Ketone Bodies

KETones are a beneficial product of fat metabolism in the body. When carbohydrate intake is restricted, it lowers blood sugar and insulin levels. As insulin levels fall and energy is needed, fatty acids flow from the fat cells into the bloodstream and are taken up by various cells and metabolized in a process called beta-oxidation.
The end result of beta-oxidation is a molecule called acetyl-coA, and as more fatty acids are released and metabolized, acetyl-coA levels in the cells rise.  This causes a sort of metabolic “feedback loop” which triggers liver cells to shunt excess acetyl-Coa into ketogenesis, or the making of ketone bodies. 
Once created, the liver dumps the ketone bodies into the blood stream and they are taken up by skeletal and heart muscle cells at rates of availability.  In addition, the brain begins to use ketones as an alternate fuel when blood levels are high enough to cross the blood brain barrier.

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There are three major types of ketone bodies present in the human blood stream when the metabolic process of ketosis is dominant:

1. Acetoacetate (AcAc) is created first
2. β-hydroxybutyrate (BHB) is created from acetoacetate
3. Acetone is a spontaneously created side product of acetoacetate

In times of starvation, or a low carbohydrate intake resulting in low insulin levels, ketone bodies supply up to 50% of the energy requirements for most body tissues, and up to 70% of the energy required by the brain.
Glucose is the main source of fuel for neurons when the diet is high in carbohydrates. But when carbs are restricted, ketogenesis becomes the primary fuel process for most cells.
During fasting or low carbohydrate intake, levels of ketone bodies in the blood stream can rise to levels between 0.5mM and 5 mM, depending on the amount of protein and carbohydrates consumed.  This state is called nutritional ketosis.

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Nutritional Ketosis is NOT Ketoacidosis

Contrary to what some medical professionals are taught, nutritional ketosis is not the same as ketoacidosis. 
Ketoacidosis is a dangerous condition associated with a lack of insulin in the body.  Diabetics who don't inject  or make enough insulin can experience ketoacidosis if an illness causes their blood sugars to rise above 200 mg/dL, and insufficient insulin is available.  In these cases, diabetic ketoacidosis may occur.  This is NOT nutritional ketosis.
Ketoacidosis is a wildly out of control ketotic state in which blood levels of ketone bodies may rise above 10-25 mM.  This type of metabolic derangement happens because there is no insulin to put the brakes on fat burning, and this results in a flood of fatty acids flowing out of fat cells, which are then converted to ketone bodies in the liver and dumped into the blood stream. These much higher levels of ketone bodies result in the blood pH becoming too acidic and causing the health issues associated with ketoacidosis.

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Measuring Ketones

After a few weeks of adapting to a ketogenic diet, most people's blood ketone levels go above the 1 mM level. As the levels of ketone bodies rise, the brain begins to use more than half of them for fuel.
In addition, the muscles of the body use all of the ketone body types. But after a few weeks of keto-adaptation, the muscles start converting the acetoacetate into β-hydroxybutyrate (BhoB) and returning it to circulation.  Although BoHB is the more stable molecule, when it is taken up by muscle tissues, it has to be converted back to acetoacetate so that cells can metabolize it.  The conversion between BHoB and Acetoacetate goes back and forth depending on where in the metabolism it is being used.  The third type of ketone, acetone is very volatile and released in the breath and urine.  However it also has some effects on brain signaling and it prevents neuron hyperexcitability, which may explain why being in ketosis can calm neurological conditions such as epilepsy.
As time on a ketogenic diet progresses, the body becomes more efficient at using ketones for fuel.  The kidneys adapt and get better at reabsorbing larger amounts of acetoacetate and the brain and muscles get more efficient in using circulating BoHB.  This is important to know because the urine Ketone test strips that you buy in the drugstore only test for acetoacetate ketones.
So the longer you are eating low carb, the less MEASURABLE ketone bodies will show up in your urine and on the Ketostix because the kidneys get better at absorbing them. In other words, it will seem like ketosis is slowing. However, at this point, your brain and muscles will be happily burning ketones for fuel, and as long as you stay under your carb sensitivity levels, you will be burning stored fat as your main energy source.
The good news is that just recently, several companies have developed a blood meter to check for blood levels of BHoB at home. I've included links to these new products in the side bar at right. Note that the strips are pretty expensive. Other companies are working on a breath ketone analyzer, which may be cheaper, and have a better correlation to blood ketones as acetone is not filtered or reabsorbed by the lungs.

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Staying in Ketosis

For most people, eating more than 100 grams of protein along with more than 60-100 grams of carbohydrate on a daily basis will stop the process of ketogenesis and halt nutritional ketosis.  Blood levels of ketone bodies will fall below levels which can be used efficiently by the brain.
This is because protein in excess of body requirements is metabolized into glucose in the blood stream. About 56% of excess protein is metabolized into glucose, and this impacts ketosis as well.
For others who are super sensitive to carbohydrate, eating  more than 20 carbs and 80 grams of protein per day may interfere with ketosis as well.

20 Low Carb Avocado Recipes

I scream, you scream, we all scream for…avocado? Well, why not? That creamy green fruit is so good and so good for you. And it goes well with just about everything you can think of, from shellfish to chocolate. So here are 25 of the best low carb avocado recipes the internet has to offer. From sweet to savory, we’ve got you covered!

Mini Flourless Chocolate Avocado Muffins from A Sweet Life
Buffalo Chicken Stuffed Avocados from SheKnows.com
Shrimp and Avocado Ceviche from All Day I Dream About Food
Avocado Sorbet from Keto Adapted
Avocado Dip from Sweet As Honey
Crab-Stuffed Baked Avocado from Domestic Fits
Cajun Salmon Burgers with Avocado Crema from A Sweet Life
Bourbon Chocolate Truffles from I Breathe, I’m Hungry
Pan-Seared Salmon with Avocado Remoulade from Simply Recipes
Chocolate Avocado Raspberry Smoothie from All Day I Dream About Food
Zesty Lime Shrimp and Avocado Salad from Skinny Taste
Tuna Avocado Salad from Peace Love and Low Carb
Mayo-Free Avocado Coleslaw from Sugar-Free Mom
Chocolate Avocado Pudding Pops from A Sweet Life
Mexican Steak and Avocado Salsa from Tastes of Lizzy T
Shrimp, Avocado and Red Grapefruit from Low Carb So Simple
Avocado Green Tea Power Shake from All Day I Dream About Food
Avocado Feta Salsa from Fake Ginger
Fajita Salad from Fluffy Chix Cook
Blackened Chicken with Avocado Salad from A Sweet Life
Avocado Hummus from Peace, Love and Low Carb
Avocado and Salmon Low Carb Breakfast from The Nourished Caveman
Egg Salad Stuffed Avocado from Keto Diet App
Mini Bacon Guacamole Cups from All Day I Dream About Food
Chocolate Almond Pudding from Holistically Engineered

