Is the Keto Diet Right For You?

Keto stands for Ketogenic which is the formation of Ketones to use for energy/fuel in the body.  The Keto Diet is a way of eating that restricts carbohydrates (sugar, breads, pastries, and other grains) so that the body starts using fat for energy.

The body can “burn” or utilize either sugar (glucose) or ketones for energy. Ketones are made by the liver and are formed when sugar-glucose is not readily available either because of fasting or a carb-restricted diet.

Fat burning has some significant advantages. The metabolism of sugars and starches produces more inflammatory compounds than the metabolism of fats. So, people who have inflammation and pain may benefit from switching their dietary choices from high-sugar to low sugar/high fat.

Reducing sugar and starch from the diet, forgoing candies, pastries, breads, and pasta, is generally a positive and healthy change. The high incidence of obesity in the Western world is primarily from eating too many of these highly processed foods that taste good, are addictive, but have low nutrient value and too many calories.

It is not just that these foods provide excessive calories and make us fat. The most serious diseases that confront us today are from disrupted metabolism. Dis-metabolism is what gives wide swings in the sugar/insulin balance that maintains brain and nervous system function, and is vital for every other organ and system in the body. Ever suffer from a blood sugar crash? That is a breach of the delicate blood sugar balance.

The Ketogenic Diet has been shown to help several medical conditions. These include epilepsy, which is excessive electrical brain activity causing seizures, polycystic ovary syndrome, characterized by multiple cysts in the ovaries causing hormone imbalances, some cancer tumors, which may feed off sugar, Diabetes, Autism, and obesity. Blood pressure and cholesterol may improve on a high fat/low carb approach. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/15-conditions-benefit-ketogenic-diet#section1

Fat distribution on the body is a sign of disrupted metabolism. Abdominal fat deposits and fat that invades skeletal muscle and the liver are considered general health risks for Diabetes Type II and Cardiovascular/Heart disease. Cognitive decline in the form of Parkinson’s, Dementia, and Alzheimer’s are also thought to be risks of our high sugar and starch diets.

There is also growing evidence that heart disease is actually a disease of inflammation, not a disease of cholesterol in the arteries. The blood vessels may become more brittle on a high carb diet. This is called atherosclerosis. Reducing carbs is of great benefit to the cardiovascular system. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080313124430.ht

So, is the Keto Diet right for you? If you suffer from any of the above conditions, the Keto approach may help. Keto Diet enthusiasts point out that people eating our American diet consisting of massive amounts of sugars and starches (from bread, pasta, and pastries) are destroying their bodies’ blood sugar balance.  Sugar and starches stimulate insulin to secrete into the blood. Insulin is the hormone messenger that opens the cell wall so that glucose is transported through the cell membrane into the cells. Eventually, the cells start to resist the insulin message, and that is the start of Diabetes Type II, or insulin resistance.

People do often lose weight and feel better because healthy fats are less inflammatory than sugary and starchy foods.

But the answer is not a one-size-fits-all. According to animal studies, it may depend on what kind of diet the individual was raised on. High sugar and high-fat diets in the formative years both may yield a lack of flexibility in how fat and sugar are later metabolized.

Beware if you have any symptoms of liver/gall bladder congestion such as bloating, gas, gall bladder cramping or pain, pale-colored stool, or difficulties with digesting fats, and get help before you launch.

In my experience with patients, I have seen that individuals who have gall bladder issues, such as stones or congestion from thickened or decreased liver bile, suffer when they switch to a high-fat diet. I have seen people who only had mild gall bladder symptoms turn on a firestorm with a sudden increase in dietary fat.

One of bile’s functions is to promote the emulsification of dietary fat, allowing it to be broken down and mixed with other fluids so it can be absorbed into the bloodstream. This can be imagined as similar to the way dish soap breaks down oil and fat on dishes so that the fat can be washed away.

The addition of Lecithin or bile salts supplementation may improve and assist bile formation.

Supporting the liver and gall bladder with natural remedies or cleanses may be enough. Or you may want to opt for a higher protein/moderate fat regime like Paleo or Mediterranean diets.

