25+ Ph Balancing Foods For The Keto Diet
There are lots of pH balancing foods on the keto diet, despite it being full of meat which can naturally lower your pH – not a good thing! A keto diet is full of meat and can naturally lower your pH, which can do a whole host of bad things to your body. When your body is acidic, you can actually breed cancer rather than scaring it away, (and one of my main reasons for going keto is to scare cancer away!). Thankfully, there are lots of pH balancing foods on the keto diet. Three years ago I went to a natural health clinic where they tested my pH. This was about a month after being in ketosis for the first time. One major red flag that came up was that my pH was around 6 when it’s supposed to be between 6.4 and 7.4, ideally closer to the 7.4. In fact, they say Cancer dies at a pH of 8. A pH of 6 might not look far off, but it is. A reading of 5.5 is acidosis. Anything below 7 is acidic. To confirm whether you have low pH, all you have to do is buy some pH strips at your local medical supplies store (or online, or perhaps at your local pharmacist, but CVS doesn’t have them.) I keep them in my bathroom. I also run a business, so my stress levels are high all day, every day, which can contribute to a low pH (aka being highly acidic). What also contributes is a diet full o’ meat, amongst other things. When your pH is low, you also absorb 20% less oxygen too; It’s not healthy. Adding pH balancing foods to your diet can help, and is pretty much necessary for a balanced keto diet. It can’t be bacon and eggs all the time! Adding pH balancing foods to your day Something I was told when I got this diagnosis was that when you follow a ketogenic diet, it’s really important to drink lemon water every day. You might think lemons would make a person more acidic, but one web Continue reading >>
Ketoacidosis Versus Ketosis
Some medical professionals confuse ketoacidosis, an extremely abnormal form of ketosis, with the normal benign ketosis associated with ketogenic diets and fasting states in the body. They will then tell you that ketosis is dangerous. Testing Laboratory Microbiology - Air Quality - Mold Asbestos - Environmental - Lead emsl.com Ketosis is NOT Ketoacidosis The difference between the two conditions is a matter of volume and flow rate*: Benign nutritional ketosis is a controlled, insulin regulated process which results in a mild release of fatty acids and ketone body production in response to either a fast from food, or a reduction in carbohydrate intake. Ketoacidosis is driven by a lack of insulin in the body. Without insulin, blood sugar rises to high levels and stored fat streams from fat cells. This excess amount of fat metabolism results in the production of abnormal quantities of ketones. The combination of high blood sugar and high ketone levels can upset the normal acid/base balance in the blood and become dangerous. In order to reach a state of ketoacidosis, insulin levels must be so low that the regulation of blood sugar and fatty acid flow is impaired. *See this reference paper. Here's a table of the actual numbers to show the differences in magnitude: Body Condition Quantity of Ketones Being Produced After a meal: 0.1 mmol/L Overnight Fast: 0.3 mmol/L Ketogenic Diet (Nutritional ketosis): 1-8 mmol/L >20 Days Fasting: 10 mmol/L Uncontrolled Diabetes (Ketoacidosis): >20 mmol/L Here's a more detailed explanation: Fact 1: Every human body maintains the blood and cellular fluids within a very narrow range between being too acidic (low pH) and too basic (high pH). If the blood pH gets out of the normal range, either too low or too high, big problems happen. Fact 2: The Continue reading >>
Bhb Salts - Get Into Ketosis With Betahydroxybutryate
Ketogenic diets have been a popular way to lose body fat. Arguably effective, they can be traced back to at least the 1920s. The use of Click here to order now. This situation is observed in both normal and abnormal pathological states, such as fasting and high fat/low carbohydrate dieting (e.g., an Atkin's type diet). These dietary situations eventually lead to an over production of something called "Ketone Bodies" (KB) of which there are three variants - acetoacetate, ?-hydroxybutyrate, and acetone via a process which occurs primarily in the mitochondria of the liver and is known as "ketogenesis" (Prostaglandins Leukot Essent Fatty Acids 2004;70: 243-251). The principal KB that the liver produces is acetoacetate. However, somewhat surprisingly, the principle ketone found in the plasma is actually ?-hydroxybutyrate (BHB). Although if we want to get picky about it, technically BHB is not really a KB because the ketone functional group on BHB has been converted to a hydroxyl group. But it essentially functions like a ketone so If you eat a normal diet with more than (about) 50g/day of carbs, the liver produces very little in the way of ketone bodies and the small amount that it does produce is rapidly metabolized by skeletal and cardiac muscle. When the liver is coaxed into "overproduction" of ketone bodies, they accumulate in the blood at above normal levels obviously, which leads to ketosis (ketonemia and ketonuria the ability for us to detect KB's in blood plasma and urine). As a side note, one KB can be detected in the breath of people in ketosis (the "bad breath" that is often associated with people who are on high fat/low carb diets). This particular ketone body is actually the acetone moiety. In a normal state, the amount of ketone bodies in the blood is quite low Continue reading >>
Glossary -
Alternative Hypothesis Obesity is a growth disorder, just like any other growth disorder, and fat accumulation is determined not by the balance of calories consumed and expended but by the effect of specific nutrients on the hormonal regulation of fat metabolism. Calorie A calorie is a unit of measurement for energy. Thats it, really. By formal definition, a calorie is the amount of energy required to raise one gram of water from 14.5 to 15.5 degrees Celsius at atmospheric pressure. One-thousand calories = 1 kilocalorie, or a kcal, for short. Heres where it gets a bit tricky. Most people use the term kilocalorie and calorie interchangeably. So when someone says, A gram of fat has 9 calories, they actually mean 9 kcals. The important thing to remember is that a calorie (or kcal) tells you in the case of food how much energy you get by burning the food. Literally. In the old days this is how folks figured out the energy content of food, using a device called a calorimeter. As a general rule, carbohydrates have approximately 3.4 kcal per gram; proteins also have approximately 3.4 kcal per gram; fats have approximately 9 kcal per gram. Carbohydrate Carbohydrates are one (of three) classes of what we call macromolecules, the other two being fats and proteins. [Some argue alcohol is a fourth class.] They are organic compounds consisting of carbon [C], hydrogen [H], and oxygen [O] atoms, and they fit together (almost always) in the form of Cm(H2O)n, where m and n are integers, either the same or different. For example, glucose, which is a very simple carbohydrate consisting of a single ring of 6 carbons has the formula C6H12O6. The more important point is that carbohydrates can be simple, as in the case of glucose, which is just one ring of six carbons (one ring, gives it the Continue reading >>
Understanding Ketosis
To gain a better understanding of ketosis and the ketogenic diet, it is important to take a look at the physiology behind the diet. If you recall from the article What is a Ketogenic Diet? the goal of a ketogenic diet is to induce ketosis by increasing ketone body production. A key step in understanding the diet is to learn what ketosis is, what are ketones and what do they do. “Normal” Metabolism Learning the basics of the various metabolic processes of the body will better your ability to understand ketosis. Under the normal physiological conditions that are common today, glucose is our body’s primary source of energy. Following ingestion, carbohydrates are broken down into glucose and released into the blood stream. This results in the release of insulin from the pancreas. Insulin not only inhibits fat oxidation but also acts as a key holder for cells by allowing glucose from the blood to be shuttled into cells via glucose transporters (GLUT). The amount of insulin required for this action varies between individuals depending on their insulin sensitivity. Once inside the cell, glucose undergoes glycolysis, a metabolic process that produces pyruvate and energy in the form of adenosine triphosphate (ATP). Once pyruvate is formed as an end product of glycolysis, it is shuttled into the mitochondria, where it is converted to acetyl-CoA by pyruvate dehydrogenase. Acetyl-CoA then enters the TCA cycle to produce additional energy with the aid of the electron transport chain. Since glucose is so rapidly metabolized for energy production and has a limited storage capacity, other energy substrates, such as fat, get stored as triglycerides due to our body’s virtually infinite fat storage capacity. When a sufficient source of carbohydrates is not available, the body adap Continue reading >>
