Fats You Should Avoid If You're Following A Keto Diet
The keto diet is another low-carb diet that works by using ketones to fuel the body. Restricting daily carbs as low as 5% of your daily intake means that the body needs less insulin to process blood glucose, which limits the ability to store fat and glucose, according to the StatPearls article. Keto diets aren't high-protein diets, so following a keto diet will have your daily protein intake be about 20% of your total calories. What's left in your daily menu is fat.
If you want to stay healthy on a keto diet, some fats are better than others. Choosing foods with artificial trans fats, which you'll see as partially hydrogenated oils or shortening, isn't a healthy choice on the keto diet. Artificial trans fats can be found in processed and packaged foods, such as cakes, pastries, and biscuits, but you might not be eating these on the keto diet. Fried foods have trans fats, so you should avoid these foods if you're on the keto diet. If you love bacon, it's considered to be processed meat that should be avoided or limited on the keto diet. Processed meats also include deli meats, hot dogs, and sausage (via Healthline).
Why you should avoid these fats
The Food & Drug Administration declared partially hydrogenated oils unsafe to include in foods, so manufacturers can no longer add them to foods. Although you won't see these oils in store-bought foods, you'll still see trans fats in refrigerated dough, fried foods, and margarine, as per MedlinePlus. Foods could have some hidden trans fat in them because it has less than 5 grams of trans fat per serving. According to a 2009 review in Atherosclerosis, these fatty acids can increase your risk of coronary heart disease by causing inflammation and calcification of the arteries. Because trans fats lower your good cholesterol and increase your bad cholesterol levels, you should avoid trans fats altogether.
You should avoid processed meats because they can increase your risk for cancer, according to MD Anderson Cancer Center. Certain chemicals in processed meat, such as nitrates, have been associated with colorectal cancer because they can affect the cells in the colon and rectum. Check the nutrition label of your foods, looking for nitrates or any curing, smoking, or salting processes.
Healthier fats for the keto diet
While trans fats and processed meats can be unhealthy, certain foods have healthier fats. According to Healthline, avocados can improve your heart health and control your blood sugar. Nuts and nut butter can lower your risk for heart disease and diabetes, so add some pistachios, walnuts, or almond butter to your daily menu. Seeds like chia and flax seeds and seed butter like sunflower butter are also good choices on the keto diet.
The key to losing weight on a keto diet is to reduce your carbs so your body reaches ketosis. The medium-chain triglycerides in coconut oil can help with ketosis. Olives and olive oils are healthy because they reduce inflammation and lower your risk for heart disease, cancer, and osteoporosis. The omega-3s in fatty fish such as salmon and tuna are good for your heart, while the short-chain fatty acid in butter might be good for your brain.