It's hard to find information about hiking on a keto diet so very grateful to have found this information from AlpineScience. For UK equivilent supplies please see bottom of the article.
Low Carb / High Fat Diet: Why go Keto?
Make no mistake, food is the final frontier in the evolution of
ultralight backpacking and
hiking. While experienced ultralight backpackers struggle against
diminishing returns to save ounces with gear and technique, a ketogenic
diet will save many pounds in food weight (high fat foods are more
calorie dense, requiring less overall food carried) while significantly
improving on trail performance and eliminating sugar crashes. In my
experience, keto hiking is nothing short of amazing. Ultralight Keto
Backpacking (UL Keto / Keto UL / Keto Ultra ?) a new era for ultralight
backpacking, the “hype” is real and the science is solid.
Ketogenic
diets are uniquely suited for endurance sports like backpacking, hiking
and thru-hiking! Increased and sustained energy, less crashes, better
overall health, increased mental clarity and less food weight to
carry (more calories per ounce in high fat foods) are only some of the
benefits of a keto diet.
Ever hike all day fasted
from the day prior, forget to eat on trail or come off trail into town
after a backpacking trip and not have an appetite? Me neither until
keto.
Keto Backpacking Fundamentals: What is a Ketogenic Diet?
A
ketogenic diet is low carb, high fat way of eating, sometimes referred
to as a LC/HF diet. After an initial period (4 to 8 weeks) of fat
adaptation where carb intake is greatly reduced, your body will learn
how to derive most of its energy from ketones (fat) in a state called
ketosis, instead of from glucose that your body derives from carbs /
sugar. The result is that you have access to your body’s fat reserves
for energy, which results in more sustainable
energy and performance,
increased mental clarity, faster recovery times and less inflammation
and soreness after big days. Ketogenic diets are also great for weight
loss, enable easier intermittent fasting and are successfully
reversing Type 2 Diabetes for many as we speak!
Seven Steps to Becoming a Keto Backpacker
1. Determine Your Body Fat % and Body Weight
The gold standard for finding your body fat % is via a DEXA scan, but you can also use
this guide as an alternative or use the
Navy Method.
Do NOT use your scale to gauge body fat, my scale was telling me I was
10.5% when a DEXA scan showed I was actually at 24.5% body fat.
2. Determine Your Macros (Fat, Protein and Carbs)
Use the
Ketogains Calculator to
input your body weight and body fat % and choose your “Daily Calories”
goal. Be sure to leave the “Activity Level” as sedentary per the
Ketogains admins. You now have your daily macros of (x) grams of fat,
(x) grams of protein and (x) grams of carbs.
Carbohydrates
Less
than 25 gram of net carbs is a standard macro used in most ketogenic
diets. For backpacking and other endurance sports, 50 grams of carbs
once you are fat adapted is a widely used rule of thumb as you have more
leeway when you are active. Net carbs equals carbs – fiber, so 10 grams
of carbs with 5 grams of fiber would result in 5 net carbs.
Protein
Your
protein macro is static and you need to hit it every day. Too little
protein can lead to loss of lean body mass and too much protein can lead
to production of glycogen via a process called
gluconeogenesis which
can kick you out of ketosis (this is a controversial topic). This is
also why you should consume your protein evenly throughout the day as
consuming more than 30 or 40 grams of protein (as little as a single
chicken breast) in one sitting may kick some out of ketosis (everyone
has different sensitivities to protein).
Keep
in mind that being kicked out of ketosis isn’t necessarily a bad thing,
some say you should chase results, not ketones, it just depends on what
your goals are. I personally can’t tell any difference between when I’m
in or out of ketosis anymore when I do occasionally break the rules and
splurge in carbs or have a higher than usual protein intake in a single
meal. You’ll also be able to move in and out of ketosis faster as your
body’s overall adaptation increases over months and years.
Fat
Finally,
fat is your lever. Eat more fat if you want to gain muscle if you’re
lifting weights or putting in high mileage days on trail and eat less if
you want to lose weight in a caloric deficit. If you’ve hit your
protein macro when meal planning for a trip and you need more calories,
you derive those calories from more fat. Remember, fat is good for you,
and more or less fat is the lever that enables you to control your
overall caloric intake up or down.
