Ketogenic Diet - Powerful Dietary Strategy for Certain Conditions

[Jo Bugman]

I'm looking for some pointers on how to proceed as I'm entering week 5 of this diet.

Generally speaking, things are going great. Energy levels are steady, no feelings of hunger (except when I eat too much protein), emotions mostly stable etc.. However there's some lingering brain fog and I'm having trouble understanding a few symptoms I never before experienced before starting this diet.

For instance body temperature regulation; I remember reading in the beginning of this thread about skinny people converting carbs to heat and I definitely was one of those people as my girlfriend would always remark how warm my body was. Now, however, my extremities are cold, and sometimes I get the whole-body shivers that last about a minute. I read online different deficiencies that could cause it but I should be getting adequate vitamins and minerals from the way I'm eating now so I'm not sure. Also, as with most things, there's many possible culprits and pinpointing the exact cause of these things might be tricky.

Another thing is my sense of balance is off sometimes and I misstep as if drunk occasionally.

Also all the programming associated with food is coming up to the surface to be dealt with and until now it's been okay. I passed my first birthday party test with flying colors as the cakes and pizzas were flying in front of my face, but being so satiated from a fat-heavy lunch, it didn't even look appealing to me.

I found the thread about thiamine deficiency and was thinking that some of my symptoms can be explained by that, so was thinking to order some B1 as it's cheap. I'm also thinking of ordering L-glutamine to speed up the recovery of my gut. Could either of these help me along?

I'm still waiting for my order of magnesium (citrate and bisglycinate powder) to arrive (along with fish oil), and hopefully that will help me somewhat along the way.

I'm currently testing to be without eggs (1 week now), which is a shame, as that's the one food I have access to an impeccable source of (our own chickens).

Reading about other peoples experiences though, I'm starting to think I should instead eliminate dairy. Ever since I was old enough to hold a glass I've been chugging down milk any time I had the chance, so it would make sense to me that the relationship my body has with dairy might be a complicated one.

Maybe I should just be patient and not expect too much too soon, as I'm reading of people having been on this diet for over a year and still not having been able to perfect the process. I suppose just steadfastly continuing on the diet will show slow and steady improvements by itself...

Thanks for bringing this up, I have similar symptoms that you described as I am skinny as well. I reordered thiamine pills and multivitamins after slacking over the past few months.
I’ve had a scary episode where I fainted and EMS had to give me glycerin to raise my blood sugar back up, possibly because I did not eat enough before having a big lunch and a few drinks. A couple weeks later I felt faint again after drinking a full cup of coffee before lunch (almost an empty stomach). I understand that a coffee intolerance can be a result of thiamine deficiency, so I haven’t had any since (and also no more alcohol since I rarely drank anyways).
I’m back on thiamine and multivitamins and feeling a better, but I notice I get lightheaded/dizzy in the mornings around 9-10am. I feel much better after I eat lunch. I’m not sure what the cause is, snooping around, it could have something to do with my taking vitamins too early in the day with breakfast usually around 6am, so I’m going to try taking them with lunch instead and see if it makes a difference. I’m still experimenting to see what the problem is.

FWIW, I notice before breakfast my blood pressure and sugar is around 105/70 and 93 which seems low but still normal(?).

 

[MatiaS]

The symptoms I mentioned in my previous post have more or less subsided by themselves, I suppose just by virtue of letting my body adjust. I think things like the length of the fasting windows and exercise (or lack thereof) are contributing noticeably to my state of being. Leg cramps are still creeping in some nights/mornings, the saltwater does seem to help against this.

Since I started (2 months ago now) diarrhea was more or less constant, then one day (the 7 week mark) it was just gone and stools have been solid ever since. I'm speculating that that was the moment my body finally became fat-adapted.

