CategoryProtein

Keto flu

Some people who start a low carb diet experience what’s called the “keto flu” or the “induction flu” in the first few days while the body is adapting to burning ketones instead of glucose. You can think of it as kind of a carbohydrate withdrawal.

The common symptoms are:

  • headaches
  • nausea
  • upset stomach
  • Lack of mental clarity (brain fog)
  • sleepiness
  • fatigue

Many people have reported good results in minimizing these symptoms by doing the following.

  • Drink plenty of water throughout the day
  • Increase your electrolytes (sodium, magnesium, potassium). Initial weight loss in ketosis is mostly water, so the loss of retained water will also result in a loss of electrolytes. Adding more salt to your food can help, as well as magnesium and potassium supplements or by eating foods that are rich in these minerals. Another helpful approach is consuming salty chicken or beef broth during this period.
  • Eat more fat — cheese, avocados, fatty meat, sour cream, coconut oil, olive oil, butter, heavy cream in coffee
  • Minimize protein. The body can convert protein into glucose if you eat very much, and this can stall the transition into ketosis

I did not experience this in 2013 when I went on the ketogenic diet, but my 15 year old son had a couple of days in June where he felt crummy. This was about 3-4 days into the switch to removing carbs from his diet. It passed quickly and then he felt really good with a lot more energy.

In any case, do some research on this and decide for yourself how to prepare for the transition. You might even do a gradual reduction of carbs rather than diving in all at once.

Macronutrients & Obesity: 1971-2000

From DietDoctor.com — a look at the change of macronutrient composition in our diet from 1971 to 2000. As we transitioned to the recommended low fat approach our carbohydrate intake increased dramatically. It had to, because there are only three macronutrients: carbs, protein, and fat. If you restrict fat you will by default consume more carbohydrate-rich foods.

The LCHF approach flips this to reduce carbs (sugars, starches, grains) and increase the fat content. The typical result of this is healthy weight loss as well as improvements in several metabolic markers like HDL, triglycerides, blood pressure, and insulin sensitivity.

macros-1971-2000

Another look at macronutrients and associated effects from this study.

macros-1971-2008

Eggs

Couple tweets from cardiovascular research scientist and fellow egg fan Dr James DiNicolantonio.

More about the health benefits of eggs at the Authority Nutrition website.

Dinner: brisket, salad, brussels sprouts

Last night’s low carb dinner — brisket, green salad with olive oil, brussels sprouts with plenty of Kerrygold butter. Fantastic.

brisket-salad-dinner

Chris Froome cut carbs & won the Tour de France

Chris Froome just won his third Tour de France title in four years.

“His success can be put down to a massive loss in weight, helping to explain his improvement from also-ran to Tour de France winner,” William Fotheringham at The Guardian noted.

“The engine was there all along,” Jeroen Swart, a sports physician and exercise physiologist at the University of Cape Town, told Richard Moore for Esquire. “He just lost the fat.”

As Froome told Kimmage: “In the Vuelta that year (2011), I think my muscles were probably lighter. I was quite gangly. You wouldn’t look at me and say, ‘That’s someone who’s strong.’ Whereas now, my diet is a lot more protein based. I’ve cut back on carbs completely but I’m not losing muscle.”

See the post at Business Insider.

Chris Froome

© 2023 Stacy Conaway

Theme by Anders NorénUp ↑