Cortisol response

("Don't call it calories, call it food") #1

I am five weeks in to keto and not quite fully fat adapted.

Yesterday I had to drag my two youngest children (combined weight of 70 lbs) and coax my oldest child up a near verticle incline away from a bear. At 6,500 feet when I am not acclimated. Total exertion for five minutes in what would normally be a twenty minute walk.

Needless to say, I had adrenaline pumping and it took me a good few hours to breathe without pain.

I had a 1/4 teaspoon of sugar in my tea to help with shock… But I have to say, I did not experience the complete andrenal melt down I expected. My shock and recovery were easier than I would have anticipated with how I have handled other stress before keto.

I did feel like an empty shell this morning but an omelette helped matters…

Perhaps nothing here of interest with regards to keto as I don’t have a non-keto, escape from bear baseline to compare to, but thought I would throw it out there…

(TJ Borden) #2

Those CrossFit people have nothing on you :muscle:

Once you hit full fat adaptation it gets better.

(Stacy Blanchard) #3

Glad you lived to write this post.

(Katie the Quiche Scoffing Stick Ninja ) #4

I don’t think I could out run a Kangaroo.
Adrenalin is a real thing.
When I was a kid my mum’s car stopped on an exit lane in the pouring down rain.
She picked up our car by it’s back end and pushed it off the road.
It’s amazing what you can do when your children are threatened.
Great job :slight_smile:

#5

Best. Keto. Story. Ever. :sunglasses: Is a shame about the baseline though - if this were Facebook you’d be booted out for your lack of tracking!

#6

WOW!

And, that’s quite an output surge to recover from, deserving of a long soak in the tub if you have backup aunties to mind the children, along with fancy keto dessert with a candle on it - because you deserve it, gentle fierce mother!!!

I grew up in bear country and love them dearly - esp from a safe distance. The most dangerous situation with bears is if one happens to walk in between a mother bear and her cubs and she thinks they’re in danger, she’ll chase whoever she thinks is threatening them, etc. Otherwise, bears generally are calm when humans calmly turn around and quickly walk away. Very tricky though, if the exit path isn’t clear!

And, I read a surprising news report a year or two ago of a gal who had an adult bear wander into her mountain house through a back door that wasn’t properly shut in the early evening - looking for snacks, as they like to do. She successfully used a broom and loud sounds to direct the grand one out of the house, successfully - but I doubt she slept a wink that night, high on that cortisol surge.

#7

Try outrunning a dropbear as a sugar burner - you wouldn’t hear the whistle!

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(Edith) #8

I can’t imagine how scary that was.

Here’s a little commercial involving adrenaline you may enjoy.

(LeeAnn Brooks) #9

Wow! Glad everyone is safe.

(Michelle) #10

My cortisol just shot up reading that!

(Wendy) #11

I’m with glad you survived! Was it actively chasing or were you just getting away from where it was? Definitely a scary situation! How are you all doing today?

(Omar) #12

I am glad all what we have around nothing but camels

("Don't call it calories, call it food") #13

You are all so kind :slight_smile: and funny! That picture of the drop bear and the ice cream commercial cracked me up…

It was a brown bear, female, about 100 feet away and started approaching us. Not aggressive but also not ignoring us. We stayed quiet and walked away, which was quite an achievement for three boys that cannot help but yell every thirty seconds as a matter of principle.

We were likely in no danger but I couldn’t see if she had a cub and I decided to just get away.

Anyhow had much higher carb cravings in the last few days, which may or may not be related :slight_smile:

(TJ Borden) #14

I had to google that after @anon54735292 posted the pic. I’ll admit, I was a little disappointed to find it’s not real. That would be a bad ass little fucker.

("Don't call it calories, call it food") #15

Lol :slight_smile:
The thought of dive-bombing koalas will be something to make me giggle for a while…

#16

As long as you put your kids between you and the bear, you’ll be fine.

(TJ Borden) #17

That’s basically what my buddy has always said. But his strategy is more in knowing he can outrun me, and that’s all he needs to do.

(Ruthanne Robertson) #18

My husband says he has no worries, as he can outrun (or walk) me! He says he’s ready for the zombie apocalypse.

(Julie Jarvis) #19

We had a bear coming into our property after our goats (we have a small goat farm) a few years ago. I yelled and scared it off 2 times, and then we had to shoot it when it jumped our fence and went after some of our goats. Being good carnivores, we did not let her meat go to waste. And we have a nice bear rug. I had bear nightmares for a while after that.

(TJ Borden) #20

How did it taste? I love bears, I think they are one of the most beautiful animals on the planet… and I really want to eat one.

So, yeah… I’m a carnivore