It has been an interesting journey, and something else that helped was for me to stop being so religious about macros, which has taken a lot of the "pressure" of. Eating shouldn't need to be so complicated. After having read the carnivore thread and some other blogs on the carnivore diet, I'm eating more and more only animal derived products. I eat onions, garlic, cauliflower and occasionally broccoli. Also gulping down tea like never before with ghee and coconut oil and stevia or xylitol. Other than that it's mainly fatty meats and organ meats and eggs on my plate.

It was interesting to see how the thread developed for the last 30 pages, seeing the consensus shift slowly from keto being the wonder cure for everything to a more balanced view. I probably will never go back to eating a "standard diet" again, that's for sure, but just loosening up the "strictness" of the diet (in terms of calculating macros) has helped me to be more relaxed about the way I eat.

Typically I eat twice or three times a day now, usually leaving a 14-18 hour fasting window. It's not always a real fast, since I'm still drinking tea with some added calories, but overall my relationship with food has improved tremendously since I started down this path.

 

[3DStudent]

I'm not keto any more but still low carb, so butter takes a long time to eat up. But I noticed that Kerrygold butter is said to have PFAS in their wrappers. I'm thinking any similar kind of wrapper might be the same, as it's not just some harmless beeswax that they coat it with. I'm thinking you could trim off a few millimeters on each side if you wanted to.

Looks like sweating, chlorella and algae are good ways to get rid of it:

 

[Mayb]

But I noticed that Kerrygold butter is said to have PFAS in their wrappers. I'm thinking any similar kind of wrapper might be the same, as it's not just some harmless beeswax that they coat it with

if there is the chance to purchase butter from farmers market that would be good. When I find new supplier I buy small portion and cut one peace and put it in warm water and mix it with mixer.. If it desolve fully then there are no wax or vegetable oils addition like margarine, but it happens sometime that on the top it shows like little white plaque and this is usualy where they added margarine so I do not buy that one further on.

 

[Persej]

Interesting view on a ketogenic diet:

We are hearing so much these days about the benefit of a ketogenic diet. But while there may be benefits, it’s not necessarily the easiest diet for everyone to engage. Further, staying in ketosis for an extended period of time may actually be associated with some fairly significant threats to our health.

Today I’m speaking with Dr. Steven Gundry about his new book, Unlocking the Keto Code. I have to admit that at first, I thought this was going to be another way of engaging the ketogenic diet. But I soon learned that what this book is actually focused on is first, unraveling why a ketogenic diet is beneficial, and secondly, after the reader understands the importance of the mechanisms underlying the ketogenic diet, it provides them the tools for bringing these mechanisms online without specifically going into ketosis.

That certainly sounds like a home run. The book focuses on the notion of “uncoupling mitochondria.” This basically means that fuel is wasted as opposed to being utilized. It’s a way of actually reducing the efficiency of mitochondrial function to bring about positive health benefits. I know this sounds challenging, and I agree that it is. Nonetheless, Dr. Gundry has done an exceptional job in terms of making this information clear and understandable.

This is a wonderful new book and I believe it’s certainly going to dramatically change the playing field moving forward as it brings to our attention not just the benefits of the ketogenic diet, but the value of things like cold exposure, heat exposure, consuming polyphenols, and a variety of other health supportive modalities

How to Enter Ketosis Without Restrictive Diets - David Perlmutter MD

Dr. Gundry's new book book is focused on why a ketogenic diet is beneficial, and provides readers with the tools for making this possible for health

www.drperlmutter.com

#142 - The truth about why keto works & why you may be doing it wrong | Dr. Steven Gundry & Dr. Casey Means

www.levelshealth.com

 

[Tyomodachi]

Interesting view on a ketogenic diet:

#142 - The truth about why keto works & why you may be doing it wrong | Dr. Steven Gundry & Dr. Casey Means

www.levelshealth.com

Oh yes, when I learnt from Ray Peat articles about this mitochondrial uncoupling and its benefits for metabolism and longevity and that it is stimulated by T3 hormone, coffee, aspirin, nicotine and saturated fats I immediately thought that yes this is probably the real anti-inflammatory benefit of the keto diet. That ketosis is not an end in itself the main thing is to consume enough good saturated fats. (and most problems with carbohydrate metabolism are from functional thiamine deficiency (and B3) from too much junk refined foods Thiamine (Vitamin B1) - A common deficiency in disorders of energy metabolism, cardiovascular and nervous system dysfunction ). As the saying goes, "fats burn in a carbohydrate flame"

