Is Ketosis Sustainable

Can Eating Fat Help You Lose Weight? Let’s Look At The Ketogenic Diet.

Fat makes your meals more palatable and helps you feel full, so it’s no wonder the high-fat ketogenic diet is increasing in popularity. The diet has been trending for the past three years, as “keto” blogs and cookbooks continue to pop up and build an impressive fan base. This diet has been used under close supervision by physicians and dietitians since the 1920s for treating epilepsy and has shown promise in managing brain cancer. But is it useful and healthy as a strategy for weight loss? First, the basics: On the ketogenic diet, at least 70 percent of your daily calories come from fat. Five to 10 percent of your calories come from carbohydrates (20 to 50 grams a day). The rest, up to 25 percent of your daily energy, comes from protein. By contrast, the healthy diet recommended by the Institute of Medicine is 45 to 65 percent carbs, 20 to 35 percent fat and 10 to 35 percent protein. The ketogenic diet’s low-carb target can be met only by avoiding grains, dairy products, fruit, and legumes such as chickpeas and lentils. Starchy vegetables such as sweet potatoes and squash are out, and even amounts of lower-carb vegetables are limited. So what’s left to eat? Typically, eggs cooked in butter for breakfast; for lunch and dinner, meat, chicken or fish with salad or green vegetables and plenty of oily dressing. Sorry folks, no alcohol on this diet. Even red wine is out. The ketogenic diet gets its name from a process called ketosis. Ketosis happens when your body doesn’t have enough energy from glucose (carbohydrates), so it adapts by using stored fat for energy. The result? Weight loss. Does the ketogenic diet lead to faster or more sustainable weight loss than other diets? The research to date suggests that initial weight loss on the keto diet is impressive but Continue reading >>

My Own Health V The Planet? Can A Ketogenic-diet Be Sustainable, Both For Me & For Future Generations?

Naturally this diet is having a considerable impact on my waistline! There are other impacts to be considered however, such as the potential environmental-impact that my food-choices may be having. I must admit that this has been nagging at my conscience a little. Meat and dairy have an astronomically high environmental-footprint. Beef – 16kg of CO²e/kg, lamb 17kg CO²e/kg & butter 17.6kg CO²e/kg… Need I go on? Compare this to the humble carrot at circa 0.05kg CO²e/kg and I begin to feel a little uncomfortable… This requires a lot more thought and research than I’ve yet had time to undertake. But is my diet so bad for the world that I can conscience continuing it? Are the polar-ice-caps going to melt any faster, simply because I’ve started to eat bacon for breakfast in place of muesli…? This blog can’t go into the full detail of this conundrum; there isn’t sufficient space & my small audience would rapidly dwindle if I switched tack & went off at a tangent. The below details a few thoughts I’ve been having as a starter for ten! Hopefully this will introduce a few positives into the equation & guide the thought-process to pastures greener. 1. Calories v Volume My calorific-intake on a fat-based metabolism remains the same as that of a glucose-fuelled diet (yet my weight is decreasing). Calories remain unchanged, but the volume of food I eat has more than halved! Fat is a far more efficient fuel-source than any other. The calorific-density of fat is 9 calories per gram v 4 calories from carbohydrate. The high levels of saturated fat in a ketogenic diet mean that you feel full on a vastly reduced volume of food (I estimate that my portion-size has literally halved in comparison to when I was eating glucose). I’m therefore eating less. 2. Decreased Vo Continue reading >>

Is Keto Sustainable?

