Ketogenic Diet - Powerful Dietary Strategy for Certain Conditions

[aragorn]

Re: Ketogenic Diet - Path To Transformation?

I was having 'Christmas lunch' with our faculty members yesterday, and at my table we started talking about diet, food and health. One of the teachers started telling about how his son is on the LCHF diet, and that he was on it, too, for one year. He said he had to give it up because he felt it was too complicated to visit friends and restaurants, he felt there was too much focus on food and that he felt guilty of being a 'difficult guest'. I was careful not to be too provocative, saying that yes, that can be a difficult part of the 'equation'. Then I just added that after a while, once I got used to it, arranging things at friends or at restaurants was second nature and not that difficult-you just leave the starch and carbs and switch them for some salad-being in good health is worth the trouble.

Okay, so nothing unusual here. But the interesting part was when he started talking about his latest health problems, chronic fatigue, heart problems etc. Out of curiosity I then asked him how he felt when he was on the LCHF diet. Not surprisingly he started listing all kinds of good things, like not being tired and feeling warmer and sleeping better.

Then I said in a humorous tone "Well, there's your answer, then!" And he just looked at me with an empty stare, seemingly not being able to make the connection. And that was the end of it. I believe the word I'm searching right now is 'sheesh!'

 

[Laura]

Re: Ketogenic Diet - Path To Transformation?

But the interesting part was when he started talking about his latest health problems, chronic fatigue, heart problems etc. Out of curiosity I then asked him how he felt when he was on the LCHF diet. Not surprisingly he started listing all kinds of good things, like not being tired and feeling warmer and sleeping better.

Then I said in a humorous tone "Well, there's your answer, then!" And he just looked at me with an empty stare, seemingly not being able to make the connection. And that was the end of it. I believe the word I'm searching right now is 'sheesh!'

It is freaking amazing that people are so clueless and none of their neurons seem to be firing. Why did he even have to be a "difficult guest" if he could be an "easy guest" and just say "plain meat and a salad, thanks". It really is that easy.

Plus, it's the opposite of "too much focus on food", it's seeing food for what it is: fuel, not a social/pleasure thing primarily.

 

[Carl]

Re: Ketogenic Diet - Path To Transformation?

But the interesting part was when he started talking about his latest health problems, chronic fatigue, heart problems etc. Out of curiosity I then asked him how he felt when he was on the LCHF diet. Not surprisingly he started listing all kinds of good things, like not being tired and feeling warmer and sleeping better.

Then I said in a humorous tone "Well, there's your answer, then!" And he just looked at me with an empty stare, seemingly not being able to make the connection. And that was the end of it. I believe the word I'm searching right now is 'sheesh!'

It is freaking amazing that people are so clueless and none of their neurons seem to be firing. Why did he even have to be a "difficult guest" if he could be an "easy guest" and just say "plain meat and a salad, thanks". It really is that easy.

Plus, it's the opposite of "too much focus on food", it's seeing food for what it is: fuel, not a social/pleasure thing primarily.

Tell me about it.. I have a friend studying biology at the moment, who's read The art and science.. and we talk often of the benefits of paleo and keto. Yet he still eats sandwiches, readymeals etc..

The thing is, without either The Work or a serious health problem to provide a framework and driving force for what we do, it's hard to commit to something like this. Most people just take everything entirely for granted, including their health, until it's too late.


Also a quick update. All this talk of headaches and morning fatigue matched my symptoms perfectly, I've been struggling with it for a few weeks now. Only yesterday I noticed that my protein intake had been slowly creeping back up, so I made efforts to cut it again sharply.

Today I woke up feeling great, took some time to pray, do a little stretching and read some news. I finally feel back to normal, like this is 'my' body and I'm not wrestling with myself to get up and out. Just been to the gym for a short session and I feel very satisfied :).

 

[Gimpy]

Re: Ketogenic Diet - Path To Transformation?

Good morning.

Since reducing my diet to a strict bone broth and bits of meat, I'm having joint pain in both knees that's becoming an issue. It comes on suddenly, is hot/achy, then very sharp...I have a hight tolerance for pain, and this takes my breath away.

