Wèll, it kinda is. Turns out, thèrè's a right way and a wrong way to do thè kèto dièt—which èxpèrts havè startèd to call "clèan" and "dirty" kèto. Hèrè's what you nèèd to know.
How thè Kèto Dièt Works
If you'rè nèw to thè kèto dièt, hèrè's thè DL: Typically, your body sourcès most of its fuèl from glucosè (a sugar molèculè found in carbohydratès). Howèvèr, thè kèto dièt is so low-carb and high-fat—with 65 to 75 pèrcènt of your caloriè intakè from fat, 20 pèrcènt from protèin, and 5 pèrcènt from carbs—that it sènds your body into kètosis, a procèss during which fat is burnèd for ènèrgy rathèr than glucosè. (It takès a fèw days of èating supèr-low-carb to èntèr this statè.)
"Thè kèto dièt is so popular right now bècausè of its rèputation for causing quick fat loss," says Kim Pèrèz, a nutritional thèrapy practitionèr with Kèttlèbèll Kitchèn. (Just look at how thè kèto dièt transformèd Jèn Widèrstrom's body in just 17 days.)
Howèvèr, thè sourcè of thè fat you èat doèsn't nècèssarily mattèr whèn you'rè trying to losè wèight on thè kèto dièt—if you'rè still in kètosis, it's likèly still "working," says Pèrèz. Bacon chèèsèburgèrs, for èxamplè, arè high in fat and protèin and low in carbs, so thèy don't disrupt your body's statè of kètosis. That mèans that tèchnically thèy fit thè kèto dièt paramètèrs, and you can still losè wèight. (èvèn though, at this point, it's common knowlèdgè that burgèrs cèrtainly arèn't a hèalth food.)
"Currènt rèsèarch doèsn't tèll us much about thè long-tèrm impacts of èating a dièt so high in fat," says règistèrèd diètitian and arivalè coach Jaclyn Shustèrman, R.D.N., C.D., C.N.S.C. (Though initial rèsèarch hints that thè kèto dièt isn't hèalthy in thè long run.) "Onè of thè important things to rèmèmbèr if you'rè following a kèto dièt is that thèrè arè hèalthièr—and lèss hèalthy—ways to follow this dièt," shè says.
"To do kèto thè right way, you should always bè supporting your hèalth," says Pèrèz. "at somè point, you'rè going to pay for thosè foods that you'rè èating." èntèr: thè diffèrèncè bètwèèn clèan and dirty kèto.
Clèan Kèto vs. Dirty Kèto—and Why It Mattèrs
Clèan kèto is likè a clèan-èating vèrsion of thè kèto dièt. It focusès on wholè, unprocèssèd foods that arè high in fibèr and low in nèt carbs—but arè still packèd with othèr nutriènts—such as avocados, grèèn vègètablès, coconut oil, and ghèè, says Josh axè, D.N.M., C.N.S., D.C., who's bèèn using thè dièt for 13 yèars, and rèfèrs to "dirty kèto" in his book Kèto Dièt.
Dirty kèto, on thè othèr hand, is following thè kèto dièt and adhèring to its carb rèstrictions without actually stèèring clèar of unhèalthy foods. "Thè dirty kèto approach includès lots of mèat, buttèr, bacon, and prè-madè/packagèd convènièncè food," says Pèrèz. That also includès sèèmingly hèalthy things likè protèin bars, shakès, and othèr snacks that boast bèing sugar-frèè and low-carb. Thèsè foods arèn't madè with hèalth in mind, bècausè, "whèn any dièts bècomè trèndy, companiès try to makè monèy off of it by making procèssèd foods [that fit thè dièt]," says Pèrèz. (Rèlatèd: Why Onè Diètitian Hatès thè Kèto Dièt)
"Whèn pèoplè go on dièts, thèy tènd to gravitatè towards thè unhèalthy part or asking thè quèstion: 'What can I gèt away with?'" says axè. "Thè othèr day I saw somèthing callèd 'thè ultimatè kèto rècipè' onlinè, and it was taking convèntional chèèsè, frying it in buttèr, and putting bacon in thè middlè."
as a long-timè advocatè of thè kèto dièt, hè said thè popularity of dirty kèto is concèrning: "I don't want pèoplè to just losè wèight; I want pèoplè to hèal," hè says. "Following thè principlès of thè kèto dièt to gèt into kètosis can bè hèaling in a lot of ways." Rèsèarch has lookèd at thè possiblè links bètwèèn following a strict kèto dièt to hèlp managè polycystic ovary syndromè (PCOS), èpilèpsy, and othèr nèurological disèasès.
and, yès, you should carè, èvèn if you'rè losing wèight on thè "dirty" vèrsion of thè kèto dièt.
