ketogenic diet

It seems like you can't turn anywhere without hearing about the keto diet. From meteorologist Al Roker to celebrity Kourtney Kardashian, this high-fat, and low-carb diet has taken Hollywood and America by storm. But the keto diet does hold its share of controversy, with people like celebrity trainer Jillian Michaels opposing it.

The standard keto (ketogenic) diet is high in fat (75 percent), moderate in protein (20 percent), and low in carbs (5 percent). Since you're reducing your carb intake, your body needs to find a new source of energy. So, the diet forces the body to burn its own fat. (Ketones are the molecules formed by the breakdown of stored fat.) When you're following a carb-restricted diet, you deplete the glycogen stores (energy) from your muscles. So, your body is forced to convert fat stores to ketone bodies as fuel sources.

Skip starchy veggies like corn, potatoes, and winter squash (like acorn, butternut, and pumpkin); they're too high in carbs. Pass on low-fat milk, beans, rice, pasta, bread, and most fruits. Instead, indulge in cherry tomatoes, avocados, cauliflower, asparagus, peppers and zucchini, and summer squash. Enjoy leafy veggies like kale, spinach, collards, arugula, and watercress. Befriend eggs, fatty fish (salmon, tuna, mackerel), meat (steak, ham, sausage, chicken, turkey), and nuts and seeds (almonds, walnuts, pumpkin seeds). Yes, you can eat bacon on this diet but don't fixate on it.