I recently had a conversation with a doctor, an eye doctor, who is keto-friendly. During this conversation, he made the statement that keto (the Ketogenic Diet and Lifestyle) is unsustainable. My only response to that was, “We disagree about that.” And I was ready to let it go. Not because I didn’t feel comfortable with the subject matter, but because I didn’t want to get into an argument while he was checking my eyesight. But it got me thinking about that particular line of argument. When someone says, “It’s not sustainable,” what are they really saying? What does “sustainable” really mean? As best as I can tell, based upon the people who ask the question, it means, “Can you be keto for the rest of your life?” Can you, for the rest of your life, eat high-fat, moderate-protein, and very low-carb food? And on the surface, this might seem like a fair question. But it’s not a fair question. It’s a stupid one. First of all, it’s asking if you can predict the future. Can you say, with all certainty that you will stick to the strictest ketogenic definition of food for the remainder of your life? Or will you have to, on occasion, make due with some fat-free cheese? Or some white meat chicken? Or a salad without any fat in it? Sometimes we have to make the best of a bad situation. Sometimes we don’t have a say in what gets served. We always have a choice about whether or not we eat it, though, but that’s another discussion. So it’s a stupid question, because you can’t predict the future. But you can be as keto-prepared as possible. Second, it’s asking if you’ll ever eat non-keto foods. So, let’s pretend that you’re at a restaurant, and you ask all the right questions about the meal you’re ordering: real butter, no sugar, no breading Continue reading >>

Ketogenic Diets May Help You Live Longer And Improve Your Memory, But There's A Catch

The ketogenic diet has emerged as one of the trendiest weight-loss strategies around. The diet, which restricts your carbohydrate and protein intakes in favor of fattier foods like eggs and fish, is crafted to induce ketosis, a metabolic process when, in lieu of available glucose, your body burns stored fats. The thought is that by focusing your diet on those stored fats instead of glucose-heavy foods, your body will burn the fat, and you'll reap a number of benefits, including enhanced immunities, better mental and physical performance, lower insulin, and a more controllable appetite. However, because of its significant restrictions on what you can and can't eat, a number of concerns have been raised about a ketogenic diet's feasibility and safety. Some have even labeled them as completely useless. "Extreme diets such as the ketogenic diet have no therapeutic or practical use for people without neurodegenerative disorders such as epilepsy,” Alan Aragon, M.S., a Men's Health nutrition advisor, told us in August. "I do love and advocate healthy fats but don't think a true keto diet is sustainable—or fun—for many people," Libby Babbet, a personal trainer on Australia's The Biggest Loser, told the Sydney Morning Herald. Helen Truby, Ph.D., a professor in the Department of Nutrition, Dietetics & Food at Monash University, was just as cautious in her assessment of the trend diet. Rob Gronkowski's Diet: This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. End of dialog window. "Should people start ketogenic diets? Answer: not unless there is a medical indication to do so and under the guidance of an accredited practicing dietitian who can ensure nutritional adequacy," she told the Herald. Mice studies have reportedly arrived at re Continue reading >>

Ketosis Explained – For Weight Loss, Health Or Performance

Get Started Ketosis is a natural state for the body, when it is almost completely fueled by fat. This is normal during fasting, or when on a strict low-carb diet. Ketosis has many potential benefits, but there are also side effects. In type 1 diabetes and certain other rare situations excessive ketosis can even become dangerous. On this page you can learn all about how to harness the benefits of ketosis, while avoiding any problems. It all starts with understanding what ketosis is. Choose a section, or keep reading below for all of them. Ketosis ExplainedKetosis Explained BenefitsBenefits How to Get Into KetosisHow to Get Into Ketosis Ketosis ExplainedSymptoms & How to Know You’re In Ketosis Side Effects, Fears & Potential DangersSide Effects, Fears & Potential Dangers How to Reach Optimal KetosisHow to Reach Optimal Ketosis ketones Ketosis Explained The “keto” in the word ketosis comes from the fact that it makes the body produce small fuel molecules called “ketones”.1 This is an alternative fuel for the body, used when blood sugar (glucose) is in short supply. Ketones are produced if you eat very few carbs (that are broken down into blood sugar) and only moderate amounts of protein (excess protein can be converted to blood sugar). Ketones are produced in the liver, from fat. They are then consumed as fuel in the body, including by the brain. This is important as the brain is a hungry organ that consumes lots of energy every day,2 and it can’t run on fat directly. It can only run on glucose… or ketones. Maximizing fat burning On a ketogenic diet your entire body switches its fuel supply to run almost entirely on fat. Insulin levels become very low and fat burning increases dramatically. It becomes easy to access your fat stores to burn them off. This is o Continue reading >>

Is Ketosis The Answer To Fat Loss, Ibs And Sugar Fatigue?

