One downside of the keto diet is that it could make your breath smell ‘fruity,’ or what we call “keto breath.” The two main reasons for this development are ketosis and over-consumption of protein.

Ketosis can cause keto breath through the release of acetone, which is one of the three ketone bodies. Fortunately, once your body becomes better fat-adapted, less acetone gets released through your breath. That is why acetone-related keto breath tends to weaken or even go away after the adaptation phase.

Over-consuming protein can also cause keto breath. This is because when your body breaks down protein, ammonia gets produced, and some of it is released through the breath. The solution is consuming less protein.

You want to get between 1g to 1.5g of protein daily per kilogram of lean body weight. So, if you weigh 75 kilos, that is between 75g and 112.5g of protein each day. If you consume more than that, cutting down on it, may help.

Other ways to reduce keto breath are drinking water, maintaining proper oral hygiene (the ancient Ayurvedic technique called “oil pulling” helps), and chewing sugar-free gum.

Many people on a keto diet find it a breeze to stay on track with their eating plan if they cook the food themselves. But it becomes a huge challenge when they are travelling or eating out with friends or family. What can you do?

First, make sure to bring keto-approved foods with you when you hit the road. You do not have to get fancy – boiled eggs, nuts, sardines, tuna, avocados, sugar-free dark chocolate, nut butter, pork rinds, beef pemmican, beef jerky, or full-fat cheese will all do the trick. Consuming coconut oil is also excellent because it contains high-quality fats.

When eating out, order the low carb options – meat, fish, and veggies. If part of your dish is high carb, ask the chef or waiter to replace it with vegetables or salad. 

I have never found this to be a real problem when I have eaten out. More often than not I have been able to find something on the menu to eat which is keto friendly, even if I have had to ask the waiter to adapt the meal slightly. Of course there are some restaurants that have more choice for low carb eating than others, bear this in mind when choosing where to eat out.

People are prone to nutrient deficiencies on all eating styles, including the keto diet. This is due to reasons such as agricultural practices, soil depletion, water over-filtration, food selection, and nutrient absorption, among others. While the keto diet does well at covering the bases, you may still lack certain vitamins and mineral.

To ensure you have optimal levels of each vitamin and mineral, it is best to get a blood test done. Should that be impossible for some reason (e.g. cost), create an account on Cronometer (www.cronometer.com). When you load your food intake into the app, it will calculate your intake of the most important micronutrients. If you see you under-consume a particular vitamin or mineral, eat more foods rich in that nutrient. For instance, a diet lacking in selenium will benefit from Brazil nuts.

Up until now, we have spoken a lot about nutrition and the best and most effective way to eat for weight loss, health, and living a LEAN Keto lifestyle. Although nutrition is the foundation of LEAN Keto, there are three other important focus areas. Getting a better nights sleep is one of those focus areas. In the next chapter, you will learn why sleep is so important and how to optimise it to maximise your weight and health goals.