Coffee. Butter. Oil.
Separately those ingredients don’t exactly tick all the traditional boxes for a balanced breakfast. But together they are the three components you need to make Bulletproof coffee, a frothy, energy-igniting beverage that has surged in recent years to become the toast of Silicon Valley. Its promises are multitude, at least according to its creator, cloud-computing pioneer and "Bulletproof Executive" Dave Asprey, who refined his recipe after trying a tea made with yak-butter in Nepal.
Among Bulletproof coffee's listed benefits: It triggers weight loss by way of ketosis, a metabolic state triggered by a lack of carbs that kicks fat-burning into overdrive; it kills pesky cravings; and it boosts cognitive function, mainlining a shining dose of mental clarity into your foggy morning skull. Maybe it would even fold my laundry.
Most of all, though, Bulletproof coffee is intended to be efficient, an easy way for the biohacking crowd to slurp down fats and calories (460 of them!) without so much as sniffing a processed carbohydrate. Why eat a muffin that goes straight to your muffin top, the thinking goes, when you could drink down the metabolic equivalent of supercharged battery acid every morning?

Ketogenic Weight Loss Plateau.. Tips on how to beat it!!

I keep hearing people talk about their weight loss plateaus, and how they can get around them. Some go the extreme route of doing liquid fasting, others will ignore it and keep on keeping on.
I wanted to put together a short list of common things that may be wreaking havok on the average ketogenic dieter, and go over some solutions that might help out. Keep in mind, this does not cover everything and it also covers a wide range of topics.
As you read this, please read to the end. Don’t form ideas about your own body and apply the things that I am saying with no thought behind it.
This is strictly for people that are hitting weight loss plateau’s and need some help. If you have only lost 1 or 2 pounds in a week, that is still weight loss and does not require action against it.

Hidden Carbohydrates

People on ketogenic diets eat more carbohydrates than they think. They’re hidden in vegetables, nuts, and certain meat products. Yes, that peanut butter you’re chomping on could be causing a problem! Especially if it’s store bought – that stuff is loaded with extra sugar.
Some vegetables like Brussels sprouts, broccoli, and squash are common culprits that find their way into our lives on a frequent basis. You might think that they’re low carb, but in large consumption, those carbs really do add up. You can look at the list of the best low carb vegetables we’ve put together, so that you can be more aware of the vegetables you eat.
Meat is the center of most of our lives, and there’s sugar everywhere you look. Some bacon is honey smoked, adding unnecessary carbs to an already delicious product. Why the madness? Look for bacon with no sugar added. When you start to look into Italian sausages, chorizo, and canned meats, there’s more carbs than most think. Some brands have up to 5g carbs per serving when it comes to sausage – so make sure you are being diligent.
Medicine. Seriously!? Next time you think you are breaking down with a cold or flu, take a look at the nutritional information on the back of that Dayquil. 2 tablespoons of the stuff has a whopping 19g of carbs. You should opt for the low-sugar or sugar-free varieties they now offer for diabetics.
Make sure you check the nutrition labels on everything, before you buy it! You have to be weary of all the extra carbs that are hidden in the products you buy. We put together a ketogenic diet food list that you can read through before you plan your next shopping trip.

Calorie Counting

Most people I talk to have a misconception about ketogenic diets. They get the idea that all they have to do is count carbs to lose weight, and that’s simply not true. Think of it as a mathematical formula, instead. If you are putting more calories into your body than you are burning, that gives you excess calories. Do you think those excess calories just disappear? No, they are stored. Keep in mind that we eat a lot of calories from fat. This is because it’s the highest calorie per unit of nutrient, at 9 calories per 1g.
The misconception comes about because this large amount of fat also offers a great satiated feeling, allowing us to be full for a very long time. Most people don’t hit their necessary calories for the day, leaving them in a calorie deficit – and able to lose weight.
Making sure you’re in a calorie deficit is very important, and allows you to lose weight. You can use the keto calculator to help you figure out your macros, if you’re having trouble.

Food Sensitivity

Some people find themselves following their daily macros perfectly, but still seem to hit a stall. That might mean they have sensitivity to certain types of food.
From what I’ve come across, many people seem to have sensitivity to dairy. That includes cheese – one of the staples in all of my meals. That also includes cream, butter, and yogurt. If you’re having trouble losing weight, try cutting these out of your diet for a few weeks to see where it takes you.
Gluten is also something that many people have food sensitivities to. For some, low carb pastas and protein bars are a great way to keep weight loss slowed. Low carb processed foods can also have gluten in them. Yes, that means the lovely low-carb tortillas you’ve been eating might actually be stalling your weight loss.
If this sounds like you, cutting out gluten intake from processed foods might help out. It might also have a huge impact on your health over time.

Staying Consistent

Being consistent with a ketogenic diet is extremely important. Being as it can take a few days for your body to become keto-adapted, a cheat day can really take a long time to recover from. By the time your body is back in ketosis, a week may have passed – and that’s a week of no fat burning. This is also where the dreaded water weight will come back on.

If you are weighing yourself on a weekly basis, you may see a 4-6 pound gain of water weight if you did a cheat day 5 or 6 days ago. It also means it will take a few more days for the weight loss to start again. What may seem like a weight loss plateau is really just a delay from your body trying to become keto-adapted again.
Tracking your daily macros is a great way to keep consistent. It adds a layer of strictness into your diet, making it easier over time to realize where the mistakes are. We use MyFitnessPal, and wrote an article to help you get it set up.
If you’re not tracking your carbs, it can be very easy to let those hidden carbs creep up on you and knock you out of ketosis.

Protein Intake

Too much excess protein is just a bad thing when you’re in ketosis. As mentioned in a previous article, up to 56% of the excess protein is broken down into glucose. We all know that the body loves to use glucose as the primary form of fuel, and that’s exactly what we don’t want it to do.
The body and brain need small amounts of glucose to survive. The liver will always make sure you get this glucose, and it will strip it from your muscle tissues if necessary. Eating protein allows your body to get enough glucose needed to perform as needed, but it will also allow your muscle retention to stay healthy.


If you exercise, protein levels should be hovering around 0.8g – 1.0g protein per lean pound of body mass a day (source). This helps with muscle mass retention and growth.
However, if you are not exercising – your protein intake should not be as high. Sitting around 0.6g – 0.8g of protein per lean pound of body mass is going to be fine (source).