We’re all looking for that one diet plan which actually works. Whether it’s losing weight, feeling healthier or having more energy, the diet industry had made billions from people looking for a magic pill. Go on Instagram and it’s full of people claiming that chowing down on chocolate proats (protein oats) or bone broth is the main reason that they’re a size 6 bikini model. Obviously, that’s bunkum but it can be tempting to buy into these solutions – particularly if you are struggling with intolerances, inflammation or you’re generally feeling run down. It’s not as easy as simply looking to slim down. Enter: keto. What is keto? A keto diet is basically a low-carb, no-sugar plan that pushes the body to produce ketones in the liver which can be used as energy. In other words, you’re getting your body to make its own energy rather than relying on fat-producing foods. And that means keeping the blood sugar balanced, maintaining regular energy levels, and more effectively burning fat. I keep meeting women who have turned to ketosis – a sort of Paleo diet – in a bid to feel better, look better and train better. Now, as a plant-based eater, I’m always sceptical about these diets which rely on ‘caveman’ eating patterns. I mean…we’ve evolved a bit since the stone age. We live longer, we’re probably fitter, we know more about nutrition. So why bother? Lucy Denver is a CrossFit PT, nutrition expert and Reebok ambassador – and a keto devotee. I spent a weekend training with Lucy at Be:FIT Weekender and I can tell you, she’s about as fit and lean as it’s possible to be. In fact, she recently completed the Ragner Relay (170 miles of running split between 10 people, with each person running three times within 24 hours) as part of the Team Reebok Continue reading >>

The Beginners Guide To Ketosis: Investigating Low-carb, High-fat Eating

The only hard and fast rule of health is that health is personal and what works well for one person may not work for someone else. Aside from that rule, there are “frameworks” that seem to benefit large groups of people. One more level down from that are alternative strategies that benefit smaller groups. Ketosis is likely one of those alternative strategies that works well for certain, smaller groups of people. So, right off the bat I want you to understand that Ketosis might not be for everyone. I’m going to lay out the case for potential benefits of Ketosis. If it sounds interesting and beneficial to you, then consider trying it. (see our free cheat sheet to help you). What is Ketosis Ketosis occurs when liver glycogen gets depleted and the body burns fatty acids for fuel. The primary driver of this state is a very low carbohydrate intake. Often, it also requires a low protein, higher fat intake. You can also achieve a state of ketosis by not eating altogether. The creation of ketones is a byproduct of this metabolic state. Ketones are a source of fuel, just as glucose is a source of fuel. Ketones tend to have some added benefits, though. What role does Ketosis play in human health? Ketosis allows our bodies to function in the absence of carbohydrates, both physically and mentally. Instead of burning carbohydrates, or converting protein to glucose, the body burns ketones. This is pretty much a survival mechanism. It allows your body to function in a state of caloric deprivation. This is why ketosis often gets bad press (as it’s linked to “starvation”). Being a survival mechanism doesn’t make it invalid as a strategy, though. There can still be potential benefits to be had. Let’s cover a few of them… Ketosis and Accelerated Fat Loss Being in ketosis Continue reading >>

Is There A Dark Side Of Ketosis?