There are other risks to be aware of. If the high dietary fat can be metabolized correctly because the bile and enzymes are present, the biggest risk of the Keto Diet is nutrient deficiencies. Minerals and vitamins are not present in large quantities in fats, except for Vitamins A, D, and F. Animal tissue and organs and plant foods are the dietary sources of vitamins and minerals. Supplementation cannot be provided sufficiently over a long period of time but can serve to assist short term. https://perfectketo.com/keto-micronutrients

The Keto Diet is high fat/moderate protein. Protein breaks down to amino acids and peptides, which are used for every process in the body. Sufficient protein is important on Keto regimens to maintain muscle mass. Muscles burn more calories than fat so eating protein is part of building and maintaining a strong, lean body. Calculating fat/protein ratios to be successful at Keto for weight loss and general health depends on your current body mass and activity level. Protein is measured in grams, and are listed here https://ketodietapp.com/Blog/lchf/All-You-Need-to-Know-About-Protein-on-a-Low-Carb-Ketogenic-Diet

People who follow Keto need to be aware of their protein/fat ratio. Too much protein can slow ketogenesis (the formation of ketones for cell fuel). The body uses glucose first, protein second, and fats last. Restricting carbs without sufficient protein may cause a breakdown of muscle tissue. And don’t forget that the heart is a muscle! There are formulas for determining the correct ratio of protein to fat. Click here for help calculating the ratio. https://perfectketo.com/keto-macro-calculator/

We can learn a lot about human dietary needs from studying native diets for people who lived off the land and had to survive on what Nature provided in their local habitats. The Inuit and Eskimos of the far North ate few vegetables due to the short growing season but escaped all modern diseases. The muscle and organ meats of fish and animals provided their vitamins and minerals.

According to Harold Draper, a biochemist and expert in Eskimo nutrition, there are no essential foods—only essential nutrients. And humans can get those nutrients from diverse and eye-opening sources. https://www.discovermagazine.com/health/the-inuit-paradox

Check out Dietdoctor.com for recipes and videos about high fat/low carb diets.

Regardless, corralling your sweet tooth, and passing up the sweets and snacks, is the only way to travel the road to health. There is a reason sugar and junk food is so hard to give up. The lack of nutrients triggers biochemical reactions so that the body starts to crave more and more Frankenstein foods. So darn unfair but there it is.

The key is to be wise about your own body. If you are struggling to lose weight the Keto Diet may help. Assess your nutrients and be sure you don’t become deficient. I do not recommend the Keto Diet as a life-long regimen, unless you are handling a medical condition like epilepsy or cancer. Ancestral nutrition teaches us that human diets have rarely been so restrictive, and then only when the environment demanded it.

Humans are basically Omnivores, which means that we eat protein from plants and animals, fat from plants and animals, grains, vegetables, and fruits. This diversity has allowed humans to thrive from the desserts to the Arctic.

It is only in very recent history that we became Snackivores and Sugar Addicts. We would be wise to fall in love with real food again. All we have to lose is obesity, heart disease, cancer, and senility. Hmmmm.

What Does Prop 64 Really Bring to California?

Regardless of what you think about the legal use of marijuana for non-medical purposes, you should understand what Prop 64 really means.

Prop 64 is being pushed by big money interests to commercialize and market recreational marijuana. Many people think that no one should go to jail for smoking a little pot. That is not what this Prop is about. Commercialization and marketing of marijuana means that it will be marketed and advertised to adults. What does that mean for our kids?

Alcohol is not supposed to be marketed and advertised to kids. So, do kids turn off the TV when beer ads are shown? Apparently not, since alcohol is the most abused drug among California teen-agers.

Alcohol costs California billions of dollars for the social problems it creates, and leads the country as number one for alcohol consumption.

Background:

California is the largest alcohol market in the United States. In 2005 alone,Californians consumed almost 14 billion alcoholic drinks, which contributed to many severe and potentially fatal alcohol-related illnesses and conditions. Alcohol use also causes violent and non-violent crimes, as well as injuries and traffic collisions. While several studies have estimated the magnitude and cost of these problems nationally and others have analyzed underage drinking costs, no overall cost estimate at the state level currently exists for California. We present the first comprehensive estimate of the cost of alcohol consumption in California. 

Results:

Alcohol consumption in California led to an estimated 9,439 deaths and 921,929 alcohol-related problems, such as crime and injury in 2005. The economic cost of these problems is estimated at between $35.4 billion and $42.2 billion. Our main estimate is $38.5 billion, of which $5.4 billion was for medical and mental health spending, $25.3 billion in work losses, and $7.8 billion in criminal justice spending, property damage and public program costs. In addition, alcohol is responsible for severe reductions in individuals’ quality of life in California. We estimate that the disability caused by injury, the personal anguish of violent crime victims, and the life years lost to fatality are the largest costs imposed by alcohol. The total value for this reduced quality of life in California is between $30.3 billion and $60.0 billion. Our main estimate for quality-of-life costs is $48.8 billion

 ://www.eatdrinkpolitics.com/wpcontent/uploads/CostAlcoholCaliforniaSimon.pdf

Do you think that legalizing marijuana will give us less of a drug problem? Do you want your kids eating THC-laced gummy bears on the way to school? Just as alcohol is regulated, so would pot. But the kids don’t seem to have much trouble getting their hands on alcohol, and there is no reason to think they could not figure out how to get marijuana, particularly when the edibles come in the form of candy bars, “pot tarts”, and chewing gum. A young patient of mine from Colorado Springs told me that pot shops are now as common as 7-11’s in Colorado.

