If you wander the halls of the nutrition world online, you have likely heard something about ketogenic diet, low carb diet, or at the very least, keto. I’d read somewhere that the keto diet was going to be THE diet for 2017. Interesting. It definitely piqued my interest to investigate. A little, anyway.

One of my sons had asked about ketogenics two years ago. And yes, I dismissed it, because after all, I had been taught and told by my healthcare practitioner that high fat and especially, saturated fat was bad for my heart and cardiovascular health. However, with a close family member being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, I had begun to check out “diets” that may slow the progression of dementia.

I’m a firm believer, if a topic keeps popping up, I need to investigate it. Thus I started my research and reading of all things keto. No, I wasn’t planning on “doing” keto, just check it out.

Quotable: The ketogenic approach is about more than losing weight.

Surprisingly, the ketogenic diet is not a fad or new diet! This diet goes back to the 1920s, when it was used to treat epilepsy prior to the introduction of the anticonvulsant medication, Dilantin. [1] In my research, I discovered the ketogenic application being applied to multiple sclerosis (check out The Wahls Protocol by Terry Wahls MD), cancer (The Ketogenic Kitchen by Domini Kemp and Patricia Daly), gut dybiosis (Brain Maker by David Perlmutter MD) and dementia/Alzheimer’s (The Alzheimer’s Antidote by Amy Berger and Dr Mary Newport’s What If There Was A Cure?).

Basically, I jumped down the rabbit hole of ketogenics and have learned a lot, discovered what some would like to have hidden, and with a new lens to look at this protocol’s application. My research is far from over. I am absorbing the vast array of information like a sponge and figuring out how to use this tool in my arsenal of working with clients.

No, the ketogenic diet is not for everyone. However, it is a worthwhile choice to try if you suffer from carbohydrate malabsorption or related symptoms. I decided to take the bull by the horns and experiment its use on me. Why? I have suffered gut dybiosis for a very long time and attempts to settle it down have been numerous. Seven years ago I began my adventure to regain my health. I started with removing foods causing inflammation and asthma. It worked for a while. Then I worked with a couple of different naturopaths to alleviate symptoms from candida overgrowth, leaky gut, and last year, SIBO (small intestinal bacterial overgrowth) by changing which foods I was eating — think lower carbohydrates. Again, why? My body, for a number of reasons, fails to digest carbohydrates.

With poor carbohydrate digestion, my body needed much lower carbs than other macronutrients. Enter ketogenic protocol — low carb, moderate protein and higher fat. I’ve been in and out of ketosis because I am not very disciplined with some of my food choices. Okay, we’ve had a few celebrations like my son’s wedding, birthdays and momentous wedding anniversaries. Regardless, when I’m in ketosis, I feel amazing — lots of energy, no cravings, mental clarity and reduced gut issues. Too many carbs and I lose health ground.

I have a wealth of information to share on why healthy fats can change your health. So don’t be surprised when you see more about higher fat consumption and the ketogenic approach. Wanting more? Then check back often.

Like I said earlier, the ketogenic diet is not for everyone. But for now, it is for me and it’s helping me to restore gut and whole-body health.

Are you wanting to learn more about the ketogenic diet and whether it is a good choice for meeting your health goals? Then book your free Discovery Chat with Brenda. How? Email to schedule your private chat.

Books to Discover More:

Berger, Amy, MS CNS NTP, The Alzheimer’s Antidote, (White River Junction, VT: Chelsea Green,2017).
Emmerich, Maria, The 30 Day Ketogenic Cleanse, (Las Vegas: Victory Belt, 2016).
Emmerich, Maria, Quick and Easy Ketogenic Cooking, (Las Vegas: Victory Belt, 2016).
Emmerich, Maria, Keto Comfort Foods, (Las Vegas: Victory Belt, 2017).
Fung, Jason, MD, The Obesity Code, (Vancouver, BC: Greystone Books, 2016).
Kemp, Domini and Patricia Daly, The Ketogenic Kitchen, (White River Junction, VT: Chelsea Green,2016).
Mancinelli, Kristen, MS, RD, The Ketogenic Diet, (Berkley, CA: Ulysses Press, 2015).
Moore, Jimmy, and Eric C. Westman, Keto Clarity, (Las Vegas: Victory Belt, 2014).
Moore, Jimmy and Maria Emmerich, The Ketogenic Cookbook, (Las Vegas: Victory Belt, 2015).
Wahls, Terry MD, The Wahls Protocol, (New York: Avery, 2014).
Vogel, Leanne, Fat Fueled, eBook. Purchase HERE
Vogel, Leanne, The Keto Diet, (Las Vegas: Victory Belt, 2017).

Resources

[1] Jimmy Moore with Eric C. Westman MD, Keto Clarity, (Las Vegas: Victory Belt, 2014) 30.