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Is Vegan Keto the Best Ketogenic Diet?

Is Vegan Keto the Best Ketogenic Diet?

Vegan vs Keto debate: Are they compatible or too different?

Are plants superior to meat? As mentioned in my previous article, the ketogenic diet has some good, bad, and ugly qualities. Superfoods like kale are especially valuable to a typical ketogenic diet. Majority of superfoods are ingredients from plants, so why not eat a fully plant-based diet? For example, kelp contains more than 5X as much iodine than any fish of a sea animal (1), and brazil nuts contain more selenium than any meat of a land animal (2).

vegan-keto-tofu-leafy-greens

Does it fit my macros? Plant-based foods have a variety of macronutrient profiles, ranging from low carb to high carb and low fat to high fat. So, if you are concerned about the high intake of cholesterol but still want to get the benefits of a keto diet, you can follow a low-carb vegan keto diet which consists of soy, oils, vegan cheese, nuts, some veggies, and minimal fruit. Plant-based foods are entirely devoid of cholesterol, and usually low in saturated fats. The reason I highly recommend a cholesterol-free diet is because the tissues of our liver and small intestine produce cholesterol all on its own, with or without dietary cholesterol (Berardi 89). In fact, dietary fiber can lower blood cholesterol levels (Berardi 53), so by following a higher-fiber plant-based diet you can maintain a low cholesterol level.

So is vegan keto high fiber? Many vegetables recommended on the keto diet are high in fiber, however the bulk of a vegan keto diet is still somewhat lower in fiber due to its high fat content. Even though tofu and oil are derived from plants, they aren’t foods that should be consumed in excess.

Tofu has a small amount of fiber (4-5g per block) which is definitely more than the zero grams of fiber you get from meat, dairy, fish, and poultry (yep – animal products are completely void of fiber!). Processed cheeses like daiya and plant-based meats like the Beyond Burger are cholesterol-free which is a bonus but they do have less fiber than their whole food unprocessed counterparts. Oil – on the other hand – is another completely fiber-less food which can damage our endothelium, increase inflammation, and contribute to atherosclerosis (4). It is unlikely to achieve keto’s fat standards without having some oil. You can supplement with psyllium husk for fiber, but again, it is not recommended to replace food with supplements.

Will I be missing anything? If you do still want to go keto, you can download a free vegan keto shopping list here.  At first glance you may think I’m making false claims because there’s a lot of fruit and veggies on the keto shopping list. However, keep in mind that only 5-10% of your calories can come from these foods, and since majority of plant-based foods are high in carbohydrates, you will be stuck eating the same low-carb foods over and over and over again. Since many leafy vegetables are low-calorie, you can get away with having a higher amount of them, but sweet fruit and veggies are nearly untouchable. So again – your diet will be mostly tofu, processed dairy and meat alternatives, oils, nuts, and some green veggies – meaning you are at a similar risk of vitamin A and vitamin C deficiency as a meat-based keto diet. It is unlikely that you could maintain this much restriction for a lifetime but if you want to take the challenge – go for it, but plan carefully!

low-carb-vegan-food-ketogenic-diet

Do I need to track calories? Some sources will say that counting calories is not required on the keto diet, but if you don’t then you could easily overeat. On a keto diet (vegan or not), you would need to get used to eating smaller portions of food, because fats are more than twice as dense in calories as carbs or proteins and in many cases lack water content. So if you normally eat 2 cups of strawberries per 100 calories, now you will eat only ½ cup of tofu per 100 calories and less than 1 tablespoon of oil per 100 calories. The good news is, you can still eat a lot of green vegetables like 3 cups of broccoli or 20 cups of lettuce per 100 calories. If you can manage to pull off a monster salad like that, then you are the King of Keto! If you’re ready to take on this diet and all its’ restrictions, then ketosis may help you with fat loss – maybe. If you want a truly incredible experience, there is a better method of getting into ketosis without any diet at all – which I will cover in the next page.

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Resources:

  1. The World’s Healthiest Foods. The George Mateljan Foundation, Inc. “iodine.” http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=nutrient&dbid=69. Accessed July 20, 2018.
  2. Dr Axe. “Brazil Nuts: The Top Selenium Food that Fights Inflammation.” https://draxe.com/brazil-nuts/. Accessed July 20, 2018.
  3. Berardi, John et al. Precision Nutrition: The Essentials of Sport and Exercise Nutrition, Second Edition. Precision Nutrition, Inc., 2012.
  4. Oliveira, Rosane. “Why You Should Opt Out of Olive Oil.” UC Davis: Integrative Medicine. Published May 11 2016. https://ucdintegrativemedicine.com/2016/05/why-you-should-opt-out-of-olive-oil/#gs.0cf3OOk. Accessed July 19, 2018.

