My Six-week Keto Diet Experiment
When Ros Lawrence first heard of a diet that allowed her to eat foods she normally denied herself, especially peanut butter, she immediately decided to give it a go. What would you say if I told you there's a diet where you can eat all the food you normally deny yourself, stop counting tedious calories, shift some weight, gain extra muscle and get an energy boost too? If you're anything like me you'd be asking 'where do I sign up?'! So when I heard about the ketogenic diet from a colleague I was immediately intrigued. This simply sounded too good to be true. Could I really eat fat and get lean? Enjoy peanut butter treats and squeeze into my skinny jeans? Never one to shy away from a challenge, I decided to see for myself, and so began my six-week experiment with the ketogenic diet… What is a ketogenic diet? In its simplest form, this is an extremely low-carb, high-fat diet. It's based on the principle that by lowering your carb intake your body is pushed into a metabolic state known as ketosis (pronounced key -tow -sis), where it switches from burning carbs as its primary energy source to burning fat. To be more precise, it uses ketone bodies or ketones from the breakdown of fatty acids in the liver – hence the name, ketosis. Now that fatty fuel can come from a meal you've just eaten or from the stores of fat on your body (aka, the evil muffin top). Ketosis is a metabolic process that the body initiates to help us survive when our food intake is low. Typically our bodies run on glucose derived from the breakdown of carbs – this is because glucose is the easiest molecule for the body to convert and use as energy, so it will be chosen over any other energy source. But when your body doesn't have enough carbs for your energy needs it will switch to ketosis to keep yo Continue reading >>
Keto Flu: Symptoms And Relief
Many people (not everyone!) who start a low carb diet experience what’s called the “keto flu” or the “induction flu” in the first few days while the body is adapting to burning ketones instead of glucose. What is keto flu? The basic symptoms are: headaches nausea upset stomach Lack of mental clarity (brain fog) sleepiness fatigue It’s called the “keto flu” for a reason: you feel sick. I’ve gone through it, and it wasn’t a pleasant experience. Fortunately, it only lasted four days (2 of them were pretty bad) but then suddenly I woke up feeling much better, less hungry and my energy level was high and consistent throughout the day! While at one point (or three or four) I thought to myself: “what the serious F am I doing? I’m going to die!” but I plowed through it, and when it was over I didn’t regret a thing because what I gained mentally and physically was 100% worth it. Keto and autoimmune disorders I have an autoimmune disease called Ankylosing Spondylitis, and Fibromyalgia to top it off. So, I’m no stranger to brain fog and fatigue, but the fatigue and brain fog that comes with keto flu is a little different, and feel much more like having the regular flu. How long will the keto flu last? It depends. Some people don’t experience any symptoms at all, but some suffer anywhere from a day to a week. In rare cases up to 15 days. Everybody’s bodies are different, and some people handle switching over better than others. You might consider starting keto on the weekend or sometime when you’re able to get good rest deal with the symptoms. For those of you that are going through the keto flu, don’t give up! I know you feel like it’s never going to get better but stick with it and you´ll be so happy you did! I’m telling you, waking up r Continue reading >>
Low-carb Side Effects & How To Cure Them
Are you struggling while starting out on a low-carb or keto diet? Do you get headaches, leg cramps, constipation or any of the other more common side effects? Use the information on this page to avoid them – and feel great while losing weight. The main solution to most common problems when starting low carb is to increase the intake of water and salt. It’s even better to do it preventatively during the first week. If you do, you’ll most likely not experience any of these problems, or they’ll only be minor. Use one of the shortcuts below for specific problems – or just continue reading for all of them. Top 6 common problems when starting Less common issues on low carb Low-carb myths Leg cramps Leg cramps are not uncommon when starting a strict low-carb diet. It’s usually a minor issue if it occurs, but it can sometimes be painful. It’s a side effect of the loss of minerals, specifically magnesium, due to increased urination. Here’s how to avoid it: Drink plenty of fluid and get enough salt. This may reduce loss of magnesium and help prevent leg cramps. If needed, supplement with magnesium. Here’s a suggested dosage from the book The Art and Science of Low Carbohydrate Living by Drs. Jeff Volek and Stephen Phinney: Take 3 slow-release magnesium tablets like Slow-Mag or Mag 64 a day for 20 days, then continue taking 1 tablet a day afterwards. If the steps above are not enough and the problem is bothersome, consider increasing your carb intake somewhat. This should eliminate the problem. The more carbs you eat though, the weaker the impact of the low-carb diet. Bad breath On a strict low-carb diet some people experience a characteristic smell from their breath, a fruity smell that often remind people of nail polish remover. The smell is from acetone, a ket Continue reading >>
