# Oh what a difference



## Oregon1986 (Apr 25, 2017)

The past few months I've been on Atkins and have great success with it,but after putting a lot of thought into it I decided to go back to Paleo/clean eating. I felt like my body wasn't getting everything it needed. I already am feeling really happy with my decision


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## dmm1976 (Oct 29, 2013)

I know it's kind of hippie ish. But eating Paleo and keto type diets naturally cuts out gluten. I always feel better when I'm not eating gluten. I'm not intolerant or anything but I definitely feel the difference in my body the next day if I eat bread or something.


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## Oregon1986 (Apr 25, 2017)

dmm1976 said:


> I know it's kind of hippie ish. But eating Paleo and keto type diets naturally cuts out gluten. I always feel better when I'm not eating gluten. I'm not intolerant or anything but I definitely feel the difference in my body the next day if I eat bread or something.


Same here,I feel sluggish


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## newfieannie (Dec 24, 2006)

quite a difference here also since I started Keto after learning about it from Nsoitgoes. the bread was the worst to give up for me. I even had 1/2 slice this morning. but that's far better than 6 or 7 slices a day. i'll get there eventually.~Georgia


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## Oregon1986 (Apr 25, 2017)

newfieannie said:


> quite a difference here also since I started Keto after learning about it from Nsoitgoes. the bread was the worst to give up for me. I even had 1/2 slice this morning. but that's far better than 6 or 7 slices a day. i'll get there eventually.~Georgia


Keto does great things for the body


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## Nsoitgoes (Jan 31, 2016)

Bread is my biggest downfall. I make fresh bread fairly often so my SO is stocked up with it. He has learned to simply serve my meals without bread, rather than asking if I want any. Because then I would have to think about it, and the inevitable answer would be "yes, please". I have always been a carb addict. Not sugary, sweet things - I love the starchy savories. I have a few work-arounds for when I am severely tempted. The 90 second keto muffin works sort of, and if you add a little coconut flour as well as the almond flour it is a bit better but your taste buds won't be fooled. The Fathead pizza crust, on the other hand is really great and even Sweetie loves it.


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## newfieannie (Dec 24, 2006)

that's the thing, I do all my sons baking so what I've started doing lately is baking everything the day before he's planning on picking them up so as not to be tempted for too long. I also don't have 10 or so loaves banana,choc. chip etc in the freezer for company anymore. one or 2 is all I keep now. ~Georgia


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## Cabin Fever (May 10, 2002)

I don't want to say that we are on a diet. But, what my wife and I have done is changed our eating lifestyle/habits.

We have adopted the "Whole Foods, Plant-Based" consumption lifestyle. Some might call this the "Forks over Knives" diet.

We get all of our nutrition from whole plants. We have cut out meat, dairy, eggs, refined sugar, corn syrup, most of the salt, and processed foods.

We made this change, not to loose weight, but to be healthier.

After several months of eating just plants and whole grains (including bread made with whole wheat and other goodies) we have both lost significant weight, we have more energy, and our doctors have discontinued or reduced the dosage of several prescription meds that one or both of us have been on, including meds for high BP, Type 2 diabetes, and cholesterol.


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## newfieannie (Dec 24, 2006)

I did that for Andrew also and after a bit his doc took him off 3 meds. I hardly ever ate greens or any veg really but started with this keto diet. mostly swiss chard because that is what is readily available in the stores. kale too . never had it but think i'll try it. it's interesting to see all the stuff I use to pass by before . i'll plant a bed of SC in spring.

I backslid again this morning and ate a large plate baked beans until I found out I can't have it on Keto. froze the rest for my son. BB is going to be a hard one for me along with the home made bread. one thing makes me happy is that I don't have to give up my fish. if I did I'd never make it.~Georgia


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## Cabin Fever (May 10, 2002)

Is "keto" a diet (to lose weight) or is it a sustainable, nutritious eating lifestyle for the rest of your life?


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## newfieannie (Dec 24, 2006)

Nsoitgoes will likely be here in a bit and she can explain it better and much more eloquently than I can. I heard about it in the beginning from her. ~Georgia


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## painterswife (Jun 7, 2004)

Keto is for health and can be for weightloss. Your body needs fat and protien. It does not need carbs. It works great for those with type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure.


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## Cabin Fever (May 10, 2002)

painterswife said:


> Keto is for health and can be for weightloss. Your body needs fat and protien. It does not need carbs. It works great for those with type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure.


I guess we opt to get our protein and fat from whole plant sources, it just seems healthier to us.


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## painterswife (Jun 7, 2004)

Cabin Fever said:


> I guess we opt to get our protein and fat from whole plant sources, it just seems healthier to us.


You however eat lots of carbs while doing that. Carbs keep you out of Ketosis. Ketosis is what provides the health benefits. It reduces inflammation.


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## Cabin Fever (May 10, 2002)

I guess we are of the belief that eating more fruits and vegetables are good for you and eating more foods high in saturated fats and oils, and cholesterol are bad for you. YMMV


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## Terri (May 10, 2002)

The thing is, some people do better on foods that are high in carbs and some people do better in foods that are high in animal products. We are not all identical.