The Interplay Of Exercise And Ketosis Part I
The interplay of exercise and ketosis – Part I I embarked on a self-experiment last weekend to see if I could better understand the interplay between the different types of exercise I do and ketone production (beta-hydroxybutyrate, or B-OHB, to be specific). To be clear, nothing I do with a sample size of one “proves” anything, but sometimes self-experiments can help you formulate hypotheses and, if nothing else, understand how your body works. Consider the parable of the black sheep. If you see even a single black sheep in the field, depending on your field of training, you can draw conclusions: Three scientists were on a train and had just crossed the border into Scotland. A black sheep was grazing on a hillside. The biologist peered out of the window and said, “Look! Scottish sheep are black!” The chemist said, “No, no. Some Scottish sheep are black.” The physicist, with an irritated tone in his voice, said, “My friends, there is at least one field, containing at least one sheep, of which at least one side is black some of the time.” My point is, even a self-experiment of one can be good for something. To test the relationship between exercise and ketosis I decided to examine my blood levels of glucose, B-OHB, and lactate immediately before and after three different types of workouts on three successive days. This interplay is complex and no one knows “everything” about it, including the world’s experts (which I am not pretending to be). I’m going to try to balance a fine line in this post – I want to be rigorous enough to explore the ideas with substance but not too detailed to put you to sleep. I hope I am able to balance these forces adequately. If any of you are not familiar with the work of Jeff Volek and Steve Phinney, b Continue reading >>
12 Great Herbs And Supplements To Improve Ketosis
A ketogenic diet is a very low carbohydrate, moderate protein and high fat based nutrition plan. A ketogenic diet trains the individual’s metabolism to run off of fatty acids or ketone bodies. This is called fat adapted, when the body has adapted to run off of fatty acids/ketones at rest. This article will cover how best to improve ketosis and supplement a healthy lifestyle. This nutrition plan has been shown to improve insulin sensitivity and reduce inflammation. This leads to reduced risk of chronic disease as well as improved muscle development and fat metabolism (1, 2). Ketogenic diets have been quite popular over the last 10 years due to the beneficial effects being in stable ketosis has on brain function, aging and chronic disease development. People all around the world have tried going on a specific ketogenic diet and lifestyle with varying results. Here are some helpful herbs, foods and supplements that are often overlooked by individuals who are trying to achieve and improve ketosis. 1. Use Fresh Lemon/Lime: Lemon and lime contain citric acid which helps to reduce blood sugar levels naturally (3). Additionally, the anti-oxidants and trace minerals such as potassium help to improve insulin signaling boost liver function and stabilize blood sugar. How To Use: Put lemon or lime in your water and use it in your green juices, salads and squeezed over meat and cooked veggies to help improve your blood sugar and improve ketosis. 2. Use Apple Cider Vinegar: Apple cider vinegar (ACV) is naturally high in acetic acid. The use of acetic acid with meals has been shown to reduce the glycemic response of a typical carbohydrate meal by 31% (4). One study actually showed that using acetic acid reduced a carbohydrate rich meal from a typical glycemic index of 100 to 64 (5). Continue reading >>
Will This Kick Me Out Of Ketosis?
