Archive for Carbs

It’s Time To Break Up With Grains, Because They’re Killing You and Your Family.

November 22, 2014 / / Comments Off on It’s Time To Break Up With Grains, Because They’re Killing You and Your Family.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAWhat a dramatic title, I know my kids are rolling their eyes, but it’s true.  At this point in the information age, I think many actually believe that grains do cause disease, and definitely weight gain.  It’s just that………the thought of No More Grains is so Sad.

Let me help you get over that.  No one’s more addicted and in love with grains than I was, and I’m free.  You can be too.

It’s like getting off drugs and alcohol; you’ll feel SO GOOD without it.  You’ll be free from bloat, brain fog, headaches, bad periods, high blood pressure, resistant weight loss, sore joints, and the list goes on and on and on.

If you’re carrying extra weight, you’ll be free from that too.  

Grains, both gluten-free and gluten-loaded, are a veritable boat load of problems.  If your doctor’s telling you ( like ours does ) that whole grains are “good”, ignore that.  Main Stream dogma has created a U.S. that’s 70% overweight, 70% on medications, and a population literally riddled with cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and cancer. Add to that, our kids are on more medications for behavior and health issues than we could have ever imagined.

Every single paradigm that’s been pushed on us for the past several decades needs to be identified, examined, and stopped.  One of those paradigms is that Grains Are Good For Us, and we need carbohydrates for energy and health.

Pure lies.

Grains make most of us Fat; and if they don’t make us fat ( they didn’t make me fat ) they make us Bloated ( I had the stomach of a 7 month pregnant woman every afternoon for years ), or sick.  Grains are digested in the gut to simple sugars, either Glucose or Fructose.  ( White sugar and honey are also digested to Glucose or Fructose, hence, a carb is a carb is a carb. ) Glucose goes through the intestine wall and into the blood stream, then it’s known as “Blood Sugar”.

Americans, and much of the World, have notoriously high blood sugar. ( China has the most diabetics, India’s next, and we’re 3rd.))  Insulin is the hormone sent out to lower blood sugar.

Read this:  High blood sugar wrecks havoc on our arteries, our nerves, our brain, our hormones, our skin, and our weight.  Excess blood sugar is converted to triglycerides /fat and stored, mostly in our torso region.  High insulin is also incredibly damaging, leading to inflammation all over the entire body.

High Insulin causes the body to hold on to salt, high insulin inhibits the body from absorbing magnesium, high insulin damages artery walls;  high insulin causes Diabetes, high insulin is highly correlated with several cancers; high insulin causes high cortisol – which is damaging in it’s own right; high insulin upsets our sex hormone production and balance.

I could go on and on, but that’s a little surface scratch of the damage high blood sugar and high insulin cause in us, and our children.

To add insult to injury, grains contain “anti-nutrients”.

“Gluten’s” a notorious term; there’s constant debate about whether it’s okay for us if we’re “not-sensitive”, or is it bad for everyone.   It’s bad for everyone, honest.

Glutens are proteins found in grains that are nearly impossible to digest.  Wheat alone, “is capable of producing no less than 23,788 different proteins”  Proteins from grains wreck havoc that proteins from animals don’t even come close to causing.

No matter what Main Stream says, NO HUMAN ON EARTH HAS THE DIGESTIVE ENZYMES TO BREAK DOWN GLUTEN PROTEINS.  No Human.  What this means is that eventually… gluten is going to get you.  Your body might be able to repair the damage gluten does for years, decades even, but not forever.

70% of reactions to Gluten don’t even happen in the gut, so if you don’t experience bloat, pain, gas, but instead have joint issues, skin issues, headaches/migraines, trouble focusing, or Moms:  behavior problems, there’s a good chance it’s a gluten sensitivity or allergy; possibly even full celiac.  (  GET TESTED FOR CELIAC AND GLUTEN ANTI-BODIES IF YOU’RE SYMPTOMATIC. )

One last fact about the proteins in grains:  many of them are OPIOD in nature.  This means their structure is compatible with opiod receptors in our brain.  THIS IS WHY THE THOUGHT OF BREAKING UP WITH GRAINS IS SO HARD, THEY’RE LITERALLY AN ADDICTIVE PLEASURE.

How do you quit? Make a plan! You’ll need to shop, cook, and pack.  Moms, I hear you already:  “My kids/husband will ONLY eat pasta/bread/pizza/chicken nuggets.”  I know.  We lived that way for yeaaarrrs.  We’re American, and that’s the crap we eat.  When I put a cold turkey moratorium on Grains, there was an honest to God uprising in my house.  Teenagers and husbands are a tough mix to battle, but it’s a battle you need to win.

What to do initially: start replacing the wheat flour products with gluten-free products.  (Weaning is always easier than cold turkey. Trust me, you won’t be able to just change your household with the blink of an eye.  If only… )  Simultaneously focus on replacing the breads and desserts with grain-free flour recipes. (There’s a learning curve, but it’s worth it).  There’s hardly a store in the world not selling almond or coconut flour, but if you live some place that doesn’t carry it, order them on line.  I promise you, after the initial upheaval, practice/persistence/patience will prevail.

If you’re intimidated by the thought of the time it takes to make Real Whole Food for yourself and your family, as opposed to throwing pasta in water or chicken nuggets on a pan, GET OVER IT.  Honestly!  We’ve been brainwashed since birth that Fake Food/Crappy Food is “Okay”.  It’s not.  Ever.  Work on changing your thoughts from “ugh, too much time”, to the sequence of steps you need to take to make a meal.

Don’t focus on the Problem, Focus on the Solution.

Some of my favorite recipes?  Coconut milk bread, everyone loves this.  Pizza crust from Zen Belly.  And if you’re looking for sweets ( and anything else), the options are literally endless:

http://www.rocksolidnutritionandwellness.com/food/what-am-i-eating-today/

OMGPaleo

Elana’s Pantry

Simple Stupid Paleo

All Day I Dream About Food

Finally, with Thanksgiving in a few days, here’s a post from last year (2013) on our Thanksgiving food and recipes; 100% totally grain free and delicious:

http://www.rocksolidnutritionandwellness.com/thanksgiving-recap-and-choose-your-attitude/

Resources:

http://www.greenmedinfo.com/page/opening-pandoras-bread-box-critical-role-wheat-lectin-human-disease

http://www.greenmedinfo.com/page/dark-side-wheat-new-perspectives-celiac-disease-wheat-intolerance-sayer-ji

http://authoritynutrition.com/6-shocking-reasons-why-gluten-is-bad/

Category: Carbs, Cooking, Food Cravings, Hormones, RWF / Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,

Action Plan to End Food Cravings, Forever.

November 13, 2014 / / Comments Off on Action Plan to End Food Cravings, Forever.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAWhether you have a weight issue or not, cravings can be a bear.  Cravings are incredibly powerful; and weight loss with cravings is almost impossible.

What to do?  Here’s several ideas, but first, what creates cravings?  Low calorie diets, low fat diets, and low nutrient diets, fatigue, stress, and habits.  Sound daunting?  If I eliminated my cravings, you can too.

Here’s a Big List of How-To’s:

– Get rid of your fear of fat, now.  Fat satiates; and not because it fills you up, which it actually does, but Fat triggers satiety hormones – really!  Fat makes our Brain say, “aaahhh”.

– L-Glutamine, an amino acid that helps build Dopamine ( an anti-anxiety neurotransmitter ). L- Glutamine also helps balance blood sugar.  Anxiety and low blood sugar ALWAYS causes cravings. ( I use Biotics, and I LOVE this product. I also take it on heavy leg days, and I suggest it to all my leaky gut clients.  L-GLutamine is used by muscle cells and endothelial cells to rebuild themselves.  It’s a different dosing/timing than when using for neurotransmitter building.)

– Stop eating sugar and grains, which trigger hunger hormones and addiction centers in your brain. Sugar is more addictive then cocaine in lab studies.  No one in your house needs this stuff. A little here and a little there?  It just keeps you addicted.   SUGARS AND GRAINS ARE 99% OF ALL CRAVINGS, RIGHT?  No one’s craving broccoli.  Stop buying the stuff.  Seriously.

– Hot drinks mid morning and mid afternoon:  Bullet Proof Coffee and Bullet Proof Tea:  organic tea/coffee with (Kerry Gold)  grass-fed BUTTER and (Biotics) MCT oil or coconut oil.   This is delicious, and the fat knocks out appetite and cravings while at the same time stimulating your brain.  (Ditch the Mad Scientist concoctions they sell at Starbucks, they’re loaded with sugar, artificial sugar, and chemicals.)

– 5 HTP, an amino acid that helps build Serotonin.  We need level moods to not have cravings. Again, I use Biotics brand.****Serotonin builds Melatonin, Melatonin helps us sleep well.  Fatigue is a HUGE inducer of cravings.  I know a couple other great supplements for sleep, email me.

– L-Tyrosine, I LOVE this and have used it every day for 18 months.  It’s an amino acid that helps build your catacolamines.  That means it helps with energy ( among other things ), and we often drift to snacking/cravings when tired, right?  ( I use Biotics)

( ****   One of my favorite ENERGY/DON’T SNACK tricks:  mid afternoon tea with a little MCT oil, and 2 tyrosines.  It’s magic. ********)

– Digestive enzymes and HCl.  (again, I use Biotics products).  You might have the best diet in the world, but if you’re not breaking down your food so that nutrients can be absorbed, you’re Nutrient Deficient.    Nutrient Deficient people are loaded with cravings.

– Probiotics, probiotic foods, probiotic drinks. Cultured and fermented vegetables, keifer, kombucha, and real yogurt. There’s millions more bacteria in cultured food than in any probiotic supplement. If you’re trying to improve health, use the pills along with the foods/drinks, at least initially.    If your gut bacteria is out of whack, you’ll have cravings for sugar, because that’s what Bad Bugs eat.  Candida is a prime example of this. 

– Exercise APPROPRIATELY.  If your workout leaves you STARVING, which leads to cravings, you worked out too hard. Dial it back.

– Clean your liver.  Our liver plays a vital role in getting nutrients into our cells and “trash” out of our body. But did you know our livers are the BIGGEST source of calorie burning in our WHOLE BODY?  Our heart and brain are next, and then comes our muscles.   A slow, clogged, overworked, exhausted liver craves nutrients. Drink alcohol, take a lot of meds, eat sugar and chemical/processed foods, eat late at night, I guarantee it’s over burdened.  I use a Biotics liver detox twice a year, and 2 tinctures by Herb Pharm every couple of months:  Milk Thistle and Liver Health.

– Go on a Ketogenic Diet:  High Fat, Moderate Protein, and a TON of greens and cruciferous vegetables.  This literally knocks out cravings of any kind, honestly.  Check this out for meal ideas and guidelines.  

– Stop eating Processed Foods.  They’re created in a LABORATORY and specifically designed to trigger desires in your brain for more and more and more.  Really.  McDonald’s milkshakes and Doritios are NOT delicious food creations, they’re chemical cocktails created by PhD’s to get you hooked.

– Eat bigger meals, and ONLY eat 3 times a day.  Multiple ” Mini-Meals” are DUMB. They’re guaranteed to make you (1) hungry (2) have cravings and (3) mentally habituated to eating all day.  Besides, “mini-meals” are a joke; studies show American’s are pretty incapable of actually having a mini-meal; in reality, the multiple mini-meals turn into “too much food all day long.”

( Moms, we  have to apply the “Stop Eating Sugar/Grains/Processed Foods” guidelines to our kids; they’re sugar/carb/chemical addicts.  The snacking, the cravings, the “can’t stop eating”….. we have to HELP THEM develop great eating habits. )

– Work on your habits and thought patterns.  It’s all so mental, isn’t it.  This is just about my favorite area when it comes to health. Our subconscious rules over the conscious, always.  If your subconscious is constantly sabotaging your health efforts, get in touch with me.  It’s not Rocket Science, but you’ll need a plan.

My wrap up?  Eat Real Whole Foods, consume plenty of fat, eliminate addictive grains and sugars, use Smart Supplementation, and train your brain to work for you, not against you. Cravings are a sign that your body, your mind, and your hormones, are “off”; they’re not a sign you’re weak.  You don’t have to be a slave to bad habits.  Let me know if you’re ready for help with a food plan, habit change, or supplements. ( The amino acids need to be dosed and taken on a specific time table.)

Category: Carbs, Fats, Food Cravings, Gut bacteria, Hormones, ketosis, Natural Therapies, RWF, Sugar, Weight Loss / Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Want To Gain Weight? Go On A Diet, It’s a Sure Bet.

September 30, 2014 / / Comments Off on Want To Gain Weight? Go On A Diet, It’s a Sure Bet.

mark tmNOTHING guarantees weight gain better than Diets. Nothing. The studies show that if you go on a diet, there’s a 95 – 99% chance you’ll gain back all the weight you lost, and for many, a few pounds extra.  Unfortunately, the belief that dieting can make you skinny is so engrained in the psyche, that it’s a hard concept to set aside. Low calorie, low fat foods just sound like they should make us thin, right?  Wrong, wrong wrong wrong.

( PS – that pic on the left – that’s my husband Mark, who’s 50, after he finished a Tough Mudder two days ago.  Here’s a link to his Man Post. )

Interesting facts:

1) Small portions and diet sized meals leave you hungry; hunger always leads to overeating. We’re NOT designed to enjoy or tolerate hunger, it goes against our normal survival instinct and our brain won’t allow it. Unfortunately, since the Diet Industry was born, and people dove right into mini meals of processed diet food with maybe a boring side of steamed broccoli, people can’t quit eating. A whole slew of hormones and chemicals that drive us to literally seek out food are coursing through our bodies.

