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If you are one of the thousands of people who have discovered the keto diet in recent years — or if you have friends or family members who have — then you probably understand that going keto can be as rewarding as it is challenging.
If you are one of the thousands of people who have discovered the keto diet in recent years — or if you have friends or family members who have — then you probably understand that going keto can be as rewarding as it is challenging. Unlike other diets, keto is not meant to be a short-term means to a weight loss end. Rather, going keto means reshaping your diet in ways that will encourage your body to process energy differently.
This means that the keto diet must be undertaken intentionally, and going keto successfully often requires significant planning around what to shop for, what to cook, and what to eat.
Fortunately, when it is done right the keto diet pays dividends in terms of improved overall health, improved energy levels, and effective long-term weight loss. If you are planning on trying the keto diet for yourself, however, you’ll need to make sure you’re taking in enough protein.
At truLOCAL, protein is a specialty of ours, and here are just a few of the ways truLOCAL fresh meat delivery boxes can help you make your keto diet a success.
If you know anything about the keto diet, you probably know that keto is all about switching out carbs for fats. And this is, broadly speaking, true: the keto diet is basically about putting your body into a natural state known as ketosis, in which you switch from primarily burning carbs to primarily burning fats.
Our bodies have evolved to burn carbohydrates first, and the convert unused carbohydrates into fat for storage. This means that if you want to burn fat, you need to burn more carbs than you are taking in as food. In ketosis, however, your body goes from being primarily fuelled off of carbs to being primarily fuelled of off fats, and you enter ketosis by dramatically reducing your carb intake, which essentially tricks your body into believing it is being starved so that it starts burning off reserve fat.
For a variety of reasons, protein plays an absolutely essential role in the keto diet. When in a state of ketosis, the body naturally starts breaking down muscle to use as energy. If you aren’t eating lots of proteins to replace that lost muscle, you’ll see an overall decline in your muscle mass and energy levels, which will make you physically weaker and less mentally acute.
Generally, keto experts will recommend a macronutrient breakdown that looks a little like this:
While different macro needs will change depending on activity level and body type, in almost every case, going keto is going to mean making sure you are including enough protein in your diet. But it isn’t enough just to make sure you’re eating sufficient protein and fat: you also need to make sure you’re eating the right proteins and fats.
Within the keto community, a distinction is often made between clean and dirty keto. While a greasy, bunless burger with a side of bacon counts as a high fat, low-carb meal, these kinds of foods often lack the micronutrients that are needed for a truly balanced and healthy diet.
A common mistake made by newcomers to the keto diet is an emphasis on fats to the exclusion of all else. It is particularly important to bear in mind that processed foods, as a general rule, are not nearly as good for you as whole foods. Remember, you want your diet to fuel your life, and that can’t happen if you aren’t eating foods that include lots of vitamins and nutrients.
This means that when it comes to selecting the foods you are getting your proteins from, you need to think about what other nutrients they are providing you with. For example, the big debate in recent years about the pros and cons of grass and grain fed beef has largely revolved around the types of nutrients and fats that are found in each type of meat.
While most scientific experts now agree that grass-fed beef does tend to include fewer calories than grain fed, the big difference for keto eaters is that grass-fed beef tends to contain more omega 3 fatty acids, making it a source for good fats that provide your body with clean energy.
We are proud to provide high-quality grass-fed beef from local producers to shoppers across Ontario, Alberta, and British Columbia, so no matter where you are, you can include a variety of grass-fed cuts in your monthly delivery box.
If you haven’t ordered from us before and have questions about how our meat boxes are designed to keep fresh all day, you can learn about the importance of dry ice for our shipments here. One of the things that sets truLOCAL’s fresh meat delivery service apart from our competitors is that we can deliver to any type of residence, and you don’t need to be at home to receive the shipment yourself. Because we use dry ice, your meat box will stay fresh all day.
As with any major dietary change, there are going to be foods you need to give up, and given how ubiquitous carbohydrates are as filler in the typical western diet, this is going to mean managing your cravings.
One of the reasons carbohydrates are such a staple is due to the fact that it is easy to feel full when you eat carbs. Having a bagel in the morning or a few potato chips at night fills up the belly and takes the edge off your hunger, and when you cut these foods out of your diet, you’re almost certainly going to experience cravings at odd times of the day.