Adverse Reactions To Ketogenic Diets: Caution Advised
As the ketogenic diet gains popularity, it’s important to have a balanced discussion regarding the merits of this diet. Let me emphasize right out of the gate that this is not a diet without merits (excuse the double negative); in fact, it has significant therapeutic potential for some clinical pathologies. However, it is also a diet with inherent risk, as evidenced by the extensive list of adverse reactions reported in the scientific literature—and this has not yet been a thorough enough part of the public discussion on ketogenic diets. The AIP Lecture Series is a 6-week video-based, self-directed online course that will teach you the scientific foundation for the diet and lifestyle tenets of the Autoimmune Protocol. This is the first of a series of articles discussing various facets of a ketogenic diet with an inclination toward balancing the discussion of the pros and cons of this high-fat, low-carb, low/moderate-protein diet. My interest in this topic stems from concerns I have over its general applicability and safety, simultaneous with its growing popularity. I feel a moral and social obligation to share what I understand of these diets, from my perspective as a medical researcher. The dangers of a ketogenic diet was, in fact, the topic of my keynote presentation at Paleo F(x) this year (links to video will be provided once available). This series of articles will share the extensive research that I did in preparation for this presentation, including all of the topics covered during my talk as well as several topics that I didn’t have time to discuss (also see the free PDF Literature Review at the bottom of this post). For every anecdotal story of someone who has regained their health with a ketogenic diet, there’s a counterpoint story of someone who derai Continue reading >>
Get Rid Of Keto Flu – Keto Flu Treatment
Get Rid of Keto Flu – Keto Flu Treatment I am not a doctor all I share is IMHO and from experience I gained. Please get a physicians advice before starting any diet. Get Rid of Keto Flu So here you are a few days, or a week+ in and you feel like crap. Kind of feels like the flu, and you just want to stay in bed. Bad news is you probably have the keto flu, but the good news is you can get rid of it quickly. I’ve read things like: Came down with the Keto Flu HARD! Got dizzy, nauseous and weak. Have you ever thrown up with the Keto Flu? I have diarrhea all last night and today. How do I make this stop?? I’ve got a headache and I’m in a cloud, tired and weak. Since I got into ketosis, I’ve been constipated. I’m bloated and cramped. I’m tired and I am having muscle spasms and cramps. So why do they/we feel like this? Well, these are very common symptoms of the so named “keto flu”. And it is due to an electrolyte imbalance. Yes, yes it is. When we switch to a low carb or keto diet, we involuntarily cut way down on salt with not eating a lot of the salty items we used to. This lowers our sodium intake. As well we are consuming more water and also urinating more frequently (kidneys dump the water weight), taking sodium out of our body faster. During this time the kidneys also dump potassium to try and equal out the balance sodium to potassium. As well we are all commonly low on magnesium due to our eating habits for years, we all should be supplementing with magnesium. If you are experiencing muscle cramps or spams, you may need to supplement with magnesium. Super Fast Solution to Get Rid of Keto Flu One product I recommend and I use myself is mineral drops. It contains all three, potassium, sodium and magnesium (read on to find out why these are important). I Continue reading >>
The Dreaded Keto Flu