Eating Too Little or Exercising Too Much

This can slow your metabolism down. The body will slow itself down in response to a lack of food or excessive amounts of exercise to conserve itself. Studies show that if you do aerobic exercise for more than 1 hour a day, your metabolic rate can drop by as much as 15%.
In addition, eating too little can have the same effect. If you are eating too little, so much so that your fat stores cannot cover your calorie deficit, your body will begin to use lean mass to get the energy that it needs. This study shows that over a 6 month period of a 25% calorie deficit, your metabolic rate will only drop about 6%.
Studies show that as long as you’re eating at enough of a deficit that your fat stores can cover, your metabolic rate doesn’t change too much. If you do go over that deficit, though, your metabolic rate will severely drop in order to protect vital organs (this is a real “starvation mode” response from your body).
So, how much can your fat stores actually cover? You can get about 31.4 calories per pound of fat per day, from your fat stores.
Let’s say you’re 240 lbs (162 lbs lean mass, 78 lbs fat, 31.2% body fat) and want to get down to 180 lbs (162 lb lean mass, 18 lbs fat, 10% body fat):

• At 240 lbs (162 lean mass, 78 lbs fat) you can get about 2449 calories from fat stores.
• At 220 lbs (162 lean mass , 58 lbs fat) you can get about 1821 calories from fat stores.
• At 200 lbs (162 lean mass, 38 lbs fat) you can get about 1193 calories from fat stores.
• At 180 lbs (162 lean mass, 18 lbs fat) you can get about 565 calories from fat stores.

Against all logic, adding some extra calories from fat and protein to your daily macros may help. Try it for a few days, and see the results. If you exercise a lot, try cutting it back some and give yourself some extra rest days. My personal advice is 4 days maximum of hard training during the week.

Eating Too Often

Snacking when you’re hungry is great, but it can also be a setback. Try restricting yourself to eat on a regular schedule, with no meals (however small) in between. This is similar to intermittent fasting, and works very well for some people. Intermittent Fasting will allow your blood sugar and insulin to drop down to baseline levels, and allow your body to go into its fasting state – where it will burn fat for fuel.

When insulin is heightened, we can also show signs of hunger, according to this study, which can also lead to being in a calorie surplus. If you eat 5 meals a day spaced out over 10 hours, try eating 2 or 3 times a day in an 8 hour window. For example, from 10am until 6pm you can eat all the calories you want. After that, don’t allow yourself to eat until the next day.

Fat Fasting

If you’re finding yourself still at a plateau, you can apply a technique called the fat fast. It is normally a 3 day window of low caloric intake and high amounts of fat to kickstart your body to use your stored fat as fuel. If you’re interested, I went into more detail on fat fasting in another post.
This will consist of:

• 1000 – 1200 calories a day.
• 80-90% calories from fat.
• Eating 4-5 times a day.

Exercise and Protien on a Keto Diet

Eat More Protein if You Exercise

It's simple: those who are physically active will need more protein than those who are less active. Finding your ideal protein intake is easy - just use our keto calculator.

By selecting your activity level and body fat percentage, you will get a fairly accurate estimate of your protein needs (based on Dr Volek's & Phinney's recommendations). Keep in mind that this number is only an estimate - your protein requirements will vary based on your daily activity.
You shouldn't significantly overeat protein. Protein is not a particularly efficient fuel source - too much of it won't be beneficial. How much protein should you be eating? Aim for 0.6 to 1 grams per pound of lean body mass.
"Aim for a protein intake between 0.6 to 1 grams per pound of lean body mass.... Significantly over-consuming protein can be problematic because some of of the extra amino acids can be converted to glucose in the body, raising insulin levels, and thus driving down ketones and suppressing fat burning."

But Won't More Protein Kick Me Out Of Ketosis...?

Although it's true that too much protein may disrupt ketosis, you don't need to worry about a few extra grams of protein. Eating slightly more protein will not kick you out of ketosis because not all excess protein converts into glucose via gluconeogenesis. I personally go over or under up to 15 grams so don't worry if you don't match your numbers precisely every day. In fact, your protein requirements are slightly different based on your daily activity: you'll need more protein on your "training" days compared to your "resting" days.
Some people don't eat enough protein because they are afraid that it will slow down their progress. As a result, they are hungry and overeat fat. Because calories do count, even on a ketogenic diet, they may end up stalling or even gaining weight. If you are trying to lose weight or build muscles, you have to eat enough protein.

Make sure you eat enough protein. Lack of protein leads to increased hunger and energy intake. Eating enough protein and not overeating fat is one of the rules you should follow if you want to lose weight on a ketogenic diet. Don't rely on high ketone levels - what matters most is your food intake.

Post-Workout Nutrition and Nutrient Timing

Contrary to common beliefs, nutrient timing is not as important as people think. It shouldn't be the main focus for those who just want to look and feel better. So unless you aim for significant muscle gain or you are an athlete, you won't need to worry about nutrient timing.
It's simple: if you want to lose body fat, you need to stay in calorie deficit (use your body fat for energy). If you want to gain muscles, you need to be in calorie surplus. You should be aiming for macronutrients that fit your individual needs (check our keto calculator for more details). More factors that play role in muscle gain are listed in this post: adequate protein intake, calorie surplus, proper training and resting.

Carbs and Ketogenic Nutrition

A common belief is that post-workout meals have to be high in carbs. The reason for this belief is that a meal high in carbohydrates will increase insulin which will increase amino acid uptake and promote muscle protein synthesis. However, loading your body with large amounts of post-workout carbs is not as effective as you may think. In fact, to get the maximal effect of protein synthesis, you only need a small amount of insulin.
This doesn't mean you should avoid carbs altogether. Depending on the type of exercise, you may benefit from small carb-ups. Just keep in mind that if you include extra carbs, time them wisely round your workouts or later in the day rather than having a high-carb breakfast meal.

Protein and Ketogenic Nutrition

The primary factor in muscle protein synthesis is your protein intake, specifically leucine. Leucine is an essential amino acid that triggers muscle protein synthesis. It has been shown that blood levels of leucine increase when in keto-adapted state (protein-sparing effect of ketogenic diets). You don't need to over-consume protein to benefit from muscle protein synthesis - just eat adequate amounts to fit your needs. What actually maximises muscle anabolism after resistance exercise is leucine and not the insulin response if you were to eat carbs.

Fat and Ketogenic Nutrition

The ketogenic diet is a high-fat diet. However, it is not recommended to eat high-fat meals immediately after a workout. A high-fat meal would slow digestion of post-workout protein intake - this is not desirable for weight loss or muscle gain.

Common Myths about Exercise Nutrition

There are several myths that are circulating over the internet and here are the most common ones...

Myth 1: Our body cannot absorb more than 30 grams of protein per sitting

You may have heard that your body cannot digest more than 30-40 grams of protein in one sitting - the rest would apparently be wasted. Don't worry, that's a myth. As you may know, intermittent fasting (IF) pairs perfectly with the ketogenic diet and if you do IF, you will likely be eating just one or two meals a day. Does this mean you are not absorbing enough protein? No. Even if you eat more protein in one sitting, it won't be wasted - your body (the small intestine) will store the amino acids and use them as needed.