A common question people have when starting keto is “will this kick me out of ketosis?” I’m going to address as many items as I can think of and explain why it will or will not kick you out of keto. This is going to be as comprehensive as possible so either use ctrl + f to find what you’re looking for or buckle up and read on. How do humans enter ketosis in the first place? Things will become much more clear if we explain how humans enter ketosis. Mainly, liver glycogen is what determines if ketones will be produced. Specifically, glycogen in the liver signals malonyl-coa to be formed by carboxylating acetyl-coa. Acetyl-coa is used in many processes and it’s the main substrate used to be turned into ketones. The wiki on regulation of ketogenesis which applies to this scenario says “When the body has no free carbohydrates available, fat must be broken down into acetyl-CoA in order to get energy. Acetyl-CoA is not being recycled through the citric acid cycle because the citric acid cycle intermediates (mainly oxaloacetate) have been depleted to feed the gluconeogenesis pathway, and the resulting accumulation of acetyl-CoA activates ketogenesis.” Basically, when there is more acetyl-CoA than oxaloacetate, the acetyl-CoA becomes acetoacetate, a ketone body. In plain English, carbs provide oxaloacetate, so if it doesn’t have carbs, it likely isn’t going to kick you out of ketosis. I’ll state the exceptions later. Why do humans enter ketosis so readily? Humans enter ketosis faster than any animal on the planet. It usually takes 24-36 hours before we enter ketosis.This is because we have huge brains and tiny bodies. Our brains need ~400 calories/day, which for most people that equates to 20% of our total energy demands. To put this in perspective, most anim Continue reading >>
The Fat-fueled Brain: Unnatural Or Advantageous?
Disclaimer: First things first. Please note that I am in no way endorsing nutritional ketosis as a supplement to, or a replacement for medication. As you’ll see below, data exploring the potential neuroprotective effects of ketosis are still scarce, and we don’t yet know the side effects of a long-term ketogenic diet. This post talks about the SCIENCE behind ketosis, and is not meant in any way as medical advice. The ketogenic diet is a nutritionist’s nightmare. High in saturated fat and VERY low in carbohydrates, “keto” is adopted by a growing population to paradoxically promote weight loss and mental well-being. Drinking coffee with butter? Eating a block of cream cheese? Little to no fruit? To the uninitiated, keto defies all common sense, inviting skeptics to wave it off as an unnatural “bacon-and-steak” fad diet. Yet versions of the ketogenic diet have been used to successfully treat drug-resistant epilepsy in children since the 1920s – potentially even back in the biblical ages. Emerging evidence from animal models and clinical trials suggest keto may be therapeutically used in many other neurological disorders, including head ache, neurodegenerative diseases, sleep disorders, bipolar disorder, autism and brain cancer. With no apparent side effects. Sound too good to be true? I feel ya! Where are these neuroprotective effects coming from? What’s going on in the brain on a ketogenic diet? Ketosis in a nutshell In essence, a ketogenic diet mimics starvation, allowing the body to go into a metabolic state called ketosis (key-tow-sis). Normally, human bodies are sugar-driven machines: ingested carbohydrates are broken down into glucose, which is mainly transported and used as energy or stored as glycogen in liver and muscle tissue. When deprived of d Continue reading >>
Response Of Brain Amino Acid Metabolism To Ketosis.
Response of brain amino acid metabolism to ketosis. Neurochemistry International [01 Jul 2005, 47(1-2):119-128] Our objective was to study brain amino acid metabolism in response to ketosis. The underlying hypothesis is that ketosis is associated with a fundamental change of brain amino acid handling and that this alteration is a factor in the anti-epileptic effect of the ketogenic diet. Specifically, we hypothesize that brain converts ketone bodies to acetyl-CoA and that this results in increased flux through the citrate synthetase reaction. As a result, oxaloacetate is consumed and is less available to the aspartate aminotransferase reaction; therefore, less glutamate is converted to aspartate and relatively more glutamate becomes available to the glutamine synthetase and glutamate decarboxylase reactions. We found in a mouse model of ketosis that the concentration of forebrain aspartate was diminished but the concentration of acetyl-CoA was increased. Studies of the incorporation of 13C into glutamate and glutamine with either [1-(13)C]glucose or [2-(13)C]acetate as precursor showed that ketotic brain metabolized relatively less glucose and relatively more acetate. When the ketotic mice were administered both acetate and a nitrogen donor, such as alanine or leucine, they manifested an increased forebrain concentration of glutamine and GABA. These findings supported the hypothesis that in ketosis there is greater production of acetyl-CoA and a consequent alteration in the equilibrium of the aspartate aminotransferase reaction that results in diminished aspartate production and potentially enhanced synthesis of glutamine and GABA. Continue reading >>