For all the excellent benefits of the ketogenic lifestyle, getting there can be a physically rough road. The primary reason for this is what is known as the “keto flu”. Almost everyone who has changed their life to the healthy ketogenic lifestyle has had to deal with the keto flu, and some have had a worse deal than others. Background The keto flu is the common name for the induction phase of ketogenesis. That means it’s the period of time when your body is getting used to the changes you have made to what you eat. When you change what you eat, you change everything about how your body operates and functions. Inside your gut (where close to 70% of your immune system lives) are billions of bacteria, and they are all battling for dominance. If your diet consists of highly refined carbs, the types of bacteria that thrive in your gut (e. coli, h. pylori, candida a, etc.) will be inflammatory and detrimental to your immune system. By changing your diet to be high in fat, those same bacteria die off rapidly, because they don’t have their preferred energy source. This massive bacteria death has consequences. These consequences are typically: Diarrhea Headaches Nausea Lack of mental focus and clarity Fatigue In short: You feel like you have the flu. That’s because, in a way, you do. Your immune system is taking a beating when you make the change, because it has grown accustomed to the way things have been. But once you get through the induction phase, and you start to feel better, your immune system will be several times stronger and more efficient. That’s one of the reason that Ketovangelists don’t get sick (and when they do, it’s not nearly as bad as it could have been). Changing Fuel Sources The best way to think about what you’re doing to your body is to i Continue reading >>
New Mother Nearly Dies From A Low Carb Diet: 32-year-old Developed Life-threatening Condition After Ditching Bread, Rice And Pasta While Breastfeeding
A new mother developed a life-threatening condition due to eating a low carbohydrate diet while breastfeeding, doctors claim. The 32-year-old Swedish woman was rushed to hospital with nausea and vomiting, heart palpitations, trembling and spasms in her limbs. When questioned, she said she had been following a a strict low carbohydrate high fat diet (LCHF) in order to lose her baby weight, doctors describing her case in the Journal of Medical Case Reports said. The regime saw the woman, who is unidentified, eating less than 20g of carbohydrate day, the equivalent of a medium-sized potato, or a thick slice of toast, while breastfeeding her 10-month-old son. In the UK, adults are advised to get half of their daily energy intake from carbohydrates, according to a report by the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition, who advise the Government. This is the equivalent of 200 - 240g of carbohydrates in a person eating 2,000 calories a day. The woman said she had lost 4kg on the diet but had begun to feel very ill. In hospital, medics carried out tests and discovered she was suffering from ketoacidosis, a rare but potentially life-threatening condition normally seen in people with type 1 diabetes. ‘The primary diagnosis was thought to be ketoacidosis due to starvation induced by the LCHF diet,’ doctors writing in the journal. When a person has raised blood glucose levels, or are eating a low carbohydrate diet, their body may go into a state of 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. In ketosis, the level of ketones in the blo Continue reading >>
Keto Check In-keto Flu? – Day 4
Symptoms: Breath that smells fruity or like nail polish or nail polish remover rapid breathing or shortness of breath excessive thirst frequent urination stomach pain nausea, vomiting fatigue, weakness confusion Symptoms I am experiencing: excessive thirst frequent urination nausea fatigue, weakness – Eh, I was cool made the decision to go, Keto – Eh, this is child’s play. However, that was before my workout! I noticed my energy levels drop big time along with some nausea (no vomiting). No worries tho! just snacked on some salted mixed nuts had my post workout shake, and I was back to running as normal. I get up and jump on the scale–223.6 lbs. I am instantly digging what’s going on! Yeah, I know what you are thinking “WATER WEIGHT” Nah, I did a two-week conscious sugar fast before the June 5th start date of the AB challenge, but hey time will tell ;-). 5:00 pm I go home and crash hard–multiple times I found myself dozing off about 6:30 pm then I would wake up extremely exhausted. I dozed off again about 7:45 pm and woke up and grabbed some salted mixed nuts and it helped me stay up until about 10:00 pm. 5:30 am I wake up exhausted and end up going back to sleep and waking up at 6:27 am. This feeling is more like I just ran a marathon or in my case played a full iron man football game. 6:40 am I jump on the scale and to my surprise, I am 220.6! 8:45 am I get to the office and get the “oh man you look tired” greetings lol, and this was after coffee! 11:00 am still exhausted physically & mentally. I am extremely irritable and ready to blow-up on everything that shows no sign of common sense lol. 11:30 am I am headed to workout–just gulped down my protein shake…really wish I had a pre-workout right now. 1:30 pm finished my workout still exhausted, b Continue reading >>
What Is Keto Flu & How To Help!
