7 ms·

I think it should be made clear that we simply don't know enough about keto yet to call it "healthy." More healthy than sugar over-consumption? Almost certainly

I think it should be made clear that we simply don't know enough about keto yet to call it "healthy." More healthy than sugar over-consumption? Almost certainly. I will say that it allowed me to cut to under 10% bodyfat with almost no effort, so for that I think it is a valuable tool. But I also found that I was not making progress in my athletic hobbies until I stopped eating keto. My progress visibly accelerated after I stopped. So I hesitate to recommend it as anything other than a short term body recomposition tool. Fat may not be evil, but carbs aren't either.

1123581321 7y ago
What kind of diet did you switch to when you moved away from keto?
- jniedrauer 7y ago
  Mainly whole foods. Almost entirely vegan. Quinoa, beans, fresh vegetables, whole wheat bread, whole wheat pasta, avocados, olive oil, are my staples. But I think the specific diet isn't that important. Cutting out the processed foods and high glycemic index sugars is the most important part.
nindalf 7y ago
I can echo this. I'm on keto right now and I have no trouble for most of the day. What troubles me is strenuous activity. I can still do it, but I take longer to recover. If I'm lifting, I rest twice as long between sets. I went for a run today that shouldn't normally give me trouble but I was knackered by the uphill stretches. I don't mind much. I feel healthy, I'm losing weight and my mind feels focused the entire day.
- rorykoehler 7y ago
  That's temporary. It goes away during long term ketosis. I've been in ketosis for over a year and have found my endurance to be fine but my top end power to be decreased (cycling). I'm still competitive but I think if I was eating carbs I could add ~20% to my max power based on historical numbers.
  - sizzle 7y ago
    Any tips on how to try keto as a mostly vegetarian individual? I am willing to eat eggs.
    - dogma1138 7y ago
      Since Keto is mostly fat that is pretty easy for vegetarians to source, no added sugar X nut butter and avocados sort out your fats. For protein which in proper Keto should be kept at very moderate levels you can use any source of vegetarian protein you like, if you are willing to eat eggs it’s even better since you have a carb free source of protein.
    - rorykoehler 7y ago
      I use soy protein isolate, virgin coconut oil and virgin olive as my staples. I also eat 3 eggs a day. I'm around 10% calories from fruit but zero starch. You can play around with what works best for you but the first question I wild ask is why do you want to do keto? I do it due to an idiosyncrasy between my diet and my genetics which causes unbearable inflammation if I eat lots of carbs and sugar like a normal western diet. If I didn't have ankylosing spondylitis there is no way I would be doing this.
JMTQp8lwXL 7y ago
After some back-and-forth, I've found that Keto is best for short periods of time, e.g., 1-3 month periods. Physical activity can feel quite strenuous, especially when you first start Keto, and your body isn't adapted to using fat as a fuel source. It's an incredibly effective tool to help you re-imagine the composition of your diet. For example, after my first time doing Keto, I seriously considered which carb sources I wanted to re-introduce to my diet. On one end, you have short-chained carbs (sugars), and on the other end, complex carbs. You also have processed foods (which have fortified micronutrients), and whole foods (naturally occurring micronutrients). I now stick to whole foods with complex carbs. You'll get more fiber this way, and complex carbs are a slower-burning food source that keep you feeling fuller, longer. I've re-introduced carbohydrates from things like beans, quinoa, and the occasional potato. Like anything, Keto is a tool. It should not be considered a silver bullet since we don't know the long-term health consequences of long periods of Ketogenesis.
- rtyuiop 7y ago
  Isnt it obvious, Keto in the cold months and carbs in the hot months. Eating seasonally is key and you cant chase much or do much exercise in the dead of winter with snow and ice lying around. Its also why the Inuits have a keto diet and can survive the extreme cold.
  - omnimus 7y ago
    But healthy keto is lot of veggies no? So winter keto is harder wouldnt it make sense eat carbs in winter?
    - rtyuiop 7y ago
      No, ketogenic diets are mainly fats and protein. Ketosis is the burning of fats which happens when you water only fast. You can live on a diet which is 100% fat, you cant live on a 100% protein diet or a 100% carb diet. Its also why the body stores excess energy in what ever form it was eaten in, as fat. Periodic water only fasting is also the balance to todays modern lifestyles where we have so much food to choose from. Water only fasting, not only starves bacterial colonies in the body, it also helps to starve viruses and parts of the immune system become more effective than during the times when we can eat. The main known risk of water only fasting is diabetic ketoacidosis. The eight teaspoons of sugar in a can of coke can reduce the hormone Testosterone in young teenage males by 25% within 2hours. The study only concentrated on Testosterone, but it would be interesting to find any studies, if they exist in the public domain, that shows what other effects sugar has on hormone levels, besides insulin and its increased risk of diabetes.