Myth 2: You need to eat 40 grams of protein in every meal

Secondly, some people suggest that you need to eat 40 grams of protein in every meal to trigger muscle protein synthesis. This is wrong - what you need is to consume adequate protein throughout the day.
By following the 40 gram rule, you may easily be over-consuming protein, especially if you eat more than twice a day. I am quite active and my protein intake is between 80 and 100 grams based on whether I exercise on that particular day or not. As an example, if I was to have 3 meals a day, I would be over-eating protein by up to 40 grams. Finally, keep in mind that the ketogenic diet is not a high-protein diet.

Myth 3: Post-workout anabolic window of opportunity

The suggestion is that immediately after a workout (no later than 30-45 minutes), our body needs fast digesting carbs and protein. That's why it's not unusual to see people bringing their protein & carb shakes to gym so they can drink them just after exercise before the window closes.

However, it seems that this window is much bigger and nutrient timing in general isn’t that important for the vast majority of people who are trying to lose weight and get fit. Rather than sipping on protein shakes immediately after a workout, take it easy and have a proper meal at home.

Myth 4: You should never fast after a workout

Mark Sisson has admitted to fast after a workout once in a while - and so do I. The benefit is that just like intermittent fasting, and resistance training, post-workout fasting increases the level of human growth hormone (HGH). So if I don't feel hungry, I don't eat. Not feeling hungry is the main benefit of the ketogenic diet and low-carb diets in general. As Mark notes: "insulin suppresses HGH. Skipping the carb snack and the subsequent insulin upsurge goes a long way post-workout."

Easy Keto Mozzarella Sticks

Is anyone else ever baffled by how many carbs you could eat in one sitting pre-keto? I shudder to think of how I would go to an Italian restaurant, chow down on some breadsticks, eat an appetizer of cheese sticks coated in breadcrumbs and dipped in a sugary marinara sauce, and then finish it all off with a pasta dish. Insane, right?
Well I’m still searching for the perfect keto breadstick recipe, but in the meantime, this recipe for low carb mozzarella sticks is easy and delicious. It’s one of those things that’s so simple to substitute that I almost don’t understand why anyone makes them the “normal” way to begin with. By swapping out the white flour for coconut flour and the breadcrumbs for grated parmesan, you get a result that’s pretty close to identical but much lower in carbs.


These low carb cheese sticks also have the added benefit of filling the occasional need for keto-friendly convenience foods. I like to make a double batch and store some in the freezer for later use. They can be cooked from frozen, so if I keep some on hand then I’m never more than about ten minutes away from cheesy, melty awesomeness.
You don’t even have to limit yourself to mozzarella; the recipe should work with any string cheese that has similar moisture content. I’ve used it to make fried pepperjack (which you can spot in the picture above) with equally delicious results.

• Prep Time: 40m
• Cook Time: 10m
• Total Time: 50m

• Yield: 10 cheese sticks

Ingredients

• 5 one ounce sticks of mozzarella string cheese, halved widthwise
• 1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon grated parmesan cheese
• 1 tablespoon coconut flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder (optional)
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning (or 1/2 t. each of dried basil and oregano)
• 1 egg
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Whisk egg with salt and pepper in a small bowl. In a separate shallow dish, combine the dry ingredients.
2. Dip each piece of cheese into the egg, and then roll in the parmesan mixture to coat. Repeat this twice to form a double coating on each cheese stick.
3. Place cheese sticks into a small rectangular dish or other container, and chill in the freezer for at least 25 minutes.
4. Heat about half an inch of oil in a frying pan over medium heat.
5. Fry cheese sticks until golden brown, about 60 to 90 seconds per side. Drain excess oil on paper towels.
6. Serve alone, or with a side of low carb marinara sauce for dipping.

 Each 5 stick serving comes out to about 390 kcal, 28g fat, 3g total carbs, 1.3g fiber, 1.7g net carbs, and 35g protein.

10 Incredibly Useful Cooking Tips - Gordon Ramsay

Keto and low blood sugar.

Reactive Hypoglycemia

Reactive hypoglycemia is a condition in which the body reacts to a perceived catastrophic drop in blood sugar. I say perceived because during an episode, the blood sugar readings may be in the normal range, but still "feel" like low blood sugar to the person having the reaction.
In my experience, hypoglycemia happens to most people when first beginning a low carb, ketogenic diet. It may be especially strong in people who have already developed insulin resistance or pre-diabetes from a chronic excess of carbohydrate intake. There are different types of low blood sugar causes.

Transient hypoglycemia normally happens when most people who have been eating a high carb diet drastically reduce carbohydrate intake for the first time. This type happens during the first several weeks of carb reduction because the body has not had time to create the enzymes or metabolic state to burn internal fat stores for fuel. Basically there is a gap in the amount of carbohydrate available for fuel, and the process of accessing fat stores for fuel. The lack of fuel sources results in transient low blood sugar.
Reactive hypoglycemia is more of an acute reaction to a very high carb meal. For instance, when a person eats 2 or 3 glazed donuts, there is a huge spike in blood sugar and compensating insulin secretion after such a meal. The large insulin spike drives blood sugar very low several hours after the meal.

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How Reactive Hypoglycemia Happens

Insulin, a hormone, is secreted from the pancreas in response to eating food, especially foods high in carbohydrates. Its main job is to move the sugar your body makes from the food you eat into your cells so that this excess sugar can be broken down for energy or stored. Insulin is a very powerful hormone, and it acts very quickly. The amount of insulin your body secretes is closely tied to how much blood sugar is being created from food.
Eating a high carbohydrate diet over a long period of time will cause a chronic elevation of your blood sugar, which results in a chronic elevation of your insulin levels. High levels of insulin are associated with inflammation and obesity, mainly because when insulin levels are elevated, fat storage is increased, and burning stored fat for fuel is inhibited. It’s a sort of vicious circle - the more carbohydrate eaten, the higher the insulin, the less stored fat can be accessed to fuel the body, so more carbohydrate has to be eaten to provide fuel instead.
One of the benefits of eating a ketogenic diet is its ability to lower your average blood sugar and insulin levels, and allow the body to burn stored fat. However, when first starting the diet, your body might still be in high carbohydrate, high insulin mode.
As you lower your carbohydrate intake, you begin a process of retraining your body to burn stored fat instead of carbohydrates for fuel. Normally, it takes from 1-3 weeks for the body to adjust the new lower level of carbohydrate intake, and build the enzymes needed to burn stored fat.
Meanwhile, during this adjustment phase, your pancreas is still secreting enough insulin for the older, higher level of carbohydrate consumption. And remember, because insulin levels are high, the body is dependent on carbohydrate for fuel, since stored fat can't be accessed.
Your body hums along with less carb intake for a couple of days because it can tap into the stored carb (glycogen) in your liver and muscles. But eventually, the glycogen stores get low, more insulin is secreted than actually needed, and a couple of hours later, you have a severe episode of hypoglycemia.
Your body perceives that your blood glucose is too low, and starts evasive tactics to get that sugar from somewhere. It pumps out adrenalin (epinephrine) to tell the liver to break down stored glycogen or amino acids into glucose FAST and dump it in the blood stream, while the nervous systems pumps out acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter which acts on the sweat glands, causing profuse sweating.

