12 Healthy High-Fat Foods Perfect For Nutritional Ketosis

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Healthy Fats Avocado
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Nutritional Ketosis with High Fat Foods

In two previous CarbSmart columns, I explained what the difference is between the relatively new concept of nutritional ketosis and the traditional Atkins diet and the 5 low-carb mistakes I feel I was making that nutritional ketosis has helped fix. As many of you know, I’ve been doing my own experiment of this concept for over five months and counting and it’s produced some pretty remarkable weight loss and health improvement results so far as I’ve lost over 50 pounds while enjoying robust energy, mental clarity, stable d blood sugars, complete satiety, zero cravings and counterintuitive results in the gym.

It’s been an amazing ride so far and I look forward to continuing this journey in the months to come. But the most popular question I’ve received from people about this by far has been “What the heck are the high-fat foods you’re eating?” It’s a fantastic question as I have consistently been over 2.0 millimolar blood ketone levels for most of this experiment. I have been reluctant to share my exact menus – they are what’s working for me. Some people may not need to eat a ketosis diet foods list exactly like me to experience the results that I have; others of you may need to be even more strict. The best thing for you to do is test to see how you respond to various foods and adjust accordingly. We are all different and require varying levels of fat, protein and carbohydrate for our specific metabolic needs. If you are like me and are metabolic deranged, it may be necessary to cut your carbohydrate intake down to the bare minimum, and reduce protein as well.

One of the major keys to my success with nutritional ketosis has been a very deliberate increase in fat consumption. I haven’t been afraid to eat fat on my low carb diet; in the absence of carbs it is the body’s fuel source. But pushing fat levels even higher while restricting carbohydrate and protein has made all the difference in the world. I remember when I first began this experiment, I got a lot of e-mails from readers who asked how I got my fat consumption up to 85% of my calories. Some joked, “What are you doing, drinking butter?” I can’t help but laugh at this notion, but it does allow me to make this a teachable moment for people who may be unfamiliar with the differences in the macronutrients.

When discussing what a very high-fat diet consists of, it’s important to remind people that one gram of dietary fat has 9 calories, while carbohydrate and protein each have only four calories per gram. This means you need less than half of the volume of fat in order to get the same calories you would receive from carbohydrate and protein. So it’s really not as much fat as you would think. To help you figure out what to add into your diet to dramatically increase the amount of fat you are consuming, I’ve compiled a list of 12 healthy high-fat foods that are perfect for your nutritional ketosis plan. If you eat these deliciously healthy fatty (but not fattening) foods while reducing your carbohydrate and protein, there’s no reason why you can’t experience all the tremendous positive benefits that come from being in nutritional ketosis.

Ketosis Diet Foods List

Here are those 12 high-fat foods you should be eating along with the percentage of calories that come from dietary fat (statistics courtesy of CalorieKing.com):

1. Avocados – 82.5% fat

high fat avocadoI remember the first time I tried an avocado – people had told me about how incredible they were. It was so hard I could barely get it open without slicing my thumb off. I didn’t know you have to let this fruit ripen until the “alligator” skin gives way to light pressure. Once I had my first taste of a fully-ripened Haas avocado, it was love at first bite! An avocado is cooling when you’re eating spicy foods, and offers a smooth texture change. It is such a great source of fats, I eat a whole avocado almost everyday with my eggs and wouldn’t imagine doing nutritional ketosis without it! It is at the top of my ketogenic diet foods list.

2. Butter – 100% fat

Butter - Dietary FatThis one should be a “well duh,” as butter is a staple of any good low carb lifestyle change. But when you are attempting to achieve nutritional ketosis, it’s even more important that you deliberately add butter to foods, for both the flavor and the fat content. My favorite brand of butter is Kerrygold grass-fed unsalted (in the silver packaging). Once you get a taste of this bright gold goodness you’ll never go back to anything else! I usually fry up 2-3 eggs in 2-3 tablespoons of butter – it’s an incredibly tasty way to start the day. Why anyone would continue to eat a man-made product like margarine thinking it’s a “healthy” food, when they could be eating butter, is beyond my comprehension.

Butter is also a very versatile food so it is also near the top of my ketogenic diet foods list.

To increase your butter intake, try some of CarbSmart’s Low-Carb Compound Butter recipes.

3. Whole eggs – 61% fat

Low Carb Breakfast Variety - Alternatives to I'm Sick Of EggsSpeaking of eggs, they are one of the world’s most perfect foods. Everyone who cares about managing their weight and improving their health should be eating them. I buy eggs from a local farmer who allows his chickens to forage in an open pasture getting plenty of sunshine. The payoff is the rich, dark orange color of the egg yolks – store-bought eggs pale in comparison. If you can find a good source of fresh eggs from a local farmer, do it. Even with the premium price, they are still one of the most economical foods low carb foods. Even when money is tight, you can feed your family well. I eat eggs virtually every day because they provide me with the perfect ratio of protein to fat to keep me on the straight and narrow with my pursuit of nutritional ketosis. Please don’t fall for the idea that the yolk is somehow bad for you. Eat just the egg whites is like only driving a Mustang on the side streets without ever getting on the interstate. You’ll never experience the full benefits of eating eggs until you eat the whole egg!

4. Coconut oil – 100% fat

Nutiva Organic Extra Virgin Coconut Oil, 29-Ounce JarOther than grass-fed butter, my absolute favorite source of healthy dietary saturated fat is coconut oil. Contrary to popular belief, adding this quality fat to your diet does not make everything you consume taste like coconuts. My favorite brand is Nutiva Organic Virgin Coconut Oil; it imparts a pleasantly sweet smell with a very mild flavor of coconuts. I especially enjoy cooking my eggs in coconut oil along with sea salt and parsley; it gives them a nice “buttery” flavor. Because it is highly saturated, coconut oil has long been vilified as a nutritional demon. That misguided opinion is finally beginning to turn around. If you are trying to increase your level of blood ketones, then there’s probably no better way than to start adding coconut oil to your daily menus.

5. Bacon – 69.5% fat

Low Carb Breakfast Options: Eggs and BaconI don’t have to convince anyone reading this to start eating more bacon, do I? Back in August, at the 2012 Ancestral Health Symposium, Harvard organic chemist Mat Lalonde extolled the virtues of consuming bacon. He noted that the fatty acid profile of this much-vilified food is actually pretty darn close to ideal. Of course, if you can get bacon from pastured pigs, that’s even better! My wife Christine loves bacon and eats it almost every day. Healthy fats, perfect amount of protein and minimal carbohydrates – what more could someone eating a low-carb diet ask for? If you’re concerned about nitrites and nitrates in bacon, then you definitely need to read this recent column by Chris Kresser to put your mind at ease. Bacon goes great with…well, everything. So eat up!

6. Sour cream – 88.5% fat

Coconut Sour Cream Recipe

Is sour cream keto? If you are able to tolerate dairy, I can’t imagine why you wouldn’t want to add sour cream to just about everything you eat. It’s such a rich source of fat while providing amazing flavor and luxurious texture to anything you eat. I’ve put sour cream on top of steak, eggs, even vegetables. Just a couple of tablespoons of sour cream will give your fat intake the boost it needs to help you get into that glorious state of nutritional ketosis. I use the full-fat versions of either Breakstone’s or Daisy, depending on which is on sale. They go on something I eat just about every day. Enjoy!

7. 70% Ground beef – 59.5% fat

What low carb dieter doesn’t like a nice hamburger? The key is to find the fattiest ground beef you can. This can be a challenge in this fat-phobic society. Most of the meats you’ll find in your local grocery store are 85-90% lean, meaning they’ve cut most of the best part of beef out of it! Look for 70% ground beef, and choose locally farmed grass-fed beef whenever possible. EatWild.com can help you find a local source of grass-fed beef. The great thing about a burger is you can cook it in butter, add some cheese (see below), and spread some sour cream on it for a mouthwatering low-carb, high-fat meal that will put you well on your way to reaching nutritional ketosis. WOO HOO! (Editor’s Note: What, no avocado on your burger?!)

8. Full-fat cheddar cheese – 74% fat

Full Fat Cheddar CheeseCheese is one of my favorite foods. Sadly, most people think Velveeta and American cheese are cheese. Nope! Not even close. They are highly-processed, cheese-like products that you really don’t want to eat, no matter how low the carb counts might be. Hard cheeses like cheddar, Monterey Jack, and Swiss are better choices. Find the ones that you enjoy, and be sure to buy the full-fat versions. Selecting low-fat cheeses defeats the purpose, and won’t help you reach nutritional ketosis. Cheese is so versatile! Put on top of just about anything, or eat us all by itself. I’ve even found that spreading cream cheese (see below) between two slices of cheddar cheese is an excellent high-fat, moderate protein, low-carb snack. I’ve also found cheese adds the perfect extra ration of protein on days that I lift weights at the gym. Can you tell I love my cheese?

9. Coconut – 88% fat

CarbSmart Coconut Shell and Meat

Growing up, I couldn’t stand coconut. It wasn’t the delightful tropical flavor that coconut provides that bothered me, but the waxy, gritty texture. But the first time I ever ate the meat of a fresh coconut – on Grand Cayman Island during the annual Low-Carb Cruise – oh my gosh! I thought I’d died and gone to heaven. The best part about coconut is that its fatty goodness jacks up those blood ketone levels amazingly. Mix some coconut into a smoothie in the morning and it will keep your hunger satisfied for hours on end. It’s time to get cuckoo for coconuts! Think of it as one of the most amazing ketogenic snacks.

10. Dark chocolate – 65% fat

Taza Stone Ground Organic Chocolate 80% DarkYou might be thinking to yourself, “Say what? Dark chocolate is a keto snacks? Are you kidding me?” Nope, I’m not kidding. Lean in really close, because I’ve got a secret to share with you: I eat dark chocolate made with sugar EVERY SINGLE DAY on my nutritional ketosis plan. Yep, I sure do! Sometimes I’ll even have it with some of that Kerrygold grass-fed unsalted butter I mentioned – truly incredible. I’m not talking about cheap, fake dark chocolate or even the sugar-free ones you can buy in most stores. I have fallen head over heels for a brand of chocolate that is far superior to anything I’ve ever put in my mouth before – Taza 80% Stone Ground Dark Chocolate. This stuff contains little chunks of real cacao and even has real sugar in it (GASP!). But I eat a half and sometimes a whole bar of this daily with no negative impact on my blood sugar or blood ketone levels. It’s got to be the cocoa butter that make it such a perfect addition to my nutritional ketosis plan.

11. Cream cheese – 88.5% fat

I said earlier that sour cream was amazing with virtually any food you could consume? Well, the same could be said about cream cheese! This stuff has an amazing fat profile that will give your meals the kind of boost they need to help you reach nutritional ketosis. If you’ve never put cream cheese in your eggs before, lemme tell you that’s an experience you won’t soon forget. It totally changes the texture of eggs; you may never eat them any other way again. I know of no better brand than Philadelphia cream cheese. Again – it bears repeating – beware of the lower-fat version. Read your label to make sure fat is the predominant ingredient and you’ll be good to go.

12. Liquid fish oil – 100% fat

Carlson Labs Norwegian Cod Liver OilAnd finally, I couldn’t talk about healthy fats without telling you about fish oil. While you won’t be adding this to your food, it is an important supplement to your diet, and will increase your blood ketones dramatically. I take two tablespoons of Carlson’s lemon-flavored liquid cod liver oil daily to infuse my body with healthy omega-3 fats as part of my heart-healthy regimen. There are fish oil capsules and tablets available at drug stores, but many of these tend to be rancid, and therefore counterproductive. That’s why I prefer the liquid fish oil. In case you’re worried about the “fishy” taste of this stuff in your mouth, it’s actually a delightfully pleasant “lemony” taste. I couldn’t imagine going through my day without taking my liquid fish oil, and the resulting blood ketone levels make it worth it!

Be hyper-aware of the nutritional content of everything you put in your mouth. In our fat-phobic society, many of the foods listed above have lower-fat and “lean” versions. You don’t want to consume these. Your lower protein, low-carb nutritional ketosis plan requires high-fat levels to be optimally healthy.

Did I leave off one of your favorite high-fat foods that you enjoy on your own personal plan? Feel free to share it with us in the comment section below along with the percentage of calories from fat it provides. Perfect keto diet foods should be part of all of your low carb high fat meals. Also, please provide any specific topics you would like for me to address in future CarbSmart columns about nutritional ketosis. THANK YOU for reading and I look forward to continuing to share this amazing journey with you.

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204 comments

  1. Hi, Jimmy! I was very happy to read your food choices are very similar to mine. I did the Atkins Fat Fast back in July of 2011 and finally got my weight headed back in the right direction. Of course I couldn’t resist creating recipes for the Fat Fast. ;+)

    I now follow a modified version of the Fat Fast which I created to be easy and fairly portable for people (like me) who are busy and/or away from home and don’t want to spend a lot of time in the kitchen (except when I’m dreaming up new recipes!).

    You can find my food choices and plan on my website at Low Carbing On The Go (http://dardreams.wordpress.com/2012/04/13/low-carbing-on-the-go/). You would probably want to trade the beef frank for bacon. I would, but bacon takes longer to cook and I wanted my meals to be quick. Bacon sounds really good right now, though…

    • Bacon is ALWAYS good. 🙂 Congrats on your success.

      • Hi Jim

        I read the story. Awesome!
        Question. I have high cholesterol. Would be this Keto something o should do?
        Cholesterol is genetically high (tendency) I was able to get it to normal by eating high lean protein and restrict bad fats as much as possible. Advice please

    • You can purchase bacon already cooked. It’s in the same grocery section as the uncooked bacon.

      • But it’s cured with sugar. And you can’t have that.

        • It is true that 99% of all bacon available is cured with some sugar. It is either a very small amount or there are even a couple brands that are specifically sugar-free. I found one in Sprouts Market.

          The health benefits of bacon outweigh the little bit of sugar it is cured with.

          Bacon is ALWAYS good.

          Sincerely,
          Andrew

  2. Congratulations on your weight loss Jimmy. I couldn’t be happier for you.
    I am also in nutritional ketosis and loving it (day 34 and ketones were 2.8 this morning).
    Aren’t we lucky that those 12 foods are also the most delicious foods out there (with the exception of the fish oil).
    My other favourite high fat foods are macadamia nuts and macadamia butter as well as Chocolate Blubber, which I learned about from PrimalNorth.com. (it is warmed butter, coconut oil with dark chocolate – I use Heidi chocolate, cooled in a flat pan and broken into pieces).
    Thank you for your great guidance in this journey.
    Lisa

  3. Hi Jimmy,
    Great article, I loved it! I have a questions for you. Cheese is also my favourite food, actually I’m a cheeseaddict, but Atkins limits it to 120 gr/day, how much cheese can you eat normally without affecting your nutritional ketosis
    Thanks!

