Ketogenic Diet - Powerful Dietary Strategy for Certain Conditions

[sebbe]

Re: Ketogenic Diet - Path To Transformation?

Thank you for this reminder. My daughter(she's sixteen) is epileptic since 4 months, suddenly.

I will read this book very carefully.

One thing to watch out for is that the authors recommend a couple of dietary things that may either require caution or are definitely bad for you -- besides a liberal use of dairy (they take regular milk out of the diet, but liberally use cheese and heavy cream), the biggest problem is that they encourage the use of artificial sweeteners like Nutrasweet and saccharine to replace sugar. But once you take those out, the general guidelines are pretty easily adapted to the diet promoted here...

The first thing to eliminate is wheat, along with the other gluten-containing grains (and I haven't found any reason to include grains at all). I have not been investigating seizures and their treatment per se, but rather autistic spectrum issues which can include seizures. I never developed seizures myself, but I had related symptoms that I outgrew in my 20's (children can also outgrow seizures). The top thing I have found to avoid is grains, and the other top two I have found that should at least be tested (if not avoided) are natural dairy and eggs. Industrial dairy (pasteurized, homogenized, fortified, from sick/hormone-treated animals, etc. etc) should be avoided.

There are some reports that natural raw dairy can be beneficial for children with neurological disorders, but once a sensitive individual has been exposed to industrial milk, dairy may become completely unsafe. I don't know how much of that to believe, but it might be something to research. I do OK with organic ghee and pasture butter, but don't tolerate any other form of dairy well.

Eggs should be OK if they pass an extended-length elimination/challenge test. I don't know how long such tests should go for children, but from what I have experienced the testing may need to be longer depending upon how many food intolerances were involved at once and how long the food had been consumed.

I am experimenting a little with sugar right now, from non-FODMAP organic fruit and from organic unheated honey, in the context of a high fat, moderate protein ketogenic diet. I don't consume very much, but it seems to remove the residual hunger that I was experiencing intermittently, it relieves the mild headaches I developed after reducing FODMAP foods, and it has been suppressing any desire for a third meal in the day so that my net calorie intake is actually lower. I have been eating breakfast at around 7 AM and lunch when I become hungry again, which has been around 3 PM.

I am not suggesting that everyone here try it, but so far it seems to be helping with my daytime energy levels. Whether that will last, I don't know, but people that have metabolic issues (as I do) may need to do things a little differently, and seizures may be an indication of metabolic issues.

Thank you.

I am lucky. My daughter decided herself to avoid gluten and dairies after reading so many articles on Sott, since 6 months. She is aware diet is essential, and she is watching me with the fat diet. Slowly, i can teach her.

For the moment, she is again with buckwheat. She eats ghee, fish, eggs, chichen, beef, vegetables with low carbs.
(It is very interesting to see how she makes transition easily, with no pain)

She is under drugs against seizures, and she is terrified and by the drugs and by seizures (she had several seizures by day). But now, she knows diet can have control on this, and she knows there will a near day she will avoid drugs.

 

[Gawan]

Re: Ketogenic Diet - Path To Transformation?

Hi Gawan,

Is this the first time you got your HbA1Cs this low? Congrats of your hard effort paying off.

I had some lower ones before, but these were more or less cheated, since hypoclycemias can lower the average of HgA1C.

I'm thinking a lot of repair has to be done before a diabetic's system can return to something close to normal and thrive on a LC/HF diet combined with IF without running certain risks (ketoacidosis, for example). A gradual introduction seems in order for most diabetics, avoiding deep swings in glucose levels which really seem to take a toll on the system.

IMO these risks are still there be it a "normal" and LC/HF diet, but answering your following question:

When you compare the regular diet most diabetics are encouraged to assume, against the LC/HF diet, did you see much difference in your fasting blood glucose levels?