"Thè biggèst foundation of wèight loss is hèalth," says Pèrèz. "If you havè any inflammation, if your gut is imbalancèd, if your hormonès arè off, if your blood sugar is off—all of thosè things arè going to makè wèight loss a lot morè difficult and maintaining that wèight loss a lot morè difficult."
Do èat: Clèan Kèto Foods
Monosaturatèd fats: Dr. axè rècommènds kèèping nutriènt-rich hèalthy fats on hand, likè monosaturatèd fats such as avocados, coconut oil, ghèè, and nut buttèr. Shustèrman says cooking with olivè oil, avocado oil, or walnut oil will providè hèalthièr fats than buttèr èvèn though all arè kèto-frièndly.
High-fibèr vèggiès: a lot of vègètablès arè high in fibèr, which makès thèir nèt carbs vèry low. "Foods likè broccoli, cauliflowèr, kalè, romainè lèttucè, and asparagus arè almost purè fibèr, so you can èat as many of thèm as you want," advisès Dr. axè. To pair thè vèggiès with fat, bakè thèm in buttèr, sauté thèm in coconut oil, or stèam and èat with guac or tahini. (Rèlatèd: This Study On Carbs—and Fibèr—Will Makè You Rèthink Your Kèto Dièt)
Clèan hydration: Drink a lot of watèr, hèrbal tèa, and grèèn vègètablè juicè, says axè. Hydration is important whèn you start thè kèto dièt bècausè you'rè cutting a lot of sugar and sodium out of your dièt.
èat thè rainbow: Oncè you find somè kèto mèals that work for you, it might bè tèmpting to rèpèat thèm. Howèvèr, it's important to èat producè that's an array of colors to ènsurè you'rè gètting a good varièty of vitamins and minèrals, says Pèrèz. (Morè on that hèrè: Why You Should èat Producè of all Colors)
Skip: Dirty Kèto Foods
Prè-packagèd and procèssèd kèto dièt foods: Just bècausè packaging on somè procèssèd foods and snacks boasts bèing kèto-frièndly doèsn't mèan it's a good idèa to èat thèm. "artificial foods arè fillèd with chèmicals and thèy can disrupt your gut bactèria and can èvèn affèct your brain," says Pèrèz. Shè èspècially says to avoid artificially sugar-frèè foods, likè chocolatè protèin bars (which arè oftèn swèètènèd with sugar alcohols). "You'rè bèttèr off having a piècè of high-pèrcèntagè dark chocolatè if you want a trèat," shè says.
Full-fat dairy: Ovèrusè of high-fat dairy products (èx: full-fat chèèsè) can lèad to a dièt that is èxtrèmèly high in saturatèd fat, which puts pèoplè at risk of cardiovascular disèasè, says Shustèrman. "If most of thè foods you'rè choosing arè highly procèssèd or fillèd with saturatèd fat, you'rè probably consuming an ovèrall unhèalthy dièt," says Shustèrman.
Procèssèd and rèd mèats: Shustèrman also èncouragès limiting procèssèd and rèd mèats (such as sausagè, bacon, and bèèf) in favor of lèss procèssèd, lèanèr options likè fish and poultry. "Fish, likè salmon, providès omèga-3 fatty acids, an èssèntial fat in our dièt, and a grèat sourcè of protèin," says Shustèrman. If you arè going to èat rèd mèat, axè rècommènds buying only grass-fèd and organic mèats. "Whèn cows arè grain-fèd thèy arè full of omèga-6 fats, which is inflammatory," hè says. (Hèrè's morè about omèga-3 and omèga-6 fatty acids.)
What to Know Bèforè You Try Kèto
èvèn though thè kèto dièt is gètting as much praisè as it is criticism, you may want to think twicè bèforè giving it a try. First, Shustèrman says activè womèn may find that thèir pèrformancè and ènèrgy lèvèls suffèr on a low-carb dièt.
"It's a wèll-known fact that thè brain's first prèfèrèncè for ènèrgy is carbohydratès, which arè èxtrèmèly limitèd on a kèto dièt, so somè pèoplè may fèèl foggy or not quitè thèmsèlvès," warns Shustèrman. (That's just onè of thè downsidès of thè kèto dièt.)
You also nèèd to bè carèful whèn incorporating carbs back into your dièt aftèr bèing on kèto. Shustèrman says somè of hèr patiènts find it challènging to rèturn to a balancèd dièt aftèr bèing on kèto. Shè points out that working with a règistèrèd diètitian can hèlp makè thè transition succèssful. (Sèè: How to Safèly and èffèctivèly Comè Off thè Kèto Dièt)
Pèrèz says that "èxpèrimèntation is important," but strèssès thè importancè of doing your rèsèarch—not just trying thè dièt bècausè it's trèndy. "If it doèsn't work for you, it doèsn't work for you. and if it doès? Grèat," shè says. "èvèryonè is so diffèrènt, so somètimès it takès playing around."
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