How are you fairing in your 2018 resolution to make this your healthiest year yet? I know many of us around here are trying hard to keep to our goals of hitting the gym and eating healthier, but it can be a hard thing to keep up with. Lately as I scroll through my Facebook feed though, I've seen one word pop up over and over with nothing but praise for it; "Keto".

What is the Ketogenic Diet? I asked a friend of mine this question and his first response was that he really doesn't like to call it a diet, as the word diet implies doing something for a short period of time and then going back to our usual routine. Keto, he claimed, was a lifestyle and one he has never regretted following as it give him energy, and helps him maintain healthy living.

But how exactly does one live Keto? Simply put, you live off high fats, good amounts of protein and extremely minimal carbs. I know what you're thinking though, how are we supposed to stay healthy when eating so many fats? Seems counter intuitive doesn't it?

Here's how it works, the body when eating something high in carbs produces glucose and insulin. Glucose is one of the easiest fuels for your body to break down for energy, and so it's the one your body picks by default. As your body uses carbs for energy, fats are not needed as much and they are "stored" resulting in us putting on some pounds. When our carb intake is lowered though, our body goes through a state known as ketosis. In ketosis our body produces ketones from breakdowns of fat in our liver.

Our bodies have the incredible ability to adapt, and when we substitute the high carb living for a keto lifestyle, our bodies revert to using ketones as the primary fuel to function resulting in many health, weight loss, physical and mental performance benefits.

What are some things you can eat to maintain this lifestyle? Nuts, seeds, leafy greens, high fat dairy products, and items like beef, poultry, and seafood are fantastic foods to start with! Items with high levels of omega 3s like Salmon and other cold water fish are the best, but really you can't go wrong with just about any seafood item when trying to live Keto.

Need some great recipes to start out? Try out some of these handpicked ones below!

Want some more info on a deeper look at Keto? Click here for a great link on the topic!