Indian style Ketogenic diet

        Before even I completed reading the book "The art and science of low carbohydrate living" I realized how dangerous it is to have carbohydrates on a regular basis as the main fuel to my body. I however did not know what to eat if I got rid of Rice and Wheat. Though there were a lot of books, Articles and Videos about Ketogenic diets and recipes they were mostly from western countries. There were a few Intelligent Indians who had followed and written about their ketogenic diets and recipes. However it was not sufficient. Especially since I was a Vegetarian who does not eat even eggs.

     On top of this my Wife who cooks all my food was crying after seeing what I am trying to get rid of. And my Mom and In-Laws also got to know about this and started questioning the validity of a diet which gets rid of Rice. My office colleagues also were questioning the basic premise of the diet. However eventually everybody started supporting me though they had at least some doubts.

     After a couple of months of trial and error my Wife was able to cook food to keep my body in Ketosis. Though I believe there is a lot of scope to make more variations and variety in the diet, it looks sustainable to me even in the long term. Enough of stories. Let me get straight into the diet.

Morning:

     I take 3 to 4 grams of table salt in 4 glasses of water first thing in the morning. This is to ensure Blood Pressure does not go low. Also to ensure that body does not eliminate Potassium to retain Sodium. If Potassium goes low, I get Muscle Cramps and Muscle Spasms. Advice to take salt with Ketogenic diet is given everywhere. It is better to not avoid it.

BreakFast:

     Then during breakfast I have few spoons of Flax Seeds. This gives Omega-3 Fatty acid. If you are a non-vegetarian, you could look at having couple of Cod-Liver Oil Capsules or even fish regularly. This also has a lot of Omega-3 Fatty acid. Then 15 Almonds and 3 Cashews. Since cashews have a lot of carbs it is better to limit it. The other good thing about Flax seeds and Almonds is that they have lots of Potassium and Magnesium. Then I have two spoons of butter. If you are fine with eggs, you can have couple of boiled eggs or in any other form. Eggs are supposed to be good because they are wholesome and provide all the essential amino acids. People who do not eat eggs have to ensure this through other means. Then I have a Poriyal(Sauteed vegetable curry) of one of the allowed vegetables. I have listed down the allowed vegetables below. I also have a little bit of pulses like Urad Dal, Chickpea dal added into the curries. I have some chutney(made out of allowed vegetables and plant products) along with the Curry to make it tastier. After this I have a cup of Curd(Fermented Milk).

Lunch:

     For lunch I have the same vegetable curry made in the morning along with the chutney. I mix 50 grams(approx) of ground nut along with the Curry to make it tastier. I also eat 2 or 3 pieces of Cheddar Cheese. Then a cup of Curd. It is better to limit the ground nuts, however, as it can be addicting.

Dinner:

     I finish my dinner at 6 pm. I just have some Cucumber with Chilly powder and Salt. Then a small cup of grated coconut. Then a cup of curd. Most of the days I do not feel like having the third meal as I do not feel the hunger. So I try to make the first 2 meals heavier. However I have not been skipping dinner just to ensure that I change only one variable at a time. In future I am planning to try intermittent fasting with 6 hour window of eating and 18 hours of fasting. This way we can give enough time for the body to repair.

     Non-Vegetarians would be the ones to benefit most. Generally Ketogenic diet advisors do not put any limit on how much meat you can eat. So you can insert meat where ever you feel it can be done. Non-Vegetarians can get their saturated fat to fuel their body from meat. Whereas vegetarians can get their saturated fat from Butter and Coconut to fuel their body.

     In terms of oil, I generally limit it to Coconut oil and Olive oil. The other oils mostly have omega-6 fatty acids which can go out of balance with omega-3 fatty acids and cause inflammation in the long term. Occasionally having the other oil should be fine.

     The vegetables are very much needed because they ensure that we get the Vitamins and Minerals needed by our body. Especially the Capsicums, Spinach, and Broccoli are really rich in micro nutrients.  Spinach and other green vegetables are generally rich in Potassium and Magnesium. Especially we should not ignore Magnesium as its deficiency is known to cause heart attacks even in individuals who are fit otherwise. I have been trying to ensure that I do not miss out on any of the vital nutrients. I avoided all fruits and tried to get the nutrients through other means mentioned here.

     This is how I have been eating in the last 4 months. Occasionally I do indulge by having some food with lots of carbs. Like Idlis, Dosas, Vadas and Sweets. Not just because i want to taste something different. It is also because the society does not support me. We do not even find restaurants which provide Tiffin items without Carbs. Generally such indulgence does not cause any issues. Couple of days I had a lot of carbs and felt nervousness the next morning(may be due to Insulin). But it went away after an hour automatically.  May be my body went out of ketosis on those days.

     Though this diet may look bland and unsustainable to most Indians, I am perfectly happy with this and I am looking forward to remain in Ketosis throughout my life. My mind feels very calm(may be due to Ketosis). I do not worry about calories. I eat to my satiety. I have a lot more energy than I ever had in the past. The blood test I did recently shows all parameters to be normal.

     The allowed vegetables and other plant products are 

• • Capsicum
  • Brinjal
  • Spinach
  • Mint Leaves
  • Cabbage
  • CauliFlower
  • Coconut
  • Radish
  • Broccoli
  • Cucumber
  • Green Beans
  • Ladies Finger
  • Bitter Gourd
  • Ivy Gourd
  • Bottle gourd
  • Snake Gourd
  • Ridge Gourd
  • Fenugreek Leaves
  • Coriander leaves
  • Banana stem
  • Banana Flower
  • Mushroom
  • Lettuce
  • Onion
  • Tomota
  • Chilly

I had gleaned this list from various sites. You might want to look at the exact carb content of these vegetables if you want to accurately know your intake. However normally you do not need to worry about it with the vegetables. The edify.net.au site has more information on the allowed foods.

     I would be happy to help with any information you need in starting/following this diet. All the best.