The 'attacks' last from five minutes to a half hour, and rotate between the left knee, right knee, and right hip joint. There is no swelling, no redness, no fluid build up. The joint feels 'stuffed with cotton' and is stiff. When I try to move when this is flared up, the whole leg won't work. If I do push it, it will eventually work. Movement seems to help once the pain passes.

Advil doesn't touch it. Cold doesn't touch it. Heat makes it worse. It does not appear to be affected by anything I'm eating or drinking. It is the worst in the evenings. During the day it comes and goes.

This morning, when I felt it ramping up, I put DMSO on the knee joint, and that stopped it, so far. Usually, DMSO causes skin irritation and the heat sensation...and that's not happening. I'm at my desk here hoping I don't break a tooth gritting my teeth.


Hubby is wondering if it could be gout, if I'm not drinking enough or getting enough water and different salts? Could this be a deepening of Ketosis? I've been depressed....but this doesn't behave like any ache or pain from that. (When depressed, I just feel 'blah' kinds of pain, and exercise gets rid of that.)

I have been pushing exercise, but nothing that could irritate a joint like this: recumbent bike riding, and what weight lifting I do is done from a chair, or with a chair under me to make sure there is no stress on the joints.


I'm stumped. Ideas?

 

[mcb]

Re: Ketogenic Diet - Path To Transformation?

...Plus, it's the opposite of "too much focus on food", it's seeing food for what it is: fuel, not a social/pleasure thing primarily.

At the root of it, isn't food one of the main ways of controlling people? Wasn't this person being controlled through food, and isn't it a primary effect that the centralization of resources that came with agriculture produced? Especially when you consider how access to quality food that would enable people to think more clearly has been restricted, then and now.

 

[Laura]

Re: Ketogenic Diet - Path To Transformation?

Gimpy, if you are well and truly in keto, you may be experiencing apoptosis of damaged cells in those areas. If you can, how about using your handweights to really quickly exhaust the muscles in your arms so as to trigger the wild DNA?

When I was going through it, it hit me hardest in the hips and thigh bones, but the knees were cranky too.

 

[mcb]

Re: Ketogenic Diet - Path To Transformation?

Gimpy, if you are well and truly in keto, you may be experiencing apoptosis of damaged cells in those areas. If you can, how about using your handweights to really quickly exhaust the muscles in your arms so as to trigger the wild DNA?
...

The odd thing I have noticed about doing that exercise is that it can actually feel good. That could be a clue from the body.

 

[Gimpy]

Re: Ketogenic Diet - Path To Transformation?

Gimpy, if you are well and truly in keto, you may be experiencing apoptosis of damaged cells in those areas. If you can, how about using your handweights to really quickly exhaust the muscles in your arms so as to trigger the wild DNA?

When I was going through it, it hit me hardest in the hips and thigh bones, but the knees were cranky too.

I'll have a go at this today. Thank you.

 

[Tchaka]

Re: Ketogenic Diet - Path To Transformation?

Hello fellow Keto-nauts,

so, it's been a solid month and I've been in ketosis the most of the time i believe. Bought a keto meter and been ringing in at 5 mmols which seems pretty steady (when checked usually after second meal of day). Can't seem to get higher than that. the only downside is I've lost a bunch of weight, going from about 170, to 155, but I feel great, and don't look too scrawny...although I am 6'2" so seems a little light, but I'm cool with it. Cold showers are fretful at first, but once the water hits, it's so invigorating.

I know there has been some talk of adding a few things back, like Laura once mentioned re-introducing a salad, with what i recall to be success. But I also recall Anart suggesting a leaf of lettuce made her feel quite uneasy. forgive me if these memories are inaccurate.

I have been thinking that one day I would like to do some reintroduction of my own to see what vegetables I could have (salads ect...) and remain in ketosis. I plan on sticking to just the fat, broth and portioned meat, into the new year, which will put me at 2 months, which seems to be just enough time to have gotten those DNA repairs underway. Perhaps I'll even go further...we shall see.

but i was wondering if anyone would share success or failure stories about what they have been able to reintroduce. any suggestions on amounts. I know we are all different, and I do plan on running my own experiments using the keto meter, but again, just wondered if anyone had any advice on this topic. I tried searching, but to no avail. Can't quite figure what key words would work for this query. I will continue reading the LWOB thread for ideas on foods in general.

