The sugar free Lifestyle and the Ketogenic Diet

Hello my friends of ATS. I would like to share the story of a new lifestyle I have endured with all of you. If you're looking to get in better physical or mental health, i believe i have a good place for you start.

As of early this month I discovered the Ketogenic Diet. It entails a diet primary consistent of fat, moderate protein, and little to 0 carbohydrates. After nearly 1 month of strict dieting and a high amount of self control, I have cut out most if not all sugars and carbohydrates, and have never felt so alive in my temporary existence.

Being a self driven, hardworking individual, I've always been curious as to why I could never shed the excess weight I carry around. I'm a farmer and involve many different aspects of agriculture in my every day life, fruits, vegetables, livestock, and certain types of herbs we'll leave un-named. I started this journey around 260 lbs, and within a month of dedication I have seen significant losses and made it to 236 lbs. It feels amazing to make progress on an issue I've had for many years, and have never felt this way before in my life.

The new diet has gifted me with so much mental clarity, energy I've never had before, and a route to a lighter self and healthier lifestyle. Our brains since we were young have been hardwired to use Sugars as our power source, but with Keto you're rewiring your brain to use fat as your fuel source. Let's face it, a lot of us have excess weight on our bodies, and Keto whether it be temporary or a lifestyle change has a lot to offer! You don't have to be extremely active to see results, and once you embrace withdrawals from Carbohydrates, you begin to live a life without drug like cravings for foods, lack of energy, and excess fat on the body.

Forgive me for the long post, but I really wanted to offer my story as a stepping stone to a healthier lifestyle for anyone struggling with their weight, energy levels, or mental clarity. If there's anyone on this forum who has already experienced Keto, I would love to hear your story aswell!

Cheers to health!
-StS

a reply to: SurveyTheSurveyors

I prefer dry fasting for a few days at a time monthly. Being in a perpetual state of Ketosis as the Ketogenic Diet suggests, creates far too much acidosis within the body.

www.livestrong.com...

originally posted by: Artemis12
a reply to: SurveyTheSurveyors

I prefer dry fasting for a few days at a time monthly. Being in a perpetual state of Ketosis as the Ketogenic Diet suggests, creates far too much acidosis within the body.

I'm glad you mentioned that! I didn't want to involve too much with the original post, but here's a little bit more into my routine. Currently I've been doing intermittent fasting for the last two weeks. Every morning I drink a glass of lemon and apple cider vinegar with alkaline water, which helps with the fluctuation of acidosis. I follow that up with 2-3 cups of Yerba Mate throughout my day, which is a great source of energy, vitamins, and minerals. Did you know caffeine also produces a higher level of ketones in the blood, just as intermittent fasting does? I eat one meal a day, around 5 or 6, which is something considered the warrior diet, but i enjoy it to be honest. So all together as a package it's a fat burning and energy producing machine! I'm loving it! Minus the McDonalds of course lol!

Cheers my friend!
-StS

originally posted by: SurveyTheSurveyors

originally posted by: Artemis12
a reply to: SurveyTheSurveyors

I prefer dry fasting for a few days at a time monthly. Being in a perpetual state of Ketosis as the Ketogenic Diet suggests, creates far too much acidosis within the body.

I'm glad you mentioned that! I didn't want to involve too much with the original post, but here's a little bit more into my routine. Currently I've been doing intermittent fasting for the last two weeks. Every morning I drink a glass of lemon and apple cider vinegar with alkaline water, which helps with thr fluctuation of acidosis. I follow that up with 2-3 cups of Yerba Mate throughout my day, which is a great source of energy, vitamins, and minerals. Did you know caffeine also produces a higher level of ketones in the blood, just as intermittent fasting does? I eat one meal a day, around 5 or 6, which is something considered the warrior diet, but i enjoy it to be honest. So all together as a package it's a fat burning and energy producing machine! I'm loving it! Minus the McDonalds of course lol!

Cheers my friend!
-StS

You're doing everything right, just don't do more than a few days at a time, allow your body to adjust or it will detox too quickly and create problems you may not have had prior to. I've only just begun myself, slow is the key.

If you add 3 egg yolks (vitamins and minerals/protein) a day for a few days to lime juice it replenishes the skin. If you add castor oil it will clear out your liver rapidly of toxins. I've yet to try this as I despise castor, but I've been told it works wonders.

originally posted by: Artemis12

You're doing everything right, just don't do more than a few days at a time, allow your body to adjust or it will detox too quickly and create problems you may not have had prior to. I've only just begun myself, slow is the key.

