You're Focusing on the Wrong Foods
A lot people jump in thinking they should load up on lots of dairy, meat, and fats as part of the keto diet. The issue, however, is not being mindful of the quality of those foods and whether or not those foods will work well with your body type. We asked functional medicine practitioner and keto advocate Dr. Will Cole, D.C., to weigh-in.
"A lot of people in the keto world fill their plate with nonorganic and processed meats and dairy, which have been linked to many health problems, and avoid plant foods for fear of going over their carb limit — thus missing out on a vital range of essential plant phytonutrients and prebiotic food for the gut microbiome," Dr. Cole explained.
It's very likely that if you're adapting a ketogenic diet, you want to be healthier. By neglecting nutrient-rich food, you're depriving your body of achieving that optimal state. In addition, everyone's body will thrive on different types of foods, so simply following the "high-fat/low-carb" rule won't work for everyone.
Dr. Cole expanded by adding that some people won't necessarily do well by loading up on red meat or dairy products. For this reason, he wrote his book, Ketotarian, showing people that there are a variety of ways to adapt to a ketogenic diet. You have to customize it by fueling your body with the quality nutrients that it needs.
"I wanted to show people they can be vegan, vegetarian, and pescatarian and still go keto!" It's all about finding the quality of foods that will work best for you, not just following the general standard.