 

[ELT]

Unprecedented psychiatric & metabolic benefits noted in this study:

Frontiers | The Ketogenic Diet for Refractory Mental Illness: A Retrospective Analysis of 31 Inpatients

Background and HypothesisThe robust evidence base supporting the therapeutic benefit of ketogenic diets in epilepsy and other neurological conditions suggest...

www.frontiersin.org

View attachment 60756

An overview as to why the keto diet is so helpful in these group of patients:

I just dived a bit more in the study, and was surprised to notice the name of the leading researcher of such ground-breaking a study, Dr. Danan, in addition of the location, Toulouse.
Funny reference to to the myths of Danu, Tuatha Dé Danann and Danae, so often cited in the cass' material.

 

[lilies]

Keto became popular world-wide. Recently there was an insider three episode video series about the Ultimate Fighting Championship and its super-rich CEO. So I was curious how a super-rich dude does keto.. and what kind of super-expensive equipment he uses. So here goes the kitchen table talk session. Dana White had multiple sicknesses in past years directly shown on his popularized 'fighters-gathering video shows': Meniere's disease, sleep apnea and various joint problems.

...How he has a stressful life and after human biologist Gary Brecka, B.S. suggested that White - see included photo and on videos on linked articles - only had 10 years left to live.., on hearing this - UFC Boss Dana White (54) (on below pic) turned it around listening on the doctor's advice: (for two years now) He eats strictly according to the ketogenic diet and discusses his superhuman, anti-aging therapy. He only eats non-keto on his birthsday:
At videotime 44:55
- I don't think that's keto, bro..
- Yeah.. its my birthsday..

You can see the above scenes in detail on video on his The three episode mini series stock full with insider infos on his money-splurging company. Its the perfect "Super Sugarized", dramatized US-Petrodollar-fueled showcase for Gurdjieffs teachings on human psychology: The "Turkeys" = famous general's carriage boastfully riding into town, the crazy horses pulling the cart all over the place, over-blown XXXL-size egos, massive emotions and delusional thoughts of grandeur / false personalities taking over and a CEO declaring how he loves stress - "I eat stress for breakfast"..etc.., when in reality its his team working 7/24 that really does the hardest work and how its his team members who are busy gathering opportunities for multiple heart attacks / nervous breakdown collapses as you clearly see in these three episode video series..:
Everything you see on the video is super-expensive equipment.

So, how the super-rich do keto?

At 02:44 videotime he shows you how he begins his day after sleeping on his trusty:

1. PMF Pad

“I actually have this on my bed at home. This goes in your bed. The machine right next to it here, you turn it on and just lay on this thing. I sleep on it every night,” said Dana White.

“PMF stands for pulsed electromagnetic field, it’s actually a charge. Pulse electromagnetic field is actually mimicking what we get from mother nature and that’s magnetism,” explains Gary Brecka.

next step:

2. Cold bath at around 10°C / 50 degrees F for three to six minutes

“I jump into the cold plunge. I go in at 50 degrees for three minutes,” adds White. “So when you start cold plunging it’s very hard at first, it’s very mentally challenging which I do love about it. It makes you feel incredible. It is literally my version of coffee in the morning it’s what wakes me up and keeps me going and gets me excited to work out.”

Brecka specifies that regular cold plunging could help users by indirectly affecting insulin levels and stimulating thermogenesis.

“I don’t think anything makes you feel better for longer. It can actually benefit you by indirectly affecting insulin levels, activating cold shock proteins, by turning on thermogenesis or brown fat, and exchanging calories for heat as well as increasing your mood by releasing endorphins and dopamine,” says Brecka.

next step:

3. Multi-step oxygen therapy.

“Then I do the oxygen therapy,” adds Dana White.

