text:
Follow Keto Concern on Feedspot

Continue with Google
Continue with Facebook

Keto Concern by Dyani Nitsu, Rd, Ld - 1d ago

When you start following the keto diet, there are a number of dietary changes that you need to make. And one of the first things you’ll need to ditch is the carbs.

But while going virtually carb-free is a no-brainer on the ketogenic diet, certain other foods need to be closely looked at.

The name of the game is to severely cut carbs while ramping up your healthy fat intake and keeping your protein intake moderate.

About 70% to 80% of your total daily calories should be fat.

So, considering the fact that your fat content needs to be relatively high, does butter fit the bill? More specifically, is butter keto?

Nutritional Makeup of Butter

One tablespoon of butter has the following nutritional makeup:

Calories: 102

Carbs: 0g

Protein: 0.1g

Fat: 12g

Benefits of Butter

The keto diet requires the consumption of a lot of fat, as already mentioned, but it’s important to focus on the right kinds of fat.

Some fat sources are better for overall health than others, so it’s important that you choose the most nutritious options to help reach your goals.

Butter is rich in healthy saturated fats and is almost completely void of unhealthy trans fats. More specifically, approximately 70% of the fat in butter is saturated and about 2% is unsaturated fat.

Unlike what the mainstream believes, saturated fat is not the enemy. In fact, saturated fats – like butter – can increase levels of HDL cholesterol (high density lipoprotein), or the “good” cholesterol (1).

On the other hand, it also helps to improve the ratio of HDL and LDL  (low density lipoprotein), the latter of which is known as the “bad cholesterol.”

When consumed in moderation, HDLs can help you manage cholesterol levels by removing it from the blood and preventing it from accumulating in the arteries.

Butter also has medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs), which are easy for the body to digest and are very popular among keto dieters. There are also plenty of omega-3 fatty acids in butter, especially in grass-fed butter.

While butter has long been considered a detriment to cardiovascular health, current studies are painting a very different picture. In fact, research has found that there’s only a minimal link between butter intake and heart disease risk (2).

Butter is also rich in butyrate, which may play a role in improving brain health (3).

Is Butter Keto-Friendly?

Based on the fact that butter is almost entirely made up of fat, it is generally considered to be keto-friendly.

Indeed, butter can quickly bring up the fat content in your diet that you’re looking for when trying to achieve ketosis. It’s also delicious, brings out the flavor in your dishes, and can keep you feeling fuller for longer.

But there are some considerations that you need to think about before adding butter to your diet.

Perhaps the biggest reason why some people avoid butter – including keto dieters – is because it is a dairy product.

And dairy products tend to have certain health issues, especially for certain individuals with sensitivities and allergies.

Here are some of the downsides to adding dairy to your diet.

Lactose intolerance – If you’re lactose intolerant, butter might not be a good choice.

The sugar in dairy can cause issues for those who are unable to breakdown lactose because their bodies don’t produce the lactase enzyme, which is needed to break down the sugar found in dairy.

As a result, people who are lactose intolerance suffer from digestive issues when they eat dairy products like butter.

Casein intolerance – Not only can the lack of lactase production cause issues with the lactose found in dairy, but it can also cause issues with casein, a protein found in dairy products.

Again, digestive upset usually results.

Keto-Friendly Recipes With Butter

Butter can literally be added to most recipes. You can also cook with it as a non-stick base to add flavor to just about any keto meal you fancy.

That said, here are a couple of go-to-keto recipes that use butter as a staple:

1. Bulletproof Coffee

  • 1 cup freshly brewed hot coffee
  • 2 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 1 tbsp coconut oil or MCT oil
  • 1 packet of stevia (optional)

Add all ingredients to a blender and mix until frothy.

Serve immediately.

2. Keto Butter Chicken

  • 1 1/2 lbs chicken breast
  • 2 tbsp masala
  • 3 tsp fresh ginger, grated
  • 3 tsp garlic, minced
  • 4 oz plain yogurt
  • 1 tbsp coconut oil

  • 2 tbsp butter
  • 1 onion
  • 2 tsp ginger, grated
  • 2 tsp garlic, minced
  • 14.5 oz tomatoes, crushed
  • 1 tbsp coriander, ground up
  • ½ tbsp masala
  • 2 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp chili powder
  • ½ cup heavy cream
  • Salt to taste

Dice chicken up into 2-inch cubes and mix in a large bowl with the masala, grated ginger, minced garlic, and yogurt.

Place in the fridge and chill for 30 minutes to an hour.

For the sauce, mix the onion, ginger, garlic, tomatoes, and spices in a blender until smooth, then set aside.

Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a skillet over medium-high heat.

Add the chicken with the marinade in the skillet and cook for about 3 to 4 minutes on each side.

Pour sauce over top and cook for another 5 to 6 minutes.

Add the heavy cream and butter, and cook for another minute.

Add salt if desired.

Final Thoughts

Butter is definitely a keto-friendly food that many keto dieters depend on to get their fat intake as high as 80% of their daily calories.

It’s also delicious and satiating, helping to satisfy the palate and keep you feeling fuller for longer

That said, if you have an issue with dairy, you may want to search out alternatives to butter, such as ghee.

Regardless of which option you choose, butter or ghee can help you fill your plate with keto-friendly goodness and help keep you in ketosis.

  • Show original
  • .
  • Share
  • .
  • Favorite
  • .
  • Email
  • .
  • Add Tags
Keto Concern by Dyani Nitsu, Rd, Ld - 1d ago

Is there anything more tasty and delicious than bacon? But because of its high fat and caloric content, it should probably be avoided when trying to lose weight, right?

No, not necessarily.

We’ve been fed this myth about “high fat” and how it has been contributing to the obesity epidemic.

Instead, it’s actually the high sugar content that we are consuming every day that’s causing us to get fatter, not to mention the overloading amount of calories that are being consumed day in and day out. The fat, not so much.

A diet high in fat and low in sugars can actually help us burn more body fat than a diet low in fat.

All these low-fat food products that have been marketed to us over the years have caused us to mistakenly believe that fat is something sinister that should be avoided at all costs.

But in actuality, we’re a much fatter generation than ever before.

That’s the premise of the ketogenic diet, and one of the most popular foods of the diet is bacon.

High in fat and calories and void of carbs, bacon would make the ideal food to include as part of our everyday meals, right?

But is eating bacon every day, all day the right approach to take? Is it even a healthy and sustainable way to eat to both maintain ketosis and optimal health?

What is Bacon?

Bacon is a form of salt-cured pork that can be prepared from various cuts of meat, but it’s mainly cut from the belly or back.

It’s high in fat and protein and is a common addition to meals such as sandwiches, burgers, salads, and even some desserts.

Nutritional Makeup of Bacon

Three slices of bacon consist of the following:

Calories: 161

Carbs: 0.6g

Protein: 12g

Fat: 12g

Is Bacon Keto-Friendly?

Bacon is absolutely keto-friendly.

In fact, it’s widely considered to be the go-to food to add to the keto diet to help keep fat levels high, carb levels low, and protein levels moderate.

For keto dieters, bacon has a good fat-protein ratio, which means it’s high in fat and has a decent amount of protein to fuel the muscles and keep satiety high.

And while it’s wise to keep sodium levels within moderate ranges – the US Dietary Guidelines recommend limiting sodium intake to no more than 2,300 mg per day – keto dieters typically need a little more (1).

And that extra salt that keto dieters need conveniently comes with bacon.

Why the extra sodium?

When you drastically reduce carb intake, blood sugar levels also decrease. And with lower sugar consumption comes lower insulin levels. Insulin actually helps the body hold onto sodium (2).

So, when there’s less of it, there’s also less reabsorption of sodium into the body. Instead, sodium just passes through the bloodstream and is excreted from the kidneys and into the urine.

With inadequate levels of sodium absorbed into the body, a number of uncomfortable symptoms can occur, including:

  • Lower energy
  • Lightheadedness
  • Headaches
  • Constipation
  • Decreased mental focus
  • Full-body ache

Generally speaking, this lower level of sodium can bring on what’s been coined as the “keto flu,” with symptoms similar to those of the traditional flu that we are all accustomed to.

That’s why it’s so important to replenish stores of sodium while following a keto diet, and bacon can provide our bodies with the sodium it needs to help us feel great while shifting our body fat composition.

Bacon Recipes to Try

There are seemingly endless ways to eat bacon while keto dieting. While you can always eat it straight up, you can also add it to a number of dishes, including the following.

1. Bacon Casserole

  • 2 tbsp butter
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 onion, sliced
  • 1 lb ground beef
  • 1 cup pickled cucumbers, sliced
  • 1 tbsp mustard
  • 2 tbsp sugar-free ketchup
  • 7 oz canned chopped tomatoes
  • 3/4 cup almond flour
  • 2 cups grated cheddar cheese
  • 2 tbsp parsley, chopped
  • 3 eggs
  • 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
  • 1/2 tsp sea salt
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper
  • 8 bacon slices

Preheat the oven to 360°F.

Grease a large pot with the butter, then add the onion and garlic and cook for about 5 minutes over medium-high heat.

Add the beef to the pot and cook for a few more minutes until browned.

Add the pickled cucumbers, mustard, ketchup, parsley, and almond flour, and mix.

Remove from the heat and set aside.

In a separate bowl, mix the eggs, heavy whipping cream, salt, and pepper.

Add the cheeseburger mixture into a large baking dish, then add the cheddar cheese.

Pour the egg and cream mixture over the top and stir.

Bake in the oven for 25 minutes, then top with sliced bacon and place it back in the oven for another 20 minutes.

2. Bacon and Egg Bombs

  • 2 eggs
  • 1/4 cup butter
  • 2 tbsp mayonnaise
  • 4 slices bacon
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • Pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 375°F.

Line a baking tray with parchment paper and lay the bacon strips, making sure they don’t overlap.

Bake in the oven for about 10-15 minutes, then set aside and allow it to cool down.

