Ketogenic Diet
High-fat, very low-carb eating that shifts your metabolism to burn fat for fuel.
What Is It?
The ketogenic diet drastically reduces carbohydrate intake and replaces it with fat. This reduction puts your body into a metabolic state called ketosis, where fat becomes remarkably efficient at providing energy. Ketones are produced in the liver from fat and supply energy for the brain.
How It Works
By restricting carbohydrates to 20-50 grams per day, your body depletes its glycogen stores and transitions to burning fat as its primary fuel source. This process, called ketosis, typically takes 2-7 days to achieve. The liver converts fatty acids into ketone bodies, which provide energy to the brain and muscles.
Benefits
- Rapid initial weight loss
- Reduced appetite and cravings
- Improved insulin sensitivity
- Potential benefits for epilepsy management
- May improve mental clarity once adapted
- Reduced inflammation markers
✅ Foods to Eat
- •Fatty fish (salmon, sardines, mackerel)
- •Meat and poultry
- •Eggs
- •Avocados
- •Nuts and seeds
- •Olive oil and coconut oil
- •Low-carb vegetables (leafy greens, broccoli, cauliflower)
- •Full-fat dairy (cheese, butter, cream)
🚫 Foods to Avoid
- •Grains and starches (bread, pasta, rice)
- •Sugary foods and drinks
- •Most fruits (except small portions of berries)
- •Beans and legumes
- •Root vegetables (potatoes, carrots, parsnips)
- •Low-fat diet products
- •Alcohol (most types)
Sample Day
🔬 Scientific Evidence
The ketogenic diet has strong evidence for epilepsy management in children and shows promising results for weight loss and type 2 diabetes. A 2023 meta-analysis in the British Medical Journal found keto produced greater short-term weight loss than low-fat diets, though long-term differences were minimal. Concerns include potential increases in LDL cholesterol and difficulty sustaining the diet long-term.