  4. Heh, I was all set to startle the world with my recommendation of putting butter on the chocolate but I see you don’t miss a trick!

  5. This almost sounds like my weekend breakfast … coffee with heavy cream and coconut oil, 3 egg omelet with cheddar cheese plus veggies, topped with salsa, sour cream and avocado, and a side of bacon.

    After all that, I don’t need to eat again until the evening … and sometimes not even then!

  6. Jimmy you summed up the 12 apostles of healthy fat foods for me 🙂 Another food I like is called biltong in South Africa. It is like beef jerky not in a stick form and when it is not left to dry too long and has some thick fat on it it is amazing. Just got to watch not too eat to much of eat cos lots of protein then.

  7. Great job, Jimmy! Do you eat Macadamia nuts or did you just forget to put them on the list? I think they are about 95% fat so they make a very good meal item on a LCHF menu plan. I need to lose some weight and I hate to be cold so CT is out! That leaves keto-adaptation. I’m about 5 chapters into “The Art and Science of Low Carbohydrate Performance” and I’ve already identified a major mistake I was making in my LCHF strategy to lose weight! I have a lot of travel coming up in the next couple of months, not to mention the Christmas season, but I’m looking forward to slamming my body into major ketosis and staying there for awhile in January. I’ll keep you posted.

    • I’m not eating nuts on my NK experiment right now because I am just not hungry enough to snack. They’re certainly a great high-fat, low-carb food to eat for sure. YOU CAN DO THIS BUDDY!

  8. Jimmy,
    My wife and I are so happy for you. Great Job ! I’ve been following your progress with great interest.
    I feel like I’ve found out a great secret from reading your post about “12 Healthy High-Fat Foods”.
    How about adding Olive Oil in salads and cooking for 13 healthy high-fat foods.
    In the last few months I’ve been making pancakes with sour cream. You might like.
    3 Eggs (eeks 3 eggs a day… LOL )
    2 Tbsp Sour Cream
    1 tsp Psyllium Seed (powder)
    Vanilla extract to taste
    Pumpkin spice to taste

    Mix the ingredients together and let it stand for a few minutes.
    Make then like you make pancakes on the girdle. I also use Pam cooking spray .
    A little maple syrup (sugar free) and plenty of butter and you’re good to go !!!
    I love them
    ~Leo

  9. Thank you for your amazing work spreading the word, Jimmy!
    Sorry, maybe this is a German thing, but here there is no Philadelphia cheese with 74% fat. The highest fat version has 69% of fat in the dry mass, so if you eat the cheese, you eat 24,5 g fat in 100 g cheese. Full fat hard cheeses usually have around 40 to 48% fat in the dry mass, which would also probably come to around 24g fat in 100g cheese. Same with sour cream. And I haven’t found a dark chocolate with 65% fat either yet The kind I have at home, also with 81% chocolate has 42,8g fat per 100g. Although in the chocolate area I would see the best chances of finding a brand with more fat. Or you’ll just have to send me a bar! Are US% different from German %? Or is US Philadelphia different from German Philadelphia? I’ve been wondering about this for a long time.

  10. Great list! I was actually wondering for a long time what the difference would be in foods eaten on a low carb vs nutritional ketosis. 🙂 Thanks for taking the time and writing this!

    A great way to eat the dark chocolate and boost fats at the same time:
    – mix 1 Tbsp coconut oil (with flavour)
    – with 1 Tbsp butter
    – add plenty of rasped coconut
    (Butter and oil have to be melted of course)
    It is the most amazing thing to have on top of a piece of really dark chocolate 😀

  11. Jimmy, I noticed full fat cream from pastured cows wasn’t on the list. Is that because you aren’t a coffee drinker and prefer to get the dairy fat from butter, sour cream, and cheese? Keep up the great work Jimmy and thanks for all you do for this community!

  12. Awesome list, all on the “evil” list of CW, oh well, guess that means more for us! I like to fry 3 whole eggs in bacon fat or ghee, and add one or two extra yolks in a bowl, and eat all that yolky goodness! I laugh to myself as I’m seperating the eggs, letting the white go down the drain, and keeping the yolk! Also, sometimes I grind my own burger mix, that way you can add as much fat as you like. I’ll grind short ribs into it, and also some bone marrow, and add some bacon fat. You’ve never had a juicier burger!

  13. So I have always put my bacon in the microwave, but is it better to fry it in its own grease? Just starting low carbing after reading Dr. Davis’s Wheat Belly, ran across Dana Carpender’s website, Jimmy’s website and others. Not everyone agrees with the fat. I’m going to try it–kind of scared though. Need to lose 30 to 40 pounds and get off blood pressure medicine and cholesteral medicine. I’m 65 and was always thin until 50.

    • There’s no need to be scared of fat. There’s not one iota of research that shows dietary fat is a problem in conjunction with a carbohydrate-restricted lifestyle.

    • I’ve increased fat as a percentage of my calories in the past year, and my blood work is substantially better. 😀

      • Glad to know this, Dana. I have labs coming up at the end of November, and I know that my doctor is going to try to get me back on a statin. Of course, I will never go back on a statin. I will be upping my fats

        Susan M.

    • Vicky: I’m 64 and doing LCHF/Low-carb, high fat and my blood work is fantastic and continues to get even better. Jimmy and Dana are great role models.
      Good luck!

    • You should try bacon in the oven. Set oven to 400(F) and place bacon on a cookie sheet or griddle. I use a cast iron griddle. Place in the oven for approx 10 minutes then remove and let rest till the rest of the meal is ready. Bacon cooked this way has the best crunch, without being hard from over cooking.

  14. Great info. Tried the dark chocolate with butter – great idea. I do most of these foods everyday in some combination. But one thing I have found in eating so much fat is that some days I feel like I can’t handle much more (like if I eat any more it will start coming out of my ears!) I think it is my body’s way of telling me to change up once in a while. One those days I go back to my best friend – green smoothies with juiced vegetables, some almond milk, and some berries. I do add an egg, avocado and coconut oil to the smoothie but barely notice the fat, which was my goal for that day anyway.

  15. great list. got me hungry!
    still a question. i know you do IF at times (although i listened to your podcast n. 16! do you remember it? 16 min on your first IF experiment. ah ah !), and you will have one or two meals in those days. how do you get your quota of protein?
    if you eat a regular portion , you cannot get it;
    if you increase your portion it is likely it start the gluconeogenesis process , argument very dear to you.
    can you give me your insight?
    btw. i have been listening to nearly all of your podcasts as well as other’s people. you are a natural, number 1!

    • When I eat one meal in a day, it’s pretty substantial. I haven’t found a negative effect from the protein being all in one meal. My ketone levels have been right where I need them. If I’m hungry enough to eat more than once in a day, then that meal is not as substantial. Hope this helps!

      • thanks, first time i get an answer on this subject from someone.
        of course it is useful!
        i found out that IF is optimal for me in conjunction with 25/30 g cho daily as , possibly for higher level of ketones production and use as energy, in calming down either hunger and sugar cravings. besides, it is great not to be bound to meal times, it gives you freedom to do things when you like, not when you have to.
        keep up your work.

