This book is not a “diet” book. It is not geared toward helping you lose weight. Rather, it is intended to help you transition to a sustainable way of eating that will allow you to be in control of your food choices, eat delicious and filling dishes for every meal, and keep you healthy for years to come—and also result in some weight loss. The ketogenic diet, by its mechanistic nature, results in some loss of body fat. Depending on how much excess energy you have stored as fat on your body, this could be a little or a lot, but I have never met or heard of anyone that did not lose weight while following a ketogenic diet.
The dietary style outlined in this book is a hybrid of two high-profile diets that tend to have devout followers: the ketogenic diet and the Mediterranean diet. Both of them emphasize eating whole foods, both of them have been shown to help control blood pressure and promote a healthy weight, and both of them rely heavily on fat. The combination of these two diets makes perfect sense!
The ketogenic diet is known as a very-low-carbohydrate, moderate protein, and high-fat diet. Such a high-fat diet is perfect for weight loss because fat slows the digestion process and helps you feel full longer than carbohydrates do. Plus, in part because of the rich fat content, the types of foods that fit into a ketogenic diet do not tend to feel like “diet” foods.
The Mediterranean diet probably needs no introduction, as it is hands-down the favorite eating style of clinical and public health professionals. Typically promoted as more of a lifestyle pattern than a diet, the Mediterranean diet includes recommendations for stress management, regular physical activity, and community focus. The diet itself consists of a large amount of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, a moderate amount of meat and dairy, liberal use of olive oil, and a daily glass of red wine. Of course, to fit within a ketogenic diet pattern, the whole grains and most of the fruit will have to be omitted, but we’ll get into all of that later.
When I was approached to write this book, I had been following a ketogenic diet for the better part of a year. During that year I lost 30 pounds, experienced a higher and more even level of energy, and began to seriously question much of the dogma claiming that dietary fat is what makes you fat and causes heart disease. The more I read about where that dogma came from and what evidence it was based upon, the less I was convinced that fat is the villain it’s made out to be.
As I became convinced that a high-fat, very-low-carbohydrate diet is not only sustainable but also likely preferable for many, I started to think about more than just the weight-loss applications of the ketogenic diet. I began to ask myself what a long-term ketogenic eating pattern would look like. I wanted to craft a diet that includes a large amount of fresh fatty fruits like olives and avocado, low-carbohydrate fruits like tomatoes and artichokes; vegetables; a moderate amount of meat, mostly fish; a moderate amount of dairy; a liberal use of olive oil; and an occasional glass of red wine. Sound familiar? The eating pattern that emerged is the Ketogenic Mediterranean Diet. The Ketogenic Mediterranean Diet book combines the easiest, most efficient fat-burning diet with the diet most popular among health professionals for heart health. The result is a way of eating that effortlessly keeps you lean, full of energy, and eating delicious and satisfying meals.
For ease of reading, this book is divided into four sections:
BASIC NUTRITION. Knowledge, particularly in the context of health, is empowerment. I included this section because learning what you are eating and how your body reacts to what you put in it is a crucial part of any healthful lifestyle. You’ll also need to understand some of the terms covered in this section for later parts of the book to make sense.
In the basic nutrition section, the major components of food are discussed. You will learn what exactly people are referring to when they use terms like macronutrients and micronutrients. Fats, proteins, and carbohydrates are explained, and we’ll explore how the body reacts to each. Particular attention is paid to the various kinds of fats in our food supply, the differences between them, and the health consequences of each type.
Also discussed in this section are the millions of bacteria that live within all of us, collectively referred to as the microbiome. These critters have been shown to have so many beneficial functions for our digestion as well as overall well-being that they are now understood to be a necessary component for good health. What we eat has an effect on which species colonize our gut and how those species behave.
THE KETOGENIC DIET. A discussion of ketosis and the ketogenic diet could easily be an entire book. In fact, many books have been written about this subject (see Resources on page 98 for recommendations). Here, I provide a much shorter overview of the ketogenic diet and how it affects the body.
Researchers are beginning to explore the effects a ketogenic diet may have on a myriad of disease states as well as its potential applications for longevity and cancer prevention. A good portion of this section is spent looking at that research. I’ll also cover the regulatory effects that insulin has on blood sugar, because it plays a big part in the effectiveness of the ketogenic diet.
THE MEDITERRANEAN DIET. The foods you eat are not the only important factors of the Mediterranean diet, so in this section I’ve included discussions on the importance of daily physical activity, stress management, finding a sense of community, and mindful eating. Of course, the nuts and bolts (or in this case, nuts and olives) of the Mediterranean diet are discussed, as well.
KETOGENIC MEDITERRANEAN DIET. This section contains the best of both worlds: the ketogenic and Mediterranean diets melded into one!
By the time you get to this section you should have a good foundation for the information contained within. The diet itself is discussed, as well as the health benefits that you will realize. The lifestyle changes that are a necessary part of The Ketogenic Mediterranean Diet are covered. Finally, this section is rife with recipes, a meal plan, and tips for success.
After reading this book, you will hopefully have a better understanding of how the food you eat affects your body, a bit more knowledge about just what that food is, and all the tools you will need to completely transform your eating habits for the better.