This is Maria’s second time on the show, and she’s here to talk about the value of a ketogenic diet for weight loss and other health issues. She’s a long-time nutritionist, and is most recently the co-author of a ketogenic cookbook with Jimmy Moore.

She explains what ketosis is, and the value of that approach both for weight loss and for other diseases and disorders. She also identifies five myths that she often sees in her diet coaching that will hinder or prevent your body from effectively converting to ketosis. These are problems that people new to the diet often have to overcome before they can make the change properly.

The first of these is to think you’ll need to up your fibre intake to accelerate weight loss. The second is that you should drink your calories instead of eating them. Many people think that drinking calories doesn’t really count as consumption.

The third problem that she sees is people eating to a schedule rather than when they are hungry. Instead of eating breakfast as soon as you get up, she recommends breaking your fast when you are actually hungry. The fourth issue is that there isn’t a “safe” form of alcohol to consume simply because it doesn’t include carbs. Know that if you drink alcohol, you are setting yourself back as far as ketosis goes.

The fifth issue that she brings up is the importance of sleep patterns. Proper amounts of sleep will help your body burn calories and process food correctly. Both the sleep issues and alcohol can be especially difficult to deal with during the holidays, but they are important all year round.

Maria Emmerich is available on Facebook and through her website at http://mariamindbodyhealth.com/.