The adrenalin and acetylcholine cause symptoms that are associated with reactive hypoglycemia:

• heart palpitations or fibrillation
• dizziness
• light-headedness
• sweating
• headaches
• nervousness
• irritability
• shaking and tremors
• flushing
• craving for sweets
• intense hunger
• nausea, vomiting
• panic attack
• numbness/coldness in the extremities
• fatigue and shakiness for hours afterwards

Generally, drinking or eating something that is high in carbohydrate, like orange juice or candy, relieves the majority of the symptoms after about 15 minutes. There may be some residual fatigue and shakiness for a time afterwards. (I've have episodes of reactive hypoglycemia so bad I was still shaky 6 hours later.)
In my experience, eating 1-2 glucose tablets are an easier and faster way to relieve the symptoms. When beginning a ketogenic diet, I highly recommend buying some glucose tablets or glucose drinks like the ones below and carrying them around with you. They are available at most discount stores in the diabetic supplies section.
In addition, my friend Luke, who loves rock climbing, swears by a product called SuperStarch by UCAN. He says it has helped him get past some hypoglycemic episodes when he started a keto diet. He says the product is marketed as a gluten free sports drink, and supplies sodium and potassium as well as carbohydrate to help with low blood sugar. He writes "It has really saved my bacon more than once and allows me to stay on my ketogenic diet with confidence."
I have never used Superstarch, but Dr. Peter Attia at the Eating Academy blog uses this product and he's pretty savvy about ketogenic diets and exercise.

How to Avoid Reactive Hypoglycemia

In the short term, when first starting a low carb diet, eating more frequently may help.
Long term, the best way to avoid reactive hypoglycemia is to permanently reduce the amount of carbohydrate that you eat on a daily basis.
This will eventually lower your daily blood sugar and circulating insulin. Once insulin returns to normal levels, your body can then access its fat stores, and quickly switch over to burning fat for fuel when you go without a meal or two.
During the first phases of eating a lower carb, ketogenic diet, it’s a good idea to make sure you eat every 3-4 hours. Until you can retrain your body to burn fat, don’t try to go for more than 4 hours without food.
Paradoxically, some people who experience chronic hypoglycemic reactions report that waiting 5-6 hours before the next meal actually helps reduce the reactions.
Be aware that mainstream physicians aren’t generally knowledgeable about this condition because it is rooted in nutritional causes. Doctors aren’t taught about the power of nutrition, and so he or she may minimize your concerns about it.
But if you having these reactions, it indicates you are becoming insulin resistant, and that can mean you are on a path to diabetes, even if your fasting blood sugar is normal.
You may have to reduce your carbohydrate consumption slowly over a longer period of time to minimize these reactions, but eventually, by continuing to consume a diet lower in high carb foods, you should be able to avoid reactive hypoglycemia completely.

Cheet Sheet

The Best Keto Friendly Tortillas!!

So I was at Walmart, and was having a craving for something that was super loaded with carbs. Like some bread, or cheese tortillas. I looked through the entire bread isle, and while i found some really low carb bread and things that were still too high in carbs for a keto diet. I accidentally stumbled across Mission Carb Balance Tortillas . It has a net carb count of 6g carbs. which is the lowest pre-made and packaged tortillas or bread i can find. So while this is still fairly high, i have found that i can get away with one a day. and it makes it really nice to have a turkey club wrap, or a cheese quesadilla again, while staying conpletly low carb. Also the Fajahita tortillas are only 3 carbs, but they didn't have them at Walmart. They are in the baby blue trim packaging. Enjoy!!

One of my Favorite Keto Dishes

This one is super easy to make, and doesn't take very long to do. It is basically just Stuffed Mushrooms with bacon and spinach.
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons butter
5 slices bacon  
1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach
 12 large mushrooms  
 3 tablespoons butter 
 2 tablespoons finely chopped onion 
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced  
 3/8 cup heavy cream
 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
 salt and pepper to taste
 2 tablespoons butter, melted

Directions

• Prep
  15 m
• Cook
  30 m
• Ready In
  45 m

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Butter a 9x13 inch baking dish with 2 tablespoons butter.
2. Place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Drain, crumble and set aside.
3. Place frozen spinach in a medium saucepan with 1/4 cup water. Bring water to a boil, then reduce heat to medium and cook spinach covered 10 minutes. Uncover and stir. Remove from heat and drain.
4. Remove stems from mushrooms. Arrange caps in the baking dish. Finely chop stems.
5. Melt 3 tablespoons butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat, and mix in onion and garlic. Cook 5 minutes, or until tender, then mix in bacon, spinach, chopped mushroom stems and heavy cream. Bring cream to a boil. Remove from heat and mix in Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper.
6. Stuff mushroom caps generously with the mixture. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons melted butter. Bake in the preheated oven 30 minutes until lightly browned.

And there you have some super quick and easy keto Bacon Spinach Stuffed Mushrooms!!!

Dr. Oz

This is a great video overview of what a keto diet is all about from the Dr. Oz Show.

Keto Fast Food

A lot of fast food chains have tried to include healthier choices in recent years. However apple slices, full carb wraps, and 6 new fat free salad dressings don’t mesh with the low carb high fat lifestyle. Luckily there are still options when you need a fast food fix and are following the ketogenic diet.
This will be your go-to guide to keto food when you’re in need – fast – and not at home.
We’ve all been there. You’re out running errands on a Saturday afternoon and your tummy growls: it’s 2 pm and you haven’t eaten yet! Or it’s a Tuesday night and you’re at a friend’s house and they want to grab a meal quick.
What to do? Luckily, you have keto fast food options! I have happily eaten my way through the research for you – here’s a quick look at the most common fast food restaurants in the U.S. and keto meal options for you.

Five Guys Burgers & Fries:

Bacon Cheeseburger – Lettuce Wrap or Bowl

I only recently discovered the amazing keto to-go meal that is Five Guys. This is one of the few burger places I’ve been to that doesn’t flinch when I ask for no bun – you can either get your burger wrapped in lettuce or in a to go box (as pictured).
You can pick the toppings you want from their board. Best part is, if you order a bacon cheeseburger, you can ask for extra cheese and extra bacon for no extra charge! Another perk if you eat inside the restaurant is that they have all you can eat peanuts in the shell. A fun keto side that won’t make you long for their carby fries!

