Does Your Body Go Into Ketosis on Paleo? Understanding the Differences

While the ketogenic diet is deliberately engineered to induce ketosis, the standard paleo diet is not, according to health experts. So, does your body go into ketosis on paleo? The answer depends heavily on your specific food choices and daily carbohydrate intake.

Quick Summary

Achieving ketosis is not the primary objective of the paleo diet, as it allows more carbs. Entering a ketogenic state on paleo requires significantly limiting carbohydrates, even from allowed food sources.

Key Points

• Standard Paleo vs. Ketosis: A regular paleo diet does not put your body into ketosis by default because it allows for a more moderate carbohydrate intake from sources like fruits and starchy vegetables.

• Ketogenic Diet's Goal: The primary goal of a keto diet is to enter ketosis by strictly adhering to a high-fat, low-carbohydrate macronutrient ratio.

• Paleo-Keto Hybrid: To achieve ketosis on a paleo diet, it must be modified into a paleo-keto hybrid by significantly reducing carb intake from all sources, including fruits and starchy vegetables.

• Food Choices Matter: On a paleo-keto plan, focus on low-carb vegetables like leafy greens and healthy fats from avocados, nuts, and seeds, while strictly limiting high-sugar paleo foods.

• Testing for Ketosis: If aiming for ketosis, testing your ketone levels with blood or breath meters is the most accurate way to confirm you have entered a fat-burning state.

• Sustainability Over Perfection: The best diet is one you can stick with long-term. A paleo-keto hybrid can offer a more flexible and nutrient-dense path to metabolic health than a standard, restrictive keto diet.

The Fundamental Differences: Paleo vs. Keto

To understand if a paleo diet leads to ketosis, it's crucial to first differentiate the core philosophies of each eating plan. While both promote whole, unprocessed foods and exclude grains and legumes, their primary goals and macronutrient ratios are distinct.

The Paleo Diet: Ancestral Eating

The paleo diet, often called the 'caveman diet,' is based on the eating patterns of our Paleolithic ancestors. The philosophy is that the human body is not fully adapted to the modern foods introduced by the agricultural revolution, such as grains, legumes, and dairy. Paleo emphasizes eating foods that could be hunted or gathered, such as:

• Lean meats and seafood
• Fruits and vegetables
• Nuts and seeds
• Healthy fats like olive and avocado oil

Paleo does not have a strict macronutrient ratio, meaning the intake of fats, proteins, and carbohydrates is more balanced than on a ketogenic diet. This greater flexibility, especially with natural carbohydrates from fruits and starchy vegetables, means ketosis is not the expected or primary outcome.

The Ketogenic (Keto) Diet: Metabolic State

In contrast, the ketogenic diet is all about the science of macronutrient ratios and achieving a specific metabolic state called ketosis. Ketosis is when the body, deprived of its usual fuel source (glucose from carbohydrates), begins to burn fat for energy instead, producing ketones. To enter this state, a keto diet is very low in carbohydrates, high in fat, and moderate in protein. Typical macronutrient breakdowns are around 70-80% fat, 10-20% protein, and less than 10% carbohydrates. This often excludes many paleo-approved foods that are higher in carbohydrates, including most fruits and starchy root vegetables like sweet potatoes.

Can You Achieve Ketosis on a Modified Paleo Diet?

The answer is yes, with specific modifications. A person following a standard paleo diet will not automatically enter ketosis due to the potential for higher carbohydrate consumption. However, by adhering to stricter low-carb principles, a hybrid 'paleo-keto' diet can be achieved. This approach merges the whole-food focus of paleo with the strict macronutrient ratios of keto.

Here are some key adjustments for a paleo-keto approach:

• Prioritize Low-Carb Vegetables: Focus on leafy greens and cruciferous vegetables like kale, spinach, broccoli, and cauliflower, which are lower in carbs than starchy vegetables.
• Limit High-Sugar Fruits: While standard paleo allows fruits, a paleo-keto diet requires limiting most fruits and focusing on low-sugar options like berries.
• Emphasize High-Quality Fats: A paleo-keto diet leans into the higher fat content of the keto diet, focusing on healthy paleo-friendly fats like avocado oil, olive oil, and fats from grass-fed meats.
• Exclude Sweeteners: While some paleo-friendly sweeteners like honey and maple syrup are allowed in moderation on a standard paleo diet, they must be eliminated to maintain ketosis.

How to Test for Ketosis

If you are aiming for a ketogenic state, testing your ketone levels is recommended. Common methods include:

• Urine Strips: The most affordable option, but also the least accurate. They measure excess ketones excreted in urine.
• Blood Ketone Meters: Considered the gold standard for at-home testing, providing a precise blood ketone level.
• Breath Ketone Meters: Measure acetone levels on the breath, offering a convenient, but less precise, way to track ketosis.