  16. Jimmy,

    I am surprised you didnt put any type of nuts in your foods that you eat that are primarily fat. Was it just an overlook or you dont eat any type of nuts?

    Best,

    Ro

    • Nuts and nutritional ketosis do not seem to be a great combination. They are carb heavy and seem to spike people’s apetite. They are hard to eat in moderation unlike say an advacado which one is enough.

      They are high in omega 6 PUFA.

      Their protein, compared to animal products, is not so bioavailable.

      Not saying you cannot eat some in good health on any diet, but that I do not think I would include them in the “best of list” Just my thoughts 🙂

      • I’m not Jimmy, but I have a couple of thoughts:

        First of all, nuts vary in carb content; macadamias and pecans both derive 90% of their calories from fat.

        Secondly, nuts seem to me to be a likely part of a paleo/evolutionary diet. They don’t fight back, nor do they run, qualities I suspect our hunter-gatherer ancestors appreciated. So long as they are in the shell, they keep well with no preparation — you don’t have dry them, smoke them, whatever. And they offer substantial calories for the work involved.

        Just my take.

    • What Dana said. Plus, since I’m satisfied on the foods I’m eating, I don’t need to snack on nuts.

  17. Sorry to keep on wondering. I know your results speak for themselves and you are positively on the right path. The food you are eating is doing the right thing, so it must be the right food. But… the numbers???
    German butter and also Kerry Gold have 82% fat, so how can sour cream have 88,5%???

  18. How about plain Greek yogurt? Cabot is 63% calories from fat (23g fat, 12g carb, 18g protein), and Voskos is 69% (20g fat, 8g carb, 12g protein). I wasn’t sure I could like plain yogurt, but the Cabot is quite tasty. I guess when you don’t take all the fat out of something, you don’t need to add sugar to make it taste good. I have to see if I can find the Voskos locally.

    http://www.calorieking.com/foods/calories-in-yogurts-greek-style-yogurt-original-plain_f-ZmlkPTE1OTkwNw.html

    You might want to explain to folks how to calculate the percentage (and check my math while you’re at it). I assumed 9 calories per fat gram and 4 for carb and protein.

    • That’s a great suggested high-fat food, Garland. Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to find high-fat Greek yogurt in my area (and believe me, I’ve looked EVERYWHERE!). As for doing the counting, yes, fat is 9 calories per gram, so multiply the number of fat grams times 9 and divide this number by the total calories to get the percentage of fat.

  19. Heading out to buy the book and avocados! Love those things. I just cut them up and top with Tanjin spice (got at Walmart – tastes like guacamole with it on). I want to try this as I need to loose 15 lbs. Thanks so much for the help Jimmy! I can’t eat dairy but the other stuff looks good. Taking bacon out of the freezer to cook tomorrow. Rarely make it though my daughters love the stoff, but will have to change that and make much more often.

    Try making bacon burgers – recipe from “eat like a dinosaur” is basically half ground beef (or other read meat) and half ground up bacon (raw). Mix together with spices, salt, pepper and fry. My kids love these. So do I!

  20. Hi Jimmy, You look great! Congrats on your success! I’m so happy for you! 🙂

    I’m a post-menopausal baby boomer who hasn’t had any luck with low carb diets in recent years. I need to lose about 50 lbs, but at my age (59), and b/c I’ve taken a beta blocker for Atrial Fib since 1991, which is when I began to gain weight, I don’t seem to be able to lose weight anymore. That’s why I think the nutritional ketosis plan is my last hope.

    So, I have one question… how do you keep your protein amount at moderate when several of your high fat choices are also proteins? Specifically the ground beef, eggs, dairy products, and bacon. This is really the only thing that confuses me. I’m already eating most of the above products daily b/c I believe completely in eating healthy fats, but I haven’t cut my carbs enough yet as I’m still addicted to sweets. I’m working on that though and getting better daily.

    Thanks again for being so forthcoming and willing encourage all of us who are struggling. And please keep your awesome podcasts coming! I listen to all of them and learn something new and eye opening during each and every one. 🙂

    Oh, and btw, my maiden name is Moore, could we be related? LOL! 😉

    • This list is merely options for people. Find the level that’s right for you when it comes to your fat, protein and carbs and eat accordingly. Eating a higher amount of fat will zap those sweet cravings, I can assure you. Since you’re related (LOL!), then low-carb is definitely in your blood. 😀

      • Thanks for the reply, Jimmy, but I’m not sure you understood what I was asking. What I’m trying to understand is how you keep your total protein level for the day at moderate when many of the high fat foods you eat daily are also high in protein? Doesn’t that mean you’re eating high protein too? This is where I’m confused — how to eat high fat without over eating protein since many of the fats mentioned are also proteins.

  21. Veggie dip…

    4 egg yolks and 1/3 cup vinegar with a TB+ of salt.

    Turn on blender and blend in melted (but not hot) bacon fat until the mixture won’t blend.

    Toss in fridge and it sets up to the consistancy of whipped butter. Scoop onto plate with Salami, Cheese and low-carb veggies. Lunch.

  22. Great column, Jimmy.

    I wanted to add something about coconut oils. Normally the virgin coconut oils have coconut flavour. But the non-virgin ones (they may be labelled as refined) have no coconut flavour, so are suitable for any use. I keep both types at home.

  23. Great article and fabulous reminders! I forget about cream cheese and sour cream, but they’re on the market list.

    I’m loving my Olive Oil (100% Fat) from Chaffin Orchards, but next we’re going to try a local, Texas brand. Try the real deal over cooked meals, and you’ll be hooked. See the article from the Austin Chronicle: http://www.austinchronicle.com/food/2012-09-07/what-evoo-can-do-for-you/.

    Now I’m eating it like I ate coconut oil when opening my first jar drizzling it over everything. DEEEE-licious!

  24. Palm Fruit Oil (from Mountain Rose Herbs): 100% fat
    Coconut Milk (Native Forest or Chaokoh): 90% fat
    90% Dark Chocolate (Lindt): 85% fat

  25. hi Jimmy,you didn’t mention mayonnaise?
    I have made some awesome cream cheese spreads with sardines packed in olive oil and Mrs dash garlic powder.Thanks for this info on HF foods,I have been waiting for this so long,in fact,I was just about to go shopping.I would also ask about certain gourmet cheeses like brie,roquefort etc which are high in fat.Personally heavy whipping cream stalls me,so I don’t use them anymore.I would also like to see some articles on amount of protein at each meal,usage of AS like splenda on your ketones level,type of proteins having any effect on ketones like oily fish vs chicken vs beef. And did you stick with salads only or did you use other veggies and how much.Also do you drink wine and how did it affect your ketones.I don’t drink,but just curious.After following your advice on NK,I have lost 5 lbs in less than a week after months of stalling on VLC.Thankyou so much,and especially for the idea of cheese slices with cream cheese,I would have never thought of that!

    • I knew someone would ask about mayo. It was omitted purposely: the fat in it is primarily from the omega-6 rich soybean oil. I avoid soy as much as possible. If you make your own mayo with better fats, then great. I don’t drink, so can’t comment on that one. Sweeteners and even real sugar in my dark chocolate have not harmed my ketone production.

  26. you didn’t mention macadamia nuts!

  27. Thank you for this article, Jimmy! Really appreciate you sharing your NK journey with us.

    Wishing you continued success!