2) Wheat is an Opiate;  there’s a protein in wheat called GLIADIN; gliadin binds to the opiate receptors of the brain, but it doesn’t make us high. It makes us hungry.  Has wheat always had this effect?  No.  Just since the 1970s when geneticists created modern Semi-Dwarf, high yield wheat. Now, it’s the only wheat available.  So those low calorie, low fat crackers/pretzels/tortillas that are touted as a safe snack because they’re low in fat and calories??  They just send your blood sugar and insulin way up (inflammation and belly fat), and trigger addiction in the brain. They don’t make you thin.

2) Gluten-Free food products are made with High Glycemic flours from GRAINS which convert to blood sugar and send your insulin skyrocketing.  Excess blood sugar is EASILY and quickly converted to Body Fat (triglycerides).  Drop the idea the “Gluten-Free” products = healthy and skinny.  They don’t.

4) People who eat Low Fat Dairy weigh more and are sicker than people who eat Full Fat Dairy.  This has been proven in study after study after study.  The reasons are profuse; but know that there are crucial fatty acids in dairy that inhibit cancer, insulin resistance, weight gain and more.  Quit feeding the skim to your kids, and don’t delude yourself into thinking diet ice cream or low fat cheese will take off the pounds.  Read this link for more information.

5) There’s actually Crucial Nutrients in ALL Real Whole Food that our cells use to be healthy and functioning and normal.  Diet foods loaded with carbs, artificial sugars, chemicals and bad fats RUIN OUR CELLS.  The cells don’t form correctly, they don’t function correctly, they don’t communicate correctly when they don’t have their necessary nutrients.

There’s been so much bad information in the past 50 years and all we have to do is look around and use common sense to see that Main Stream Diet Dogma is a complete failure.  The Diet Industry is a Business; it’s out to make money by promising us Magic that will help us lose weight.  The reality is that dieting has made us bigger than ever, and very sick:

Heart Disease, Cancer, and Diabetes numbers are out of control;  livers have become fatty and dysfunctional due to constant high blood sugars and chemicals; thyroid function has decreased from yo-yo diets; sex hormones are totally askew thanks to chemicals and sugar that create an Estrogen Dominant environment in both men and women; muscle tissue is regularly consumed for energy slowing down metabolism even more; neurotransmitter balance in our gut and brain is totally out out of whack; and we have more people burning predominantly SUGAR for fuel as opposed to FAT for fuel than ever.  (That’s why so many people work out for HOURS and can’t lose weight, they never tap into their fat stores!)

What’s the Solution?

Real Whole Foods.  Too simple?  It is. Sleep, movement, and stress management are just as important.  But we’re talking about food here.

For our body to hum, we need NORMAL cells, that have NORMAL function and NORMAL communication.  We’re a Chemistry Set, not a Math Equation.   Food is medicine, or food is poison, honest.  Sugar, grains, and chemicals are toxic for our body, even when they’re packaged in “diet food”.

Good fats (from CLEAN animal sources, butter, coconut oil, olive oil, pastured dairy, avocado oil) are GOOD for us:  every cell in our body incorporates fats and cholesterol into it’s membrane so that it’s function and communication can be NORMAL.  Fats comprise our sex hormones, and anti-inflammatory hormones; cholesterol is an anti-oxidant and healing molecule.  Our brain is 60-70% fat and cholesterol!!

One of the best things about fat, other than it tastes delicious and keeps us full, is that there NO INSULIN RESPONSE. None.

Insulin drives disease and inflammation, we need a tiny bit released from the pancreas to be healthy, but American’s ( and now much of the world) don’t have a tiny bit coursing through their body;  they have way too much.  Inflammatory conditions are RAMPANT, even in our children.

Good fats, clean proteins, and TONS of vegetables need to be the bulk of our diet.  Some fruit, some nuts and seeds, and some good whole fat dairy if you tolerate that.  Eat 3 meals a day and quit snacking.  Snacking is horrible for blood sugar, which drives insulin, which drives inflammation.

This is the Magic Formula, honest.

After saying all this, I want to acknowledge how difficult it is to rid the mind of deeply entrenched beliefs ( low fat/ low cal foods are good for me ) that have now led to physical addictions   (grains, sugars, and chemicals are absolutely addictive).

This is why you have to work on your Mind if you want to change you Body.  The Mind has to come first, because you’re controlled by your subconscious thoughts.   What to do?

(1) Fill your mind with current science:

Post:http://www.wheatbellyblog.com/2014/06/grains-endocrine-disrupters/

Post:http://authoritynutrition.com/12-graphs-that-show-why-people-get-fat/

Podcast: http://www.thelivinlowcarbshow.com/shownotes/10794/864-dr-william-davis-keto-clarity-expert-interview/

Podcast: http://www.thelivinlowcarbshow.com/shownotes/10827/865-nora-gedgaudas-keto-clarity-expert-interview/

Podcast:http://www.thelivinlowcarbshow.com/shownotes/10863/867-dr-david-perlmutter-keto-clarity-expert-interview/

2) Focus on implanting New Thoughts, which are productive and positive, into your brain.  Most of us run on Auto-Pilot, ….Stop!  Auto-Pilot’s a terrible way to go through life;  look at the results you’ve been getting from your habits and patterns and beliefs so far.  Evaluate.  There’s ALWAYS room for improvement and change, we’re never finished ( til we’re actually “finished”).

Read my last two  Posts;  there’s links to books and You Tubes on creating new thoughts and patterns.  And remember my new favorite phrase:  You can’t have a “10” body without a “10” mind. 

 

 

Category: Carbs, Fats, Food Additives, Food Cravings, Hormones, Mind/Body, RWF, Sugar, Weight Loss / Tags: , , , ,

Weight Loss, Food Cravings, Leptin Resistance, Insulin Resistance – What Applies To You?

September 13, 2014 / / Comments Off on Weight Loss, Food Cravings, Leptin Resistance, Insulin Resistance – What Applies To You?

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAThis post is about Weight Loss, Food Cravings, Leptin Resistance, Insulin Resistance, and Being A FAT BURNER OR A SUGAR BURNER;  it’s all coming together!

Here’s some biology to explain how a VERY high fat, low carb diet eliminates cravings, despite:

bad sleep/fatigue( situational);  stress;  actual hunger;  worry over kids;  fights with the hubs;  over-exercise;  hanging around the house. ( do they sound like typical excuses to you?)

I always say a Calories In/Calories Out model doesn’t work because we’re NOT a math problem, we’re a CHEMISTRY SET.  Our HORMONES RULE, and a low fat, low calorie, high carb diet RUINS OUR HORMONES.  It also causes a condition of Metabolic Damage that takes a period of serious consistency to reverse and fix.  Anyone can lose weight by starving themselves, but that causes a lot of damage to our metabolism, hormones, and cells. To be a healthy Fat Burner, you need to have cells and hormones that work correctly.

I’ve been mostly Ketogenic, and consistently High Fat Low Carb for a few months now, after years of what I considered HFLC diet;  with the addition of a LOT of fat ( up to 5 tablespoons at dinner ALONE ), really positive changes have happened, and it’s inspired some research.  Why?

Because after a few months of VERY HIGH FAT/low carb,.. my brain has changed!  Thoughts of food, of eating, have STOPPED.   Seriously, I have to remind myself to eat lunch and dinner (sometimes) because I’m not really hungry.  And sometimes when I am actually hungry, i.e., I feel a lot of hunger in my stomach, I oddly am not rushing to eat food.  I’m okay.  I didn’t realize this until the other day when I’d had no sleep and felt no desire to comfort myself with food.  Not even a second of a thought about it!

What’s happening?  It’s so interesting!

In addition to a High Fat diet’s role in building and nourishing the brain, which is 60 to 70% fat, a HFLC diet repairs and reverses LEPTIN Resistance.  If you’re overweight, or normal weight but struggle with food cravings, or either normal or overweight and exercise but don’t use your fat stores for fuel, you’re probably Leptin Resistant.  Let me back up.

You know that Insulin Resistance  (IR) plays a key role in cravings; IR is a result of the high blood sugar and corresponding high Insulin levels necessary to reduce the blood sugar.  Insulin is a “Master Hormone”, and other hormones are released – or NOT – in response to Insulin being present in the blood.

Remember, as long as Insulin is in the blood, FAT WON’T BE BURNED FOR FUEL.  Fat will just be stored.  When Insulin is in the blood, a lot of our excess Carb/glucose is converted to TRIGLYCERIDES. 

Leptin.  Leptin regulates ALL the hormones of the body:  Insulin, thyroid, sex hormones, all of them.

Leptin Resistance means the cells don’t accept Leptin inside; the cell doors are shut.  If the cells don’t get leptin INSIDE, correct messages don’t get sent out.

Which messages?  After we eat, our fat cells should spit out leptin and that leptin should go to our hypothalamus and deliver the signal that we’ve had enough to eat and it’s time to turn off the hunger.  Excessive simple sugars ( from carbs) destroy the cells ability to “receive” leptin, because INSULIN blocks the Leptin receptor.  Remember: high carbs ALWAYS mean high Insulin. Always.

Triglycerides, made from EXCESS CARBS, also block leptin receptors!!!

When the leptin can’t get INSIDE the cell, the signal to shut off hunger doesn’t happen.  Another link in the cravings chain: when we eat food, the neurotransmitter DOPAMINE is released, and dopamine makes us feel pleasure when eating.  Leptin, when it gets inside our brain cells, stops the release of dopamine, which stops the pleasurable feelings associated with eating.  If the cells are Leptin Resistant, the dopamine keeps flowing, the good feeling/desire to eat overrides a full stomach, and we eat too much.

What else?

Leptin INSIDE our brain cells UP-REGULATES the thyroid; that means metabolism turns UP.  Leptin RESISTANT cells DOWN-REGULATE thyroid, that means a slower metabolism.

More?  Our MUSCLE CELLS HAVE LEPTIN RECEPTORS TOO.  When there’s leptin resistance in MUSCLE CELLS, fat is not burned in those cells, fat is stored in fat tissue instead.  Sugar/Glucose is the only fuel left for the muscles to burn.  A damaged/closed cell can’t even do that.  CHRONIC FATIGUE sets in due to lack of actual “energy”.  This happens EVEN IF YOU RUN MARATHONS but live on a HIGH CARB diet.  Sound familiar?  You exercise a ton but can’t lose weight?  You don’t have correct cell function, all over your body.  You MUST have CORRECT CELL FUNCTION TO BURN FAT.
More?  Insulin Resistance and Leptin Resistance are a guarantee you have a FATTY LIVER.     Our LIVER controls what fuels get burned; our LIVER is the LARGEST SOURCE OF CALORIE BURN IN OUR BODY, our heart and brain are next, and then our muscles.  You want a perfectly functioning liver.  Trust me.

How does a HIGH FAT LOW CARB diet – with a TON of vegetables, some fruit ( maybe, depends on your blood sugar), healthy proteins, some nuts and seeds, and maybe some high fat dairy ( blood sugar/allergy) affect these conditions?

First, Insulin is immediately lowered, because there’s less SUGAR in the blood.   Less Insulin means less TRIGLYCERIDES, LESS INFLAMMATION, LESS CELL DAMAGE (from the insulin and glucose), and less sugar turning into fat(triglycerides), and stored in the liver or fat cells.

Less Insulin and less sugar mean the LEPTIN RECEPTORS in the BRAIN will become NORMAL and accept the Leptin.  Dopamine production and use will REGULATE, and be NORMAL.  You’ll – eventually – start to feel NORMALLY satisfied after a meal.  The NORMAL amounts of dopamine will also mean you’re not constantly searching for “more pleasure” from your food, which causes you to eat when you shouldn’t.

A HFLC diet means that Insulin Receptors and Leptin Receptors will – eventually – return to NORMAL, and functioning.

The high fat, and the anti-oxidants, the vitamins the minerals the phytonutrients ( from cholesterol – which IS an anti-oxidant, and the protein/vegetables/fruits/nuts/seeds) will eventually repair damaged cells ( 100% of EVERY CELL MEMBRANE IN OUR BODY IS MADE FROM FAT AND CHOLESTEROL), and reduce and eliminate INFLAMMATION.

We don’t burn fat calories, lose weight, build muscle and GET HEALTHY until we have NORMAL, HEALTHY, CELL FUNCTION.

How?  A Real Whole Food diet that’s high in fat, low in carbs, and high in nutrients; good exercise, stress management, and sleep.  Lack of sleep creates a hormonal situation, as does stress, that also block Insulin and Leptin Receptors. Oh, and you must be CONSISTENT in your efforts.  Too many people I talk to are so on and off the Healthy Train that results are small or non-existent.

Time and consistency matter, because it takes LONGER for our muscle cells to be leptin sensitive – and use fat for fuel – than for our brain to become leptin sensitive. Isn’t that interesting??

Want to learn more?  Invest yourself!!  I’m attaching some links to articles written by a brilliant Neurosurgeon who’s done a TON of research on leptin, and an Endocrinologist who’s also done a ton of research on leptin, and a podcast by a leader in the Leptin field.

Read, listen, and learn.  Apply what you hear to yourself.  Take notes, think about it, if you’re a client, let’s talk about it.  If you’re not a client yet, and want to be, get in touch with me.  You can change your body, you can lose weight, get healthy, and become NORMAL; sometimes this happens easily, and sometimes you’re so metabolically damaged, that it takes a while, but it will happen, I promise.