Boil the eggs until they are hard-boiled, about 10 minutes.

Remove the eggs from the heat and place them in a bowl with cold water.

When cooled, peel and quarter the eggs.

Mash the eggs with the butter.

Add the mayonnaise, salt, pepper, and bacon grease and mix.

Place the mixture in the fridge for about a half hour until it solidifies.

Crumble the bacon into small pieces.

Roll the cooled egg mixture into balls using a tablespoon or ice cream scooper.

Roll each ball in the bacon crumbles and place them on a tray, then place them in the fridge before serving.

3. Bacon-Wrapped Salmon

  • 2 salmon fillets
  • 4 slices of bacon
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 tbsp pesto
  • 2 tbsp mayonnaise
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Wrap the salmon with the bacon and place it onto a tray, drizzled with olive oil.

Bake for about 20 minutes.

Mix the pesto and mayonnaise together, then season with salt and pepper.

When the bacon-wrapped salmon is done, add a dollop of mayo and pesto over top and serve.

Final Thoughts

If you’re wondering what types of foods to add to your ketogenic diet plan, bacon is definitely a keeper.

It’s high in fat, moderate in protein, virtually free of carbs, and has the sodium content you want to avoid the dreaded keto flu.

Enjoy it on its own or add it any number of low-carb recipes to keep those ketones in production and body fat burning.

  • Show original
  • .
  • Share
  • .
  • Favorite
  • .
  • Email
  • .
  • Add Tags
Keto Concern by Dyani Nitsu, Rd, Ld - 6d ago

If you’ve been dabbling in the ketogenic lifestyle, you’ve probably been looking for substitutions for traditional high-carb foods and ingredients, including those that you cook with.

More specifically, there are plenty of no- and low-carb flour options available that you can bake with and substitute for conventional wheat flour and cornstarch.

Since wheat and cornstarch are chock full of carbs, substituting them with something like arrowroot that has far fewer carbs and sugars would be essential when following the ketogenic diet.

Arrowroot flour is often used as a substitute for cornstarch. But does arrowroot make a good keto-friendly substitute?

What is Arrowroot?

Arrowroot powder is a flavorless powder that’s made up of starches and extracted from the arrowroot plant. It’s used to thicken soups, sauces, gravies, and other types of foods. It can also make baked goods much fluffier and spongier.

Since arrowroot powder has twice the thickening power as wheat, less of it is used in baking recipes.

More specifically, one teaspoon of arrowroot powder can be substituted for every one tablespoon of flour, while two teaspoons of arrowroot powder can be substituted for every one tablespoon of cornstarch.

Nutritional Makeup of Arrowroot

One tablespoon of arrowroot flour contains the following nutritional values:

  • Calories: 29
  • Carbs: 7.1g
  • Protein: 0g
  • Fat: 0g
Arrowroot vs. Cornstarch

The macro makeup of arrowroot powder is very comparable to that of cornstarch in terms of calories and carbs. But what’s so different about the two is how the starch is extracted.

Unlike cornstarch, arrowroot powder is extracted using safer and simpler traditional methods, without the use of harmful chemicals or high heat.

Cornstarch is usually made of genetically-modified corn, and its extraction process involves chemically extracting the components to create the final product, making it a less healthy option.

Further, arrowroot powder has a more neutral taste than cornstarch, which leaves behind a more overpowering flavor that you might not want in your recipes.

Arrowroot powder is gluten-free, grain-free, and paleo-friendly. It can even be vegan because it can serve as a substitution for eggs in recipes for muffins or cookies, as long as all other ingredients are suitable.

Arrowroot powder is also a good substitute for cornstarch for those who suffer from corn allergies.

Since arrowroot is not a grain, it is often easier to digest. It also has more fiber than many other starches, keeping the digestive tract moving along and hunger at bay.

Is Arrowroot Keto-Friendly?

Clearly, arrowroot powder is a healthier choice compared to cornstarch. But is it keto-friendly?

Based on the fact that both arrowroot and cornstarch have relatively the same number of carbs per serving, it would seem as though arrowroot isn’t exactly a low-carb substitute compared to products like almond or coconut flour.

Two tablespoons of arrowroot flour contain about 14 grams of carbs. Considering the fact that the maximum carb level is around the 30-gram mark, that wouldn’t leave very many carbs left to play with throughout the remainder of the day.

Based on the macronutrient makeup of arrowroot powder, it would appear as though it may not be considered keto-friendly.

But when used in the right low-carb recipe, the amount needed is minimal, thereby lowering the overall carb count. As such, using arrowroot powder can be keto-friendly.

Not a lot of arrowroot powder is required in recipes to achieve the desired effect.

The key is to use a limited amount of arrowroot powder – and any other product with carbs in them – in order to ensure you stay within your daily carb limit to maintain a state of ketosis.

Arrowroot Recipes to Try on the Keto Diet

There are so many different low-carb recipes featuring arrowroot that you can enjoy while keeping your ketone levels up. Here are a few to try out.

1. Low-Carb Flatbread

  • 1 cup coconut milk
  • 1/2 cup + 1 tbsp almond flour
  • 1/2 cup arrowroot powder
  • 6 tsp of butter or ghee
  • Pinch of salt

In a large bowl, combine all ingredients until it’s the consistency of pancake batter.

Lightly spray a skillet with some olive oil spray and heat at medium-high heat.

Pour about 1/3 cup of the batter and cook until firm, about 3 minutes.

Flip the batter with a spatula and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes.

Repeat for the remainder of the batter.

Top with your favorite keto-friendly ingredients.

2. Grain-Free Keto Brownies

  • 6 tbsp coconut oil
  • 3 tbsp arrowroot powder
  • 3/4 cup erythritol
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 tbsp cocoa powder
  • 8 oz 100% dark baking chocolate
  • 1/4 cup stevia-sweetened chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350°F and line an 8″ x 8″ deep pan with parchment paper.

In a large microwave-safe bowl, melt the coconut oil with the baking chocolate in the microwave for a couple of minutes until melted.

Add all other ingredients and mix.

Pour the batter into the baking pan and bake for 25 to 30 minutes.

Allow the brownies to cool before serving.

3. Keto and Vegan Chocolate Pudding

  • 1 13.5 oz can coconut milk
  • 2 tbsp arrowroot powder
  • 1 cup stevia-sweetened chocolate chips
  • 5 tbsp agave nectar
  • 1 tbsp vanilla
  • 1 pinch sea salt

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, warm the coconut milk with the salt.

Add the arrowroot powder, then continuously whisk for 2 minutes.

Add the vanilla and agave and continue whisking.

Remove from the heat and let cool for 5 minutes, then add the chocolate chips, stirring until melted.

Allow to cool before serving.

Final Thoughts

Fortunately, there are so many low-carb substitutes that can be used in place of traditionally high-carb foods and ingredients to help keep you in ketosis.

While arrowroot powder isn’t traditionally a low-carb product, only a small amount of it needs to be used to achieve the desired effect.

Also, considering the fact that it’s a healthy option compared to cornstarch or wheat flour, arrowroot can be a great alternative.

  • Show original
  • .
  • Share
  • .
  • Favorite
  • .
  • Email
  • .
  • Add Tags
Keto Concern by Dyani Nitsu, Rd, Ld - 1M ago

Aspartame is one of the most well-known artificial sweeteners on the market. It’s regularly used as a substitute for regular sugar and marketed as a calorie-free alternative.

As a keto dieters, one of the cardinal rules is to avoid sugar as much as possible and keep your carb intake to a minimum while ramping up your healthy fat intake.

There are plenty of low-calorie, low-carb sugar substitutes available and often used by dieters everywhere, some of which are natural and others that are artificially created.

Aspartame is an artificial non-saccharide sweetener that is made up of two amino acids that are both naturally occurring in the body: aspartic acid and phenylalanine (1). Aspartame is metabolized into these amino acids when consumed with a small amount of methanol in the body.

Aspartame is much sweeter than regular sugar. In fact, it’s as much as 200 times sweeter, which is why only a tiny amount is needed compared to sugar to sweeten a food or beverage.

While both sugar and aspartame contain four calories per gram, a much smaller amount of aspartame is needed to achieve the same level of sweetness, keeping the total number of calories from aspartame very low.

You can typically find aspartame as the main sweetener in brands of sweetener products such as Equal and Nutrasweet.

Is aspartame keto-friendly is it even healthy or safe to take on the ketogenic diet?

Let’s take a deeper look at what aspartame is and whether it makes a good substitute for sugar to help you maintain a state of ketosis.

Carbs and Macros on Aspartame

One teaspoon of aspartame contains the following:

Calories: 13

Carbs: 3.1g

Protein: 0.1g

Fat: 0g

What Foods Contain Aspartame?

There are all sorts of foods that traditionally contain sugar that may use aspartame instead to sweeten them.

In an effort to eliminate the sugar, aspartame can be added instead to achieve the same level of sweetness. Some products that often contain this artificial sweetener in include:

  • Diet sodas
  • Calorie-reduced juices
  • Chewing gum
  • Candy
  • Yogurt
  • Sugar-free ice cream
Is Aspartame Keto-Friendly?

Aspartame has not been shown to impact blood sugar or insulin levels when consumed. As such, one would assume that this sweetener is keto-friendly and is suitable for the ketogenic diet.

Studies have found that those who consume aspartame in place of sugar tend to have lower body masses thanks to the reduction in calories and less impact on blood sugar levels (2). That said, aspartame consumption may also negatively impact gut bacteria and even potentially lead to insulin resistance.

However, the evidence surrounding artificial sweeteners like aspartame is somewhat mixed and their use is often considered controversial.

So, is aspartame good to consume on the keto diet?

While small amounts might be fine and shouldn’t impact your state of ketosis, some of the potential side effects and impact on long-term weight and insulin resistance point to the need to consider other natural sweeteners instead.

