This post was originally published on Audible.com.
If you're looking to make a change in your lifestyle to eat healthier, you might consider the keto diet. The keto (short for ketogenic) diet is a high-fat, low-carb diet that has helped many lose weight and has also been shown to help some boost their ability to fight against ailments including diabetes, cancer, Alzheimer's, and epilepsy.
Here's how it works: When you consume more fat and fewer carbohydrates, your body is able to go into a state called ketosis. Ketosis is a metabolic state where your body turns fat into ketones, which help power your brain, and enable your body to burn fat faster and more efficiently. Fewer carbs in your diet mean that your blood sugar and insulin levels are lower as well, which is healthier all around. With keto, dieters avoid carbs, sugar, fruit, beans and legumes, alcohol, root vegetables, and "diet foods" that may be hiding sugar-like chemicals, and instead focus on consuming meat, low-fat vegetables, nuts, butter, cream, eggs, fish, healthy oils, avocado, and small amounts of certain fruits.
People who have adopted a keto diet have reported that the increase in protein and decrease in carbs leaves them feeling fuller for longer and more energetic, which makes the keto diet easier to stick to. They also find themselves losing weight quicker without tracking calories, in addition to easing other health concerns. If you want to learn more or you're ready to give the keto diet a shot, here are some audiobooks with information and guidance to help you. They cover everything you need—from the science and strategies behind the diet to suggested meal plans and shopping guidelines, collections of recipes, and support for eating out—to find long-term success as a keto pro, regardless of your current eating habits, lifestyle, or experience with the keto diet.
Get started below—but please remember that it’s important to get your doctor’s input before making any changes to your diet and exercise routine. With the help of your doctor and these audio guides, you’ll be well on your way to understanding the ins and outs of the keto diet.
Best Keto Diet Audiobooks
Narrated by the prolific Sierra Anderson, this approachable audiobook discusses the science behind the keto diet, how it was developed, and how to best reach ketosis—all in under four hours. And it's updated for 2020-2021, so you can rest assured that you’re getting the most current and reliable information out there. This is a great listen that offers a general overview for you to start with on your journey, as well as some basic meal ideas and recipes.
In this listen, Maria and Craig Emmerich dive deep into the science of the ketogenic diet and look not only at its weight-loss benefits, but also how it contributes to many other aspects of health and wellness. They show how a high-fat, low-carb regimen can positively affect your health, particularly in the prevention and treatment of high cholesterol, diabetes, cancer, ADHD, depression, and other conditions. They also look at the adverse effects of sugar. Narrated by both authors, this audiobook explores the social as well as scientific aspects of health, revealing why keto is a great choice for physically active people and offering easy keto meals that don't require cooking finesse or experience. At 12.5 hours, Keto requires a longer commitment, but it’s a thorough guide to the ketogenic lifestyle. It also comes with a supplemental, downloadable PDF.
Leanne Vogel writes for Healthful Pursuits, a healthy living style site, and she's done all the work of figuring out the logistics of eating keto for you. Her audiobook gives a general overview of what the keto diet is and how to start, but the cool thing about this listen is that it includes more than 125 recipes, with different meal plans and a guide to customize recipes and meal plans to your own tastes and health needs. This is a great choice because it not only gives you the information you need about the diet, but also shows you how to shop, plan, and eat keto. What's more, it provides you with balanced options so that you're eating a healthy, varied diet you won't get bored of—and if you're enjoying what you're eating, you're far more likely to stick with it. Dana Stoutenburg narrates this audiobook, which clocks in at just over seven hours, but is packed with practical information.
If you're pretty much sold on giving keto a shot, you'll want to learn more about the science from a medical professional. Dr. Josh Axe is a clinical nurse specialist, doctor of natural medicine, and has a doctorate in chiropractic medicine. In this audiobook, he not only demystifies the science behind the keto diet, but also delves deeper into its various protocols. There are five different cycles and ways to approach the keto diet, and Dr. Axe clearly explains each one. In addition, he offers listeners a 30-day plan to transition to the keto diet plan of their choice, complete with meal plans and recipes to help smooth the transition. Eric Martin narrates this audiobook, which will help beginners and keto diet practitioners alike get more out of keto.
This audiobook isn't necessarily suited for the keto diet beginner; it’s better for someone who is familiar with the diet and wants to go deeper. The authors offer a lot of tips for how to make the keto way of eating sustainable and not just another fad diet that you quit after a couple of months. That includes advice for quick meals and food substitutes, how to still eat keto when you're eating out or in various social settings, how to enjoy the foods you love, and how to incorporate intermittent fasting into your keto diet. Intermittent fasting can help you "reset" your metabolism and also eat without feeling as though you need to count calories every day. Back by science, the authors give advice for how to safely fast, with tips tailored for women. At 22 hours, this audiobook is a bit of a commitment, but it will help you take your health and wellness to the next level.
Keto for Life is another great option for people who eat ketogenic diets and want to embrace health and wellness long-term. Health movement leader Mark Sisson goes beyond the simple nuts and bolts of a keto diet to outline a holistic approach to health and healing that includes his four pillars of wellness: Metabolic Flexibility; Movement and Physical Fitness; Mental Flexibility; and Rest and Recover. The keto diet is just one element of this plan, which is meant to fight against cellular decline and slow and reverse the aging process. Narrated by Kearns, this audiobooks includes a 21-day plan that will help you reset your biological clock so you can sleep and feel better, and includes great recipes from a ketogenic diet. It also includes a PDF of the recipes, so you can listen to the audiobook and then refer back to the recipes in print.
Many people may turn to the keto diet to lose weight, but it's also a great way to address many health issues. This audiobook looks at how a low-carb, high-fat diet can actually help people with thyroid issues, high cholesterol, diabetes, and more. Written by a medical professional, Dr. Adam Nally, and a health and wellness podcaster, Jimmy Moore, The Keto Cure is another great pick for someone who wants to really dive into the science behind the keto diet. It's a conversational, approachable book on many health topics, and it addresses concerns about switching over to a keto diet with lots of tips and practical solutions. As an added bonus, this listen includes recipes from Maria Emmerich, a seasoned pro on cooking and eating keto. This six-hour audiobook is narrated by Moore, and comes with a thorough PDF download of recipes, sample meal plans, bibliographies and reference materials, and testimonials from people who found that keto really worked for them.
Best Keto Diet Podcasts
Leanne Vogel, who appears earlier on this as the author of The Keto Diet, offers even more insight on the ketogenic lifestyle in her podcast of the same name. With the help of some of the field’s leading doctors and health specialists, Vogel unpacks every imaginable question about the diet from how to get started on building your keto pantry to how to make sure you’re eating to stay energized. In a calm, guiding voice, she leads each discussion with a sense of authority and empathy, a combination that makes this a must-listen for anyone considering the keto lifestyle.
Vanessa Spina, the titular “Ketogenic Girl”, is a Sports Nutrition Specialist who regularly speaks on the science behind ketogenesis and the health and body benefits of adopting the keto diet. Having tried variations of the keto diet that failed, Spina understands the frustrations of trial and error when it comes to finding a diet and exercise plan that really works. In this podcast, Spina uses what she’s learned along the way as both a keto dieter and a nutrition expert to provide listeners with helpful advice, the latest in metabolic health news, and tips and tricks for finding the keto lifestyle that works best for you.
Remember, the keto diet may not be for everyone. Athletes and very active people may find that it doesn't work for them, and people with special dietary needs and allergies might also find it limiting. Always consult a doctor before starting a new diet to ensure you're getting the nutrients your body needs, and do your research.
Tirzah Price is a writer and contributing editor at Book Riot.
