Keto Lifestyle

[Firtree]

Edited....
Keto Clarity recommended doing it with a breath analyzer, which is about as good as blood strip testing, but vastly cheaper. SO I went to Amazon and got one.  It just came in.

I blew at 2.70, which I was pleasantly surprised at.  Well into proper nutritional ketosis, even toward the top end.  More than 3.0 isn't really ideal.  You supposedly start to get into starvation ketosis.  Which I don't know much about yet, and imagine must be stimulated by fasting, so I doubt it's that dangerous for most people. 

Which brand/model analyzer did you get? Doesn’t seem to be a lot of reviews on ones I looked at.

 

[crofter]

Which brand/model analyzer did you get? Doesn’t seem to be a lot of reviews on ones I looked at.

Below link compares, but lists only one breath analyzer that is recommended. Keto Kitchen link also has menus and recipes. ~crofter

https://www.myketokitchen.com/keto-resources/best-ketone-meters-monitor-ketosis/

A whopping $270 on Amazon.

https://www.amazon.com/Ketonix-Blue...a96abcb081d9088d5f86f34c0f00c9&language=en_US

 

[Mizmozy]

Below link compares, but lists only one breath analyzer that is recommended. Keto Kitchen link also has menus and recipes. ~crofter

I bought one several months ago from Amazon for about $50.  It's a "Ketone Meter."

 

[Mizmozy]

Sharing this with a heartfelt desire that the Ketogenic diet will benefit others as it has me.  Seventeen years ago I was diagnosed with an incurable autoimmune disease.  Two years ago, blood work showed my A1C was 6.9.  Diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.  I stubbornly refused to be diabetic.  That I can do something about, and immediately went on a low carb, and unfortunately low fat, diet.  The next year, A1C was 6.0.  No diabetes, but I wanted the A1C lower.  Discovered the Ketogenic diet and intermittent fasting; Dr. Jason Fung, read his books; Dr. Annette Bosworth (Dr. Boz), read her book and watch her YouTube channel.  A few months ago in one of her videos, Dr. Boz mentioned that a strict Carnivore diet can cure, and she used the word cure, autoimmune disease, along with cancer and other diseases.  I got nuthin' to lose and everything to gain.  I'm all in.  Last week, my doctor called with results of this year's blood work.  A1C is 5.4, CReactive Protein (CRP) and Antinuclear Antibodies (ANA) are both normal.  Normal. That's a word I never thought to hear in conjunction with autoimmune.  I no longer have autoimmune disease; the incurable is cured.  No diabetes.  No longer suffer excruciating pain.  Lost forty pounds of ugly fat, which gives me a normal BMI.  There's that word normal again. My heart goes out to anyone suffering any disease, and it is my prayer that if you pursue this way of life that your markers of disease will eventually be normal. Not gonna kid you and tell you that Keto is easy, but it is so worth it to be normal.

 

[Doubleone]

Hey, that's wonderful! Way to go!

 

[Adventuregurl]

I don't put myself into a 'keto', 'low carb' category kinda cause I am mostly a zero carb eater   I avoid carbohydrates like the plague they are   Carbs are poison to me.

....
Like you I hesitate to put my ketosis info out there cause many will never agree, no matter how much data is in their faces about blood sugar swings etc.  So.....I like your post, agree with it all, live the extreme low carb/zero carb lifestyle and now I never speak much about it anymore to anyone cause 'food' can cause a lot of fights LOL and I ain't going there anymore.  I had my share of people saying 7 grain bread is ok and more of that type of thinking, as long as it has fiber etc it is fine...ugh...fiber intake has nothing to do with sugar intake ever, so.....whatever.  It is fun to chat again to other keto people who get it!!

Hey Roamer, do you just eat meat? Are you still going strong? Are you full time ans does it work well with a full time lifestyle (I assume you have a freezer?) I so agree with this lifestyle and know it's healthy. I follow Maria & Craig Emmerich.

 

[crofter]

Hey Roamer, do you just eat meat? Are you still going strong? Are you full time ans does it work well with a full time lifestyle (I assume you have a freezer?) I so agree with this lifestyle and know it's healthy. I follow Maria & Craig Emmerich.