Symptoms of Keto Flu: Keto flu is the name given to a set of symptoms some people experience when first starting keto. It’s not actually a flu and definitely not contagious, but it can become quite tiring. Keto flu symptoms are very similar to that of your regular flu and can last anywhere from a day to a few weeks! You may experience fatigue headaches cough sniffles irritability nausea Many people who experience these symptoms in the beginning of their ketogenic diet will believe the diet is to blame and carbs are good after all. Ironically, seeing these symptoms is a sign that you were very dependent on carbohydrates! Your body is going through withdrawal from sugar and carby foods. Subscribe for a FREE copy of our 14-Day Keto Meal Plan Withdrawal from Carbs There are studies that have shown sugar has the same effect on our bodies and brains as cocaine and heroine!1 The same areas of the brain are activated when one eats sugar as when one ingests cocaine. In addition, when we eat sugar, our brain sends messages for the release of dopamine, the “feel good” hormone. After some time, the release of dopamine is more or less regulated and less is sent out each time we eat sugar. The absence of large amounts of dopamine triggers our need to want more sugar, to get that same “feel good” feeling back. Coincidentally, drug addiction is exactly that. The brain remembers what made it feel good, even if you don’t- cravings aren’t random. When we stop eating sugar (or carbs altogether) our bodies can go through withdrawal. Many people report irritability and mood swings from the hormone surges, or lack thereof. Our bodies are recalibrating themselves without the influence of heavy factors such as carbs. Readjusting to Fat Headaches and fatigue can come from the sudde Continue reading >>
Keto Flu 101: Everything You Need To Know
In Keto Flu 101 my goal is to answer the questions I get asked on a daily basis about the Keto Flu. Many people who are interested in going into ketosis are afraid that they will get the keto flu and are looking for ways to avoid getting it all together. While every person’s experience is different, knowledge is power, so prepare to arm yourself with as much information about the keto flu as possible before you start the diet, so you know what to expect. ~ This post contains affiliate links to help you find the products we use. Already started Keto? Don’t worry; this post will still give you the tools you need to prepare yourself as well. Look, this is the rest of your life we are talking about. As my favorite author, C.S. Lewis said “Hardship often prepares an ordinary person for an extraordinary destiny.” and that is true even in the case of the keto flu! Keto Flu 101: Everything You Need To Know The “keto flu” is what we commonly call carbohydrate withdrawal symptoms. These symptoms usually occur in people who start a low carb diet that alters their hormones and causes and electrolyte imbalances. Don’t let this alarm you; this is a GREAT thing. In other words, it describes a cycle in the body adapting to a newly started low carb diet. Think about the keyword here, which is withdrawal. The same way an addict withdrawal from any drug. Your body is so used to living off of carbs that both your body and your mind think you need these to survive. On most diets you’ve tried in the past, your mind was probably much harder to fight than your body. Maybe you’ve never been on a diet that caused you to go through any form of withdrawal, and that’s where you’ll find the greatest source of power when it comes to Keto! With Keto, once your body goes through w Continue reading >>
Here Are The Keto Flu Symptoms And How To Beat Them
Over the past few weeks, I’ve heard from a few low carbers who had questions about some issues they experienced. They all say that they had rapid weight loss, but some had severe headaches, some had joint pains, one even claimed they had diarrhea. One lady thought that I didn’t know these diets can do this, but alas I was fully prepared. These people were suffering from dreaded keto flu symptoms. Not only was she wrong in assuming I didn’t know about these pains, I’ve actually experienced all of these over the last few years. Some of these are easier to manage than others, but any one of these will send you running to the nearest fast food restaurant. That’s why I wanted to write everything I know about the keto flu and how to get over each of these common symptoms. Update: If you take a look at the comments section, you’ll see that MCT oil is my recommendation for many of the issues people ask about. So, I decided to write a few posts on what it is and why you HAVE to include MCT in your diet. Here’s the first post! Keto Flu Symptoms The format for this post will be where I list each of the common symptoms and I’ll describe it as best as I can. After that, I’ll write everything I know about how to beat the pain. Most of my recommendations come from my own experience while others will be from trusted sources. Also, I’ll continue to update this page as people reply with more symptoms. The Ketosis Headache Often describe as a migraine, the ketosis headache is one of the most painful of the keto flu symptoms – in my opinion. This mostly occurs in the first 24-76 hours of an LC diet. People suffering from this describe the pain as being in the head but hard to pinpoint it to any particular region. The entire outer head feels stuffy and the pain is ofte 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 >>
The 11 Most Common Keto Side Effects
