You couldn't open up social media or attend a family function this year without someone mentioning one (or both) of the biggest diet crazes: intermittent fasting (IF) and the keto diet. But it's not just your cousin or fitness instructor who practices them; they have major celeb followings, too. Halle Berry, Vanessa Hudgens, and LeBron James all credit keto for their fit frames, while Hugh Jackman, Chris Hemsworth, and Jimmy Kimmel all swear by intermittent fasting.
And they're not just buzzwords; these approaches to eating, which each have a fervent following, have helped countless people lose weight and transform their lives. While both diets can be done simultaneously, they are wildly different. We broke down the ins and outs of each diet, including what (and when) you can eat, what to avoid, and how to do it successfully.
As of now, it looks like there's no slowing down on these crazes into 2019. If either of them appeal to you, keep reading to find out how to incorporate keto and/or IF into your life.
The keto diet is a high-fat, moderate-protein, super-low-carb diet. When your body is running on so few carbs, it enters a state of ketosis, during which it starts burning fat for fuel instead of glucose (your body processes glucose from carbs).
On the keto diet, the macronutrient profile should be close to 70 to 80 percent fat, 15 to 20 percent protein, and five to 10 percent carbs, according to Catherine Metzgar, PhD, RD, a clinical team member at Virta Health. You should aim to keep your carbs at 50 grams a day or fewer, although every person is different and may have varying thresholds of ketosis.
If you aren't sure if your body is in ketosis, you can test it with urine strips, which let you know how many ketones your body is producing.
When it comes to fat on the keto diet, you want to make sure you're eating quality fats. Anna Barnwell, MPH, MSW, a member of the Virta Health team, explained in a blog post that a majority of your dietary fat should come from monounsaturated and saturated fats. You should be cautious of polyunsaturated fats like corn, sunflower, and peanut oils since your body cannot tolerate them well in large amounts.
Monounsaturated Fats
Saturated Fats
Polyunsaturated Fats
A common misconception about the keto diet is that you can consume all the protein you want. Eating too much protein can prevent you from reaching nutritional ketosis. Here are the protein sources you can consume on the keto diet.
In order to reach nutritional ketosis, you'll need to eat more than just protein and fats. Here are some great veggie options to include in your diet.
Unlike most diets, dairy is actually approved on the keto diet. Here are some items to toss in your cart the next time you're shopping.
Some fruits are high in sugar, but there's no need to cut out all fruits on the keto diet. You've just got to make sure you're eating the right fruits. Stock up on these fruits during your next grocery store run.
Although these fruits are keto-approved, it's important you track your total carbs to make sure you're in a state of ketosis.
If you want to successfully follow the keto diet, experts say to do the following:
Intermittent fasting (IF) isn't necessarily about what you eat, but when you eat it. IF refers to a way of eating that alternates between periods of not eating (fasting) and periods of eating (sometimes called your "feeding" or "feasting window"). This diet is supposed to decrease insulin levels, increase human growth hormone, improve digestion and mood, and boost weight loss.
There are several different ways to do IF, and it's not a one-size-fits-all diet. The most popular forms of intermittent fasting are:
Although food is off limits during your fasting period, you can still drink liquids. The key is to make sure they are calorie-free beverages and free of artificial sweeteners and flavors. To keep it simple, these are the three beverages you can drink on IF:
To optimize your time on intermittent fasting, here are some expert-approved tips: