The ketogenic diet is based on the idea of eating in such a way as to make fats the fuel that the body burns for energy rather than sugar. During digestion fats are broken down into molecules that are called ketones and then burns the ketones as fuel. Ketones burn more "cleanly" than sugar does, which is the fuel burned by most people who live in industrialized, developed nations. This keeps blood sugar, and therefore insulin, levels low. This diet is especially effective for healing neurological problems such as seizures. It is NOT the same thing as diabetic ketoacidosis. In the more mainstream medical community a keto diet is defined entirely by the ration of macronutrients in a person's diet, so can include a lot of poor quality processed foods that are not healthy to eat. The term "healthy keto" refers to a ketogenic diet that is based not only on macronutrient ratios but also on eating foods that are nutrient dense, relatively unprocessed, organic when possible, and which include a wide variety of foods to provide a wide variety of nutrients.
The guidelines for keto say that of the calories you consume, 20% should be from protein, 65-70% fat, and 5% carbs. This is difficult for many people to follow because it means calculating how many calories are in different foods. A way to simplify this is for about half of what is in your plate to be vegetables and salad, about one-quarter to be protein, and the last quarter to be fat. This seems like not enough fat, but keep in mind that one gram of fat has more than double the calories of one gram of protein or carbohydrates.
Good sources of information regarding the ketogenic diet:
Andrew Huberman
Dr Boz (Annette Bosworth, MD)
NOTES-
-Need to keep insulin low to burn fat. Eating, especially eating carbs, triggers the release of insulin.
A common misconception is that eating a high amount of fat is what puts you into ketosis, but it's actually reducing the amount of sugar and starch that determines this. Lean meat and other protein sources will also trigger the release of insulin, although less.
-Avoid eating grains, sugars, or other starches. Sugar alcohols (such as xylitol) are allowed but are associated with other health issues including blood clotting, heart attack, and stroke. Avoid fruit except for some berries (blackberries, strawberries, and raspberries).
-Eat 7 cups of veggies everyday. Can help to eat them before eating protein. No potatoes, but carrots and beets are okay.
-Eat proteins with fat rather than lean meats/proteins. This allows you to absorb the fat soluble vitamins such as vitamin D, A, E and K better.
-Eat less often and only when you are actually hungry. A good schedule is to begin eating around noon and stop eating in the evening, a few hours before bed.
-Coffee in the morning is fine if you have it black or with butter or MCT oil (use a blender to do this).
-There is normally a spike in cortisol around 8 AM and this can cause you to feel hungry. This feeling will pass within 30 minutes or so.
-The glycemic index tells you how specific foods influence blood sugar levels, and the insulin index which tells you how non-carb foods influence insulin levels. The leaner the meat/protein the more insulin is released. Fat has a neutral effect on insulin levels.
-Suggestions of what to eat include 2 to 4 eggs per day, avocado, bacon, salmon, sardines and other fish, seafood, chicken with the skin on or chicken wings, cheese from grass-fed animals if dairy is tolerated, heavy whipping cream, nut and seed butters, olives, green salads, raw and steamed vegetables, olive oil and balsamic vinegar for salad dressing, handful of nuts and seeds, water with ACV and fresh lemon, coffee or tea (can be "bulletproof" with fat such as butter or MCT oil blended in), blueberries, raspberries, and strawberries.
-Taking exogenous ketones is especially good for people with a lot of insulin resistance.
-It's okay to take vitamin supplements.
-If you crave bread you may need more B vitamins.
-If you have gut dysbiosis or SIBO you might feel bloated and unwell after eating vegetables because the fiber is feeding gut bacteria that are in the wrong place.
-Electrolytes in water can help the transition to keto go smoothly.
-Use sea salt and you will probably need more salt, at least at first.
-Get exercise while fasting, don't eat before or after exercise because insulin turns off fat burning.
- Coconut milk is keto-friendly, coconut water less so.
Mark's Daily Apple on why fat is the better fuel:
There are three factors about food that influence how much insulin we make. They are the type of food, the size of the food, and the time the food is eaten. All food stimulates insulin release, but carbs do it the most. Protein (especially if lean) raises insulin somewhat, and fat does only a little. It takes about 4 to 6 hours for insulin levels to return to normal after eating (in healthy people). As for the effect of food size, if the food is ground up or pulverized it will cause more insulin to be released, so protein powders, grain flours, sugar, and powdered fats raise insulin levels higher than the same food in its more natural form would. Circadian rhythms tell our bodies to release some glucose every morning at round 6AM to get us going. This doctor suggests only eating when the sun is up, never after dark, for her insulin resistant patients. She says that eating food at night (late at night?) keeps blood sugar levels and insulin levels elevated all night. She suggests compacting your eating time to breakfast only and no other eating. She says to eat only whole foods, eat mostly fat with a small amount of protein, and lots of vegetables.
