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Are you one of the many people who’ve wondered what the heck a ketogenic diet really is? How does keto work and whether the recently popular diet is right for you? Or are you unsure how to get started on a ketogenic diet? Well that’s what this week’s blog article is all about my friend. Plus, you will learn 3 different ways to move into ketosis and transform your body into a fat-burning machine.

The ketogenic diet has gained a lot of popularity in recent years as a weight loss tool. By creating an environment in the body with reduced blood sugar and insulin production, the body will naturally convert to burning fat for energy instead of glucose or blood sugar for energy.

But originally the ketogenic diet was not used for weight loss. The ketogenic diet has been used for decades to help people with epilepsy reduce and sometimes eliminate epileptic seizures, particularly in children. It was discovered that a specific combination of macronutrients (low carbohydrate, moderate protein and high fat) produced an increased number of ketone bodies, or fatty acids, which provided energy for the brain and body while simultaneously reducing epileptic seizures.

Carbohydrates were kept low at about 5 to 6% of a person’s daily caloric intake. Protein was consumed in moderate portions at about 17 to 20% and dietary fat provided the bulk of caloric intake at about 75 to 77%.

Approximately one third of the children who followed the ketogenic diet were completely seizure free once converting from burning primarily glucose to burning ketones for energy.

Another third had a significant reduction in seizures and or their intensity. The remaining third of children had no change in their seizures. For more information on utilizing a ketogenic diet or nutritional ketosis for help with managing seizures,  I recommend first watching the YouTube movie,  First Do No Harm with Meryl Streep. It is based on the true story of a four-year-old boy’s struggle with seizures and his mother’s dedication to finding a way to stop the life threatening seizures he was experiencing.  You will also find other helpful links at the end of this article for support with epilepsy.

But for the primary purpose of this article, we are going to look at using a ketogenic diet for people desiring to lose weight, reset their metabolic rate, have more energy, and more mental clarity.

 

**Important Note: If you are considering the ketogenic diet for either a child or adult who suffers from epilepsy, has been diagnosed with diabetes or takes medications to support either of these conditions, the diet must be overseen by a qualified physician who understands the dietary protocol, how it effects the condition and who can monitor medications and adjust as needed.

 

How Does a Ketogenic Diet Work?

The body uses two types of food for fuel – glucose and fat. Glucose is a form of sugar that is found in the blood stream and also stored in muscles and the liver in a form called glycogen. When energy is needed and blood glucose levels go down, the liver converts the stored glycogen back into to glucose which then flows it into the blood stream bringing levels back up to a normal condition. Hormones are released to tell the liver to convert the stored glucose into useable energy and to stimulate the desire for more food to be ingested to replenish the glucose stores.

As glucose is released into the blood stream, insulin is secreted by the pancreas to store the glucose. Insulin acts kind of like the mother hormone of the body. Just as mother’s go about the house picking up toys and clothing our children have left behind, putting them away in closets and drawers, insulin goes about the body collecting the glucose molecules and storing them in the cells of our muscles and liver to be used later for energy.

Whether we are eating sugar, refined carbohydrates (such as white flour) or natural sugar including fruit and honey, the job of insulin is the same. To maintain the optimum level of sugar in the blood steam and to store the excess in the liver and in the muscles. The more sugar and carbohydrates we eat the more insulin is required to remove the excess and store it for later use.

But what happens when we eat too much sugar or to many carbohydrates? Just like closets and drawers can get too full to store any more toys or clothing, the liver and muscles are limited as to how much they can store as well. Once they have reached their maximum storage capacity, the excess is converted into triglycerides. Triglycerides are fatty acids traveling through the blood stream that can be stored as fat in the muscles. And, if you haven’t guessed already, there is no limit as to how much fat can be stored by the human body! This is the reason that people who consume large amounts of sugar and carbohydrates tend to be overweight. Their bodies have been overloaded with glucose which must be stored as fat.

Once insulin is released from the pancreas, the body enters fat storage mode. While storing glucose, fat cannot be released and burned for energy making it very difficult to lose weight. Our bodies are either storing fat or burning fat but we cannot do both at the same time.