Comparison: Paleo, Keto, and the Hybrid Paleo-Keto

Feature	Paleo Diet	Keto Diet	Paleo-Keto Diet
Primary Goal	Ancestral eating, whole foods	Induce metabolic ketosis	Combine paleo whole foods with keto macros
Macronutrient Focus	Balanced (no specific ratio)	High fat, very low carb	High paleo-friendly fat, very low carb
Carbohydrate Allowance	Moderate, from whole foods	Extremely low (e.g., <50g net)	Extremely low, from non-starchy veggies/berries
Allowed Fruits	All fruits, including high-sugar ones	Very limited, mostly berries	Very limited, berries and low-carb options
Starchy Vegetables	Yes (e.g., sweet potatoes)	No	No
Legumes	No	No (due to carb count)	No
Dairy	No	Yes (high-fat options like cheese, butter)	No (except for grass-fed butter)
Sweeteners	Yes (maple syrup, honey in moderation)	No (some artificial allowed)	No (monk fruit/stevia okay, but best avoided)

How to Transition to a Paleo-Keto Lifestyle

Moving towards a paleo-keto diet should be a gradual process to allow your body to adapt. This can minimize side effects often referred to as the 'keto flu'. Here are some steps to follow:

1. Reduce Carbs Gradually: If you are currently following a standard paleo diet with regular servings of fruit and root vegetables, slowly decrease your intake over a week or two. Replace these with more leafy greens and healthy fats.
2. Increase Fat Intake: Intentionally add more healthy, paleo-friendly fats to your meals. This includes cooking with avocado or coconut oil, adding nuts and seeds, and choosing fattier cuts of grass-fed meat.
3. Monitor Your Progress: Use a blood ketone meter to track your ketone levels and confirm you've entered ketosis. This provides clear data on whether your diet adjustments are effective.
4. Prioritize Nutrient-Dense Foods: The paleo-keto approach is designed to be a healthier version of standard keto by focusing on nutrient-dense, whole foods. Make sure your plate is full of colorful vegetables to ensure you get essential micronutrients, which can be lacking in more restrictive keto plans.
5. Listen to Your Body: Pay attention to how you feel. If you experience persistent fatigue or other negative symptoms, your carb intake might be too low or you may need to adjust your fat consumption. It's always best to consult a healthcare professional before making significant dietary changes, especially if you have an underlying health condition.

Conclusion: The Final Verdict on Ketosis and Paleo

Ultimately, a standard paleo diet does not inherently put your body into ketosis. While both eating plans advocate for whole, unprocessed foods, they are based on different principles. Paleo is based on ancestral food sources and has more flexibility with carbohydrate intake, whereas keto is a metabolic diet requiring strict macronutrient control. However, by intentionally limiting carb-heavy paleo foods like starchy vegetables and high-sugar fruits, it is entirely possible to create a modified paleo-keto diet that combines the best aspects of both worlds: nutrient-dense whole foods and a fat-adapted metabolic state. The ideal approach depends on individual health goals, and for many, a mindful, hybrid version offers a sustainable path to better health.

For more information on differentiating between low-carb diets, see Harvard Health's breakdown: What are the differences between popular low-carb diets?.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the key difference between a standard paleo diet and a keto diet?

The key difference is the primary goal. Paleo focuses on eating whole, ancestral foods and excludes grains and legumes, while keto focuses on achieving and maintaining a metabolic state of ketosis by strictly controlling macronutrient ratios.

Can I eat fruit on a paleo diet and still be in ketosis?

While a standard paleo diet allows fruit, most fruits contain too much sugar and carbohydrates to allow for ketosis. For a paleo-keto approach, you must strictly limit fruit to very small amounts of low-sugar berries.

Does a paleo diet have to be low-carb?

No, a paleo diet is not necessarily a low-carb diet. It allows for carbohydrates from whole food sources like fruits and starchy vegetables. Whether your paleo diet is low-carb depends entirely on your specific food choices.

Is dairy allowed on a paleo-keto diet?

No, a strict paleo-keto diet excludes dairy because it was not consumed by Paleolithic ancestors. However, some variations might allow grass-fed butter or ghee, which are low in carbs.

What foods should I avoid on a paleo-keto diet?

To stay in ketosis on a paleo-keto plan, you must avoid all grains, legumes, dairy, processed foods, and refined sugars. You also need to avoid or significantly limit higher-carb paleo foods like starchy root vegetables, bananas, and high-sugar fruits.

How long does it take to enter ketosis on a paleo-keto diet?

The time it takes to enter ketosis varies by individual but typically takes a few days to a week. The process depends on your metabolism, activity level, and how strictly you adhere to the low-carb plan.

What is a 'paleo-keto' diet?

A paleo-keto diet is a hybrid approach that combines the whole-food focus of the paleo diet with the strict macronutrient ratios of the keto diet. It prioritizes healthy, nutrient-dense foods while ensuring very low carbohydrate intake to maintain a state of ketosis.