Sound public drug policies are supposed to encourage less addiction and abuse. More drug use of any kind creates social problems that harm communities and families and clog social services. Regardless of whether or not you think that pot smoking should be decriminalized, realize that Prop 64 is not sound policy because it puts big money interests ahead of the well-being of families, kids and the community. It will allow George Soros, the largest investor in Monsanto, and Sean Parker (cofounder of Napster and first president of Facebook) to make billions of dollars when pot is advertised like cola drinks. Marketing is always aimed at the most vulnerable and gullible populations, so targeting young people, minorities, and under-served communities makes good business sense if money is your sole motivation. http://wakeup-world.com/2016/07/20/monsanto-big-pharma-george-soros-and-the-push-to-legalize-marijuana/?doing_wp_cron=1469633726.8202860355377197265625  It is speculated that Monsanto will create GMO marijuana seeds and may even intend to corner and patent the seeds in order to dominate the world market.

80% of addictive substances like tobacco and alcohol are consumed by 20% of the population. Drug manufacturers never want you to be responsible in your behavior. They want you dependent so they can have you as a life-long customer. Check this out to follow the money on Prop 64. http://theweedlynews.com/2016/08/28/when-you-follow-the-money/

This is not about adult freedoms. It is about the “freedom” of greed and vested interest to market their wares to vulnerable people. Watch the celebrities and sports stars get on board for marketing purposes if Prop 64 passes. And what will our kids think about drug use then?

How harmful is marijuana to developing children? This has been a controversial topic, but it makes sense to be concerned about any chemical substance that is introduced to an immature system. For details about neuropsychological decline and decline in IQ for heavy users who started as adolescents see this study. chttp://www.moffittcaspi.com/sites/moffittcaspi.com/files/field/publication_uploads/Meier_PNAS_Cannabis_2012Published_0.pdf

This is not your grandmother’s pot anymore. I recall observing motivational issues in heavy pot smokers among my college classmates in the 70’s when the THC content was 1%. Through years of hybridization and sharing of seeds and plants, the marijuana growers have created plants that have a THC content that ranges from 16 to 32%, and may go even higher, as will you, if you smoke it. It would take 17.5 joints of the 1975 vintage to equal 1 joint today. http://herb.co/2015/09/30/modern-day-weed-vs-hippie-weed/

Marijuana plants do have medicinal properties and one company in particular is in late-stag testing. But guess what? It is not THC that is medicinal- it is another component of the plant called cannabidiol or CBD. When THC goes up, CBD goes down and vice-versa. So, the hallucinogenic and “high” aspect is not medicinal, but just the opposite. CBD has anti-inflammatory effects that hold promise for the treatment of pain and inflammation and a variety of conditions. We don’t need commercialized high dose THC marijuana for that purpose. https://www.leafly.com/news/cannabis-101/whats-the-deal-with-these-high-cbd-strains/

We may need reform regarding our laws about marijuana, but only 1% of our prison population is incarcerated for possession. http://www.rollingstone.com/culture/lists/top-10-marijuana-myths-and-facts-20120822/myth-prisons-are-full-of-people-in-for-marijuana-possession-19691231

Since marijuana is already easily available in California, Prop 64 is not needed and, if passed, may cause great harm to our kids and teenagers at a time when their developing minds and neurological systems are most vulnerable.

“Other symptoms of Colorado’s pot culture include increased use among teens, resulting in educational problems in middle schools and high schools, a spike in “edibles”-related emergency room visits, consumption by children and pets resulting in illness and death and regulatory confusion surrounding public consumption and enforcement.” http://www.newsweek.com/unexpected-side-effects-legalizing-weed-339931

“Marijuana-related emergency room visits grew 57 percent in two years, from 8,198 in 2011 to 12,888 in 2013, the study found, with a 29 percent increase in emergency room visits for teens. The report also found that drug-related suspensions and expulsions increased 32 percent between the 2008-2009 and 2012-2013 school years. The majority of expulsions were for marijuana violations.” https://www.rt.com/usa/316148-marijuana-related-deaths-injuries-study/

Raising teenagers is difficult enough these days. I am very grateful that my sons’ schools did not have more of a drug problem. It is now up to us to decide what kind of drug problems our kids and grandkids will face going forward. Prop 64 will surely make them worse.

