Liquid Keto Diet: Pros, cons, and diet plan example

A liquid keto diet is pretty much the same as a regular diet. The only difference is that it excludes solid food, meaning that you can only have your meals in a liquid form, such as smoothies, soups, shakes, etc. The main benefits of following a keto liquid diet include:

• Improved digestion
• Better gut health
• Better nutrient absorption
• Stimulated weight loss
• Anti-inflammatory effect
• Simple maintenance

At the same time, there are also some possible downsides including greater feelings of hunger, cravings, digestive discomfort, and nutrient deficiencies.

A keto diet is a popular choice for people seeking to lose weight and improve overall health. It’s easy to follow, not very restricting and holds a wealth of benefits, including those for people with specific medical conditions like PCOS or diabetes. Yet, while many people know a lot about the traditional approach to a keto diet, not many know about less popular variations of this diet, such as a liquid keto diet.

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What Is a Keto Liquid Diet?

In a nutshell, a liquid keto diet is just a liquid-based approach to well-known ketogenic eating. The core principles remain the same–it’s a high-fat, low-carb dietary approach that aims to set your body into a state of ketosis so that it starts using fat as a primary source of energy instead of glucose.

Just like a traditional keto diet, it implies following certain proportions of nutrient consumption:

• 70-80% fats
• 15-20% protein
• 5-10% carbs

So how is it different? The main difference is in the type of food you can consume. While a typical keto diet lets you eat solid food, a ketogenic liquid diet excludes all solid food. Instead, it focuses on liquids like smoothies, shakes, soups, and liquid supplements.Who Might Consider Keto-Liquid Eating?Since it excludes solid foods, this type of diet might not be for everyone. You can consider trying it if you are looking to lose weight and improve your metabolism. Thanks to stimulating ketosis, this diet can help you burn fat and achieve your body goals. Besides, by consuming only liquid foods, you can potentially reduce the amount of calories you consume per day and thus, lose weight faster.Also, this diet is commonly recommended after surgeries as liquid foods don’t overload your digestive system. For the same reason, it might be a good choice for people with digestive issues.Nevertheless, it’s important to remember that it may not suit everyone. It’s best to start this diet after consulting with a doctor or nutritionist.The Benefits of a Liquid Keto DietFollowing a liquid approach to a ketogenic diet can offer a number of benefits, including:Potential Risks and Downsides of a Liquid Keto DietThough it may offer big benefits, this diet might not suit everyone because excluding solid meals can have a number of potential risks and downsides, including:

• Enhanced feeling of hunger and more tangible cravings due to low satiety of liquid meals. 
• Consuming solely liquid meals can make it hard to maintain a good balance of essential nutrients and macroelements, which can lead to nutrient deficiencies.
• Liquid foods are easier to digest and can stabilize digestion.
• Liquids have a more rapid gastrointestinal transit time than solid food and can offer faster absorption of fats, ketones, and other nutrients.
• Liquid meals can be less calorie-high and thus, promote faster weight loss.
• You can support your gut health by consuming liquid meals like bone broth, which supports gut lining thanks to collagen. 
• Some products typical for a keto liquid fast (e.g. coconut oil, MCT oil, etc.) can have an anti-inflammatory effect and reduce joint pain and bloating.
• This diet might be much simpler and more convenient than a traditional keto diet as it doesn’t require extensive meal prep.

Potential Risks and Downsides of a Liquid Keto Diet

Though it may offer big benefits, this diet might not suit everyone because excluding solid meals can have a number of potential risks and downsides, including:

• Enhanced feeling of hunger and more tangible cravings due to low satiety of liquid meals. 
• Consuming solely liquid meals can make it hard to maintain a good balance of essential nutrients and macroelements, which can lead to nutrient deficiencies.
• High-fat liquid meals can feel unusual and cause some digestive discomfort, including diarrhea and nausea.
• Although it can stimulate weight loss, a keto diet liquid can also lead to muscle loss.
• Maintaining this diet for a long time can be very hard due to limited variety and social restrictions.

How to Follow a Low Carb Liquid Diet

Now that you know more about the possible benefits and drawbacks, you might be wondering how to get started with this diet. Generally, there are just a few core principles you need to adhere to:

• Break down your daily menu to ensure that you consume the right amount of the key nutrients–70-80% of fats, 15-20% of proteins, and 5-10% of carbs.
• Source your key macronutrients from the right ingredients–fats can come from heavy cream, MCT oil, and avocado oil; proteins can be sourced from bone broth protein, collagen peptides, and whey isolate, and carbs can come from coconut or almond milk.
• Prepare every meal in a liquid form. It can be a smoothie, soup, shake, etc.

