What Is Keto And Why Are People Doing It?

Originally posted on  http://blog.amplemeal.com/2017/10/what-is-keto-and-why-are-people-doing-it/.

You may already be familiar with the ketogenic diet. Keto has been making a big splash in the nutrition world, and we get asked all the time what we think about it.

People are talking about keto for good reason. It can be awesome. But with excitement can also come a lot of misinformation. We’ll help you navigate the ins and outs of a ketogenic diet over the next couple articles. Let’s start with the basic structure of keto, as well as its possible benefits and drawbacks.

What is a keto diet?

In a nutshell, keto is a low-carb, high-fat diet that’s designed to make you burn fat as your main source of energy. Most of the time, your body burns carbohydrates for energy. But if you cut off your body’s supply of carbs, your body begins seeking out fat instead. Eating keto shifts you into a state of ketosis, which is when you stop using carbs (for the most part) and start using fat as your biggest source of fuel.

No surprise, then, that a keto diet cuts out nearly all carbs. Here’s a graph of a typical macronutrient ratio you’d eat on keto, by percentage of calories:

The numbers here are a little flexible: anywhere within 65-80% fat, 5-10% carbs, and 15-30% protein….

Continue reading original article…