In life, we are always talking about essentials. If you’re driving a high-end car, you should have top of the line motor oil running through your cylinders. If you’re competing at a high level in a track meet, state-of-the-art running shoes are a must. When you’re celebrating a big quarter at the office, the best bourbon is a must. I would like to tell you that if you are serious about a ketogenic lifestyle, MCT oil is a must.

MCT oil provides a heavy dose of the same fuels that turn your body into a fat-burning machine—and keep it going. Unlike LCTs, MCTs bypass much of the digestion process that other fats go through. MCTs act almost similarly to carbohydrates in the way that they are sent directly to the liver, where they are used for energy.

There are many reasons why MCTs make perfect sense for your keto diet, but to help you understand how they can play an essential role in your nutrition, we have some of the top benefits of MCT oil in your keto diet plan.

MCT OIL HELPS GET INTO KETOSIS FASTER

As you already know, MCTs go to your liver and act in a “carbohydrate-like” way that LCTs don’t have the ability to do. This means that you can theoretically kick-start ketosis by following these steps:

1. Fasting without breakfast FASTING.

If you’ve been out of ketosis for a while and want to efficiently return to a fat-burning state, a combination of fasting and MCT oil will do the trick. Just eat a very low carb dinner, or even skip dinner, and then wake up and skip breakfast! Instead, drink a cup of coffee and put a tablespoon or two of MCT oil in your coffee and get out there!

The MCT shot, plus the already fasted state of your body will get you back into ketosis faster than trying to eat slowly to get back into ketosis (ie nutritional ketosis). It’s also worth adding that the energy you get from MCT oil and coffee will be different than what you’re used to: MCTs provide sustained energy that isn’t comparable to energy derived from glycogen.

2. MCT Oil Meal Replacement

Another benefit that comes from using MCT oil in your ketogenic diet plan is using it as a meal replacement.

This sounds a bit like the point above about fasting on MCT oil, but the difference is that you’re still eating other regular keto meals, except you replace (at least) one of those meals with some MCT oil.

One of the benefits of MCT oil is its ability to satisfy the appetite. So while it may seem scary at first to rely on just a few tablespoons of oil to replace a meal, your body will get used to it as you do it more and more. The MCTs will act as a replacement for what is normally there (glycogen) and your bad badger hunger cravings will be diminished.

In our fast-paced 21st century lifestyle, the benefits of being able to stay in ketosis while only sipping a few scoops of MCTs cannot be overstated.

3. Enhance your keto dishes with MCTs

The versatility of MCT Oil is incredible. Let’s say you’re already in Ketosis, but you’re about to eat a salad for your daily carbs, and you want to keep it 100% Keto-friendly. It is easy! Just use MCTs as the base for your dressing, and you can be sure you’ll keep burning fat after you’ve downed your greens!

Another way to use MCT in your favorite keto foods is to use it as a replacement for regular baking oil! There is a whole ocean of Keto baking recipes out there, so why not double up and use MCTs instead of regular coconut oil?

But what if you’re not baking? What if you go for a run and want to implement the energy efficiency of MCT oil? How about a good Keto “sports drink”? All you have to do is water, and then squeeze some lemon juice, and you have a healthier, sugar-free sports drink for long workouts in the sun!

There are many ways to skin a cat, and there are also many ways to amp up your keto diet. MCTs are essential for turning your body into a fat burning machine. Unfortunately, you won’t always be able to get adequate amounts from diet alone – you’ll need a boost, and MCT oil is that boost.

Life is full of “must haves,” and your diet doesn’t fall outside the realm of this mantra. If you want to live a truly ketogenic lifestyle, you’re going to need to invest in the right fuels and implement them as efficiently as possible. So what is the benefit of MCTs for your ketogenic diet plan? The answer: efficiency. An efficient diet, fueling an efficient lifestyle, ultimately giving you more time to do the things you love.