glucose levels to the same extent as glucose and dextrose. Similarly, products containing IMO’s can spike blood glucose the same way regular sugar does.    

So why do companies use (IMO) tapioca fiber in their products? Soluble tapioca fiber acts as a mild sweetener and thickener, improving the consistency of food products. It is also half the cost as soluble corn fiber. Many companies are also advertising their products as no-sugar-added and then adding soluble tapioca fiber instead, which has the same effect as sugar. So we can see how some companies are using this ingredient as a substitute for sugar, even though it has the same effects as sugar. In fact, a few years back, Quest Nutrition replaced IMO’s in their products with soluble corn fiber, which can be a slightly better alternative. (We’ll talk about soluble corn fiber in another article.)   

Should we avoid soluble or prebiotic tapioca fiber on a keto diet? In large amounts, yes you should avoid it. In negligible amounts, this ingredient can be treated as regular sugar, which won’t impact you too negatively if you don’t exceed your carb limit. When compared to soluble corn fiber, soluble tapioca fiber will spike your blood glucose more significantly, and it does not act as a dietary fiber. So be cautious when you see this ingredient listed on the products that you buy, and do your own research. You can also test the effects that these ingredients have on your body by measuring your own blood glucose levels, and then you can analyze the results and come to a conclusion of whether to consume the products in the future or not.

Many people want to know if whey protein is keto-friendly. This is a controversial topic because some people claim that it is, while others think whey protein will kick you out of ketosis. Whatever your stance is on this topic, you should scientific research that supports the latter position. Specifically, whey protein can cause significant insulin spikes in your body.

These research studies show that whey protein causes an increase in serum levels of leucine, isoleucine and valine, and it also causes increases in the insulin hormone glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) and glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1). The study compared insulin levels after ingesting whey, white bread, and glucose. After 15 and 30 minutes, those that ingested whey had insulin levels nearly double that of those that ingested white bread and glucose!  

Besides the insulin spikes, those on a keto diet should be wary of the high amounts of protein that these whey protein supplements contain. Keto requires that you maintain a moderate level of protein in your diet, because consuming too much protein will cause the excess protein to be converted to glucose, resulting in a loss of the state of ketosis. That’s why you should be either consuming all your protein through natural foods, or choosing a protein supplement that won’t spike your insulin levels and which contains a proper amount of protein, such as this special keto meal replacement smoothie: striveketo.com/strawberry-shake 

So what is an appropriate amount of protein? Take your body weight in kilograms, and this number in grams is the amount of protein that you should be consuming each day. Besides containing too much protein and spiking your insulin levels, some of these whey protein supplements also contain other sneaky chemicals and ingredients that may wreak havoc on your diet. That’s why it’s important to examine the ingredients in your supplements and also do your research on whether a particular product is good for your diet and your overall health. 

Choosing supplement products can be tricky, because many of these supplements are created in the same labs that manufacture all kinds of other supplements, so traces of different ingredients can be mixed together, giving you no idea of what you’re actually taking. We hear these stories in the news all the time of professional athletes testing positive for banned substances after taking tainted supplements. The bottom line is to be more cautious and judicious when choosing supplements. Try to buy from companies with good reputations and only buy products that you truly trust; and always inspect the ingredients carefully. 

Often people who are new to keto want to know whether alcohol is allowed on the keto diet. The answer is some types of alcohols are not strictly forbidden, while others are. There are also some drawbacks to drinking even the types of alcohol that are allowed on keto. 

In general, alcohol is not good for your health, even red wine, because it speeds up aging and causes inflammation. Also one of the main drawbacks of drinking alcohol on the keto diet is that the body will burn the alcohol in your system before it burns fat, so it will delay fat burn until the alcohol is depleted from your system. This will not cause major issues unless you are a frequent or heavy drinker, which can cause significant delays of fat burning by your body.

So what types of alcohols are allowed on keto? First of all, beer and flavored alcohol contain carbs and sugar that can immediately knock you out of ketosis, so make sure you abstain from those. However, clear hard liquors such as vodka are the types of alcohol that are safest for keto, especially the ones with no carbs and sugar and very little calories. One thing to be aware of though is that some people have issues with all types of alcohol, even straight liquor and dry wine. At 7 calories per gram, it’s never a good idea to drink to excess, even the types of alcohol that have no carbs.

Other negative effects that alcohol can have on keto is influencing your mental state in a negative way, which can make it easy to stray off your diet. It can cause some people to lose focus and purpose, which may result in binging on carbs and disrupting their macros. Alcohol also hits the system harder on keto because there is an absence of carbs to absorb it, so you might want to drink less than usual once you get started on keto.   