Most of my protein comes from eggs and some meat, fresh not frozen. The supplements you need to adjust your numbers (macros and calorie count) are powdered plus coconut oil (MCT) so no refrigeration needed for that either. Biggest storage thing is for veggies, which I eat for my second meal. Carbs in the form of squash (10g) or some juices (20g) but avoid the others due to sugar reaction. I also avoid dairy so no cheese, butter, etc. but some ppl eat these on keto. Yes you really can eat healthy and not have all those carbs.   ~crofter

 

[Doubleone]

Hey Roamer, do you just eat meat? Are you still going strong? Are you full time ans does it work well with a full time lifestyle (I assume you have a freezer?) I so agree with this lifestyle and know it's healthy. I follow Maria & Craig Emmerich.

Hi Adventuregurl, it's more about getting enough fat and less about the protein.  It's sometimes hard to get enough fat.  Basically, for me veggies are just a mechanism to add more fat, butter, olive oil, or avocado oil.  The mistake I made at first was eating too much protein, because it can digest into glucose and mess with your keto.  So, pump up your fat to what seems like a ridiculous amount, and eat a single to double helping of protein, and all the low-carb veggies you want.  Avocado is the perfect food, eat all you want.  BTW, I found out yesterday that MCT C8 doesn't like cold temps;  I've never seen it before but I left a bottle in my car overnight and it congealed at like 30º.  It looked somewhat like a mottled clear jello, and it took forever to get enough for breakfast in my coffee.  MCT and most oils are otherwise stable at nominal room temp without refrigeration.  I eat grass fed butter on everything I can and occasionally ghee.  Rebel Creamery has a fantastic no-sugar high-fat ice cream sweetened with Stevia that is the absolute bomb and helps to get more fat in my diet.  Chocolate is hard to get with keto; Rebel has chocolate ice cream and Lily's has a chocolate bar made with Stevia.  Distilled spirits in moderation are doable and won't kick you out of ketosis, just don't mix with sugary drinks.  However, peanuts and pinto beans mess with my stomach the next day so I tend to avoid.  Squash is Ok occasionally, but could kick you out unless you are very active.  I tend to eat squash the night before a big bicycle ride to rebuild muscle glycogen.

 

[Dingfelder]

Cacao powder in your coffee is very doable and somehow is incredibly soothing.

 

[RoamerRV428]

Hey Roamer, do you just eat meat? Are you still going strong? Are you full time ans does it work well with a full time lifestyle (I assume you have a freezer?) I so agree with this lifestyle and know it's healthy. I follow Maria & Craig Emmerich.

HI

yea I am carnivore.  I only eat meat/seafood/limited dairy as in some hard cheddar cheese.  Maybe some HWC with parm cheese to make my homemade alfredo sauce to dip my shrimp.

Remember I am not keto in any way.  I don't macro or anything.  I track nothing at all.  Never, nada.

I eat my fill each and every day.  I limit no food in my day.  I eat as I need.  Some days I eat a ton and some days I eat hardly nothing.  So I go by hunger alone.

I follow ZIOH and ZeroHealth and other carnivore veterans.  Charles Washington has good info....Kelly Hogan is outspoken on carnivore.  Amber O'Hearn.....etc.

Once a person drops all the plant toxins from their life and tries carnivore it is amazing how great you feel.  Ditch all useless supplements and more. I just eat and it is the easiest thing on earth....to eat my fill and feel so damn good without a second thought on any of it. I am on top of the world eating the way I do. Apex Predator time here HAHA

I get many can't do carnivore or want it but I thrive on it.   

But your regular Keto plans and very low carb plans are fab way to head cause those carbs are killers for sure
but again, this way of eating suits me so well.

oh yea I freeze meat and seafood sales!! I must. I eat a ton of it and have to get it at low prices any time I can!!

been eating like this for over 2 years now and just love it.

hope some of that helps

 

[crofter]

Do you give any credibility to the idea of "Net Carbs"? Or is a carb a carb period.  I am wanting to include some root veggies in my salads, and they jack up the carbs numbers, while providing fiber and vitamins like vitamin A from carrots. Will the carbs from carrots knock me out of Keto?   ~crofter

 

[badmotorscooter]

Everything should be done with moderation, this includes diet...

https://www.precisionnutrition.com/low-carb-diets

 

[crofter]

Eggs, yogurt, cranberries and a lot of other foods contain varying amounts of  iodine.  You don't have to depend on table salt.

