5 Supplements You Should Use When On a Keto Diet

Starting out and maintaining a ketogenic diet can be an arduous task for those who haven’t tried it before, despite being comprised of tasty meals. In this article, we present you five supplements that will help you adapt much more efficiently and reap the benefits of living on a low-carb diet.

The first and most important thing you need to remember when deciding to embark on the ketogenic journey is that you need to greatly increase fat consumption. That’s because you need some kind of an alternative to carbs that were previously providing the majority of your daily calories. And eating too much protein isn’t the best substitute since anything above 0.6-0.8 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight will actually lead to the production of enough glucose that will take your body out of ketosis.

Where you get you fat from is entirely your choice. The majority of people add avocados, bacon or cream in almost every meal of the day, and some even forget that there lots of other healthy alternatives like eggs, lean meats, and veggies.

No matter the choice and no matter how delicious the new menu is, the period it takes to adjust to a keto diet is always difficult. Lots of people have been tempted to quit the diet before even entering the state of ketosis, which is the time when the real fat burn begins and you start seeing the benefits.

The 5 staple supplements that we present here will help you endure this adaptation period which has been proven to be the most difficult for most people and help you reach your end goal of becoming leaner and stronger.

1. Electrolytes

Forcing your body to switch its preferred energy source from carbs to fat can be extremely difficult. And that’s not just because of the time it takes for that to occur, but also because chances are high that you might start experiencing nausea, migraines and in lots of cases an overall body fatigue lasting for a couple of days. This is something now largely known as the “induction flu”.

As your body switches from carbs to fat, the same happens to essential electrolytes like potassium and sodium. In order to prevent the fatigue and migraines, you should start taking an electrolyte supplement.

If you also happen to be dehydrated while having low electrolyte levels, all of the aforementioned symptoms will only get worse. What makes matter even more difficult is that a lot of people start cutting them out like potassium and sodium at the same time their carb intake is decreasing. If you are training hard while adjusting to the diet, electrolyte supplements are a must.

2. MCT Oil or coconut oil

Although it may sound strange these two aren’t exactly the same thing. Seeds and nuts are considered to be the high-fat staple foods of keto dieting, however taking into account the amount of protein and carbs the majority of them have, they needn’t be the only source of calories. For example, 1 oz of almonds has 7 grams of protein and 7 grams of carbs. In many cases, a pure source of fat like MCT oil is a lot better way to ingest calories, either in the form of a direct supplement or dissolved in your coffee or protein shake.

A tablespoon of MCTs, which stands for medium chain triglycerides, provide 15 grams of fat. In comparison to long chain triglycerides which is the type most commonly found in food products, MCTs are a specific fat source since they enter into the bloodstream fairly quickly and this makes them a very readily available source of fuel for both your muscles and your brain. Supplementing with MCTs during the course of the day will ease the transition period and will also enable steady energy levels throughout the day.

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You might have already heard that coconut oil is an excellent source of MCTs since they comprise around 60% of its total fat content. It is also excellent for cooking because it has a very high flash point and doesn’t have a strong flavor.

Experiment with adding coconut oil to a pre-workout protein shake, a smoothie,  putting it in a salad, chicken, fish or beef to reach the high-fat daily target. Coconut oil is also special because it transforms very easily from a solid to a liquid state and vice versa when you store it at or below 77 degrees. If you want to prepare a creamy pudding, add some coconut oil, a little bit of water and mix it with your favorite flavor of whey protein.

3. Fibers

Even though you need to seriously up your fat intake, that doesn’t necessarily mean that you should neglect vegetables. If you are not a big fan of greens or broccoli, that’s bad news since they are one of the most suitable foods for a keto diet because of their low-carb content.

That is why you should seriously think of incorporating a fiber supplement in your diet. Fiber will help you avoid occasional irregularities will help you feel satiated, in addition to helping you in the maintenance of a healthy bacterial environment in your intestines. The carb content in most of the fiber supplements can get pretty high, so make sure that you read the nutrition labels to ensure you’re not going over you daily carb requirements.

Fiber supplements based on flax seed are known to have a pretty high content of fat while at the same time being low on carbs.

4. Caffeine

As we mentioned many times earlier the transition your body is forced to make by switching from carbohydrates to fat as the primary energy source can be excruciating. Instead of just waiting it out and preparing yourself to function as a zombie for the first couple of days, try to help yourself by slightly upping the caffeine intake, either in the form of taking a caffeine-containing supplement like a fat-burner or a pre-workout supplement or simply drinking more coffee. It may prove to be the perfect tool to elevate your mood and increase fat-burning.

Caffeine in its essence improves loss of fat and is an appetite suppressant, making it an ideal supplement to a keto diet. Additionally, if you are planning on training hard and heavy during the transition period, the benefits you will get from caffeine will be extremely helpful. Caffeine also intensified breakdown of fat tissue, making it an extremely efficient fat-loss supplement you can add to your keto diet arsenal.

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5. Greens supplements

Our modern diets are highly deficient in vegetables and chances are high that applies to your diet as well. It is quite evident and the lack of consuming vegetables can be particularly glaring once up increase fat intake significantly and start a ketogenic diet. If you examine your most common meals you will find that our point is right. Eliminating carbs from your diet can make hitting daily protein and fat requirements extremely difficult. Greens supplements are a great tool to help you reach those goals.

The number one thing you should is to search for ways to make sure you get enough greens in your diet. Add a couple of leaves of spinach onto your diced eggs. Make a juice of low-carb vegetables and eat it alongside a cheese snack. Eat some kind of salad with every meal. Only then, if you still aren’t reaching your fat and protein goals, consider adding a greens supplement.

And you should always take into consideration that supplements are never a substitute for a well-balanced and healthy diet. However, a lot of professional athletes attribute a lot of their success to this supplement. By the way, they are an excellent addition to your protein shake and even though the color may seem odd the taste is delicious.

 


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