When people who are new to the keto diet start it for the first time, they may experience various side effects that might make them confused and wonder what’s going on. However, fear not, because most of these side effects are common and can be cured with simple solutions.

Keto Flu

One of the common side effects that people new to keto experience is what some call the keto flu, because they experience symptoms similar to that of the flu. These symptoms may include headaches, feeling tired, nausea, and lack of energy. These symptoms normally manifest because on the keto diet, the body is transitioning from sugar burning to fat burning for energy. During this process, the body dumps its glycogen stores and also salt, water and electrolytes. 

So flu-like symptoms are caused by dehydration and deficiency of salt and electrolytes.

To battle these side effects, you just need to drink plenty of fluids, replenish your salt and electrolytes, and consume more fat. Eating more fat will keep your energy levels up and help you feel satiated. To get more electrolytes in your system, we recommend a Keto Electrolyte Formula that is specifically designed for the keto diet: striveketo.com/electrolytes 

Muscle Cramps

Another common side effect of keto is muscle cramping, especially leg cramps. Muscle cramping can occur when there is an imbalance of minerals and electrolytes or when you are dehydrated. When starting on the keto diet and eliminating carbs from your body, it produces less insulin, which normally processes these carbs. When there is less insulin in your system, your kidneys will absorb less sodium, which will get released in your urine and cause a sodium deficiency and electrolyte imbalance. 

Simply, electrolytes are minerals with positive charges that are found in all bodily fluids, and they work to push fluid throughout your cells to keep you hydrated. They are involved in several bodily functions, mainly those involving muscles and nerves. When you experience an electrolyte imbalance, it usually involves magnesium, potassium, and sodium. A deficiency of these electrolytes in your body is a sure-fire way of inducing muscle cramps. 

Another possible cause of cramping can be dehydration. When you transition into ketosis, your body first uses up all its glycogen stores before switching to fat burning for energy. Glycogen is attached to water in the body, so when glycogen stores are used up, excess water is freed and leaves the body through urination, which can result in dehydration. 

Other possible causes of leg cramps can be ingesting too much caffeine, exercising without hydrating, and being overly sedentary. Caffeine is a diuretic and may contribute to dehydration, and it can also stimulate muscles to contract. When it comes to exercise, sweating in large amounts can cause significant loss of water and electrolytes from your body, which need to be replenished or can cause cramping. Also, when you sit or don’t move for long periods of time, your muscles can tighten up and cause cramps, so be more physically active and keep those muscles moving.

So how do you cure these muscle and leg cramps? The easiest first step is to drink more water and stay fully hydrated throughout the day. How much water should you be drinking? Take your body weight in pounds and divide it by two. This is the number of ounces of water you should be drinking throughout the day to maintain healthy levels of hydration. If you drink coffee, add another cup of water to your daily water requirements to offset the dehydrating effects of the coffee. Also drink plenty of water when you exercise.

Next, you want to make sure you are getting enough electrolytes, especially sodium, magnesium and potassium, to avoid being deficient. You can add Himalayan salt to your diet to get more sodium and eat more healthy foods that are good sources of magnesium and potassium. The easiest way to ensure you are getting enough electrolytes is though electrolyte supplements, such as this special keto electrolyte supplement: striveketo.com/electrolytes

Constipation

When transition to a low-carb diet, constipation is a possible side effect caused by your digestive system needing to adapt to your new diet. Good-quality fiber is a solution to constipation because it keeps the intestines moving. However, many sources of fiber are high in carbs, and the keto diet avoids these types of high-carb sources of fiber. Therefore, you need to be more proactive in finding low-carb options of fiber, which include non-starchy vegetables and ground flaxseed. 

Another common cause of constipation is dehydration, which causes the body to absorb more water from the colon and digested food becomes dryer and harder. This means you should drink more water and keep fully hydrated to avoid these side effects. 

Another solution to constipation for those on keto is taking MCT oil. Not only does it help people avoid constipation, MCT oil is also important for helping your body burn more fat, lowering insulin and cholesterol levels, providing more energy, and also keeping your brain healthier.  

Heart Palpitations

When transitioning to keto, it’s not uncommon to experience a slightly elevated heart rate or a more pronounced heartbeat. One common cause is dehydration and a lack of salt, which decreases the amount of circulating fluid in the bloodstream and forces the heart to pump harder to circulate blood.

The cure for this symptom is simple: Just drink more water and get more salt in your diet. Also making sure you’re getting enough electrolytes everyday can help improve your heart and circulatory functions, which you can get from keto electrolyte supplements. 

So all in all, most of these common symptoms for those new to keto can be cured by simply drinking more water to stay fully hydrated and replenishing your salt and electrolyte levels. Because it can take weeks for your body to fully adapt to ketosis, you may experience residual symptoms until your body adjusts to its new metabolic state. 

