What is Keto: Dirty vs Clean?
With the passing of National Keto Day yesterday, I want to take a moment to discuss the difference between dirty and clean keto. When I started keto in 2018, I never heard of these distinctions, it was just keto. So what does it mean to eat dirty keto vs clean keto?
Before I get into that, for anyone that doesn’t know, let me first explain what keto is. Keto is a diet that is low in carbs and focuses on healthy fats and protein to put the body in a state of ketosis. I could give the technical definition of ketosis, but to put it in layman’s terms, ketosis is a state where the body, having insufficient carbs to burn for fuel, opts to burn fat for energy. When first making the change to a keto diet, you will lose water weight and bloat, giving highly noticeable results in a matter of days. This is one of the many reasons that keto has become so popular. Instant gratification.
Keto is a great diet for anyone battling food related diabetes. This is due to the drastic reduction of sugar and processed foods. For many, it is also a great way to lose stubborn fat and drop those unwanted pounds. For some, it is taboo. The idea of not eating bread, pasta, or rice on a daily basis is enough to send them running in the opposite direction. I’ll admit, that as a latina raised on rice and beans, it was something that gave me pause. But when nothing else seemed to work, I decided to give keto a try. And you know what, it wasn’t half as difficult to pass on the aforementioned carbs as I thought it would be.
Lately, I’ve heard lots of talk about keto: dirty vs clean. Like everything else I discuss on my channel, here in my blogs, or on my social media platforms, it is a personal decision on which version of keto a person chooses to follow. I am not here to judge, but to provide information to help you make an informed decision. There is no right or wrong if it helps you achieve your goals.
Let’s start with clean keto, the original, also known as strict keto. In order to follow a clean keto diet, you should avoid processed foods, carbs, and sugar. Meat should be grass fed, organic, and uncured. When choosing a sweetener, you should opt for sugar alcohols (ie. erythritol, xylitol), monk fruit sweetener, or stevia. Even fruits and vegetables should be limited based on their carb content, but when consumed, should be organic. Rather than butter, opt for ghee. One area of contention surrounds dairy. It is a personal choice whether or not to avoid dairy, but if you opt to continue consuming dairy, it should be whole fat.
Clean keto is best achieved by making your own meals from scratch. Aside from the weight loss benefits, there are loads of health benefits as well. I’ve already mentioned diabetes, but some other benefits of clean keto are an increase in energy and sleep, improved brain function (clears foggy brain), clearer skin, improved heart health, reduced risk of cancer, and has even been linked to a reduction of seizures. With all of these amazing health benefits, it’s no wonder more people are making the change.
Now for dirty keto. Between work and family obligations, some may not have the time to dedicate to a clean keto way of life. Enter dirty keto. It is also often referred to as lazy keto. The basic principles of high fat, no sugar, and low carbs are followed, but the quality of the food differs. Grab and go meals are chosen over home cooked meals. Just grab a bacon cheeseburger and skip the bun. While this may meet the macronutrient (calories, fat, protein, carb count, etc…) requirements, it still contains processed food, preservatives, and other additives linked to health related issues. Using this method of keto will allow you to lose weight, but does not have the same health benefits of clean keto.
This is where education and personal preference comes into play. Some people opt to eat a keto based diet solely for weight loss. If this is your goal, then dirty keto will work just as well as clean keto. However, if you are like me and looking to reap the health benefits along with weight loss, then you should opt for clean keto. I’m not going to lie, it is not always easy to stick to a clean keto way of life. There are times where I will eat dirty keto, but I try my best to eat clean keto as much as possible.
Do you follow a keto based diet? If so, are you clean or dirty? What influenced your decision?
