It doesn't have to be all the time, but controlling your carbs can change your life.
The Keto Diet and Intermittent Fasting have gotten a lot of attention these past few years. A man and his brothers each lose 100 lbs in a year, and credit the Keto diet.
Some startups endorse company-wide Intermittent Fasting days, and several well known entrepreneurs use Keto or Intermittent Fasting or both, claiming it gives them a mental edge.
Some stories sound too good to be true, but there is a scientific reason for these stories, and it comes down to how our metabolism works.
It is worth the effort to spend some time in ketosis.
Getting into ketosis boosts cortisol, adrenaline, norepinephrine, and orexin production, all stimulating hormones which play a role in energy.
Ketosis also has anti-inflammatory benefits, and causes us to produce ketones, a fuel source that our brains do quite well on - the Keto diet as we know it got its start as an effective treatment for seizures that don’t respond to medication.
Insulin and Metabolism: Our 2 Burning Modes
There are 2 main modes that our metabolism operates in:
The Fed State (we are running off of food)
The Fasted State (we’ve run out of food and are running off of storage, aka our body fat deposits)
These states are largely controlled by blood sugar and the hormone Insulin. Insulin is one of the master hormones in our metabolism. Blood sugar and Insulin are the main players that determine which mode we are in.
The 4 Ways to Tap Into The Fasted State:
The Fed State
1. When we consume anything with carbohydrates in it, they get digested and released into the bloodstream as sugar.
2. When blood sugar raises up, the pancreas makes more Insulin, so Insulin follows blood sugar up.
3. Rising Insulin and blood sugar push Cortisol and Norepinephrine down, signaling the Fed State.
4. Rising Insulin sends the message “We have food, pull blood sugar in!”
5. Cells respond by pulling the sugar out of the bloodstream and into the cells where they use what is needed for metabolism, and any leftovers are sent to storage. We have some carb storage in the form of glycogen in our muscles and liver, but it tends to stay topped off unless we are exercising or spend long periods fasting.
Once our carb storage is topped off, leftover sugar gets turned into fat and sent into long term storage.
The Fasted State (Ketosis)
Over the course of about 12 hours without eating food (or more specifically: carbs), our blood sugar drops down to its floor level, and Insulin follows it down.
When Insulin and blood sugar hit the floor level, other hormones begin to turn on. There are many different hormones that shift, but 2 that increase that are worth mentioning by name:
Cortisol
Norepinephrine
Cortisol and Norepinephrine naturally rise in the morning as part of our circadian rhythm, as they are both stimulating hormones that help us wake up. Cortisol and Norepinephrine perform double duty, though, and also send the signal that our bodies have run out of food (blood sugar) and need to tap into our bodies' storage facilities.
Cortisol causes us to tap into our stored glycogen and release some sugar into the bloodstream, preparing us for waking up and getting up out of bed and moving for the day. (Note for my people getting their blood sugar checked: our blood sugar is normally high the first 2 hours after we wake up thanks to cortisol, so a true fasting blood sugar should be checked more than 2 hours after waking)
Norepinephrine causes our fat cells to begin releasing fat from storage into the bloodstream, where it is then taken up by other body cells and burned as the alternative fuel for metabolism. Coffee's ability to raise our norepinephrine levels is the main reason behind it's fat burning powers.
4 Ways to Tap Into Ketosis
This is not an extensive How To for any of the following techniques. It's a brief overview and comparison of each of the 4 techniques you could use to reach the fasted state, as well as ways to maximize your health in each.
Method 1: Intermittent Fasting
Intermittent fasting has also gotten a lot of attention in recent years for similar benefits to the Keto diet, and is also being studied as an alternative to Calorie Restriction as a method to increase longevity and reduce risk for most diseases.
Intermittent Fasting: What it Involves
● Calorie containing foods and drinks are limited to certain times of the day or certain days of the week, called Fasting and Feeding windows
● Water and very low calorie beverages like plain coffee and tea are allowed during the fasting window (for Bulletproof coffee and similar beverages, keep reading we'll get to it)
● IF is often practiced with Keto diets but is used by people on many different diet patterns
Intermittent Fasting: The Good
● Can dramatically improve blood sugar with moderate overall carb intake
● Has been tied to increased male fertility, reduced risk of age related diseases and health events
● Easy to maintain when eased into slowly, since the body adapts to become less hungry during fasting periods
Intermittent Fasting: The Bad
● Extended fasting can increase risk for overeating during feeding window
● Should be eased into slowly, especially people with blood sugar control issues
● Not recommended for pregnancy, care must be taken for female fertility
It doesn't matter if you fast 23 hours per day: if you eat junk, you'll get bad results.
Maximizing Health while Intermittent Fasting
● Ease into IF. Start with 12:12 for a week, then move to 13:11 for a week, etc.
● Stay Hydrated! It'll cut down on hunger signals and we need the water anyway. TK L
● Lead with protein. Starting the break-fast meal with protein will cut down on the desire to eat everything in sight.
