The popularity of the keto movement really began a couple of years ago. The keto diet is a very low carb, high fat diet. And there are dozens, if not hundreds, of variations of it. The theory behind the keto diet is that if you put your body into a state of ketosis, by following a ketogenic diet, you will trigger a chain reaction in your body which causes it to burn fat faster than you can supply it. This causes many people to be able to loose weight quickly. Being in ketosis means that your body is burning fat for fuel instead of carbs/sugar. But there are some things you need to know to achieve the maximum benefit from doing the keto diet without causing any unnecessary stress on your body. This is especially true for women. Here are the issues to watch out for.
Protein Amounts
Keto is not meant to be a high protein diet that includes super processed, toxin-ridden, hormone-ridden, meats. Just like all carbs aren’t created equal, all protein and fat isn’t either. The general guideline is a meal consists of 75% greens and veggies, 15 – 20% protein and 5-10% fat as visualized on a plate. But that is still a lot of protein and fat depending on what you’re used to eating. So even if you are taking in fiber-rich, alkaline veggies, you may still have an issue, especially with fats. I know I do.
Bile is produced in the liver and stored in the gallbladder. Initially many people don’t have a high enough concentration of bile to break down the higher amount of fat intake. And if you aren’t digesting properly, your body won’t take in all of the nutrients. If your body can’t break down the fat, it doesn’t get absorbed, but instead goes straight through the intestines. If you’re having problems with fat, you can reduce the amount of fats you’re consuming from things like egg yolks and beef because they are harder to digest and require more bile.
If you don’t have a gallbladder, this issue can be even greater and can result in worse fat malabsorption issues. In this situation, it is better to consume more medium-chain fatty acids, especially as you are transitioning to keto. These fatty acids are like those found in coconut fats and grass-fed butter. These fats can be more easily broken down, with less bile requirement, and are better absorbed.
Body and Organ pH
Every part of the body has a pH level. Low numbers on the scale are acid, higher numbers are alkaline. The pH level for all the parts of our body is fine-tuned to the function of each body organ. The pH of the stomach is acidic (less than 3). That is because the environment needs to be acidic to kill off ingested bacteria and pathogens (including parasites).
The pH of our blood, however, is alkaline (about 7.4). The pH of human blood does not change much. The body is fine-tuned to keep the blood pH constant and under tight control. All foods have a pH level. What you eat shifts your urinary chemistry to either a net acid producing or net alkaline producing level. Traditional keto diets are acidic. And research has shown that acid-producing diets, aren’t as healthy for us as alkaline producing diets. So for many, it is important to start with an alkaline foundation, prior to attempting keto.
The problem with acidic diets is that are inflammatory and are often deficient in magnesium, which can cause many negative health effects. A deficiency in magnesium can result in anxiety and sleep issues, inflammation, headaches and negative impacts on many other systems of the body. Conversely, there is a lot of research relating to how an alkaline-rich diet can have a positive effect on numerous health markers. Because an alkaline-rich diet increases the available magnesium required to activate vitamin D, it positively impacts the immune system. An alkaline diet may also support bone health since a magnesium deficiency has been linked to osteoporosis.
Good and Bad Carbs
The issue is that there are good and bad carbs. Good carbs are also known as complex carbs which are slow-burning carbs. Most of these good carbs also contain dietary fiber from things like green veggies. Good carbs also contain lots of wonderful and important micronutrients and support healthy blood sugar levels. Bad carbs are also known as simple carbs and are fast-burning carbs such as processed foods, bread, sugar.
You need the fiber from alkaline veggies to help you remove hormones metabolized by the liver (such as excess estrogens), toxins and other dangerous substances. Cruciferous veggies, in particular, contain DIM (diindolylmethane – which balances estrogen), is a powerful detoxifier. One of the biggest issues with women who start a keto diet is that protein and fat don’t typically contain fiber, so women end up having elimination problems.
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