Keto Starter Info
Here’s some information to get you started on your research. All of these resources stress that although they’re presenting the science, people need to switch things up depending on their own reactions. I pretty much just included the keto stuff, but that led me to diving into cyclical ketogenic diets, intermittent fasting, supplements, and biohacking… so if you get into any of that, I can send you stuff, too. It all goes hand-in-hand.
Personally, I’ve been doing ketogenic with supplements. I have also experimented with cyclical ketogenic (carb-loading two days a week) and daily intermittent fasting (window of 2-8pm for eating).
PS If you’re looking for information online, keto, ketogenic, low carb high fat, lchf, banting diet, and noakes diet should all lead you to similar information.
FEW NOTES
2. If you’re coming at this from eating “the standard American diet” then start by cutting out gluten, sugar, alcohol, and as much starch as you can first.
3. Pay attention to supplements in the books. I took a good average from all of the resources and came up with a list (I have that if it’s helpful). If you haven’t already taken supplements before, it’s good to keep in mind that many of them depend on each other (take for example, potassium, magnesium, and sodium). There are also more active forms of some of them than others (R-ALA vs ALA or Ubiquinol+PQQ vs COQ10). If you get cramps, potassium will most likely help. If you get constipated, magnesium will most likely help.
4. Going keto means that your body will need much more water 3-4 liters vs 2-3 liters and way more sodium (approximately 3500mg daily). Nearly everyone recommends drinking broth daily. If you get headaches, broth or just upping your sodium intake will help.
5. MyFitnessPal is awesome, but manually adjust the levels based on the keto-calculator below for your macronutrients. I have gone back and forth on my levels, but tend to stick at 75-80% fat, 15-20% protein, and 5% carbs. You want to start at a max of 20 grams of carbs for at least the first 3 weeks and then some people can add on to that. I do 15-20 grams.
6. Keto, unlike anything else, has to be taken very seriously because you are changing the way that your body burns fuel and which fuel it uses. If you don’t commit then you won’t be able to switch. And if you switch back and forth, your body will get confused and you can get sick.
7. You may be sluggish and have some rough side effects for the first few weeks. Mine were really mild, but I made sure to read up before starting and taking the supplements when I started.
8. Don’t worry about ketoacidosis (unless you are diabetic or drink a lot). People get ketosis (the whole point of this) confused with ketoacidosis. The standard keto-adpated person will be between .6 mmol – 5 mmols when testing ketones. Ketoacidosis comes in at like 20-25 mmol which isn’t possible to reach unless you have high ketone levels with high glucose levels.
BENEFITS
a. You lose your appetite
b. Weightloss (and a greater amount comes from the abdominal cavity)
c. Triglycerides go down (heart disease risk decreases)
d. Significantly increases HDL (good cholesterol) and lowers LDL (bad cholesterol)
e. Significantly reduces blood sugar and insulin levels
f. Lowers blood pressure
g. Can reduce/eliminate symptoms of epilepsy, Lyme disease, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, brain injuries, and more research is providing evidence that this can reduce/eliminate different forms of cancer
h. Energy and focus improves significantly
i. Reduces inflammation
j. Corrects hormone imbalances and acne. For women this can actually reverse the effects of PCOS and menopause and can improve fertility significantly. For men it can significantly enhance testosterone levels.
k. These sound crazy, but some people report that they no longer get sunburnt or bug-bitten. (I looked into this and it had to deal with absorption of Vitamin D and amount of glucose in the blood.) Check out intermittent fasting because the benefits there are pretty cool as well.
BOOKS
Probably the best introduction to the science behind low-carb.
2. Keto-Adapted [ http://www.amazon.com/Keto-Adapted-Maria-Emmerich-ebook/dp/B00GTU9AJC/ ]
Probably the best introduction to keto-adaptation and includes information tailored to women.
3. The Art & Science of Low Carbohydrate Performance [ http://www.amazon.com/Art-Science-Low-Carbohydrate-Performance-ebook/dp/B008BYG7RW/ ]
If you are going to work out while doing keto, this has great information.I read A LOT of books trying to gather an overview from different points of view. Here are a few good ones – that essentially include the same information as the books above, but with variations of intermittent fasting, supplements, diet, exercise, etc.
4. Keto Clarity [ https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00MEX9B4C/ ]
5. Good Calories, Bad Calories [ https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000UZNSC2/ ]
6. The 4-Hour Body [ https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003EI2EH2/ ]
7. The Bulletproof Diet [ https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00K8DSTWU/ ]
8. Grain Brain [ https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00BAXFCPO/ ]
9. Wheat Belly [ https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00571F26Y/ ]
10. Why We Get Fat: And What to Do About It[ https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003WUYOQ6/ ]
11. Fat Fast Cookbook [ https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00BGGBE20/ ]
12. The Big Fat Surprise [ https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00A25FDUA/ ]
13. Real Meal Revolution [ https://www.amazon.com/Real-Meal-Revolution-Sustainable-Approach/dp/1472135695/ ]
SITES
I went through hundreds of sites looking for information, but the best ones can pretty much be summed up in the following:
1. Overall: http://www.ketogenic-diet-resource.com/ketogenic-diet-plan.html
2. Great information and recipes (as well as keeping things realistic): http://www.ruled.me/30-day-ketogenic-diet-plan/
3. Best macronutrient calculator: http://keto-calculator.ankerl.com/
a. Easy macronutrient calculator: http://shecallsmehobbit.com/2016/04/hitting-my-macros-deja-vu-yeh-updated-with-calculator/
b. Comprehensive calculator: https://www.healthambition.com/how-many-carbs-per-day
4. bodybuilding.com actually had the best overall information for exercise: http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/keto.htm and timing (cyclical ketogenic / intermittent fasting) http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/cyclical_ketogenic_diet.htm
5. More recipes:
a. http://www.wickedstuffed.com/
b. http://cavemanketo.com/category/food/
c. http://nobunplease.com/
6. https://www.bulletproofexec.com/
7. http://fourhourworkweek.com/overview-the-4-hour-body/
8. Keto Reddit Forum: https://www.reddit.com/r/keto/wiki/faq
9. Keto in a Nutshell: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1aiHSPoto_YqsNTDvL-g60nytMnyH-CJcCbiAx1IEUYM/edit
10. General Low Carb Info: http://www.dietdoctor.com/, http://www.mensfitness.com/nutrition/what-to-eat/truth-behind-worlds-most-cutting-edge-fat-burning-performance-meal-plan-keto
11. Real Meal Revolution (Excellent Recipes and Beginner Info):
a. http://realmealrevolution.com/real-thinking/the-10-commandments-of-beginner-banting
b. http://realmealrevolution.com/real-food-lists
c. Main Site: http://realmealrevolution.com/
d. Book: https://www.amazon.com/Real-Meal-Revolution-Sustainable-Approach/dp/1472135695/
12. Everything by Scott Swenson:
a. Blog: http://shecallsmehobbit.com/
b. Book: https://www.amazon.com/Ketofy-Everything-Adventures-Permanent-Lifestyle-ebook/dp/B019I3115W/
c. Keto Plus! Closed FB Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1482087988763862/?ref=group_browse_new
d. Open Discussion FB Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/407740426088952/?ref=group_browse_new
e. Low Carb Food List: http://muscles.zone/low-carb-foods/
