If you’ve decided to start, recommit to, or continue following the popular ketogenic diet this year, you likely have one goal in mind: weight loss (and potentially better health, too). The very low-carbohydrate diet is notoriously a complete nutritional overhaul, as you scale back your intake of carbs. Made up of up to 75 to 80 percent dietary fat and only 20 to 50 grams (g) of net carbs per day, the diet can easily be thought of as one that promotes all butter and bacon — but it’s so much more than that.
Getting and staying in ketosis (a state where your body burns fat for fuel rather than carbohydrates) takes skill. You can read some great books on keto that show you how to eat this way and follow clever keto bloggers for recipe inspiration (keto bread is a thing), but nothing compares to the deep dive that these keto podcasts provide.
During your journey as a keto-er, you’ll want practical information, such as exactly what to eat, how to get back on track, and the best products in specific categories (e.g., oils and proteins). But food is only part of your health, and the best podcasters go beyond that, tackling topics like inflammation and its role in disease, good sleep, stress reduction, and learning about yourself and what holds you back from your health goals. They also attract some of the top keto celebrities. More than that, these hosts are engaging, knowledgeable, and like chatting with a friend.
Still, keep in mind that not all keto influencers are medical professionals who are familiar with the possible health risks of dramatic diet changes, such as those required on keto. That’s why you’ll want to be sure this eating plan (or any major diet changes, for that matter) is best for your health goals by talking to your healthcare team and ideally a registered dietitian nutritionist in advance.
Once they give you the go-ahead and possibly adjust any medication as needed, keep them handy for help and advice as you dive headfirst into keto. And then listen to the six best keto podcasters for additional tips:
The Keto Diet Podcast
Hosted by Healthful Pursuit’s Leanne Vogel, the Keto Diet Podcast has nearly 300 episodes you’ll love to pore over, whether you’re a newbie or established keto-er. Insanely popular, with 13 million downloads, the podcast teaches listeners how stress gets in the way of the body’s ability to burn fat (and what to do about it), how to use continuous glucose monitoring to understand the body’s reaction to food, and how to use intermittent fasting to lose weight, as well as provides a list of the best foods to eat on keto. You’ll love her cast of keto superstar experts and how she has a knack for delving into topics and breaking everything down into understandable pieces of info that you can incorporate into your daily life.
Fast Keto With Ketogenic Girl
Vanessa Spina hosts her popular podcast, Fast Keto With Ketogenic Girl, which you can listen to online or watch on YouTube. If you’ve ever tried keto and didn’t get results, her podcast is a must-listen. When she first started a keto diet, Spina was surprised that she actually gained 20 pounds. That doesn’t have to happen to you. Through her podcast, she shares her tips for how to become keto adapted, avoid her mistakes, and, like her, achieve your dream weight. Episodes cover the role of inflammation in weight gain and hormonal imbalance, dealing with underlying emotions (rather than turning toward food), optimizing sodium intake, and the best supplements to take when on keto.
The KetoKamp Podcast
Ben Azadi hosts The KetoKamp Podcast, which dives into all the keto know-how you need, like how much protein to eat, the right oils to use, what happens during fat adaptation, best ways to add fat to your coffee, and how to use sleep to get to your goals — all accomplished in more than 200 episodes. If you’re a long-term keto dieter, you’ll love the advanced strategy episodes, like using “keto flexing,” little-known keto hacks, and various forms of fasting. Reviews are overwhelmingly positive for how engaging and informative Azadi is in each episode.
Sustaining Keto With Maggie and Ryan
Maggie Sterling, founder of Vibe Club, a low-carb weight loss community for women, hosts this podcast with her husband, Ryan, for anyone who is looking to live the keto lifestyle. On Sustaining Keto With Maggie and Ryan, they tackle a lot of inner-growth topics — essential for developing good habits and making healthy changes — like staying accountable to yourself, jumping back into keto after the holidays (don’t feel defeated!), getting away from the pull to be perfect, and not believing every thought you have about yourself. Overall, the collection of topics, which go beyond what to eat, will help you explore what’s really holding you back so you can take control of your health and make progress toward weight loss.
The Natural State With Dr. Anthony Gustin
Anthony Gustin is the founder of the food and supplement company Perfect Keto, and his popular podcast, The Natural State, earns him a 4.8-star rating on Apple Podcasts because after listening, people feel supported and more knowledgeable in their keto journey. You’ll learn not only about keto but also about broader fitness, medical, and nutrition topics, such as the problems with the modern-day food system and what drives chronic disease, as well as more specific issues, such as hormone-disrupting chemicals, blue-light-blocking glasses, and ethical hunting. Guests include health journalist Gary Taubes, physician and author Mark Hyman, MD, and functional medicine practitioner Will Cole.