  28. Hey, she stole my brie cheese fav for high fat controlled carb and protein item. And it’s best stuffed into green or black olives. Go organic and get them packed in glass and they are a pretty decent fat snack. The other item, if you know the farmer and can be assured of its quality, is pork sausage. I prefer polish sausage variety and it’s usually around 88% fat. And lastly, smoked sablefish lox (vital choice seafood .com sells it as do others) is a very fatty fish and while it will supply 15 grams of protein in a 4 oz serving, makes a great match for that sour cream up there.

  29. Hey Jimmy,

    I live in Sptbg. too, where do I buy that dark chocolate here in town?
    Thanks,
    Ricky

  30. You forgot the most ancient highfat low protein food of all, bone marrow. Most of the other stuff you listed are quite processed and perhaps not all that great. Like cheeses and bacon, those are foods many tend to overcomsume. Especially if one calls himself paleo 😉

  31. Thanks so much for chronicling your experiences, Jimmy! You look fabulous. 🙂 I’ve been following closely, and ultimately attempting my own run at NK. Regarding dark chocolate, I’ll have to check out the Taza, as I’ve never heard of it before and it sounds a little similar to my favorite: Endangered Species 88% (chocolatebar.com). It has a slightly coarse mouth-feel — much more interesting than, say, Ghirardelli, which I find too smooth and bland — and the flavor has hints of coffee bean.

  32. How does nutritional ketosis work with diabetics taking insulin? When I was younger I did Atkins a few times and although I didn’t lose much weight, I always felt better when eliminating most carbs.
    Are there any diabetics doing nutritional ketosis?

    • It works similarly to how a low-carb diet would for people with diabetes. Optimizing blood sugar levels (which is what this has done for me) is vitally important for diabetics. Make sure you are seeing a medical professional who knows the importance of shifting doses of insulin/medications as your diabetes improves on a low-carb/NK plan. Check ’em out here: http://lowcarbdoctors.blogspot.com

      • Jimmy — I’d love to hear you do a podcast with an expert on diabetes who could advise those of us on insulin. I have been VLC on WB (Wheat Belly) for two months (and on-again-off-again kinda sorta LC for twenty years!) and I still can’t get my blood sugars down where they should be. I hate taking so much insulin because it is a fat-storage hormone. I feel so sad and discouraged and stuck between a rock and a hard place …. do I decrease the insulin which will result in higher blood sugar, or do I increase the insulin (no! not MORE!) and get my blood sugars down to where Dr. Richard K. Bernstein, the LC diabetes expert, would like them to be? I am not losing on VLC and I have been totally honest and faithful for two months.

  33. Hi Jimmy and others : )

    I’m new to the low carb journey and was wondering what the NK Journey is that Jimmy is sharing. I need all the help and tips that I can get so if there is a journey to follow that would be great! I’m newly diagnosed with Diabetes Type 2 and need to loose weight. Thanks everyone!

  34. Factor into you caloric figures that the human animal can only metabolize fats at about half of the rate of either protein or carbohydrate. If you limit your total gross calorie intake to the same calories as in protein/carb, you have effectively cut your metabolizable carbs by a considerable amount, (depending on the ratios of fat to protein to carb.)

  35. Why don’t you eat soy? I love Mayo. Some brands are made with Expeller Pressed Canola Oil, some are with Olive Oil and then some with Soy. I thought Soy was good for you. I usually buy Spectrim Organic, but sometimes have whatever there is. Calories are 100 and calories from fat 100. I was using this as my healthy ketosis.

  36. Why don’t you like soy? I love Mayo, but usually use Spectrim organic> I thought soy was good for you. How about Braggs Organic liquid Aminos.

  37. Thanks for all you do for the low-carb community Jimmy!!! Have to give a plug for Trader Joe’s brand 85% dark chocolate bar. Even less sugar than the Taza you mentioned but still delicious without tasting like bakers chocolate (like the 85% Lindt does). Can’t wait to give the Taza a try too.

  38. Do you have any problem with your bowls eating this way. That seems to be a problem for me. How do you handle it.?

  39. There is one gotcha with eggs that needs to be stated. Despite the high fat content, you can actually get an insulin spike from consuming too many eggs at once. The yolks are high in Leucine, and the protein of egg whites is rapidly utilized. That combo (Leucine + highly bioavailable amino acids) is one that bodybuilders use to create a sizeable insulin spike in the absence of carbohydrates.

    We’re talking in the range of 5 eggs or more in a meal. But it’s something to be aware of, potentially.

  40. Ghiradeli unsweetened dark chocolate bar..my preference .no sugar no added sweeteners Add if you choose /if tolerated-if desired… liquid Splenda

    • I’ve tried the unsweetened dark chocolates and they’re gross to me. The fact that I don’t get kicked out of ketosis (as measured by blood ketones) shows this chocolate I’m consuming is right for me.

  41. Thanks for all the great info. I use a combination of most of these foods everyday. I was wondering though, with a fat intake level reaching 80% of daily calories have you ever gotten any medical opinion if that much fat may over stress the gallbladder?

  42. Jimmy are you counting calories at all like the fat fast or are you eating until full? I started last Wednesday and am down 4lb after having been stalled for over 8 months. Loving this way of eating!

    • No calorie-counting at all…my body has become very efficient at letting me know when I need to eat and when it’s time to stop. That’s why I love being fueled by fat and ketones instead of sugar and glycogen. KEEP UP THE GREAT WORK, Amber! Don’t get discouraged if things slow down.

  43. Jimmy you look amazing! Thank you for sharing!

  44. What about nut butters?

  45. Thanks for sharing your experience! I have never heard of substituting substantially proteins by fats in any diet plan! All I can say from my experience is that dark chockolate tends to be understimated in diets. It really helps in weight loss and is good for brain, heart and controlling blood sugar.

  46. How about olive oil,is it a good oil?

  47. Thank you so much for this post. I do really struggle to find ways of adding fat to my diet without adding more carbs or protein. I noticed you wrote that you cook your eggs in butter or coconut oil. Any other ideas on how to add more of these fats? I tend to over eat the veggies I cook in them like kale chips or cauliflower “rice”. I don’t mix meat or milk or eat pig which eliminates some popular options.

    Recipe ideas: Lately avocados haven’t been quite soft enough so I’ve been cutting them in half, removing the pitt, and making criss cross cuts in the meat. Then I add a splash of lime and cayenne pepper and broil them with .25 cups of parmesan cheese on top, sometimes adding sour cream after broiling.

    I also buy the dried seaweed meant for sushi and roll up avocado and/or cream cheese inside, sometimes lox too. Other times I spread cream cheese on lox and roll that up. Watch for hidden sugars in lox!

    • LM, I’ve been wondering if I was the only kosher NK’er around! It’s nice to know I’m not the only one! Good luck in your goals.

      • Thank you. Good luck to you too. What do you do on Shabbos? I eat a bite of bread and a sip of juice. It doesn’t seem to affect much as long as I don’t turn it into a cheat day. However, sometimes I have a hard time rationalizing the importance religion places on bread, even an old fashioned sprouted spelt pita type, with NK.

        • Hi, I don’t eat any flour at all…I will only eat matza on pesach, and only the required amount. This is nothing to do with NK though. I will have a small amount of grape juice. Where do u live?

          • I live in Brooklyn. So how do you deal with shabbos meals?