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The Meanest Greenest Juice to Drink on St Patty’s Day

The Meanest Greenest Juice You Can Drink on St Patty’s Day

green juice

Many will wake up and have a green beer, green eggs, or another unhealthy green food to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day.  For the past few years I have realized my passion for fitness & health is more valuable to me than traditions.  Basically, I have stepped back from the stereotypical junk food celebrations and stepped forward to learn healthy and nutritious plant-based recipes for a new way to celebrate the holidays.  It is actually quite fun to experiment with new recipes and make feel-good foods also taste good! Today, I am going to share my meanest greenest juice and most nutritious green juice recipe for you to try.  It’s easy peasy and takes very little effort to make.

Step 1: Make sure you have a juice extractor!

Step 2: Grab 3 leaves of organic Swiss Chard  + 1 cucumber.

Step 3: Slice the cucumber in half so that it fits nicely into the juicer :) You can fit the swiss chard in the juicer without slicing it at all, but you may want to break the leaves into smaller pieces first.

Step 4: Place the swiss chard leaf in the juicer, with the red stem first. Then, juice the cucumber. If you are not a fan of cucumbers, try juicing a green apple instead! There’s nothing like the fresh taste of green apple juice ;)

Step 5: If this doesn’t look beautiful and green, I don’t know what does!  Now squeeze 1/2 a lemon right into the foam atop the juice for a tart added flavor. (Skip the lemon if you are making apple juice).

Here’s to one of the best green juice recipes for your health – I love it because it’s jam packed with nutrients and totally beats eating a cucumber chard salad! Drink green juice for a vibrant healthy life! Enjoy and subscribe for more healthy recipes!  In the meantime, check out our recent post aboutThe History Behind Ireland’s Signature Foods and stick around for Derek’s St. Patty’s Day soup!

Written by: Kelly Gibson

Contact Me for More Vegan Recipes or Info on my Nutrition programs:

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    Plant-Based Nutrition Coach and Vegan Personal Trainer at Kelly Athletics LLC in Tempe Arizona.  I am located near Scottsdale, Mesa, Gilbert, Chandler, and Phoenix.

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    Benefits of Foam Rolling

    The Science Behind and Benefits of Foam Rolling

    Foam rolling is a common practice in the Personal Training world.  You might have tried it before at the gym or at home, but if you’re not doing it before and after every workout you might not realize the added benefits of foam rolling. I’m about to tell you why you should work it in to your exercise routine.

    Foam rolling with Self-Myofascial Release (SMR) is a technique used to inhibit overactive muscles and relieve tension in tight or sore muscles. SMR enhances flexibility, improves muscle tissue response, and reduces muscle soreness. It is difficult to know which muscles are overactive if you aren’t familiar with typical Human Movement Impairments, such as Upper Crossed Syndrome where one’s neck protrudes forward during push-ups or Pronation Distortion Syndrom where ones knees cave in and toes point out during squats.  If you want to find out if you have a movement dysfunction, talk to a Corrective Exercise Specialist and get assessed.  Untreated human movement impairments can lead to sore muscles/tissue trauma, inflammation, muscle spasms and knots, altered neuromuscular control, muscle imbalance, and eventually – injury.

    So how does SMR work?  It stimulates the Golgi Tendon Organ (GTO) receptors through sustained pressure.  You roll along your overactive muscle until you feel that there is a knot or even a bit of pain. This is the poitn where you will hold the foam roller in place until you feel relief, for 30 seconds up to 2 minutes depending on the severity of your muscle tightness. There are varying levels of intensity you can choose based on the amount of pain you may feel when you foam roll. The more weight you put on the foam roller, the more intense it will feel. The first few times may hurt, but once you keep practicing and repeatedly work on the same muscles, it eventually feels good. My favorite benefits of foam rolling is that it can have similar effects to getting a massage. Not only do you save $65 on a massage but you can do it yourself and get all the knots out in a few short minutes.

    foam-rolling-peroneal-muscles-side-plank
    Foam Rolling the Peroneal Muscles in a Side Plank Position

    When foam rolling in addition to stretching, you can significantly increase your range of motion and flexibility.  I encourage you to get started today by getting assessed, learning your corrective exercises, and practice, practice, practice!  It can take about 5 foam rolling sessions to start feeling relief and up to 4 weeks to start seeing improvements in your movement dysfunction.  It is best to foam roll your overactive muscles with SMR as a preventative strategy before and after each workout, before injury becomes an issue.  Once you complete an assessment with your Personal Trainer, you should be given a list of exercises that can help you reduce risk of injury and correct your muscle imbalances. You should start foam rolling at the beginning of your workout program.

    Contact Kelly Gibson to learn exercises for Self-Myofascial Release.

    Do you have a foam roller and want to start using it? Try my Stretching Plans with photos that include foam rolling techniques.

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