Here’s where a ketogenic diet comes in. By reducing the amount of sugar and carbohydrates and increasing fat consumption, the need for insulin decreases and the fat burning ability turns on. The body is able to access reserves from fat stores and burn fat for energy.

During this fat-burning stage, fat is being converted by the liver into useable energy creating a byproduct called ketones. When we talk about ketones we are primarily referring to two primary fatty acids circulating in the blood stream – beta-hydroxybutyrate and acetoacetate. These circulating ketones are able to supply our muscles, organs, brain and tissues with a slow burning, long lasting energy. The heart and brain function very well on ketones which is why people following a ketogenic diet report more long-lasting energy, increased mental clarity and reduced brain fog.

We all have ketones circulating in our blood stream, but increasing the levels provides for a faster metabolism and a feeling of satiety or fullness making it easier for people to feel satisfied for longer periods of time in between meals. But, for someone who regularly eats excessive sugar and carbohydrates, converting to a fat-burning metabolism can be a little tricky. In the next section we will learn 3 ways to start generating more ketones and achieve nutritional ketosis.

Convert Your Body from Sugar Burning Mode to Fat Burning Mode

For some people, transitioning to keto is quite easy. One of my nutritional therapy clients, Ian, came to me to help him improve his diet. Ian said that even though he was just 37 he felt much older. He said he knew that he should exercise more but he just didn’t have the energy. He found himself, day dreaming and having difficulty staying focused at work. He said his concentration felt “fuzzy” as though he was always in a fog. Ian also experienced adult onset seizures that his doctor was treating him for.

Ian ate fairly healthy but his diet included a lot of grains and fruit. He had never heard of the ketogenic diet before but after I described it to him, he wanted to give it a try. We made a protocol for him and I worked with him teaching him how to build each meal with the right macronutrients. At Ian’s follow up appointment, he seemed like a new man. His eyes were brighter and he had more color in his cheeks. He reported that he had so much energy that he was able to start enjoying some of his old favorite activities. He was performing better at work and getting his work done faster due to his increased mental clarity. To top it all off Ian had lost 13 pounds in just a couple of weeks which was an added bonus that he wasn’t expecting. He loved his new way of eating and said the transition was easy for him because he was still able to eat plenty of foods that were satisfying and enjoyable. Ian planned to work with his doctor to see if by continuing the ketogenic diet he might be able to reduce his seizure medications.

For Ian the transition was easy. He was able to eat foods he enjoyed and he felt great. For others, the change from a high carbohydrate diet to a ketogenic diet can be a little more challenging. This is often referred to the induction period, a period to induce ketosis. They might experience a brief period of feeling tired or lethargic and they may have more cravings than what Ian had experienced. These symptoms tend to pass within a few days as long as the diet is maintained. However, if just one meal is out of ketogenic balance, the process of converting must be started again.

3 Ways to Induce Ketosis

To achieve ketosis and convert into fat-burning mode, you can go about it in three different ways. I recommend reviewing them and deciding which one is best for you if you are ready to experience the benefits of keto.

The Two-Week Induction Period – This method includes choosing a starting date and planning to follow the ketogenic induction protocol for each meal and snack that you eat for the next two weeks. Track the grams of carbohydrates you eat using a carbohydrate tracker. Keep the net carbohydrates you consume between 35 and 50 grams of carbohydrates per day. Net carbohydrates is calculated by subtracting the fiber in a food from the total carbohydrates. Fiber has many health benefits but it does not stimulate insulin production which is why it can be subtracted from the total grams of carbohydrates. Here is the formula:

 

Total grams of carbohydrate  –  grams of fiber = Net grams of carbohydrates

 

During this induction period, you will eat plenty of low glycemic vegetables like lettuces, leafy greens, zucchini, broccoli, asparagus, bell peppers, mushrooms and green beans. You can enjoy up to 1 cup of berries or melon per day any type of protein you’d like such as beef, chicken, fish and eggs. Also include enough fat to feel satisfied with each meal or snack including butter, olive oil, coconut oil, bacon, avocado and cream or cheese if well tolerated. Avoid all sugar, refined flours, sodas and sport drinks. Coffee and tea are acceptable and drink plenty of water – 10 to 12 cups per day. Nuts can be consumed but they also contain a fair amount of carbohydrates so you will need to include them in your daily tracking of net carbohydrates.