3. Track Your Macros
Now
that you know your macros, it’s time to track them! Do not use
percentages, use grams when tracking. Tracking is how you get to become
intimately familiar with what you’re putting in your body. It is very
easy once you get going and this is a critical part of the journey.
Seriously, track your food! Bonus: You’ll quickly find that going keto
has cut most processed foods out of your diet!
Cronometer is free and
MyFitnessPal is $50 (to enable gram counting) but has a better food database. Be sure to use this
script with MyFitnessPal to enable net carbs.
4. Keto Fat Adaptation
Primary / Initial Fat Adaptation
Your
body has been using glucose as its primary fuel source and you’ve been
sugar addicted for your entire life so it makes sense that there is
going to be a small adaptation phase as it adjusts to using ketones as
fuel. This is the hard part, but you’ve got this! Once your cut your
carbs down to < 25 grams per day, your body is going to adjust and
start deriving energy from ketones / fat.
Fatigue, headaches and
sometimes even heart arrhythmia are common during the first days and
weeks and is referred to as “The Keto Flu”. Supplementing electrolytes
and rest can help but the reality is that this adaptation period sucks
in varying degrees from person to person.
Embrace the suck! Imagine
your life and health in its current trajectory and the pain that may
bring vs how good you’ll feel when you have less inflammation, more
energy and less weight if losing weight is one of your goals.
The
initial fat adaptation phase is generally complete after 4 to 8 weeks
and can vary from person to person. Once this phase is over, your body
will continue to adapt to athletic exertion over time as your body
becomes more efficient using ketones as its new fuel source. It also
goes without saying, if you want to be successful, rid your house of all
carb laden foods or put them out of sight where there will be less
temptation. Do whatever it takes, no excuses.
Secondary / Athletic Fat Adaptation
The
second phase of fat adaptation is training once you have completed the
initial fat adaptation outlined above. Your body has learned to use
ketones as energy in your day to day life, but now it needs to learn how
to meet your energy needs while exerting and exercising.
The goal
when you begin to train in your first keto based athletic activities is
to train as slow as possible at the lowest intensity possible. Low
intensity equals low heart rate, which translates into aerobic activity
where your body uses ketones / fat for fuel. The more practice your body
has at accessing your fat reserves for energy, the more efficient it
will become in doing so. Think slow hike at very very moderate pace, as
slow as you can go. The process is explained well in this article
where Adrian Ballinger discusses his training regiment for
climbing Everest without oxygen.
What to avoid at first:
High intensity training equals high heart rate, which translates into
anaerobic activity where our body is no longer accessing fat reserves
for energy but will be attempting to access glycogen reserves, of which
you will have few when you’re fat adapted. Think sprinting or charging
up a mountain. In time these activities will become easier, but work
into them and allow your body to become fat adapted before charging
hard. Expect to crash hard and fast if you go anaerobic too early.
First Training Hikes
Experiment
by going on an AM hike fasted, but bring food “just in case”. You’ll
quickly find that you no longer need food before, during or after
exercise, something that wasn’t possible for many of us on a Standard
American Diet (SAD). It’s really nice to have a lower appetite and not
have hanger issues while having overall higher energy!
Fast Track Fat Adaptation With A Three Day Fast
1. Stop eating on Thursday night.
2.
Walk for a few hours on Friday to help deplete glycogen stores while
making sure to stay hydrated with electrolytes as detailed below. Take
MCT Oil or Coconut Oil two or three times as necessary throughout the day.
3. Repeat step 2 on Saturday and Sunday and begin eating on Sunday night.
*Keep
in mind that even with electrolytes and bed rest, this can be an
intense and miserable period, you need to be committed and ready for
some pain. I was basically in bed with a headache for most of day two
and three, which is why timing this event into a three day weekend is
ideal.
5. Electrolyte Supplementation is Necessary
Hydration
and electrolyte supplementation (potassium, sodium and magnesium) is
critical on a ketogenic diet as you will urinate more frequently once
you reduce carb intake, even more when you’re hiking all day. If you are
experiencing lethargy, headaches or heart arrythmia once you have
completed the initial fat adaptation period, electrolytes are usually
the culprit.