Here’s the Resources:
http://jackkruse.com/my-leptin-prescription/

http://jackkruse.com/how-does-the-leptin-rx-work/
http://jackkruse.com/the-leptin-rx-faqs/

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2255442/The-REAL-reason-eat-New-theory-revolutionise-way-lose-weight.htmlhttp://jackkruse.com/leptin-part-deux-the-liver/

Podcast: http://www.thelivinlowcarbshow.com/shownotes/9647/789-llvlc-classic-dr-ron-rosedale-on-low-carb-leptin-and-lipolysis/

Category: Carbs, Exercise, Fats, Food Cravings, Hormones, RWF, Sugar, Weight Loss / Tags: , , , , , , ,

How To Avoid Fatigue Induced Food Cravings; and more Food Pics

September 10, 2014 / / Comments Off on How To Avoid Fatigue Induced Food Cravings; and more Food Pics

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERALast night I had a very rare bad night’s sleep.  Normally, I’m the type that when my head hits the pillow, I don’t slowly drift off, I plummet into oblivion.  I don’t even move very much and some mornings my hair’s perfect 🙂

Anyway, something went wrong last night, and I couldn’t get to sleep until around 3:30.  I get up at 5, so clearly, I been “off” today.

What wasn’t off?  MY EATING.  Honestly, a few years ago a bad night like that would of had me snacking or binging on and off throughout the day.  I would have gone from feeling bad to feeling miserable.

These past few years of eating more fat, and these past several months eating GOBS of fat, and …. nothing.  No desire, no cravings, no inkling of an idea that eating might make me feel better.  What a relief!  I wish I had known about this when all my kids were little and I had over a decade of interrupted sleep, but better late than never.

Food cravings strike for many reasons; and food cravings can strike for absolutely NO REASON AT ALL.  You just want the food,.. because.  I think the science is pretty clear that CRAVINGS are a symptom of a high carb diet.  Here’s a line from a study published by the NIH, comparing Low CARB diets (LCD)  with Low FAT diets (LFD): Compared to the LFD, the LCD had significantly larger decreases in cravings for carbohydrates/starches and preferences for high-carbohydrate and high-sugar foods. The LCD group reported being less bothered by hunger compared to the LFD group.

Exactly!  Our body is made out of Water, Fat, and Protein; a little bit of mineral, even less vitamins, and just a teeny, tiny bit of Carbohydrate. ( Most carb is converted to fat and stored.) For the past several decades, during the Low Fat push, our dietary fat’s decreased and our carb consumption has increased, greatly.  What’s been the result?  Obesity and disease, with the CDC predicting NO END IN SITE TO THE RISE OF EITHER.

(When they talk about statistics in 2030 or 2040, they’re talking about what OUR KIDS will be facing.)

Eating disorders, food compulsions, they’re also on the rise.

A day of cereal or toast for breakfast, sandwiches for lunch, pasta for dinner, and carby snacks in between are a recipe for exactly the health and weight situation we’ve got.  It’s also a perfect way to create food addiction.  Substances in grains and sugar trigger the addictive pleasure centers in our brain.  The glucose nature of grains and sugars causes them to quickly be digested and absorbed into the blood, sending blood sugar HIGH, along with the Insulin necessary to lower it.  High Blood Sugar and High Insulin lead to:  Inflammation, Heart Disease, Diabetes, Cancer, Auto-Immune, Migraines, and I could go on and on.

It matters what we eat; stay away from the Cereal, the Bread, the Pasta, The cookies/cake/croissants/muffins/pretzels/crackers/waffles.  Load up on good meats and eggs, healthy fats, TONS of vegetables, some fruit, some nuts and seeds, and some full fat dairy if you tolerate it.  You’ll say good by to health issues, good by to excess body weight, and good bye to cravings, I promise.

Meals for the past two days:

Smoothie Tuesday: water w/flax and chia/Jay Robb protein/2 raw eggs/MCT oil/frozen spinach/frozen banana/cinnamon/ginger/coconut flakes/pumpkin seeds

lunch 9:10Lunch Tuesday:  sardines/basil/tomatoes/S&P/balsalmic   and a coconut oil fat bomb.  It doesn’t look very good but it tastes fine – honest.

 

dinner 9:10

 

 

 

Dinner Tuesday:  ground sausage and liver fried in butter topped with a little cheese;  roasted potatoes;  and in the bowl:  cauliflower, tomatoes, mushrooms in butter, w/ thyme and oregano.

Today / Wednesday:

Smoothie: I KNEW I NEEDED TO EAT VERY HIGH FAT TO GET THRU THE DAY:  a cup of full fat coconut milk ( can, not box), flax, 2 raw eggs, vanilla and stevia, MCT oil, raw greens powder, coconut flakes, blueberries, nutmeg, and mace.

Lunch:  out to eat:  a big cobb salad with salmon, olive oil and vinegar.

And that’s it so far.  Oh, Tip For The Day:  Plan.  Did you think each day would be a different tip? Planning is EVERYTHING.  Plan your lists, plan your meals, plan around your schedule, plan when you’re going to chop and cook and pack.  The busiest people in the world get the most done because they Plan.  Eat well!

Category: Carbs, Cooking, Fats, No Recipe Paleo Meals, Paleo Diet, Paleo Recipe, Smoothie of Day, Sugar, Weight Loss / Tags: , , ,

Weight Loss: Gluten Free Foods Keep You Sugar Burning Instead Of Fat Burning

August 31, 2014 / / Comments Off on Weight Loss: Gluten Free Foods Keep You Sugar Burning Instead Of Fat Burning

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAClients I work with often make the mistake of thinking that Gluten Free Food PRODUCTS are not only healthy, but Weight Loss Inducing.  That’s a Big Mistake.

Gluten Free Food Products are missing the damaging gluten protein – that’s true.  But Gluten Free products like pasta, bread, cereal, and cookies, are made with High Glycemic, very easily digested and absorbed, SIMPLE SUGARS.

When we eat Simple Sugars, our blood sugar levels and blood insulin levels skyrocket, and damage happens, always.  Whether the simple sugar is from white flour, brown flour, rice flour, or corn flour, i.e. gluten-free or NOT, simple sugars flood our blood stream quickly and easily wreck havoc – every. single. time.

I love to say that a Carb is a Carb is a Carb.  No matter the source, our gut digests Carbs to the single sugar/simple sugar GLUCOSE, which then goes through the small intestine wall and into the blood stream.  When our blood sugar and insulin levels are high our arteries become damaged, our brain accumulates plaque, our blood becomes thick and sticky, and proteins and fats in the blood and affixed to the body ( our thyroid, our intestine walls, our skin..) become “Glycated”, or damaged – permanently.

These Simple Sugar Gluten Free Products also make us fat.  Here’s how:  when our blood sugar is high, anything above 100mg/dcl, insulin is released from the pancreas to lower it.  Some blood sugar can go into muscle cells (or not), a tiny bit of blood sugar can be stored in the liver (or not), and ALL THE REST OF THE EXCESS IS REMADE INTO TRIGLYCERIDES. Triglycerides = Body Fat.  

Glucose/blood sugar/carbs don’t make ANY part of us, not our hair, our eyes, our bones, our teeth. Carbs are just an energy source, and we can’t even store very much.  Excess ALWAYS gets made into Body Fat.  Always.

