Optimal Keto: Getting Your Macros Right

Macros are macronutrients and are needed in larger amounts than other nutrients to ensure proper function and health. There are three types of macronutrients: carbohydrates, proteins, and fats.

In Australia and New Zealand, the acceptable macronutrient distribution range (AMDR) is 15–25% of energy from protein, 20–35% from fat and 45–65% from carbohydrates (1).

However, if you are interested in starting a ketogenic diet, your macro profile is going to look very different. And, if your goal is to lose weight and improve your metabolic well-being, adapting your macronutrient distribution to a ketogenic profile, may prove to be a highly worthwhile exercise.

If you have ever started a keto diet and asked how much protein you should be eating, you’d be excused for being a little confused. It seems that this topic is the one most fraught with conflicting opinions and contested answers. Some people insist that having too much protein will bump you out of ketosis. Others contend that having extra protein is irrelevant and the most important thing is reducing carbohydrates and increasing fat.

Fortunately, we just need to build our understanding with a bit more detail to confidently know how much protein is right for you.

The first and most important thing to consider is that protein is an essential nutrient required for a range of structural and functional roles throughout the body. These include:       

• Muscle growth and repair
• Enzyme production
• Hormone production
• Antibody production and immune function
• Healthy hair, skin and nails
• Supporting healthy bones and joints
• Transporting nutrients and molecules
• Maintaining the body’s acid-base balance

Therefore, it’s crucial that we all consume the daily minimum requirement of protein in order to maintain these functions.

If you don’t get enough protein, then chances are you won’t automatically show signs of deficiency. That’s because the body can adapt to low protein intakes by slowing down processes that aren’t necessary for survival but are necessary for optimal health. Over time, however, this could compromise critical processes such as immune function, and muscle and organ maintenance (2,3).

Interestingly, recent studies using updated techniques have identified shortcomings with the recommended dietary allowance (RDA). This research suggests that current recommendations for protein intake may be insufficient and that individuals might benefit by increasing their intake of protein. The results from these studies suggest that protein intake should be 40% higher than current recommendations (4, 5).

This means we should be looking to maintain between 1.2-2.0 grams of protein per day, per kg of body weight (depending on the level of activity). So, if you weigh 70 kg you would be aiming to consume about 85-140 grams of protein per day (6, 7).

The reason there is some concern about consuming too much protein when you’re on a keto diet is that it could lead to the production of glucose through a process called gluconeogenesis. Put simply, this is where your liver and kidneys make glucose from protein instead of carbohydrate sources. Therefore, the theory is that having too much protein leads to an upregulation of gluconeogenesis resulting in increased glucose production, tipping you out of ketosis.

However, if we look at the research, we find that the rate of gluconeogenesis is a demand-driven process that remains remarkably stable even when carbohydrates are reduced and protein intake is increased (8, 9).

It turns out that gluconeogenesis is an essential process that allows you to remain in ketosis. That’s because your body always needs some glucose to survive. You still need to maintain a healthy blood sugar balance, your muscles will always need to replenish glycogen after exercise and your liver can’t run on ketones, it needs glucose. 

Gluconeogenesis ensures that all these functions are covered while the rest of your body can benefit from utilising ketones as an energy source (10, 11). 

Based on this, the idea that excessive protein might tip you out of ketosis is a bit of a myth. Of course, eating too many calories, regardless of whether they come from carbohydrates, fats, or proteins, might mean that you will store this excess as fat, but that’s a different matter. The aim should be to focus on getting enough protein to ensure optimal health. If you are relatively sedentary this would be 1.2 g per kg of body weight. Those who are more active would require a greater daily protein intake of up to 2.0 g per kg of body weight.

The human body is remarkably adaptable and is more than capable of efficiently running on a wide variety of foods. So, when carbohydrates are significantly reduced an alternative fuel called ketones is produced from dietary and stored fats. You just need to make sure that you are consuming enough fats to get the process started and maintained.

This process is called ketosis and is the key principle underpinning the ketogenic diet. Apart from providing an alternate source of energy, the ketogenic diet has been shown to produce numerous beneficial metabolic changes such as weight loss, improved insulin response, lowered blood pressure, and reduced cholesterol and triglycerides (12, 13, 14, 15, 16).

The emphasis on consuming fat at the expense of carbohydrates to enter ketosis may raise concerns in some who, for decades, have been told to reduce the amount of fat in their diet. However, a growing body of research literature, including meta-analyses and systematic reviews, has found no significant connection between saturated fat and heart disease (17, 18, 19, 20).

Of course, that doesn’t mean we should exceed our daily requirements. If you want to lose weight you can’t have more fat than you can burn, which will result in this being stored as excess throughout the body.

What it does mean is that we can now shed our concerns about dietary fat being something we should avoid and start enjoying this energy-rich nutrient as a satisfying and satiating ingredient capable of bringing the flavour out of almost any dish.

However, if we look at the research, we find that the rate of gluconeogenesis is a demand-driven process that remains remarkably stable even when carbohydrates are reduced and protein intake is increased (8, 9).

It turns out that gluconeogenesis is an essential process that allows you to remain in ketosis. That’s because your body always needs some glucose to survive. You still need to maintain a healthy blood sugar balance, your muscles will always need to replenish glycogen after exercise and your liver can’t run on ketones, it needs glucose. 

Gluconeogenesis ensures that all these functions are covered while the rest of your body can benefit from utilising ketones as an energy source (10, 11). 