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Jimmy Johns:

Unwich

This is one of my favorite fast food options for a keto meal. Not only can you get an unwich to go, they deliver too! All of their sandwiches can be ordered as an unwich, which substitutes the bread/tortilla for a lettuce wrap.
This allows you to get your favorite Jimmy John’s sub in a low-carb version! Another perk of Jimmy John’s is that they have a very customizable nutrition menu builder online so you can easily add the macros of your unwich to your daily tracker!

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Chipotle:

Burrito Bowl Sans Rice/Beans or Salad

Up for Mexican food? You’re not alone! Chipotle is my favorite go to spot when I am craving spicy food while on the go. At Chipotle you can choose between a burrito bowl sans rice and beans or a salad.
Meat, cheese, sour cream, lettuce, salsa (the hot tomatillo-red chili salsa has the fewest carbs) – guac costs extra. That’s fine with me! Add on the fats and flavor, leaving the carbs behind – a great on the go meal can be had at Chipotle.

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In-N-Out Burger:

Protein Style Burger or the Flying Dutchman

Are you lucky enough to have an In-N-Out Burger nearby? While I unfortunately do not live near one, you are able to get a great keto-fied burger there as well! Order your In-N-Out burger “protein style” and they will swap out the bun with a lettuce wrap. To up the flavor without the carbs, swap the house spread for mustard and more pickles.
You can also order a Flying Dutchman which is two meat patties, two slices of cheese, and no bun or lettuce wrap! If you want any condiments, be sure to request them as they are not included on the Flying Dutchman.

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Hardee’s/Carl Jr’s:

Low Carb It Menu

This is another great place to grab a keto-fied fast food meal and where the staff are comfortable knowing their low carb menu options. They are one of the best spots to grab a keto breakfast on the go with their Low Carb Breakfast Bowl – a delicious selection of egg, cheese, and meats.
For lunch, dinner, or an afternoon snack, they offer the Low Carb 1/3 lb Thickburger or the Low Carb Charbroiled Chicken Club Sandwich; low carb versions of your favorite sandwiches served on a lettuce wrap. Hardee’s/Carl Jr’s websites also allow you to see the nutritional information of these items, helping you to easily track your daily macros.

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Panera Bread:

Salads and “Power” Items on the Hidden Menu

Don’t let the “Bread” in Panera Bread stop you from giving this place a try for a keto meal – there are plenty of options! While they have a few salads that are low-carb with no dressing, there is a newer, better option for keto menu items at Panera found on their hidden menu.
For a breakfast meal, ask for the Power Breakfast Egg Bowl with Steak at 3g net carbs or the Power Breakfast Egg White Bowl with Roasted Turkey at 4g net carbs. For lunch or dinner, order the the Power Mediterranean Chicken at 7g net carbs, the Power Mediterranean Roasted Turkey Bowl at 7g net carbs, or the Power Steak Lettuce Wraps at 6g net carbs.
Panera also does a great job of listing the nutritional information for these menu items on their website.

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McDonald’s and Burger King:

Breakfast Items and Bunless Sandwiches

Both McDonald’s and Burger King offer items that can be made low carb at a cheap price – this makes it a great stop on a road trip as one of these restaurants can usually be found in the smallest of pit stop towns.
You can ask for a breakfast sandwich at either restaurant and order it without the bun and the same goes for a grilled chicken breast or burger for a lunch or dinner. My personal favorite of these two is the McDouble from McDonald’s Value Menu without a bun or ketchup. They will usually serve it in a bowl and sometimes will add lettuce with it. Very tasty and keto-friendly at only 4g net carbs (ketchup will add an additional 1g net carb)!
My only complaint with these two restaurants is that the staff usually aren’t sure what you mean by “no bun” – however Burger King has the “low carb” option and seem to be better trained. Both chains offer their nutritional information in a customizable menu builder that has nutrition information – great way for you to plan out a meal ahead of time or track macros after.

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Wendy’s:

Bunless Double Stack or Grilled Chicken Sandwich

A great meal that is also minimal on the wallet is Wendy’s Double Stack ordered without a bun. At 4g net carbs and on their Right Price Right Size Menu, it is delicious and gives you the meat, cheese, and toppings you crave.
While in university, I ate at Wendy’s for lunch every day for 3 months and ordered two bunless Double Stacks plain, to bring down the carb count even more. Another good keto option is the Ultimate Chicken Grill Sandwich – served without a bun, it is only 5g net carbs.

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KFC:

Grilled Chicken

KFC is a great place to stop for a keto meal – each serving of their grilled chicken is either only 0 or 1g of net carbs. Ordering a few pieces of grilled chicken is super simple and super quick. Skip most of the sides – but if you must have one, ordering an individual serving of green beans is 2g net carbs.
If salad is more up your alley, the caesar or house side salad without dressing and croutons is 1g net and 2g net carbs respectively. A Heinz Buttermilk Ranch Dressing packet is 1g net carb, Marzettie Light Italian Dressing is 2g net carbs, and a KFC Creamy Parmesan Caesar Dressing is 4g net carbs.
In the hopes that the Grilled Double Down Sandwich returns someday (one of my personal favorite fast food keto meal in the past), I’ll list it here. That sandwich is only 4g net carbs and they are super delicious.

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Subway:

Chopped Salad or Bunless Breakfast Item

Subway used to be a great place for low carbers as they had teamed up with Atkins to offer low carb wraps. Unfortunately that ended many years ago now and we’re left up to our own devices to make a keto friendly meal!
Luckily you’re able to make a chopped salad out of any of their sandwiches and they have plenty of meats and toppings to choose from. For the lowest carb count, choose the Grilled Chicken Breast chopped salad made with spinach. As a dressing, your best option is the olive oil blend which is 0g net carbs. The next best keto option is the ranch dressing but it’s 4g net carbs!
As Subway has also recently started serving breakfast, you can now also get any of their breakfast subs without a bun and add any topping you please – a great keto way to start the day!
As a quick aside, attempting to “Calculate Yours” on their online menu is a bit tricky for breakfast as they will not allow you to select “None” for bread and you will have to manually figure out macros by subtracting out the bread nutritional information.