Things to Consider About Aspartame

While swapping table sugar for a low-calorie sweetener may help to keep the carb content down, there are some potential issues with aspartame.

Even though the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved aspartame as a product that’s safe for consumption, it’s important to be aware of some of the potential side effects of consuming aspartame.

More specifically as it relates to weight management, aspartame consumption may actually be linked to an increase in appetite.

When regular sugar is consumed, certain chemicals and hormones of the brain are released to induce a feeling of satisfaction.

This food reward pathway is important to feeling satisfied after eating. While artificial sweeteners feature a sweet taste, the low calorie factor prevents the food reward pathway from being completely activated.

As such, artificial sweeteners like aspartame may be associated with an increase in cravings and appetite, which can eventually lead to binge eating and ultimately weight gain (3).

Having said all that, the research on artificial sweeteners and their effect on the appetite is still minimal and not entirely conclusive.

Aspartame Substitutes On Keto Diet

While aspartame is often used as a substitute for sugar, there are other, more natural substitutes that consist of fewer calories than sugar and don’t have much of an effect on blood glucose levels.

And because they’re derived from natural sources, they may be better options than aspartame:

  • Xylitol – A natural sugar alcohol with 2.4 calories per gram.
  • Erythritol – A natural sugar alcohol that has only 0.24 calories per gram.
  • Stevia – A natural sweetener with zero calories.
Final Thoughts

A little bit of aspartame shouldn’t necessarily be a bad thing.

But while you may want to avoid any added sugars while on the keto diet, aspartame might not necessarily be the best sugar substitute.

Considering there are natural alternatives that are low on the glycemic index and have a very calorie count compared to sugar, you may be better off with these natural sugar substitutes.

  • Show original
  • .
  • Share
  • .
  • Favorite
  • .
  • Email
  • .
  • Add Tags
Keto Concern by Dyani Nitsu, Rd, Ld - 1M ago

Who doesn’t love a creamy bowl of pasta, drenched in rich Alfredo sauce that’s loaded in flavor and texture?

It’s the ultimate comfort food and is tough to beat. But what if you’re following the ketogenic diet? Is Alfredo sauce on the list of foods that are allowed, or should you steer clear of it in order to maintain a state of ketosis?

Obviously, the pasta will need to be substituted, but the sauce itself is what we’re looking at.

Read on to find out if you should ditch your Alfredo sauce or keep it as part of the keto-friendly diet.

Carbs and Macros in Alfredo Sauce

The following macros define the nutritional makeup of 1/4 cup of Alfredo sauce:

Calories: 50

Carbs: 3g

Sugars: 1g

Fat: 3.5g

Protein: 1g

Is Alfredo Sauce Keto-Friendly?

When you look at the macro content of Alfredo sauce, it seems as though you may be able to safely add this yummy sauce to your diet, as long as you keep your portion sizes under control.

Alfredo sauce is loaded in calories, which can really add up if you drown your dishes in this particular type of sauce.

Further, store-bought Alfredo sauces tend to hide some sugars, so you’ll want to be careful with that as well.

But the fat content is certainly conducive to the keto diet. Obviously, you want to maximize your healthy fats while keeping carbs to a minimum.

And it seems as though conservative servings of Alfredo sauce might be OK for the keto diet.

Alfredo Sauce Recipes

Rather than being at the mercy of what your grocery store has to offer in terms of Alfredo sauces, why not make your own instead?

That way you can be sure that there are no added sugars and that the fats included are indeed healthy.

Here’s a great homemade Alfredo sauce recipe you may want to try out to top your next meal with:

  • 1 tbsp salted butter
  • 6 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated
  • Sea salt and black pepper to taste

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter.

Add the garlic and saute for approximately 30 seconds.

Add the heavy cream and bring to a simmer, allowing to simmer for about 5 minutes until the mixture starts to thicken.

Reduce heat and whisk in the parmesan cheese until smooth.

Add salt and pepper.

Now that you’ve got your delicious homemade alfredo sauce, what should you add it to? Here are a few ideas to stimulate your taste buds:

Chicken and Alfredo Bake

  • 1 pound chicken breast, diced
  • 2 tbsp butter
  • 2 cloves of garlic
  • 2 tbsp parsley
  • 1 cup leeks, chopped
  • 1 cup mushrooms, sliced
  • 2 cups alfredo sauce
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat your oven to 390°F.

In a large frying pan over medium-high heat, heat the olive oil.

Add the diced chicken until thoroughly cooked.

Add the cooked chicken to an ovenproof dish.

In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter, then add the mushrooms, leeks, and garlic.

Cook for about 4 minutes, then add over top of the chicken.

Pour the alfredo sauce over top, then sprinkle some parmesan cheese if desired.

Bake in the oven for 18 to 20 minutes.

Zucchini Pasta With Alfredo Sauce

2 zucchini

2 tbsp butter

3 cloves garlic, minced

3/4 cup parmesan cheese

1 cup alfredo sauce

Salt and pepper to taste

Using a vegetable spiralizer, create “noodles” out of your zucchini.

In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, melt the butter.

Add garlic and saute until fragrant, then add the zucchini noodles and cook about 3 to 5 minutes.

Remove the saucepan from the heat, then add the alfredo sauce, parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper.

Final Thoughts

The great thing about the keto diet is that there are so many delicious high-fat foods that can be enjoyed while still allowing for fat loss, and alfredo sauce can be one of them.

While you can always use store-bought alfredo sauce sparingly, you may find making your own batch more keto-friendly.

  • Show original
  • .
  • Share
  • .
  • Favorite
  • .
  • Email
  • .
  • Add Tags
Keto Concern by Dyani Nitsu, Rd, Ld - 1M ago

If you’re following the ketogenic diet, you already know that you should be loading up on healthy fats.

But while certain fatty foods are well-suited for the keto diet, others come with a slew of other things that you don’t necessarily want to be included in your diet, including hidden sugars.

Nuts are a staple on the low-carb diet, and almonds in particular are a great snack to enjoy while fueling your body with healthy fat for energy.

But what about almond butter? Is this calorie-rich fat appropriate for the keto diet? Or will you be sacrificing your state of ketosis if you include this product to your regimen?

In this article, we’ll discuss almond butter in more detail and determine whether or not you can safely add it to your list of foods to eat.

Nutritional Value of Almond Butter

Almond butter has the following nutritional makeup:

Calories: 101

Carbs: 3.4g

Fiber: 0.6g

Fat: 9.5g

Protein: 2.4g

Generally speaking, most types of nut butters are great for the ketogenic diet.

They’re basically just nuts that are ground up and concentrated into a buttery format. Many are free of dairy and gluten as well, so they can work well with other diet plans too.

Generally, nut butters have the right macro composition because they’re low in carbs, high in fats, and moderate in protein. And certain nuts, like almonds, have just the right amount of protein to keep your mind and body humming along all day.

Nut butters like almond butter also come with a bunch of important vitamins and nutrients that the body needs, including:

  • Vitamin E
  • Iron
  • Calcium
  • Magnesium
  • Folate
  • Iron
  • Phosphorus
  • Potassium
  • Zinc
  • Manganese

That said, it’s important to pay attention to the brand of nut butter that you’re consuming, as some contain a bunch of hidden sugars, which is not what you want to maintain your ketogenic lifestyle.

Things to Consider

Certain nuts are better suited for the ketogenic diet than others because of their ideal macro makeup.

More specifically, they have just the right amount of fat, protein, and carbs to help you maintain your ketogenic state.

For the keto diet, the following nuts tend to work best:

  • Macadamia nuts
  • Pecans
  • Walnuts
  • Brazil nuts

These nuts are best because they’re very low in carbs and very high in healthy fats.

Almonds might not be the number one choice for keto dieters simply because they’re slightly higher in carbs compared to others.

For instance, the carb content of 1/4 cup of almonds is 6g, compared to 4g in the same serving of macadamia nuts or pecans.

However, that doesn’t mean that almonds are not keto-friendly. In fact, they are.

But while almonds by themselves are definitely great for the low carb keto diet, certain types of almond butters might not be. It all depends on what the manufacturer adds to the mix.

Many nut butters – especially peanut butter – available on the market contain added fillers, processed ingredients, and sugars.

While the base of the nut butter might have started out OK, the end product contains more than what keto dieters bargained for.

When shopping for almond butter, be sure to look for a natural product that has the following traits:

  • Very few ingredients
  • No added sugar
  • Very low carb content (ideally less than 3g per serving)

In order to give the butter flavor and texture a boost, it’s common to see additional ingredients.

But while certain ingredients might be fine, others can start to enter non-keto territory.

Adding too many ingredients to the list can start to make it difficult to decipher whether an almond butter product is keto-friendly or not.

Further, certain types of oils that may be added are not conducive to a keto diet, or to good overall health.

For instance, certain vegetable oils (such as canola oil, corn oil, or sunflower oil) are inflammatory and can be harmful to your health.

Whether or not you’re following a keto diet, these types of products should be avoided whenever possible.

Is Almond Butter Keto?

Just be sure to choose the product wisely to make sure there are no other added sugars that could inch you closer to getting kicked out of ketosis, as well as any additives that are not conducive to a healthy lifestyle.

Almond butter can be a great addition to your ketogenic lifestyle as they can be an easy, satiating, fat-packed snack that you can enjoy in a number of ways.

Like any other food product you buy, it’s always important to check the label.

Not only should you check to make sure the ratio of fat, protein, and carbs is in the ketogenic range, you should also read over the list of ingredients to ensure that there aren’t any hidden sugars that you don’t need.

Ideally, the almond butter you use should have no more than 3g of net carbs per serving and a limited number of ingredients on the list.

Almond Butter Recipes to Try

Aside from just eating a scoop of almond butter right out of the jar or just adding a dollop to a celery stalk, you can enjoy almond butter in a number of yummy recipes. Here are a couple to try out.

