Keto

The keto, or ketogenic, diet is a high-fat, low-carbohydrate diet that’s known for its many health benefits. It’s seen a surge in popularity in recent years, with many health professionals and celebrities swearing by it.

So what exactly is the keto diet? Following the keto means drastically reducing your carb intake and replacing it with fat. After a while, the carb reduction puts your body into ketosis – a metabolic state. When this happens, the body starts to burn the excess fat into energy, which can lead to a significant reduction in body fat and an increase or retention of muscle mass.

There are a few different types of keto diet, including:

• Standard ketogenic diet (SKD): typically contains 75% fat, 20% protein, and 5% carbs
• Cyclical ketogenic (CKD): this variation of the keto diet involves days of higher carb intake. For example, five keto days followed by two high-carb days
• Targeted ketogenic diet (TKD): this variation allows you to add carbs around exercise
• High-protein ketogenic diet: a more protein-rich variation of the SKD. The ratio is usually: 60% fat, 35% protein, and 5% carbs

Some people report that following the keto diet has helped them feel fuller for longer. This may reduce the risk of snacking on sugary or high-carb foods later on.

You’ll be happy to know that there are lots of delicious foods you can eat on the keto diet, including:

• Meat: steak, red meat, sausage, bacon, chicken, and turkey
• Eggs: keep an eye out for omega-3 eggs
• Fatty fish: such as salmon, tuna, or mackerel
• Unprocessed cheese: cheddar, goats’ cheese, mozzarella
• Nuts and seeds: walnuts, almonds, flax seeds, pumpkin seeds
• Avocados
• Healthy oils: extra virgin olive oils, coconut oil, avocado oil