The Keto Diet Is Gaining Popularity, But Is It Safe?
A new twist on extreme weight loss is catching on in some parts of the United States. It’s called the "keto diet." People promoting the diet say it uses the body’s own fat burning system to help people lose significant weight in as little as 10 days. It has also been known to help moderate the symptoms of children with epilepsy, although experts are not quite sure why it works. Proponents say the diet can produce quick weight loss and provide a person with more energy. However, critics say the diet is an unhealthy way to lose weight and in some instances it can be downright dangerous. Read More: What is the “Caveman Diet?” » What Is Ketosis? The “keto” diet is any extremely low- or no-carbohydrate diet that forces the body into a state of ketosis. Ketosis occurs when people eat a low- or no-carb diet and molecules called ketones build up in their bloodstream. Low carbohydrate levels cause blood sugar levels to drop and the body begins breaking down fat to use as energy. Ketosis is actually a mild form of ketoacidosis. Ketoacidosis mostly affects people with type 1 diabetes. In fact, it is the leading cause of death of people with diabetes who are under 24 years of age. However, many experts say ketosis itself is not necessarily harmful. Some studies, in fact, suggest that a ketogenic diet is safe for significantly overweight or obese people. However, other clinical reviews point out that patients on low-carbohydrate diets regain some of their lost weight within a year. Where It’s Helpful The keto diet was created by Dr. Gianfranco Cappello, an associate professor of surgery at the Sapienza University in Rome, Italy. He claims great success among thousands of users. In his study, more than 19,000 dieters experienced significant, rapid weight loss, few side Continue reading >>
The Results Of My Four Day Fast To Start A Ketogenic Diet
Greetings Ketonians! Dr. Anthony Gustin writing to you today. Many of you know I created Perfect Keto to help ketosis be accessible to everyone who wants it, and that includes me. One of my favorite quotes from Fr. Peter Drucker is, That’s why I encourage everyone on a ketogenic diet to test their ketone levels. I’m taking it about 10 steps further than just ketone blood tests by conducting an intensive two-month ketosis experiment on myself to learn precisely what changes occur in my body in ketosis. I began with a four day fast and I’m pleased to share that the results are in! They truly rocked all the old ideas I had about fasting and ketosis and I can’t wait to share them with you. If you think I’m nuts and wondering why the hell I would fast, start by reading my article about why I am choosing to fast here. The reason is I wanted to maximize my transition into ketosis. I’ve tracked body composition, lab blood work, ketone levels, microbiome tests and other noteworthy biomarkers to answer the questions I had for myself. Does fasting lead to massive lean tissue losses? Does it destroy your metabolism? Is it unbearable? Does it sap your energy? All of these questions and more are answered in this article. The Results of My Four Day Fast to Start A Ketogenic Diet Since there’s about a 0.003984% chance you read linked article about fasting, let me explain something from the start, this fast was never going to be a water fast. There are a few reasons to not do a water fast, but we won’t get into that here. We’ll get into what type of fasts I’m now doing regularly and why. My fast was similar to what researcher Valter Longo has shown to actually be preferential to a water fast in many ways, in what he dubbed the “fasting mimicking diet.” Much of hi Continue reading >>
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Is Ketosis Safe And Does It Have Side Effects?
Some people think that ketosis is extremely dangerous. However, they might be confusing ketosis with ketoacidosis, which is completely different. While ketoacidosis is a serious condition caused by uncontrolled diabetes, ketosis is a natural metabolic state. In fact, ketosis and ketogenic diets have been studied extensively and shown to have major benefits for weight loss (1, 2). Ketogenic diets have also been shown to have therapeutic effects in epilepsy, type 2 diabetes and several other chronic conditions (3, 4, 5, 6). Ketosis is generally considered to be safe for most people. However, it may lead to a few side effects, especially in the beginning. First, it's necessary to understand what ketosis is. Ketosis is a natural part of metabolism. It happens either when carbohydrate intake is very low (such as on a ketogenic diet), or when you haven't eaten for a long time. Both of these lead to reduced insulin levels, which causes a lot of fat to be released from your fat cells. When this happens, the liver gets flooded with fat, which turns a large part of it into ketones. During ketosis, many parts of your body are burning ketones for energy instead of carbs. This includes a large part of the brain. However, this doesn't happen instantly. It takes your body and brain some time to "adapt" to burning fat and ketones instead of carbs. During this adaptation phase, you may experience some temporary side effects. These are generally referred to as the "low-carb flu" or "keto flu." In ketosis, parts of the body and brain use ketones for fuel instead of carbs. It can take some time for your body to adapt to this. In the beginning of ketosis, you may experience a range of negative symptoms. They are often referred to as "low-carb flu" or "keto flu" because they resemble symptom Continue reading >>
What Everybody Ought To Know About Ketosis
