All about keto: A clean eating lifestyle for health and weight loss

By now, you will have likely heard about keto. The immense popularity of this diet trend has been lauded for its incredible health and weight loss benefits with celebrity fans including Kourtney Kardashian, Victoria’s Secret angel Adriana Lima, and actress Halle Berry, advocating keto and the dramatic results it garners.

But what exactly is it? Put simply, keto, short for ketogenic, is a diet that reduces carb consumption and replaces it with plenty of healthy fats and moderate amounts of protein that your body then burns and uses for energy, providing a healthy way to lose weight. 

While dropping the pounds is probably the number one goal for many (us too!) and the reason behind going on the keto diet, there is evidence pointing to a whole host of other benefits such as feeling more energised, mental clarity, better appetite control, normalised blood pressure, reduced inflammation, an improvement in acne, heart health, and cholesterol, and even disease prevention.

Originally designed to help those who suffer from epilepsy, the keto diet also has the potential to minimise seizures as well as lower blood glucose levels and improve insulin sensitivity. So those with related health issues may find it particularly effective.

Losing weight doesn’t have to mean starving or unappetising foods. Healthy fat is the name of the game here. Think nutrient-rich and tasty foods such as eggs, avocados, seafood and oily fish like salmon and mackerel, nuts and seeds, cheese, dark chocolate, extra virgin olive oil and coconut oil, paired with moderate amounts of lean protein, low-carb veggies such as leafy greens, broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage, and very few carbs and grains.

When executed well, your body can turn into a fat-burning machine and enter a state of ketosis in a matter of one to two weeks, meaning you can wake up your metabolism quickly, a definite bonus as we go into summer. 

But the key to keto is turning your diet into a lifestyle. By making good food choices, staying hydrated, remaining active and making simple swaps in your everyday life, you can reap the long-term health benefits and make the most of your keto lifestyle.