Food Trends: The Ketogenic Diet

Food and diet trends come and go all the time. Atkins was huge in the 2000's. Then we had the Zone Diet and the South Beach Diet. A few years ago Paleo was all the rage and now I keep hearing about the Keto Diet. Well, what is the Keto Diet? The Keto Diet is actually similar to Atkins, in that it's a low carb, high fat diet. But what does it do and who is it good for...today I am going to spell all of that out for you!

1. What is the Ketogenic Diet

• Like I mentioned earlier, it is a low carb, high fat diet.

• You drastically cut carbs and replace the carbs with fat.

• The idea is that the reduction in carbs puts your body into a state of Ketosis which triggers your body to burn and metabolize fat more efficiently.

2. Who is the Keto Diet good for?

• The Keto Diet is good for weight loss.

• The Keto Diet has been linked to a reduction in Type 2 Diabetes.

• This is due to the fact that the diet helps control your blood sugar levels.

3. Downfalls of the Keto Diet

• Because you drastically cut carbs on the daily, this diet may be hard to stick to.

• If you cannot stick to the rules of the Keto Diet you will not receive the benefits of doing this diet.

• Like any diet, if you cannot stick to it on a regular basis then it's not the right diet for you.

• Remember any diet should be a lifestyle adaptation. You should never go on a diet with the intentions of getting right off it as soon as you hit your goal. Unless you pick up another diet, you will gain the weight back.

4. What you should eat on this diet

• Meat

• Fish

• Eggs

• Grass-fed butter and cream

• Healthy Oils (Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Coconut Oil, Avocado Oil)

• Unprocessed Cheese

• Avocados

• Nuts

• Seeds

• Low-carb Vegetables

• Spices (salt, pepper, herbs, etc)

5. What foods to avoid

• Soda

• Juice

• Alcohol

• Ice Cream

• Cake

• Candy

• Anything with lots of sugar

• Fruit

• Grains

• Starches

• Beans

• Legumes

• Root Veggies (potatos, carrots, etc)

• Low-fat foods

• Condiments and Sauces

• Sugar-free foods

6. Boils Down To....

• As you can see, on the Keto Diet, you still have to eat very VERY cleanly.

• You replace your carbs with fats, but they need to be healthy fats.

• You need to be okay with cutting out the list of foods above and sticking to that on a daily basis.

• If you can stick to the rules of the diet then this very well could be a good option for you and you may get all the health benefits.

Don't be discouraged if you thought this was a good choice and are now realizing it's not for you. There are so many options out there. The important thing is finding a diet plan that is right for you and one that you can stick to. This will fuel your workouts and your mentality.