In this second of a three part series on the ketogenic diet, I want to start by sharing links to articles where Dr. Mercola explains the benefits of the Ketogenic diet. 

Studies on the health benefits of the ketogenic diet

John Hopkins University and Keto (they have used Keto for 100 years)

Be safe - Be under a doctor's supervision

John Hopkins University carefully monitors those on the keto diet. Here is one comment by a retired MD. "For about a year I was the MD who examined persons to be on a ketogenic diet. I found out that we need the potassium check because it can get too low. The company was sued when such a person died because of it."

Ketogenic Tips

  1. You NEED a reason - The reasons we choose healthy living are because: we believe our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit; we want to enjoy our grandchildren; we want to celebrate our golden years in vibrant health and not in bed; we see the misery of others who enter their golden years in pain. What is your reason and do you hold it with enough passion to put in the work to maintain health? I pray so! Look around and say to yourself, "I do not want to be in the health condition of so many that I see."
  2. Our initial period on the ketogenic diet was 9 weeks. Now we are experimenting with cycling out of ketosis on some periodic schedule. 
  3. Restricting food intake to two meals a day, within a 6 - 7 hour window (12:00 and 6:00 works for us). This is called intermittent  fasting, and has many proven health benefits. Lower calories also seems wise to us. We are averaging about 1400 calories a day which is about 1/3 less than we used to eat. Since the ketogenic diet removes food cravings, not eating till noon is no problem.
  4. We sure love keto (bulletproof) coffee first thing in the morning. Just so you know, studies show drinking coffee extends your life. This holds us till noon.
  5. We have a cup of green tea daily which has many proven health benefits. 
  6. To lose weight, you need stay in ketosis: Keep healthy fats high (70%), healthy carbs to 5% (20 - 30 grams net carb) and protein consumption low (25%).Keep in mind when calculating this that 1 gram of fat = 8.9 calories, while 1 gram of carbs or protein = 4 calories. 
  7. We have chosen to avoid soy for the reasons mentioned in this linked article.

Products and steps of action

  1. We add 1 or 2 tablespoons of MCT Oil (Medium Chain Triglycerides) into one or two drinks each day to help insure we stay in ketosis (lunch smoothie and morning keto coffee). For our keto coffee, we add to regular coffee 1 TBS of MCT oil, 1 TBS of butter and 2 squirts of stevia and whip it up nicely in a blender. It is truly delicious and we muscle test strong for it, meaning it is healthy for our bodies! Be cautious of taking too much MCT as it can cause loose stools. Your body gets used to it, so maybe one TBS for a week, then try going to two. MCT Oil has many health benefits listed here and here. Here is an excellent article detailing the science showing the fascinating health benefits of MCT Oil. Drinking this first thing in the morning insures we stay in ketosis for the day, and totally wipes out our craving for food. Can I say AWESOME!!!
  2. We check to ensure we are staying in ketosis by using Ketone test strips.
  3. When in ketosis you may not have the same muscle strength. I found I could not do as many push-ups as I was doing. Same will be true with weight training.
  4. You need to keep your electrolytes high. The ketogenic diet tends to lower electrolytes in your body so you need to take some steps. Blogs which discuss appropriate steps are here, here, here, and here. We take a calcium, magnesium, potassium supplement. It has been advised that if on the ketogenic diet, you supplement with Pure Methylation, or get a very high quality B Complex Supplement.