Nuts About Coconuts (Oil)

What makes coconut oil unique? At a temperature of 76 degrees or higher, it is liquid and the high saturated fatty acid content causes it to turn solid when it is colder.

Are saturated fats dangerous for your arteries? Consider the fact that our body temperatures are about 98.6. This means that coconut oil is liquid at that temperature so could not clog arteries. This is beside the fact that all fats are broken down into small bits before they are absorbed from the digestive tract. So, you don’t need to worry about natural fats, only processed or fried fats.

Coconut oil is healthy for the gut, the brain, and the skin. It will help arrest and prevent Alzheimer’s and it improves cholesterol and assists with loss of belly fat and weight.

Can you think of any other oil or fat that has the same benefits? Although there are many healthy fats, such as flax oil, olive oil, and butter, coconut oil may be one of the smartest choices.

We are learning more about the needs of a healthy brain. Alzheimer’s is considered to be Diabetes Type 3. The good news is that this gives us a prevention and treatment path. Keep blood sugar in balance, limit the various forms of sugar, such as high fructose corn syrup, alcohol, and refined sugar, and protect your brain function. The brain operates well using ketones, instead of sugar, for fuel. Ketones are produced in the liver from fats, only when sugar consumption is low. http://healthimpactnews.com/2016/study-how-ketones-as-brain-fuel-can-prevent-alzheimers-disease/

Many people have mentioned that their memory seems to be getting worse, or they feel foggy. Decreasing sugar and starchy carbs, and increasing good fats like coconut oil would be worth trying as a remedy.

Coconut oil contains medium chain fatty acids. There are four different types of fat in coconut oil, and each has benefits. Lauric acid is a fat that may help balance hormones, with benefits for men and women.

The medium chain fatty acids seem to be processed differently in the body, so they encourage lean muscle and fat loss. Belly fat may be reduced with long-term consumption. Keep in mind that you have to reduce sugar and starches to enjoy this benefit.  http://dailyhealthlifestyles.com/20-health-benefits-of-coconut-oil/4/

MCT oil (medium chain triglycerides) has been making the news in the Paleo world for making bullet-proof coffee. MCT is processed coconut oil, so it is missing some of the all-around benefits of raw unrefined coconut oil. Is MCT better for lean muscle? Check out the bullet-proof website to see what they have to say, but be sure to use high quality no matter if you want to try it. https://www.bulletproofexec.com/what-is-mct-oil-vs-coconut-oil/ Here is a more complete description of the benefits of MCT. https://www.tipsbulletin.com/mct-oil-benefits/

A high-fat low-carb diet was used at Johns Hopkins Hospital to treat epilepsy in children with dramatic results. High-fat low-carb has been used to starve cancer cells, and may be an exciting alternative for treating brain tumors. https://healthimpactnews.com/2013/using-the-ketogenic-diet-to-heal-brain-tumors/

Bacteria does not seem to like the fats in coconut oil, so it is good for the immune system and for gut healing if you have already taken too many antibiotics, or suffer from gastric distress. Inflammation is naturally reduced with the fats in coconut oil. Again, reducing sugar consumption is key. Also, experiment with reducing dairy and wheat/grains, which seem to be inflammatory for many people.

As you can see the list goes on and on. Adding coconut oil to your morning smoothie, spreading it on veggies, or using it for cooking, has internal benefits. As a hair and skin conditioner, coconut oil is healing and moisturizing for every member of the family from a babe in diapers to acne-prone teens, and age-conscious adults.

Coconut water and cream can also be a healthy addition to your diet. I use grass-fed butter and coconut cream in my tea and coffee for a delicious alternative to dairy. I learned to drink tea with milk when I lived in England and none of the milk alternatives did the trick for me. But coconut creamer and butter make the tea taste just right.

If you have been using canola oil, or other vegetable oils, it is time for an oil change. Coconut oil is better than butter or olive oil for higher temperature cooking.

But the real benefits come from using raw, organic coconut oil. Enjoy it on skin and hair for its beauty benefits, or add it to your diet for its health benefits. Inside or outside, you can go nuts for coconuts.