Started a Ketogenic Diet 14-10-2018

[Regina]

Blueberries? Strawberries?..Lactose I mean a natural yoghurt in the morning.

oh, I thought you meant milk. (I am a former milkaholic, I had to stop eight glasses a day when I started keto). yoghurt is great.

Here is a guide to berries on keto.

Keto Fruits and Berries – Visual Guide to the Best and Worst - Diet Doctor

[Matthew44]

It’s not a keto book - it is for anyone interested in their health. However, the author does recommend cutting carbs to improve health markers.

Ok. Even still, learning more about the health markers would be beneficial.

[Matthew44]

Diet Doctor

Keto Fruits and Berries – Visual Guide to the Best and Worst - Diet Doctor

What are the best and the worst fruits and berries to eat on a keto diet? Here’s the short version: most berries are OK keto foods in moderate amounts, but fruits are candy from nature (and full of sugar). For more details, check out this visual…

Ok to be honest I’m not a big berry person. I probably won’t eat them unless there is something nutritional beneficial about eating them that I’m not getting with what I am already eating.

[Regina]

Are you using a nutrient and macro tracker such as Chronometer? Sorry, I forgot if you had mentioned that.

[Matthew44]

Are you using a nutrient and macro tracker such as Chronometer? Sorry, I forgot if you had mentioned that.

Someone else mentioned much earlier in this thread about whether I was doing the whole tracking thing. I mentioned unless my results showed I was at risk of type 2 diabetes or my Trigs were bad that I wouldn’t consider tracking anything.

[Regina]

This will answer your question about the preferred fuel for the brain. There are lots more like this.

Your Brain on Ketones

[Regina]

Someone else mentioned much earlier in this thread about whether I was doing the whole tracking thing

That was me - I have a “one track” mind… But it’s not just macros - it tracks all vitamins, mineral and amino acids as well.

[Matthew44]

Oh, Sorry, you just started. Ok, another word of advice - I waited, on the suggestion of knowledgeable forum members, for six months to have my blood tested. Apparently the numbers get all wonky for the first few months and especially as you are losing weight. Three or four months might not be the time to do it. Are you really worried that this diet is unhealthful in some way?

Am I worried? A little. Considering the amount of fat content and more generally the huge transition from moving away from carbs towards Fat, yes I remain slighty skeptical. But based on the plethora of scientific evidence and positive testimonys I have read I am 95% confident that what I am doing is nutritionally healthier than feeding myself carbs. 6 months seems a long time to me. Don’t know.

[Regina]

Well, many on here have switched to “healthy” fats such as olive oil, olives, avocados, nuts. It doesn’t have to be all saturated fats.

[Matthew44]

This will answer your question about the preferred fuel for the brain. There are lots more like this.

Psychology Today

Your Brain on Ketones

How a high-fat diet can help the brain work better

Oh yes I have read lots about this. This is why epilepsy patients and some brain tumor/cancer patients have been put on Keto and results have been mainly favourable…
Ketones are wonderful for the brain.
Just in this short period on Keto I have noticed my attention and focus has improved by at least 30%. I’m generally a lot more productive and animated on this diet.

[Matthew44]

Well, many on here have switched to “healthy” fats such as olive oil, olives, avocados, nuts. It doesn’t have to be all saturated fats.

Yes, that’s correct. We spoke about this yesterday.

[Matthew44]

Oh by the way I cut down on my fat oil intake today and replaced it with more wholemeal fats. I felt a lot better in the stomach. I had my biggest fasting today on the diet. I ate my last meal yesterday at 3.30pm and didn’t eat today until 1230pm.So that’s 21:3 fasting. I ate again today at 4pm. I won’t eat again tomorrow until I feel hungry. I doubt it will be before 12pm. I’m definitely getting less hungry between meals. It really is satisfying and liberating to not be so hung up on when to eat or being dictated to by my body.

Regina, I’m not sure if you read this based on our conversation late yesterday.

[Regina]

I did - and they will certainly be good for your lipids. People often ask me if I feel I am lacking anything, and I can honestly say no. Meat, fish, vegetables, limited fruit, nuts and cheese. You will get to the point, after you are fat adapted, that you can gradually re-introduce whatever carbs you can tolerate. It really comes down to how you are feeling. I, on the other hand, felt as good before keto as I do now, so have to track and measure periodically my glucose and ketone levels. But your blood levels are so good right now, perhaps you can tolerate more/occasional carbs. I will go back and re-read the entire thread, and see I have can come up with more suggestions.

[Matthew44]

But your blood levels are so good right now, perhaps you can tolerate more/occasional carbs. I will go back and re-read the entire thread, and see I have can come up with more suggestions.

I’m not going to touch refined carbs (or rice or pasta) with a ten foot pole. Like you mentioned I’ll see how I feel. Considering my results are Ok I might have a reward day once in a blue moon if I go out to dinner say. But otherwise i’m going to remain as strict as I can to see what happens in 3-6 months when I get another blood exam.

[Regina]

One question - I was not familiar with arepa? It sounds delicious but depending upon the size, etc., it has a lot of carbs in it.

[Matthew44]

I will go back and re-read the entire thread, and see I have can come up with more suggestions.

Oh don’t bore yourself doing that. You have been so helpful to me already.

[Regina]

It sounds like your goal is not weight loss - in that case it might be okay to have a lab test at three months in, but I will defer to the experts. They just recommend no testing if you are rapidly dropping weight.

[Matthew44]

One question - I was not familiar with arepa? It sounds delicious but depending upon the size, etc., it has a lot of carbs in it.

Noone mentioned the arepa as being bad. I didn’t realise until a few days after that Arepas are high en carbs so I quickly got rid of them from my diet.

[Regina]

Sorry, already did it. One poster mentioned that some people forget the original post, or start randomly answering questions without seeing the whole picture. I was guilty of that, sorry.

[Matthew44]

Arepas are the biggest carb foods I miss.