1. Almond Butter Fat Bombs

  • 1 cup almond butter
  • 1/2 cup coconut flour
  • 1 packet of stevia

In a medium-size bowl, mix the almond butter, coconut flour, and stevia together until thick. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place in the freezer for about 20 minutes.

Remove the bowl from the freezer. Scoop a heaping tablespoon of the mixture and roll to form balls.

Place each ball onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, ensuring that they’re spaced apart.

Place them in the freezer for about half an hour to firm them up before serving.

2. Keto Chocolate Fudge Cookies

  • 1 cup almond butter
  • 4 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1/2 cup erythritol
  • 1/4 cup sugar-free chocolate chips (optional)
  • 1 egg
  • 3 tbsp unsweetened almond milk

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

In a medium bowl, mix the almond butter, cocoa powder, erythritol, and egg together with a fork until mixed well.

Add the almond milk and continue mixing.

Add the chocolate chips.

Scoop a tablespoon of the mixture and roll into balls.

Place the balls on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper and press down gently to slightly flatten them.

Bake for 12 minutes, then allow them to cool for at least 10 to 20 minutes until they firm up.

Final Thoughts

There are so many foods to enjoy on the keto diet while simultaneously enjoying the benefits of a healthier body composition.

And almond butter can safely be added to your roster of foods to take pleasure in.

It’s filling, delicious, and has a relatively ideal macro content that’s well-suited for the keto diet.

  • Show original
  • .
  • Share
  • .
  • Favorite
  • .
  • Email
  • .
  • Add Tags
Keto Concern by Dyani Nitsu, Rd, Ld - 2M ago

Avoiding sugar while following the ketogenic lifestyle is a no-brainer but it can be tough to completely ward off sweets in the name of maintaining ketosis.

Luckily, there are plenty of sugar substitutes available that help keep blood glucose levels at bay while still providing a certain level of sweetness.

Many of these sweeteners are free of calories and carbs and are low on the glycemic index, making them ideal for the keto diet.

But some sweeteners still hide a lot of carbs, making it a challenge for keto dieters to decipher which sugar substitutes to use and which ones to avoid.

Among the many sugar substitutes out there include agave, a sweetener naturally found in many different types of health foods.

The question is, is agave keto-friendly? And further, is it a safe and healthy alternative to traditional sugar?

What is Agave?

Agave is a plant that’s native to southern parts of the US and South America and has actually been used for hundreds of years in Mexico, mainly for its medicinal properties and its sweetness after boiling the plant’s sap.

Today, agave is widely used as a sugar substitute and sweetener because of its relatively low glycemic index (GI), a ranking of how food impacts blood sugar levels. Agave’s GI is 17, compared to regular sugar’s GI of 68.

Agave is produced by extracting the nectar from the agave plant, which is then heated and processed to make a syrupy substance.

It is much sweeter than honey or sugar, so less of it is needed to achieve the same level of sweetness.

But because of this, using agave in place of sugar in recipes can be tricky because of the viscosity of agave.

Macros and Carbs In Agave

One teaspoon of agave nectar has the following nutritional value:

Calories: 25

Carbs: 6g

Sugars: 6g

Compare these macros to sugar:

Calories: 15

Carbs: 4.2g

Sugars: 4.2g

While there are actually more carbs in agave nectar in the same serving size as sugar, you would use a lot less of it because it is so much sweeter.

Generally, agave is about 1.5 to 2 times sweeter than sugar. As such, you would only need to use half a teaspoon to achieve the same level of sweetness as regular sugar.

Pros and Cons of Agave

As already mentioned, agave has a low glycemic index, which is a measure of how fast sugar enters the bloodstream.

Foods with a higher GI cause blood sugar levels to spike and are generally considered to be more detrimental to a person’s health.

When agave is processed into a syrup, the fructans are metabolized into fructose when the sap is exposed to heat.

Fructose has a low GI and doesn’t suddenly raise blood sugar or insulin levels the way glucose does. As such, it is often marketed as a “healthy” sweetener.

But high amounts of fructose can have negative health effects, despite its low GI ranking.

When agave is heated to extract a syrupy substance, the process destroys all the potentially beneficial health effects of agave. The end result is an unhealthy, heavily-refined syrup.

In fact, agave syrup can actually be compared to high-fructose corn syrup.

Consuming too much fructose can be detrimental to metabolic health because the liver – which is the organ that metabolizes high amounts of fructose – can get overloaded.

Once that happens, the fructose will start turning into fat, which increases levels of blood triglycerides and causes fatty liver disease (1).

Further, high levels of fructose can lead to insulin resistance (2). Since agave nectar is approximately 85% fructose – which is a lot higher than sugar – it’s important to consume agave in conservative amounts.

Is Agave Keto-Friendly?

At first glance, agave may seem like a great alternative to sugar because of its low GI ranking. But it’s actually not the best sugar substitute that keto dieters should be focusing on.

Because agave nectar is about 85% fructose, it can lower the body’s insulin sensitivity and potentially lead to metabolic syndrome (3).

In turn, this can make it more difficult for the body to regulate blood glucose levels, which is the last thing that keto dieters want.

Agave manufacturers do a great job at marketing their products as healthy, low-calorie and low-carb alternatives to sugar.

But it can be damaging to the liver and end up causing more problems, especially when used in high amounts.

Keto-Friendly Alternatives to Agave

Rather than opting for agave as a sugar substitute to maintain a state of ketosis, keto dieters have plenty of other alternatives to choose from, including the following:

While not a natural sweetener, sucralose is an artificial sweetener that has no calories or carbs because it passes through the body undigested.

While not necessarily ideal for baking with, sucralose is better suited for sweetening drinks and foods by just adding it to the mix.

A natural sweetener, stevia is much sweeter than sugar and has very few calories and carbs.

It’s considered a healthy sugar substitute because it may actually help lower blood sugar levels.

This is a type of sugar alcohol that’s almost as sweet as sugar but only has a fraction of the calories.

Research has shown that the carbs in erythritol don’t impact blood sugar levels the way that regular sugar does, making it a sound keto-friendly sugar substitute (4).

Another type of sugar alcohol, xylitol only has 4 grams of carbs per teaspoon, but they don’t actually count as net carbs because they don’t increase blood sugar or insulin levels like sugar does (5).

Monk fruit

Derived from the monk fruit, this natural sweetener is anywhere between 100 to 250 times sweeter than sugar and has no calories or carbs, making it a great alternative for the keto diet (6).

Final Thoughts

While agave may be low on the glycemic index, it can still negatively impact blood sugar levels by contributing to insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome.

Further, it’s not without its calories or carbs, especially when compared to other sugar substitutes.

To stay true to your keto diet while maintaining optimal health, it’s advised to stick with other sugar alternatives aside from agave.

  • Show original
  • .
  • Share
  • .
  • Favorite
  • .
  • Email
  • .
  • Add Tags
Keto Concern by Dyani Nitsu, Rd, Ld - 2M ago

Trying to find vegetables that are low in carbs can be a challenge when following the ketogenic diet. While there are plenty of healthy veggies out there, not all of them are necessarily low in net carbs.

But celery isn’t one of them. Low in carbs and calories, celery makes a great addition to the keto diet.

Read on to find out why celery may be a great vegetable to add to your keto-friendly food repertoire.

Nutritional Profile of Celery

One medium celery stalk (40g) contains the following nutritional makeup:

  • Calories: 6
  • Carbohydrates 1.2g
  • Fat 0.1g
  • Protein 0.3g
  • Sodium 32mg
  • Potassium 104mg
  • Fiber 0.6g
  • Vitamin A 4%
  • Vitamin C 2%
  • Calcium 2%
  • Iron 0%
Types of Celery

It might come as a surprise that there is actually more than one type of celery. While we might be most familiar with stalk celery, there are other celery plant varieties, including the following:

  • Leaf Celery – Features a thin stalk and is grown mainly for its leaves and seeds.
  • Celeriac – Grown for its root that is then peeled and can be eaten raw or cooked.
  • Pascal – Most commonly eaten in the US.
Is Celery Keto Friendly?

Based on the fact that there are merely 1.2g of carbs in a stalk of celery, it’s safe to say that celery is certainly keto-friendly.

And the extremely low calories contained within one stalk make it an even better addition to the keto diet, and any diet in general.

Anyone looking to keep daily caloric counts low and lose weight would benefit from including celery in their diet.

As an added bonus, celery is rather high in potassium, which is a vital nutrient that helps make sure that electrolyte levels are high enough to avoid flu-like symptoms, particularly during the initial phases of the keto diet where the “keto flu” is somewhat common.

Things to Consider

As already mentioned, celery is low in calories in carbs and high in potassium.

It’s also crisp, refreshing, and rather versatile in terms of the types of dishes it can be added to.

Celery can make a convenient snack that can be taken on the go, or can be added to various recipes for delicious and hearty dishes.

That said, consuming too much celery may come with some drawbacks. Since celery is rather high in fiber and sodium, eating too much of it may lead to digestive upset.

Celery may also contain high levels of residual pesticides, which are toxins that can lead to toxicity in the brain and nervous system.

Pesticides in the body can also increase the risk of cancer, hormonal complications, and skin/eye irritation. That said, this can be combated by eating organic varieties.

It’s also possible for certain individuals to suffer an allergy or sensitivity to celery. In fact, celery allergies are rather common.

Those who suffer from pollen allergies may find themselves particularly sensitive to celery. Symptoms of celery allergies may include something as mild as itching of the throat to something as severe as anaphylactic shock.

Keto-Friendly Celery Recipes

Since celery is considered a keto-friendly food, you may want to enjoy it in more ways than just on its own.

