Why it’s a bad idea to cut out food groups for weight loss by Sports Medicine & Fitness Editor Kelly OShea: philly/philly/health/Why_its_a_bad_idea_to_cut_out_food_groups_for_weight_loss.html This is such a gross misinterpretation of what a low-carb, ketogenic diet is, its hard to know where to begin with this one. Lets look at each of the claims one at a time: CLAIM: Low-carb diets eliminate entire food groups. Isnt it funny how they make this claim about low-carb, but NEVER about low-fat or vegetarian diets? Hmmmm. But I digress. No, all carbs are not removed. Just the cruddy ones like sugar, starch and grains--especially the highly-refined versions of all of these. Its not a no-carb diet as we still enjoy non-starchy and green leafy vegetables, berries, and other such real food-based carbs. They are merely limited to their individual impact on a persons blood sugar levels. CLAIM: Your brain and muscles NEED carbs to function. If you are fueling your body as a sugar-burner, then ABSOLUTELY. But when you choose to make the switch over to burning fat and ketones as your primary fuel source, you dont need 130g of carbs a day to make your brain happy. Instead, you eat a high amount of fat, moderated amounts of protein, and limited carbs to offer your brain all the amazing health effects that come from being in a state of nutritional ketosis. The same goes for the energy in your body--it is fueled quite well on ketones. CLAIM: Youre at risk for nutritional deficiencies eating low-carb. Not if you are consuming healthy low-carb veggies and organ meats in your diet to give you all the micronutrition youll need. CLAIM: Ketosis is an unhealthy metabolic state that leads to a build-up of ketones that headaches, nausea and bad breath. Hoo boy, oh the nonsense. No, if youve read my book KETO CLARITY then you know what a farce this objection is. Ketosis is a very natural state for the body to be in shifting from burning sugar as the primary fuel source to burning fat as the primary fuel source. Theres nothing unhealthy about it and you could argue its actually one of the best possible metabolic states you could be in to optimize your health. All of those so-called side effects of ketosis are a result of failing to drinking enough water and get enough electrolytes back into your diet early on, including salt, potassium and magnesium, which become depleted as your body dumps the excess stored glucose in your body. Getting keto-adapted within a couple of weeks for most people will provide you with energy and mental clarity like youve never experienced before. CLAIM: Dont do a low-carb diet for more than six months. Okay, Ill bite. So if I eat low-carb for six months and get healthier as a result, then how am I supposed to eat after that to keep the improvements in my weight and health? Anyone? CLAIM: You need to eat 45-65% of your calories from carbohydrates. That would be idiotic to someone like me who is metabolically broken from years of poor nutritional choices. Limiting my carbohydrate intake to less than 5% of my total calories has given me the most robust health Ive ever experienced in my life. If I NEED as many carbs as this column claims, then how am I thriving at significantly lower levels of carbohydrate intake? CLAIM: Losing weight is all about calories in, calories out. Ahhhhh, there it is. I wondered when the c word was going to come into the picture. Thats what they are holding on to for dear life, but you and I know the hormonal impact of food on our bodies is so much more accurate at determining what diet is right for us. And as long as insulin and leptin are kept at optimized levels from a low-carb, high-fat, ketogenic diet, I dont worry about my calories. WHEW! Okay, those were my brief thoughts. How about YOU?
Posted on: Tue, 19 Aug 2014 21:54:12 +0000
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