Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve probably heard all about or known someone who has gone keto! The ketogenic diet is considered a form of hormesis, or GOOD stress to the body, because it is a way to train your body to focus on using its own fat for fuel. The keto diet is used by people to have peak performance, to increase longevity, to lose weight, to optimize hormones, or to try to beat cravings or addictions. (Disclaimer: If you are a pregnant or breastfeeding mom, someone about to get her period, or have had eating disorders, keto is probably not for you!)
Most of us here in North America rely on energy from a glucose or carb rush that is created by most processed and/or starchy foods. While the fuel from carbs tastes great, it is a quicker energy source that is also broken down quickly, creating a spike in blood sugar, then insulin. Insulin is considered our AGING hormone: this spike makes us hungry again quickly, creating weight gain, adding inflammation to our systems, and contributing to metabolic syndrome such as diabetes and prediabetes.
The ketogenic diet mimics the diet eaten in times of our ancient ancestors who didn’t cook much and ate mainly meats, foraged on nuts, some vegetables and a few fruits. It keeps our blood sugar stable so we may have increased periods of feeling satiated and avoid overeating. So what does the keto diet consist of? Lots of healthy fats (and with most of them, the oil or butter created from their source), such as avocados, olives, nuts, seeds, coconuts, lard or tallow, ghee and butter. Also, plenty of meat or other healthy protein such as eggs, tempeh, or cottage cheese. Veggies without too much starch (typically the vegetables that grow above ground) are super important when eating keto to keep digestion moving: greens, celery, cruciferous vegetables,cucumber, peppers, etc. Starchier root vegetables such as potatoes, yams, turnips, beets, etc. should be eaten only in small quantities to avoid that blood sugar spike that those following keto avoid. Berries and lemon are also okay to eat on the keto diet.
So what is the difference between ketogenic and ketobiotic? Dr. Mindy Pelz tweaked keto to ketobiotic, focusing on gut health. In her version of keto, lots of probiotic foods such as yogurt, sauerkraut, kimchi are a focus to make sure the microbiome can handle the meat and fats well. She also recommends drinking a cup of bone broth regularly to focus on the gut lining and ensure the bacteria, viruses etc. in the gut stay balanced and supported. Personally, I have not tolerated keto well, but when trying ketobiotic it sits much better with my digestion.
To start the keto diet, we have three major recommendations: 1. Start by adding lots of healthy fat and fiber. Fats and fiber both help us feel more full which can keep us off the blood sugar spike train. 2. Try to switch from man-made carbs such as bread, pasta, cakes, candy, etc. to nature’s carbs like fruit and starchy vegetables, which have the fiber and nutrients to make the carbs you eat more fulfilling. 3. Try to eat slightly less often. You can start by delaying your breakfast by 30 min or an hour, or pushing your meals just slightly longer apart, or skipping a snack. All these things will help train your blood sugar to stay more steady and need food less often.
Have you tried the keto diet? Do you want to try it? Reach out by email or schedule a consult to talk more!