Here are a couple of recipes you may want to try that are conducive to the ketogenic diet:

1. Cream of Celery Soup

A classic comfort food, this version of cream of celery soup is low in carbs but high in taste:

  • 6 cups chopped celery
  • 12 oz cauliflower rice
  • 1/4 cup diced onion
  • 1 tsp minced garlic
  • 14 oz chicken broth
  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 16 oz heavy whipping cream
  • 1 1/2 tsp salt

  • In a saucepan, melt butter over medium heat, then add onions and celery. Cook for 10 minutes.
  • Leave 1-2 cups of the vegetable mix aside that will be added back in at the end.
  • Add riced cauliflower and garlic, and cook for another 5 minutes.
  • Add chicken broth, whipping cream, and salt, and bring to a simmer.
  • Allow to simmer for 15 minutes.
  • Blend in a food processor until smooth, then add remaining vegetables back in.
2. Baked Cheese Celery

Cheese is a staple on the keto diet, and this recipe will satisfy your palate and your belly!

  • 8 celery stalk
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 3/4 cup grated cheddar cheese
  • 1/3 cup vegetable broth
  • 1/4 tsp salt

  • Preheat the oven to 400°F.
  • Cut the celery sticks in half across the center. Boil them in water in a large saucepan, then let simmer for 4 to 5 minutes.
  • Drain the celery and place in an oven-safe baking dish.
  • Add the heavy cream, 1/2 cup of the cheese, broth, and salt to a small pan and cook over a low-medium heat. Continue to stir until the cheese melts.
  • Pour the cheese sauce over the celery sticks, then sprinkle the remaining cheese on top.
  • Place in the oven for 18 to 20 minutes.
Final Thoughts

Celery’s low carb and calorie content make it an ideal vegetable to include in your keto diet.

It’s also quite versatile, making it easy to snack on or add to your favorite low-carb, high-fat dishes.

  • Show original
  • .
  • Share
  • .
  • Favorite
  • .
  • Email
  • .
  • Add Tags
Keto Concern by Dyani Nitsu, Rd, Ld - 4M ago

There’s a reason why rice is such a popular food all across the world: it’s filling and delicious.

Rice is an abundant food source and is the base of all sorts of different dishes.

Many developing parts of the world depend on rice because of how accessible and affordable it is, yet it also serves as the base of many upscale dishes as well.

But as delicious and healthy as rice can be, it’s also loaded in carbs. Rice is classified as a grain, and as keto dieters know all too well, grains are typically high in carbs.

That’s why people who are following a low-carb meal plan are usually instructed to eliminate it from the diet.

But can you eat even a small amount of rice while following the keto diet, or will it completely derail your state of ketosis?

Different Types of Rice

Rice comes in several different varieties, including the following:

Arborio rice – This type of rice is a medium grain rice. Its texture is somewhat chewy and sticky because of its high starch content. When cooked, Arborio rice tends to be creamy, which is why it’s often used in dishes such as risotto and soup.

Basmati rice – This long grain rice has a bit of a nutty flavor and is a common base for many different Asian and Indian dishes.

Jasmine rice – This type of rice is popular in many Asian dishes and has a jasmine aroma when it is cooked. It’s used most often in stir-fry dishes.

Brown rice – This particular type of rice is a 100% whole grain food and is rich in vitamins and minerals. “Whole grain” basically refers to the fact that it contains all parts of the grain, including the germ, endosperm, and bran. Brown rice is slightly chewy in texture and fluffy when it’s cooked, which helps it avoid sticking.

White rice – The more commonly used type of rice in North America is white rice. It’s sticky in consistency when it’s cooked and is a versatile food for many different types of dishes. Unlike whole grain rice, white rice has had the germ bran removed, which are the most nutritious components of the grain. As such, white rice contains very little nutritional value.

That said, while some types of rice might be more nutritious than others, all rice is almost entirely made up of carbs, with trace amounts of protein and no fat. More specifically, all rice types have approximately 45g of carbs per cup.

Should You Eat Rice on Keto Diet?

Considering the fact that rice is nearly 100% made up of carbs, it stands to reason that this particular type of food is not conducive to the keto diet.

If you’re working hard to maintain a state of ketosis, your best bet is to steer clear of all types of rice, at least during the first couple of months of following this diet plan.

If you’re just starting to embark on the keto diet and are working your way towards achieving a ketogenic state, then rice should probably be avoided completely.

It can take a few days or longer to get your body to start producing more ketones in an effort to deplete your body’s glycogen stores and burn more body fat.

As such, any additional carbs can make this process take longer.

Your metabolism is modified when you get into ketosis.

Once you’re there, high carb foods can quickly kick you out of ketosis, making it more difficult for your body to use body fat as its main source of fuel.

Further, your blood sugar and insulin levels will surge when you eat high-carb foods like rice. This, in turn, will throw off your efforts to reach or maintain ketosis.

Once you reintroduce starchy carbs into your diet again, your body will start using carbs again for fuel instead of your stored body fat.

What About “Cyclical” Keto Dieting?

Having said all of the above, you may be able to eat minimal amounts of rice if you’re very physically active and are following a “cyclical” keto diet.

With this diet plan – also referred to as “carb-cycling” – you would follow a low-carb diet for a few days, then break things up with periodic intervals of moderate- or high-carb days.

Adopting this version of the keto diet can help athletes to maximize fat loss while still being able to perform at high-intensity.

If you are an athlete that needs some carbs on high-intensity training days – or “carb-loading” days – then a cyclical keto diet might be more appropriate.

In this case, you may be able to get away with eating some amount of rice. If you do choose to eat rice on your high-carb days, consider reaching for whole grain rice as opposed to the nutritionally-empty white rice.

Rice Substitutes on Keto Diet

While you might not be able to enjoy bowl-fulls of rice while following the keto diet, there are some rice substitutes you can dine on instead, including the following:

Cauliflower rice. Probably the most popular substitute for rice is cauliflower rice. All you need is a food processor or cheese grater and you’ve got a low-carb rice substitute.

It’s only got 5g of carbs per 100g serving, compared to 28g of carbs for rice of the same serving size. You can even use cauliflower rice as part of a low-carb pizza crust recipe that involves a little mozzarella and parmesan cheese.

Cauliflower may help to improve digestion, balance hormones, lower inflammation, and even lower the risk of certain cancers. It’s also loaded in vitamins C and K.

Cabbage rice. Easy to find at all grocery stores, cabbage is cheap and low in carbs at only 6g of carbs per 100g serving. Again, all you need is a food processor to shred the cabbage into tiny pellets resembling rice. Saute the cabbage rice with all sorts of different spices and herbs to mimic the taste and texture of real rice.

Cabbage is chock full of nutrients, including iron and vitamins C and K. It’s also a powerful antioxidant that may protect against certain cancers and heart disease while promoting good vision.

Shirataki rice. This special type of rice comes from the root of the konnyaku plant and actually contains zero calories or carbs! That’s because it’s made up of soluble fiber which can help promote good digestion and keep cholesterol levels balanced. It’s also a good source of iron.

Shirataki rice can be found in most health food stores and makes a great low-carb substitute for regular rice. Use it in your pilaf, stir-fry, or even in soup.

Final Thoughts

Because of the high carb content, rice is usually not on the list of keto-friendly food. You should stay away from rice unless you’re an avid athlete that is carb cycling.

If you miss the texture and density of rice, there are some solid alternatives that you can try out that are extremely low in both carbs and calories.

As long as you’re careful with the sauces you add on top, you can enjoy a great-tasting dish that mimics the texture and taste of the real thing!

The post Can You Eat Rice On Keto Diet? appeared first on Keto Concern.

  • Show original
  • .
  • Share
  • .
  • Favorite
  • .
  • Email
  • .
  • Add Tags

If you’re on keto diet and struggling to get into the optimal zone for Nutritional Ketosis, you might be wondering if it would be beneficial for you to use an exogenous ketone supplement.

If you’re not on keto yet, you might be thinking that exogenous ketones will help you get into the state of ketosis faster than if you just used keto-friendly foods.

Perhaps, you went over your carbohydrate tolerance or flat out cheated on the keto diet and now you need a quick way to recover.

Maybe, you’re on keto, and doing fine, but have heard good things about exogenous ketones and wondering if they can help you lose weight faster.

Ketones cannot be stored by the body.

They are a by-product that occurs as the liver breaks down triglycerides into fatty acids.

Fatty acids can fuel the liver during gluconeogenesis, but ketones cannot, so the liver dumps the ketones into the bloodstream to fuel the brain.

The brain can use ketones for up to 80 percent of its fuel needs, so getting your blood level for ketones up into the optimal zone for Nutritional Ketosis, 0.5 mmol/L to 4.0 mmol/L, is important to experience the benefits of ketosis.

And that’s where these exogenous ketones come in.

Supposedly, they can take the place of endogenous ketones and:

  • get you into the state of Nutritional Ketosis faster.
  • increase your energy and stamina.
  • improve mental clarity and performance.
  • decrease appetite and cravings.

But how true are the claims?

In this guide to exogenous ketones, we’re going to take a closer look at what these ketones are, their health benefits, side effects, advantages, and disadvantages.

We’ll also explain when these supplements are useful and when they’re not.

What are Exogenous Ketones?

There are two main types of ketones:

Endogenous ketones – Made by the liver during the process of separating the glycerol molecule from the back of a triglyceride.

This procedure is demand-driven.

Ketones are created internally, as needed, and is a natural process that occurs when you restrict the carbohydrates in your diet.

These types of ketones do not come from food.

Exogenous ketones – Made in a laboratory by attaching a ketone to a salt or molecule of alcohol.

The salty ketones are called ketone salts, and packaged by the manufacturer as a powder.

This powder is then mixed with a liquid by the dieter and drunk. The other ketone supplement is called ketone esters and already comes packaged as a liquid.

The salt used in ketone salts is three of the four mineral salts:

  1. sodium
  2. calcium
  3. magnesium

Ketone salts are cheaper to make than ketone esters are, but ketone esters are more potent than ketone salts. However, they taste terrible and are difficult to find commercially.

Ketone salts taste better than the esters and are more marketable, but they are far less potent.

