Here’s what happens when you go on a keto diet for a week

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Dieting can be hard, especially if you are used to drinking sugary beverages and eating a lot of junk food. But trying something like the keto diet offers many health benefits, from helping promote weight loss to boosting your overall health.

If you have a busy schedule but are interested in going keto, the tips detailed below can help.

What happens to your body on a keto diet?

"Going keto" means regularly putting your body into a state of ketosis, where your liver produces ketone bodies from fat and burns those ketones for fuel.

Ketosis happens when the body doesn't have the insulin supply to convert carbs into energy. Instead, it uses ketones.

Ketones are produced during a process called ketogenesis, which occurs when your body breaks fatty acids and ketogenic amino acids into ketones.

You can trigger ketosis by limiting your carbohydrate intake and fasting intermittently. Both methods work well together, but if you need a little help going keto, you can also try using ketone ester powder.

A ketone ester powder will help raise ketone levels in your blood to help put the body into a state of ketosis.

But once you're on the diet, don't get discouraged if you don't see results right away. The diet affects people differently and what works for others might not always work for you. (Related: 5 Tips for a successful keto diet.)

The most popular choice for intermittent fasting is known as 16:8 fasting, which involves 16 hours of fasting with an eight-hour eating window. You can also try a 12-hour eating window if that works better for you.

You may encounter some issues, like not finding certain meals satiating or having trouble when dining out. The best way to avoid these issues is to plan ahead. Using ketone ester powder also ensures that your body gets its daily ketosis boost.

Benefits of using ketone ester powder

To avoid feeling deprived, look up tasty keto recipes that will help you feel full. If you love burgers, look for a keto-friendly alternative and try the recipe.

Start with a healthy breakfast, make a keto-friendly lunch and end the day with a nice dinner.

If you crave a midnight snack, eat some dark chocolate, a hard-boiled egg or half an avocado.

You can also start your day with a refreshing keto smoothie made with fatty ingredients like full-fat coconut milk, almond butter and avocado.

Within your preferred eating window, indulge in high-fat snacks like cottage cheese and raw nuts.

To reap all the benefits of ketosis, make sure you also use ketone ester powder. According to studies, ketosis is linked to stable blood sugar levels, lower triglyceride levels and cognitive health.

Add ketone ester powder to a glass of water and the juice of half a lemon to make it easier to drink.

If you are occasionally tempted to indulge in carb-heavy foods like fresh bread or pancakes, don't get discouraged. Try again the next day and add a second scoop of ketone ester powder to your keto breakfast smoothie to help turn your off days back on.

After going keto for one week, you may experience benefits such as less sporadic energy levels.

Since ketone bodies are a fantastic fuel source for the brain, your focus can also improve.

Keto-friendly recipes to try

These recipes may be keto-friendly, but they're nutritious and flavorful.

Cheesy broccoli

This recipe uses the whole plant so you don't trim off and discard too much of your broccoli stems.

Ingredients for 4 servings:

1 lb. broccoli (about 1 large or 2 medium heads)

5 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

1 Small red onion, cut lengthwise into 1/2"-thick slices

4 Garlic cloves, sliced

6 Oil-packed anchovy fillets

1 oz. Parmesan, finely grated (about 1/4 cup)

Lemon wedges (for serving)

Kosher salt

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 400 F.

Trim the very bottom, woody part of the broccoli stems. Peel the tough outer layer starting from the stem, from the florets down to the end of the stalk.

Starting from the stem end, cut the broccoli at a 45-degree angle into 3/4"-thick slices until you reach the florets. Break the florets apart with your hands into bite-size pieces.

Heat three tablespoons of oil in a large heatproof skillet over medium-high until shimmering. Add the broccoli and season with salt. Cook until the broccoli is bright green and lightly charred, or for about three minutes. Transfer to a plate, then wipe out skillet.

Heat the remaining two tablespoons of oil in the same skillet over medium heat. Cook the onion and garlic, stirring often, until the onion is beginning to soften, or for at least three minutes.

Add the anchovies to the onion and garlic and cook. Use a spoon to break the anchovies apart until broken down and the garlic is beginning to turn golden around the edges, or for about two minutes.

Return the broccoli to the skillet and toss to coat with oil.

Transfer the broccoli to the oven and roast, tossing once, until the broccoli is browned and tender, after 20 to 25 minutes.

Wrap the handle of the skillet with a towel so you don't burn yourself.

Scatter the Parmesan cheese over the hot broccoli.

Divide the broccoli among the plates and serve with lemon wedges.

Keto beef stew

This keto beef stew is rich and comforting, perfect for dinner on a cold night.

Ingredients for 4-6 servings:

2 lb Beef chuck roast, cut into 1" pieces

8 oz Baby bella mushrooms, sliced

6 Cups low-sodium beef broth

2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 Teaspoon freshly chopped rosemary

1 Teaspoon fresh thyme leaves

1 Medium carrot, peeled and cut into rounds

1 Small onion, chopped

2 Stalks celery, sliced

3 Cloves garlic, minced

1 Tablespoon tomato paste

Freshly ground black pepper

Kosher salt

Preparation:

Pat the beef dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper.

In a large pot over medium heat, heat the oil. Work in batches to add beef and sear on all sides until golden, about three minutes per side. Remove from the pot and repeat with the rest of the beef chuck. Add more oil as necessary.

Add mushrooms to the pot you used to cook the beef and cook until golden and crispy, for about five minutes. Add the onion, carrots and celery and cook until soft, for five minutes.