‘This is called EWOT, exercise with oxygen therapy. It’s based on a well-researched principle called multi-step oxygen therapy. Essentially, all it is is taking an oxygen concentrator and taking the air which is 21 percent oxygen, concentrating it to 93-95 percent oxygen and filling a 900-liter bag full of 93-95 percent of O2.”

“You only do this for short periods of time,” adds Brecka.

With the oxygen mask on, he gets on a treadmill for a 10-12 minute cardio workout. During the workout, he alternates walking for 3 minutes slowly and going all out for 30 seconds. It's a short, high-intensity interval training cardio session while wearing an oxygen mask.

Proponents of oxygen therapy argue it can boost oxygen delivery to muscles, improve endurance, reduce fatigue, and shorten recovery time. However, the evidence supporting these claims is limited and inconclusive. While increased oxygen availability can lead to temporary energy boosts, the long-term effects on performance and fitness are still debatable.

But controlled breathing does the same: EE anyone?

The good news is that Brecka claims you can get many of the same benefits from simply learning to breathe correctly. He recommends spending around 8 minutes daily on breathwork. Breath control is one of the simplest and most effective methods for managing anxiety and muscle tension.

In addition to stress management, research shows slow and deep breathing can enhance focus and concentration, improving sports performance.³

Source.

next step:

4. Red Light Therapy - on a large & expensive 'Red + NIR light' bed:

Before hitting the gym, White takes part in a 20-minute red light therapy session.
“The next step is the red light therapy bed. I do it for 20 minutes,” shares Dana White.

Gary Brecka explains that infrared light and near-infrared light can help with inflammation, eyesight, and improve collagen elastin in the body.

“Red light therapy or photobiomodulation uses infrared light and near-infrared light, different wavelengths of light to actually create different effects inside the body. It’s well known for reducing inflammation, improving eyesight, improving collagen elastin and vibrant in the skin.

It’s very good for empowering the mitochondria, the powerhouse of the cell to actually improve its metabolism. It’s a great way to recover. It’s the rage in athletic performance and anti-aging and longevity. You usually use this 10 minutes a day if you use it every day or 20 minutes two to three times a week seems to be the sweet spot,” shares Gary Brecka.

Red light therapy uses wavelengths of red and near-infrared light to enter the skin and promote cellular regeneration and repair. The idea is that light therapy is excellent for the mitochondria of the cells, leading to increased energy levels and improved cellular function. Red light therapy also enhances collagen production, resulting in smoother, more youthful-looking skin and improved wound healing. Additionally, it might help reduce inflammation and pain, making it good for those with chronic ailments, including arthritis, joint pain, or muscle aches.

Gurdjieff's morning sunlight recommendation:

..if you don't have the cash or space (let's be honest, the thing is the size of a tanning bed) to go out and get a red light therapy bed, Brecka says you can get a similar benefit simply by exposing your skin to sunlight, particularly first thing in the morning.

In addition to vitamin D, getting sunlight first thing in the morning helps regulate your body's circadian rhythm, signaling to your brain that it's time to wake up. Exposure to natural light early in the day also increases serotonin production, which can improve mood, energy levels, and overall well-being.

next step: (correct order of steps may have been mixed up by the multiple source articles at end of this post..)

5. Gym workout in the morning
-------

Keto:

A large part of Dana's transformation is his diet. He follows a whole-food keto diet consisting of mostly meat, fish, chicken, eggs, avocado, olive oil, and nuts. He consumes very few carbohydrates. He also follows intermittent fasting, only eating from 2 pm to 7 pm.

After two years:

Having incorporated these measures for two years, White revealed that he feels 25 years old again.

“That kicks off my workout,” adds White. “My life has completely changed. I’m more active. I have more energy. I’m more productive at work. I’m more productive at life, period. I swear to God, I feel like I am 25 years old again.”