My doctor put me on a diet that was high in carbs and low in animal products and it made me sick, also after a year on the low-animal product diet when they saw my blood work I came home to many, many messages from the doctor's office.

I do best on a diet that is higher in lean protein and you do well on a diet that is plant based. I have come to accept that there is no one, true way. So this morning I had eggs and this evening I will have chicken stew with *ONE* biscuit, and my diabetes is much improved. However, you and your wife are eating the plant based diet that made me ill, and it has improved your diabetes (or your wife's).

We are all a bit different.


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## MoonRiver (Sep 2, 2007)

Cabin Fever said:


> Is "keto" a diet (to lose weight) or is it a sustainable, nutritious eating lifestyle for the rest of your life?


Ideally keto is something that should be done periodically. On keto you are burning fat (ketones) for energy instead of glucose. There is some question about doing a keto diet long term. By doing it periodically you get the benefits of keto without the drawbacks.

A big benefit of keto is it minimizes blood glucose. Cancer feeds on glucose, so a keto diet starves cancer. A few years ago I did go on a keto diet and got my fbg into the 60s on a regular basis.

It is thought that keto was probably the natural state of man during the winter when carbs were scarce. If you look at what foods are available when, you see that it may be that our diets should change with the seasons for optimal health


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## Nsoitgoes (Jan 31, 2016)

Cabin Fever said:


> Is "keto" a diet (to lose weight) or is it a sustainable, nutritious eating lifestyle for the rest of your life?


I apologize in advance for the following l-o-n-g post. 
For me it is a way of eating. I have been cycling through keto for many years. Early on it was a convenient diet for weight loss (I do put on weight easily), but since I was diagnosed with T2 diabetes a few years ago, I have been a lot more consistent in order to control my blood sugar, which it does easily and comfortably. My initial A1C was very high. I don't recall the actual number but it was enough to get me a prescription and a warning that I would be using insulin within a couple of years. I was sent off to an ADA "information clinic" where I was urged to eat way more carbs than my body could cope with, and then accused of cheating when my results weren't as (allegedly) predicted. Enter Google, a facebook page called "Reversing Diabetes" and the lightbulb flash that was the realization that if I had listened to my body instead of my tastebuds I may not be in such a predicament. My last A1C in January (after a grand-daughter's birthday, Thanksgiving, Christmas and SO's birthday indulgences) was 5.2, not ideal but not bad. My normal fasting glucose is around 80-ish, which I am fine with. 

There are many misconceptions about the "diet" such as that we eat huge amounts of protein (I eat about 50 or so grams per day) or that we eat massive amounts of fat (mine is usually around 80-100 grams per day, sometimes less, rarely more) or that we never eat veggies. I eat around 1-2 cups of salad and maybe half a cup of cooked low carb veggies per day as a rule, keeping the carbs at or less than 20 total grams per day. You can see from those numbers that I eat all things in moderation. I only eat real food, prepared from scratch. Keto *does* make you more susceptible to alcohol, so I am a cheap date, too, with 2 glasses of wine being my absolute limit. In truth I don't indulge very often. 2-3 glasses per week is about it unless there are celebrations going on.

The way ketosis works is that you are basically eating a hunter's diet. Your body is perfectly happy with protein and fat. It doesn't need fruit or veggies, which are mostly sugars and carbs. It can manufacture what glucose it needs from the protein in the diet by a process called gluconeogenesis. About 90-95% of the body's cells are happier using ketones rather than glucose for their fuel. On a keto diet I find I am more productive, have a clearer mind and more energy. If I overindulge on the carbs (which I do now and then because my SO is a marvelous cook and sometimes I can resist anything but temptation) I can always tell by how sluggish I feel and the "medicine head" I get - rather like a hangover without the benefits of alcohol. Not to mention the huge spike in my blood sugars.

All that said: do I think this is the only way to eat? No. I used to be a vegetarian a long time ago. Not for any PC reason. I just went off the taste and texture of meat. I felt great at the time. I was very young though, so who knows? My son has many friends that are on the vegan -> pescatarian spectrum and I cannot say that any of them look sick or any less healthy than I. I think that as long as people are aware of how their body reacts to specific foods, that is the answer for them. 

I am currently trying to lose the weight gained from my lazy oversights of the last few months. I did indulge in more carbs than I know I should have, which is part of the problem. I use the excuse of birthdays and holidays, but to be honest, some of the blame goes to "diet creep" also. Even a keto diet, with its hunger repressing properties can be overindulged. Particularly if you overdo the fats and the yummies. Did I mention I love butter, cream, bacon fat, etc.? I also got into making "Faux Food" such as cheesecakes, sweetened muffins, fat "candies" etc. made with artificial sweeteners as an alternative to their high-carb cousins for the high days and holidays. These may fall within the guidelines but represent very high calorie offerings. No matter what any of the ardent keto fans tell you - calories do still matter. I went from 130 in late July 2017 to 165 in January 2018. I am back down to 149 as of this morning, and have a goal of 125 to 130 ish by June. I seem to be on track to getting there. Again, I apologize for the length of this post.


