The ketogenic diet is all the rage recently. It’s been endorsed by everyone from the Hollywood elite like Halle Berry to world class athletes like Lebron James.

Biohackers and Silicon Valley venture capitalists are using it as a way to boost their energy levels and productivity.

And average Joes and Janes the world over have made some some astonishing claims about how the keto diet has helped them to drop pounds, lose inches and reverse chronic diseases like diabetes, Alzheimer's and even some forms of cancer.

But in spite of all the hype surrounding keto, a lot of people still don’t understand what it is and how it works. In the KETO 101 series, we’ll unpack some of the common questions and objections to the keto diet so you can begin to make an informed decision on whether the keto diet is right for you.

Today, we’re starting with the basics. We’re going to tackle a couple of the most common questions that people have when they’re just beginning to explore the ketogenic lifestyle. What is keto? How does it work? And what are the benefits of a ketogenic diet?

What is Keto?

The keto diet gets its name from the word “ketosis” which is a state your body enters when it starts burning ketones as its primary source of fuel.

Our bodies are complex machines that require lots of energy to power all the biological processes required for life. To power this machine, our bodies can use glucose, which it derives primarily from carbohydrates or ketones which the liver converts from fat.

Most people function primarily off of glucose. Our bodies prioritize the consumption of glucose and since the standard western diet is so carbohydrate-rich, most of us never experience the effects of a body fueled primarily by ketones.

What are the Benefits of a Ketogenic Diet?

In order to keep up with the amount of carbohydrates you consume, your body is continuously releasing insulin to shuttle glucose out of your blood and into your muscles, fat and liver. Depending on your specific diet and your genetics, over time this process can lead to insulin resistance which is a precursor for diabetes and a whole slew of metabolic diseases.

By contrast, the ketogenic diet is a low carb, high fat diet. By reducing the amount of carbohydrates and cranking up the dietary fat we consume, we allow our bodies to enter a state called nutritional ketosis. In this state, our bodies burn through the available glucose and start processing ketones as its source of fuel.

Once you’re in ketosis, some amazing things start to happen. Talk to anyone who’s been on the keto journey for a while, and you’re likely to hear stories of how they’ve lost significant amounts of weight, experienced profound mental clarity, and healed a variety of different conditions since they made the switch to keto.

How to do Keto

To understand how to achieve a ketogenic diet you first have to understand macro nutrients. There are three macro nutrients or “macros” - carbohydrates, protein and fat.

Example Standard Western Diet

A standard western diet consists of about 60% carbohydrates 15% protein and 25% fat.

The keto diet on the other hand is low carb, moderate protein and high fat. That translates to about 5% carbohydrates, 25% protein and 70% fat.

Example Ketogenic Diet

Achieving that amount of fat in your diet forces you to challenge everything you thought you knew about fats and the role they play in a healthy diet.

This can be a little nerve wracking at first, but study after study has found that claim that saturated fats leads to heart disease is not well founded. And a little digging reveals that the corollary studies that we based our country’s dietary guidelines on were riddled with problems and the conclusions are shaky at best. But, journalists are catching up with the science. One of the best known examples is Time Magazine cover article titled Eat Butter. Scientists labeled fat the enemy. Why they were wrong.

That said, not all fats are healthy. On keto, we’ll happily eat saturated fats like butter, coconut oil and animal fats and monounsaturated fats like olive oil. Polyunsaturated fats which many consider to be “heart healthy” are in the no-fly zone on keto. Same with the universally despised trans fats.

The carbohydrate target on keto can also be challenging. Most people need to stay under 30 grams of carbs per day to remain in ketosis. Many on the standard western diet are consuming almost ten times that much!

Staying under 30 grams of carbs requires some vigilance. There are hidden carbs everywhere. Especially nefarious are the carbs hiding in seemingly healthy foods like jerky, yogurt, or dried fruit. Also keep an eye out for condiments and beverages.

Some may be surprised to know that the keto diet calls for only a moderate amount of protein. This is because, unlike fat, protein can actually be converted into glucose through a process called gluconeogenesis. That said, there are some within the keto camp that question how much we should be concerned with this process, especially for those of us doing keto primarily for weight loss, where eating a higher amount of proteins may result in your body tapping into more stored fat versus converting dietary fat into the ketones it needs for fuel.

Keto is also a diet that’s best done with a whole foods approach. Things like grass fed steak, fish, eggs, avocados, bacon and even cheese are popular keto foods. Leafy greens and cruciferous vegetables are a perfect addition to a keto meal.

That said, not all whole foods make the cut. Starchy vegetables and sugary fruit like sweet potatoes and bananas can knock you out of ketosis with a single serving.

So, those are the basics. Before you start your keto journey, it’s important to do your own research. There’s still a lot to know about what to expect in your first few months of doing keto and how keto might affect someone with your particular medical history and genetic predispositions.

Keep checking back for more Keto 101 tips.