What Is The Keto Diet?

It seems like a new fad diet is invented with each passing day. Even so, we’re sure you’ve heard about the keto diet, at least in passing. One might argue that a keto diet is one of the most popular diets out there currently. The keto diet is known for being a low carb, high fat diet that offers plenty of health benefits. It is also known as the ketogenic diet, low carb diet, or low carb high fat (LCHF) diet.

The keto diet is also one of the most researched types of diets out there. Many studies have shown that it can help you lose weight and improve health. It might also aid in reducing the risk of diabetes, cancer, epilepsy and Alzheimer’s disease.

Despite there being tonnes of information and studies out there about the keto diet, it can still be hard to parse through it and know exactly what it is about.

So, what exactly is a keto diet? Let us break it down for you.

Keto diet is short for “ketogenic” diet and focuses on minimizing your carbs and raising your fats in order to get your body used to using fats as an energy source. This dramatic reduction in carbs puts your body into a metabolic state called ketosis.

Once this state is achieved, your body becomes really efficient at burning all your fat to use for energy. It will also start turning fat into something called ketones, these ketones can be used as energy for your brain. Since a keto diet requires a majority to be fats, carbs are kept at a minimum of 50 grams per day or 20 grams per day for serious keto dieters.

Ketosis is achieved after about two to seven days after starting a keto diet. This is the state your body enters when it runs out of carbs for your cells to use as energy. This is when ketones are produced and also when your body starts burning fat for energy.

The keto diet was originally invented to help people suffering from seizure disorders, believe it or not. But people started noticing that they started losing weight while on the diet. This is caused by a few different reasons: when you eat carbs your body retains fluids to store the carbs for energy but when you are lacking in carbs you lose the water weight. Additionally, it’s easy to overeat when it comes to carbs but if you’re eating lots of fat, it will keep you satiated for longer periods of time.

Because keto is so popular these days, it’s not hard to get started with the right information and on the right foot. There are loads of apps and websites out there (like Fit Meal!) that are dedicated to providing a blueprint for a keto diet. Most have a fixed start and end date for you to follow. If you’re looking to go the more traditional route, you can also find heaps of books on keto recipes. Always speak with your dietician or doctor before drastically changing your diet to make sure that a keto diet is right for you.