I came across this random description, and from what i gleamed (worthy or not, as i need to look into who they actually are), the reintroduction seems like part of the general idea of the diet. Of course our purposes may be a little different, so...

http://www.hannenhealth.com/keto.htm

In other news, i bought a FIR sauna blanket and have been using it and loving it to no end!

oh, and coffee, the bulletproof way, with butter and the good upgraded beans has been a heavenly treat.

 

[nicklebleu]

Re: Ketogenic Diet - Path To Transformation?

I want to report my recent experiences with the ketogentic diet ...

I currently live (and eat) in a camp style environment. Food is served in a canteen. There is of course heaps of carbs available (the majority of foods), protein is plenty too and fat is quite scarce. My fat source consists of butter, fat off-cuts that the chef puts aside for me and which I fry and eat in between, and bone broth, which I brought with me in sterilized jars (but which I have to limit to 1 - 2 cups a day for it to last the distance).

So I have been heavily reliant on protein - meat, fish, some poultry. I also measure my BOHB and blood sugar daily and have noticed, that at the moment my level of ketosis is very much dependent on protein intake. If I increase my protein past 1 g/kg, my BOHB levels go down quite significantly (1 - 2 mmol/l) and if I cut back on protein, theyr rise to 3 - 6 mmol/l). This is not new, but what I found interesting is the sensitivity of my body to protein, which was not the same a while ago. I would regularly pig out on protein with very little effect on ketosis, where now I have to be very, very careful with the amount of protein, if I don't want to fall out of ketosis completely, which happened a few weeks ago - despite being on practically zero carbs ...

Just thought I would mention this here, as I found it quite interesting ... like my body has adapted to this new way of nutrition and responds to proteins very differently now.

 

[Tchaka]

Re: Ketogenic Diet - Path To Transformation?

thanks for the report nicklebleau, it kind of makes me question my own previous query. If falling out can be so easy with just protein fluctuations, I suspect my wonderings about produce introduction is perhaps opening up Pandora's box-lunch on the matter. I got some thinking to do.

 

[Gimpy]

Re: Ketogenic Diet - Path To Transformation?

When I was going through it, it hit me hardest in the hips and thigh bones, but the knees were cranky too.

Do you remember how long it lasted? :(

 

[Gimpy]

Re: Ketogenic Diet - Path To Transformation?

It appears to be ketogenic. The test strips never worked for me before, this morning the color was in the mid range.

Going to ramp up the weight lifting and see what that does. (Within reason, I couldn't get down the stairs til ten minutes ago.)

 

[Laura]

Re: Ketogenic Diet - Path To Transformation?

When I was going through it, it hit me hardest in the hips and thigh bones, but the knees were cranky too.

Do you remember how long it lasted? :(

Steady for at least a week then lessening for a couple of weeks, only intermittant for another week or two, and finally fading. Even the young'ns here had such cranky things going on. I had to literally drag myself to the gym to lift weights. Since I'm just afflicted with rheumatoid arthritis and I had that sort of misery, I can't even imagine what yours might be like! I would try DMSO cream on the knees (helped me). Do you have some?

 

[Gimpy]

Re: Ketogenic Diet - Path To Transformation?

When I was going through it, it hit me hardest in the hips and thigh bones, but the knees were cranky too.

Do you remember how long it lasted? :(

Steady for at least a week then lessening for a couple of weeks, only intermittant for another week or two, and finally fading. Even the young'ns here had such cranky things going on. I had to literally drag myself to the gym to lift weights. Since I'm just afflicted with rheumatoid arthritis and I had that sort of misery, I can't even imagine what yours might be like! I would try DMSO cream on the knees (helped me). Do you have some?

Yes. I have a large tub of DMSO gel that I share with the dog. The gel got me through the day yesterday, but the skin is very irritated from it. I'm going to give the skin a rest and put lotion on it today, see how that does. Today its drifting around the major joints..ankles, shoulders, elbows etc. Old injury spots are the worst. I've broken both wrists three times each, had bursitis in both knees. Those hurt the worst.

Its the kind of pain that, at the time, takes your breath away. Once its gone? Its hard to remember it being bad. If that makes sense?

I'm using it to cry out a few tears. Any port in a storm, yeah?