keto diets are popular because they work for weight loss much of this benefit is because this way of eating keeps your blood sugar low which keeps the fat storing hormone insulin low those low values give your cells a break from the constant bombardment of insulin allowing them to regain insulin sensitivity release fat and Revitalize your metabolism but what does a keto diet look like and how do you piece meals together when you only have 20 grams of carbohydrates to play with this video shares three days of Keto menus one for those who love to cook one for those who tolerate cooking and one for those who want to stay out of the kitchen before we get started I want to take a minute to thank our sponsor element electrolytes as I mentioned one of the ways a keto diet helps you lose fat is by keeping insulin levels low when insulin is low fat can be released from fat cells however lower insulin levels also cause water and electrolytes to be be released or fleshed out by the kidneys essential electrolytes include potassium magnesium and sodium despite its reputation sodium is needed by your body without it your muscles could not contract nerves could not relay messages and you could not regulate body fluids when it is low you can experience symptoms from headaches and muscle cramps to irritability and brain fog in addition to the electrolyte loss due to lower insulin when you reduce your carb intake to just 20 grams per day there's no room for processed or refined Foods this change alone reduces your sodium intake by about 70 percent fortunately electrolytes can be replenished they can be obtained from foods like slow simmered bone broth sea salt leafy greens nuts and seeds or you can do what I do and supplement your diet with element one of my favorite ways to use element is to slowly stir it into a glass of carbonated water like Seltzer and use it as a stopper following a meal a stopper is a term I use for a food drink or activity that makes it easy for me to separate from eating so I can keep from overeating I also like to use this fizzy drink as an alternative to alcohol when you're on a keto diet alcohol can derail your progress element feels like a special drink but unlike alcohol it benefits my body element comes in many great tasting flavors and right now you can get a free sample pack with any purchase so you can try eight of their flavors to get yours go to drink lmnt.com forward slash Dr Becky I'll provide a link to the offer in the description area below this video alright let's take a look at our three keto menus each one consists of three meals and contains 20 total grams of carbohydrates I chose to demonstrate a 20 gram per day diet because it is the one that seems to have the most interest however everyone's carb tolerance is different and some keto dieters choose to count net carbs which of course would increase the total count I have explained why I count total not net carbs in multiple videos my top reason is because when it comes to processed foods net carbs open the door to deception at worst and Wishful Thinking at best those are two things you don't want when your goal is weight loss for example this box of brownie mix says that there are only three grams of net carbs per serving awesome that means you can eat almost seven brownies and stick to your keto diet it would be fantastic if that worked for weight loss it won't for those who love to cook here is what a day of eating keto can look like you can have an omelette with low carb vegetables like mushrooms and spinach in the morning the eggs can be cooked in oil which is pure fat I like to use avocado oil for lunch you can mix up tuna salad or use a packet of salmon to make salmon salad and place it on a bed of greens with non-starchy vegetables I used tomatoes cucumbers and red onions and added an oil-based dressing for dinner think protein and non-starchy vegetables for this menu I included baked cod and veggies the total carb count for this daily menu is only 16 carbs that gives you 4 grams of wiggle room for the day so you can elect to add another low-carb veggie to a meal or have a low carb snack like cheese or raw nuts non-starchy vegetables are the best carb choice for keto dieters because they are naturally low in calories and carbs and add volume to your diet which helps you stay full longer if you'd like a list of low-carb foods including the best vegetable and fruit choices you can download my list of 100 low-carb foods for free on my website also notice that this is a low saturated fat diet if your doctor told you to go on a Mediterranean diet but you long for the quick weight loss of Keto you can do both at the same time you can Google recipes to find similar ones to those that I'm showing these recipes are from my Mediterranean keto cookbook and if you are interested in that resource I will leave a link in the description area below for those who are willing to cook but don't love it you can put together a healthy diet so here is menu number two you can start your day with deviled eggs which can be made by simply hard boiling eggs and mixing the yolks with mayo and mustard for lunch mix cooked ground meat with taco seasoning put the meat on a bed of greens along with cheese and sour cream and you have a simple but satisfying taco salad now if you like to cook you can mix up your own taco seasoning mix and take the health value up a notch as you'll see as we progress the farther you get away from cooking the more processed foods you'll encounter for dinner stir fry is the ultimate quick and healthy keto friendly meal you can use whole vegetables like the zucchini ribbons I used in this recipe or simply use a bag of frozen veggies and pre-cooked chicken or shrimp from the grocery store these three meals add up to 19.6 grams of carbohydrates you can spread the meals throughout the day or if you practice intermittent fasting you can eat all three within a shortened eating window you can eat a keto diet without cooking if you are willing to smash a few ingredients you can make a raspberry cheesecake cup for breakfast it has only 6.3 grams of carbs and is made by mashing together raspberries and cream cheese until they are smooth and adding coconut milk vanilla and a pinch of stevia for lunch visit the local grocery store salad bar salad is a great way to fill your stomach and acts as a wonderful vehicle for getting healthy fats into your body start with a bed of greens and add a few Tomatoes slices of hard-boiled eggs feta cheese green olives sunflower seeds and oil and vinegar dressing and before you leave the salad bar fill up a separate small container with the same ingredients as your lunchtime salad you can have that for dinner along with a pre-cooked meat from Costco or a similar store this total days carb count is 20.4 grams and your time in the kitchen is minimal there you go three keto menus that keep your total carb intake at 20 grams or less per day now obviously these are examples being presented to a worldwide audience so your food choices and calorie requirements may need to be adjusted to meet your needs thanks to element for sponsoring this video their support helps me to keep creating free content for you to get your free sample pack with any purchase go to drink lmnt.com forward slash Dr Becky I'll provide a link to the offer in the description area below this video thanks