The Keto Diet

What does "keto" mean?
     The ketogenic diet, or keto for short, is a way of eating that substantially reduces your carbohydrate (carb), intake and replaces these carbs with fats. This puts your body into a metabolic state called ketosis. Ketosis means that you have elevated levels of ketone bodies in the blood. Ketone bodies, or ketones, are one of the products of fat burning in your body. This happens when your body is unable to use sugar (glucose) for energy and your body breaks down its own fat and protein instead. Ketones are always found in the blood, but become elevated when blood glucose reserves are low and your body starts to use fat as energy. This happens when we fast, exercise for long periods of time or restrict carbohydrates. The keto diet greatly restricts carbohydrates in all meals.   

The theory behind it...
     It is believed that eating a low carb, high fat diet helps with weight loss. There are many reasons for this. Eating a low carb diet automatically decreases the amount of calories you intake. Common carbs such as breads, pastas, rice, etc. are usually high in calories. When you start reducing your carbs, you also reduce your calories.
     Eating a high carb diet full of breads, pastas, rice, corn, etc. changes the way we store fat. Our health and risk of disease if affected by where we store our fat. There are two main types of fat, one is stored under your skin while the other increases in your abdominal cavity, the latter is also know as visceral fat or "belly fat." This belly fat is stored around your organs and an excess of this causes negative impacts to your body. Low-carb diets, like the Keto diet, reduce this type of detrimental belly fat.
     While reducing your carbs in this diet, you increase your fat intake. Contrary to popular belief, fats are good for you and your body. "Consuming fat, such as the saturated fat of butter, animal flesh and organs does not make us fat and cause diabetes, cancer, and cardiovascular disease, but grains do" (William Davis, MD, FACC, 2017). Dr. Davis goes on to say that that a protein in wheat has the ability to bind to morphine receptors in the brain, which not only cause a state of euphoria in some people, but increase our appetites (about every ninety minutes) and cause addiction-like behaviors to wheat products. Decreasing these products, therefore decreases appetite. Replacing these products with fats, helps us to stay satisfied for longer periods of time without feeling like you are starving in between meals.
     In addition to these proteins that increase appetite, wheat also increases blood sugar more than table sugar, rice or candy bars. Steady increases to your blood sugar when you eat carbs, especially wheat, is not good for your health. It leads to an increase of belly fat, diabetes, along with cataracts, arthritis, dementia and heart disease. The keto diet also lowers blood triglycerides (fat molecules). Higher triglycerides increase your risk of heart disease. Additionally, this type of diet reduces your "bad" LDL cholesterol levels. More specifically, there are different sizes of these particles in your blood, big and small LDL particles. Smaller LDL particles are linked to heart disease, while larger particles are linked to the opposite. The keto diet increases the size and reduces the total LDL particles in your blood. Along with this, the Keto diet lowers blood pressure. Thinking this way, links diets, like the Keto diet, to a decrease in heart disease.
     Studies have shown that another benefit of the Keto diet is that reducing your intake of carbs, dramatically lowers blood sugar and insulin levels. For people with diabetes, this is especially helpful. This means the Keto diet can treat, and possibly even reverse Type 2 diabetes. 
     Moreover, the Keto diet can be beneficial to brain disorders. A large part of your brain can burn ketones. This diet has been used to treat, and in some cases cure, epilepsy in children who do not respond to medication. 
     
 There are different types of ketogenic diets, as outlined on healthline.com,

• Standard ketogenic diet (SKD): This is a very low-carb, moderate-protein and high-fat diet. It typically contains 75% fat, 20% protein and only 5% carbs
• Cyclical ketogenic diet (CKD): This diet involves periods of higher-carb refeeds, such as 5 ketogenic days followed by 2 high-carb days.
• Targeted ketogenic diet (TKD): This diet allows you to add carbs around workouts.
• High-protein ketogenic diet: This is similar to a standard ketogenic diet, but includes more protein. The ratio is often 60% fat, 35% protein and 5% carbs.

In general, the Keto diet states that your total intake of carbs should stay under 20 grams per day.  

Some great apps to help count carbs are as follows, Carb Manager, My Fitness Pal, My Keto: Ketogenic Diet Log, AtkinsⓇ Carb Counter and Meal Tracker, among others. 

What not to eat.

