This is all the rage right now. Several members are on it and I know a few others are against it for health reasons. Thought a thread on it might prove beneficial.
Mediterranean diet is much healthier and much more effective long term. Keto is very restrictive and once you stop...all the weight comes roaring back.
Doesn't keto raise cholesterol and fat levels? Exercise is key of course but consuming all that fat and protein can't be good for your arteries long term. Forgive my ignorance if I misunderstand the foods associated with the diet but its any food that contains no sugar or carbs, yes? Are massive quantities of vegetables part of it?
Nice. My studies have lead me to some dark sides of Metformin. Glad you found another way.I'm on it. As some of you know, i used to drink a lot. My A1c was going up. My doctor said "eh, we'll put you on Metformin". Instead, i quit alcohol. But then found myself eating a lot of sugary junk food. Went keto. Quitting 95% of sugar was a 2 day ordeal that felt like any other narcotic detox. I learned that my whole body, except my brain, can run on ketones - like the Eskimos before they were exposed to our diet. How does a carb-free body supply glucose to the brain? By converting a bit of protein in the liver. Humans can - and will - run on glucose first, if glucose runs out, body switches to running on ketones from fat. When i cheat and build up glucose, a session on the arc or row machine will switch me back pretty quick. Theres a a few seconds of exhaustion, then tje famous "second wind" of distance runners. Ive been able to gain muscle and lose body fat percentage. The only way to be healthey eating a lot a carbs is to work physically every day like our ancestors did. I rarely feel hungry. Ketogen is a smooth fuel. You don't need to consume any carbs at all as long as you get good fat and protein calories. If keto is so bad, how DID the Eskimos, oh sorry, the Inuit, survive for millennia on fish and seals, with virtually no carbs? Our bodies are pretty awesome and adaptable to a wide variety of environments, which is why our species spread to every corner of the Earth, excepting Antarctica.
Nice. My studies have lead me to some dark sides of Metformin. Glad you found another way.
I love running on ketones. I'm not strict keto, but I train for ironman triathlon about 15 hours a week and I don't each much suger, so I end up in keto by default.
It's great knowing I can go for 60+ miles on the bike or 2 hours on a trail run without even thinking about needing fuel.
Have you tried intermittent fasting as well? There's no money to be made from it, so it will never be mainstream, but there's probably nothing better for you.
Here's what I do.
Don't eat anything with more than 5 ingredients
Don't eat any ingredient I don't understand.
Don't eat a carb focused meal unless I plan on training hard in the next 2 hours
Focus each meal on protein and good fats (grass fed beef)
One gigantic smoothy every day that contains all the nutrients I need to consume
Most importantly:
Do not snack between meals (your organs will thank you for the break)
Fast 24 hours once per week
Fast 48 hours once per month
Fast 5 days once per year
drink water of course
Most most importantly:
I break these rules occasionally
People sometimes say "but I didn't have any healthy alternatives". So don't eat! I skip meals all the time. Once you're fat adapted it doesn't matter. You don't even get hungry. Hunger has become an environmental trigger.