Recently I wanted to explore the world of Ketosis. I thought I knew a little bit about ketosis, but after doing some research I soon realised how wrong I was. 3 months later, after reading numerous books, listening to countless podcasts and experimenting with various diets I know have a sound understanding of ketosis. This resource is built as a reference guide for those looking to explore the fascinating world of ketosis. It is a resource that I wish I had 3 months ago. As you will soon see, a lot of the content below is not mine, instead I have linked to referenced to experts who have a greater understanding of this topic than I ever will. I hope this helps and if there is something that I have missed please leave a comment below so that I can update this. Also, as this is a rather long document, I have split it into various sections. You can click the headline below to be sent straight to the section that interests you. For those that are really time poor I have created a useful ketosis cheat sheet guide. This guide covers all the essential information you should know about ketosis. It can be downloaded HERE. Alternatively, if you're looking for a natural and sustainable way to improve health and lose weight head to this page - What is Ketosis? What Are The Benefits from being in Ketosis? Isn’t Ketosis Dangerous? Ketoacidosis vs Ketosis What Is The Difference Between a Low Carb Diet and a Ketogenic Diet? Types of Ketosis: The Difference Between Nutritional, Therapeutic & MCT Ketogenic Diets Is The Ketogenic Diet Safe? Long Term Effects Thyroid and Ketosis - What You May Want To Know What is a Typical Diet/Macro Breakdown for a Ketogenic Diet? Do I Need to Eat Carbs? What do I Eat On a Ketogenic Diet? What Do I Avoid Eating on a Ketogenic Diet? Protein Consumption a Continue reading >>
What Is Keto Flu And How To Avoid It?
This page may contain affiliate links. Any commissions earned will help my website to remain free forever. ( Full disclosure ). After my previous article explaining what is a keto diet , many have asked me to explainwhat is keto flu and how to avoid it! In the original article above, I explain everything you need to know about starting a keto diet. What to enjoy. What to avoid. How to get started. Theres even a free FAQ and diet sheet too. So, you are interested in starting the keto diet, but you want to know everything about it first, and how to start it, the right way. You have probably heard about the amazing benefits of the keto diet. It is incredible for fast and sustained weight loss, not to mention all the incredible health benefits that you can expect to experience. Unfortunately, you may have also heard about the keto flu. Keto flu is a real thing and it happens when you quickly jump into a keto diet. There are ways though, that you can avoid keto flu. Keto flu is feeling the symptoms of withdrawal from carbs. Your body goes through changes when it switches from burning glucose to burning fat. These withdrawal symptoms include dizziness, drowsiness, muscle aches, nausea, and irritability. All of these symptoms are a completely natural reaction to the changes your body is facing Do not despair though, these symptoms do not last forever and you will soon be seeing the benefits of your new eating style. Before you find yourself dealing with any of these keto flu symptoms, there are a number of things that you can do to help to prevent keto flu. These include: Start slowly. Dont just make a harsh change in your diet and leave it at that. Start slowly. For the first couple of days, start with a typical low-carb diet. Get your body used to lower carbs before you res Continue reading >>
Keto Flu Symptoms That Signal The Keto Diet Is Making You Sick
Ketogenic diet enthusiasts love talking about how great they feel eating loads of fat and very few carbs. (No more brain fog! Zero sugar cravings!) What they might not mention? Going from a regular diet to a keto diet can temporarily cause some pretty unpleasant side effects. 6 Things That Happen to Your Body on the Keto Diet Were talking about keto flua cluster of flu-like symptoms that many newbies experience in the early days of adopting a ketogenic diet and its not exactly fun. Whether youre thinking of committing to a keto way of life or youre already on the keto bandwagon, there are a few things you should know about the keto flu. What is the keto flu? What are the symptoms? Keto flu is a group of side effects that hit most people when they first switch from a higher carb diet to a ketogenic one. Many of them are similar to what you might feel like when you have the actual flu (hence the name). Keto flu symptoms typically include things like: Why the heck does it happen? Normally, the body uses glucoseor sugaras its main source of energy. When you cut your carbs below 50 grams per day (the typical threshold for a ketogenic diet), you enter a metabolic state called ketosis: Instead of burning carbs for fuel, your body begins burning ketonesan alternative fuel source that the liver makes by breaking down fat. In turn, this can make you feel run down. That sounds awful. How long does the keto flu last? Ketosis is pretty different from what your body is used to, and this onslaught of symptoms is its way of dealing with carb withdrawaland adapting, explains Kristen Mancinelli, RD, author of The Ketogenic Diet . It takes a while, usually a week or two, for the metabolic machinery to shift to fat-burning mode. And youll feel pretty crummy while the transition is happeni Continue reading >>
Sick Day Management On A Ketogenic Diet