If you add 3 egg yolks (vitamins and minerals/protein) a day for a few days to lime juice it replenishes the skin. If you add castor oil it will clear out your liver rapidly of toxins. I've yet to try this as I despise castor, but I've been told it works wonders.

I've been trying to take her slow, but the more I push the envelope the better I feel. It took a week to get out of the carbohydrate state of mind, but after that this is all too easy.

Ooohh I'll definitely try the eggs and lime, I can stomach it and that'd be a good way to jump start my one meal. Its a lot harder to fit tons of unwanted calories into one meal, I adjusted my macros to fit properly, and I end up taking in about 12-1500 calories. A good deficit to go along with staying active, and feeling great while doing it!

Castor oil... I'm going to have to look that up because to be quite frank I don't even have the slightest clue as to what it is, but if I can stomach it the benefits are worth it!

Cheers to health my friend!
-StS

originally posted by: SurveyTheSurveyors

originally posted by: Artemis12

You're doing everything right, just don't do more than a few days at a time, allow your body to adjust or it will detox too quickly and create problems you may not have had prior to. I've only just begun myself, slow is the key.

If you add 3 egg yolks (vitamins and minerals/protein) a day for a few days to lime juice it replenishes the skin. If you add castor oil it will clear out your liver rapidly of toxins. I've yet to try this as I despise castor, but I've been told it works wonders.

I've been trying to take her slow, but the more I push the envelope the better I feel. It took a week to get out of the carbohydrate state of mind, but after that this is all too easy.

Ooohh I'll definitely try the eggs and lime, I can stomach it and that'd be a good way to jump start my one meal. Its a lot harder to fit tons of unwanted calories into one meal, I adjusted my macros to fit properly, and I end up taking in about 12-1500 calories. A good deficit to go along with staying active, and feeling great while doing it!

Castor oil... I'm going to have to look that up because to be quite frank I don't even have the slightest clue as to what it is, but if I can stomach it the benefits are worth it!

Cheers to health my friend!
-StS

I commend you for your efforts, it's not an easy task, but in time it will become much easier.

Here are a couple of links to guide you I've found to be most helpful.

www.curezone.org...

skinverse.com...

I have thought of using the Keto diet for my epilepsy. But I do have a problem if I eat a high meat diet. I can eat a diet containing high fats better than high meat. One thing with going to a Keto style diet, you consume more taurine that way and it helps to clear the receptors on your cells when you boost taurine. It is harder to make enough with a junk food diet, you need certain minerals and vitamins to do it and an active enzyme. Fat and meat stimulates stomach acid, it helps with conversion. Bread lowers stomach acid production, so do many other carbs. Balance can be attained to moderate the best of both worlds.

a reply to: rickymouse

KETO doesn't have to be high protein. I've been doing it for about a year now, and I eat more vegetables than meat.

originally posted by: rickymouse
I have thought of using the Keto diet for my epilepsy. But I do have a problem if I eat a high meat diet. I can eat a diet containing high fats better than high meat. One thing with going to a Keto style diet, you consume more taurine that way and it helps to clear the receptors on your cells when you boost taurine. It is harder to make enough with a junk food diet, you need certain minerals and vitamins to do it and an active enzyme. Fat and meat stimulates stomach acid, it helps with conversion. Bread lowers stomach acid production, so do many other carbs. Balance can be attained to moderate the best of both worlds.

Ricky! I highly recommend you give it a go. You definitely seem the type that has enough will power to enjoy this lifestyle. You don't have to over indulge in meats either. Your macros, having epilepsy, would be along the lines of 80% fat, 15% protein and 5% carbs. You could source a lot of your fats from healthy sources like olive oil, coconut oil, butter, and nuts. Your meat selection could range anywhere from fatty or lean proteins. Hemp proteins would also go hand in hand with your epilepsy, a handful of hemp seeds is virtually all you need, plenty of good fats and proteins indeed!

Concerning your epilepsy, have you tried or are you using any CBD products, or you know, the other forbidden fruit? It's a miracle plant when it comes to epilepsy and epileptic seizures!

I wish you well my friend!
-StS

originally posted by: BELIEVERpriest
a reply to: rickymouse

KETO doesn't have to be high protein. I've been doing it for about a year now, and I eat more vegetables than meat.

Congratulations on your year long commitment, you must feel great! Do you plan on making keto a lifestyle, or are you using it for a specific goal for the time being?

I'm curious to what kind of meals you put together leaning towards a more vegetable based diet, if you wouldn't mind sharing that is! Keto on my friend!

