This is the start of a new series I'm going to be writing about fad diets, and the truths behind them. I'm going to be giving my thoughts about how effective they are and what they entail. If there's any other diets you'd like me to tackle feel free to leave them in the comments below. Thanks for reading!

What you need to know about the keto diet

The ketogenic diet is a high-fat, adequate-protein, low-carbohydrate diet . The diet forces the body to burn fats rather than carbohydrates. Normally, the carbohydrates contained in food are converted into glucose, which is then transported around the body and is particularly important in fueling brain-function. However, if there is very little carbohydrate in the diet, the liver converts fat into fatty acids and ketone bodies. The ketone bodies pass into the brain and replace glucose as an energy source.
Many people swear this diet gives them miraculous results through it's ability to utilize fat to create energy instead of carbs.

Some important things to consider

• The weight loss results you see from a keto diet will be more of a result of the caloric deficit than the actual ketosis you are putting your body in
• There is a long list of foods you can't eat in order to maintain ketosis
• There can be some danger of placing yourself in keto-acidosis

There are three key elements when implementing a ketogenic diet.

1. Eating few enough carbohydrates to put the body into ketosis.
2. Eating enough fat to make up the calories lost from not eating carbs.
3. Eating enough protein to maintain your muscles and body structures.

As with any diet there are both pros and cons

Pros

• Lets you continue to consume fat filled foods while losing weight
• Reduction of seizures in people with epilepsy
• Probably provides benefits in people with metabolic diseases

Cons

• Ketosis can have little to no benefit for certain people depending on genetic factors
• Limiting carbohydrate intake can limit your cognitive abilities, and you ability to perform anaerobic activity
• No carbohydrate intake can be hard to sustain for some individuals
• Eating a diet consistently high in saturated fats can have implications in long-term cardiovascular health

Conclusion

While the keto diet can be used effectively, it's important to keep in mind that you won't see any "magical" results. It can be difficult to consistently eat such a small amount of carbohydrates, and it can hamper your ability to perform difficult physical activity. If these things don't seem like they apply to you it can definitely be worth it to give it a shot.

Further Reading
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC524027/
http://www.precisionnutrition.com/ketogenic-diet

As always thank you so much for reading and feel free to let me know your thoughts down below. I love to know what you guys think!