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## painterswife (Jun 7, 2004)

Excellent post and explanation.


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## Cabin Fever (May 10, 2002)

@Nsoitgoes, thanks for the explanations and discussion of your experiences with a keto diet. I really appreciate it.

For me, it almost seems that I've been on a keto plan for my entire life. I've eaten more than my share of well marbled meat, eggs, bacon, Spam, whole milk, ice cream, etc. I believe my poor eating habits (ie, the Western diet) is what got me to the point I was at....overweight, high BP, high cholesterol, and pre-diabetes. For me, eating even more of this stuff to help my situation is just counter-intuitive. I do understand how a keto diet, with its low carb policy, can help to reverse Type 2 diabetes and even cause weigh loss. I am glad it's working for you.

We are doing the vegan thing. Results have been fabulous and I feel like a new man. For instance, breakfast this morning was a smoothie made with kale, carrots, raw beet, blue berries, banana, chia, hemp seed, flax seed, and almond milk. It was delicious and vitamin & mineral packed! As I type this, I am enjoying squash soup for lunch. Very tasty. 

A couple weeks ago when my wife went in for her physical, her doctor asked her "what in the world have you been doing!" Her weight was down by 30 lbs, her BP was low (almost too low), her A1C was low, and her lipid panel was great. The doctor took her off of all the BP meds and cut the diabetes meds by 80%. Her doctor said that she (my wife) should be teaching her (the doctor). To that my wife replied with the Aristotle quote, "let your food be your medicine." We see this as a sustainable lifestyle.

There is more than one way to skin a cat. I am not trying to imply that one lifestyle is better than another. We all make choices that best fit our circumstances. Congratulations for getting on the road to better health!


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## painterswife (Jun 7, 2004)

No ice cream unless sugar free on Keto. Spam would not be Keto. Keto is also not a western diet. I think you would be suprised just how much carbs are in vegetables.

Keto is moderate protein and moderate fat with a few carbs thrown in. The fat keeps you satiated. You naturally don't eat as much .


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## Nsoitgoes (Jan 31, 2016)

Cabin Fever said:


> @Nsoitgoes, thanks for the explanations and discussion of your experiences with a keto diet. I really appreciate it.
> 
> For me, it almost seems that I've been on a keto plan for my entire life. I've eaten more than my share of well marbled meat, eggs, bacon, Spam, whole milk, ice cream, etc. I believe my poor eating habits (ie, the Western diet) is what got me to the point I was at....overweight, high BP, high cholesterol, and pre-diabetes. For me, eating even more of this stuff to help my situation is just counter-intuitive. I do understand how a keto diet, with its low carb policy, can help to reverse Type 2 diabetes and even cause weigh loss. I am glad it's working for you.


The well-marbled meat, eggs and bacon are keto-approved foods. Spam, milk (whole or otherwise), ice cream are definitely not because of the very high carb load in them. Whole milk has around 11 grams of carbs per cup, because of the lactose. 1% has 13 grams. Ice cream - LOL. Even home-made has a ton of sugar in it, not to mention the lactose from the milk, half and half and any fruit additions. The only thing in ice cream that is keto is the cream, and even that is pretty high calorie. Store bought ice cream doesn't bear even thinking about.

I forgot to mention that I am no longer on any medication for my diabetes or hypertension. My thyroid medication has been cut down to a quarter of what I was taking. Cholesterol tends to go up for the first few weeks or months of a keto diet, but after that the LDL and triglycerides tend to plummet. Mine are now excellent, and my HDL has increased to more than acceptable levels.

Again - I am not trying to proselytize. This way of life works wonderfully for me, as well as many other diabetics. However, there are many studies showing that populations eating *traditional* high-carb diets do not have anywhere near the levels of diabetes seen in the West. My take on this is that these peoples do not eat any "packaged", pre-prepared or adulterated foods, using only as-nature-intended ingredients for their diet. I have also seen a couple of studies that show that these traditional high carb diets tend to be coupled with low fat intake, as opposed to the Standard Western Diet, which tends to high carb, high fat. As I am assuming that you and WIHH are also eating a natural sort of diet this could well explain your excellent outcomes. As long as what we do works and produces the end result we seek, it is a win for us!


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## painterswife (Jun 7, 2004)

This might simplify why I prefer to eat Keto than vegetarian.

You need energy. Glucose or fat provides that energy. Too much glucose effects so many things in the body. Fat storage. Cancer. Brain function. Hormones. Inflammation. For me getting my energy from fat lowers my glucose levels and reduces everything from aches and pains to brain fog and hunger and my need for sleep. It increases energy immensely. I am a more productive person when eating Keto.

It works for me. I have not given up sugar completely. When I eat too many carbs, I fast to reduce my glucose and that hungry and tired cycle.


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