Keto diet has become all the rage as of late – and for good reason – IT WORKS! (depending on what you are qualifying as working – for most people all they care about is that they lose weight – which is good – but there is so much more to Keto than just weight loss).

But what about “Dirty Keto” – foods that while high in fat, moderate in protein and low in carbs are still not “clean” – thus creating confusion. Note the photo above….

Processed orange Kraft cheese slices, bacon and non-organic, non-grass-fed hamburger meat. Doubled up with no bun this does qualify as a “keto” meal – however I think you know where I am going with this.

The goal of a keto diet is to elevate a specific blood marker called beta-hydroxybutyrate (one of the many different ketone bodies that can be found in the blood). To accomplish this, you need to make sure that 60-80% of your diet is fat, 20-30% protein and less than 10% from carbs.

With dirty Keto there is an adherence to the macro portion rule but a misunderstanding, or incomprehension, to the idea of good vs bad fats, proteins and carbs. With dirty Keto you could eat canola oils, non-grass fed or farmed proteins, non-organic vegetables, carbonated diet sodas, processed foods and some sugars (again, as long as you hit the macros) however beware – the results are quite detrimental to your body – even though you are “in/eating keto.”

Problems with “Dirty Keto” dieting


• Full of Chemicals and Carcinogens
• High in Inflammatory Fats
• High in Hormones and Antibiotics

These food products can overwhelm the liver and cause inflammation and disease in the body. It’s always best to look for foods high in nutrition and low in toxins.

Dirty Keto Foods to Avoid

– Conventional Meat Products (deli lunch meats, bacon, sausage etc.)
– Refined Vegetables Oils (canola, corn, or other vegetable oils, margarine etc.)
– Fried Foods
– Conventional Dairy Products (half and half, whole milk, traditional cheese, sour cream etc.)
 – Artificial Sweeteners / Zero Calorie Foods
– Unfiltered Tap Water
– Table Salt

What is a “Real Food Keto” Diet?

The polar opposite of “Dirty Keto” would then be “Clean Keto” or quite simply real food kept dieting. It’s essentially the way human beings were designed to eat and includes a focus on nutrient dense, whole foods from sources such as grass-fed beef/wild game meats, pasture raised poultry (turkey, chicken etc.), pasture raised free range eggs, wild caught small fish, nutrient dense low carb vegetables and low glycemic fruits (berries) herbs and spices. Simply follow the same Keto macros with this diet and you now have a “real food Keto cellular healing detoxifying diet” – ok, I think you get my point.

The “Real Food Keto Diet” pyramid is as follows:

• Natural Sweeteners (Stevia, monk fruit, xylitol, erythritol)
• Fermented foods (kimchi, pickles, sauerkraut, coconut milk, yogurt)
• Fiber – Nuts and Seeds (pecans, almonds, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, hemp seeds, chia seeds, flax seeds)
• Clean Protein (Grass-fed beef, wild-caught salmon, pasture raised poultry, wild game)
• Antioxidants (Non-starchy vegetables, herbs, low-glycemic fruits)
• Healthy fats (Avocado, coconut oil, grass-fed butter, pasture-raised eggs, EV olive oil, coconut milk, coconut flakes, coconut butter, MCT oil, SCT oil)

Benefits of following this type of food pyramid (as opposed to the ones you see issued from www.health.gov or the newest www.choosemyplate.gov – which I don’t recommend you visit – they are essentially the exact opposite of what you are seeing above.)

• Reduced Inflammation
• Improved Fat Burning
• Increased Mental Clarity
• Increased Energy
• Clearer Skin
• Reduced cravings/hunger
• Cellular Repair / Stem Cell Activation
• Reduced incidence of chronic disease (diabetes, heart disease, cancer etc.)
• Cellular biogenesis (anti-aging)
• Generalized well-being
• Healing