● Focus on balance. The fewer meals you consume, the fewer chances you have to eat a balanced about of fruits, vegetables, meats/proteins, dairy, and grains/starches.
One Meal A Day (OMAD) people should intentionally consume balanced amounts of each food group according to their macros and diet pattern.
Method 2: The Keto Diet
The Keto diet is well known by now for its weight loss and blood sugar control benefits, but it has been around for over 100 years. An early version of it was first medically used as a treatment for Type 1 Diabetes before the discovery and creation of insulin as a medication and more recently the Keto diet has been used as an effective treatment for epilepsy.
Keto Diet: What it Involves
● Carbs are limited to 50 grams or less per day
● Protein may or may not be restricted
● A main goal is the production of ketones: molecules that can be used instead of carbs as a fuel for the brain.
Keto Diet: The Good
● Ketosis offers some serious brain benefits, including reducing inflammation, increase mitochondria (the energy producers), and improve several brain issues including epilepsy, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and others.
● A properly done keto diet can be amazing for reducing blood sugar levels, reverse Metabolic Syndrome, and lead to stunning amounts of weight loss if done correctly over a long time frame. TK link to protein for weight loss
Keto Diet: The Bad
● It's restrictive. Any diet should be a long term/permanent dietary pattern change, not a cleanse or a temporary weight loss scheme, because after the "diet" is over people go right back to what caused them problems in the first place. Most people get sad at the thought of never eating bread again, so the Keto diet is not for most people.
● Definitely not recommended for pregnancy, and jury is out for female fertility.
● If you decide to do the Keto diet, you still need to be mindful of overall calories, percentage of protein, and the quality of food. I’ve treated several people that gave themselves Non Alcoholic Fatty Liver by doing Keto the wrong way.
The Keto diet is not a license to eat bacon all day.
Maximizing Health on the Keto Diet
● Eat lots of low carb vegetables and and as much low sugar fruit as your daily carb limit lets you get away with.
● Focus on protein: For weight maintenance, aim for 20-30% calories from protein, for weight loss, aim for 30-40+% calories from protein. The best way to know you’re actually hitting that range is to record in a tracker like MyFitnessPal, Cronometer, or Carb Manager, or similar app that breaks down the percentage from protein.
● Eat at least 2, preferably 3 or more servings of Omega 3 rich fish per week.
To my true Keto people in it for The Long Haul: consider a carb refeeding day every week or two to maximize benefits.
Our ancestors may have spent a lot of time in ketosis but they certainly didn’t all year long! Adding in an occasional non-keto day can offset any potential concerns for long term ketosis, like thyroid imbalances.
Method 3: Carbohydrate Cycling
Carbohydrate Cycling is most often used by athletes and body builders who are looking for ketosis benefits while also fueling a lifestyle with intense physical activity.
Carbohydrate Cycling: What it Involves
● Days off are 100% keto
● Intense activity days include carbs
● Moderate days vary depending on athlete goals
Carbohydrate Cycling: The Good
● Can dramatically improve blood sugar with moderate overall carb intake
● Allows athletes to balance benefits of ketosis while maximizing athletic performance
Carbohydrate Cycling: The Bad
● Requires more attention and planning
● Keto days are restrictive
● …which can lead to overeating on Carb Days
Maximizing Health while Carbohydrate Cycling
● Track your macros on both high and low carb days.
● Aim for balanced food groups every day.
Method 4: Intermittent Carbing (Carb Backloading)
Intermittent Carbing (or Carbohydrate Backloading) is not as well known, but is essentially a hybrid between Intermittent Fasting and Keto. It involves limiting carbohydrates to a particular time limit similar to a feeding window in Intermittent Fasting. Any meals outside the Carb Window would be Keto friendly meals.
Intermittent Carbing: What it Involves
● Carbohydrate containing foods and drinks are limited to certain times of the day, referred to here as Keto and Carbing windows
● Protein varies, tailored to needs of individual
Intermittent Carbing: The Good
● Less restrictive than IF or Keto, easier to begin and maintain long term
● Because it’s less restrictive, it’s safer for pregnancy and unlikely to have effect on female fertility
● Encourages blood sugar control with moderate carb intake
● Useful alternative to Carb Cycling for athletes that are working out daily
Carbohydrate Cycling: The Bad
● People on a high carb diet or with blood sugar control issues should ease into pattern slowly
● Not as effective for morning workout schedules involving sprints or intense cardio
● If too many calories are consumed during Keto window, IC will not promote fat burning as quickly as other patterns
● If too many carbs are consumed during Carbing window, Keto window will be more difficult to reach
Intermittent Carbing is not a license to carb binge every night.
Maximizing Health while Carbohydrate Cycling
● Ease into IC similar to IF: Make breakfast keto for a week, then try morning snacks, then lunch.
● Be mindful of fat calories during the keto window if you're trying to burn body fat.
● Eat a balanced dinner with meats, vegetables, and complex carbs.
For more info on Intermittent Carbing, Click Here.
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