The Imperfect Keto Diet: 6 Processed Foods I Actually Eat, and Why

Are you chasing the perfect diet but not seeing the results you'd like? Well, here's a secret that's actually not so secret: perfection isn't just impossible, it's the enemy of progress. Now let me be clear, I am a huge advocate for a nutrient-dense whole food diet. As much as you can, eat foods that are one ingredient and aren't burdened with nutrition labels or ingredient lists. That said, that's not always practical for everyone all the time. So in this video, I'm I'm gonna reveal, just disclose, 6 processed foods that I include in my diet strategically without guilt or the pursuit of perfectionism. And I will emphasize this video isn't promoting processed foods per se. What it is is just an honest disclosure of how I seek excellence by saying screw you to clean dietary perfection. I'll also be upfront that I'll offer you some discount codes. On products that I consume regularly because heck, quite honestly, I'm at the point now where producers of products will just hand me discount codes like Reese's on Halloween— when I was a kid at least. So I'll take advantage of that and pass them along to you. I hope you appreciate that for what it's worth. Anyway, let's get into the 6 foods, starting with number 1: Keto bricks. These are legit amazing. For taste, a 9 out of 10 to a 12 out of 10 depending on the flavor. My personal favorites are Macadamia Madness, which is an exclusive flavor only around parts of the year, Peanut Butter, and the new Primal Fudge, which tastes as good as the fudge I used to smash at Oxford in the months before I went keto. There's some Nick Norwitz blackmail for you. But I don't just like them for the taste. Their ingredients list is impressively clean. Here it is, look for yourself. Cocoa butter is rich in stearic acid and oleic acid, and it's the main fat source. They also use high bioavailability protein sources with plant-based pea and brown rice protein versus animal-based whey and beef protein options to fit your personal preference. I prefer the animal-based, but not everybody does. And otherwise, looking at the ingredients list, I have not a single ingredient which I'm opposed. There's a bit of stevia, which I think is fine, actually, because it tastes pretty good, MCT powder, sea salt, and in the Primal Fudge, a lovely organ blend. But seriously, it still tastes like fudge, it's freaking delicious and super nutritious, and it's conspicuously an excellent source of calories. Now, this video isn't meant to sell you on whether that's a feature or a bug, you can see my other videos for my thoughts on calories, but for me, this is great. Personally, I use them when traveling, or on occasion I'll smash 2 the night before a big workout. I found this gives me a pretty incredible pump the next day. And just as an aside, the creator Robert Sykes is a friend and an absolute shredded teddy bear of a human being. I love the guy, so call me biased. Okay, number 2, biltong. If you haven't tried biltong, imagine beef jerky but 10 times better. It's South African dried cured and spiced meat. I'm also particular about where I source my biltong, and I really love Farmer Bill's Biltong for 3 reasons. 1, no sugar, just apple cider vinegar, salt, coriander, clove, and pepper. 2, they use regenerative farming practices, of which I'm a big fan. And 3, they have these thick cut slices that are both dry and juicy at the same time, somehow, kind of like a beef Starburst. They're definitely work to eat, I'll be honest. Like you need to really put effort in to gnaw them. It's not always pretty, so don't do this on a first date, but it's super fun. Anyway. 3. Macadamia Butter. This one should be no surprise to those of you who know me or have been following me for a bit. I've been a macadamia-consuming monster since I went keto about 6 years ago. And I think they're the best nut not only for flavor but also because they're rich in omega-7, palmitoleic acid, low in anti-nutrients and plant compounds that cause some people gastrointestinal distress, and they're low in omega-6 fatty acids, low in linoleic acid for those opting to eat a low omega-6, low linoleic acid diet. Although it's not a personal concern for me, I know it's a concern for some people, so I highlight it. And specifically, I've been eating Hausam Macadamia products religiously for almost 6 years now. My go-to are the kilo bag, which is not really a processed food, and with my discount code is only $0.84 per serving. Yes, that's a product plug. And the oil, which has a higher smoke point than butter. It's really excellent for cooking steak and cooking eggs. But the plain macadamia nut butter and butter with sea salt are also staples that I use for slurping, dipping, and even as a sauce for my eggs or to mix into Greek yogurt. And honestly Mr. Biltong and Ms. Macadamia Butter might have had an affair once or twice as well. Really good. Okay, 4. Salt electrolytes. I'm a recent electrolyte convert. I used to think they were a bit silly to be honest, and that I'd just salt my food liberally, to taste, with Himalayan pink salt or Redmond's Real Salt or what have you. But honestly after sampling these at a conference, they became a staple in my morning licorice tea. They taste great, actually have no maltodextrin buried in the natural flavors—those of you who know, know and can check out this video—but rather use acacia gum as the flavor carrier, which is low FODMAP and IBS safe—I can tell you that from personal experience—and blood sugar safe. Also, the Coco Loco flavor in milk or cream straight tastes like the hot chocolate I used to have as a kid with Hershey's syrup. But obviously way healthier. For me, I find these morning electrolytes and fluids help expand my intravascular volume before my morning fasted workouts and honestly, also transparently, sorry if this is a TMI, but they stimulate healthy morning bowel movements at least for me. So, I find them useful for me. Alright, 5: Audacious Keto Start and also cocoa and coffee. So, speaking of electrolytes, let's chat about ketone salts. I often get asked about different types of exogenous ketone products, so let's quickly review the 4 main categories and I'll tell you why these Audacious Ketone Salts are my favorite. First, there's the category of medium-chain