For those of you on medication for certain conditions such as diabetes or high blood pressure, you may experience symptoms caused by the keto diet changing your physical condition. For example, those with diabetes may experience a lowering of blood sugar levels, which may mean that their current dosage of medication is too high and needs to be adjusted. Similarly for those with high blood pressure may experience a lowering of their blood pressure levels and may need to have their medication dosage adjusted accordingly.   

Sometimes it can take a while for your body to get into ketosis, even up to one to three weeks, and it can be tricky to know when exactly you are in ketosis. There may be some signs that you can use to generally gauge whether you are in ketosis, such as feeling more energetic and seeing weight loss and diminishing body fat. However, these methods are inexact and very speculative, which is why we measure ketones in our body to determine accurately whether we are in ketosis or not.

Ketones are actually a byproduct of your body shifting into fat burning mode. This happens when your body has no more glycogen stores and when glucose is no longer available for energy consumption, which mobilizes fatty acids and increases ketones in your body as a source of energy. 

So when you go into ketosis, the presence of these ketones are a surefire way to determine whether you are in ketosis.

Fat is actually a more efficient form of fuel for the body than sugar. The heart operates more efficiently when running on ketones, and ketones are also super healthy for the brain. When you are in ketosis, the level of ketones in your blood stream will vary throughout the day. For example, your ketone levels will probably be highest in the morning after you have fasted all night while sleeping, and your ketone levels will probably be lowest after you’ve had a large meal.  

That’s why the best method for testing your ketone levels is ketone breath testing. These ketone breath meter devices are very accurate in testing for ketones in the form of acetone, which will then allow you to determine whether you are in ketosis or not. Best of all, once you buy the breath testing device, you can use it over and over again without having to pay for additional test strips, which would be mandatory for blood testing devices. These breath testing devices last for years so they are very cost-effective and you can use them multiple times everyday.  

Keto Drinks and Pills

One thing that keto practitioners need to be wary of are exogenous ketones. These are mostly fake keto products like drinks and pills that promise to put you into ketosis by way of ingesting ketones. However, this is pseudoscience, because ingesting ketones does not put you into nutritional ketosis. Not only does artificially placing ketones into your body not cause your body to go into fat burning mode, these artificial ketones may make it impossible to test for whether you are actually in ketosis, because ketone breath testing devices might not be able to distinguish between the real ketones and artificial ketones in your body. So stay away from these ketone drink and pill products that don’t actually work and may even harm you. 

MCT Oil

If you want to raise your ketone levels naturally, take MCT oil, which you can add into your coffee, tea or water. MCT stands for medium chain triglycerides, which goes directly to your liver and brain and assists in the production of ketones to help you lose weight faster. MCT oil is also exceptionally good for your brain.

Keto Strips

So let’s talk about how to measure these ketones in your body to determine whether or not you are actually in ketosis. Before discussing the best way to test for ketones, we should discuss the methods that don’t actually work first. Many people on keto use urine test strips to measure their ketone levels, but these test strips are notorious for being inaccurate. Urine test strips only measure one type of ketone in your urine, acetoacetate. However, the ketones that are present in urine are actually the excess ketones that were not expended for energy and end up as waste, so they are more of an indirect gauge of the amount of actual ketones in your system. Additionally, when you first enter the state of ketosis, your body is still adjusting to the process of burning ketones for energy and can be inefficient in the beginning stages, which can result in excess ketones being dumped. However, once your body becomes efficient at processing and burning ketones, there will be fewer ketones that will end up in your urine, which a keto test strip would interpret that you’re not in ketosis, even though you may actually be deep in ketosis. So these keto test strips can indicate that you’re in ketosis when you’re actually not, and they can even indicate that you’re not in ketosis when you actually are. In general it’s  best to stay away from these inaccurate products. 

Ketone Meters

There are two accurate methods for measuring ketones in your body, which are ketone breath meters and ketone blood meters. Ketone blood testing machines are actually made for diabetics and use prescription test strips that test for ketoacidosis. One type of strip tests for ketones in the form of beta hydroxybutyrate while the other tests for glucose. However, these blood test strips are very expensive and can cost around $5-10 for just 10 strips. While these tests are very accurate, they were designed for diabetics and are just not very practical or cost-effective for keto practitioners. 

When you take MCT oil supplements, they can help you get your total fat requirements for the day. Also when you get started on MCT oil, you want to start slowly with about a quarter teaspoon each day for about a week, and then you can increase the amount you are taking each week until you are taking about one full tablespoon each day. This will allow your stomach to gradually adjust to MCT oil, as it can cause digestion issues for some people who are new to it.