The 11 Most Common Keto Side Effects The ketogenic diet is a powerful new tool to hit the mainstream recently. This style of eating has substantial data behind it showing that it can boost fat-burning, reduce inflammation, boost cognitive performance, and more. What has not been covered quite enough are common keto side effects and how you can avoid them to make the best of this powerful eating style. Although there can be many different side effects that manifest while becoming keto-adapted, many of them stem from similar underlying issues. In this article, I outline what those underlying issues are, their related side effects, and simple strategies to overcome them so you can become keto-adapted as smoothly as possible. Three Primary Causes Although there are a variety of symptoms that can arise during keto adaptation, they mostly manifest from the same three underlying causes. Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar), Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal (HPA) axis dysfunction, and electrolyte/mineral deficiencies. While these three causes are seemingly different, they are actually all related. When becoming keto-adapted initially, your body has been running on sugar for years. When you suddenly switch to fats, your body has to essentially build the cellular machinery necessary to generate and utilize ketone bodies as a fuel source. This means that instead of generating tons of ketones from the very beginning, most people experience hypoglycemia for a period of time. With hypoglycemia comes a disruption in cortisol signaling which is what accounts for the HPA axis dysfunction. Finally, HPA axis dysfunction leads to an increase in secretion of minerals from the body in the urine. Together these three causes can create all kinds of side effects. Once you understand them, though, a lit Continue reading >>
Managing Illness Whilst On A Ketogenic Dietary Therapy
THIS DOCUMENT IS ONLY A GUIDE. IF YOU ARE WORRIED ABOUT YOUR HEATH OR YOUR CHILDS HEALTH IN ANYWAY, THEN YOU MUST CALL YOUR KETOGENIC TEAM, LOCAL DOCTOR OR AN AMBULANCE. Emergency Protocol Having an agreed emergency protocol will help reduce confusion should a hospital admission be needed or you need to deal with members of the medical profession who are unfamiliar with these types of diet. Vomiting and / or Diarrhoea With this type of illness the patient won’t want to eat as much as usual. However it is essential to ensure that plenty of clear, low carbohydrate fluids are offered and drunk regularly to avoid dehydration. These fluids should be water or the usual sugar free squash used with the diet. It may happen that meals are not completed or missed altogether, it is therefore essential to monitor the patient for signs of low blood glucose (hypoglycaemia) and / or excess ketosis (hyperketosis) and treat as recommended by your dietitian. If the symptoms continue for over 24 hours you will need to contact your keto team or local Doctor as it may be the case that a low glucose oral rehydration fluid such as Dioralyte will be required to replenish the body’s electrolyte levels (your keto team will advise you of what is suitable to give on the diet). Tube Feeds When a patient with a gastro enteric infection is fed a Ketogenic formula feed given via a gastrostomy or nasogastric tube they may not be able to tolerate their prescribed feed. The same principles apply to the feed as to the oral diet, it should be stopped and replaced with clear carbohydrate free fluids to avoid dehydration. Dioralyte may be required if your keto team advise. Should there be no improvement or the symptoms persist for 24 hours call your keto team or your doctor. This is especially important i Continue reading >>
The Truth About The Ketogenic Diet
“Keto- what?!” You probably have either said this yourself or have heard someone else say this. The ketogenic diet, originally used to treat epilepsy in children and help reduce seizure frequency, has recently gotten more attention as a mainstream diet touted for weight loss. But what exactly is it all about and is it healthy? The ketogenic diet is a high fat, low carbohydrate diet with moderate amounts of protein. The ratio commonly used is 90% fat to 10% protein+carbohydrate. By reducing the amount of carbohydrate intake, the body is forced to use fat stores as its energy source instead of its preferred source of glucose. The fat from those stores is converted into ketones, which the body can utilize as energy. This process is referred to as ketosis. Precautions While the use of ketones produced from fat stores may sounds appealing for weight loss, it can actually be life-threatening. Ketones are highly acidic and when large amounts are produced in the body they begin to build up and “spill over” into the blood and urine resulting in ketoacidosis. At this point the chemical composition of your blood becomes completely out of balance and can cause potential negative effects on the heart, kidneys, bones, and central nervous system, possibly leading to a coma or even death. The brain prefers glucose as its primary energy source to fuel the central nervous system and the shift to ketones can cause brain fog. Potential Cons: Increased cholesterol levels, possibly leading to bigger risk of heart disease Increased risk for kidney stones due to acidic ketones Excessive excretion of calcium, raising risk for osteoporosis Constipation due to decreased consumption of fiber-containing foods Deficiencies in several vitamins and minerals due to extreme food restriction “K Continue reading >>
