The Benefits of the Keto Diet

An excerpt from the book THE 10 BEST WAYS TO SUPERCHARGE YOUR HEALTH!!  by Sara Vogeler, personal trainer

When you begin to follow keto, ketosis is the goal. But what is a ketone? What does it do? Understanding this information can help you become aware of how your low-carbohydrate diet will work with your body’s systems to lose weight and promote overall wellness.

Ketones are a type of chemical that your liver produces when it breaks down fats. The simplest ketone is acetone, with the formula CH₃CCH₃, which will make your breath smell fruity or sweet as you breathe it out.  Beta-hydroxybutyric acid (or BHB) – formed from acetoacetate–Acetoacetate (or AcAc) – is the first ketone created when the body begins to burn fatty reserves for energy. BHB and AcAc transport energy to other areas of the body from the liver.

When you consume fewer carbs, it lowers your blood sugar and insulin levels, which then increases your production of ketones. Ketosis occurs when the body begins to burn ketones as an alternative fuel source when there is a low carb intake.

You can add MCT oil which is derived from coconut oil, starting with 1/2 teaspoon and building up to 3-6 tbsp. Read The Coconut Oil and Low-Carb Solution by Dr. Mary T. Newport, M.D.

The Keto Diet offers many benefits: weight loss, increased energy, improved mood, neuroprotection, and fighting inflammatory diseases like diabetes, cancer, and Alzheimer\’s. Studies show that working toward ketosis helps to balance blood sugar, lower blood pressure, and lower cholesterol. Sugar is thought to feed cancer, and accumulates on blood cells (glycosolation) which causes atherosclerosis, retinopathy (the leading cause of blindness), kidney disease, diabetes and brain diseases. Ketosis shifts the source of fuel from glucose to ketones, thereby reducing the inflammation which damages so many organs and tissues in our bodies. It even reduces the amount of seizures in children with epilepsy.

What you eat matters

The average American eats 17 times more sugar on a daily basis than they did 100 years ago. The typical Western diet includes many carbohydrates (bread, rice, grains, oatmeal, cereals, alcohol and more) and lots of glucose that is the body’s main source of energy. The keto diet involves cutting these starchy carbs (not vegetables which are carbs), increasing proteins, and eating saturated fats (specifically, coconut oil) in order to retrain the body to run on fatty acids.

Weight loss is only one piece to the puzzle—physical activity, sleep, stress management, feeling connected to others, medical issues, and hormones contribute to your overall health and wellness. If you are pregnant or nursing, have diabetes, have a thyroid disorder, are underweight or have nutrient deficiencies, experience kidney stones or kidney disease, or if you have an enzyme defect, discuss whether you should follow Keto with your doctor.

But it’s better to stop eating sugar, cold turkey. Once you cut the carbs, it\’s easier to avoid them. Write down your goals to stop now, then buy lots of green leafy vegetables, fresh pasture-raised meats, wild caught fish, and organic chicken. Eat good foods and throw away the bad! Don\’t even bring them in the house!

Join the \”Black Friday 7-D Keto Challenge\” (see https://www.TheNeuroMuscularCenter.com) and learn how to monitor your blood sugar, your ketones, fight inflammation, follow intermittent fasting,  and feel supported in the group!