6 Reasons to Try a Ketogenic Diet?

 Are you short of energy? Are you fighting hard to keep your immune system healthy? Or are you battling an illness that leaves you feeling disheartened and unable to do the things you once found so easy? if so, keep reading, and let me tell you my story.

When I launched into months of research it was to find a natural way of
healing or dealing with Rheumatoid Arthritis. I had tried clinical medicine for a little while, however, when a doctor tells you "there is no cure for your condition", then you can do one of three things... 

1. you can give up, and wait to die; 

2. You can continue to take medication that can and will do nothing for you; or 

3. You can pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and find a way to deal with it... 

Deal with it, I did and research was my first step. 

I first found Naturopathy… the practice of an alternative form of medicine that uses natural remedies to treat the cause of illness. Having no Naturopath in Ceylon; I did what I could and received some relief for a few years. But I knew, the time would come when my form of “Naturopathy” wouldn't work.

All the while, I continued searching and stumbled on the Ketogenic diet for RA. 

What is Keto... the Ketogenic Diet?

The Ketogenic diet is a diet that causes the body to run on ketones instead of sugar from carbohydrates and sugary food. 

It requires consuming a very low amount of carbohydrates (20%) in the diet for rheumatoid arthritis and replacing the rest with High-fat foods.

This reduction in carbs puts the body into a metabolic state known as Ketosis; in which the body burns fat for fuel instead of carbs and by turning fat into Ketones the liver supplies the body with energy, particularly the brain.

The standard Keto diet is a very low carbohydrate, moderate protein, and high-fat diet. It typically contains 70% fat, 20% protein (3-6 oz), and only 10% clean and other carbs (carbs from vegetables). Any deficiency in the fat category can be made up in the cooking, with the addition of coconut oil or butter; or another Keto-friendly condiment.

I was quite skeptical, as I am of all diets because they start as the newest, best thing and then fall flat of the predicted results. however, this was interesting and so I continued researching. 

The Scientific research being conducted on it as a treatment and eventually a cure for cancer, autoimmune diseases, diabetes, and others, is ongoing. However, the results were too staggering to ignore. Being a strong believer in a creator, I could also see how perfect the design of the creator's original plan was.

I did a further eight months of research before I concluded that I wanted to try it. It took another month for me to decide to get started. Keto was definitely for me!

 Many important studies have shown that this Ketogenic diet helps you lose weight and has health benefits against cancer, diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, epilepsy, and auto-immune diseases; to name only a few. It can also significantly reduce cholesterol, blood sugar, and insulin levels.

What Can You Eat on Keto?

Good question. Quite a bit as it turns out.

The healthy fats of the Keto diet include olive oil, coconut oil, bacon, butter, full cream milk, cheese, and avocado.

Healthy protein includes wild-caught salmon and pretty much any fatty fish, lobsters, prawns, shrimp, calamari, crabs that are not farmed, beef with the fat, eggs, lamb, pork with the fat, and nuts. As well as any fish and meats that are canned or bottled.

Healthy carbs are the carbs of green and leafy green vegetables, cruciferous vegetables, and berries (60-70g). 

The healthy drinks are lemon water, herbal tea, bone broth, apple cider vinegar in water, full cream milk, almond milk, and coffee (1 cup a day)

Also considered "good for gut health" are any canned or fermented vegetables, fruit (fermented in water, not sugar syrup), and meats.

Things to avoid on Keto

Avoid all pasta, whole and refined wheat flour and grains, rice, tubers, and yams like potatoes, artificial sweeteners, agave syrup, refined sugar, corn, and corn flour and flakes.

Avoid alcohol, coconut water, fruit juice from a carton, and any percentage of fat-free or skimmed milk or beverages.

What Does a Meal Look Like on Keto?

3 cups of fresh vegetables (include a helping each of raw and cooked veg)

180g of Beef (with the fat); chicken (with the skin) or Fatty fish or prawns, crabs, lobster meat, calamari cooked in butter or coconut oil (or both). Or 2-4 eggs cooked in butter or coconut oil.

1 30-50g helping of nuts and seeds.

1 glass of lemon water and herb tea.

Why Choose a Ketogenic Diet? 

How does it affect the human body?

My first week on Keto... some of the first things I noticed, 

1. I had more energy. I could keep working without retiring exhausted in the middle of the day. 
2. I stayed full longer and didn't have to keep nibbling throughout the day. 

As weeks passed I realized  

• I was losing weight. Oh goody! I had been trying to lose weight forever. The amazing thing was I had more energy and didn't feel lethargic or exhausted.
• I had a stronger immune system.  I didn't easily contract the various viruses running past my door.
• I had less inflammation. I could bend my fingers and work with them. they didn't feel tight and swollen.
• I had less pain. Getting going in the morning didn't feel so much of a task.
• I began to see a change in my bones. The side effects of RA take a toll on the bone structure of the joints and create Osteomas (bone-like growths that form on the bones)

There are many other ways in which Keto can help. I have just mentioned the ways it worked on Rheumatoid Arthritis. I must say I am impressed.

Remember my plate now consisted of a combination of cabbage, carrots, tomato, and other leafy and cruciferous veg; pork, chicken, or wild-caught fish and its cousins for protein and fat; and peanuts and seeds made up the rest. No rice. No plates of pasta or bread. No starchy vegetables either.

Four Months Later… 

 I have reaped the rewards and enjoyed it too.

Today I am pain-free 95% of the time. Inflammation is down by 90% percent... This indicates that my immune system is strong but not attacking my body. And, the Osteomas have all disappeared.

my hair has grown thick and my skin is moisturized and healthy.

Would I Continue?

I think, my answer to that is... Yes! 

The reason is... I am healthy. I didn't suffer from Keto flu or kidney stones or any other side effects that the critics talk about; you wouldn't if Keto was done right.

 I combined it with intermittent and prolonged fasting and these three have been the treatment I needed. It's the difference between a happy, pain-free, functioning me and the painful, depressed me I used to be. 

So, friends, I invite questions, if you have any, leave a comment below and I will answer them in a future post. If you have no questions, leave a comment anyway and tell me if you think this article was helpful.

As always, remain happy and above all healthy.