Ketogenic Lifestyle

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Ketogenic Lifestyle

Around the Spring of 2017 I started reading more and more about the Ketogenic Lifestyle – an extreme form of low-carb where one limits their daily carb consumption to around five to ten percent rather than twenty-five percent. Some people call it a high-fat diet. The most common term I have seen used is LCHF (Low Carb, High Fat). And contrary to the fear-mongering, one does NOT get fat from consuming fat!!

Keto Pyramid

(Image source)

I also read Canadian doctor Jason Fung’s book called The Obesity Code.  Dr. Fung is a nephrologist (Nephrology is the sub-specialty of internal medicine that focuses on the diagnosis and treatment of diseases of the kidney.) ^Source

Dr. Fung mostly sees people with kidney disease as a result of obesity and Diabetes, so he started to do more research about the connection between Obesity, Insulin, Pancreas, Insulin Resistance, Stress, Cortisol, and Diabetes. The book is science-based, but in easy-to-understand language. It was fascinating to see the connection between all of these in my own life (Thankfully I don’t have kidney disease)!!

The first thing I learned is that carbohydrates are the body’s first source of fuel, fat is the second source. As long as one consumes carbs, there is no chance of burning excess fat. And carbohydrates are usually stored in the body for up to three days; therefore, one would have to abstain from carbs for a minimum of three days before beginning to burn fat.

Dr. Fung says that calories are the wrong unit of measurement we’ve been using – and that carbohydrates should be the unit of measurement. He also talks about how as long as there’s consistent food consumption the body isn’t likely to burn fat, and he highly recommends Intermittent Fasting.

In mid-2017 I tried the LCHF lifestyle and felt GREAT!!

I would start my day with a cup of Bulletproof Tea (the Ketogenic community recommends Bulletproof Coffee, I don’t drink coffee, so I’ve created my own Bulletproof tea.) which consists of 1 Tbsp. coconut oil, 1 Tbsp. butter, and 1 cup of steeped green tea whirred in a blender for 20 seconds. It’s delicious!! It keeps me full and satisfied for hours!! (That’s the BIG SECRET about the High-Fat Lifestyle – FAT KEEPS YOU FEELING FULL AND SATISFIED!!) I don’t believe one needs to buy all the expensive MCT oils that most websites promote for the Bulletproof coffee/tea.

So many carbohydrates are full of ‘empty calories’ thereby keeping one feeling ‘empty and ‘hungry.’

Every couple of days I would do Intermittent Fasting for 20 – 36 hours. When I’m fasting, I will not consume ‘nothing,’ but very little. I have made a deep freeze full of bone broth, chicken broth and vegetable broth. On fasting days, I will have one or two broths, lots of hot water, white tea, and one or two Bullet Proof tea. I do not deprive myself, nor do I ‘starve’ myself.

The concept of fasting is the same as ‘starvation’ is so far off. One would have to have burned off every last ounce of excess fat off one’s body before they would ever experience starvation!! (Think Africa – that’s starvation!!)

What I find the most surprising and satisfying is that when I started this ketogenic lifestyle, it wasn’t about weight loss. I had given up ‘trying’ to lose weight after my last attempt when I gained 25 lbs! But the weight just seems to be melting off, effortlessly and easily. I rarely have carb-cravings, I rarely ever feel overly hungry. I can go hours without eating, or thinking of eating.

I am not an expert on anyone’s health besides my own, and after a lifetime of trial and error, I can only share what is working, or not, for me. There is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to health and ideal body size and shape. Each one is free to experiment on what works for them.

Books on Health, Food & Cooking That I Recommend

Please click on a link to read my book review

• Raw Food: a complete guide for every meal of the day by Erica Palmcrantz Aziz, Irmela Lilja
• Wheat Belly by William Davis, MD
• Eating for Energy: transforming your life through living plant-based whole foods by Yuri Elkaim, BPHE, CK, RHN
• The Obesity Code by Jason Fung
• The Gabriel Method: the revolutionary diet-free way to totally transform your body by Jon Gabriel
• Ultrametabolism Cook Book: 200 delicious recipes that will turn on your fat burning DNA by MD Mark Hyman
• Ultrametabolism: a simple plan for automatic weight loss by MD Mark Hyman
• Eating Alive: prevention through good digestion by Dr. Jonn Matsen, N.D.
• 17-Day Diet: a doctors plan for rapid results by Dr. Mike Moreno

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