What is the Ketogenic Diet?

A ketogenic diet seems to be all the rage right now in the health and wellness field. But, do you really know what this diet entails and if it is something that is appropriate for you and your lifestyle? 

The Ketogenic diet is a very low-carbohydrate, high-fat diet that is known for weight  loss, insulin sensitivity and brain health. Eating this type of diet forces your body to use up all of it's carbohydrate stores and turn fat into ketones to use for energy. On a ketogenic diet, the macronutrients typically look like 70-80% fat, 10-20% protein and 5-10% carbohydrates. On this type of diet, you food intake will include whole, clean foods like pastured eggs, wild-caught salmon, organic chicken, grass-fed beef, organic and fermented dairy products, non-starchy vegetables, nuts and seeds, avocado and anti-inflammatory oils. This diet avoids processed foods, refined sugar, grains and fruits.

Cutting out highly processed and sugary foods is highly beneficial for your gut microbiome and helps get rid of any digestive issues that may be going on. While there are a lot of healthy benefits to eating this way, one of the biggest down falls is that for the first few days before your body reaches "ketosis", you may get something known as the "keto flu". As your body is using up all of its glycogen stores, it is searching for more carbohydrates to use for energy, but cannot find them due to the nature of the diet. Until your body reaches ketosis and begins using fat as its fuel source, you may feel tired, weak, irritable, achy and perform poorly in your workouts. However, once this passes, you will likely feel an increase in energy, mental clarity and reduced hunger.

Additionally, a Ketogenic diet is probably not one that will last forever. While it is good for weight loss, it can be difficult to maintain below 50 grams of carbohydrates per day, for very long. However, after reaching your first set of goals, it is easier to maintain a lower-carb, moderate-protein and high fat diet for longer periods of time.