Ketosis
Tweet Ketosis is a state the body may find itself in either as a result of raised blood glucose levels or as a part of low carb dieting. Low levels of ketosis is perfectly normal. However, high levels of ketosis in the short term can be serious and the long term effects of regular moderate ketosis are only partially known at the moment. What is ketosis? Ketosis is a state the body goes into if it needs to break down body fat for energy. The state is marked by raised levels of ketones in the blood which can be used by the body as fuel. Ketones which are not used for fuel are excreted out of the body via the kidneys and the urine. Is ketosis the same as ketoacidosis? There is often confusion as to the difference between ketosis and ketoacidosis. Ketosis is the state whereby the body is producing ketones. In ketosis, the level of ketones in the blood can be anything between normal to very high. Diabetic ketoacidosis, also known as DKA, only describes the state in which the level of ketones is either high or very high. In ketoacidosis, the amount of ketones in the blood is sufficient to turn the blood acidic, which is a dangerous medical state. When does ketosis occur? Ketosis will take place when the body needs energy and there is not sufficient glucose available for the body. This can typically happen when the body is lacking insulin and blood glucose levels become high. Other causes can be the result of being on a low carb diet. A low level of carbohydrate will lead to low levels of insulin, and therefore the body will produce ketones which do not rely on insulin to get into and fuel the body’s cells. A further cause of ketosis, less relevant to people with diabetes, is a result of excessive alcohol consumption. Is ketosis dangerous? The NHS describes ketosis as a pote Continue reading >>
Top 8 Keto Supplements And 5 Functional Foods
So you’ve decided to go keto and you’ve done all of your research on which foods you’ll be eating on the keto diet. But before you do your next big grocery run, you may want to consider these keto supplements too. While supplements aren’t 100% necessary on the keto diet, certain keto supplements can maximize your results by accelerating weight and fat loss and boosting your energy levels. Some keto supplements are also helpful for reducing symptoms of the keto flu and can help make the transition to a high-fat/low-carb diet much easier, especially in the early stages when you may want to give up. In addition to keto supplements, we’ll also let you know which superfoods — or ‘functional foods’ as we call them — can also be helpful on the keto diet. These foods are concentrated in essential nutrients and can further improve how you feel on the keto diet. Let’s take a look at the most popular keto supplements and the keto-approved functional foods you may also want to try. Top 8 Keto Supplements 1. Perfect Keto Perfect Keto is a powdered drink mix and keto supplement that provides your body with exogenous ketones (whereas your body produces endogenous ketones). Taking exogenous ketones provides ketone bodies for you to burn as fuel right away, whether or not you’re in ketosis. This is why some people who aren’t following a keto diet will still take ketone supplements for energy. Being made from exogenous ketones, Perfect Keto provides the same benefits that endogenous ketones naturally offer your body: long-lasting energy, improved cognitive function, athletic performance, and mental focus, fat burning, and accelerated weight loss. To be clear, exogenous ketones aren’t a replacement for the keto diet. While exogenous ketone supplements will raise Continue reading >>
Acidbase Safety During The Course Of A Very Low-calorie-ketogenic Diet