Don't forget sea vegetables and fish, shellfish, shrimp. Also dairy is cited as a major source. Eggs provide 16% each, but it all adds up. Not to go overboard on seafood and sea vegetables though, due to environmental contamination of the oceans with heavy metals and other bad things.  ~crofter

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/iodine-rich-foods[font=arial, sans-serif]www.healthline.com › nutrition › iodine-rich-foods[/font]

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/iodine-rich-foods

 

[crofter]

Everything should be done with moderation, this includes diet...

https://www.precisionnutrition.com/low-carb-diets

What is recommended in the article for low energy women, which sounds like a high protein  low carb diet plan, and not as much fat as keto:
"[font=proxima-nova,]O type women begin by eating:[/font]

• 1 palm of protein dense foods at each meal;
  
• 1 fist of vegetables at each meal;
  
• 0.5 cupped handful of carb dense foods at each meal;
  
• 2 thumbs of fat dense foods at each meal."

My experience: I actually feel better and have less pain on keto although I am just starting and my body is probably not efficiently processing yet. I count both calories and fat/ carb/ protein grams in a food diary. I was afraid of weight gain from eating fat but weight is stable. I have gained muscle and lost some fat without weight change. I am not getting cravings for carbs and sugar and can easily turn down carbs that are pushed on me at various gatherings etc. The best part of this diet is not having cravings.  My energy at workout time is nonstop, however I feel that I am needing more sleep for some reason. 

Things to do: I feel that I need to drink more water, and eat more meats. Right now most of my protein comes from eggs. I am not happy with adding dairy and am working on other sources for that nutrition. I plan to continue using intermittent fasting after about 6pm, and continuing with raw veggies including the higher carb carrots and beets. I use an oil and vinegar with the raw veggies to add healthy fat and get my daily vinegar.
Thanks for all the great info and ideas from everyone who has posted!!   ~crofter

 

[RoamerRV428]

Do you give any credibility to the idea of "Net Carbs"? Or is a carb a carb period.  I am wanting to include some root veggies in my salads, and they jack up the carbs numbers, while providing fiber and vitamins like vitamin A from carrots. Will the carbs from carrots knock me out of Keto?   ~crofter

For me there is no net carbs   I don't believe in fiber at all!  Thing is the body requires absolutely no fiber for survival at all.  It requires not one carb in your body to live.

So with that in mind, the 'net carbs' to me is a useless concept   'they say' that insoluble fiber can net out the carbs etc.....that nonsense means 0 to me. 

A carb is a carb point blank.....BUT for me on my carnivore thinking it is about what that carb is wrapped in.  A few trace carbs in say an egg is not the same as a carb wrapped in grains.  So my 'zero carb' is called just that even if I get a few from dairy etc. in my day because it is a protein wrapped carb and not a grain/veg wrapped carb.


Hope that makes sense LOL  cause it is in the carnivore handbook that the only things that are top dogs and matter are meat/seafood and fat on carnivore.   It is all good.  Everything else is useless after that.  

So that is some info on carnivore but reading up on the plan is best to get the full scoop on it.  Shawn Baker and Dr. Ken Berry are good carnivore youtube people to check out.  Both walked into carnivore from low carb/keto plans like most of us did.

If one is striving to follow a 'real Keto plan' then ketosis is the main active function you want your body in at all times. So carrots etc. can easily knock you out of ketosis, but if one stays usually 20g of carbs and less, you should always be in ketosis. Netting the carbs can make that a bit more risky in your ketosis status on a ketone meter tho. You eat 40 total carbs, net that to 20 and you can easily go out of ketosis. So total carb count is a very wise way to control that on a true Keto Plan type eating.