I can’t remember what appetizer she pointed to, but the woman sitting to the left of me said this so casually, and several folks at the table knew exactly what she meant, confirming what I’d long suspected: Ketogenic diets have officially gone mainstream – or recognizable at a party mainstream at least – in 2017. Let’s back up and demystify ketosis, which simply means you’re utilizing ketone bodies – more commonly called ketones – rather than glucose as your body’s primary fuel. Just like your car uses gasoline, your body needs fuel. That usually means glucose. But let’s say you’re on a very-low carbohydrate, higher-fat diet. Your body doesn’t get a lot of glucose, which primarily comes from carbohydrate and to a lesser degree protein. That means your liver’s backup glucose (glycogen) also becomes in short supply. Unlike your car, your body doesn’t just shut down. Thankfully, you have an alternative fuel source called ketones. Ketones are organic compounds your liver always makes. You’re cranking out ketones right now as you read this. During starvation or (more likely) when you restrict carbohydrate and increase fat intake, your body uses ketones as its primary fuel. In other words, when your body doesn’t receive or can’t make enough glucose, it shifts to this alternative fuel. Almost every organ can utilize ketones except for your red blood cells (which don’t have ketone-metabolizing mitochondria) and liver. Your liver, in fact, does the heavy lifting. This hardworking organ metabolizes fat into three ketone bodies: acetoacetate (ACA), beta-hydroxybutyrate (BHB), and acetone.(1) BHB is the first substrate that kicks ketosis into action. Among its benefits, BHB reduces chronic inflammation and restores healthy inflammation levels. In Continue reading >>

Should You Follow The Ketogenic Diet?

The ketogenic diet may be on the rise as far as diet trends go, but the concept isn't new. First identified as a beneficial treatment for epilepsy, the high-fat, very-low-carbohydrate approach has been around for close to 100 years. Recently, the diet has become popular among athletes (LeBron James tried it) and those looking for the next weight-loss cure-all. Followers eat foods like butter, oils, fatty meats and cheese. Proponents claim it can lower cholesterol and improve athletic performance, but before you go "keto," here's a look at the science behind the popular diet. Try It: How to Start a Low-Carb Diet the Healthy Way Ketogenic Diet Basics The keto diet requires the body to rely mostly on fat for energy, rather than the usual carbohydrates (see Carbohydrates vs. Fat for Fuel below). When carb intake is very low, ketones—products of fat breakdown in the liver—must fuel the body. According to John Hawley, Ph.D., director of the Centre for Exercise and Nutrition at Mary MacKillop Institute for Health Research in Melbourne, Australia, there is no global definition of the ketogenic diet. In other words, no standard exists for how many grams of carbohydrate, fat, or protein should be consumed when following the diet. Most research around the diet has identified a carbohydrate intake between 25 and 50 grams per day, which is equivalent to two medium apples or one cup of cooked brown rice. This extreme reduction in carbohydrate is very difficult to maintain long-term and makes it impossible to meet the recommended amount of fruit, vegetable and whole-grain servings recommended for a healthy diet. According to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, carbohydrates should make up 45 to 60 percent of daily calories, or 130 grams/day, for most people to eat a balanced die Continue reading >>

Is The Ketogenic Diet Right For You? Nutritionists Weigh In

You may be hearing a lot about the ketogenic diet as a way to slim down while noshing on butter and heavy cream. This way of eating is suddenly hot among venture capitalists in Silicon Valley, who believe it will help them live longer and healthier, CNBC reports. Some praise the high-fat/ultra low-carb plan for helping them to lose weight and have energy all day long. Other advocates say it finally helped them to get control of their body. How does it work and could it help you? We asked Bonnie Taub-Dix, a registered dietitian nutritionist and author of “Read It Before You Eat It”; and Keri Glassman, nutritionist, registered dietitian and TODAY Tastemaker. To start with, both said they would never advise the ketogenic diet for weight loss. “Cutting out carbs is usually an invitation to overeat them at another point,” Taub-Dix said. “For a diet where you’re looking to lose weight, look good and feel good… I would not recommend a diet like this.” “For safe and effective weight loss, the carb reduction is too extreme,” Glassman added. RELATED: Read inspiring stories of ordinary people slimming down in TODAY's My Weight-Loss Journey Here’s what you need to know: What is the ketogenic diet? It’s a diet fine-tuned in the 1920s to help treat epilepsy. It does help to control seizures in some children, but it’s not recommended for adults “mostly because the restricted food choices make it hard to follow,” the Epilepsy Foundation says. The diet has just recently begun to be touted as a weight loss plan, Glassman noted. She described it as eating “mostly fat with a teeny bit of protein and carbs.” How does it work? Your body normally relies on carbohydrates for energy. It breaks them down into glucose, which is your main source of fuel. If that� Continue reading >>

