KETO AND LOW CARB BEGINNERS DIET GUIDE

Welcome to the Keto and Low Carb Beginners Diet Guide from Holistic Yum. Here you will find everything you need to know to get started on your way to a healthier YOU!

So, you know you want to lose weight, get healthy or just want to feel better. You know that a keto diet can be an incredible tool for you to reach those goals! And if done right, keto can change your life.

WHAT IS A KETO OR LOW CARB DIET?

Keto Beginners Guide

The Ketogenic Diet is a low carbohydrate, high fat diet that can switch your body from using carbs or glucose as fuel to burning fat as fuel. This is called Ketosis.

  • The purpose of the Keto diet is to switch your body’s primary energy source from carbohydrates (glucose) to ketones, or fat. When your body starts using fat for energy, your body is in a state of ketosis.
  • Entering ketosis usually takes anywhere from 3 days to a week. Once you’re in ketosis, you’ll be using fat for energy, instead of carbs. This includes the fat you eat and stored body fat
  • The human body actually uses ketones more efficiently than glucose. This is why after entering ketosis, you may feel that you have renewed energy and brain function.

*Please know that a Ketogenic Diet and low carb eating are not for everyone. Before getting started on any new diet, please check with your doctor if you have concerns.

BENEFITS OF THE KETO DIET

Day to Day Benefits

  • Lose your body fat
  • Have consistent energy levels during the day. No sugar crashes!
  • Feel full after meals longer, with means less snacking and overeating

Long Term Benefits

  • Lose more weight and body fat
  • Maintain better levels of good cholesterol
  • Have reduced blood sugar and better insulin resistance
  • May have reductions in blood pressure

MYTHS ABOUT WEIGHT LOSS

There are TWO main things you must know to reach your maximum results. These may go against everything you believe you know about weight loss and what’s good for you.

EATING FAT WILL NOT MAKE YOU FAT

Actually the body can burn two things as fuel, sugar or fat. Hands down, the easiest source of fuel for the body to burn as energy is sugar. It’s readily available and is in most of our (pre-keto) diets in abundance. So when sugar is present, the body will burn IT as fuel.

The other fuel the body can use is Fat. This is harder for the body to burn, so our bodies will look for sugar first and once the sugar reserves are depleted, then it will move on to the Fat. 

EATING LESS WILL NOT MAKE YOU WEIGH LESS

A big reason that most diets fail is because people starve and deprive themselves of real food sources. 

On a normal diet you end up eating salads for every meal, low fat dressing, low calorie dressing, plain chicken, steamed broccoli.  Sure – this is doable for a week, but then your body starts craving real food. Comfort foods, fatty foods. This is when you end up cheating and may abandon your diet all together.

We all know what’s it’s like to eat “diet food” and feel hungry again 10 minutes later. With a keto diet, you’ll actually NEED to eat. For keto, you need to eat less sugary or high carb foods, and more delicious high-fat and protein foods that ignite your fat-burning metabolism.

Low Carb Keto recipes that are ultimate diet food!

WHAT KIND OF FOOD CAN I EAT ON A KETO OR LOW CARB DIET?

Your keto diet should contain a range of 20 – 50 grams of carbs each day. It may not seem like many carbs, but they are lots of nutritious foods that fit into your new keto lifestyle. Take a look at our Recipe Index to see many of the delicious foods you can eat on this diet.


  • Meat and Poultry are staples of the keto diet. Fresh meat and poultry contain no carbs and are a great source of protein, which helps preserve muscle mass on a very low carb diet.

  • Fish and some Shellfish are very keto friendly. Some shellfish like shrimp and crab contain no carbs, but other do have carbs.

  • Eggs have less than one carb each and are another staple of the keto diet. Most of the nutrients in eggs are found in the yolks.

  • Low Carb Vegetables that are low starch are great for the low carb diet. Vegetables and other plants contain fiber, which your body doesn’t digest and absorb like other carbs. So look at their net carb count, which is the total amount of carbs minus the fiber. The best veggies for the low carb diet are above-ground varieties like avocados, lettuce, cauliflower, broccoli, bell peppers, cabbage and green beans.

  • Cheese is a keto diet staple. There are so many incredible varieties of cheese. Fortunately, all of them are very low in carbs and high in fat, which makes them a great fit for a ketogenic diet.

  • Butter and Cream are good fats to include on a keto diet. They contain only a trace amount of carbs per serving.

  • Greek Yogurt and Cottage Cheese have about 5 grams of carbs per serving and are healthy, high protein foods and can be partof your keto diet.

  • Berries are the exception to eating fruits on a low carb diet. Most are low in carbs and high in fiber.

  • Coconut and Olive Oil contain zero carbs and recommended for the keto diet. Coconut oil has been shown to have properties which can help the body with ketosis.

  • Nuts and Seeds are healthy, high-fat and low carb. The carb load varies for each type and has a wide range. They are high in fiber so check the net carbs of each.

  • Dark Chocolate and Cocoa Powder are great sources of anti-oxidants, Choose unsweetened chocolate with at least 70% cocoa solids and unsweetened cocoa powder.

Unfortunately, to maintain your keto lifestyle you won’t be able to eat many carbs. You’ll need to say goodbye to many of your favorite foods like:

  • Bread
  • Grains, Oats, Corn
  • Sugar
  • Potatoes
  • Rice and Beans
  • Most Fruits
  • Some Vegetables

Now that you have the basics from this Keto and Low Carb Beginners Diet Guide, you are ready to start your low carb or keto eating plan eating low carb to lose weight, feel good and become healthier! Try making any of our recipes available on this site. We make sure each and every recipe is delicious and will keep you under your daily carb limit, even if you go for seconds.

PIN THIS KETO AND LOW CARB DIET GUIDE FOR LATER!

TASTY LOW CARB KETO RECIPES TO TRY