Gonzo

Overal there is a big improvement, which a "normal" diet cannot provide. There are almost no big fluctuations anymore and the BG is very stable. And the fasting glucose is perfect, it may be influenced when to eat the last meal, i.e. 4hrs before going to bed.

And I don't know if you know this topic and/or book:

"Diabetes Solution" by Dr. Bernstein also when he doesn't has all the knowledge his advices are still very helpful.

 

[Laura]

Re: Ketogenic Diet - Path To Transformation?

The thing that keeps running through my mind is the clue about resistance exercise being the key to activate the normal mtDNA and get it to propagate through the system. That, while working with protein restriction and staying in mild ketosis, AND cold showers, might be the keys to major healing.

So, as usual, we are going to be experimenting. Since we have 6 really good and serious variations of auto-immune conditions here in the house, it's a good sampling. We have finally mastered making pork cracklings so we'll have a snack to keep us going! We'll report as we go along.

 

[mcb]

Re: Ketogenic Diet - Path To Transformation?

The thing that keeps running through my mind is the clue about resistance exercise being the key to activate the normal mtDNA and get it to propagate through the system. That, while working with protein restriction and staying in mild ketosis, AND cold showers, might be the keys to major healing...

Are you able to maintain oxygen levels while doing resistance exercise? That is really the problem that has kept me from exercising much -- my oxygen level goes down, my breathing rate goes up, and I don't feel so good. There was only one time in my life when that was less of a problem, the period that I mentioned in another topic recently where I was able to do some jogging. My sex steroids were higher at that time, although it was not good news: it was apparently caused by cancer. After dealing with that, my energy level crashed again. Medical support for the metabolic problem was nonexistent -- "it's not in their training."

I don't know if any of this is useful, but there was one other metabolic experiment I performed, also unknowingly. When I was in school, most of the exercise was anaerobic and I did a lot of huffing and puffing and feeling sick, and getting cramps when I ran. I was aware of "aerobics" because my family tried it when the (US) Air Force experimented with it in the 60s (my father was an AF officer), but I didn't make a key connection at that time.

Later in my mid 30's, when I was involved with an esoteric group that I have mentioned from time to time, I did a 'tropical' workshop that included some physical activity. One thing we did was a morning aerobic walk each day (and I was there 2 weeks). We weren't allowed to walk any faster than what would permit carrying on a normal conversation. What happened was a shock to me. Under those conditions I was able to move to and stay at the head the pack, and there were some pretty healthy people in that group. So I learned that my issues revolved around anaerobic exercise, not all exercise, and later I learned that elevated sex steroids temporarily enabled me to do light anaerobic exercise as well.

Again, I don't know if this will help anyone else, but it has been helpful to me to know where I can push harder and where not to, and it may help me to figure out if there is anything in the Peat material I am going through now that I should try. So I am experimenting too, though definitely with different parameters.

 

[mkrnhr]

Re: Ketogenic Diet - Path To Transformation?

Just a note on the resistance exercise, on some weekends I go hiking. The other participants do ask me if I workout during the week because they all do and it seems to be easy to me despite being overweight. I explain to them that I don't workout and that it's all due to the diet (of course they resist the idea) and sleep. It might be due to a better use of energy for sustained efforts thanks to the paleo diet.

 

[dugdeep]

Re: Ketogenic Diet - Path To Transformation?

I don't think running, walking or hiking qualifies as "resistance exercise". "Resistance" implies something has to be resisting your movements in some way in order to build muscle (and therefore increase the number of mitochondria). I think exercise with weights, elastic bands, your own body weight (push-ups or pull-ups, for example) or swimming qualifies.

From this article:

Resistance training is any exercise that causes the muscles to contract against an external resistance with the expectation of increases in strength, tone, mass, and/or endurance. The external resistance can be dumbbells, rubber exercise tubing, your own body weight, bricks, bottles of water, or any other object that causes the muscles to contract.

 

[mkrnhr]

Re: Ketogenic Diet - Path To Transformation?