, Volume 58, Issue1 , pp 8190 | Cite as Acidbase safety during the course of a very low-calorie-ketogenic diet Very low-calorie ketogenic (VLCK) diets have been consistently shown to be an effective obesity treatment, but the current evidence for its acid-base safety is limited. The aim of the current work was to evaluate the acid-base status of obese patients during the course of a VLCK diet. Twenty obese participants undertook a VLCK diet for 4 months. Anthropometric and biochemical parameters, and venous blood gases were obtained on four subsequent visits: visit C-1 (baseline); visit C-2, (1-2 months); maximum ketosis; visit C-3 (2-3 months), ketosis declining; and visit C-4 at 4 months, no ketosis. Results were compared with 51 patients that had an episode of diabetic ketoacidosis as well as with a group that underwent a similar VLCK diet in real life conditions of treatment. Visit C1 blood pH (7.37 0.03); plasma bicarbonate (24.7 2.5 mmol/l); plasma glucose (96.0 11.7 mg/l) as well as anion gap or osmolarity were not statistically modified at four months after a total weight reduction of 20.7 kg in average and were within the normal range throughout the study. Even at the point of maximum ketosis all variables measured were always far from the cut-off points established to diabetic ketoacidosis. During the course of a VLCK diet there were no clinically or statistically significant changes in glucose, blood pH, anion gap and plasma bicarbonate. Hence the VLCK diet can be considered as a safe nutritional intervention for the treatment of obesity in terms of acid-base equilibrium. Ketogenic dietVery low-energy dietObesityKetosisAcidbase safetyAcidosis Diego Gomez-Arbelaez and Ana B. Crujeiras contributed equally to this work. In recent decades the prevalence of obesi Continue reading >>
7 Tips To Get Into Ketosis
And convert fat into energy. By Franziska Spritzler, RD, CDE Ketosis is a normal metabolic process that provides several health benefits. During ketosis, your body converts fat into compounds known as ketones and begins using them as its main source of energy. Studies have found that diets that promote ketosis are highly beneficial for weight loss, due in part to their appetite-suppressing effects. Emerging research suggests that ketosis may also be helpful for type 2 diabetes and neurological disorders, among other conditions. That being said, achieving a state of ketosis can take some work and planning. It’s not just as simple as cutting carbs. Here are 7 effective tips to get into ketosis. 1. Minimize Your Carb Consumption Eating a very low-carb diet is by far the most important factor in achieving ketosis. Normally, your cells use glucose, or sugar, as their main source of fuel. However, most of your cells can also use other fuel sources. This includes fatty acids, as well as ketones, which are also known as ketone bodies. Your body stores glucose in your liver and muscles in the form of glycogen. When carb intake is very low, glycogen stores are reduced and levels of the hormone insulin decline. This allows fatty acids to be released from fat stores in your body. Your liver converts some of these fatty acids into the ketone bodies acetone, acetoacetate and beta-hydroxybutyrate. These ketones can be used as fuel by portions of the brain. The level of carb restriction needed to induce ketosis is somewhat individualized. Some people need to limit net carbs (total carbs minus fiber) to 20 grams per day, while others can achieve ketosis while eating twice this amount or more. For this reason, the Atkins diet specifies that carbs be restricted to 20 or fewer grams per Continue reading >>
Steve Phinney And Richard Johnson: Ketones, Uric Acid, High Fat And Health
Note from Steve Phinney: What this shows is that uric acid goes up promptly in the same time frame that ketones go up, but after 4-6 weeks, despite ketones staying up, uric acid starts to come back down. Based on these data and my clinical observations in thousands of patients, uric acid returns to or below pre-diet baseline within 6-12 weeks despite the person remaining is a state of nutritional ketosis. Thus, when I’m asked how long ketoadaptation aks, I generally respond that some aspects of it take 6 weeks or more. This graph, by the way, shows blood uric acid levels from the untrained subjects (VT) and bicycle racers (MIT) at various times over 4-6 weeks of sustained carbohydrate restriction (aka keto-adaptation). LISTEN (50 Minutes) EDITOR’S NOTE: Sometimes, the divide between experts who advise against a high-fat, low-carb diet and those who recommend it seems larger than the Grand Canyon. But occasionally, top thinkers from both sides break through to discover common ground, along with new paths for exploration. With that in mind, here’s a discussion between two nationally recognized health researchers which refers to the uric data in this chart . . . and more. To see the charts in larger format, click on them, and they should enlarge. Before going to the transcripts of this interview, here’s more background: Dr. Steve Phinney is emeritus professor of medicine at UC-Davis and a world-renowned expert on high fat diets, including how they affect uric acid levels. Dr. RIck Johnson is a professor of medicine at the University of Colorado who’s an expert on fructose metabolism (fructose accounts for much of the sweetness in table sugar and in high fructose corn syrup). Johnson’s expertise on fructose ties him back to uric acid. Johnson writes: “Our work Continue reading >>
