The Ketogenic Diet: Low-Carb, High-Fat. Best For Weight Loss? Read This

Every few months we hear about some diet or another that are promoted as "the" diet for weight loss. Most of them are ones nutritionists and health moguls have come to identify as fad diets. These diets might help you lose weight fast, but more often than not, they also deplete your body of the many nutrients needed by it causing severe health problems in the long run. A diet that seems to have been around for a while, though, and hasn't completely been written off by health experts seems to be the ketogenic diet. While the ketogenic does require one to be on a low carb diet, it still allows one to consume protein, healthy fats and other essential nutrients. Has it been proven to work? Halle Berry, Megan Fox, Kourtney Kardashian and many other celebrities definitely seem to think so.

Wondering how to get on board this diet and kick your summer body into activation? If you're not sure where to start, what does it do to your body, how it helps and doesn't - read on to find out. Here are some questions we've answered for you in this simple guide to the ketogenic diet.

1. What is the Ketogenic Diet?

The Ketogenic diet is a low-carb, high-fat diet. It involves lowering carbohydrate intake drastically and replacing it with fat. This process pushes your body into a metabolic state called ketosis.

2. What is ketosis?

Ketosis is a natural metabolic state in which the body burns fat for energy or fuel. Ketosis occurs when there is limited access to glucose, which is generally the body's preferred source of fuel. In this state, ketones, which are are byproducts of the body breaking down fat for energy, become the main source of energy for the body and brain instead of glucose or blood sugar. So essentially, your body starts breaking down the fat that you are consuming for energy.

3. How does the body go into ketosis?

Ketosis most often occurs when one is on a very low-carb diet. To go into ketosis people usually need to consume less than 50 gms of carbs a day.

4. What can you eat on a ketogenic diet?

While on a ketogenic diet, one can consume -

- All kinds of meat

- Eggs

- Nuts

- Healthy Oils: Extra virgin olive oil, coconut oil

- Butter

- Cheese: Preferably unprocessed feta, cheddar, goat or mozzarella cheese

- Low-carb vegetables: Primarily green vegetables, tomatoes

These are well within the range of foods that allow the body to go into ketosis. If you're vegetarian and looking to follow the ketogenic diet, you can replace the meat with cottage cheese.

5. What foods should you absolutely avoid?

- Fruit (All kinds!)

- Beans and legumes: Kidney beans, chickpeas, lentils, etc.

- Sugary foods: Candy, sodas, fruit juices, milkshakes, smoothies etc.

- Unhealthy fats: Processed vegetable oils, sandwich spreads, etc.

- Wheat based products

- Rice, pasta, cereal

- Alcohol

There you have it. Your very basic introduction to the ketogenic diet. Are you ready to start?