Ketosis – Are You “looking For Purple”?
Two questions I’m asked a great deal are about ketosis. “What colour am I aiming at on the “Ketostix (TM)” testing strips? Where do I get them?” My answers are always this: “Benign Dietary Ketosis” as a concept was championed by Dr Robert Atkins when he published the first version of his plan in 1972. He mentions that you should measure your excreted ketones via urinalysis and be looking for a purple result. Where to get Ketone Urinalysis sticks Either, via Amazon (pretty much the easiest option) or at the Pharmacy counter of any dispensing Chemist. They are a “P” grade medicine, so you have to ask for them. However, being in ketosis is like being pregnant. You either are, or you aren’t. The colour is irrelevant, any shade of Pink/Purple will do. In fact, purple may well be a sign that you are pushing too hard. You may be eating too few vegetable based carbs. Purple means that you are dumping a great deal of excess ketones into urine, rather than burning them. If you are “purple” but find that you are not dropping fat, your body may well be fighting against your mind’s want to drop your excess fat. Your body wants to preserve its homoeostasis and keep you alive. What are the signs of Ketosis? If you are following Dr Atkins’ plan and so testing regularly, the preferable colour really is a pale pink. This is an indicator that your body is in its optimum fat burning zone, using everything that you are producing and not dumping any excess. Once you are effectively burning body fat, most people can tell they are “in ketosis” by the slightly metallic taste in their mouths. Some people say that their body odour changes (Not a BO odour, just personal smell) to incorporate metallic tinges. Others report that their urine has a more noticeable “he Continue reading >>
Atkins Agony Aunt Column
With the Atkins Diet hitting headlines almost daily, many of us are left confused about this popular fad. Our weekly column answers all your queries about the controversial regime sweeping Britain. Missed last week's answers? Click on the blue box, below, to catch up on other advice from our Atkins Agony Aunt. ____________________________________ A I have been doing the Atkins Diet for a year and, after trying a lot of other diets, I think it is the best. You don't feel hungry and the weight comes off fast. On a typical day I can have two boiled eggs for breakfast, a mid-morning snack of celery, a chicken Caesar salad for lunch and salmon with vegetables for dinner. There are certain vegetables that are high in carbohydrate that I avoid, such as carrots and potatoes, but I don't find that hard. The only thing that worries me is the lack of fruit in my diet. I used to eat apples but have cut them out because they are high in carbohydrate. Which other fruit should I be eating instead? Emma Harvey, London. A During the first phase of the Atkins Diet, called Induction, which lasts a minimum of two weeks, you are advised to cut out fruit altogether because it interferes with the burning of fat. You can eat limited amounts of fruit in the second phase of your diet but Atkins advises eating strawberries and other berries because they are low in carbohydrates. As you progress, and depending on your body's ability to keep burning fat when fruit is introduced to your diet, you can add more fruit such as green apples, plums and grapefruits but you must watch the portions. Limit your intake of high sugar citrus fruits and bananas, and avoid fruit juices which also have high doses of sugar. And keep your fruit consumption to a maximum of two or three a day in the final stages of the Continue reading >>
Urine Ketones - Meanings And False Positives
Professional Reference articles are written by UK doctors and are based on research evidence, UK and European Guidelines. They are designed for health professionals to use. You may find the Urine Ketones article more useful, or one of our other health articles. Description Ketones are produced normally by the liver as part of fatty acid metabolism. In normal states these ketones will be completely metabolised so that very few, if any at all, will appear in the urine. If for any reason the body cannot get enough glucose for energy it will switch to using body fats, resulting in an increase in ketone production making them detectable in the blood and urine. How to test for ketones The urine test for ketones is performed using test strips available on prescription. Strips dedicated to ketone testing in the UK include[1]: GlucoRx KetoRx Sticks 2GK® Ketostix® Mission® Ketone Testing should be performed according to manufacturers' instructions. The sample should be fresh and uncontaminated. Usually the result will be expressed as negative or positive (graded 1 to 4)[2]. Ketonuria is different from ketonaemia (ie presence of ketones in the blood) and often ketonuria does not indicate clinically significant ketonaemia. Depending on the testing strips used, urine testing for ketones either has an excellent sensitivity with a low specificity, or a poor sensitivity with a good specificity. However, this should be viewed in the context of uncertainty of the biochemical level of significant ketosis[3]. Interpretation of results Normally only small amounts of ketones are excreted daily in the urine (3-15 mg). High or increased values may be found in: Poorly controlled diabetes. Starvation: Prolonged vomiting. Rapid weight loss. Frequent strenuous exercise. Poisoning (eg, with isop Continue reading >>
Urine Testing Stix
Human and animal diabetics both use ketostix or ketodiastix. These are reagent indicator strips that test urine for only ketone (ketostix) or for both ketones and glucose (ketodiastix). These stix are available at any brick-and-mortar or Internet pharmacy that sells human diabetic supplies. Stix do expire, so check the unopened expiration date when you buy them and record the date you open them. Keep the bottle tightly closed when not in use; prolonged exposure to air can produce false negative urine ketone test result.s [1] Wal-Mart and Sam's Club sell a ReliOn branded urine ketone test strip made by Bayer, the maker of Ketostix. [2][3] If the foil-wrapped Ketostix, rather than the ones in vials are purchased, you may find it less wasteful. After the bottle is opened, the remaining unused strips have only a 6 months' life. By using the foil-wrapped ones, you can extend the "life" of your purchase. The singly-wrapped ones can have a unopened expiration date of up to two years. You are then only using what you need when you need it, having the rest still sealed and potent until the indicated expiration date. [4] You should test your pet's urine for ketones for the reasons discussed at ketones. You may test your pet's urine for glucose because you've been instructed to do so by the vet as a method of gauging regulation or your pet is undiagnosed and you want to determine whether there is hyperglycemia. Some reasons for preferring testing glucose levels by using blood over urine testing is that the urine used in testing may have been in the bladder for hours. Because of this, it may not be a reliable indicator of what systemic glucose levels are at the time of testing. [5] What's seen when testing urine for glucose is an average of what the level of glucose has been over a Continue reading >>
Ketone Testing
Tweet Ketone testing is a key part of type 1 diabetes management as it helps to prevent a dangerous short term complication, ketoacidosis, from occurring. If you have type 1 diabetes, it is recommended that you have ketone testing supplies on your prescription. Ketone testing may also be useful in people with other types of diabetes that are dependent upon insulin. Why test for ketones? Ketones are produced by the body as an alternative source of energy to sugar. The body produces ketones by breaking down fats, this process is known as ketosis. Ketones may be produced as part of weight loss, however, it’s important for people with diabetes on insulin to note that ketones can be produced when the body has insufficient insulin. When the body has too little insulin, it means that cells of the body cannot take in enough sugar from the blood. To compensate for this, the body will start to break down fat to provide ketones. However, if a high level of ketones is produced, this can cause the blood to become acidic which can lead to illness and even potential danger to organs if not treated in time. This state is referred to as diabetic ketoacidosis. Where can I get ketone testing kits and sensors? The most accurate way of testing for ketones is to use a meter that measures blood ketone levels. The following blood glucose meters are able to test blood ketone levels in addition to blood glucose levels: Abbott - FreeStyle Optium Neo Menarini - GlucoMen LX Plus If you take insulin, you should be able to get these prescribed by your GP. You can also test urine for ketone levels, however, urine ketone testing is not as accurate as blood ketone testing as the levels of ketones in the urine will usually only reflect a level of up to a few hours previously. When to test for ketones? Continue reading >>