School is out, flowers are blooming, fireworks are in the air and it couldnt be a worse time to get sick. Lets face it, weve all had those horrible summer sick days. Throw being on a ketogenic diet into the mix, and the result is far from a summer break. KetoVies ketogenic dietitian specialists, Rebecca Jennings and Mary Susan Spears, share their tips to help make your sick day more manageable. Rebecca and Mary Susan joined the KetoVie team in order to provide additional resources to our customers. Both are practiced ketogenic dietitians and are always happy to answer any questions you may have about the ketogenic diet! Their biographies and contact information can be found on our website here . While these tips are helpful, they do not replace the necessary communication needed with your keto team to ensure safety. Encourage fluids to avoid dehydration. Aim for at least 1 cup of fluids every hour, more if a fever is present. Use water or calorie free beverage choices. Diluted Powerade Zero can be used as an electrolyte replacement drink. Refer to the Charlie Foundations list of Low Carb and Carb-Free Products for more beverage options ( .) Signs of dehydration include decreased urine output, dry eyes and dry lips. As long as the diet is tolerated, continue the diet as prescribed. If nausea, vomiting or diarrhea are a problem, you can try offering casseroles, soups or ketogenic formula such as KetoVie, so every bite and sip is in the prescribed ratio. You may need to temporarily offer reduced calorie or reduced ratio meals such as broth. Return to the prescribed meal plan as able. Contact your keto team if meals or fluids are not tolerated greater than 24 hours. Tip #3. You may see lower ketones during an illness. Lower ketosis is common during times of illness. This i Continue reading >>
Will Eating Carbs Make Me Sick On Keto?
A ketogenic diet is a way of eating that keeps carb intake very low, usually below 25 g net carbs per day. For all of us, there comes a day when we want to eat a high carb dish or meal. But will eating carbs make you sick if youre on the Keto Diet? Sometimes eating carbs while on a keto diet will make you sick. How sick depends on several factors. How long have you been Keto? The longer youve been keto, the less the carbs will effect you. What kind of carbs did you eat? Highly processed, crappy carbs are going to make you feel worse. Are your carbs covered in industrially processed seed oil? These oils are highly inflammatory and are going to make you feel worse. When you follow the ketogenic way of eating, the majority of the time you wont be eating much carbohydrate. Bread, pasta, crackers, beer, potatoes, rice, and sweets are usually off the menu. But because youre eating satisfying and flavorful protein and fats, your body is nourished, your cravings are reduced, your appetite is decreased, and its generally not that big of a deal to not eat carbs. Life is full of variety, though. You may want to have a favorite food every once in a while that you havent had in a long time. There may be a family get together and you dont want to pass up Aunt Mildreds famous potato soup. Holidays, social situations, date night. I call these Carb Adventures. And adventures can be fun! You may also feel a real need to include some carbs on a regular basis. Intuitively, you may realize that a few carbs here and there will help you feel better, avoid too rapid weight loss and its potential side effects, balance your hormones, or fuel your workouts. Incorporating carbs on a regular or semi-regular basis is known as Carb Cycling and is a totally legitimate way to Keto. Theres also benefit 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 >>
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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 >>
Ketosis For Cancer: Week 3being Sick On A Ketogenic Diet
Ketosis for Cancer: Week 3Being Sick on a Ketogenic Diet The good, the bad, and the confusingI am fascinated by this experience and I love this diet, but it continues to leave me with more questions than answers. This week, my biggest challenge was being sick on a ketogenic diet and the associated struggles with maintaining ketosis and energy. Note: this post was originally published on Aug 1, 2013. It was edited to streamline content and improve graphics, then re-posted in June 2016, therefore some older comments may pertain to content that was removed during revision. This post is part of a series describing my attempt to follow Dr. Seyfrieds dietary recommendations for cancer . To start at the beginning, please go to the first post: Seyfrieds Ketogenic Cancer Diet: My Fasting Jump-Start to Ketosis. Notes: Sleep was terribleslept for 3 hours then wide awake from 1:30 am to 5:00 am, then back to sleep, slept through the alarm. Woke up with mild headache and dry eyes, and felt slightly bloated. Mild cough and sore throat. Not hungry at all in the morning. Notes: Mild headache and dry eyes in the morning. Slightly bloated. Cold symptoms continue. Appetite was nice and low and I was able to work a very full and busy day without any problems other than feeling a little irritable. Sleep horrendous again. Notes: A bit hungry in the morning (stomach growly, slightly lightheaded). Cold symptoms worsening. No dry eyes (no olives yesterday). One hour after eating leg of duck I felt sleepy and achey. I wonder if the meat wasnt fresh enough (it was one of those vacuum-packed meats with a longer shelf life) or if the protein grams were too many too eat all at once? I checked my blood sugar out of curiosity and it was 84. I napped for 90 minutes. I avoided olives, vinaigrette, baco 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 >>
Being Sick While In Ketosis.
