Finally get the ketone high

(Michael - When reality fails to meet expectations, the problem is not reality.) #21

Talk about perspective! 50-80 grams of carbs is more than I ate last week. :nerd_face:

(Allie) #22

More likely to be that youā€™re eating too many carbs, but even when I was strictly tracking / measuring / counting, I never had any feeling that even came close to euphoric.

(Laurie) #23

The way I understand it, paleo is not specifically concerned with carbs. They allow some fruits, some root vegetables, etc., so the carbs might add up.

(Joey) #24

Ah, makes sense. I guess the presumption is that stone-dwellers found some fruit (in season) and roots/tubers surrounding the hunting grounds. Certainly there are carbs to be had there. Thatā€™s also how bears fattened themselves up for winter hibernation :wink:

(Ian) #25

My n=1 experience was not euphoria exactly, but most definitely a feeling of increased mental clarity and alertness. I also notice a difference if I was more lax in my carb consumption for a little while. When I say lax I mean carbs in the 40-80 g region and my ketones dipped into 0.4-0.8 mmol/l region. However, if I go stricter I can push my ketones to 1.5-2.5 and fell more mentally altert.

I recall experimenting with exogenous ketone esters (supplied by HVMN and Ketoneaid), and managed to push my blood ketones to between 4-5 and definitely felt mentally sharper for 2-3 hours. Enough of an effect that I considered using it as a mental performance enhancer, i.e. to help prepare and perform at important business meetings and or during large public presentations.

(Bob M) #26

I think itā€™s highly variable per person, as are levels. I used to have (much) higher levels, but after 7.5 years, mine are low. As in 0.1-0.2 mmol/l in the mornings. Fasting (multiple days) does make them go higher. Otherwise, they are in that level.

Paleo should be eating things in season, but often itā€™s not. Also, things like sweet potatoes we can buy are probably nothing like the tubers real hunter-gatherers eat. Listened to one podcast where they visited a ton of different peoples, and one group did use tubers to flavor meat-based soup. The people in the podcast said the soup was very bitter due to the tubers.

Also, what struck me was that the killed and cooked animals right there, no refrigeration. They had no food waiting for them later. And, they basically never cleaned anything, so germs/bacteria were rampant ā€“ but the hosts never got sick.

#27

Iā€™m on a medical grade ketogenic diet, which optimizes for brain health, including mood and energy. The whole purpose of a medical grade ketogenic diet is to keep ketone levels consistently high. High ketone levels = better mood. One of the main principles behind that is that to not overdo protein intake as it can decrease ketone levels. Not overdoing protein intake may be able to help. Adding in OMAD when ready can also help.

(Joey) #28

What makes a keto diet menu ā€œmedical gradeā€? Is it an especially low net carb intake? Are exogenous ketones taken as supplements?

(Butter Withaspoon) #29

Thereā€™s a certain kind of serenity that feels great that I used to always get on a long hike lasting at least 3 days and carrying a heavy pack. I never knew exactly which things caused it but I wonder now if part of the feeling was elevated ketones from many hours of exercise every day. The calm serenity I have now from limiting carbs is similar. I wouldnā€™t call it euphoria because you canā€™t be constantly euphoric.

Often I notice a higher energy, a kind of bounce that makes me run to check the letterbox, or empty the compost because walking is boring, often I notice that Iā€™m standing on tip toes or balancing on one leg when shopping. I assume this is ketosis and a high metabolic rate. I donā€™t like sitting still. Interesting to try and put this all in words.

Iā€™ve come from a mostly unprocessed diet and feeling pretty healthy (in recent years , longer ago there was an unhealthy few years of deficient food)

#30

I donā€™t know what primal is (heard about it, sure but thatā€™s it) but paleoā€¦ Thatā€™s not even a single defined woe! I saw things called paleo with slightly different rules. I have a good idea about what paleo in my own country is but itā€™s still individual to a little extentā€¦
(Itā€™s true for keto too, of course, my keto definition is drastically different from other peopleā€™s keto definitionā€¦ One would think itā€™s all about ketosis but no, people add different, stricter rules and percentages even for normal, non-therapeutic keto.)

A member, Carnivoor has a rule about 20g carbs a weekā€¦ I eat up to 20g on a strict carnivore day :smiley: But give me time, I will go way over ~. My average is way smaller and it should be but I have no carb limit on carnivore. I donā€™t abuse it with lactose but I need a big allowanceā€¦ If 20-30g is big for someone, itā€™s pretty small IMO, very easy to eat from animal products even without dairy (and I cling to my dairy).

(Michael - When reality fails to meet expectations, the problem is not reality.) #31

Nearly all my carbs come from dairy. The only plant foods I eat are: coconut/mct oils, cacao butter, red palm and palm kernel oils, olives and an occasional avocado. I used to eat avocados a lot during the summer, but havenā€™t had even one so far this year. I also used to eat baby bok choy and recommend it to those who feel they need to eat some leafy veg. But I havenā€™t had any bok choy for more than a year. Just havenā€™t felt like it.

(Joey) #32

Now youā€™ve got me wondering what feeling like having some bok choy might feel like? I may be having the feeling and not even knowing it. :wink:

(Bacon is a many-splendoured thing) #33

On that theory, you could also be craving beets or okra and not even realise it, lol! :rofl:

(Joey) #34

I wish it were a natto crave.

(Bacon is a many-splendoured thing) #35

Soybeans, ugh!

(Bob M) #36

I think the difference is that true ā€œpaleoā€ doesnā€™t allow for dairy, whereas primal does. (Letā€™s ignore the Maasai, I guess, for paleo.)

(Masterp77557 ) #37

medical grade keto?

could you elaborate?

#38

Sorry. I havenā€™t been on this account for some time. A medical grade ketogenic diet is a more strict version of keto used to treat illnesses. Itā€™s usually for epilepsy. The main goal is to keep ketones consistently high. You can find out more at Charliefoundation.org.