Another undesirable result of High Blood Sugar from Gluten Free Products:  Insulin Resistance.  When you have insulin resistance, your body’s ability to literally use FAT FOR FUEL is SHUT DOWN.  Instead, your body burns sugar.  Period.  This isn’t healthy or normal.  WebMD says at this point at least 34% of all Americans are fully Insulin Resistant.  Imagine what the number would be if it included everyone who was hovering at full Insulin Resistance??  50%?  60%?  More?   We’re 70% overweight in the country;  the correlation between ANY belly fat and insulin resistance is very high.   Got Belly Fat?

If you diet and exercise, and can’t lose weight, you’ve got a problem.  It’s not normal.  When you’re a Sugar Burner, your body sets itself up to mostly burn glucose.  Even in the absence of food, it still wants to burn Sugar not Body Fat.  This means that when Sugar Burners cut calories, or increase exercise, the body would rather break down muscle tissue and convert it to glucose than burn body fat.  It’s easier, and the body ALWAYS does what’s easier.

If you want to quit burning so much sugar for fuel, and start burning your fat stores, you’ll have to (1) cut out the grains and sugars, even gluten free grains, and (2) up your healthy fat intake.  Seriously, if you want your cells to become acclimated to burning fat, there’s a whole set up of enzymes and protocols that go along with that.  As long as there’s excess sugar in your body, from any source ( gluten free products, grains, and sugars, sometimes even fruit) YOUR BODY MUST BURN SUGAR.  It takes a real consistency of effort before your body believes you and sets up fat burning mechanisms in your cells.

Something that struck me in the book Keto-Clarity, was how many doctors were quoted as saying that before several decades ago, because the average American diet was much lower in carbohydrate, and higher in healthier fats, it would have been normal to burn both Glucose and Fat throughout the day and night.  Low states of Ketosis, where ketone bodies were burned, would also have been very normal.  There’s entire cultures that ran on Ketone bodies and fatty acids easily and with great health, throughout the world, throughout history and even today. ( For instance, very Northern  and Desert cultures with little access to plants or grains)

If you can’t lose weight, there’s a good chance you’re insulin resistant, you’re a sugar burner.  Even if you DON’T need to lose weight, but eat a high carb diet, you’re a sugar burner;  inflammation is happening.

If you want to STOP burning so much sugar and START BURNING YOUR FAT STORES,  Contact me and let’s get started.  It’s time to turn your metabolism around and make it work FOR you, not AGAINST you.

Category: Carbs, Fats, ketosis, Looks Healthy But Isn't, RWF, Uncategorized, Weight Loss / Tags: , , , ,

Fitness Conference, Habits, Keto Diet Update, and Why I’m Staying On It.

August 5, 2014 / / Comments Off on Fitness Conference, Habits, Keto Diet Update, and Why I’m Staying On It.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAI just spent a 3 day weekend at the DCAC Fitness Convention; 13 classes in 3 days.  I split the time between actual movement classes and lectures; total FUN:)

What’d I learn?  A lot.  What am I passing on?  This: the day to day choices we make, all day long, really, really, matter.  Our food, how much we sleep, how we handle our stress, and that we move and laugh and smile, matters.  Our choices to either do these things or not, become our habits, and our habits makes us who we are.

More:  Habits Are Everything, and we all have to take the Action Steps to develop the habits make us healthier.  No one else can do it for us, and we can’t do it for anyone else. We can’t change our spouse, our child, our parent, or our friends.  We can only change ourselves, and then hope to inspire the people we love and care about. (The DCAC Fitness Conference isn’t just about exercise, there’s some great Positive Psychology lectures – I love that stuff!)

Keto Update:  I thought I’d stop the Keto Diet at the end of the month ( July ), and I did.  But I miss it!  I’m back on as of today!  I might do a little Keto Cycling here and there, but not for at least a few weeks. ( More on Keto Cycling later.)  It was honestly easier than I thought it would be except for 2 things:

I’ve been deficient in Salt and Fat, even though in the past few years I’ve really upped my in-take of both.  Ketosis makes the kidney’s flush out more water than normal, and with the water goes your sodium and electrolytes.  This is revealed in pretty painful and persistent leg cramps, which I’m prone to anyway.   My blood pressure also dropped a little too low, but with the conscientious salt increase, I can tackle that.

I needed 2 teaspoons of salt a DAY to counter-balance the cramps and hypo-tension, which meant adjusting my tolerance for a salty taste.  It’s impossible to “retain water” when you’re in even mild/medium ketosis, even with 2 teaspoons of salt a day.  No wonder Salt was so important throughout history!  P.S. I never did get above the “medium” levels of ketones.  Maybe next time?

I was also surprised at HOW MUCH FAT it took to get into ketosis – a LOT.  You can’t tell just by looking at my “What I Eat” page, but I had to LOAD on the butter/coconut oil/olive oil/cream cheese/MCT oil, and cream.  It’s not easy, or initially natural, to eat that much fat, and it took some thought and effort.

My weight stayed completely stable, even on the 2 days I did make an attempt at counting fat grams, and took in almost 3,000 calories – IN FAT ALONE, not counting my protein or veggie carbs.  Did you catch that?  My weight stayed stable despite all those fat calories.

We’ve been fed such a load of bull for all these years!

On that note, here’s a great article on Dr. Michael Mosley, in the Daily Mail.  He’s the author of the FAST DIET, and for years promoted a low fat, high carb way of eating, which he himself followed.  He gained weight anyway and developed diabetes.  Now he’s re-examined the science and has come to a very different conclusion about saturated fat and carbohydrates role in our health and our weight.  Please read!  The more you know, the easier it is to make good choices for yourself.  The easier it is to make good choices, the less your (lizard) brain fights you.  Your lizard brain is the deep, subconscious part, that HATES stress.  It’s hard to win a fight with your lizard brain, and far better to work on thoughts and habits that become STRONGER than the lizard.  Does that make sense?

When you’re done with that article, read Dr. Mercola’s latest article on the vindication of Saturated Fat.  Honestly, Good Fats are So Good For Us, here’s a few reasons why, and at the end of the list is the reason I’m going back on the Ketogenic Diet.

Fats make up every single cell membrane in our body, and saturated fat and cholesterol are a large part of those membranes.

Saturated Fats make up all our Sex hormones and Fight/Flight hormones.

Fat and cholesterol make up 60-70% of the dry matter of our brain.

Saturated Fats increase the size of our LDL cholesterol ( we want big, fluffy LDL!)

Saturated Fats raise HDL.

Saturated Fats are structurally sound and aren’t prone to damage by heat, light or air, which means they’re great to cook with.

Fats allow Fat-Soluble-Vitamins, A, D, E, and K,  and many minerals, to be absorbed into our cells.

Fats are critical to our immune system.

Here’s one of my Favorite Reasons:  Fats Trigger Satiety – especially in the absence of Carbs.  This is the best thing about the Ketogenic Diet to me:  No Hunger.  No Bloat.  No Cravings.  It’s awesome!