            • When at others homes or we have guests, i am discreet about not having bread. I will eat chicken and a small salad with plenty olive oil for my meals….I will bring my own food if need be when eating out. I have been paleo for over 1 yr so this isn’t new for me…just different macro ratios. How long have you been eating this way?

    • Grass-fed tallow, schmaltz, coconut oil and unrefined palm oil should be on your stove! There’s also avocado oil & macadamia oils too, though they’re expensive.

  48. Thank you so much for this post. I do really struggle to find ways of adding fat to my diet without adding more carbs or protein. I noticed you wrote that you cook your eggs in butter or coconut oil. Any other ideas on how to add more of these fats? I tend to over eat the veggies I cook in them like kale chips or cauliflower “rice”. I don’t mix meat or milk or eat pig which eliminates some popular options.

    Recipe ideas: Lately avocados haven’t been quite soft enough so I’ve been cutting them in half, removing the pitt, and making cris cross cuts in the meat. Then I add a splash of lime and cayenne pepper and broil them with .25 cups of parmesan cheese on top, sometimes adding sour cream after broiling.

    I also buy the dried seaweed meant for sushi and roll up avocado and/or cream cheese inside, sometimes lox too. Other times I spread cream cheese on lox and roll that up. Watch for hidden sugars in lox!

  49. What about Olive oil?

  50. Jimmy, I haven’t read the book yet, and I have a question. To stay in ketosis, is it important to limit the number of net carbs consumed at any given time during the day, or do we simply stay below 20 for the whole day and spread them out as we wish?

  51. For all you diabetes patients on here, my husband has type 2 and is off all insulin and only takes metformin. His AC1 dropped from 9.1 to 7.1 in 3 months time while in ketosis. His blood sugar levels are always between 80 and 100. I am amazed that do many folks struggle with this disease and don’t know the power of ketosis. Being insulin free is highly possible for you.

  52. 13. Lard and tallow – 100% fat

  53. Bulletproof coffee is a great way to add fat without carbs or protein – It’s unsalted butter and coconut oil, or MCT oil blended in hot coffee – really yummy! Apparently MCT oil helps in the production of ketones somehow too.

  54. Thanks so much for posting this Jimmy. I find myself stalled with dropping weight right now and this information you’re provided will hopefully turn things around for me. I am a big believer in Cod liver oil for sound dietary needs as well. Fish oils, in my opinion, don’t offer as strong as compliment to one’s diet as the oil comes from the fish skins not the fish liver which provides a more nutrient dense source.

  55. Hey, Jimmy – Want to be famous? As soon as you are done with the NK N=1, try the “Potato Diet”. It is the exact opposite of what you are doing, but the results are the same. Peter at Hyperlipid, Richard Nickoley at freetheanimal, Paul Jaminet, and hundreds of Mark Sisson’s readers are doing it and losing weight, stabilizing blood sugars, and loving life.

    It is a 1-2 week diet hack of eating nothing but potatoes, prepared as plainly as you can–boiled, baked, or fried in zero fat. Potatoes are the most satiating food in the world, so you end up eating way less than you normally do. The high GI starch is rapidly converted to glucose and creates unlimited insulin sensitivity.

    There is no water-weight gain, no bloating, and most lose weight starting day 1 that will be 1/2 to 1 pound per day, and best of all, it stays off!

    The potato diet fits perfectly with a low-carb paleo approach to life. Our ancestors would be stuck eating nothing but starchy tubers in times of famine. We are perfectly adapted to eating pure starch for limited times–just like we are perfectly adapted to NK.

    Anyway, have a read of these Mark’s Daily Apple threads and give it a go…
    http://www.marksdailyapple.com/forum/thread70009.html
    http://www.marksdailyapple.com/forum/thread67137.html

    • Yeah that sounds awesome. Why eat bacon, eggs, avocado and dark chocolate when you can get the same results eating nothing but plain potatoes?? Jimmy, what are you thinking?

  56. Hi, Jimmy,
    Great article. Unfortunately, my problem is lactose intolerance. I can tolerate butter and ghee, but no cheese, cream, sour cream, etc. I seem to be running in to a “lack of variety” problem while trying to increase my fat. I have swithced to fattier meats – pork shoulder, beef short ribs, etc. and my eggs are always saturated in butter and/or coconut oil. Avocados are a staple. But not being able to ead dairy, I can use some suggestions on what else I can eat? Any ideas?

    • Nina:

      I have the same problem with lactose intolerance. It is definitely making getting into Nutritional Ketosis much harder. But the one thing that I have found that I love is ghee. Of course I use it or coconut oil in most recipes: eggs, over meats etc. but yes, it is hard to use it all the time.

      One thing I do is have a serving of macadamia nuts two or three times each day and that helps keep the fat up.

      I too try to have a couple avocados each day.

      I’ve also started to pick up some nice fatty pastrami to eat throughout the day or mixed into my omelets.

      Don’t give up!

      Andrew

      • Thanks for the reply, Andrew 🙂
        Macadamia nuts are a good idea. I’ll definitely try that.
        The difficult thing with fats over meats is that meats don’t exactly absorb the fats. You can use the fat to cook the meat, and then you pour it over. But you know that most of that good fat stays on the plate when you’ve eaten the meat :/
        In conventional sauces, what keeps the sauce on the meat is the thickener – i.e. flour, starch, etc.
        Since we’re not eating any of those things, there’s nothing to keep the fat from separating and going on its way to pool on the bottom of your plate.
        And that’s what I feel, is often missing from many concepts and theories – practical applications and suggestions.
        Good thing I’m not opposed to “trial and error” method 🙂
        Thanks again for the suggestions, Andrew 🙂

    • Nina- I like to make different olive oil dips….I’ll roast a head of garlic and mix the roasted cloves w/a lot of olive oil- which I like to pour on my chicken, steak, salad- basically anything I’m eating b/c it is so so good. I will also mix olive oil w/parsley, crushed garlic, and salt- also really good. I do find that although I eat the same foods everyday- I don’t suffer from boredom, I think b/c the food is so delish.

  57. Okay, so for six weeks straight, I tracked my carbs (kept very low), protein (kept moderate), blood ketones, and weight. I slipped into nutritional ketosis only two or three times, and despite my best efforts, couldn’t stay there. I lost a couple of pounds of body fat during this time, but otherwise was pretty disappointed with the results. When I did this eight years ago, I dropped 40 pounds without any effort whatsoever! I did best when eating omega-3-heavy fish, and worst when downing a steak (who could resist grass-fed NY strip??), but “best” and “worst” weren’t far enough apart to keep me motivated to continue on at this crazy level of effort. Have I simply ruined my liver and/or pancreas beyond repair? Any suggestions to try something different?

    • I think the key is a triad — low carb, high fat, moderate protein. I hope Jimmy jumps in on this with his opinion.

      • I hope so too! Believe me, I focused on high (good-quality) fat. I have quite a lot of experience with the “feeling” of nutritional ketosis, and it’s been frustrating me that my ability to get there has diminished so radically in the last couple of years.

  58. Hi Jimmy, you are my hero! I have been trying to get into NK, but no luck yet. Ordered ketone meter today. I’m having a little trouble with carbs I think. Could you give me an idea of the total vegetable matter you might eat in a day? I love veggies and am having a hard time imagining meals without them.