This means that ketone esters can increase your ketone level in the bloodstream higher, up to 3.0 mmol/L, but the rise in ketones doesn’t last very long.

Ketone salts, on the other hand, won’t raise your ketone level very much, only between 0.3 mmol/L and 1.0 mmol/L, but the rise you get will last awhile.

Ketone salts come in a powdered form. You mix the powder with a liquid, such as water, and then drink it like a protein shake.

Due to the conversion to a liquid, ketone salts can leave the stomach fairly quickly, so marketing claims say they can raise your ketone levels within 15 minutes to an hour, depending on the brand.

The idea behind exogenous ketones is to raise the level of ketones in the bloodstream, which can help you get you into the optimal zone for ketosis.

Ketones can’t be stored by the body, so like your natural ketones, these oral salts will build up in the bloodstream and become measurable, as well as usable.

The body makes 3 types of ketones:

  1. acetoacetate ketones
  2. beta-hydroxybutyrate ketones
  3. acetone ketones

The acetoacetate ketones are the ketones you measure when you’re using urine test strips at the beginning of the Atkins Diet. These ketones are not as plentiful as beta-hydroxybutyrate.

Beta-hydroxybutyrate are the type of ketones that the brain uses best, and can be measured by a blood ketone meter.

Some of these ketones are also present in the urine, but the urine testing strips cannot detect them.

Most of the acetoacetate ketones the body makes are eventually converted into beta-hydroxybutyrate for use by the brain after you’ve been restricting carbs for a few days.

Acetone ketones are produced in much smaller quantities by the liver than acetoacetate or beta-hydroxybutyrate and are the ketones you give off in your breath and urine that produce that very distinctive smell.

Each ketone is used by the body differently.

After a few weeks on your low-carb diet, the beta-hydroxybutyrate ketones are most prominent, so these are the ketones that manufacturers use to make exogenous ketones.

However, these exogenous ketones are not carb blockers.

While the supplement will affect the number of ketones in the bloodstream, they do not affect the carbs you eat at all. You can’t use beta-hydroxybutyrate ketones right after you indulge in a cheat meal and expect the body to ignore the carbs you just consumed because that’s not what these supplements do.

Exogenous ketones mimic endogenous ketones, the ketones the liver makes, so the body treats them as if they were regular ketones.

This means that as long as exogenous ketones are around, the body will produce fewer natural ketones.

Health Benefits of Exogenous Ketones

Exogenous ketones claim to boost the effects of ketosis, which means you can experience:

Appetite Control – Scientists do not understand why the state of ketosis tends to dull the appetite, but this can be an important benefit for those who tend to binge on carbs.

Fewer Cravings for Carbs – Likewise, if you’re feeling deprived on Keto, a few extra beta-hydroxybutyrate ketones can help you say no to those chocolate chip cookies.

Consistent Energy – Since ketones can be used by the muscles to fuel activity when body fat isn’t readily available, energy tends to stay more consistent than it does when using glucose for energy.

On glucose, you’re going to get tired when your glycogen stores run low. Getting into ketosis faster will help you avoid feeling so tired.

Increased Physical Endurance – Endurance can improve when you’re using ketones for energy instead of glucose because the body will have more energy stores available.

Mental Clarity – Many dieters find that the extra beta-hydroxybutyrate ketones available for the brain help improve their comprehension skills.

Better Sleep – Some people sleep better when in the state of ketosis, but others find it more difficult.

Improved Mental Performance – If you have a sit-down desk job, you might see an increase in your ability to think through problems and get things done more quickly.

Much Better Mood – For those with insulin resistance, anything that relieves stress on the body will increase your feelings of well-being.

Better Athletic Performance – If you are on maintenance, extra ketones can improve your athletic skills, endurance, and abilities because consistent energy sources are always available.

All of these benefits may or may not be true for you. Everyone doesn’t experience the same results when taking endogenous ketones.

What these supplements definitely do not do is accelerate weight loss.

This is because weight loss is directly related to your energy deficit and has nothing to do with the level of blood ketones you have built up in the bloodstream.

At least, not directly.

Beta-hydroxybutyrate ketones do not make you burn body fat.

They are a form of energy that can be used by the brain and every cell in your body with mitochondria.

Muscles will use them when you have an ample supply, but this is not always beneficial.

The presence of ketones in the bloodstream is a life-saving act. Without them, the brain would die.

Weight loss occurs because the liver has to convert triglycerides into fatty acids for fuel, and it does that by pulling triglycerides out of your adipose tissues.

If triglycerides are not pulled out of your adipose tissues to fuel gluconeogenesis and low-intensity exercise, fat loss will not occur.

Side Effects Of Exogenous Ketones

Some of the side effects from using exogenous ketones include:

Higher insulin level – It is not true that you can’t have too many ketones.

In fact, if you raise your ketone level too high, due to supplementation, the body will secrete insulin to shut down ketone production until you have used up all of the excess ketones in your bloodstream.

Caffeine – Some supplements include a lot of caffeine, over what you’d get in a single cup of coffee, so some of the above benefits, such as an increase in energy or feeling of well-being, might be due to the caffeine, rather than the extra ketones you’re drinking.

High-Sodium – Since the most common type of exogenous ketones comes in the form of mineral salts, they are not suitable for those on low-salt diets.

Ketone salts are very high in sodium, about 700 mg, and sometimes, even more than that.

Gastrointestinal Distress – Depending on the amount of magnesium in the supplement, drinking ketone salts can cause gastrointestinal issues, such as cramping, stomach ache, nausea, or even diarrhea.

Degree of these side effects is dependent on the dosage.

To avoid stomach issues and gastrointestinal reactions when using ketone salts, start out using a very small dose, maybe only a quarter of a serving, and gradually increase the amount you take, as your body adapts to these beta-hydroxybutyrate supplements.

Advantages of Using Exogenous Ketone Salts

These supplements can make the transition from the Standard American Diet to a low-carb lifestyle easier to move into, so for some people, exogenous ketones can be a life saver.

By reducing the time it takes to reach ketosis, you can begin to experience appetite reduction and an upswing in mood right away.

Lower hunger hormones makes it easier to eat at a calorie deficit. The appetite suppression can lead to weight loss if you were eating too much before.

In addition, since these supplements contain sodium, calcium, and magnesium, you can also avoid the Keto Flu.

Keto Flu is not a virus, but is due to imbalanced electrolytes. If you’re experiencing constipation, headaches, muscle aches, diarrhea, or muscle cramps, you’re going to see an improvement with these supplements.

However, some people consider exogenous ketones a fairly expensive way to get those extra electrolytes.

Are Exogenous Ketones Keto-Friendly?

If you’re taking in a large amount of ketones by mouth, your body is going to begin to make fewer ketones for itself.

This can be counterproductive to weight loss if you’re taking the supplement to try and get into the optimal zone for ketosis and stay there for an extended period of time.

The optimal zone is about teaching your body to burn fatty acids for fuel over glucose, and if your state of ketosis is dependent on exogenous ketones, that isn’t going to happen.

Also keep in mind that ketone salts will only raise your ketone level slightly, so you’ll have to take the supplement consistently to see any benefits.

In addition, and much more important for keto dieters, the body will burn those extra beta-hydroxybutyrate ketones for energy, instead of body fat, which means that weight loss can slow down quite dramatically while using these supplements, and even stop completely.

The supplements also contain calories, so you’ll need to adjust your dietary intake to make up for those extra calories or you could actually gain weight by supplementing your keto diet with exogenous ketones.

Ketones contain about 4 calories per gram, the same amount as protein or carbohydrates have.

Serving size differs between brands, with some brands higher in calories than others due to the MCT oil added to the formula.

MCT oils cannot be stored in the body, so like ketones, they have to be used before body fat, so your weight loss will slow down.

To manage your ketone levels, you’ll need to consume more than just one serving per day, which can also be very costly in calories.

Final Thoughts

Exogenous ketones are not a good substitute for a well-planned ketogenic diet.

While they can be beneficial under certain circumstances, such as avoiding the keto flu, the majority of low carb dieters won’t see much benefit from taking them except for a boost in mood and well-being, unless you are not trying to lose weight and already eating at your maintenance level of calories.

On maintenance, the supplements can help you to stay in the optimal range for well-being and energy and will ensure that you’re getting an extra supply of sodium, calcium, and magnesium, but you will have to take several servings per day to enjoy those benefits.

On keto, the body is perfectly capable of making its own ketones, as needed by the brain, and finding alternative sources of glucose as well.

Helping the body to do its job better only results in the body creating fewer ketones than it was making before.

While this is fine for those who are not in the weight-loss phase of the Keto Diet, if you’re trying to ditch those excess pounds, you’ll want your body to use up as much body fat as possible.

Anything that interferes with body fat mobilization will slow down weight loss.

And in some cases, if you’re taking a lot of extra ketones in, you can even make your insulin resistance worse.

A much better plan for those in the weight-loss phase is to make sure you’re getting enough sodium, potassium, calcium, and magnesium in your daily diet — and let your body do the rest.

The post Exogenous Ketones: Health Benefits and Side Effects appeared first on Keto Concern.

Read for later

Articles marked as Favorite are saved for later viewing.
  • Show original
  • .
  • Share
  • .
  • Favorite
  • .
  • Email
  • .
  • Add Tags

Separate tags by commas
To access this feature, please upgrade your account.
Start your free month
Free Preview


Content-Type: application/http; msgtype=response

WARC-Identified-Payload-Type: text/html

WARC-Type: response

text:
Press Releases

Washington—Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) released the following statement after the Senate Intelligence Committee voted to advance reauthorization of Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, which addresses the collection of the content of internet and phone communications of foreigners outside the United States:

“Today, the Senate Intelligence Committee considered legislation to reauthorize Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act.

“I offered an amendment, cosponsored by Senator Kamala Harris, to ensure that when the federal government wants to access the content of emails of U.S. persons, they must first go to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court to get a probable cause warrant. It’s important that before law enforcement accesses these private emails, they first get a warrant as required under the 4th Amendment of the Constitution.

