Will Cole has published a book called “Ketotarian,” and the premise of the book is about combining diets to amplify health benefits. In specific, vegetarian, vegan, pescatarian, and ketogenic diets. Today I’ll talk about this concept after reading a short blurb about it on MindBodyGreen.com.
The Ketotarian diet is a “powerful inflammation fighter.”
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About the Ketotarian Diet
The author references years of experiences witnessing patients fight health issues and how he pinned the power of food as it pertains to fueling disease or on the contrary, assisting us reach healthy living standards. He’s seen the ups and downs of diet plans and has come up with a strategy that will optimize the body as health issues keep trending up.
Inflammation
Most modern health issues are linked to inflammation. The list of problems includes cancer, heart disease, and autoimmune conditions. Around 50 million Americans have an autoimmune condition, and this number does not count the millions more who are on the autoimmune-inflammation spectrum. Heart attacks happen every 34 seconds, and half of men, and one third of women will have cancer diagnosed during their lives.
The main talking point raised here is that autoimmune disease and other health conditions aren’t sprung on us out of the blue. They start slowly and progress at a snails pace, just inching towards a full on disease. What you put into your body makes a huge difference as to how this develops.
How the Diet Works
As a plant based version of the well known ketogenic diet, the ketotarian diet isn’t heavy in the dairy and meat departments. One downfall of the ketogenic diet is that if you are into a plant-based diet, or have a sensitivity to either of those groups, which many people do, it’s simply not a feasible option. On the other hand, the ketotarian diet provides all of the same benefits of eating a diet high in fats but without the dairy and processed meats, which are linked to cancer as well as inflammation.
This is a powerful diet plan because ketotarian leverages all of the benefits of eating a plant-based diet without incorporating the downfalls of going full on vegan or vegetarian. A plant based diet will have it’s detoxification benefits in addition to being a cancer fighter, and as a bonus, it keeps your blood sugar down. Cole also points out that many of his patients who visit him become “carbatarians,” people who live on starchy carbs like bread, pasta, and grains. They get their proteins from beans and soy and often forget how much they have to rely on those food sources. This results in a large deficiency in vital nutrients as well as – you guessed it – inflammation.
The ketotarian diet is low-carb, has protein in moderation, and is high in fat (the stuff your body needs) – and you essentially move your body from a sugar burner to a fat burner and get your body to the state of ketosis.
Principles of a Ketotarian Diet
You can obtain plant-based, healthy fats from avocados (that’s my preferred source, actually), nuts (not so much for me), olives (in my Martinis!), and coconuts, which I’ll eat in any way, shape, or form. Nuts are a great source of protein and don’t involve the problems that soy and legumes can have. On this diet, you’ll get your carbs from high nutrient veggies and leafy greens.
How the Ketotarian Diet Fights Inflammation
When you dive into the science of it, research has prevailed in showing that consuming a high fat diet that omits plant fiber will lead to increased inflammation. When you go on a ketotarian diet, you won’t have to worry about this. Quoting the author is probably best:
Simply put, putting your body in a fat-burning state of ketosis soothes inflammation
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I also had a look at the sample meal plans for this diet, and here they are:
(This is what the author eats.)
Breakfast
- Fat loaded smoothie (when not doing intermittent fasting) – this can be with greens and contain spinach, full fat coconut milk, and blueberries. Add in a slice of avocado for some creaminess and even some chia seeds for fat and protein.
Lunch
- Zucchini noodle bowl with pesto sauce.
Dinner
- Tacos are the preference for the author, but you’ll see them lettuce wrapped and consisting of roasted cauliflower – with loads of guac and cilantro.
In conclusion, this diet is very easy to follow and highly sustainable. You’ll limit cravings – which is why most diets fail. If you want to go plant-based, that option is yours, but you can add in meats every once in a while if you wish. It’s a great “base diet.”
If I decide to test it out, I’ll circle back and let you all know how it went!
About Shaun Hudson
Shaun Hudson loves sports, being outdoors, and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. After many unsuccessful attempts to lose weight, he finally was able to drop 25 pounds and keep it off. The secret? He kept a journal of his activity, diet, and daily life. That journal changed his life, and has since evolved into this website. Read his full bio.