Cheers!
-StS

a reply to: SurveyTheSurveyors

I originally started keto to reverse the early signs of metabolic syndrome. I was over weight, had crazy blood sugar fluctuations, and pre-hypertensive. I worked in a pharmacy at the time, and saw what the medical system does to people. If you don't take control of your health, the system will enslave you...

So I started keto, and reversed all of the metabolic damage. Then I walked away from my pharmacy job and decided to become a handyman. I found out very quickly that working in the hot sun for 8 hours/day was much easier while in ketosis, and even easier if I used intermittent fasting on my working days. So now I have made keto + intermittent fasting my way of life, but I do carb cycle for about a week or so every 2 to 3 months, using beans, fruit, and other higher carb vegetables/roots.

On the mornings of my days off, I only drink black coffee for breakfast. Coffee works wonders in ketone production and mobilization.

I usually don't feel hungry until the afternoon, so when I do eat, I make sure it will cover my protein requirements and my daily electrolyte requirements. Avocado, leafy green/cruciferous vegetables, and a good fatty cut of meat.

For dinner, I may have some cheesy scrambled eggs. I like to keep it pretty simple. Variety is not so important to me.

On my working days, I only eat at dinner time. Its much easier to keep up my energy without stopping to eat and digest a meal.

Keto and intermittent fasting are good for the brain and body (via stimulation of HGH), but they don't do much to support longevity, so for that I make sure to get my polyphenols and antioxidants from blue berries, strawberries, black berries, and matcha green tea.

It has turned out to be a very profitable way of life. My health and wallet have benefitted greatly.

originally posted by: SurveyTheSurveyors

originally posted by: rickymouse
I have thought of using the Keto diet for my epilepsy. But I do have a problem if I eat a high meat diet. I can eat a diet containing high fats better than high meat. One thing with going to a Keto style diet, you consume more taurine that way and it helps to clear the receptors on your cells when you boost taurine. It is harder to make enough with a junk food diet, you need certain minerals and vitamins to do it and an active enzyme. Fat and meat stimulates stomach acid, it helps with conversion. Bread lowers stomach acid production, so do many other carbs. Balance can be attained to moderate the best of both worlds.

Ricky! I highly recommend you give it a go. You definitely seem the type that has enough will power to enjoy this lifestyle. You don't have to over indulge in meats either. Your macros, having epilepsy, would be along the lines of 80% fat, 15% protein and 5% carbs. You could source a lot of your fats from healthy sources like olive oil, coconut oil, butter, and nuts. Your meat selection could range anywhere from fatty or lean proteins. Hemp proteins would also go hand in hand with your epilepsy, a handful of hemp seeds is virtually all you need, plenty of good fats and proteins indeed!

Concerning your epilepsy, have you tried or are you using any CBD products, or you know, the other forbidden fruit? It's a miracle plant when it comes to epilepsy and epileptic seizures!

I wish you well my friend!
-StS

I have been toying with taurine supplements lately. They actually help me with eating a more fat based diet. Taurine is a neuromodulator too, and it utilized by the nervous system supposedly to repair nerve damage. It does work somewhat for controling my epilepsy. I also have some hemp oil capsules and they also work to control the raised brain activity but at two bucks a pill I am looking for a cheaper alternative. That two dollar pill actually works way better than the twenty five hundred bucks a month cost of the combinations of meds they were giving me years back to treat my seizures.

The CBD oil works but it seems to make it a little hard to research things, dampening my mind so I just want to enjoy life but I now have an interest in food chemistry and chemistries that can be used for medicine, I also research a lot of pharmaceuticals and try to reverse hack the chemistry. It takes a very strong array thinking to do that, the epilepsy actually helps with diverse analyzing if you learn how to utilize it. So I like staying close to the edge between great thinking ability and epilepsy. The times I used the Hemp based CBD oil, the one pill lasted for about twenty six hours. Not bad of a medicine. I can live with that, sixty bucks a month is affordable. It has a real good mellowing effect, sort of like the asparagus buzz I get from eating about six spears of asparagus, but the cbd oil seems to last longer than asparagus does to control the epilepsy. Cabbage is my go to for controlling my epilepsy, I make soup containing cabbage and it only takes a bowl of chicken or beef soup to control it every day. My epilepsy is temporal lobe, not grand Mal seizures. My system of controlling it without meds may not work for others. But it works for me, which is relevant to what I am trying to do. I had some really bad side effects from the meds and I need three or four types of control to control it, if I focus on just one of the controling methods, I start to get side effects. So I stagger different types of food chemistry into my diet and avoid high sugar and carb foods. So it would not be hard to give up carbs, except potatoes are one of my better medicinal foods to control it.

a reply to: rickymouse

Obviously, you'll need to do your own research, but maybe this article can be of use to you.