After 2 weeks, you should be in nutritional ketosis. You can either continue with this protocol or you can increase your carbohydrate level up to 50 to 65 grams per day while still maintaining ketosis and your ability to burn fat. If your weight loss slows or you begin to see old symptoms return, you will need to reduce the carbohydrates again to the previous levels.

48 Hour Fast – This method is the most challenging as it’s exactly what it says, a 48 hour fast without food or beverages except for water, salty broth and if desired black coffee or tea are usually fine although coffee can sometimes create an insulin response for some people. Depending on your personal schedule, it usually works best to eat dinner on night one, consume only water or approved liquids for the next 2 days and then on day three eat a ketogenic dinner with low glycemic vegetables, protein and fat. After your first meal, you will continue following the ketogenic diet as long as desired tracking grams of carbohydrates and keeping them within 35 to 65 grams daily.

During any fast it is extremely important to drink a lot of water and take some salt or electrolytes to prevent dehydration. Drink a minimum of 10 to 12 cups of water per day and salty broth if desired. You can also add ¼ teaspoon of salt to 16 ounces of water a few times per day or take one eighth teaspoon of salt by mouth and then follow with plenty of water. Fasting helps the body to rid excess water from our cells but sometimes too much can be excreted causing flu like symptoms. This is known as the keto flu. Symptoms will go away within a day or two once the body is rehydrated and adjusts to the new fat-burning state.  Salt helps prevent dehydration by moving the water into your cells and pushes toxins out.

The 2 Day Intermittent Fast – Intermittent fasting can be done several ways. Fasting from dinner one night to lunch the next day resulting in about 16 hours of fasting is one way. Even while we sleep at night we are in effect doing and intermittent fast. We eat dinner and then nothing else until the next morning when we eat or “break” the fast with breakfast.

Two-day intermittent fasting is probably the easiest for most people. It’s often easier to eat dinner at night and fast during the day because we can keep ourselves busy and our mind off our hunger levels. It also moves you into ketosis faster that a 2-week induction so you can start seeing results more quickly without the negative side effects. It’s kind of a rapid kick start type of induction that is a little easier than a straight 48 hour fast.

Follow these instructions to complete a 2 Day Intermittent Fast:

  • Day 1 – Drink plenty of water, salty broth, black coffee and or tea.
  • Dinner Day 1 – Enjoy a ketogenic meal of a large plate of low glycemic vegetables, protein of your choice and enough added fat to satisfy you, usually 2 to 3 servings.
  • Day 2 – Drink plenty of water, salty broth, black coffee and or tea.
  • Dinner Day 2 – Enjoy another ketogenic meal
  • After completing the two-day intermittent fast, continue with the ketogenic diet

After completing whichever method of achieving ketosis you decide, continue following the ketogenic diet as long as desired including plenty of low-glycemic vegetables, protein, healthy fat and optionally 1 to 2 servings of low glycemic fruit such as berries or melon. Maintain carbohydrates at 35 to 65 grams per day. Once you’ve achieved your goal, you can gradually start increasing your carbohydrates gradually until you reach the optimum amount of carbohydrates to consume while maintaining your health goals. Each week add 5 to 10 grams per day until you find your sweet spot to maintain your health and your new found weight loss.

 

Epilepsy Resources:

https://www.cureepilepsy.org/personal_stories/charlies-story/

https://charliefoundation.org/

https://www.epilepsy.com/living-epilepsy/healthy-living/healthy-eating/our-wellness-institute-partner-charlie-foundation

https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/neurology_neurosurgery/centers_clinics/epilepsy/