Every year millions of people around the globe look for the latest trends in weight loss and healthy eating. Whether that be moving to plant-based, calorie controlled, or other perhaps “faddier” diets, people are likely to try at least two alternative diets in their lifetime.

But weight loss isn’t the only motivator for seeking a healthier lifestyle. As the global population continues to live longer, more and more people are consciously choosing diets which help maintain their health and reduce the risk of potential, future ailments.

And this is where keto comes in.

What is Keto?

The ketogenic diet, or keto for short, is a low-carbohydrate, high-fat diet that was originally used to treat epilepsy.

Created in the 1920s, the standard ketogenic diet (SKD), typically contains 75% fat, 20% protein and only 5% carbs. This dramatic reduction in carbohydrate intake puts the body into the metabolic state, ketosis, through which the body becomes highly efficient at burning fat.

Several studies have linked the benefits of a ketogenic diet with a variety of health conditions including cancer, heart disease, epilepsy, and Parkinson’s disease. It is also highly effective for those diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.

In order to limit daily carbs to 20-30 grams, there are many foods that must be reduced or avoided as part of a keto diet. This includes sugary foods, grains, starches, beans, legumes, root vegetables, some fruits, anything labelled as “low fat” or “sugar free”, and most alcohols.