  59. I recently started making my own Creme Fraiche and Sour Cream using buttermilk and and HWC. Just add 2 tbs of cultured buttermilk to 1 cup of whipping cream and let stand for 12 hours or more. The longer it stands the more sour it will be. Add to scrambled eggs with aged cheddar cheese like Kerry Gold Dubliner. Enjoy.

  60. Jimmy, your newsletters are terrific, very helpful & informative. I am Type 2 diabetic & for 6 mos have been on an eating lifestyle of low carb/mod protein/hi fat. In 6 mos I lost 48 # and bg went from 340 to a daily average of between 80 and 99. I don’t understand ketones very well. How do you measure ketones so accurately? Is it a special meter? What is the goal with measuring ketones? What do you “feel” that is so special or what happens when your ketones are optimal?

    • Wow! What an improvement. Would be interested in hearing what your doctor says about your results. Hopefully he has substantially reduced or eliminated any medication you were on. If not, something is amiss. The best way to accurately measure ketones is to test for hyroxy-butyric acid in the blood. The best meter is the Precision Xtra which you can find online. It measures your glucose levels and ketone levels. The only drawback is the test strips for the ketones are expensive ($5 a piece). I found good deals for these on ebay. You are most likely using ketones as a fuel now with all your weight loss. How do you feel? The main difference people talk about is their energy level. Plus you can exercise longer and recover faster if you are burning fat instead of glucose. Also, your hunger levels are greatly reduced if you are eating a high fat diet. I usually skip a meal or two just because I am not hungry. Hope that helps.

      • I feel good, strong, energetic, focused. Eliminate sugar and flour-based foods and a person will “feel” great. In fact I accidentally licked a finger while cutting a frosted cake at church and the taste of sugar was awful. That’s a curious thing. My doctor does not approve of what I’m doing and urges me to eat 45 g carb at each meal. However, I eat 20-40 g carbs a day, usually at the low end of that range. Some meals have total 5 g carb in them, and that’s from a mound of selected veggies. The dr would like me to eat more than 90 g carbs day. The dr also warns me at every visit that I am rising death from ketoacidosis. Remember, I’m Type 2 so that warning is discounted. I exercise daily, moderately. My blood tests look like I do not have diabetes and my cholesterol is 120….while I gobble butter, sausage, bacon, whole eggs, cheese & avocados — formerly forbidden or restricdted foods. I have to say that with the weight loss, overall my calorie load is a great deal less. I’m not that hungry anymore. I don’t understand how this works biochemically in the body, but one thing I do know — it is working for me.

        • You need a new doctor!!! He certainly has no clue about how critical it is to move away from insulin resistance to insulin sensitivity. 45 g carbs each meal is insane. That is exactly why you were in the diabetic condition. Sounds like you follow your own healthy path, and you are living proof it works. Sometimes it’s hard to stand up to doctors (we all need to start), but you really need to drop him if he cannot understand what you are doing. His knowledge of nutrition is based on the 1970’s food pyramid. Bet ya he told you to reduce or eliminate all fat too. My advice is to RUN!

  61. Thank you for this fabulous and exciting list of yummy foods. Well, except for the fish oil! 🙂

  62. So what about fibre so as not to get constipation??

    • Tracy Bulharowski

      Constipation can be a problem when following a low-carb diet. Take one magnesium pill every night before going to bed. The magnesium naturally lowers one’s blood pressure, so that’s why taking it before bedtime is ideal. Here is a link for Magnesium Glycinate 400.

      Hope this helps!

  63. I just want to add that another good way to incorporate coconut oil is to make your own mayo. It won’t taste exactly like Hellman’s (or whatever people eat), but being able to control the ingredients is well worth a taste difference. Here’s one blog post showing how:

    http://www.spain-in-iowa.com/2012/01/how-to-make-homemade-mayonnaise-with-4-simple-ingredients/

    I found the salt to be too much, but it may be my brand of sea salt. I use eggs from a local farm and use a good quality olive oil (Braggs), because a lot of olive oils have been shown to have a cheaper oils mixed in. I add a pinch of smoked paprika (see Mountain Rose Herbs for a great source of pure herbs and spices). I usually don’t put the lemon in, but always use the whey. It helps it last a really long time. I thought this might be helpful for those who can’t use dairy (minus the whey, of course).

    My biggest problem is my missing gallbladder. I find it gives me a severe stomach ache and other gastric problems if I eat more than a little coconut oil at a time. (By little, I mean a tsp) It also seems worse on an empty stomach (if I put it in my coffee and drink it before eating). Would love to know how others who are missing a gallbladder deal with this. (Besides the obvious, don’t eat it on an empty stomach!)

    • Karen, have you tried ox bile tablets? The problem with losing your gall bladder is that your body is ill-equipped to take in any sizable quantity of fat at one time. A healthy gall bladder stores bile, then contracts in reaction to fat, squirting out the bile needed to digest that fat. Once the gall bladder is gone, the bile just drips at a steady rate into the intestine; no surge of bile when it’s needed. I know folks who have found that taking ox bile tablets with a fatty meal helps. I’m not a doctor, I don’t play one on television, yadda-yadda, just reporting that I’ve known folks who found this helpful.

      • lol, I say the same thing to my clients at work, I’m not a doctor and I don’t play one on TV. I don’t have a gallbladder and I find the coconut oil is helping my digestion.

      • Dana, don’t know how I missed your answer until now (now that Robin commented; thanks, Robin!). And, yes, since you posted that I have recently found ox bile tablets through our chiropractor who explained the drip process the gall bladder-less body uses. The ox bile helps a lot and I’m slowly trying to build up my coconut oil consumption.
        Thank you for the reply!

        ~Karen

    • I have the same problem with a missing gallbladder. I use coconut oil topically- I slather it on my skin. Usually, I add olive oil, mineral salts and some nice smelling essential oils. One caution- you do have to give it time to absorb through the skin before you get dressed. I haven’t tried the blood ketone meter yet (just ordered one through Amazon), but it did help me increase ketone levels based on the ketostick.

      Second caution- put your hair up if it’s long unless you’re looking for a deep conditioning that lasts all day:-)

    • Digestion enzymes work for me

  64. For the person concerned about fibre, my high-fat breakfast often consists of a bowl of milled flax prepared like one would oatmeal with two added tablespoons of peanut butter on top and a cup of almond milk on the side. I make flax a part of my daily diet because it’s got such a great fibre boost and I love the taste. I did this this morning for breakfast and came out with 12 g of fibre for that meal alone. Also, my morning snack, 2 oz of almonds, had 327 calories and 7 g of fibre.

  65. Great list, I’ve developed a coconut oil habit and have learned a few nice tweeks to baking with it as well.

  66. If coconut meat is okay for ketogenic diet, is the coconut juice ok too?

  67. Hi

    In the book the art and science of low carbohydrate performance. By Volek and Phinney. I read a section about coconut oil where basically they said “Ingestion of MCT oil will result in significant ketosis even if consumed with carbohydrates, although this MCT-induced ketone production may not be associated with the full spectrum of metabolic benefits associated with carbohydrate restricted keto-adaptation. Thus we do not encourage the use of MCT oil”. That said, however, neither do we discourage consuming foods that naturally contain MCT’s”.

    So at the moment I have stopped using coconut oil. Is there something I have missed in what they have said as I don’t want to undo the work I have put into getting myself into Ketosis, and all the benefits that go along with it. Could you clarify this point, and advise me.