Water fast:

Aside from his superhuman protocol, Dana White has been open about other strategies that assisted in his body transformation. Most notably, the UFC executive swore by an 86-hour water fast, admitting that it made him feel like a ‘superhero’ with a shredded body.

At 54 years old, White is taking advantage of every measure possible to combat the aging process. He stands by Gary Brecka’s superhuman protocol leading to significant changes in his quality of life.

Sources:

Dana White Workout Routine and Diet: How He Got In Fighting Shape

Dana White has become one of the most recognizable people in all of sports today, and that's without being an athlete. We take a look at how he transformed into looking ready to step in...

www.setforset.com

UFC Boss Dana White Says He Feels 25 Again After Adopting the Superhuman Protocol – Fitness Volt

UFC CEO Dana White unveiled the secrets behind his superhuman protocol which led to his mind-blowing physique transformation at 54.

fitnessvolt.com

Dana White "Feels 25 Again" Using New Superhuman Protocols: "I'm More Productive At Life, Period"

UFC President Dana White shares his thoughts about this new protocol that he has been using to improve his health.

generationiron.com

 

[Fluffy]

Help please.

I’m at a total loss of what to do, here’s the situation.

For years doing intermittent fasting, multiple day fasting weekly, eating mainly low carb/keto with a carb cycling here and there., this helped me stay feeling okay and keep inflammation low. Then pregnancy wouldn’t allow no carb in the first half, got back on low carb towards the end. Baby was born, May be the worst sleeper baby in the world, I used carbs just for the energy because I had none, I couldn’t function for the first 6 months without them.. she’s now 1, still wakes up at night and I’m pretty well exhausted 24/7, body is very miserable about the lack of sleep. I have tried returning to low carb with no success as I would feel depressed and incapacitated after a few days, but my physical symptoms have been mounting up, feeling very toxic and started overreacting to carbs blood sugar spiking and getting jittery, night sweats, candida overgrowth and just feeling really rundown.

So I decided to give keto another try, reducing carbs over a few weeks. Today is day 11 of no carbs, my energy has stabilised, my sleep is more sound (when I get some) my mood is more stable and I’ve gotten through the worst of the initial symptoms… except the dull pain i always have in my back and hip (one of the big reason I wanted to get in keto) has flared up causing excruciating pain which requires rubbing and stretching all day long and pain relief to go to bed.

I’m taking salt, potassium and magnesium, quite a lot of all three, I have 3 small meat meals a day with extra fat and a small amount of prebiotic veg.
Today the pain was so bad I had to take some painkillers in the morning and they barely worked. By 3 pm I was miserable so I ate some rice to see if carbs would help and within an hour the pain settled down to where I only just feel it.

I’m extremely bummed out, everything else is going pretty good except for the hip/back pain, I feel derailed and disheartened. I don’t know what to do, I can persist with managing pain and see if it gets better?

All tips and suggestions welcome. I really want to do keto, I just feel better without carbs in every way- except for the body pain.

I’m an old hand at keto, been doing it on and off for years and this has never happened, usually any aches and pains are gone within a few days.

Thanks in advance for replies.

 

[Ricardo]

( also on keto , for quite a few years now ) Re. energy thing , i noticed an improvement when added/increased B type group of vitamins to diet , there's also the possibility that it will help , though i've yet to try , alfalfa ( as mentioned in several sessions ) :

Session 29 November 2001 : A: Remember to utilize alfalfa with spirulina.

 

[Fluffy]

( also on keto , for quite a few years now ) Re. energy thing , i noticed an improvement when added/increased B type group of vitamins to diet , there's also the possibility that it will help , though i've yet to try , alfalfa ( as mentioned in several sessions ) :

Session 29 November 2001 : A: Remember to utilize alfalfa with spirulina.

