Kourtney Kardashian, 40, is jumping back on the keto diet after “treating” herself lately. The Keeping Up with the Kardashians star detailed her whole history with the Hollywood-favorite diet — including meals, fasting, and why she started it in the first place — in a blog post for Poosh on June 28. “My body never looked better than when I did the keto diet two and half years ago, when I did it for two months. In my experience, I’ve found the best method to train my body to curb sugar cravings, burn fat, and kick-start weight loss is by sticking to a keto diet,” the lifestyle blogger wrote, and then explained what exactly that fancy diet name means: “‘Keto’ is short for ‘ketosis,’ a metabolic state that happens when your body switches from burning carbs to burning fat.”
That means Kourtney’s plates for the “next month” will be full of “high-fat, high-protein, and low carb” foods. The mother of three then broke down what she eats for each meal of the day: breakfast consists of an avocado smoothie, which she sweetens with Stevia (honey and dates aren’t allowed on her diet). Kourt’s “go-to” lunch is a protein-based chef salad with turkey and egg whites, on top of a based of mixed greens. Dinner is usually restricted to something “really clean and simple,” such as chicken or salmon. Since carbs are a no-go, Kourtney will substitute normal side foods like grains with shredded vegetables like cauliflower rice or broccoli rice. Kourtney does her best to avoid any snacking in between these meals, but does occasionally treat herself to bone broth, green tea or nuts (walnuts, pecans) if that extra boost is needed.
Kourtney also has a list of foods that she avoids: processed foods, sugary foods, grains or starches, fruit, beans or legumes, root vegetables, some condiments and sauces, unhealthy fats (i. e. some vegetable oils, mayonnaise), and alcohol. The reality television star also found that intermittent fasting worked “hand in hand” when she followed the keto regimen! “For me, this meant not eating for 14 to 16 hours after dinner,” she explained, and added that she wouldn’t eat between 7:00 p.m. and around 10:30 a.m. or 11:00 a.m. (after her morning workout). One day of the week was dedicated to a 24-hour fast, during which bone broth, water, and green tea were only allowed.
It wasn’t a desire to lose weight that led Kourtney to a no-carb diet, however. The fitness enthusiast revealed that her doctor actually suggested the keto diet, after testing her muscles and discovering “high levels of mercury and lead” in her system. Kourtney did stress that balance is key, however, and clarified that she’ll “most likely go back to [her] regular lifestyle, especially during summer with [her] kids [Mason, 9, Penelope, 6, Reign, 4].”
Despite the keto diet’s cult following among celebrities — Vanessa Hudgens and Halle Berry have all tried the restrictive food plan — certified nutritionist and famed trainer Jillian Michaels warned of the diet’s dangers in an EXCLUSIVE interview with HollywoodLife. “The reality is that keto, yes, will burn fat faster because you’re starving your body of carbohydrates. You have no alternative fuel source. All that sounds like a good idea. But guess what? Your cells are made of protein, fat, and carbs,” Jillian told us, but did point out that the food plan can help with epilepsy and insulin-related health issues.