Keto. Great for...asthma?

(Clint) #1

Hey All!

Long time lurker, first time poster.

I’m 40 yo male, 5’8" and 180 lbs. Been doing keto for 2 weeks now. Just wanted to express my enjoyment of going keto and encouragement for people new to this diet (which I am as well).

As most of us, I was pretty much raised and continued SAD throughout my life. I started keto to get back to my healthy weight of 150-165 lbs., but the added benefits are just amazing. I have suffered with chronic asthma icd 10 my entire life, which began when I was a newborn with a serious lung infection. Not long after starting keto (three or four days, basically after going into ketosis) something amazing happened. I noticed that I was coughing less and wheezing less. Even my wife noticed since I would often have coughing fits at night. Suddenly my lungs feel so much clearer. I no longer need my rescue inhaler. I actually can’t wait for my next Pulmonology appointment to see if I have improved on my spirometry test.

I honestly did not expect this. I’m also having the benefit of no longer feeling hungry all the time. Some people complain of gastrointestinal issues on this diet, but honestly my bowels have improved! No constipation or diarrhea. In fact I’m less gassy and more regular with quicker trips to the bathroom.

Some negatives? Well I’m struggling with food as it is getting rather boring. Please, no more bacon or baked cheese! lol. I’ve started to focus on fresh whole foods. Green leafy veggies and the like and I make a salad dressing with MCT oil which is REALLY good!. Thats seems to be helping. Oh and the smell. My wife and daughter say I smell like medicine! I honestly don’t notice it, but then again I can’t smell very well most of the time due to allergies. I’m a little hesitant to get close to co-workers etc though. I’m still not quite fat adapted so I am feeling pretty exhausted at times, especially on my daily bike rides, which normally would not wind me. From what I understand that should pass in a few weeks as my body gets more efficient at burning fat.

I did a ton of research before starting and consulted with my doctor who gave me the thumbs up to go ahead with it. I’m keeping my carbs below 30g, which seems to be working for me, not really worrying to much about my macros, particularly fat, since I want my body to burn up my visceral fat rather than fat that I consume. I’ve been using Carb Manager, which has been quite helpful, and even has a nice macro pie chart for those who are more visual. After one week I’m down to 175 lbs, which I understand was mostly water weight, but still makes you feel good. Haven’t checked my weight again since.

Anyhow, I’ve learned so much from you guys about the keto diet, thanks for all the helpful tips and recipes. I have a feeling that this might be a lifelong change for me, due to the benefits to my lungs if nothing else.

(Bacon is a many-splendoured thing) #2

Welcome to the forums. It sounds as though you are doing well.

Just one tip: don’t skimp on calories. Even under low-insulin conditions, our body will hold on to stored fat if it thinks there is a famine going on. The solution is to give it an abundance of food, and to let it tell us when it has enough. It does this by regulating our appetite. Fat is a good source of calories, because it has almost no effect on insulin. Because it is very calorie-dense, it takes much less fat to satisfy us

My experience was that it took a couple of weeks of eating a large quantity of food at every meal, before my appetite suddenly dropped. (Insulin has to drop low enough for the appetite hormones to work properly.) But drop it did, and sixty pounds of fat vanished from my frame with no effort on my part. Nowadays I eat less, and also eat less often, because I am rarely hungry.

(Central Florida Bob ) #3

Hi, Clint,

I see you say it’s your first post, so welcome to the forums.

As another data point, I was taken off my corticosteroid asthma inhaler (Pulmicort) back in March. I’d noticed that I’d forget to use it and have no problems, and I was going from 2 inhalations twice a day to pretty much 1 every day or none. I told my allergist, he had me do a tidal volume test and said my lungs looked I don’t have asthma anymore. Told me to keep one around and use it if I need it. Haven’t needed it or my Ventolin rescue inhaler (but I hadn’t used that in a year).

I had been keto for several years (since April of '15) so there’s a longer story in there, but I might have been able to really go off the inhaler a couple of years ago.

(Clint) #4

Thank you for the tip!

I know I said I wasn’t worrying much about macros, but I do have them recorded. Here are my macros for the last few days. Does this seem acceptable?
Day one:
6.6% carbs
19.3% protein
74.2% fat

Day two:
5.9% c
16.5% p
77.6% f

Day three:
5.4% c
14.5% p
82% f

(Clint) #5

Very interesting. I am currently on Advair 500/50 and Spiriva, plus my albuterol inhaler (ventolin). I would love it if I could get off one or more of my inhalers! Then keto would definitely be a lifestyle change for me!

(bulkbiker) #6

Hi @csmith

You might find these testimonials interesting

https://meatheals.com/category/respiratory/asthma/

(Michael - When reality fails to meet expectations, the problem is not reality.) #7

What are the real numbers? Percentages are not useful without the corresponding numbers. What exactly are you eating? Keto does not have to be boring. You will eventually figure out how to expand your menu options. Check out this category for ideas.