I take b’s (along with a host of other stuff) and use chlorella. Impossible to find alpha around here that hasn’t been heavily sprayed with pesticides. Energy isn’t a big problem, it’s the pain that has increased since I started

 

[Ricardo]

Without "formal training" (..) , i'm hesitant to make any further recommendations , other than perhaps iodine, re candida , i've yet to find online the type of colloidal silver that the transcripts describe as killing it only in absence of any further disturbance to the gut flora (in session 3 September 2008 ). eh , prayers to you fluffy ;).

 

[Ricardo]

(cont.) Also the water healing, may be of help , sott thread . ( there's also some homeopathy stuff on the forum that may be of use but in not knowledgeable on it )

 

[Wandering Star]

Help please.

I’m at a total loss of what to do, here’s the situation.

For years doing intermittent fasting, multiple day fasting weekly, eating mainly low carb/keto with a carb cycling here and there., this helped me stay feeling okay and keep inflammation low. Then pregnancy wouldn’t allow no carb in the first half, got back on low carb towards the end. Baby was born, May be the worst sleeper baby in the world, I used carbs just for the energy because I had none, I couldn’t function for the first 6 months without them.. she’s now 1, still wakes up at night and I’m pretty well exhausted 24/7, body is very miserable about the lack of sleep. I have tried returning to low carb with no success as I would feel depressed and incapacitated after a few days, but my physical symptoms have been mounting up, feeling very toxic and started overreacting to carbs blood sugar spiking and getting jittery, night sweats, candida overgrowth and just feeling really rundown.

So I decided to give keto another try, reducing carbs over a few weeks. Today is day 11 of no carbs, my energy has stabilised, my sleep is more sound (when I get some) my mood is more stable and I’ve gotten through the worst of the initial symptoms… except the dull pain i always have in my back and hip (one of the big reason I wanted to get in keto) has flared up causing excruciating pain which requires rubbing and stretching all day long and pain relief to go to bed.

I’m taking salt, potassium and magnesium, quite a lot of all three, I have 3 small meat meals a day with extra fat and a small amount of prebiotic veg.
Today the pain was so bad I had to take some painkillers in the morning and they barely worked. By 3 pm I was miserable so I ate some rice to see if carbs would help and within an hour the pain settled down to where I only just feel it.

I’m extremely bummed out, everything else is going pretty good except for the hip/back pain, I feel derailed and disheartened. I don’t know what to do, I can persist with managing pain and see if it gets better?

All tips and suggestions welcome. I really want to do keto, I just feel better without carbs in every way- except for the body pain.

I’m an old hand at keto, been doing it on and off for years and this has never happened, usually any aches and pains are gone within a few days.

Thanks in advance for replies.

What are the benefits of turmeric and black pepper?
As for turmeric, its distinctive golden color comes from curcumin, a polyphenolic compound with more than interesting properties.

Several scientific studies support the idea that curcumin has anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and antimicrobial properties.

Curcumin inhibits several molecules involved in the inflammatory process, suggesting its potential usefulness in the treatment of chronic inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis.

On the other hand, its antioxidant action allows it to neutralize free radicals, unstable molecules that can cause cellular damage and contribute to aging and the development of several chronic diseases.

Some scientific studies suggest that curcumin could have positive effects on brain function. Researchers observed that it crosses the blood-brain barrier and has neuroprotective properties, which could be relevant in the prevention of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's.

Despite the numerous benefits of curcumin, its absorption by the body is limited. This is where black pepper and its active ingredient, piperine, come into play.

This is what Medical News Today points out in its article on this combination, which states that piperine significantly improves the bioavailability of curcumin by inhibiting the enzymes that break it down in the intestine. In this way, it allows it to be absorbed more efficiently into the bloodstream.

The combination of turmeric and black pepper allows the following:

Activates the immune system
Has antimicrobial and antiseptic properties
Acts as a circulatory and cardiovascular stimulant
Improves inflammatory processes

 

[Nienna]

@Fluffy I don't think it is such a bad thing to be eating a bit of rice if that is what helps the pain. A lot of us feel better with a bit of carbs in our diets. As long as you are not eating a lot of carbs, some rice is not going to be a big deal. Going completely keto may not be what is good for your body.