    Regards

    Mike

  68. Wow I’m already doing/eating all of the above, except for avocados. I like them but they’ve been really pricey this year for some reason … drought? flood? Anyway I eat a lot of coconut CREME as it is 70% coconut OIL and the rest is coconut. The best of BOTH worlds in one food! I find it tastes better and is easier to eat than coconut oil alone.

  69. Hi, just wondering what are the best kind of nuts to eat on this low carb, high fat diet? Almonds, cashews, pistachios or mixed nuts……are they all ok?
    Lastly, a friend told me to start taking Omega 3-6-9 supplements, would this be good or bad?
    Thanks.

    • Macadamia nuts are great. They are little balls of fat and not much else. IMO, the only risk is eating too many and therefore pushing carbs and calories higher than desired. Walnuts are also good. The nuts you mention are ‘better than ok’, but IMO Macadamia have a great nutrient profile and walnuts are almost as good.

  70. I am not a doctor, I do not play a yadda yadda, on television, just report that I know people find it helpful.

  71. In Dana Carpenter’s book “Fat Fast” this is repeated 100% word for word in her book……?????

  72. Hi,
    With the calculations of my Macronutrients Ratio, are the recommended carbohydrates net carbs? That is what I assumed and how I have proceeded.

  73. I’m a chocolate engineer. Straight chocolate liquor – ground nibs are 53% fat. When you add the sugar and cocoa butter at best you’re getting 34% fat.

  74. I work with chocolate. Chocolate liquor – ground nibs are about 53% fat. When you combine it with sugar and cocoa butter at best you’re around 35% fat. Cocoa powder typically has 10-12% fat; you can get some high fat cocoa powder from Europe at 20-22%. Probably best to get baking chocolate-liquor add cocoa butter and or coconut oil and some stevia.

  75. are calories a concern on this type of eating? i would love to eat this way but am concerned about caloric intake.

    • Hi Tony, do a little more research on ketogenic diets…. Calories are not the point when eating this lifestyle.

    • Ketosis is a natural appetite suppressant so you need not worry about eating too many calories.

      • This is ridiculous! You will not lose weight if you consume too much. Your focus should be under 20 carbs but that doesn’t mean you can consume as much fat as you want. Your protein should be about .8g/lean body mass. Fat macros matter for weightloss and macros = calories

        • Actually, you can consume as much fat as you want if you listen to your body when it tells you that you’re full. Foods with a lot of fat in them are what we call “rich” foods, and eating them fills you up quite quickly.

          I know what I’m talking about, as I have lost 80 lbs in the past 4 months without feeling like I’m starving. I eat at least 3 Tbsp of duck fat (current favorite) and 1 Tbsp butter every day, as well as the foods listed above. In order to remain in ketosis, I have to restrict carbs to 10g and protein to 20g, which means 85% or more of my diet is fat.

  76. I’m Keto with no gallbladder, I take 3 papaya enzymes after eating anything. I mean anything. I take 9 to 15 a day. I went keto after losing my gallbladder because carbs of any kind caused gas and pain so I practically quit eating. The doc kept telling me to eat more fruits and veggies. The more I ate the sicker I got. Got down to 158 lbs and I’m 5’11”. This was a decade ago, I usually weigh about 185. I’m 54 yrs old. My blood pressure at sam’s the other day was 98/64. Flip that food pyramid upside down or throw it away. I was keto before keto was cool.

  77. As a cardiologist – this is all very interesting to me. I was reading about the Shangri La Diet as well. I wonder if there is additional benefit in marrying the two. Maybe LTOO (flavorless) first thing in AM, then follow with Coffee with MCT (one hour after LTOO) – there maybe synergy here and this may control apetite better. Maybe they both work on the same principal just explained differently.

    I am still a little concerned about all the fat intake, but I have a few patients who are trying it voluntarily and I will be checking their Lipids and arteries closely.

    Would love to hear your thoughts about the above.

    Thanks

  78. Hi read jimmy book keto clarity & wanted to get into keto sis to aid weight loss.
    I also invested in a glucose yet. I started day one my blood sugar read 14.3, day 2 5.9 & day 3 7.2mml.
    Can you help as I believe optimal weight loss blood levels should be between .05 – 3.0 mil.
    During these days I’ve done one intense weight & cardo session @ the gym, swam laps another day & today I got a 5klm run in before breakfast & my blood read was still 7.2 mml. Will I ever get into Ketosis?

  79. Question:Since we ketogenics need more salt, why use no-salt Kerrygold butter?

  80. I detest the taste of coconut and the taste of butter. What are the best substitutes?

  81. I’ve heard MCT oil/Coconut Oil can initially delay ketosis because your body will use that because it easily converted to energy, rather than tapping into your own fat stores. Is this true? Should a newbie initally avoid MCT oil for this purpose?

  82. How in the world is full-fat mayo not included on this list??

  83. Personally, I prefer Trader Joe’s cream cheese to Philadelphia brand. It has much more flavor.

  84. Jimmy, i am type 2 diabetic on insulin. Last April I had a first time bout of pancreatitis and spent 4 days in the hospital. Also 2 years ago I was on a ketogenic diet, lost 30 pounds and my blood work and blood pressure were all in normal ranges and was able to get off all my meds. I have been dealing with diabetic educators who have me eating 105-130 carbs a day. My weight has skyrocketed and my blood sugars are way up also. Would going on a keto diet again harm my pancreas and liver. I was able to get off all my meds, felt great and enjoyed the keto way of life. I believe that I am carbohydrate intolerant according to my blood sugar records for past 2 years. No one mentions pancreatitis that my doctor said was caused by very high triglycerides. Everything I read does not address my question. Thank you for any help you can provide. I have your book Keto Clarity and reading it with a fine tooth comb. Thank you and congratulations on you success with keto.

  85. Wonderful article. In the meantime, i have read this whole article attentively. Particularly all these foods includes high fat such as, butter, avocados, coconut, coconut oil, fish oil, eggs etc. I like to eat avocados and coconut. I have found here 12 fatty foods item and very helpful info. Thanks for sharing informative post.

  86. Nice list! But I have to correct one small but important detail. Ketosis is not achieved from eating fatty foods, but rather from depleting the glycogen levels by reducing carbs. The fatty foods are good, but their purpose in ketosis is to fill you up and be the source of energy your body uses. So eating fat will not be the cause of ketosis. The fact that you are not eating much carbs is what will do it.
    Check out http://www.reddit.com/r/keto/wiki/faq for more info on it. But good work on this! Thanks for some good fat ideas!

  87. Can someone help me having a little problem.
    A split yr ago, I was identified as having a candida albicans
    I want to test several diet program against Candida fungus.
    Online, a lot of information about situation.
    But opinions generally diverge. And I did not find the correct final decision for myself personally.
    Possibly the forum participants will propose a successful diet or perhaps several quality recipes against candida?
    I’ll be very thanks for every help

    Many thanks!

  88. I like olives.

  89. One I like that I just started doing…

    2 slices thick bacon, divided into 8 pieces
    1oz cream cheese, divided on to the bacon
    1/4 avocado, sliced and divided on to the cream cheese
    Sprinkle of chipotle pepper power on top

    OMG…just wonderful.

    Approximately 2g net carbs (6g gross), 320 cals, 13g protein 27g fat. carbs/protein/fat: 8%/16%/76%

    YUM!!!

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