Link

It was tweeted by Dr. Rhonda Patrick, who I think is worth listening to.

a reply to: BELIEVERpriest

Wow, so happy for you to be able to find the right balance in your life. Keto is doing the exact same for me, and am so happy a friend told me to give it a try, hence why I made this thread.

I couldn't agree more! My line of work requires me to be active 7 days a week, before, during, and after the heat of the day, and my past diet was destroying my health and motivation. Once I got into ketosis, things just happened naturally. I didn't fear long tasks, or feel overwhelmed by the days work. I've been intermittent fasting for about a week now, and it's been the cherry on top to this Ketogenic experience. Every morning I have my Apple cider vinegar lemon water, followed by my favorite, Yerba Mate Tea. Have you ever tried Yerba? It's rich in vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and the energy it gives sustains itself more along the lines of a plateau instead of a roller coaster. Highly recommend it, wouldn't hurt to try if you haven't!

To be honest I use to probably consume 3-4000 calories of fast food, pizza, pasta, deserts, etc per day. With IF and keto I probably consume 1200 calories, which I eat in one meal around 6 pm. I feel full, amazing, happy, and am watching the weight fall off while feeling more comfortable in my skin then I have in years.

I totally understand the discrepancies in IF and have been trying to supplement properly. Do you take supplements if any? I've been taking good sources of Vitamin C, Vitamin D, omega 3-6-9, a dietary vitamin, and an awesome plant based organic protein powder I found with 2 net carbs, tastes amazing, and has everything you could think of, kind of like a healthier multi vitamin with Aminos.

Isn't it crazy? Instead of spending 200+ dollars a week, I can make 200$ last a month. This diet is saving my life, and I'm saving money while doing it... best choice of my life.

Cheers to health, and thanks for sharing your story, I really appreciate hearing yours and like the likes of you on this thread!

-StS

a reply to: rickymouse

That's awesome Ricky. What taurine supplements have you been using, I just did some research and I'm glad you brought it up! I think I could definitely benefit from it aswell!

Hemp oils are amazing, but 2$ a pill is kind of steep, and I believe I could help you in the not so distant future. Just got my permit to grow hemp, and my only goal with this project is to share it's benefits with those that are actually in need of it. I'd love to share the fruits of my labor with you when the time is right Ricky! May I ask, are you in a friendly state when it comes to these specific medicines?

Wow, do you have a background in chemistry? Its incredible what certain minerals, foods, herbs, and spices can do for us medicinally, and am glad you're taking initiative to aid your ailment with a more natural approach. I feel like reverse engineering in today's era is critical to be able to manifest a more healthy and affordable supplement, so much greed involved in big Pharma that it saddens me. CBD can be a little bit hazy, it's all about finding the right balance that applies to you. I feel like a high fat based diet may help with how you process it, and maybe you could try taking half a pill? Find the middle ground between the haze and the needed relief, whilst still being able to conduct the research you are.

Not sure if you could do intermittent fasting with your epilepsy, but that is a natural way to create ketones in the blood. Potatoes are my favorite let me tell ya! Was so hard to give thdm up, but is essential if you want to enter the Ketogenic realm. What health benefits do you get from them when it comes to epilepsy? You don't have to give up the carbs that help you with your epilepsy, just give up all the unneeded ones. I'm sure there's much to benefit with a very high fat, moderate protein, and somewhat strict carb diet. Just keep eating what makes you feel like the 'best you'.

I wish you great reward with your research, and may you find relief through your days and be blessed with many more tomorrows my friend.

Cheers brother!
-StS

a reply to: SurveyTheSurveyors

I've had yerba mate before. Its not bad. I may alternate between that and my matcha tea, but coffee is my staple. Making my coffee in the morning is like a religious ritual for me.

As far as supplements go, I try to get my oils from meats and fish, my electrolytes from veggies, and my vitamin D from the sun. I was taking K2 for a while to clear out any calcification in my arteries that may have accumulated from years of insulin resistance, but I don't like to take anything permanently. My opinion is that food should be our primary source of minerals and vitamins, and that our body can adapt to having less. For example, with intermittent fasting, the body adjusts to the lower intake of protein and electrolytes, so it would seem natural for that same principle to work with other things too.

Every month I try to eat liver of some kind to get the fat soluble vitamins, but aside from that, I'm not a big supplement taker.