 

[RoamerRV428]

Everything should be done with moderation, this includes diet...

https://www.precisionnutrition.com/low-carb-diets

Absolutely many people can eat this way in moderation and do very well on their physique, their health and more.

but if one follows true science and what the obesity increase and health decline of so many on maintenance prescriptions due to diabetes, gut issues and more......one would drop the old stupid myths of everything in moderation and follow some real science in how bad carbs are......remember our food now is not old time food.  It is frankenfood.  Just eat meat and some veg and you have improved your health hugely, eat it all and while you might be one to 'be ok thru it' there are millions upon millions where that 'eat in moderation' is killing them point blank.

Just some thoughts on it.  It is a good chat to bring to the surface.  People need to realize they are what they eat.   But our menu is so personal.  It is a very hard change to eat healthier and that is shown that every day for all those who 'diet off many lbs. with moderation' and are starving and put all the lbs. back on cause they are nutritionally unbalanced and malnourished thru all this 'eat in moderation'.   It is a very hard situation for all when making real, insightful healthy eating changes.

 

[RoamerRV428]

Right now most of my protein comes from eggs.  I use an oil and vinegar with the raw veggies to add healthy fat and get my daily vinegar.
   ~crofter

This should change.  Protein is key to life.  I would ramp up to beef or heavier dense meat of your choice.

your healthy fat is your fat from the meat you eat   you don't have to 'add' healthy fat if you protein choice is loaded with the good healthy fat.    it really is simple.

 A good Keto Plan has changed many a person's life.  Keto is the way to go, no doubt about that.  I just tightened it up more into carnivore cause it suits me with no veg.  I had gut issues on lettuce and other veg, minute those left me my guts improved to perfect now!  So I know I ain't going back to that food....my food eats that food HAHA

 

[RoamerRV428]

Crofter, your depending on eggs. This should change.  Protein is key to life.  I would ramp up to beef or heavier dense meat of your choice. Your body will thank you on this!

your healthy fat is your fat from the meat you eat   you don't have to 'add' healthy fat if your protein choice is loaded with the good healthy fat.   It really is simple. More simple you keep it the better our outcomes LOL

 A good Keto Plan has changed many a person's life.  Keto is the way to go, no doubt about that.  I just tightened it up more into carnivore cause it suits me with no veg.  I had gut issues on lettuce and other veg, minute those left me my guts improved to perfect now!  So I know I ain't going back to that food....my food eats that food HAHA

 

[badmotorscooter]

The biggest problem is packaged foods and sugar. Avoid those and carbs are not in themselves bad.

A very low carb diet is going to challenge fiber and nutrient intake.

When you eat a lot of carbs your insulin levels should increase and take care of your blood sugar levels. The excess is stored as fat, but if your metabolism is healthy and you don't take in excessive calories this will not make you obese.

Intermittent fasting will allow your body to burn fat as well. This is what your body was designed to do. A balanced diet without too many calories combined with physical activity and a healthy metabolism will make all this work properly.

A sedentary lifestyle or just not enough physical exercise is not "fixed" by a keto lifestyle, regardless if weight is kept under control.

I wasn't there watching or taking notes, but I doubt our early ancestors stuck to a low carb diet. Most mammals today don't consume a low carb diet and are doing fine. Carbs alone are not the reason modern humans are becoming unhealthy with a lot of gut and diabetes issues.

 

[crofter]

The biggest problem is packaged foods and sugar.  Avoid those and carbs are not in themselves bad.

? I have been eating organic food for decades, and about half of it came in packages of some sort. I put honey or sugar in my green tea. I was eating a high fiber, low fat diet.

Then I replaced carbs with fat and meat protein, doing the keto diet (a low carb diet). I stopped putting honey or sugar in my green tea. For me personally, it is great to not have sugar cravings any more, which I had the entire time I was eating that high carb organic food. Doing the keto diet has stopped cravings, I don't even want that stuff any more. (a personal account, may not be your experience). I may add a few carbs back in someday, but not sugar now that I finally understand the far reaching effect of having sugary drinks, brown rice, etc.

Also people have different health goals and budgets. I am trying to make my body last longer and have less pain. So far it's working - I'm still here. ~crofter