Keto Advice

(Dexia) #1

So I’ve been faced with a unique predicament. Around Mid-May I’m supposed to go on a remote medical mission in another 3rd world country for two weeks. By that time i should be about 45-50 days into keto.

Now the problem is that we will be receiving ration packets since food might not be plentiful in certain locations. Our rations are seriously favoring carbs. Now I know that I will most likely be hiking or walking off the carbs but how hard will it be to go back to keto after the two weeks? Any advice? I can only take what I can fit in my backpack.

(Chris W) #2

I have a similar problem coming up soon as well 10 days on a canoe trip with 6 carb burners and a horrible selection of food.

At 45 days you should be fat adapting if you have not already, and it sounds like you may be based on your other post. I would not recommend it but extended fasting is possible, there are a lot of other issues you may have at hand that may not make this ideal. Some other things you should consider is electrolyte levels, and obtaining fat. But you can just go back to being a carb burner for a short time as well. You will gain some water weight and it may be unpleasant once you do it. I know it was for me the first time I went back to carb burning for a couple days. Maybe do it in advance to make sure it goes ok.

I don’t think it will be that hard to go back, you seemed to have keto adapted quickly.

(Tina Emmons) #3

Do you have body fat to live on? If so, fast as much as possible, carry packets of ghee, nut butters and coconut oil to literally live on. Could be a physiological and spiritual cleanse! If not, @In2steam is right. Shouldn’t be hard to get back on track. BTW-I’m JEALOUS! I have always wanted to do service work in other countries. Since childhood. I say concentrate on all the good you’re doing and don’t sweat it. If you have to carb up, first meal back as delicious and fatty as you can make happen!! Good luck! Would love to have an update when you’re back!

(Rob) #4

I’d take lots of little mini-bags of pork scratchings (if you live in the UK), pre-portioned bags of nuts, little packets/tubes of powdered electrolyte drinks (like zipp-fizz)…

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Porky-Pork-Scratchings-Card-360g/dp/B00RXG67UG/ref=pd_sim_325_1?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=SVTBE5KBJ013JJDAWJSF
https://www.emeraldnuts.com/products/100-calorie-packs/

http://www.zipfizz.com

…and a bunch of salt. These would get me through a near fasting situation (as long as there was plenty of safe hydration. A bit of fat, salt, electrolytes.

(Dexia) #5

Thanks guys I’ll try out what I can. Resources are already limited for me because I’m already on another trip for volunteering in a 3rd world country so I’ll see what I can scavenge. Any advice on how to keep my electrolytes up even with the bare minimum?

(Chris W) #6

That can be more by feel, but I would take salt with you for sure, and a good multi via. Potassium and magnesium are pretty easy to get naturally, but they can be supplemented if needed. I would say it matters how much body fat you have to burn and store electrolytes.

(Dexia) #7

I’ve got plenty of fat so no worries about that :sweat_smile:

Luckily I loaded up on Himalayan Salt when I was volunteering near one of the salt mines so I should be good. Thanks!

#8

Yeah, life shows up and this woe is for the long haul, so I look at it like that. It won’t kill you (or even hurt you) to go with the carb-lovin’ flow when you just can’t keto. Then when you’re back, I imagine getting re-adapted will be nothing like adapting the first time… Especially if you limit carbs to the best of your ability and eat what you can in the way of keto, when you can. I mean, sometimes you can’t just eat butter by the spoonfuls! We have guests coming in to town and they want to go to Ghiradelli in San Francisco and I’m not going to be the one sitting there with my arms folded, refusing to partake. I"ll take the least number of tastes to look like I’m engaging in the social experience, and just move on from there. That’s an extreme example because I doubt you’ll have to eat a sundae (ha) but I’d rather not but on the other hand, it’s life and I"m not going to put eating before everything else. It’s just food.
But I don’t WANT ice cream (anymore) and I don’t ever get out of ketosis on a regular basis, but I also want to be a participant in life and sometimes this woe, which I love and choose and follow very carefully, lends itself some challenges. It’s all ok :slight_smile:

(Dexia) #9

Thank you so much for the light hearted advice :slight_smile: Makes sense :sunny:

(Miss E) #10

make a salt sole