Despite all my efforts to the contrary....daily Zyrtec, Flonase, prayer and spiritual dances; I have fallen prey to the same October sinus infection that I've gotten each year since I moved to Houston. Usually, if I'm dieting, a sickness means the diet is off. Always, if I'm low carb dieting, a sickness means the diet is off. I'm free to slurp down as much Chicken Noodle Soup as I can stand, coupled with ginger ale, candy, and crackers---the mainstay of my "sick diet" since I can remember. But this time I want to remain in ketosis. I don't want to lose my hard earned work of muscle building since I started working with Yvette, my personal trainer, in July. That means I've got to get enough protein that my body doesn't start eating my own muscles to give my brain the glucose it requires. I managed to start the day off right thanks to the love of my life: bacon and eggs cooked in bacon grease. Halfway through I complained, as usual, that it was too many eggs (3.5 apiece) and got ordered, as usual, to finish it all. I'm glad, as usual, that I did. I had a salad for lunch...romaine lettuce, parmesan cheese, a few bits of grilled chicken and my homemade blue cheese dressing. That was around 11:30. At 12:40 the school nurse took my temp: 99.3---not bad, really, but she laughed and said it would be higher by the time I got home. Thanks, nurse! That was just the encouragement I needed. She was right. I was having chills on the drive home and got straight in the bed at 3:44. No appetite. Now for me, ketosis itself is a huge appetite suppressant, its the biological weapon I need to use if I'm going to lose 240 220lbs and keep it off. That coupled with a fever, which is also a natural appetite suppressant could be troublesome if indeed I am to get anywhere near the 161 grams of pr Continue reading >>
Should You Stay In Ketosis While Sick?
This is a tough question for those low carbing out there. There is no doubt that ketosis is a fat burning state that forces your body to metabolize food differently. But what about staying in keotsis while sick? Should you call it quits for the week? The month? The answer is a bit more complex. How sick are you? “sick” can mean a variety of different things. If you are having a cold for instance, staying in ketosis should be okay. Symptoms of runny nose, sore throat, cough, mild congestion, mild fever, are all generally manageable with over the counter meds and hydration. Generally if you feel you are up to the task, staying in ketosis when you have the common cold is usually safe and reasonably easy to manage. Some tips and tricks… Sugar Free Cough Drops. Dont forget that cough drops are loaded with sugar, which can throw you out of ketosis. I like to get HALLS Sugar-Free Cough Drops {affiliate link} and only use them when absolutely necessary Other great foods when your sick is homemade chicken zuchini noodle soup, scrambled eggs, pot roast, egg drop soup or basically any low carb soup you can make. Noatmeal is another low carb hot cereal option. Some people prefer to make bullet proof tea instead of bullet proof coffee. Even plain tea is a great option, just try to avoid the honey if you can resist. For a sore throat, sugar free jell-o with whipped cream is always an option for food. If you have more of a flu like sickness, or If you are having more of a stomach upset with nausea and vomiting, then perhaps keeping down what foods you can is better strategy. Sometimes when it is hard to keep anything down, it is better to eat something rather than nothing at all. The tried and true method of ginger ale and crackers is probably one of your best bets. There are op Continue reading >>
How To Stay Keto When Youre Sick
It is possible to stay in ketosis when youre sick, whether youre dealing with a stomach bug or fighting off a cold and in some cases, sticking to your diet can help you recover faster! Being sick makes it harder to stick to any diet. Youre feeling lousy and you want to indulge in some of your favorite comfort foods. Thats even harder when youre on the Keto diet, as many of the medications you take throughout the process may leave you feeling worse than before and erase all the work you did to get into ketosis in the first place. Fortunately, it is possible to stay in ketosis when youre sick, whether youre dealing with a stomach bug or fighting off a cold and in some cases, sticking to your diet can help you recover faster! If you feel an illness coming on, make sure that youre prepared to deal with it while remaining in ketosis and continuing to reach your goals. A recent bout with the flu left me with the chance to see this firsthand and I managed to kick this flu bug to the curb with natural remedies and liquid-only fasting. When you have a fever, fasting can be one of the most effective mechanisms for helping your body heal especially depending on the type of infection you have. According to a small study 1 fasting can help substantially promote healing from bacterial infections, while eating the right types of foods can help your body heal from viral infections. A previous study on mice with bacterial infections supports this evidence: mice who were force-fed were less likely to recover from bacterial infections in a timely manner, while mice who were allowed to eat according to their appetites had more positive outcomes. Of course, that doesnt mean that you have to fast the entire time youre sick, either. For the most part, the benefits of fasting are limited to t Continue reading >>
