Since the keto diet does have potential benefits for those who don’t have a chronic neurological disease, it’s helpful to know if you are someone who could see positive results from experimenting with a keto reset.

This is where things get fuzzy, because as it stands now, a ton of people are trying this diet, even if they don’t really need it. That being said, this diet could be helpful to try if you are someone who is looking to:

• Improve or reset your insulin sensitivity
• Improve some of your biomarkers, including blood pressure & cholesterol
• Lose weight or body fat with a sedentary lifestyle

Within a few weeks, you should be able to see some fairly noticeable changes. This diet is not meant to be followed long-term by people who do not have neurodegenerative diseases, since it is so limited from a micronutrient perspective and is difficult to sustain, which is why our Keto Reset filter is a 3-week intensive program.

It is important to note, the keto diet is not the ONLY answer to tackle these health issues. There are plenty of ways to improve insulin sensitivity, reduce blood pressure & cholesterol, and lose body fat that don’t involve eating such an extreme diet. That being said, some people genuinely enjoy eating a ketogenic diet, and if that’s you, and you’re seeing the benefits, that’s great!

The keto diet is not for everyone, however. The ketogenic diet is NOT a good fit for someone who:

• Is only looking to lose weight fast without having a plan on how to maintain the weight loss long-term 
• Has a poor relationship with food and/or has disordered eating patterns
• Is an elite athlete (yes, there are a few exceptions to this, and a few high level athletes maintain a ketogenic lifestyle and still perform well, but these are few and far between)

Tips To Get You Started On Your Keto-curious Journey

If, after reading the above, you feel you’re a good fit for a keto experiment, we want to support your journey!

First thing’s first: As with any drastic dietary change, check with your physician before taking the plunge. The keto diet can have side effects, and the safest thing to do is double-check with your doc to make sure you’re a good fit for this approach.

Two important considerations to determine and organize before you begin your keto journey:

1. Track your calories and macronutrients using some kind of app. My Fitness Pal is a great start to ensure accuracy with your ratios. Unsure how to get going with this? Check out our My Fitness Pal how-to guide.
2. Determine if you’re going to count total carbohydrates or net carbohydrates. This is an ongoing debate, and at the end of the day, you need to make the decision for yourself about which route you choose – but be consistent. Net carbohydrates remove the carb grams from fiber, with the rationale that fiber does not get absorbed into the digestive tract, so the body does not actually use it.
3. Test your state of ketosis. It can be tricky to know if you’re in ketosis or not, so you can test your ketones by either getting specific urine strips, or a blood testing kit. This is an imperative step to see if you’re reaching the intended dietary goal (and thus reaping the benefits of a ketogenic diet) or merely eating a ton of fat without the results.

You calculate net carbs by subtracting the grams of fiber from the grams of total carbohydrates. For example, if a food has 10g total carbs and 5g fiber, your net carb count would be 10-5 = 5 net carbs. FYI, at Territory – we include both total carb and net carb calculations for our meals, which you’ll find on all our meal labels.

Most people who count total carbohydrates aim for closer to the 10% ratio for carbs, while those who count net carbs generally shoot for the 5% ratio.