Grains - wheat, corn, rice, any bread, any pasta, oats rye, barley, etc.
Vegetables that grow under ground - carrot, onion, parsnip, beetroot, rutabaga, potatoes, sweet potatoes, celeriac
Low Fat Dairy Products - anything made with skim or reduced fat milk 
Nuts - cashews (22 grams of carbs per serving)
Fruit - other than low carb berries - check carb count-  blueberries, orange, peach, watermelon, cherries, plum, pineapple, mango, apple, kiwi, pear, grapes, banana For more information for fruits visit https://www.dietdoctor.com/low-carb/keto/fruits
Legumes - beans, peas, lentils, peanuts,
Sweet treats - cakes, cookies, donuts, candy, candy bars, etc.
Any added sugars or sweeteners

What not to drink.

Fruit juices, beer, soda, wine coolers, sweetened cocktails

What to eat.

Meat - unprocessed meats, organic, grass-fed meat 

Fish and Seafood - best is wild caught 

Eggs 

Other Natural Fat - butter, olive oil, coconut oil

Vegetables that grow above ground - spinach, avocado, lettuces, asparagus, olives, cucumber, zucchini, eggplant, tomato, kale, cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, peppers, green beans, Brussels sprouts, mushrooms, artichoke

High Fat Dairy - butter, whole milk cheese, heavy cream, unsweetened plain greek yogurt, whole milk cottage cheese, whole milk ricotta cheese  

Nuts - Pecan, Brazil nuts, Macadamia nuts (less than 5 carbs per serving), hazelnuts, walnuts, almonds, pine nuts (less than 10 carbs per serving) For more information on carb counts for nuts visit https://www.dietdoctor.com/low-carb/keto/nuts
Fruit - berries in moderation - raspberry, blackberry, strawberry (6 carbs or less per serving), lemon, lime, coconut meat (6 carbs per serving)

What to drink.

Water, coffee or tea without sugar, diet soda, bone broth, dry red and white wine, plain spirits like vodka, gin, whisky

For more information on Keto drinks visit https://www.dietdoctor.com/low-carb/keto/drinks or https://www.dietdoctor.com/low-carb/alcohol to learn more about Keto alcohol 

Sources

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/ketogenic-diet-101#what-it-is

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ketosis

https://www.webmd.com/diabetes/qa/what-are-ketone-bodies

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/10-benefits-of-low-carb-ketogenic-diets#section1

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/10-benefits-of-low-carb-ketogenic-diets#section11

https://blog.undoctored.com/big-fat-lie/

https://www.wheatbelly.com/articles/WBFAQs

https://www.womansday.com/health-fitness/nutrition/a25602934/keto-diet-foods/

https://www.dietdoctor.com/low-carb/keto

*This information is preliminary and supports the basic, current research as of June 2021. There are many other factors that affect weight, cholesterol, heart disease, etc. Please consult your health care provider before starting or stopping any "diet plan."*

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The Antibacterial Diet

What is bacteria?
     Our bodies contain trillions of bacteria and other microorganisms in our skin, genital areas, mouth and intestines. According to scientificamerican.com, bacteria in its "normal" state is meant to "[offer] vital help with basic physiological processes - from digestion to growth to self defense."

The theory behind it.
     Sometimes, there is an overgrowth of bacteria in one's body. The most bacteria lie in the intestines, which are supposed to aid in digestion. There is a digestive disorder called Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO) where more bacteria are found in the small intestine than normal and not the type that are usually there. In our bodies there is an action that moves the bacteria from the small intestine into other parts for digestion, when this action is interfered with bacteria builds up and multiplies in the small intestine. This causes gas, bloating, diarrhea, constipation or abdominal pain. It may also interfere with the absorption of food and essential nutrients possibly leading to weight loss. SIBO can be caused by diabetes, scleroderma, previous surgery that left adhesions or scarring in the intestine, Chron's disease or diverticulitis. (WebMD) According to celiacmd.com certain medical conditions can also lead to someone having SIBO such as liver or pancreas disease, Celiac Disease, non-celiac sensitivity, inflammatory bowel disease, hypothyroidism, irritable bowel syndrome, chemotherapy, chronic antibiotic use, immunosuppressed states (AIDS, cancer, chronic steroid use, etc.), other chronic disease or the chronic use of acid blocking medication. If you are unaware that you have food sensitivities and continually eat those foods for an extended period of time, you can develop SIBO.

What not to eat.

• food you are personally sensitive to, especially those of us who are gluten or dairy sensitive
• avoid refined sugars and sweeteners
• limit legumes (beans, lentils, peas, etc.)
• dairy products
• grain products
• starchy vegetables

What to eat.