Even a few extra carbs are all it takes to go out of ketosis, and if you aren’t absolutely disciplined about what you eat, you can spend weeks moving in and out of ketosis, not losing weight, not feeling sharp, and definitely not feeling like you’re accomplishing anything.
So how do you make sure your diet isn’t derailed by your hunger? This is where protein comes into the picture again. Protein, much more than even the heartiest vegetables, tends to provide the body with a feeling of satiety, of being full. That’s why it’s important to get tons of quality meat products for your keto diet if you want to make it through those crucial first weeks when your body is betting you to fill up on a loaf of bread or a plate of fries.
At truLOCAL, we understand how important it is to incorporate a wide range of different meat-based proteins into your diet for the sake of health and variety, which is why we offer such a wide range of products. With a truLOCAL meat box, you certainly don’t need to worry about getting bored or slipping into a rut!
Our high-quality grass fed beef is just the beginning of what we have to offer those who are switching over to a keto diet. Whether you like artisanal sausages, chicken wings, pork roasts, mail order steaks, wild caught seafood, or exotic dishes like buffalo, with a truLOCAL meal box, you can have a different meat with every meal — and maybe a plate of fried shrimp or scallops for a late-night snack!
A diet never happens in a vacuum, and your success in switching over to keto will probably depend on how well you are able to integrate your new diet into the rest of your lifestyle. For example, if you like eating out with friends, family, and co-workers, you’ll want to research keto-friendly eateries that will be able to provide you with meals that won’t throw off your macros.
Even more important, however, will be designing a good shopping list that helps you ensure that you always have high quality keto foods on hand. Just as cravings can derail your diet, eating out too frequently can have the same effect, for the simple reason that when eating at restaurants or fast-food spots you have far less control over what you are putting in your body then when you cook your food at home.
But given how pressed for time most people are already, carving out room for highly specialized shopping trips to butchers and grocers that can provide the healthy proteins you need can be extremely difficult, which is where truLOCAL’s delivery service comes in.
If you want to know how the meat deliver process works simply hop over to our build-a-box page. Starting your first truLOCAL is as easy as entering your area code, selecting the size of box you want, and choosing your favourite meats. Once you have your order built, you can also decide whether or not you want to set up a repeating order that will come every two weeks, every three weeks, or monthly.
The benefit of a repeating order is that you will always have a great range of fresh, locally sourced cuts on hand, but you can always order a one-off delivery if you want to see how it works first. At truLOCAL, we pride ourselves on not requiring subscriptions or contracts, so whether you love our product and want to make sure you have a regular supply or simply want to order for a special occasion, we have an option that will be perfect for you.
Whether or not you’re on the keto diet, healthy, sustainably-sourced meat is a key part of a healthy diet, and one of the things that truLOCAL has been committed to from the very beginning is local sourcing from ethical producers.
We understand that what you take into your body is part of a larger ecosystem and economic system, and just as we strive to ensure that we only deliver high-quality fresh meat products that will make your body strong, we also work hard to guarantee that every cut we deliver has come from a sustainable farm run by farmers who share our commitment to environmentally responsible production. We are proud of our local suppliers and that’s why we provide full transparency about where our meat comes from.
When it comes to seafood, we work with providers based in-province, as the only partner with companies that are using sustainable fishing practices and sourcing wild-caught product. If you want to learn more about the local farms we work with, you can explore the suppliers we work within each province and find out what drives their commitments to sustainable farming and local food.
In a world where more and more of our food comes from massive international conglomerates with complex supply chains, buying from local producers embedded in real communities is a revolutionary act. It is also one that is increasingly become essential for the continued health of our planet. As climate change becomes a growing concern for Canadians and the world, finding ways to invest in farmers who are doing their part to produce good food in ways that are environmentally sustainable is an essential aspect of fighting for a better future.
If you are going keto because you want a healthier body, you can also work toward building a healthier world with fresh meat delivery boxes from truLOCAL. Get in touch with us today, and find out just how easy it is to get high quality meat delivered straight to your door anywhere in Ontario, Alberta, or British Columbia!
Posted on July 13th, 2021