It's one of the newest diet crazes and tons of people are on it and our ever growing interest in the diet has far outpaced other "fad" diets. The Keto diet (or Ketogenic diet) a very low-carb, high-fat diet that shares many similarities with the Atkins and other low-carb diets.
It's low carb and high fat.
A Keto meal would not include rice/pasta/other foods heavy in carbs but would have meat, fish, and non-starchy vegetables. The Keto diet also puts a limit on the amount of sugar, meaning dieters can't have too much fruit or desserts.
The keto diet involves dramatically reducing your carbohydrate intake and upping your good fats intake. But here's the catch, it may not work for everyone. It is one of those types of diets that you need to really strictly stick to in order to have it work (and even then it still may not).
In fact, one of those things that happen when a person starts the Keto diet, after about 2-3 (or less, depending on the person, the amount of exercise they do, etc.) is that their body enters a state of Ketosis which is the burning of stored up fat. This is the way that the body losses so much weight quickly and why if a person messes with it up, could be bad.
Unfortunately, because it's a relatively new diet, it's a little hard to figure out what foods qualify as keto (especially while shopping in the grocery store). Many different foods are labeled as gluten-free, vegan, and organic, but manufacturers are only now starting to label foods that are keto friendly.
The Keto diet has tons of health benefits and if done wrong can be disastrous. Here's the thing, Every BODY is different, meaning that what works for one may not work for another.
Another thing, its a good short term (or done in doses) diet because if too many ketones build up in the body, a condition called ketoacidosis, which changes the acidity of your blood and can be fatal if untreated. However, as long as the keto diet is practiced safely and correctly, this should not be a problem.
That means, before you start, do your research and do it thoroughly.
Because the diet is very high in fat, it may not be the best choice for athletes trying to gain muscle. For people trying to improve their weight, prevent diabetes, and even those just working on their overall health, it can be a really great diet - as long as it's done properly.