• Top natural antibacterial foods and herbs to eat according to youngandraw.com and motherearthliving.com
• garlic
• onions
• coconut oil
• ginger
• fermented foods
• lemons
• horseradish
• pineapple
• turmeric
• honey
• cabbage
• cranberries
• oregano
• peppermint
• basil      

There are some acceptable diets to slow down bacterial overgrowth:

• The Paleo Diet
• The Specific Carbohydrate Diet (http://www.breakingtheviciouscycle.info/)
• Gaps Diet (http://www.gapsdiet.com/ )
• Low FODMAP diet (https://stanfordhealthcare.org/content/dam/SHC/for-patients-component/programs-services/clinical-nutrition-services/docs/pdf-lowfodmapdiet.pdf)

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The Anti-Inflammatory Diet

What is inflammation?

     In a "normal" body inflammation is when your white blood cells and the things they produce protect your body against infection. This is called acute inflammation. However, in other cases the immune system triggers this response even when there are no infections in the body. This is called chronic inflammation, in which the immune system actually causes damage to its own cells and tissues within the body.

The theory behind it...

     Chronic inflammation can cause many chronic diseases such as heart disease, cancer and Alzeheimer's disease. This can happen due to stress, your genes, lack of exercise, being overweight, sedentary lifestyle, lack of sleep, exposure to toxins such as smoke and of course, your diet choices. The theory states that if you eat an anti-inflammatory diet it could reduce pain in joints, lower blood pressure, reduce the risk of heart disease and other cardiac problems. Eating foods that cause inflammation can therefore do the opposite. 

What not to eat.

    The Conscious Life details some of the worst inflammatory foods that can cause chronic inflammation.

• Trans fats-look for trans fats, hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils, these can cause inflammation by destroying the cells in your blood vessels
• sugar-too much can send extra inflammatory sensors to your body
• white flour-diets high in refined grains lead to a higher concentration of inflammation in the body
• animal fats-eating a diet high in meats (beef, pork or poultry) can cause an inflammatory response and tissue damage
• alcohol-drinking too much can allow bacteria to easily pass through your intestine and cause irritation and inflammation
• omega-6 fatty acids-eating too much, found mainly in soy, nuts and seeds, causes an imbalance of omega-3 fatty acids causing inflammation
• milk-whole milk or even 2 percent is high in saturated fat causing inflammation
• gluten-eating any grains causes an inflammatory response especially in the intestines 

What to eat.

     The Conscious Life also details some of the best anti-inflammatory foods that can cause reduce chronic inflammation.

• Leafy green vegetables
• turmeric
• wild-caught salmon
• shiitake mushrooms
• green tea
• papaya
• blueberry
• extra virgin olive oil
• broccoli
• sweet potato
• garlic

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The Acid Alkaline Diet

What is acid and alkaline and what does it have to do with my food? 
     Acidic and alkaline (basic) are two terms to describe chemicals. They are measured on a scale called a pH scale, which measures how acidic or basic a substance is. Technically, pH is the measure of the hydrogen ion concentration in something. Solutions with a high concentration of hydrogen ions have a low pH (alkaline) and solutions with a low concentration of hydrogen ions have a high pH (acidic). The pH scale ranges from 0 to 14, 0 being very acidic and 14 being very basic. In terms of any substance, or the food we eat, acidic foods range from 0 to 7 and alkaline foods range from 7 to 14.

The theory behind it...
     Naturally our bodies are slightly alkaline, a little more than 7 on the pH scale. This theory states that eating acidic foods changes your body's naturally alkaline state to an acidic one, creating health problems. According to www.acidalkalinediet.net, eating a diet high in acidic foods creates a condition called chronic acidosis. This cuts off oxygen within your body's cells and negatively impacts your immune system. The claim is that, "this leads to all sorts of diseases such as cancer, heart disease, stroke, memory loss, nutrient deficiencies and poor athletic performance....[because acidic foods] violate the acid/alkaline blood rations of your body cells." Therefore, eating a diet that is higher in alkaline foods than acidic ones will promote a healthier state of your body, possibly leading to weight loss, prevention of diseases, slowing down the aging process and stimulating optimum health.

What not to eat. What to eat. 
     pHreshproducts.com has a nice chart to show what foods are acidic and what are alkaline. The diet promotes a ratio of alkaline to acidic foods, throughout your daily meals and beverages some promote an 80% alkaline foods to 20% acidic food ratio, others promote a 60/40 ratio.

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