Besides that, the Ketogenic Diet fits perfectly into my Real Whole Food, Paleo-ish template.  Does my whole family eat this way?  NO!  But that hasn’t been hard to work around – at all.  I’ve been serving meats and tons of vegetables forever; for the kids or company, I add: bowls of watermelon, corn on the cob, roasted potatoes, low-carb/almond flour/coconut flour breads/cookies, ( you get the idea),  and everyone’s happy.

Category: Carbs, Cooking, Fats, ketosis, RWF, Uncategorized / Tags: , , , , ,

Day 7 On Keto Diet Update, interesting Keto Facts, Cream Cheese Ball Recipe

July 19, 2014 / / Comments Off on Day 7 On Keto Diet Update, interesting Keto Facts, Cream Cheese Ball Recipe

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAI’m LOVING this Keto Diet!  I’ve had a few days this week where I should have been really tired, but I wasn’t, at all!
I had a quick moment of sadness that I couldn’t eat a Paleo Cookie at my mom’s house ( she makes the BEST), but it passed. I wasn’t hungry, just nostalgic for them.  I went home and made the cream cheese balls for dinner, and felt great.

I had stated in my last post that I was going to cut down on my protein portions, but I’ve changed my mind.  I HIT KETOSIS LAST NIGHT!!!   With nice, big protein portions, plenty of vegetables, and cream cheese balls ( dessert!).  My fat grams are in the HUNDREDS and my weight has remained stable after that initial drop.

I’ve NEVER had such a lack of hunger, ever.  Usually, around 4/5 pm, hunger starts to hit me.  This week, ZERO hunger, at all.  I’ve heard of that, but I haven’t experienced it.

Check out my What I Eat page to see my meals.

I’ve had dozens of emails now about the Keto Diet.  If you’re interested, LEARN LEARN LEARN.  Know the science, or any efforts will be wasted.  Honestly.  Have you read my Cancer and Ketosis newsletter, or my Ketosis and The Brain post?  If you don’t arm yourself with all the reasons to try Ketosis – OTHER THAN WEIGHT LOSS –  then it’s just another weight-loss attempt.

(Email me if you want to see the Cancer and Ketosis newsletter; the Brain post is on the blog.)

Weight-loss attempts notoriously FAIL.  Almost 100% of EVERYONE who loses weight on a diet gains it back.  Weight loss is NEVER enough reason to stick to a new food plan.  Ever.  Make it about your health.

Reader question:  Debbie, why would YOU do a keto diet?  You don’t need to lose weight.

Here’s a FEW reasons why:

1)  Ketones have a really negative effect on cancer cells.  From somehow changing the pH around the cells to more alkaline, to eliminating or reducing cancers FAVORITE FOOD ( sugar ), ketones are not good for cancer cells.    Read this by David Servan-Schrell, MD, physician and neuroscience researcher:

“…we all carry cancer cells in us. But .. we all have natural defenses that generally prevent these cells from turning into an aggressive disease. These include our immune system, the part of our biology that controls and reduces inflammation, and the foods that reduce the growth of new blood vessels needed by developing tumors.

In the West, one out of three people will develop cancer. But two-thirds will not. For these people, their natural defenses will have kept cancer at bay. ”

Think of Ketones as another immune defense for the reasons stated above. Here’s more: for our body to produce ketones, there has to be a serious decrease of dietary carbs, and normal blood glucose levels.  I.E: when we’re in Ketosis, our blood sugar levels are NOT high.  High blood sugar IMMEDIATELY suppresses the immune system, for up to 24 hours.  Think of someone who eats sugar and grains excessively every-day-all-day ( the Normal American); what the heck is going on with their immune system?  Nothing good.

2)  Several studies show that Ketones have a positive effect on degenerative brain diseases, from Alzheimer’s to Parkinsons to Dementia to Epilepsy to Bi-Polar to ADHD.   Ancetodal studies show that it eliminates “fuzzy thinking and bad memory”.  I Want That!  Who knows what I’ve done to my brain with YEAAARRSS of chemical diet foods, and excessive sugar and grains.  I used to go though a box of Kashi in 2 days!  What the heck did that constant high blood sugar do to me?

3) Study after study shows that a Ketogenic Diet REDUCES ALL MAKERS OF INFLAMMATION.   Inflammation is the cause of all disease.

If you’re looking for a great book, that’s super sciency, read The Art and Science of Low Carbohydrate Living.  It’s by 2 PhD’s who have 50 years of research and clinical experience between them.  They don’t have any skin in any game.  As a matter of fact, because a Ketogenic Diet is centered around changes in Food and Lifestyle, as opposed to Pharmaceuticals,  money making opportunities are few and far between.

What I’m really looking forward to is Keto Clarity, by Jimmy Moore and Dr. Eric Westman.  This book is coming out soon and I’ve already pre-ordered it.  Check out the “Experts Page”  This book is going to be Fantastic!

IF YOU PRE-ORDER IT, WE CAN DO A BOOK CLUB.  LET ME KNOW!

I’m finishing with a recipe:  Cream Cheese Balls.  Delicious if you love cheesecake!cream cheese balls

1 pkg of cream cheese (  I use this brand because it’s cultured, which means there’s good bacteria in it)
Juice from whole lemon
1 heaping TBSP stevia ( you might need more, depends on your tastes)
2 drops lemon oil ( again, use your own preference for tart )
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 c very soft coconut oil
Mash til thoroughly blended, roll into balls, then roll in fine,flaked coconut
Refrigerate or freeze.
Next time we’re doing this w/coco powder, and I also want to try Orange Extract.

 

Category: Carbs, Cooking, Fats, Keto Recipe, ketosis, Reader Question, Weight Loss / Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

Day 3 Of Keto Diet

July 16, 2014 / / Comments Off on Day 3 Of Keto Diet

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERASo far the Keto Diet’s no big deal.  I think that’s because I weaned down the carbs for 4 weeks prior, so there’s no drop in energy.  Even before I cut down my potatoes/bananas/corn/carrots etc ( I haven’t had grains in a few years, and sugar only once or twice a month), I’m pretty sure my body was good at burning fat ( not ketones, but fat), and I’m also pretty sure I don’t have Insulin Resistance.

If you’re thinking about a Keto Diet, then slowly switching is probably a whole lot easier ( physically and mentally) than suddenly switching.  Then again, if you’re in a Health Crisis, you might need to just jump in.

Check out my What I Eat page to see my meals from yesterday.  My weight this morning was 129.9, and I still tested NO on the ketone meter.  I’ve got to “overwhelm” my fatty acid conversion to Acetyl CoA for my liver to start producing ketones.  Maybe tomorrow!  If not, then Saturday or Sunday, I’ll have to start counting my carbs, fats, and proteins – ugg.  I’m trying to just see if I can get there intuitively first.

I had an email asking if I thought everyone needs to do a Ketogenic Diet.  NO!  But I do think EVERYONE should severely limit grains and sugars, everyone.  They’re not good, ever.