Tips On How To Make Keto Sustainable

1,462 views How can you make the transition to a low-carb or keto diet as smooth as possible? Kristie Sullivan should know, since she has successfully been on the diet for four years. In this interview she shares her best tips and tricks, ranging from eating out at restaurants to quick dishes to make when you have no time. Watch a part of the interview above (transcript). The full video is available (with captions and transcript) with a free trial or membership: Tips on how to make keto sustainable – Kristie Sullivan, PhD Join free for a month to get instant access to this and hundreds of other low-carb TV videos. Plus Q&A with experts and our awesome low-carb meal-plan service. Ketosis More Keto for beginners Continue reading >>

The Ketogenic Diet: Does It Live Up To The Hype? The Pros, The Cons, And The Facts About This Not-so-new Diet Craze.

If you believe the buzz, ketosis — whether via the almost-zero-carb ketogenic diet or via ketone supplements— can curb appetite, enhance performance, and cure nearly any health problem that ails you. Sound too good to be true? It probably is. Want to listen instead of read? Download the audio recording here… ++++ Wouldn’t it be awesome if butter and bacon were “health foods”? Maybe with a side of guacamole and some shredded cheese on top? “I’m doing this for my health,” you could purr virtuously, as you topped your delectably marbled, medium-rare steak with a fried egg. Well, many advocates of the ketogenic diet argue exactly that: By eating a lot of fat and close to zero carbohydrates you too can enjoy enhanced health, quality of life, performance, brain function, and abs you can grate that cheese on. So, in this article, we’ll explore: What are ketones, and what is ketosis? What, exactly, is a ketogenic diet? What evidence and scientific research supports the ketogenic diet? Do ketone supplements work? Is the ketogenic diet or ketone supplementation right for me? How to read this article If you’re just curious about ketogenic diets: Feel free to skim and learn whatever you like. If you want to change your body and/or health: You don’t need to know every detail. Just get the general idea. Check out our advice at the end. If you’re an athlete interested in performance: Pay special attention to the section on athletic performance. Check out our advice for athletes at the end. If you’re a fitness pro, or interested in geeking out with nutritional science: We’ve given you some “extra credit” material in sidebars throughout. Check out our advice for fitness pros at the end. It all started with the brain. If you’ve called Client Care at Pr Continue reading >>

How Can I Say Eating Low Carb Is Sustainable? Well, Because It Is.

One of the slams one hears or reads about the ketogenic, low carb/high fat (LCHF) diet is that it can't be followed long term and that all diets fail. (That, and 'It will wreck your kidneys' ... 'Your cholesterol is going to go sky high' .... 'You might lose weight but that won't help you if you keel over from a heart attack' ... 'Carbs are required to make glucose so your brain can function properly' ... 'You'll shoot your eye out, kid!') Wait. That last one is about something else altogether.. The idea that eating a low carbohydrate diet won't work because all diets fail, which one might even hear from medical doctors, is maybe the most bothersome. If all diets fail then what's the point of trying ANY diets? Seriously. Let's just revel in the obesity epidemic, turn our healthcare system over to more and more treatment for the horrible side effects of Type II diabetes and call it a day. More to the point, though, a ketogenic, low carb way of eating is imminently sustainable. Personally, as of today, I've been following the program for two years, seven months and ten days. Not a single day, meal or snack off plan. Excuse me, I did eat a sliver of our older son's wedding cake in April of 2014. Other than that, I've remained below 20 carbohydrates per day - usually well below. And I'm not dead yet. I see no reason to ever change. As for my brain suffering from lack of carbohydrate intake, all I can say is that I'm able to string all the words written here together in a somewhat cogent manner. I dare say that my intellect has gotten back to where it was in my youth. I was really clever then. Then things got a bit foggy. Now I'm clever again. That is, I'm clever enough to keep at least myself entertained. But let's take it further. Jacqueline Eberstein, R.N., whom I had the Continue reading >>