“I’m disappointed the committee voted down my amendment. The Supreme Court has consistently ruled that a warrant is required prior to accessing the content of an American’s phone calls or emails, and I’ll continue to advocate for this change and other privacy and civil liberties protections as the bill moves to the full Senate.”

warcinfo:
isPartOf: CC-MAIN-2019-30
publisher: Common Crawl
description: Wide crawl of the web for July 2019
operator: Common Crawl Admin (info@commoncrawl.org)
hostname: ip-10-232-173-83.ec2.internal
software: Apache Nutch 1.15 (modified, https://github.com/commoncrawl/nutch/)
robots: checked via crawler-commons 1.1-SNAPSHOT (https://github.com/crawler-commons/crawler-commons)
format: WARC File Format 1.1
conformsTo: http://iipc.github.io/warc-specifications/specifications/warc-format/warc-1.1/


text:
You are here

Primary tabs

Join us for a special baby storytime to share rhymes, songs, stories and signs during this language-building program. Each session will teach and reinforce 6 basic signs that can help you communicate with your baby before he or she learns to talk. For babies up to age 2.


text:
Museum Learning Research

The Franklin Institute was one of the first science centers in the nation to establish a Department of Research and Evaluation and has become known in the museum field as a leader in museum-based learning research. For nearly four decades the department has been studying how people learn science in out-of-school environments, with a particular focus on partnerships between museums and community agencies.  The publications posted here are products of this effort.

The Philadelphia Informal Science Education Collaborative (PISEC) consists of four local museums: The Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University, The Center for Aquatic Sciences, The Franklin Institute and the Philadelphia Zoo.  These museums and their community partner agencies have been working together for more than twenty years to deliver programs to underserved families in the Philadelphia-Camden area.

NSF logo

This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.

  • Family Learning

    The Family Science Learning Research Project was a research and development effort funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and The Pew Charitable Trusts to study how families learn science in informal settings. It led to the development of a new model for exhibit design based on seven characteristics of family-friendly exhibits. Family Learning in Museums: the PISEC Perspective tests exhibit components that embody these characteristics, and measures their impact.The publication is available through the Association of Science-Technology Centers.

    Borun, Minda et. al. Family Learning in Museums: The PISEC Perspective, Association of Science-Technology Centers, Washington DC, 1998.

  • WorkingTogether

    In Community Connections, funded by the Pew Charitable Trusts, The PISEC group partnered with local organizations that had strong community ties, but little or no science-related programming. This outreach program was designed to diversify museum audiences and introduce families to science museums and family science learning. Community Connections reached 17,000 people through community agencies serving African American and Latino Families. “Working Together…” is a guide to building strong community partnerships.

    Wagner, K.; Borun, M.; Ferraro, J.; Johnson, J. Working Together: Museums and Community Partners, Philadelphia-Camden Informal Science Learning Collaborative (PISEC)/Philadelphia Zoo, Philadelphia, PA 2000.

    FEST, funded by NSF and the William Penn Foundation, advanced community-based science programming and outreach. Each PISEC institution partnered with two or more community-based organizations, whose members were invited to take part in programs and events tailored to encourage whole-family science learning. FEST served over 18,000 people from 12 community partner agencies; most were African American, Latino, and Asian families.

  • In Their Own Voices

    CASE, funded by NSF and Mellon Mid-Atlantic Trust, involved diverse local communities in science activities. The program trained 144 science ambassadors from community sites who presented hands-on science workshops in the languages spoken by their member families. CASE served more than 15,000 people over five years, through peer-presented family learning opportunities and museum experiences.

    "In Their Own Voices" tells the stories of thirteen individuals who became active participants in PISEC programs. These frequent participants were not linked by a simple demographic category like mother's education or science background. They are very different from one another, but all are creative, intelligent, resourceful people who saw what the PISEC programs could offer their families.

    Borun, M., B.M. Kelly, L.J. Rudy. In Their Own Voices: Museums and Communities Changing Lives, The Franklin Institute, Philadelphia, PA. 2011.

  • Museum Community Partnerships

    In 2008, the PISEC group conducted the NSF-funded Bridges Conference, a national conference on family-focused museum/community partnership programs. Bridges offered an opportunity for sixty-five museum and community pairs to meet others engaged in similar efforts, to share triumphs and tragedies, and to build an ongoing community of practice. The Bridges website and manual “Museum/Community Partnerships”, explore how museums and other learning institutions and community organizations can work together towards a shared vision for engaging underserved families with STEM enrichment activities.

    Borun, M., K. Garelik, B. M. Kelly. Museum/Community Partnerships: Lessons Learned from the Bridges Conference, The Franklin Institute, Philadelphia, PA, 2011.

    Communities of Learning for Urban Environments and Science (CLUES) builds on PISEC’s extensive history of museum-community research and collaboration. The program creates a new paradigm for community-led science learning and environmental action for underserved families As with all PISEC projects, CLUES focuses on whole families as learning units. In CLUES, science apprentices from the CBOs spend a year in one of the four PISEC museums learning to become informal science educators, developing family science workshops, and training community presenters to conduct workshops for local families.

    More information about CLUES


text:
FieldAware continues expansion with internationalization and leading accounting software integrations

May 16, 2016 • Software & AppsNewsFieldAwareSoftware and Apps

FieldAware, a leader in mobile, cloud-based field service automation solutions, has announced the availability of its Spring product release, the latest software release for its mobile field service management solution.

This release includes integration to leading accounting software packages and moves the solution forward globally with its availability in French language localisation.

“We continue to focus our software releases on bringing additional value to our customers and adding market-driven features and functionality,” said Andy Murphy, director of product development at FieldAware.  “Today we are announcing our latest accounting integrations to further strengthen our integration portfolio.  This means businesses with established technologies already in place can seamlessly add FieldAware to their current infrastructure with minimal risk and accelerated benefit. In addition, we have quickly reacted to increased international demand by leveraging our agile software to release our first in a series of language localizations.

The integration of FieldAware’s mobile solution with the Sage, Xero and Quickbooks Online and Desktop platforms enables customers to streamline invoicing.

“Integration with best-in-class technology platforms will continue to be a priority for us,” - Lynn Jones, FieldAware

When a work order is complete, and a job is closed-out on a field worker’s mobile device, an invoice can be automatically generated in the back office.  The invoice includes all costs related to the work order, such as the cost of service and any parts/inventory consumed, and can be sent to the customer immediately.

The result should be an improvement in days sales outstanding (DSO) metrics by getting the job billed immediately; and less leakage because nothing falls through the cracks, every part is accounted for and every job is billed, by connecting the job in the field directly with accounting.  Integration of FieldAware with a customer’s accounting system also means that new companies, contacts and parts can be created in either system and automatically synced to both platforms.

“Integration with best-in-class technology platforms will continue to be a priority for us,” said Lynn Jones, VP, Marketing at FieldAware. “Integrations like these accounting packages, and our NetSuite and integrations, help our customers drive their businesses strategically and extend the value of their incumbent systems.”

French is the first language to be released as part of FieldAware’s language localisation and international expansion strategy. Available on both the FieldAware web-based app and mobile app, it allows French-speaking businesses to immediately take advantage of the mobile-first field service offering provided by FieldAware. Additional languages will be added with each new quarterly feature release.

FieldAware’s made for mobile solutions provide field personnel with mobile tools that increase their productivity, generate more revenue and turn customers into brand advocates. Its Web-based back office functions are built on a flexible, cloud-based architecture with unlimited configurable fields that can accommodate virtually any business process.

FieldAware’s solution is integrated with the leading CRM, ERP and accounting systems and easily integrates with a business’s custom back office applications.

Be social and share this feature


text:
Secret ways of value based pricing services in B2B markets

Dec 22, 2016 • FeaturesManagementArvikLucenre UniversitymanagementPricingShaun WestUncategorized

Value based pricing is a hot topic in industry today, but what exactly is it and why is everyone talking about it?

Is value based pricing simply about getting as much price from your customers as possible? Or is it about valuing your longer-term relationship with your customers, or perhaps improving your service? In fact it is each of these and potentially more. What is clear however, is that cost-plus pricing for services does not always offer the customer or the supplier the best value - yet there may now be options to combat this with value based pricing.

The following report co-authored by Dr Shaun West, Lucerne University and Dominik Kujawski, Arvik Bolting Solutions brings together good industry practices in a solid academic framework. The report provides business leaders with a guide on how to create a value based strategy to price B2B services - as such it is essential reading for all business leaders...

Why value based pricing?

During a conference we recently attended, a phrase that kept coming up in conversation was “We should all switch to value based pricing”. An increasingly topical statement in industry today, however, the approach of value based pricing is also one which is not being discussed any further. No one seems to be speaking about HOW to actually achieve this goal.

Pricing is not new- even Oscar Wilde said: “Nowadays people know the price of everything and the value of nothing”

Companies need to focus on customer value in developing pricing strategies as pricing pressure in the industrial B2B market has been increasing as a result of changing customer buying behaviors. In this article we’ll delve deeper into why value based pricing can be challenging and why it has a huge impact on companies’ business.

Is pricing really a strategic capability?

Pricing is an important management tool to help achieve the firm’s objectives and has a huge impact on the financial results. It is a multi-departmental activity influenced by several functions within the firm that may attach different importance to pricing and the value drivers of the business.

Every business manager needs to be aware that pricing has an impact on customer satisfaction and that pricing is not only dependent on price itself.

Pricing of services is dependent on situations in which a customer finds themselves in and the jobs in which they need to do at that time.

This relation of pricing to customer engagement in this process includes three strategies:

  • Cost plus strategy;
  • Competition/market base strategy;
  • Value based strategy.

