Keto/Low Carb

Short for ketogenic diet, keto is a low-carb, high-fat diet that's gone mainstream in recent years. So how does it work? Here's some background information for you.

In its natural state, our body relies on sugar, or glucose, for fuel. We typically get those sugars from carbohydrates like grains, fruits, vegetables, and legumes. On the keto diet, however, your body is deprived of those carbohydrates—and the glucose that’s made out of them—and turns to another type of fuel: ketone bodies, or ketones. Ketones are a type of fuel made in the liver, and they’re made out of stored fat.

That fat can come from any number of sources: nuts, seeds, avocados, olive oil, butter, coconut oil, cocoa butter, cheese, etc. Both lean and fatty proteins are fair game, too: think beef, bacon, other pork products, fatty fish, tofu, eggs, and poultry. Vegetables are limited to leafy greens, cauliflower, broccoli, brussels sprouts, asparagus, peppers, onion, garlic, mushrooms, cucumbers, celery, and summer squash.

And fruits are generally avoided, with the exception of small portions of berries. Other carbohydrates, like bread and grains, and foods high in sugar, like candy and pastries, are generally a no-no. But that doesn't mean we don't want a treat once in a while, right? The banana bread here will make you forget you're on a diet that usually doesn't allow much cheating!