Ketosis In Perspective: Thinking Twice About The Keto Diet Fad

Fad diets come in cycles, fluctuating to match popular prevailing attitudes toward nutrition. Fear of dietary fat spurred the creation of dozens of “fat free” processed snacks, but it wasn’t long before carbohydrates took center stage as dietary villains. Fast on the heels of the low-carb trend, the media declared fat to be vindicated and put butter back on the menu. Table of contents What is Ketosis? As if this game of nutritional ping pong wasn’t already enough to make your head spin, each major shift in dietary advice has spawned several conflicting programs and protocols. From Atkins and Paleo to “high-carb, low-fat” and 80/10/10, it seems as though everyone is claiming to hold the key to weight loss, longevity and freedom from every imaginable disease. The latest of these fads piggybacks on the removal of the “bad guy” label from dietary fat and takes the idea of low-carb diets to an extreme level. Known as the ketogenic, or “keto,” diet, it’s a dietary pattern based on nearly eliminating carbohydrates and increasing dietary fat to put the body in a state known as ketosis. Proponents of “going keto” claim it improves heart health, reduces problems associated with diabetes, gives you more energy and is preferable to low-fat diets for weight loss. If such success stories have made you wonder whether a ketogenic diet is worth trying, it’s important to note the known side effects, documented adverse reactions and potential risks of undertaking such a restrictive regimen. What is Ketosis? In a normal state, your body uses glucose obtained from carbohydrates to make energy. When carbohydrates are broken down, the resulting simple sugar can be used as a convenient fuel source. Extra glucose is stored in your liver and muscles as glycogen and is Continue reading >>

Long Term Very Low Carb And Ketogenic Diets = Bad News

Via Spanish Caravan, a frequent commenter with let’s just say a “medical background.” ~~~ Physiological Insulin Resistatnce (PIR) results from glucose deficiency the same way mucin deficiency induces dry eyes, nostrils, colon and anemia like symptoms. They’re both ways of preserving glucose for your brain. When you VLC, your muscles become insulin resistant to preserve your glucose for the brain. So while your muscles are running on fatty acids, they become insulin resistant. This leaves glucose for your brain but the net result is your BG going up as you’re “physiologically” insulin resistant. There doesn’t really seem to a problem with this state, as there is with mucin deficiency; it’s not known to induce diabetes or make prediabetics diabetic. At least not according to those who advocate VLCing. I have a feeling however, that this is a disease-prone state. The effects of low carbohydrate diets on insulin sensitivity depend on what is used to replace the dietary carbohydrate, and the nature of the subjects studied. Dietary carbohydrates may affect insulin action, at least in part, via alterations in plasma free fatty acids. In normal subjects a high-carbohydrate/low-GI breakfast meal reduced free fatty acids by reducing the undershoot of plasma glucose, whereas low-carbohydrate breakfasts increased postprandial free fatty acids. Why is it disease-prone? Because high serum free fatty acids are implicated in various disease states, especially immune related (and also diabetes in some cases). High serum FFA and very low trigs that we see among those who VLC are associated with nascent autoimmunity, especially rheumatic autoimmunity. See: Low fasting serum triglyceride level as a precocious marker of autoimmune disorders. We’re talking about triglycer Continue reading >>