But, maybe I'm doing wrong. Don't take advice from me, always do your own research.

originally posted by: BELIEVERpriest
a reply to: rickymouse

Obviously, you'll need to do your own research, but maybe this article can be of use to you.

Link

It was tweeted by Dr. Rhonda Patrick, who I think is worth listening to.

Already saw that article. Thanks for showing it to me anyway, I do miss a few new research articles. I read lots of articles on sciencedaily and physics.org plus some other sites. Every day I do that, I kind of get the DTs. on weekends when very few new ones come on the sites.

This site has some good info, I occasionally go to it. clinicalnews.org...

I originally started studying medicine for ways to treat my epilepsy, and have evaluated many chemistries through trying them on myself. I actually did not want to find the cure for myself right away, need spurns my desire to learn so I did not want to find my cure right away. I have been busy trying to help others locally, and I have taught some how to get their health back up but in most cases I cannot do anything for the ones who need it the most. Many dietary changes can cause side effects if taken with medicine, most medicines are also required because a person is eating the wrong foods.

Thrombosis in many people is a problem with them consuming too many foods that boost thromblin and consuming too many foods like leafy greens that thicken blood. Garlic does thin blood but also leads to an increase in Thromblin so it can make clotting more risky some times. Onions are a better blood thinner I think, a little garlic is good though, just not a real lot. People cannot comprehend that foods have multiple chemistries, you cannot just focus on one and start overconsuming it for that property. Moderation and diversity in diet can negate a lot of medicines. adjusting certain food intake can help considerably. Maintaining or adjusting metabolic homeostasis is needed.

Here is another good site to research the chemicals in food and medicines to find their properties. www.chemspider.com...

a reply to: SurveyTheSurveyors

I just get any one of them, I have the vitacost brand now. They are cheap, maybe ten cents a pill, I think mine are about five hundred size. No side effects except my poop floats, it is hard to flush. Taurine is a conditional amino acid, but if you do not consume adequate plant nutrients to make it you need to consume it. It is found in meat, but the chemistry can get bound in cooking and you definitely need the Molybdenum in the diet to be able to utilize the sulfite oxydase or dehydroginase to utilize taurine. Even cats need to consume some molybdenum in their diet, they cannot make taurine but also if you do not give some molybdenum food, they will not be able to use the taurine properly that is in the cat food. The Molybdenum cofactor is necessary in any life that has anything to do with sulfur, and since sulfur is a part of protein, it is needed to properly take apart protein. Too much is no good, adequate amounts are essential. Cheerios and quaker oat squares have some, same with oatmeal. Problem is they have a lot of glyphosate residue in cheerios, I get the organic equivalent of cheerios now, trying to cut back on glyphosate. I am not afraid of it, just trying to moderate consumption lower.

Some of the effects of reducing glyphosate and pesticide residues can be similar to the positive effects people are saying they are getting from the paleo and ketogenic diets.

Medical cannabis is legal here if you have the card. I can get my hemp oil CBD oil from our local coop, it is kind of pricey there but it is a good quality product too and it is classified as organic so there will not be pesticide residue in the oils or glyphosate added in the mix. Problem is that those sprays float all over in farming areas, but the concentrations may be less in organic hopefully.

When I got the epilepsy, I could not work anymore so after five years of meds that tore my body apart, I was forced to research for answers on my own. I do not think my neurologist thought I was ever going to live because of what the medicines were doing to me. I quit and had to find a better way. It took me just a few months after stopping the medicines to get some of my health back, but years for my body to fix some of the damage. I guess if your liver can't handle something it sticks it into fat till it can detox it later, that is why I put on fifty pounds on the meds. So, nine years later and that chemistry is pretty well gone out of my fat cells. You wonder why people do not want to eat fat these days, animal fats contain a lot of the chemistry they treat the cows in stockyards with.

I thought about getting the medical cannabis card, but I don't want the high anymore. I did not mind the mild calming effect of the CBD oil from hemp. I cannot tolerate cammamile, I cannot get oxygen after drinking the tea, same with chicory in coffee. I guess that is related to the ragweed allergy. I experimented on myself for nine years now, it can be hard on the body sometimes.

a reply to: SurveyTheSurveyors

I have come across this recently and have wondered about it. Do you recommend any books or sites? My concern is the carbs. I love my pasta and bread!

a reply to: SurveyTheSurveyors

I have come across this recently and have wondered about it. Do you recommend any books or sites? My concern is the carbs. I love my pasta and bread!