Cost plus pricing

The process of cost plus pricing starts with the firm determining the scope of their service. Here, a unit cost is simply calculated and a pre-determined margin is applied to set the price. This margin reflects the desired profitability of the firm. The customers are then told what will be ultimately delivered in exchange for the set price

Competition/market based pricing

This process begins with pricing based both on the scope and the costs, then additionally on what the competition charges for a similar service. Setting the price here has an influence on the market situation. Large competitors tend to have a scale advantage over the smaller ones since their fixed costs are mostly lower due to a larger customer base. The last step of this process is presenting the customer with the value that is being offered through the service.

Remember that data is in your CRM system and in the market – keep track of it.

Value based pricing

The value based pricing approach is based on analyzing each customer’s needs, pains and gains, and their willingness to pay. It depends on the customer interest and acceptance of price for a provided value. Here, the price is set for the offered value, and later the scope of the service itself is determined.

Calculating the costs in this strategy is also necessary as they used to make a reality check and afterwards calculate the margin achieved.

Listen to your customers

The process of pricing in cost and competition based strategies suggests to ask the question “why is the customer situated at the end of the process if all of the companies always state that customers are the most important?”. A juxtaposition to the truth, you will always hear stated that companies involve their customers in the co-creation of service value from the very beginning, but how can this be actually possible with a cost plus and competition based pricing strategy?

Now, how do we turn this approach around and place focus back on the customer? Straight away, let’s forget about pure cost plus strategy.

This ‘simpler’ pricing strategy shows that the supplier can have a lack of understanding of the customer value and as a result the customer offering can be weak.

In addition to this, the competition/market base strategy, which is endorsed by many companies, indicates that pricing is controlled by the market. As such, this removes focus from the customer and indicates that the supplier does not entirely understand customer value, showing that the resultant value outlined by the firms offering can also be low.

So, how should service companies price in order to bring the customer into the focal point? The answer is quite straightforward; by aligning pricing objectives, strategies and tools according to the holistic strategy of the company.

Note: pricing needs to be strategic… it must not be left solely to Sales,

Production or Marketing departments. It needs to be driven by management and agreed by all the departments influenced by pricing Companies should create more customer focused objectives to choose pricing strategies that consider customer value.

This means that when pricing services, you as a firm need to firstly understand how your customer creates value and secondly, where you and your equipment fit into this process. You need to know that pricing tools used also need to support the objectives of pricing and the pricing strategies. For example, a pricing tool supporting customer oriented objectives can be bundling as it is a way for firms to present the scope/price negations, thereby providing a different approach to customer value discovery and leading to improved customer experiences.

Source of pricing power

Here, a B2B example is given, showing that the source or pricing power comes from customer need states. Let me take you through the example of a simple bolt used in industrial equipment. Bolts are widely present in everyday life and more specifically, they are present in almost every technologically advanced machine or construction, from compressor valves and turbines, to the foundations of wind mills.

So, what is the price of tightening a single bolt? The price of a single bolt varies from market-to-market, from machine-to-machine and from company to company.

The most significant result of bolting, however, is the residual load that a customer requires from the bolting supplier. Now, to show where the pricing power of services come from, let’s imagine a situation where you exchange a single bolt worth a couple of dollars, in a compressor valve which is worth hundreds of thousands or install one in an offshore wind turbine, worth even

more. How much should the tightening of one bolt be worth to keep the compressor running or the turbine safe on its foundation?

In this case, bolting provides safety and savings on a huge scale however, the value of the service to each customer varies depending on the scope of the project. Here, not all customers are the same, so they should also not be treated with the same approach.

Customer value connection based on colors

Customer value connection shows that companies need to do what their particular customer values. If the value proposition you offer creates no customer value, it is then only a purely basic cost to your customer.

It is time to use the “knowledge” about your customers to move to customer value propositions and find ways to deliver what is really valued. Hence, what they are really ready to pay for?

Firms need to consider what is core and what is standardized.

It is important to be aware that pricing can be different for different modules. This means that the customer can pay a different price based on the “menu” or “á la carte”, and shows that there are multiple pricing points for services but what is really interesting, is that its components don’t change. So what is changing?

It is the location and more importantly the type of service provision together with the customer need state. In the first mentioned case, the compressor valve is available in a workshop where the bolt can be tightened with use of onshore equipment, in a quite friendly environment.

However, the tightening of wind turbine requires going offshore to harsh conditions with special trainings and guaranteeing the customer that a bolt tightened worth a percentile of the whole wind mill will provide safety from failing the whole project.

This clearly shows that the customer gets usage, location and utility from the supplier. And if a firm is able to segment customer needs states and purposes for buying. It is also able to find the right pricing points for it.

This helps to identify margin and revenue opportunities available to a company.

This shows that that customer value identification process work for product based firms too.

Pricing waterfall for value based pricing

A prototype of pricing waterfall diagram provides guidance towards value based service pricing. It considers the most important aspects of pricing, starting from benchmarking competitors to considering the customers’ willingness to pay. As such, it helps you to triangulate on the value based price that your customer is willing to pay.

The pricing waterfall presents that single, inflexible offerings can limit companies to sharing limited value. Whereas, flexible offerings respond to customers’ changing needs.

Also, flexible pricing based on all important factors helps to increase customer value. Offering flexible service dimensions that support customer choices, together with flexible pricing strategies can provide the supplier with additional pricing dimensions that can have a positive margin increase impact. The pricing waterfall also highlights the importance of triangulation of pricing based on market analysis, internal value creation and customer value.

Final comments

This article presents that pricing is a strategic capability and needs to be kept in line with the company’s overall strategy. There is a great need to focus on customer value creation during service pricing, and aligning strategies and tools to support the objectives set by the company. Understanding customer value rather than simply relying on cost-plus or market-based approach, is a key to pricing industrial services. Another very important step in the process of pricing, is margin calculation based on the identified costs and value price offered. It is essential to calculate the margins in order to assess the correctness and validity of the price.

To summarise, consistency in pricing is of great importance and needs to be maintained across all pricing objectives, strategies and tools used to determine the final price of a service offering. So after reading this article, ask yourself again, “Should I switch to value based pricing?”. The answer is not always, but one can learn to determine situations, locations, needs and pains to price according to value.

Be social and share this feature


text:
Thessaloniki Goes to Cannes: The films

Thessaloniki Goes to Cannes: The films

We have the pleasure to announce the 5 Greek films (Works in Progress) that will participate in the third edition of the “Thessaloniki Goes to Cannes” event which will take place on Monday, May 20th 2019, during the Marché du Film of the 72nd Festival de Cannes (May 14-25, 2019).

The participation of the Thessaloniki Film Festival’s Agora in the “Goes to Cannes” of this year’s edition of Cannes’ Marché du Film, one of the world’s largest film markets discovering up-and-coming directors from all over the world, is a collaboration between the Thessaloniki IFF and the Greek Film Centre with the Marché du Film - Festival de Cannes. Greece is the only country in Southeastern Europe and the Balkans that participates in the event.

The 5 Greek fiction feature films in post-production stage will be showcased to the sales agents, distributors and programmers who attend this year’s Cannes’ Marché du Film. These films will be ready to launch in the festival circuit during the summer and are the following:

Apples, Director: Christos Nikou, Producers: Hercules Mavroides, Angelo Venetis, Nikos Smpiliris (executive producer), Boo Productions, Co-production: Mariusz Włodarski, LAVA Films, with the support of the Greek Film Centre, Polish Film Institute and ERT S.A., 90’, Greece, Poland

Logline: Could it be that we are the things we don’t forget?

Defunct, Director: Zacharias Mavroeidis, Producers: Christos V. Konstantakopoulos, Kostas Kefalas, Faliro House, with the support of the Greek Film Centre and ERT S.A., 90’, Greece

Logline: A 30-something failed businessman moves into his grandfather's house, a defunct WW2 veteran. His quest to live up to his legacy will redefine both the family hero and himself.

The Man with the Answers, Director: Stelios Kammitsis, Producers: Vicky Miha, Fenia Cossovitsa, Luca Legnani and Stelios Kammitsis, Production Companies: asterisk*, Blonde, 9.99 Films, Felony,  With the support of Ministry of Education and Culture of Cyprus, Greek Film Centre, Apulia Film Commission, ERT, Creative Europe MEDIA Program, IDM Südtirol, 85’, Cyprus, Greece, Italy

Logline: After the death of his grandmother, Victor, a Greek ex-diving champion in his 20s, starts a spontaneous road trip from his Greek hometown. On the boat to Italy, he meets Matthias, a charming German drifter. Both head to Bavaria, each for their own reasons, both seeking for answers, each to their own questions.

Persephone, Director | Producer: Costas Athousakis, Production Company: Sisyphus Projects, with the support of the Greek Film Centre and ERT, 90’, Greece

Logline: What would you do in the sight of world’s first sunrise... would you close your eyes and let it go?

Winona, Director: The Boy (Alexandros Voulgaris), Producer: Eleni Bertes, Logline, Associate Producers: Michalis Sarantinos, Maria Kontogianni, Steficon, 88’, Greece

Logline: It appears like an ordinary outing to a beautiful beach: four young women - none of which is ‘Winona’ - enjoy the warmth of the sun and the coolness of the sea. What secret hides behind their games and stories?

Aegean Airlines, Thessaloniki Film Festival’s official Air Travel Sponsor, will offer the air tickets (Athens – Nice) to the representatives of the films.

We are eager to host the Greek premieres of the films in the anniversary 60th Thessaloniki International Film Festival, October 31st – November 10th 2019.

With the support of:

Supported by

Member of

Contact Us

  • Thessaloniki

  • Athens

Thessaloniki Film Festival

10 Aristotelous Square, 546 23 Thessaloniki

Contact us

Tel.: +30 2310 378 400
Fax: +30 2310 285 759

Thessaloniki Film Festival

7, Dion. Areopagitou St. 117 42 Athens

Contact us

Tel.: +30 210 870 6000
Fax: +30 210 644 8143

  • News

  • Read Also