One of the latest fat loss diet plans that has shown some amazing results in helping people lose fat quickly is the KETO diet. Simply put, the diet is geared around putting a person in a state of KETOSIS, which means their body will burn fat as fuel instead of glucose. In order to do this, one will have to eat foods that are high in fat, moderate in protein, and VERY low in carbs (or sugar.)

While not too long ago it was thought that fat was our enemy, recent studies have indicated that carbohydrates are more likely the cause of fat storage and weight gain and eating foods higher in fat actually encourages our bodies to burn fat, not store it. In the case of the Keto diet, the ratios recommended to put one in a state of ketosis are 75% fat, 20% protein, and 5% carbs. High fat, sounds like fun, huh? Well, while eating high fat can indeed put you in ketosis, unless you eat the right kinds of foods, you may deplete your body of nutrients as well as fat and make yourself incredibly sick. The key to doing ketosis correctly is to eat a variety of nutrient dense foods that are high in fat and protein and low in carbs. All too often, people rush to jump onto the keto bandwagon but wrongly assume they can just eat bratwurst (or bacon, or ham, or steak) all day and get skinny and look like a million bucks. But, if your body is not getting the proper amount of nutrients, you can be subjected to a whole litany of health issues that can cause issues with your heart, your skin, your hair and nails, and even your breathing.

The good news is, if you mix up the types of foods you eat and include plenty of nutrient rich selections, you can lose fat, keep or gain muscle, and feel amazing at the same time. All you have to do is make a list of which foods to include in your diet in abundance, which ones to limit, and which ones to try to completely avoid. Here is a helpful list of foods that can help support your keto diet while keeping your body nutritionally sound at the same time.

FOODS TO EAT IN ABUNDANCE (the veggies listed are low carb of course!)

• Grass fed beef
• Farm raised organic chicken
• Organic eggs
• Wild caught salmon, herring, mackerel
• Full fat dairy (milk, cheese, yogurt)
• Avocados (an amazingly health high fat food!)
• Nuts and nut butters (make sure what you purchase is low or no sugar)
• Non-starchy veggies (tomatoes, greens, broccoli, mushrooms, peppers)

FOODS TO LIMIT (eat less than 50grams of carbs per day)

• Grains of any kind
• Pasta
• Fruit (eat some especially low glycemic ones like berries, just limit your intake)
• Starchy veggies (potatoes, corn, pumpkin)
• Sauces or dressings

FOODS TO AVOID (just...don't)

• Sodas
• Cookies
• Candy and cake
• Sweet teas
• Anything that has DIET in the name

As you can see, while the keto diet is specific in nature, most of the things that are not recommended are horribly bad for you and those that are recommended are quite tasty! Once a person gets used to the limits, the keto diet can be quite an enjoyable one. So, if you are looking to take the KETO journey, remember the list above and stay healthy as you shed the fat…good luck!