What is it? Is it good for you? How do I go into ketosis? What’s all the fuss about?

“Ketosis is a condition in which levels of ketones (ketone bodies) in the blood are elevated. Ketones are formed when glycogen stores in the liver have run out. The ketones are used for energy. Ketones are small carbon fragments that are the fuel created by the breakdown of fat stores. Ketosis is potentially a serious condition if keytone levels go too high.”

When your body goes into ketosis:

 “The body switches from being a carbohydrate-burning organism into a fat-burning one. The fat stores become a primary energy source, and the person loses weight. That is why low-carb diets have become popular, and effective, especially among obese people.”

So you can see the appeal, yes? If your body is burning fat…Yeeehah! Goodbye jelly belly and adios bobble butt!

How do you go into ketosis?

Eat more protein and ‘good’ fats, than you do carbohydrate.

According to Professor John Yudkin, the ratio should be:

“fifty to seventy-five grams of carb and the rest from meat, fish, eggs, cheese, and their natural fat”

So, you don’t get to go out and load up on doughnuts after all!

a) because doughnuts have tons of sugar in them and we all know sugar is NOT a good thing and

b) that’s bad fat!! (heard of trans-fats? Don’t worry that’s something I’ll cover in a few weeks! Meanwhile, rest assured that you do not want them in your body! So NO doughnuts!).

Another fact. The western world has a carbohydrate heavy lifestyle: bread, pasta, rice, potatoes (hello hot chips!!) and sugar (anything that comes pre-prepared has sugar in it!). It fills us up fast and because it has loads of sugar and preservatives in it to make it taste good, we just keep eating it. And then our blood sugar levels spike, we feel full of energy and then we crash…boom!

Those carbohydrates we eat are turned into glucose. The body burns this glucose first. If it can’t burn it all, it gets stored as fat. Yep, that beer belly is actually a laksa and kebab belly.

If there’s no glucose (ie: carbs) for the body to burn as energy, the body will reach for the nearest fuel supply, which is, in short, fat! Yeah! Awesome! So the moral of the story is:

Carbohydrates = glucose ie: the first fuel the body will reach for, if not used, it gets stored as fat.

Protein & good fats sends you into ketosis. Ketosis = carbon (don’t worry, you won’t be taxed on this one!) and carbon is the fuel created by the breakdown of fat stores – (ie: that kebab belly) in the absence of glucose (carbs!).

And here’s an even better chunk of news for you – it only takes three days for the body to go into ketosis and start burning fat as fuel. Yep, three days of sensible, high protein intake, reduced carbohydrates and lots of water to keep your kidneys happy.

Let’s face it, there are potential side-effects to everything we do that changes how our body works. But the side effects of sending your body into ketosis, when applied correctly, are far preferable to the side-effects of sugar overload, ie:

• weight gain
•  high cholesterol
• increased blood-pressure
• increased risk of arthrosclerosis (fatty arteries which can lead to stroke)
• cardiac disease
• fatty liver
• gallstones
• kidney disease
• diabetes
• cancer…yes, the list does go on.

Side-effects of ketosis are:

• weight-loss
• bad breath (the body excretes ketones through the breath and urine)
• kidney stones (if you don’t drink enough water!)
• increased risk of osteoporosis (extra calcium is excreted during ketosis)

So, as with any change to your nutrition, exercise or health regime, there are things to be aware of and it is always advisable to consult your healthcare professional for in depth advice. A good naturopath, nutritionist, dietician or homeopath will be able to guide you in this. For information on where to find a good alternative therapies practitioner, please contact me.

Next week – what proteins are good proteins? What are good protein alternatives for vegetarians?

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/180858.php

http://www.second-opinions.co.uk/fat-not-protein.html

http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1662484,00.html