It can be confusing to figure out what eating plan to follow that will best suit our needs. Many people have dietary restrictions, food allergies, and specific health conditions that need specialized diets. Some of the diets that address both health and weight management include clean eating and keto.
Keto: The High-Fat, Low-Carb Diet
The ketogenic diet, at its core, doesn’t restrict specific ingredients. It mainly works with macronutrients. The concept behind this diet is to limit carbs and increase fat intake. The general rule is to get most of your calories from healthy fats and stay below 50 grams of carbs per day. Some people who follow a keto diet choose not to eat carbs at all.
The diet is more focused on reducing carb intake to lose weight and stabilize blood, but it does not restrict dairy, unlike the paleo diet. By limiting carbs in your diet, your body switches from using glucose (sugar) as its primary fuel to using fat and “ketones”. When your body runs out of sources of glucose from food, it eventually starts relying more on fat stores for energy. The liver creates an alternative fuel source through a process called ketosis.
The foundation of keto is keeping your body in a state of ketosis as much as possible. This is a normal process for everyone, even when you don’t follow the keto diet. For most people, it occurs during times of fasting.
Clean Eating: Food as Nature Intended
Clean eating is not so much a diet as it is an overall eating philosophy. It’s following a lifestyle of including natural, whole foods most of the time, choosing organic and sustainable options whenever possible. People are more mindful of how their food is sourced and minimize eating processed foods, refined grains and sugars, and artificial ingredients. The point is to eat food in a state as close to its natural state as possible.
Foods such as grains and dairy are not cut out entirely, and there’s no recommendation of limiting macronutrients or calories. Clean eating is flexible and allows for individuality. The Mediterranean diet, anti-inflammatory eating, and real food diet typically fall into the general clean eating lifestyle.
Doing Both
The keto diet focuses on getting your body into a state of ketosis by reducing your carb intake. In contrast, clean eating focuses on ingredients and eating food in a natural state without restricting food groups. It is possible to do both keto and clean eating by eating whole foods plus reducing your carb intake.
Overall, it is more sustainable to focus on eating more whole foods and fewer processed foods. As long as you are making good food choices that make you happy, you are on your way to freeing yourself from a dieting mentality.
As always, it may work best if you work with a dietitian or nutritionist who can help figure out exactly which diet will work best for your specific situation and keep you in the right mindset.
[RECIPE] Asian Cabbage Salad with Warm Spicy Peanut Dressing (use organic when possible):
Prep time:20 minutes
Cooking time: 5 minutes
Serves: 4
Spicy Peanut Dressing Ingredients:
- 1/2 c. all-natural peanut butter
- 3 T. rice vinegar
- 1 T. sesame oil
- 2 t. sriracha sauce
- Sea salt and black pepper, to taste
- 3 T. tamari or coconut aminos
- 1 1/2 T. honey, preferably local
- 2 T. fresh lime juice
- 1 T. fresh ginger, finely minced
- 1-2 cloves garlic, finely minced
- 1/4 liquid from Mandarin oranges
Salad Ingredients:
- 4 c. green cabbage, shredded
- 2 c. red cabbage, shredded
- 2 large carrots, shredded
- 1 medium red bell pepper, sliced thin
- 2 green onions (green parts only), sliced
- 1/4 c. fresh cilantro leaves chopped
- Sea salt and black pepper, to taste
- 1/4 c. toasted peanuts, chopped
- 1 10-oz. can sugar-free Mandarin oranges (packed in juice)
- 1 T. white sesame seeds
Directions:
- To make the dressing, combine the peanut butter, vinegar, sesame oil, and sriracha sauce in a medium skillet over medium heat. Season with salt and black pepper, to taste, and heat, stirring continually, until the peanut butter melts and the ingredients are thoroughly combined, approximately 2-3 minutes.
- Reduce heat to low and whisk in remaining dressing ingredients until combined. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until heated through, approximately 2 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside. Keep warm.
- Combine shredded green cabbage, red cabbage, carrots, bell pepper, green onion, and fresh cilantro in a large bowl. Season with salt and black pepper, to taste, and drizzle with a small amount of the warm peanut dressing. Toss to combine.
- Transfer salad to a decorative serving platter and top with chopped peanuts, Mandarin oranges, and sesame seeds. Serve immediately with the remaining peanut dressing on the side. Enjoy!
To Your Health,
Patti