triglycerides. These can be found in coconut oil or in concentrated 8-carbon or 10-carbon forms. They don't tend to induce deep ketosis and at higher doses can definitely cause some uncomfortable gastrointestinal distress. So, not a big fan. Second, there are ketone esters. I did my PhD using these and they can be a great research tool. They definitely spike ketones. However, they taste like jet fuel mixed with nail polish, are expensive, and at higher doses can actually trigger an insulin spike. Go figure. Third, there's 1,3-butanediol. This is sometimes sold as an ester, but let's be clear, it is not a ketone ester. And its ketonic effects are mild at best, and there are some data it can actually damage the liver, will cause hepatotoxicity. So not a fan of that either. That leaves ketone salts, or ketones bound to a positively charged ion like sodium, potassium, calcium, or magnesium. First, ketone salts are good tasting, and generally cheap. Second, even when matched for dose and depth of ketosis, they don't trigger the same insulin spike as the esters, which I think is a good thing. Third, and maybe most interesting to me, salts by Adacious are a mixture of D and L forms of the ketone beta-hydroxybutyrate, basically right and left-handed forms. And I used to think this was a bad thing since the D form is preferentially produced by the body and thought to be more natural, so I used to think I just want more D. However, there are new data that the L-form of beta-hydroxybutyrate can support sterol and fatty acid synthesis, particularly in the brain, is metabolized more slowly and accumulates at greater levels in the brain and muscles as compared to the D-form, and may have unique signaling and anti-inflammatory properties. This is a developing field, exogenous ketones, but I currently bet on the added benefits of LBHB, which is +1 point for Audacious Ketone Salts. And the audacious headliner product is their Keto Start Sol, but they also have coffee, cocoa, and tea sachets that have lower-dose ketones which are great too. I actually enjoy mixing the salts in with a pack of the tea or the coffee as a pre-workout on occasion. I don't do it all the time, it's kind of a treat, but when I do it, it Definitely levels up my workout game. 6. Dulce Sweetener. This one's a new kid on the block that you won't have heard of. Actually, as I'm recording this on Valentine's Day, February 14th, 2025, it's not even available for sale yet, although when I release the video it will be. I tried it first at the Citizen Science Conference in Las Vegas last weekend, and I was really impressed by the flavor profile, which is a mixture of allulose, monk fruit, and Madagascar vanilla. As well as the overall formulation, which is quite thoroughly and thoughtfully done, featuring fulvic acid and bacillus coagulans. But quickly, before I discuss in more depth the fulvic acid and the bacillus coagulans probiotic, on the allulose. I'm interested in allulose and have covered it on this channel before. Given its putative beneficial metabolic properties, I genuinely think it's a great tool for a lot of people. However, I also totally acknowledge that it gives some people including myself, bloating and diarrhea. The thing with this product though is the doses you take are so low I haven't found an issue, which actually genuinely surprised me when I first tried it. I've even done up to a dozen scoops— they're quite small scoops— without issue. And the creator Natalie has actually had a whole jar herself as an n=1 experiment and did just fine. Gotta respect the guinea pigs, right? Now, on the fulvic acid, fulvic acid forms when plants and animals break down. It's a compound found in organic matter of soil and has broad anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, with some pretty interesting preclinical data with respect to potential benefits for inflammatory conditions and metabolic diseases. And another really interesting thing to consider is that fulvic acid is generally considered to be depleted in modern soils, primarily due to intensive agricultural practices like the overuse of synthetic fertilizers, herbicides, and pesticides, which can disrupt the natural organic processes that create fulvic acid in the soil. This leads to a decline in its natural abundance. So, think about it this way: this may be a case where supplementation helps restore something naturally depleted in modern soils, or we're adapting for a change in the modern environment, bringing us closer to our natural evolutionary origins. Maybe that makes sense to you, maybe it doesn't, it makes sense to me. And as for the Bacillus coagulans, that is a spore-forming bacteria that appears to aid in digestive health, reduce inflammatory markers, and potentially help inflammatory conditions like inflammatory bowel disease, which I have a history of. Now, all that said, and as an important caveat to this whole video, I want to disclose that I'm not an expert on every ingredient for every product I just reviewed in this video. For my own purposes, I don't need to be. This isn't supposed to be a comprehensive review of the spectrum of health effects of acacia gum, fulvic minerals, bacillus probiotics, etc. Rather, in reviewing a product, I honestly tend towards using AI, typically Consensus AI, I think it's the best for this purposes, to get an an overview of the literature of the ingredients about which I have questions, and then I chase rabbit holes that I think need chasing. And frankly, if new information comes to mind, it will lead me to reevaluate a given product. So this video is disclosing what I believe and what I use today. Now, stepping back, here's the takeaway: you don't need to have a perfect diet to make real sustainable progress. Smart choices, not flawless execution, drive results. And if you found this video helpful, or even if you didn't, drop a comment with your go-to imperfect food. Or, and, if you're curious about the products I've listed, you can check out the notes for discounts. Full disclosure, that's what this was about, sharing my tools. Remember, when it comes to diet and your life, progress beats perfection every time. I hope that you found this helpful and not off-putting. Again, this was in the spirit of transparency, authenticity. I hope that shone through. Let me know.