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A Practical Guide to Keto
Here is an excellent website with a wealth of information for anyone starting a ketogenic diet. I wish this was available when I first started low-carb living. The Title of the blog is “The Complete Ketogenic Diet Food List: What to Eat and Avoid on a Low-Carb Diet”. It explains… - Carb counts in foods - Good fats - Quality protein sources - Foods to eat - Foods to avoid Please click on the following link: https://ketodietapp.com/Blog/lchf/Keto-Diet-Food-List-What-to-Eat-and-Avoid A Personal Note on Keto… A ketogenic diet is one form of a low-carb diet. I have followed some form of a low carb/ketogenic diet since February of 2001. At the beginning, in my ignorance of carb counts, I eliminated obvious starchy and sugary carbs, but continued to eat chicken fingers and an occasional side of onion rings. Within a few months, I reached a plateau where the pounds did not seem to want to budge. As my weight loss stalled, I dug deeper into carb counts and realized that even the carbs in vegetables such as onions, as well as those in “a little bit of breading” could totally derail my plan. I then began to pay closer attention to total carbs and net carbs, refining my diet over subsequent months and years as I studied a multitude of sources. I have never looked back. I lost 40 pounds within the first 5 months. And, over the years since then, as I have learned more about healthy fats, hidden carbs, and quality protein; I have lost an additional 10 to 15 pounds. As of writing this blog article, I have been low-carb for over 21 years. At the age of 66, I take a daily hour long beach walk, I have the energy necessary to cook healthy meals, I am not experiencing chronic pain, and I am happy, enjoying healthy relationships with family and friends. I get a little annoyed with articles vilifying keto plans, stating that we do not know the long-term effects of following a low-carb diet. After 21 years, all I can say is, “So far, so good.”
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Why I Avoid Certain Fats
Fats are essential for life. But, not all fats are created equal. Some fats promote health, while others are deadly. In this post, I will explain why I am not generally fat phobic, but I am fairly terrified of one group-- trans fats. First of all, I enjoy a fair amount of fat in my diet. Following a Ketogenic plan, I understand the vital necessity of consuming healthy fats. Please read this excellent article on Healthline: 5 Signs You’re Not Getting Enough Fat in Your Diet https://www.healthline.com/health/fat-deficiency According to this article, Vitamins A, D, E, and K require fat in order to be absorbed in the body. Serious deficiencies would result from a lack of dietary fat. Omega 3 fatty acids are essential for the brain, eyes, and central nervous system. Fats are also necessary for the production of hormones, for the blood’s ability to clot, and for energy. Now that you understand the importance of good fats in your diet, it is time to determine which fats to enjoy and which ones to avoid. There are 4 types of fats:
Saturated Fats The importance of saturated fats has been grossly underreported in past medical news. But, saturated fat is in fact vital for our heart, brain, bones, immune system, and nervous system. https://themodelhealthshow.com/benefits-of-saturated-fat/#:~:text=Saturated%20fats%20provide%20so%20many,risk%20factor%20for%20cardiovascular%20disease. Many peer-reviewed recent studies, involving thousands of individuals, have debunked the myth that saturated fats lead to heart disease: https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/5-studies-on-saturated-fat https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/273528 Here is a list of healthy sources of saturated fats:
What About Butter? Butter has been vilified in the past. But, recent scientific studies, outlining its nutritional benefits, have shown that butter can be enjoyed in moderation. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/is-butter-bad-for-you Monounsaturated and Polyunsaturated Fats The Majority of Our Dietary Fat should come from Monounsaturated Fats and Polyunsaturated Fats.
Trans Fats Trans fats are found in processed foods, such as microwave popcorn, frozen pizzas, and all crackers, store-bought pie crusts, cakes, and cookies, fried foods such as doughnuts and French fries, margarine, any buttery spreads, coffee creamers, potato chips, packaged snacks, and vegetable shortening and partially hydrogenated vegetable oils. Trans fats significantly raise your risk of chronic diseases, including heart disease, stroke, cancer, diabetes, and Alzheimer’s disease. They are outlawed in some European countries. https://www.mercola.com/nutritionplan/advanced_fats.htm https://www.mercola.com/nutritionplan/beginner_fats.htm https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/what-should-you-eat/fats-and-cholesterol/types-of-fat/ Dangers of Refined Oils Refined vegetable oils such as corn oil, canola oil, and sunflower oil are loaded with Omega 6 fatty acids and should be avoided. The ratio of Omega 3 to Omega 6 fatty acids should be no less than 1:4. But, these refined oils have a ratio closer to 1:20. Refined oils lead to bodily inflammation, contributing to obesity, diabetes, and heart disease. https://www.natural-cure.org/blog/adverse-effects-of-refined-oil-and-its-healthy-alternatives/ https://happilyunprocessed.com/the-basics/refined-oils-and-why-you-should-never-eat-them/#:~:text=In%20the%20process%20of%20making,and%20turn%20into%20trans%20fats. The typical American diet contains up to 25 times more omega-6 fatty acids than omega-3 fatty acids. Correcting this lopsided ratio by balancing out the omega 6 fatty acids with omega 3 fatty acids will go a long way towards decreasing inflammation and chronic disease. https://www.mountsinai.org/health-library/supplement/omega-6-fatty-acids What Fats should be used for cooking? For high heat cooking, ghee, coconut oil, or avocado oil are recommended. For medium heat, grass-fed butter or extra virgin* olive oil should be used. For salads, use only cold-pressed oils and avoid refined oils. * Extra virgin refers to the process by which oil is made. Normally oil is refined (processed with heat and chemicals) rendering it unhealthy. Extra virgin oils are made by cold-pressing to extract the oil. https://loveleafco.com/best-fats-oils-for-cooking/ I have recently added extra virgin sesame oil to my salad. It has been found to have anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. It is actively being studied for benefits related to the heart, lowering blood sugar, and reducing arthritis. Being on a Ketogenic Diet, Joe and I consume a great deal of fat. But, the majority of the fat comes from avocados, nuts, coconut milk, omega 3 fish oil, sesame oil, olive oil, extra virgin sesame oil, cheese, eggs, a little dairy, salmon, olives, and occasional lean grass fed beef. We don’t have any idea of the types of fat hidden in the meals that we consume while dining out. So, we try to limit restaurant meals to twice a week. The best article I have found on the topic of healthy fats is found here: https://www.dietdoctor.com/low-carb/fat Why Are Power Naps Beneficial?
A power nap is a short nap specifically designed for people at work. This practice is widely accepted in some European and Asian countries such as Spain and Japan. There are a number of benefits from a short ten to twenty minute nap taken between 12:30 and 2:00 pm. Longer naps are discouraged as they could lead to a phenomena called “sleep inertia” which could impair cognitive performance throughout the day. Power naps have been shown to improve long-term memory, creativity, and brain function—a win-win situation for both employee and employer. With increased alertness, improved logical reasoning, and faster reaction time, a worker would gain benefits in a variety of work environments. A Swiss study discovered significant health benefits for people who regularly napped 1 or 2 days per week for eight years. These individuals had a lower risk of heart disease and stroke. Healthy workers are not only more productive, they take fewer days off from work. Those with access to a napping environment at work ought to consider taking advantage of this simple and quick activity that offers such significant long-term rewards! Here is a link to an actual company who has a mobile nap service: The Nap Experience. This company will come to your workplace, offering power naps to employees. The site also contains a wealth of information regarding the benefits of naps. https://www.thenapexperience.com/ ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sources of information for this article: https://www.sleep.org/sleep-hygiene/what-is-a-power-nap/ https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/power-nap |
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