Thanks dugdeep for the clarification.
I still wonder though about what kind of physical activity our paleolithic ancestrors evolved to in their everyday life, since I do not think they would workout in the same way we would do today.

 

[Foxx]

Re: Ketogenic Diet - Path To Transformation?

hello Foxx this thread might answer some of your questions:
http://cassiopaea.org/forum/index.php/topic,28712.msg360048.html#msg360048

Thanks for the link, Pashalis. Laura provides a more detailed answer that answers my questions here.

 

[dugdeep]

Re: Ketogenic Diet - Path To Transformation?

Thanks dugdeep for the clarification.
I still wonder though about what kind of physical activity our paleolithic ancestrors evolved to in their everyday life, since I do not think they would workout in the same way we would do today.

Here's one guy's impression:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SKGF-ErsJiI

:)

 

[mkrnhr]

Re: Ketogenic Diet - Path To Transformation?

I would not advice the running on the bridge part :)
The exercises in the video relate to "Calisthenics" with jumping and so forth. It could apply to hunting activity indeed.

 

[dugdeep]

Re: Ketogenic Diet - Path To Transformation?

I would not advice the running on the bridge part :)
The exercises in the video relate to "Calisthenics" with jumping and so forth. It could apply to hunting activity indeed.

True, but it also has a lot of strength training. It's not easy to pull oneself up on tree branches and rocks that way. Swimming, crawling, climbing, lifting; I think these things are the ideal exercises for human bodies :)

 

[Laura]

Re: Ketogenic Diet - Path To Transformation?

The thing that keeps running through my mind is the clue about resistance exercise being the key to activate the normal mtDNA and get it to propagate through the system. That, while working with protein restriction and staying in mild ketosis, AND cold showers, might be the keys to major healing...

Are you able to maintain oxygen levels while doing resistance exercise? That is really the problem that has kept me from exercising much -- my oxygen level goes down, my breathing rate goes up, and I don't feel so good.

I don't have any problem with keeping oxygen up because I get a lot of practice from singing. When I do any kind of exercise, I concentrate a lot on breathing deeply. For me, it's just part of exercising.

 

[Laura]

Re: Ketogenic Diet - Path To Transformation?

Thanks dugdeep for the clarification.
I still wonder though about what kind of physical activity our paleolithic ancestrors evolved to in their everyday life, since I do not think they would workout in the same way we would do today.

They also weren't having to figure out ways to get the "wild DNA" back in circulation.

 

[Carl]

Re: Ketogenic Diet - Path To Transformation?

Thanks dugdeep for the clarification.
I still wonder though about what kind of physical activity our paleolithic ancestrors evolved to in their everyday life, since I do not think they would workout in the same way we would do today.

Here's one guy's impression:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SKGF-ErsJiI

:)

That looks so fun I would do it all day! Too bad I live many miles from the wilderness.

Then again, it is not too difficult to make a close approximation of these workouts with just some heavy weight and a pull-up bar. I have been doing the old sets and reps routines in the gym for a long time, but they do feel contrived and unnatural. I dont imagine our ancestors wasting their energy picking up a rock and putting it straight back down 30 times. Instead the main muscle work would be carrying/pulling things like dead animals, wood, rocks etc. I.E sustained tension in the muscles.

I have started doing more exercises that involve sustained tension such as hanging from a bar with my knees tucked into my chest, and dragging heavy weights/holding them for a long time rather than pick up&put down. I'm sure one could get really creative with this, provided with the right environment.

 

[Gertrudes]

Re: Ketogenic Diet - Path To Transformation?

Thanks dugdeep for the clarification.
I still wonder though about what kind of physical activity our paleolithic ancestrors evolved to in their everyday life, since I do not think they would workout in the same way we would do today.

Here's one guy's impression:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SKGF-ErsJiI

:)

I've been curious about him since having heard his podcast on the paleo summit, thanks for bringing that up dugdeep.
For whomever is interested, here's his website: _http://movnat.com/