A casual scroll through Instagram, a flip through your favorite health and wellness magazine, or a conversation with friends have likely brought up the ketogenic diet [1] at some point. The low-carb, high-fat diet causes the body to go into a metabolic state called ketosis. The keto diet has been endorsed by celebrities like Halle Berry [2], and has also been the key factor in some amazing weight-loss stories [3].
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New York Times best-selling author of Genius Foods [6], Max Lugavere [7] shared on his Instagram that you can hack the keto diet without consuming any fat. Lugavere and coauthor, Paul Grewal, MD [8], found that it's possible to enter a state of "deep ketosis" (the point when your body begins to burn fat) sans fat. Now, you're probably asking yourself how this is possible with the keto diet being all about consuming fat? Lugavere explains in his caption that, "Your body doesn't just store fat for fun. It stores it to burn it. Put another way, no need to eat 'high fat' if you have the fat!"
Why eat more fat if your body already has it? Instead, focus on eating less carbs — specifically foods that have exogenous glucose. According to Lugavere, "Ketone production is not a function of fat consumed, but of carbs not consumed (as well as overall calorie intake)."
It's important to note that the amount of carbs one can eat to stay in a state of ketosis will vary with each individual. "A good starting place is [five to] 10 [percent] of calories, so for a 2000 calorie day that would be about 25 to 50 grams of carbs," said Lugavere.
If the high-fat consumption of the keto diet has been a turnoff for you, this hack is worth testing out. As always, be sure to consult your physician before making any drastic changes to your diet.