Keto-Insanity
2021-6-23_ For those of you that know me, know that I am a purist-especially when talking about lifestyle practices. I don't subscribe to what is popular or trendy. I don't take short cuts, I prefer the hard road so to speak. I am a big fan of authenticity. So when I hear people talking about going "keto" or getting into "ketosis" I kind of cringe. The backbone of what a true ketogenic diet is has been dismantled and replaced with food that is processed, loaded with sugar alcohols and an overabundance of fat. A true ketogenic diet should not include food in a box or in a bag. A true ketogenic diet should not include baked goods and sweets. A true ketogenic diet is not permission to stuff your face with and overabundance of nuts or nut butters and it's certainly not about bombing your coffee with butter and heavy cream. So suspend what you think you know about keto and let me share with you what truly is a ketogenic diet.
First and foremost, the founding fathers of the Keto World are Dr. Steve Phinney and Dr. Jeff Volek. Together they wrote the groundbreaking book The Art and Science of Low Carbohydrate Living. This is a terrific read and the ultimate resource for going "keto," nobody else is really worth listening to on the topic quite frankly because these guys are the OG. Let's rewind a little bit and break down the basics of what the hype is all about.
Getting into a state of ketosis is all about fat burning plain and simple. The only way to ignite your body's fat burning fires is carbohydrate restriction and managing food frequency. Sounds easy but it's not, especially when we consider the influential nature of our hunger hormones: specifically leptin and ghrelin. These guys have to be dealt with properly in order for you to be successful on keto. The quality of your plate must change in order to convert your metabolic machinery from sugar burning to fat burning. And how do you do that you ask? Well, the answer is simple, food elimination!
Sugar of all kinds has to go and this includes artificial sweeteners and sugar alcohols of every kind. Sweetened beverages are never okay so say goodbye to them! Grains of every kind and there are just too many to name but they gotta go too. Industrial seed oils aka polyunsaturated oils need to be eliminated, check out Dr. Cate Shanahan's list here to learn more The Hateful Eight. And of course all processed foods, low fat or nonfat dairy, frozen meals, protein bars and snacky foods must go. This is likely to be a huge shift for you, but it's an important one to make because all of these food products create un-health in your body and block your fat burn.
So now that we have wiped your plate clean, it's time to replace nutrient poor food food with nutrient dense food that will light up your fat burning fires. Here's a basic list for you to reference Keto Friendly Foods. So as you can see, eating real whole food is what a truly ketogenic diet is all about. Keep in mind that a single, high carbohydrate mean can knock you out of ketosis for up to a week! So don't give into "cheat meals." You may find that a meal loaded with high quality protein, delicious fats like eggs and avocados keep you pretty full and happy for many hours. This is a great thing because real food creates satiety which means your have properly dealt with leptin and ghrelin. Eating three meals a day will eventually come to and end simply because you aren't truly hungry for three meals. So getting into ketosis involves changing the quality of your plate number one but also controlling your food frequency number two. This is a topic I touched upon already in a prior blog so check it out but you definitely want to eliminate the practice of snacking and eating mini meals. Getting down to two meals per day is highly advised and even begin experimenting with 24 hour fasting.
If you follow my advice you will get into ketosis in no time! Ideally you will need to get your carbohydrates down to below 50 grams per day in order for your body to metabolize fat and for your liver to manufacture ketones. Ketones are know as the fifth fuel for the brain, the heart and muscles. They burn clean in the body and more efficiently than glucose. Because of the brain boosting power that ketones provide, the ketogenic diet is an effective strategy for treating diseases like Parkinson's, Alzheimer's and Autism. Those who go keto report an increase in mental clarity and focus, likely due to improved blood circulation and oxygen delivery in the brain. Stable flows of energy, cognitive function and insulin lowering are just some of the benefits of practicing a ketogenic diet. Our bodies do their best work in periods of non-food or in a fasted state.
I challenge you to move toward the direction of a ketogenic diet for a month to a three month period of time. I don't recommend long term keto, but certainly in the short term the benefits are tremendous! Happy eating!