Electrolyte Requirements for Backpackers and Thru-Hikers
I
suggest making ketorade using the recipe below to get your sodium and
potassium and taking magnesium in a pill form. I drink a liter of
ketorade daily off trail and two liters daily when backpacking.
Sodium (Na): 5000 – 7000 mg / day or 13 – 18 g of
salt / day (there are 388 mg of Na in 1 gram of salt).
Potassium (K): 1000 – 3500 mg / day, available as
No Salt.
Magnesium (Mg): 300 – 500 mg / day.
Magnesium glycinate as a daily supplement is easy and affordable.
Electrolyte Tracking
Electrolytes
need to be tracked, just like food, do not guess your intake or assume
your “electrolyte supplement” will meet your needs, for example,
Nuun Electrolyte tablets only
have 172.5 mg of sodium (only 4% of need or 4800 mg short), 48.5 mg of
potassium (only 5% or need or 950 mg short) and 12.5 mg of magnesium
(only 4% of need or 290 mg short). Most electrolytes supplements follow
this pattern of falling short of actual needs.
Ketorade / Ketoaid Recipe
Add 1 teaspoon of
salt (sodium) + 1 teaspoon of
No Salt (potassium) + 1 teaspoon of
water flavoring to 1 liter of water.
6. Keto Backpacking Foods
Ideal
keto friendly backpacking foods including breakfasts, lunches, dinners
and snacks are meals that are stable without refrigeration while being
high in fat, moderate in protein and low in carbs. It’s a good idea to
create your daily meal plans in your
food tracking app pre-trip so you can visualize your macros and make adjustments as necessary.
Your
daily goal is to hit your protein macro requirement while staying below
your daily carb limit. Fat is your lever, raise or lower your fat as
necessary to hit your daily caloric goal.
3 Day Keto Backpacking, Hiking and Camping Meal Plan
This
is my food for a 3 day trip on the Timberline Trail. I leave the
trailhead with a liter of electrolyte water, liter of water in my water
filter bottle and a 2/3 liter of my
breakfast coffee shake.
In my waist belt pouch I have 3 separate cheese snacks and 3 ounces of
keto trail mix I eat throughout the day. I also snack on nut butter that
I can eat out of its pouch daily. For dinner and lunch I make a salami
and cheese wrap with ranch dressing. Before bed I slam protein powder
and then make my breakfast coffee protein shake so it’s ready to go in
the AM. I will also add in some chocolate for snacks and always have a
clif bar or some sweet tarts / sucrose if I need a pick me up for a
targeted keto (TKD) style approach.
Another 3 Day Keto Backpacking, Hiking and Camping Meal Plan
Fat
is the lever that will raise or lower your daily calorie intake,
protein will help with maintaining muscle mass and repair processes and
minimizing carbs is important to stay in ketosis.
- Hard cheeses: Classic
hard cheeses like asiago, romano and parmesan keep the best without
refrigeration, but tend to be dry and salty, too much so for some. My
preference leans towards aged alpine style cheeses and goudas with Rembrandt and Beemster being
two favorites. Every time I shop I buy a new cheese I haven’t tried,
lots of fun! Softer cheeses can be ok for a few days but end up a greasy
mess on hot days.
- Nut Butters: Peanut butter and almond butter are amazing, the recipe below helps lower carbs per serving.
- Meats & Cured meats: Spicy
cured chorizo, summer sausage, pork rinds, pepperoni, salami, beef and
salmon jerky and other hard, cured meats are keto friendly staples.
Spam, chicken and tuna packets are also game.
- Nuts: Macadamias, peanuts, pecans and almonds are favorites with lower amounts of carbs.
- Powders:
Powders are incredibly efficient at delivering calories due to their
low weight, simply mix with water and go. MCT oil, coconut oil, heavy
cream, butter and cream cheese and protein powders are my go tos as seen
below in my breakfast shake.
- Low carb tortillas: All
are not created equal, experiment to see which ones taste best to you,
bad ones tend to be cardboardy. Great for lunch wraps to mix things up.
- Trail Mix: Traditional
trail mixes are too high in sugar but you can make your own. One simple
recipe: macadamia nuts, almonds, pecans, shaved coconut and sugar-free
chocolate.
