You may be asking yourself why try another diet, why would Keto work when all other diets have failed. Isn’t it just another fad diet? Despite what critics say however, the Ketogenic way of eating is a lifestyle change, not just another fad diet. Other than the catchy name, it is really nothing new – it is the way we ate before 1960 and It is the way our ancestors ate for centuries before that. Over the last 50-60 years, the average American has gone from eating about 5-15% of their calories in carbohydrates to 65-75%, most of it coming from refined and processed foods. Our bodies have simply not adjusted and we have become sick and fat because of it.
The Ketogenic lifestyle, also called low carbohydrate, healthy fat (LCHF), generally involves eliminating processed and refined sugars, seed oils and starches and adding real food in the form of healthy fats, proteins, and vegetables. When people talk about the benefits of a LCHF lifestyle, it almost sounds like it’s the next snake oil. It just might be. Many people start Keto for weight loss but along the way have found multiple secondary health benefits as well. Keto works by decreasing blood sugar and insulin spikes and reducing inflammation, the drivers of most disease processes today. Some of the conditions that have been shown to improve, and even reverse, include diabetes, obesity, arthritis, metabolic syndrome (hypertension, belly fat, high triglycerides, insulin-resistance), autoimmune conditions, PCOS (Poly-Cystic Ovarian Syndrome), Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease, neurodegenerative disorders like epilepsy, Ahlzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, autism, ADHD, and most recently, as a successful adjuvant therapy for many types of cancer. Direct benefits include but are not limited to:
Decreased INFLAMMATION – Inflammation affects our whole body, not just our joints. Reducing inflammation helps our brain and body function better.
Improved MOOD – LCHF been shown to improve anxiety, depression, ADHD and even those along the autism spectrum.
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mproved MEMORY – The “brain fog” is lifted and the ability to focus improves.
Improved INSULIN sensitivity – Insulin is the fat storage hormone. Eliminating the carbohydrates that raise blood sugar and insulin allows for fat loss.
Decreased FATIGUE – Improved sleep and increased energy. appearance and texture of the skin. Acne, psoriasis, rosacea and eczema improve.
Increased METABOLISM – Burning fat instead of sugar/glucose as the main fuel source improves overall metabolic health.
Decreased CRAVINGS and HUNGER – Less desire to constantly snack due to blood sugar regulation and improved satiety.
Prevention of BONE loss and MUSCLE wasting that accompanies aging.
Is SUSTAINABLE for life.
A low carb healthy fat lifestyle is not another fad diet. It is a process of learning to use real whole food as medicine to heal our bodies and mind and achieve optimal health. Used in conjunction with time-restricted eating or intermittent fasting, the many benefits can be even more powerful. If you’d like to know more, shoot me a text, give me a call, let’s talk!
I would love to help you on your health journey!