The ketogenic - or keto - diet is the trendy diet of the moment. Many people have seen big weight loss, improved mental clarity, more energy and just an improved quality of life following the keto diet. 

What is the keto diet? This is a low carb, moderate protein, high fat style of eating that’s helped many people reach their health and wellness goals. The goal of the keto diet - and why many people have seen success eating this way - is because of a metabolic reaction called ketosis. 

For people who eat a regularly-balanced diet, their body uses glucose (from carbohydrates) for energy. When someone eats a ketogenic diet, the carb intake is so low that the body has to switch to burning fat for energy. Therefore, when following a keto diet successfully, it’s very important to know just how many carbs you’re consuming in a day. You want to ensure you stay in ketosis to get the full benefits of the keto diet. 

The keto diet is not as restrictive as the paleo diet. The keto diet is made up of high fat foods such as fish, seafood, high-quality meat, full-fat dairy, nuts, seeds and healthy fats - like olive, avocado and coconut oil. Low carbohydrate fruits and vegetables are also encouraged on a keto diet. 

It’s also important to avoid high carb foods such as grains, sugar, starchy vegetables, legumes/beans, alcohol, etc. These foods will take you out of ketosis which will stall or halt your progress towards your goals. 

The best way to know that your body has reached ketosis is by testing. There are simple breath or urine tests that will be able to accurately tell you if you’ve reached ketosis or not. 

The key to being successful on the keto diet - or any diet, for that matter - is to be prepared. It’s helpful to know which foods are keto-friendly and which foods should be avoided. Because ketosis is the goal for the ketogenic diet, ensuring that you’re feeding your body the correct foods to keep you there is going to be very important.