1123581321 7y ago

What kind of diet did you switch to when you moved away from keto?

jniedrauer 7y ago
Mainly whole foods. Almost entirely vegan. Quinoa, beans, fresh vegetables, whole wheat bread, whole wheat pasta, avocados, olive oil, are my staples. But I think the specific diet isn't that important. Cutting out the processed foods and high glycemic index sugars is the most important part.

nindalf 7y ago

I can echo this. I'm on keto right now and I have no trouble for most of the day. What troubles me is strenuous activity. I can still do it, but I take longer to recover. If I'm lifting, I rest twice as long between sets. I went for a run today that shouldn't normally give me trouble but I was knackered by the uphill stretches. I don't mind much. I feel healthy, I'm losing weight and my mind feels focused the entire day.

rorykoehler 7y ago
That's temporary. It goes away during long term ketosis. I've been in ketosis for over a year and have found my endurance to be fine but my top end power to be decreased (cycling). I'm still competitive but I think if I was eating carbs I could add ~20% to my max power based on historical numbers.
- sizzle 7y ago
  Any tips on how to try keto as a mostly vegetarian individual? I am willing to eat eggs.
  - dogma1138 7y ago
    Since Keto is mostly fat that is pretty easy for vegetarians to source, no added sugar X nut butter and avocados sort out your fats. For protein which in proper Keto should be kept at very moderate levels you can use any source of vegetarian protein you like, if you are willing to eat eggs it’s even better since you have a carb free source of protein.
  - rorykoehler 7y ago
    I use soy protein isolate, virgin coconut oil and virgin olive as my staples. I also eat 3 eggs a day. I'm around 10% calories from fruit but zero starch. You can play around with what works best for you but the first question I wild ask is why do you want to do keto? I do it due to an idiosyncrasy between my diet and my genetics which causes unbearable inflammation if I eat lots of carbs and sugar like a normal western diet. If I didn't have ankylosing spondylitis there is no way I would be doing this.

JMTQp8lwXL 7y ago

After some back-and-forth, I've found that Keto is best for short periods of time, e.g., 1-3 month periods. Physical activity can feel quite strenuous, especially when you first start Keto, and your body isn't adapted to using fat as a fuel source. It's an incredibly effective tool to help you re-imagine the composition of your diet. For example, after my first time doing Keto, I seriously considered which carb sources I wanted to re-introduce to my diet. On one end, you have short-chained carbs (sugars), and on the other end, complex carbs. You also have processed foods (which have fortified micronutrients), and whole foods (naturally occurring micronutrients). I now stick to whole foods with complex carbs. You'll get more fiber this way, and complex carbs are a slower-burning food source that keep you feeling fuller, longer. I've re-introduced carbohydrates from things like beans, quinoa, and the occasional potato. Like anything, Keto is a tool. It should not be considered a silver bullet since we don't know the long-term health consequences of long periods of Ketogenesis.

rtyuiop 7y ago
Isnt it obvious, Keto in the cold months and carbs in the hot months. Eating seasonally is key and you cant chase much or do much exercise in the dead of winter with snow and ice lying around. Its also why the Inuits have a keto diet and can survive the extreme cold.
- omnimus 7y ago
  But healthy keto is lot of veggies no? So winter keto is harder wouldnt it make sense eat carbs in winter?
  - rtyuiop 7y ago
    No, ketogenic diets are mainly fats and protein. Ketosis is the burning of fats which happens when you water only fast. You can live on a diet which is 100% fat, you cant live on a 100% protein diet or a 100% carb diet. Its also why the body stores excess energy in what ever form it was eaten in, as fat. Periodic water only fasting is also the balance to todays modern lifestyles where we have so much food to choose from. Water only fasting, not only starves bacterial colonies in the body, it also helps to starve viruses and parts of the immune system become more effective than during the times when we can eat. The main known risk of water only fasting is diabetic ketoacidosis. The eight teaspoons of sugar in a can of coke can reduce the hormone Testosterone in young teenage males by 25% within 2hours. The study only concentrated on Testosterone, but it would be interesting to find any studies, if they exist in the public domain, that shows what other effects sugar has on hormone levels, besides insulin and its increased risk of diabetes.