Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell

What is a keto diet?

The ketogenic diet (keto for short) is a high-fat, moderate-protein, low-carb diet. The idea is that by drastically restricting your carbohydrate intake (usually to 50 grams or less per day, but some people go as low as 20 grams), you’ll put your body into a state of ketosis, which forces your body to burn fat for energy (instead of carbs) and is thought to lead to faster weight loss. The keto diet focuses on the macronutrients you should consume, but it doesn’t get too specific about their sources. For example, even though some fruit is high in natural sugar (not added), it’s still limited because it’s a carb; similarly, bacon and cream cheese are on the diet because they’re rich in fat.

It’s worth noting that the keto diet was originally used to treat hard-to-control epilepsy in children, and it’s also been studied in the potential treatment of other neurological disorders like Alzheimer’s, ALS, Parkinson’s and brain cancer. It became popular as an extreme low-carb diet for weight loss in the late 2010s, largely through celebrity endorsement.

What are the main similarities between Mediterranean and keto?

One of the most obvious similarities between the Mediterranean and keto diets is that they don’t restrict when it comes to fat, though the types of fat aren’t the same (more on that in a minute). And while both eating plans advice moderate consumption of protein and minimal consumption of sugar, their similarities stop there.

What are the main differences between Mediterranean and keto?

TBH, the Mediterranean and keto diets couldn’t be more different—let’s start with the fact that the Mediterranean diet is barely a “diet” at all, instead functioning as a guideline for healthy eating, while the keto diet restricts food groups. Some other differences include:

• The keto diet counts grams of macronutrients (aka carbs, fat and protein), while the Mediterranean diet doesn’t track numbers at all.
• The Mediterranean diet emphasizes nutrient-rich food groups, while the keto diet only specifies macros (and not their sources).
• The Mediterranean diet focuses on heart-healthy sources of fat (like olive oil) consumed in moderation, while the keto diet encourages a much higher fat consumption without restricting where it comes from.
• The Mediterranean diet doesn’t eliminate sugar, but it emphasizes eating healthier fresh foods in its place. The keto diet allows for so few carbs that you couldn’t realistically fit sweets into your daily diet and stay in …….

  Source: https://www.purewow.com/food/keto-vs-mediterranean-diet