Sample Keto Liquid Diet Plan

Although it can sound rather complicated and restricting, getting started with a liquid keto diet is easy. And it’s also possible to create food diversity if you plan your meals right.

Here is an example of a keto liquid diet plan for a week:

Monday

• Breakfast: Smoothie with unsweetened almond milk and kefir, with cinnamon, chia seeds, and almond butter.
• Lunch: Coconut curry made with coconut milk, curry powder, turmeric, masala, and pepper.
• Dinner: Smoothie with almond milk, avocado, chia seeds, and unsweetened cocoa powder.

Tuesday

• Breakfast: Smoothie with almond milk and kefir with protein powder and banana extract.
• Lunch: Protein shake made with protein powder, almond milk, berries, and nut butter.
• Dinner: Mousse made with cocoa powder, heavy cream, and honey.

Wednesday

• Breakfast: Smoothie with almond milk and plain Greek yogurt, adding avocado, spinach, and MCT oil.
• Lunch: Keto-friendly soup made with bone broth, veggies, and shredded chicken.‍
• Dinner: Tomato soup made with heavy cream, chicken broth, and fresh basil.

Thursday

• Breakfast: Smoothie with almond milk, yogurt, avocado, spinach, and hemp seeds.
• Lunch: Soup made with coconut oil, bone broth, carrots, and eggs.
• Dinner: Liquid frittata made in a blender using feta cheese, eggs, and fresh parsley.

Friday

• Breakfast: Smoothie with almond milk, kefir, avocado, and spinach.
• Lunch: Pudding made with almond milk, berries, and honey.
• Dinner: Broth made with olive oil, mushrooms, thyme, and garlic.

Saturday

• Breakfast: Smoothie with almond milk, yogurt, almond butter, and berries.
• Lunch: Protein shake with protein powder, almond milk, avocado, and spinach.
• Dinner: Soup made with bone broth, olive oil, carrots, and broccoli.

Sunday

• Breakfast: Smoothie with almond milk, kefir, avocado, spinach, and chia seeds.
• Lunch: Soup made with heavy cream, steamed cauliflower, and garlic.
• Dinner: Smoothie with almond milk, pumpkin puree, chia seeds, and protein powder.

Additional Tips for Your Keto Liquid Meals

The sample diet plan offered above offers a good combination of meals that are both diverse and keto-friendly. You can use it to get started with your diet. However, you don’t have to restrict yourself to it.

Here are a few additional tips for your keto liquid fast so that it’s effective and enjoyable:

• Balance the macronutrients you consume every day wisely and maintain proper proportions.
• Add superfoods and other nutritional boosters, such as flaxseeds, chia seeds, turmeric, ginger, and others, for added health benefits and variety.
• Experiment with meal forms. You don’t necessarily have to consume only smoothies. You can create greater diversity by making soups, broths, cold brews, puddings, etc.
• Experiment with liquid bases. Whether you are making shakes, smoothies, or soups, you can always use different liquids as a base, for example, almond milk, coconut milk, bone broth, electrolyte water, heavy cream, etc.
• Make your meals more exciting by using diverse ingredients that add flavor, such as fruits and vegetables, cheese, fresh greens, spices, various oils, etc.

FAQ

What is a keto diet liquid?

Basically, it’s the same traditional keto diet but with a different approach. It follows the same principles, such as cutting down carbs to only 15-20% of your menu and increasing the intake of healthy fats to 70-80% but excludes any solid food.

Is this low carb liquid diet good for everyone?

No. Due to restricted food options and a lack of diversity in meals, this diet might not suit everyone. However, it may have benefits for people who are trying to lose weight, as well as those who have digestive issues or are after surgery.

What can I eat if I choose the keto-liquid approach?

You can consume pretty much any type of food, as long as it’s keto-friendly and comes in liquid form. For example, you can make smoothies, shakes, soups, broths, and so on.

Can I reinforce my diet with liquid keto pills?

Exogenous ketones are supplements meant to help your body get into the state of ketosis and support it. They might be beneficial for people following a keto diet as they can enhance ketone production and thus, help you lose weight faster. However, it’s advised to consult a healthcare specialist before you take any supplements to ensure they suit you.

Conclusion

A ketogenic liquid diet is a slightly different take on a traditional keto diet. It follows the same principles of following a high-fat, low-carb diet that sets your body into a state of ketosis. However, unlike the traditional diet, it implies excluding any solid foods from your menu.

Although following this diet may cause certain complexities, such as restrictions on social eating and a lack of diversity, a liquid keto diet can have multiple benefits for your weight loss process. Now, you have more information on this dietary approach along with a sample diet plan and tips for making it effective and diverse. Use this knowledge to make your experience smooth.

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