(Steve) #8

No Way, eating keto is the most exciting food you can eat! You will catch on as you become fat adapted in a month or two, keep it up.
As for asthma, I was on puffers since grade school wheezing my whole life. Last February I went off all daily puffers and blood pressure medication. My lungs don’t gurgle anymore and my sinuses have magically cleared up, all non scale victories. Oh and I lost my 15 year chronic nagging cough along with snoring.

(PJ) #10

Hi Clint,

I had severe allergies, severe asthma, and severe acid reflux. Officially diagnosed and medicated.

I went low carb and in about 10-14 days IT WAS GONE. All of it.

I credited low-carb for this.

Actually it’s that I have some gut integrity issues and react to grain proteins, particularly anything wheat-Rye-etc. or rice.

Going low-carb simply got me off eating it constantly so I finally noticed. :slight_smile:

Glad you’re feeling better!

PJ

(Clint) #11

So these are for this last Sunday, Monday, Tuesday The real numbers are:

Day One:
24g Net Carbs
31g Total Carbs
7g Fiber
122g of 146g Fat
71g of 117g Protein
1469 of 1871 Net Calories

Day Two:
25g Net Carbs
36g Total Carbs
11g Fiber
148g of 146g Fat
71g of 117g Protein
1555 of 1871 Net Calories

Day Three:
19g Net Carbs
32g Total Carbs
13g Fiber
132g of 146g Fat
54g of 117g Protein
973 of 1871 Net Calories

I’ve been eating mostly keto recipes I find on here and yummly. So I have Bulletproof black tea (with butter and MCT oil) and a hard boiled egg for breakfast each morning. Been having salads daily, mixed greens with tomatoes, broccoli and radishes, with MCT oil vinaigrette and leftover from previous night’s dinner. Dinner, let’s see Keto Cheese & Bacon Cauliflower Soup, EASY PORK STIR FRY RECIPE WITH VEGETABLES, Million Dollar Spaghetti Squash Casserole, bunless hamburgers, Bacon, Mushroom, And Feta Keto Crustless Quiche. Tonight making Fathead pizza dough pepperoni pizza. Things of that sort.

(Jill F.) #12

I have had asthma for over 20 years. I was able to stop my Advair inhaler after 2 months on keto. I recently had to start using it again but it may just be a seasonal thing. Keep up the good work!

(Mary McNeight) #13

I have also had a reduction in asthma symptoms. If I go off diet though, Im GUARANTEED to start wheezing within about 48 hours of being out of ketosis.

(Ellenor Bjornsdottir) #14

My therapist says that he feels a lot better when he supplements with turmeric and something else I’m blanking out on. Keto/carnivorish already helped him with his asthma so that’s a thing. He keeps seeming to forget his inhaler because he rarely seems to need it. I have no idea what sorts of mechanisms would be behind that.

(Clint) #15

No Way, eating keto is the most exciting food you can eat! You will catch on as you become fat adapted in a month or two, keep it up.

Any meals in particular that you would recommend? I seem to be doing ok with dinners, but am struggling with lunches. Particularly quick and easy lunches for while I’m at work. Leftovers get old. And I love my salads, but can’t see eating them everyday for years on end if I stick with the keto diet long term, lol.

(Clint) #16

Indeed I did, thank you! I had no idea about the benefits to my asthma when I started the keto diet. A pleasant surprise indeed.

(Steve) #17

For lunches at work, let’s see?
How about exploring the world of unlimited chaffles, sous vide makes for great leftovers. Cheese taco shells hold up well but keep your fixings separate. Tuna, egg salad, chicken salad, ham salad on your salads. Deviled eggs many ways, ham wrapped pickles and cheese, beef jerky, salami sticks, pepperoni sticks, celery and flavored cream cheese, jalapeno poppers. Loaded chia pudding with a strawberry, coconut oil, chocolate sauce and toasted coconut. Broccoli salad with cheddar and bacon, marinated coleslaw . Avocado chocolate pudding. Zucchini tots with bacon and cheese, pork rinds and avocado dip, lemon quick pickles. Alfredo Costco chicken breast, quiche, beef stroganoff. Microwave pepperoni chips are great for dipping and fat bombs a hundred ways?

(Clint) #18

Haha! Ok, there are unlimited options thanks! Still trying to get the hang of eating keto.

(Susan) #19

My allergist said that losing weight helps rid the body of inflammation which in turn will reduce asthma symptoms, so a Ketogenic diet is wonderful since it’s inherently (instrinsically?) anti-inflammatory.

(Ellenor Bjornsdottir) #20

Your allergist is half right. Normal weight loss diets don’t exactly have the same anti-inflammatory effect as a low omega-6 diet, or at least not immediately so.

(David Cooke) #21

The asthma that was with me for 30 years disappeared when I started Keto. I still clear my throat occasionally but I threw my inhaler away.