You know what they say, “You are what you eat!” That’s why we need to choose our diets wisely, and one approach that’s been trending lately is the ketogenic diet. Have you heard of it? If not, let me give you a brief overview.
The ketogenic diet is a high-fat, low-carbohydrate diet that aims to put your body in ketosis. Ketosis is a metabolic process where your body uses ketones, a byproduct of fat breakdown, as its primary fuel source instead of glucose from carbs. Doing so can burn off more fat and lose weight, improve your mental clarity, and decrease your risk of chronic diseases like diabetes and cancer.
But as with any diet, there are potential pitfalls and challenges. Dr. Mark Hyman, a renowned functional medicine physician, warns that you can do keto wrong, and most people do it incorrectly. How come?
The primary reason is that many people don’t realize how sneaky carbs can be. Even some foods you think are perfectly fine can contain hidden carbs that can damper ketosis. Here’s a personal story that illustrates this issue.
I have a friend named Jane who decided to try keto to lose weight before her wedding. She researched online, downloaded a few meal plans, and started cooking at home. She cut out bread, pasta, and rice, which she knew contained carbs, and started eating more meat, cheese, and nuts, which she thought were keto-friendly.
However, she didn’t account for the carbs in her sauces, marinades, and dressings. She used ketchup, barbecue sauce, and sweet chili sauce as condiments, not realizing they contained a lot of sugar. She also snacked on dried fruits and granola bars, which she thought were healthy snacks but loaded with carbs too.
She lost some weight in two months, but that was primarily due to calorie restriction, not ketosis. She felt sluggish, constipated, and frustrated with the lack of progress. It wasn’t until she consulted with a nutritionist who reviewed her food diary and noticed her carb intake that she realized her mistake.
She learned that the ketogenic diet requires vigilance and discipline. You have to read labels, avoid processed foods and hidden sugars, and track your macros (fat, protein, and carbs) to ensure you’re staying within the ketogenic ratio (usually 70-80% fat, 20-25% protein, and less than 5% carbs).
Dr. Hyman emphasizes that the worst diet you can be on is a keto diet gone wrong because it can lead to a high-fat, high-insulin, medium-carbohydrate diet similar to the processed food diet. That’s why he recommends seeking help or guidance from a qualified healthcare provider, especially if you have insulin resistance or other health issues that could be affected by the ketogenic diet.
In conclusion, the ketogenic diet can be a powerful tool for improving your health and well-being, but only if you do it right. Don’t be like Jane and fall into the trap of unintentional carb consumption. Be mindful, be intentional, and be patient. With the right approach, you can reap the benefits of ketosis and bulletproof your body and mind.
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Summary of Transcript:
The video discusses the potential problems with following a ketogenic diet incorrectly. Many people who believe they are on a keto diet are consuming hidden carbohydrates, which can prevent ketogenesis and shut down the diet’s benefits. This can lead to a high-fat, high-insulin, medium-carbohydrate diet that is essentially the same as a processed diet. However, the ketogenic diet can effectively manage insulin resistance under challenging cases when appropriately done with careful monitoring and attention to detail. The video emphasizes the importance of seeking professional guidance and diligently following the proper protocols to achieve the diet’s benefits.
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Summary of Description:
Dr. Robert Lustig, a pediatric neuroendocrinologist and author, discusses his research about metabolic health on Bulletproof Radio Episode #820. He explains how focusing on real food can reverse chronic disease and promote longevity, challenges the influence of Big Food, Big Pharma, and Big Government, and proposes a strategy to cure both us and the planet in his new book, “Metabolical: The Lure and the Lies of Processed Food, Nutrition, and Modern Medicine.” He also highlights the eight pathologies underlying all chronic diseases, including glycation, oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, insulin resistance, membrane instability, inflammation, epigenetics, and autophagy. He emphasizes that it is not about obesity but metabolic dysfunction causing a public health crisis.
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Source Description
Bulletproof Radio Episode #820
https://daveasprey.com/dr-robert-lustig-820/
In this episode of Bulletproof Radio, Robert H. Lustig, M.D., M.S.L., the New York Times bestselling author of several books about the problems caused by sugar, processed food, and the health conditions of obesity, shares his expertise and research about metabolic health.
He addresses nutrition, food science, and global health and explains how we can reverse chronic disease and promote longevity by focusing on real food. He also challenges the current healthcare paradigm and the influence of Big Food, Big Pharma, and Big Government.
Dr. Lustig is a pediatric neuroendocrinologist who’s spent his 40-plus year career treating and finding ways to prevent obesity and diabetes. He’s an emeritus professor of pediatrics in the Division of Endocrinology and a member of the Institute for Health Policy Studies at the University of California, San Francisco.
He’s authored 130 peer-reviewed articles, 80 academic chapters and reviews, and dozens of op-eds for the public. He now has a new book to explain the eight pathologies underlying all chronic diseases and document how processed food has impacted our health, economy, and environment over the past 50 years.
“So all these medicines that we currently throw at these various chronic diseases, they are treating the symptoms of the disease, but not the underlying pathology,” Dr. Lustig says. “The disease is still there.”
The eight pathologies we discuss include glycation, oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, insulin resistance, membrane instability, inflammation, epigenetics, and autophagy.
“It’s not about obesity; it never was,” Dr. Lustig says. “The key to the kingdom is that it is not about obesity, it is about metabolic dysfunction, and anyone can get it, and that’s what makes it a public health crisis because obesity is a result of the problem, not the cause. I never want to hear any of you talk about the obesity epidemic ever again because that is the food industry’s mantra, that is what they use to obfuscate the truth, and you play right into it when you talk about it.”
In his new book, “Metabolical: The Lure and the Lies of Processed Food, Nutrition, and Modern Medicine,” Dr. Lustig proposes a strategy to cure both us and the planet.
NEW BOOK! “Fast This Way: Burn Fat, Health Inflammation, and Eat Like the High Performing Human You Were Meant to Be”
https://fastthisway.com
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