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Gas Station and Convenience Store:

Quick Bites

I never thought I would be one to eat a sandwich from a gas station but a long car trip last year changed that; I didn’t want to have to stop for gas and at a restaurant when I just wanted to keep driving!
I picked up a breakfast sandwich from inside a gas station and after peeling off the bun – it was pretty tasty! Just sausage, egg, and cheese. A lot of gas stations now offer hard-boiled eggs, deli meat, and string cheese in their cases in addition to other keto friendly snack items like almonds and pork rinds.
Take a look around, you can easily make a keto meal when you’re in a rush. Many gas station chains have also started to make their cheap coffee more “gourmet” too and offer add-ins – I have found sugar-free syrups at more than one chain, making that late night pick-me-up taste so much better!

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Starbucks, Dunkin’ Donuts, or most Coffee Houses:

Coffee or Tea and Bunless Breakfast Sandwich

When you are looking for a drink to warm you up or cool you down, you can always head to a coffee place. While the easiest option is to ask for a black coffee or tea, hot or iced, you can always ask them if they have heavy whipping cream, almond, or coconut milk (make sure these are unsweetened, if they carry it). I have found most small mom and pop coffee shops will have heavy whipping cream and Starbucks will usually have it if you ask.
Other low carb options include an Americano, which is hot water added to espresso, and a Depth Charge, which is a shot of espresso added to a cup of coffee (also known as a red eye, turbo, and shot in the dark). Most baristas will not bat an eye at your drink requests – they are used to getting silly long orders!
A lot of coffee houses now offer hot breakfast sandwiches as well – so if you are in a rush, order a breakfast sandwich and get rid of the bun – you’ll be left with a gooey and delicious mess of eggs, cheese, and sausage or bacon!

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Taco Bell:

Make Your Own Menu Item

I honestly didn’t believe this was true until I tried it: you can order just the sides at Taco Bell! Skip their tacos and salads in an effort to make a low carb dish here and just order the items you want. You can order a side of chicken, beef, lettuce, and guacamole for under $2.
Add a hot sauce packet or two on top and you’ve got that tasty Taco Bell meal you want – without the carbs. You can also do this for a breakfast meal as well, ordering eggs and a sausage patty or two as side items. Definitely gives their Dollar Cravings Menu a run for the money!
So what are your favorite keto fast foods? What local fast food places do you have that you can keto at?

What is a Keto Diet?

A keto diet is well known for being a low carb diet, where the body produces ketones in the liver to be used as energy. It’s referred to as many different names – ketogenic diet, low carb diet, low carb high fat (LCHF), etc. When you eat something high in carbs, your body will produce glucose and insulin. Glucose is the easiest molecule for your body to convert and use as energy, so it will be chosen over any other energy source.

Insulin is produced to process the glucose in your bloodsteam, by taking it around the body. Since the glucose is being used as a primary energy, your fats are not needed, and are therefore stored. Typically on a normal, higher carbohydrate diet, the body will use glucose as the main form of energy.
By lowering the intake of carbs, the body is induced into a state known as ketosis. Ketosis is a natural process the body initiates to help us survive when food intake is low. During this state, we produce ketones, which are produced from the breakdown of fats in the liver.
The end goal of a properly maintained keto diet is to force your body into this metabolic state. We don’t do this through starvation of calories, but through starvation of carbohydrates. Our bodies are extremely adaptive to what you put into it – when you overload it with fats and take away carbohydrates, it will begin to burn ketones as the main energy source.

What Do I Eat?

To start a keto diet, you will want to plan ahead. That definitely means having a viable diet plan ready and waiting. What you eat really depends how fast you want to get into a ketogenic state. The more restrictive you are on your carbohydrates (less than 15g per day), the faster you will enter ketosis. Normally, anywhere between 20-30g of net carbs is recommended for every day dieting – but the lower you keep your glucose levels, the better the overall results will be. If you need ideas for food, there are plenty of keto recipes for you to choose from.

You might be asking, “What’s a net carb?” It’s simple really! The net carbs are your total dietary carbohydrates, minus the total fiber. Let’s say for example you want to eat some broccoli (1 cup) – seriously my favorite and most delicious vegetable out there.

• There are a total of 6g carbohydrates in 1 cup.
• There’s also 2g of fiber in 1 cup.
• So, we take the 6g (total carbs) and subtract the 2g (dietary fiber).
• This will give us our net carbs of 4g.

 

 

 Here’s a list of the most common low carb vegetables.

Vegetable	Amount	Net Carbs
Spinach (Raw)	1/2 Cup	0.1
Bok Choi	1/2 Cup	0.2
Lettuce (Romaine)	1/2 Cup	0.2
Broccoli (Florets)	1/2 Cup	0.8
Cauliflower (Steamed)	1/2 Cup	0.9
Cabbage (Green Raw)	1/2 Cup	1.1
Cauliflower (Raw)	1/2 Cup	1.4
Collard Greens	1/2 Cup	2
Kale steamed	1/2 Cup	2.1
Green Beans steamed	1/2 Cup	2.9

Your nutrient intake should be something around 70% fats, 25% protein, and 5% carbohydrate. You want to keep your carbohydrates limited, coming mostly from vegetables, nuts, and dairy. Don’t eat any refined carbohydrates such as wheat (breads, pastas, cereals), starch (potatoes, beans, legumes) or fruit.
Dark green and leafy is always the best choice. Most of your meals should be a protein with vegetables, and an extra side of fat. Chicken breast basted in olive oil, with broccoli and cheese. Steak topped with a knob of butter, and a side of spinach sautéed in olive oil. If you’re finding yourself hungry throughout the day, you can snack on nuts, seeds, cheeses, or peanut butter to curb your appetite.

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Know Your Macros

“Macros” is an abbreviated term of macronutrients. Your macros are your daily intake of “the big 3” nutrients: fats, protein, and carbohydrates. You can use the following calculator to see what your daily needs will be. If you exercise or want to see a more in depth explanation on how we are calculating this, you should use the full version of the Keto Calculator.

Enter Body Weight (lbs.)
Enter Body Weight (kgs.)
Enter Body Fat Percentage

Enter your total body weight in pounds or kilograms, and your total bodyfat percentage. If you don’t know your bodyfat, you can visually estimate your body fat percentage.

BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate)
TEF (Thermic Effect of Food)
BMR + TEF:

This will give us an idea of how much the minimum amount of calories your body will burn in a day by calculating the Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) and the Thermic Effect of Food (TEF).

	Sedentary. Not much daily activity, little to no exercise.
	Lightly active. Daytime walking. 1–3 hours a week of light exercise.
	Moderately active. Active day job. Exercise 3–5 hours a week.
	Very active. Intense exercise 6-7 days a week.
	Extremely active. Training twice a day, very intense workouts.
Total Daily Energy Expenditure (kcal)

Based on your activity level, we will get a more realistic look at the average amount of calories your body burns per day. We will be using this to gauge the amount of calories you need to eat, along with the fats, proteins, and carbs you will need to consume in order to achieve you goals.