- Electrolytes: Supplement electrolytes with ketorade daily.
- Condiments: Spice and flavor variety is critical on longer trips with mayo, mustard, ranch and siracha being great options.
Fast and Easy Keto Backpacking Recipes
Breakfast Coffee Protein Shake
Before bed I fill my 1 liter smart water / coffee bottle with the following so I’m out of camp quick in the AM: 1 scoop
protein powder (20 or 30 grams of protein) +
instant coffee +
Quest powdered coconut oil (trying to replicate 1 tablespoon of MCT oil / 14 grams of fat) +
Anthony’s heavy cream powder
(5 tsp for around 14 grams of fat) + fill with water. Whether you want
to do one or two servings or more of fat is up to you. You can double up
on MCT oil / powder and leave out heavy cream powder, do all three or
experiment with other powders as well. I’m currently adding cream cheese
powder and peanut butter protein powder in as well for taste and fat
boost!
Fat Bombs
Fat bombs are
a great way to take in calories with ease on the go. A simple bomb
formula: One part cheese + one part meat + the condiment of your choice
for a tasty and simple snack.
Nut Butter Supreme
You’re
one spoonful away from quick and easy energy! Remove half the peanut
butter or almond butter from a 16 oz jar and replace with two sticks of
butter (a stick is 4 oz) and mix! The butter adds calories while
diluting carbs. Bonus: the plastic jars like the ones Trader Joe’s uses
for it’s peanut and almond butters are lightweight and perfect for
backpacking.
7. Keto Backpacking Food Prep and Management on Trail
Pre Trail Food and Meal Prep
Preparation
and management of potentially messy foods for efficient on trail
consumption is where our keto food prep and food management and storage
systems come into play. This part is especially important when dealing
with oily foods that can spill or are hard to consume on trail in the
backcountry
without pre-hike prep. When thru-hiking, resources may be limited to
what you can find in the parking lot of the store you just purchased
your food in, so it’s important to have the tools you need on hand while
keeping weight down and focusing on simplicity. Keto camping excursions
and day hikes are more forgiving.
In addition to repackaging
foods so we have less bulk and trash, we want to to cut large items like
meats and cheese up into bite sizes before arriving on trail so we
don’t have to stop stop and cut on trail, which is messy and time
consuming. Pre-cutting and cleanup is also easier when you’re in town
and have access to water and soap for clean up and solid surfaces like
tables and counters to work on. Pre-measuring and organizing foods and
powders by meal can also save time.
On Trail Food Consumption and Management
Solid Foods:
I snack as I hike, some snacks are stored in my hip belt pocket, the
food I need for the day is stored the back pocket of my pack in a dry
bag to prevent spillage and the rest of my food is in a my main
waterproof dry food bag inside my pack. The smaller dry bag in my back
pocket prevents me from having to open my pack up to reach my main food
bag throughout the day or when eating bigger meals like lunch or dinner.
The key is preventing oily spillage,
if this happens, it’s game over. I strongly suggest using a waterproof
food bag in addition to using screw top plastic containers and double
bagging as necessary when dealing with meats, oils and condiments that
can spill.
Powders: In addition to lots of yummy
whole foods, I supplement with healthy fats and proteins by using
powders. Using a smart water bottle in lieu of a traditional titanium
mug is key. In addition to saving 3 ounces, a smart water bottle enables
me to use the bottle as it’s own shaker instead of stirring powders in a
mug, drink on the go since it has a screw top (mug requires slamming
drinks quickly before resuming hiking) and unlike a mug, there is no
clean up.
My Keto Food Prep and Management Gear List
*The
small food bag goes in my pack’s back pocket for easy access. The goal
is to prevent having to unbuckle and open my main pack compartment to
access my main food bag when I need a snack that isn’t in my smallish
hip belt pocket. Time will tell if carrying a second food bag makes
sense or not.
In western society we all consume far too many Omega 6 essential fatty acids and not enough Omega 3. The ideal ratio is 1:1 but most people are far from the mark. See The importance of the ratio of Omega-6/Omega-3 essential fatty acids to see the effects of adding or decreasing Omega 6 in the diet.