Everyone should also ditch the “low-fat” thinking.  Not just because good fats have enormous health benefits, or because low fat eating can cause brain and hormone problems, but because it’s INEFFECTIVE FOR WEIGHT LOSS.   Here’s a blurb from a Dr. Mercola post, look at the graph and note how weight has increased since the advent of “eat low fat”:

Let’s face it, if low-fat diets worked, the United States would be the healthiest nation on the planet—folks have been following them since the late 1970s! But if you look at the following graph, you can see that America’s waistline has done nothing but expand since then. There’s no telling how many people have been prematurely killed by following these flawed guidelines. Yet, despite mounting research to the contrary, low-fat diets are stillbeing pushed as “heart healthy” by the majority of nutritionists, cardiologists, and the like.

Category: Carbs, Fats, ketosis / Tags: , ,

I’m Starting a Hard Core Ketogenic Diet, and a Recipe

July 12, 2014 / / Comments Off on I’m Starting a Hard Core Ketogenic Diet, and a Recipe

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAI’m about to start a Full On, Ketogenic Diet, and I’m excited!

I’ve been High Fat – Low Carb for quite a while, and by that I mean, zero grains, very little sugar, and literally adding fat in the form of butter, coconut oil, or lately, MCT oil, to most of my meals.  It definitely works for me.  I get to eat really large breakfasts and dinners, to the point of feeling content and very full, and my weight stays very stable.  ( I usually keep my lunches modest so that a full stomach doesn’t slow me down in the afternoon.)   I don’t count carbs, but because I only eat them in Real Whole Food form, ( check out my What I Eat Page), I’m definitely under the 100 – 150 grams a day that define ” low carb “.

To get into Ketosis, I’m going to have to drop that to around 50 grams of carbs a day.  Or at least that’s where I’ll start.  Ugh.  It means weighing or measuring, which in the old days made me “diet crazy”, but I’m pretty sure that I’ve conquered that ugly beast now and it won’t rear it’s head again.

I’m not doing this to lose weight  (although, like any woman, I’d be thrilled to lose a couple pounds), but I am interested to see the effect of dropping my carbs to below 50 grams a day.  Will I have more energy or will I be fatigued initially?   Will I think more clearly?  Will my stomach get ripped?   That’s so spoiled sounding, but I’m wondering the effect it’ll have on my body fat – which I will have tested by Monday, so that I can compare at the end of my experiment.

Probably the biggest changes I’ll have to make is eliminating my morning banana in my smoothie, measuring and choosing either hemp, flax seed, or chia seed for my smoothie mornings.  Measuring any nuts or seeds I eat.  Eliminating the potatoes I eat 3 or 4 times a week; and I’ll have to see what else comes up.  Oh, no more dark chocolate.  Any treat will have to be a Keto Treat.

Since the Low Carb Cruise, I’ve been slowly weaning off the higher glycemic fruits and vegetables.  It’ll be goodbye to the starchier vegetables for a little while.   I really enjoy my roasted potatoes, and now it’s sweet corn season, and I LOVE carrots and beets, but those are what I’m cutting back on.  I’ve been adding more and more cooked greens to my meals ( Oh My Gosh I’m LOVING them), and like I said above, more fats.  I’m focusing on really looking forward to what I’ve planned ( planning’s everything, right?), and that way, I’m not missing some of the old staples.

That said, going this low carb is just an Experiment that I’m doing for either 2 weeks, or through the end of the month.  Since I don’t have Insulin Resistance, a weight issue, or diabetes, I’m pretty much of the opinion that All Vegetables, and All Fruits are good for me.  Real Whole Food is and always will be my guide.  So this will be a Real Whole Food Ketogenic Diet.  Oh, that means no Whey Protein, and no bars.  I’ll sub eggs and veggies, or dinner leftover for the smoothies, and I don’t have any more travel weekends until my fitness conference in the beginning of August.  I should be good:)

How will I measure my levels of Ketosis?  With my new breath meter,  Ketonix – I’m so excited about this!  Until now, there’s been 2 main ways to test ketones.  One is looking at ketones in the urine, which is fairly cheap, but reportedly inaccurate.  The other is looking at ketones in the blood, which is much more accurate, but VERY expensive. ( I did my first reading this morning, and I’m either zero or very low.  I’ll probably have to do a couple days of pure fat and protein to get into ketosis.  I’m interested to see how long it takes.)

Measuring ketones in the breath has shown to be as accurate as the blood, and the new Ketonix is a reusable device that I’ll blow into as many times a day as I want.  I’ll keep you all up to date as to my meals, energy levels, weight, body fat, and ketosis readings.  I’m excited!

If you need a refresher on what a Ketogenic Diet is, read this.
If you’re wondering about benefits, here’s a few:

1.  It’s a great weight loss tool:  the more fat you eat, and the less carbs, the more your body uses STORED FAT as an energy source instead of sugar/glucose.  Also, healthy fats in the diet have a very positive effect on our hormones; weight loss is all about the hormones!

2.  Ketones are great for brain health.  They provide substrates to help repair damaged neurons and membranes.  There’s several Ketosis studies going on which are showing really positive benefits for Alzheimer’s, dementia, epilepsy, and Parkinson’s disease.  Oh, and MS and cancer!!

3. Ketones are “non-glycating”, this means they don’t destroy and ruin any of the cells they come into contact with like glucose/sugar does.  Which cells does high blood sugar glycate?  Read this. (Hint – it has to do with erectile dysfunction and wrinkles ..)

4. The mitochondria (furnaces)  of most of our cells literally run better on ketones than on glucose.

5. Many cells function better on ketones than glucose, because ketones take less effort to get into the mitochondria ( which are our furnaces ) than glucose does.  That’s why ketosis can have an energy producing effect for people with chronic fatigue, RA, fibromyalgia, cancer, and other chronic conditions.

6. Cancer cells CAN’T use ketones, and they don’t like to eat fatty acids either.  CANCER CELLS LOVE SUGAR.  They’re COVERED with Insulin Receptors, and somehow draw sugar to themselves.  Ketogenic diets always lead to much lower levels of Insulin, always.  This has a really detrimental effect on cancers that are predominantly “sugar driven”.  If you’re interested in a great podcast on that, here’s one by Dr. Colin Champ.

Let me know if you’re interested in Cancer and Ketosis, as I did a Client Newsletter on it last week which I’d be happy to forward.  If you’d like to be added to my newsletter list, which is more detailed and sciency than my blog, let me know by emailing me.

Will I lose weight on the Ketogenic Diet?  Maybe.  Some doctors say it’s not as effective ( for ketodinnerweight loss )  when body fat is normal-low.   Will I lose body fat?  We’ll see;  same reason!  I’m really interested to see how it effects my memory and hormones, and how easy it is to do.

I’m ending with a Keto Recipe I made the other night:   Sausage and Vegetables:  I cooked collards, green beans, zucchini and tomato in 6 tbsp of butter and 1/4 c water, then added crumbled sausage.  Topped with shredded parm.  Delicious!

Category: Carbs, Cooking, Fats, ketosis, No Recipe Paleo Meals / Tags: , , ,
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