Based on this, the idea that excessive protein might tip you out of ketosis is a bit of a myth. Of course, eating too many calories, regardless of whether they come from carbohydrates, fats, or proteins, might mean that you will store this excess as fat, but that’s a different matter. The aim should be to focus on getting enough protein to ensure optimal health. If you are relatively sedentary this would be 1.2 g per kg of body weight. Those who are more active would require a greater daily protein intake of up to 2.0 g per kg of body weight.

As a rule, in order to enter and stay in ketosis, approximately 70% of your daily calories should come from fat. Therefore, if you consume 2,000 calories per day, you will aim to include about 130 - 150 grams of fat per day; just make sure you ease into this amount. You don’t need to suddenly eliminate your carbohydrate intake and replace it with a significant increase in fat. Rather, transition into your keto diet and allow your body and your taste buds to adapt. You can give yourself several weeks to gradually settle into a ketogenic diet plan and shift your metabolism to one that is fat adapted.

It's also important to be mindful of the types of fat to include in a healthy ketogenic diet. Those industrial seed and vegetable oils we see lining our supermarket shelves are a relatively recent introduction to the human diet. Oils such as corn, canola, cottonseed, and blended vegetable oil, are typically created by chemical extraction and high-heat industrial processes. They are then further processed with degumming agents, deodorisers, and bleaching agents in order to make them palatable.

These oils are also very high in omega-6 fatty acids. While these are essential fats, consuming too much omega-6 is associated with an increased risk of chronic inflammatory diseases such as cardiovascular disease, obesity, inflammatory bowel disease and Alzheimer's disease (19).

By contrast, oils such as olive oil have been used for thousands of years and are rich in healthy monounsaturated fats. Other natural fats that can be included in a healthy ketogenic diet include butter, ghee, flaxseed oil, coconut oil, avocado oil, sesame oil, lard, and duck fat. You can also supplement your diet with MCT oil which is rapidly metabolised and can optimise ketone production.

If you are not used to adding natural fat to your food, it may seem like a challenge to get enough in a keto diet. However, in many ways, we are also looking to reintroduce a lot of the foods and ingredients our grandparents regularly ate. Remember, much of the high-carb, low-fat cooking we are so accustomed to is only a recent introduction that began a little over 60 years ago.

So, as a start, make sure you include natural, full-fat ingredients instead of non-fat or low-fat processed foods. You can start adding back heavy cream, sour cream, full-fat yoghurt, and cheeses. Also, include fat-rich foods like avocado and eggs in your meals; they are easy to prepare, versatile and taste great! And don’t forget to add fatty cuts of meat to those slow-cooked stews.

You can use fats like butter, ghee, lard, or coconut oil to cook vegetables, meat, fish and eggs. Not only do these fats add flavour to your dish, but they are also heat stable, making them far more appropriate for cooking than vegetable oils.

Drizzle olive oil, MCT oil or fat-rich dressings and sauces over salads, vegetables or any dish that can be complemented with a little extra tasty fat. Add a dollop of sour cream to your chili con carne and use cheeses, olives or nuts as a garnish over salads and other dishes.

And, if you are looking for a snack to keep you going, a few raspberries or blueberries with some full-fat yoghurt or whipped cream can be a very satisfying choice.

If you want to get into ketosis, which is the aim of the ketogenic diet, you are going to need to significantly reduce your carbohydrate consumption. For most people, this means eating less than 20 grams of carbohydrates per day. This would equate to about 5 - 10% of your total daily calories. That’s quite a significant reduction and, if you eat three meals a day, this will mean that each meal would need to be a little under 7 grams of carbohydrates.

Some people who start a keto diet choose to keep track of their meals by counting carbs, as this seems like a logical way of staying under 20 grams. A more helpful approach would be to eliminate those foods highest in carbs altogether and then focus on planning meals using foods that are keto friendly.

The high-carb foods to avoid include:

• Grain-based foods such as bread, pasta, and rice
• Starchy foods and root vegetables such as potatoes, parsnip, sweet potatoes, and corn
• Beans, legumes, and pulses
• Breakfast cereals
• Cakes, biscuits, and pastries
• Chips and crackers
• Fruit juice
• Honey, sugar, or syrup in any form

This leaves non-starchy vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, green leafy veg, as well as zucchini, eggplant, cucumber, and avocado (the keto champion). You can also include moderate amounts of berries, melons, and non-sweet fruit such as lime and lemons.

Fibre is the part of plant foods that we do not fully digest. Nevertheless, it is an important dietary component that feeds a healthy gut microbiome and contributes to digestive health, immune function, and mental well-being. Fibre also helps you feel fuller for longer, can assist in reducing cholesterol and blood sugar levels and may help prevent some diseases such as diabetes, heart disease and bowel cancer.

In our modern western diet, most of our dietary fibre comes from carbohydrate-rich foods, such as bread, cereals, and whole grains. So, when going on a keto diet it’s important to identify fibre-rich rich foods that are low in carbohydrates and make sure to incorporate these into your meals. These foods include avocado, chia seeds, almonds, pecans, flaxseeds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, green leafy vegetables, cauliflower, cabbage and coconut.

Putting together keto-friendly meals is quite a simple exercise, so don’t overcomplicate it.

It can be as simple as picking your protein source and including some salad or cooked vegetables. Add some quality, natural fat such as drizzling some olive oil and including half an avocado.

With the right planning, you will be able to create weekly meal plans that are delicious, satisfying, and full of variety.

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