Deficit or Surplus Percentage	%
	Lose Weight
	Maintain Weight
	Gain Mass
Total Calories to Consume

Do you want to lose weight, maintain your weight, or gain mass? Choose your goals appropriately and only ever use a 10-15% calorie surplus or 20-25% deficit. Any higher of a deficit can have negative effects on your dieting, based on this study.

Daily Protein Ratio (g/lbm)
Daily Carb Intake (g)

It is highly recommended to keep your carb intake below 30g per day and protein between 0.7g – 1.2g per pound of lean body mass.

0	kcal Daily Calorie Intake
0	g Net Carbs (0%, 0 kcal)
0	g Protein (0%, 0 kcal)
0	g Fat (0%, 0 kcal)

Here are your nutritional macros. You should eat according to these, and try to spread your meals out during the day.

Benefits of a Keto Diet

• Cholesterol. A keto diet has shown to improve triglyceride levels and cholesterol levels most associated with arterial buildup.
• Weight Loss. As your body is burning fat as the main source of energy, you will essentially be using your fat stores as an energy source while in a fasting state.
• Blood Sugar. Many studies show the decrease of LDL cholesterol over time and have shown to eliminate ailments such as type 2 diabetes.
• Energy. By giving your body a better and more reliable energy source, you will feel more energized during the day. Fats are shown to be the most effective molecule to burn as fuel.
• Hunger. Fat is naturally more satisfying and ends up leaving us in a satiated (“full”) state for longer.
• Acne. Recent studies have shown a drop in acne lesions and skin inflammation over 12 weeks.

Physical Performance

You may see some limitations on your performance when you first begin a keto diet, but as your body fully adapts to using fat as the primary source of energy – all of your strength and endurance will return to normal. Many people ask if carbs are needed to build muscle. Of course they’re not. If you’re asking this question, I will assume you know how you gain mass. 

Your glycogen stores can still be refilled while on a ketogenic diet. A keto diet is a great way to build muscle, but protein intake is key here. It’s suggested that if you are looking to gain mass, you should be taking in about 1.0 – 1.2g protein per lean pound of body mass. Putting mass on may be slower on a ketogenic diet, but that’s because your total body fat is not increasing. If, for some reason, you need to put on body fat also, you can achieve your goals through a Cyclical Keto Diet or a Targeted Keto Diet.
People often argue that performance is affected when on a keto diet, but that’s not true. A study was done on trained cyclists who were on a ketogenic diet for 4 weeks. The results show that aerobic endurance was not compromised at all, and their muscle mass was the same as when they started. Their bodies adapted through ketosis, limiting both glucose and glycogen stores, and used fats as the predominant energy source. There was another study done on 8 professional gymnasts who had the same results.
Both groups were fed a strict diet of green vegetables, proteins, and high quality fats. So, even if you are doing long bouts of cardio – a keto diet has been proven time and time again. The only real time where ketosis can give performance loss is in exercises that need an explosive action. If you need a little boost in your performance during these, you can “carb-up” by eating 25-50g of carbs about 30 minutes before you train.

Dangers of a Keto Diet

There are a lot of misconceptions about low carb dieting which has caused an infamous outlook on this type of diet. There’s been tons of studies published over the last 30 years that show how high amounts of fat and low amount of carbs are beneficial.
People normally get this confused with high fat and high carb diets, which are terrible for the body. Of course when you eat a lot of fatty foods that are high in sugar, you’ll be getting yourself in trouble.
Thinking of going on a low fat diet? It’s been shown that a ketogenic diet is healthier AND more effective than low fat dieting. When you eat foods high in carbohydrates, your body naturally produces glucose. Carbohydrates are the easiest thing for the body to process, and therefore it will use them first – resulting in the excess fats to be stored immediately. In turn, this causes weight gain and health problems that are associated with high fat AND high carbohydrate diets, NOT a keto diet.
As a precaution, you should always check with your physician if you have any concerns about starting a keto diet. You should especially be weary if your family has any pre-existing kidney or diabetic conditions – as the higher intake of proteins will put strain on your kidneys.
High cholesterol, high blood sugar, and heart disease is not something you need to worry about. High fat, low carb diets are well-known and documented for their improvements in cholesterol, blood sugars, and reduction of heart disease.

What Happens To My Body

Your body is used to the simple routine of breaking down carbohydrates and using them as energy. Over time the body has built up an arsenal of enzymes ready for this process, and only has a few enzymes for dealing with fats – mostly to store them. All of a sudden your body has to deal with the lack of glucose and increase in fats, which means building up a new supply of enzymes. 

As your body becomes induced into a ketogenic state, your body will naturally use what’s left of your glucose. This means your body will be depleted of all glycogen in the muscles – which can cause a lack of energy, and a general lethargy. In the first few weeks, many people report:

• Headaches
• Mental fogginess
• Flu-like symptoms (known as the “keto-flu”)
• Dizziness
• Aggravation
• Yep, it’s pretty much a week of PMS for everyone!

Most of the time, this is the result of your electrolytes being flushed out, as ketosis has a diuretic effect. Make sure you drink plenty of water and keep your sodium intake up. In fact, you should go overboard with the salt – salt EVERYTHING! This will help with water retention, and help replenish the electrolytes.
For a normal person that is starting a ketogenic diet, eating 25-40g of net carbs a day, the total adaptation process will take about 2 weeks. My advice is to cut your carbs to fewer than 15g to ensure that you are well on your way into ketosis within 1 week.
You may notice that if you’re an avid gym goer, you lost some strength and endurance. This is normal. Once your body becomes keto-adapted, your body will be able to fully utilize the fats as its primary source of energy. Many studies done have shown that there is no long term drop in performance for professional athletes on a very low carb ketogenic diet. Many also report more energy at sustainable levels throughout the day.

Getting Started

If you’re not sure on where to start, and new to the website, I’d highly recommend reading through my “Start Here” article.
Overall, eating a high amount of fat, moderate protein, and low amount of carbs can have a massive impact in your health – lowering your cholesterol, body weight, blood sugar, and raising your energy and mood levels.

Once you’re in the mindset to start a more realistic, healthy approach at losing body fat – a low carb lifestyle doesn’t seem as bad. Give it a few weeks to get over the initial hump, and those cravings for carbs will go away. Some studies have shown links between artificial sweeteners and sugar cravings, so if you drink diet sodas or if you use a lot of artificial sweeteners – try to throw them out and reform your eating philosophies.

If you need help tracking your calories or carbs for the day, I’ve written up an article to help you do that. While it’s not necessary, it certainly helps to know exactly what you’re eating so that you can pinpoint mistakes easily.
There’s no real danger involved in a keto diet unless you have previous health conditions relating to the kidney or type 1 diabetes. Just be sure to know that the first week usually gives you some killer headaches and lethargy while your body adapts.