Aaahhhh!!
The K Word or the forbidden dietary conundrum.
Yes it shouldn’t be used by uncontrolled type 1 diabetics, pregnant women or those with an existing kidney condition. But for the vast majority of us it is perfectly safe.
Ketosis is as Lyle MacDonald states “the shifting of carbohydrate to fat as the body’s preferred use of fuel”
What actually happens?
We produce ketones all the time as a byproduct of the metabolism of fat. So there are a level of ketones within the blood all the time. They are not as some journalists have described as ‘poisonous’. IN fact the body uses them as fuel within the skeletal and cardiac muscle.
We metabolise fat into glycerol and fatty acids which is then converted into Acetyl CoA. The same effect happens when carbohydrate is metabolized into Glucose and Pyruvic Acid. The next pathway is towards Acetyl CoA.
IN the presence of Oxaloacetic Acid the Acetyl CoA will enter the Krebs Cycle for metabolism as energy
However, here comes the clever bit. Low carb diets will not induce the production of Oxoloacetic Acid in sufficient enough quantities to send it into the Krebs Cycle.
Instead it accumulates in the Liver and is converted into Ketones. These are then transported to the skeletal and cardiac muscle.
So what does the science say?
Well key studies have had positive effects on blood chemistry, childhood epilepsy and healthy weight loss (burning fat!)
Studies by Sharman (2003) and Westman in (2002) both concluded in The Journal of Nutrition that Low Carb intake generated an increase in HDL (good cholesterol), an increase in triglycerides and a change in patter of LDL from B to A (also good).
A controlled study at the University of Cincinnati in 2003 took 53 obese women and fed them 1300 kcal. One group took a high fat approach, the other a low carb approach. Interestingly the low carb approach won out with more subjects losing fat.
A final interesting note is that for 70 years, 78 medical centres in the US have used low carb diets to treat childhood epilepsy.
Science out of the way and now for the application. I know that the art really is a) what your individual goals are and b) the quality and timing of your carbohydrates.
If you are after general health than you would be best to keep your carbohydrate intake to good quality sources such as quinoa and brown rice.
Here is another tip too. Master the use of herbs and spices otherwise they will taste like your armpit.
Any of the other carbs tend to be processed and alien to the function of your body causing imflamation and other systemic overload. The bets way of knowing this is to literally remove any sign of things like gluten for up to 6 weeks and then retest by introducing them back again and monitoring your response.
For the clients who have actually been able to stuck to this they have been so use to feeling friggin awesome without the breads, pastas and starches that they are scared of feeling crap by eating what they know is one of the main offenders of lethargy, brain fog, inflammation and other chronic based ailments.
The next issue is timing. For overall health and vitality I would recommend consuming your good quality carbs in your first meal of the day and after you train. You don’t need a lot. Just enough to ensure a good trickle to glucose to that important bit of grey matter between your ears. One serving is enough.
Do you know that your brain consumes around 20% of all the glucose in your body?
A very low carb approach will mean you becoming depressed and irritable – you may even start to detest people if they mention the word ‘biscuit’ or ‘cake’. Not a good place to be. In that respect if you have trouble falling asleep you would be wise to consume some gluten free porridge made with rice milk an hour before bed or even add in some carbohydrate in your last meal (dinner) before you hit the pillow.
That will help in winding you down making you sleepy.
So the art is always in the application. Don’t fear carbs that is just dumb. They don’t make you fat. You sitting on your arse all day and eating poor quality foods does that. Just use them wisely.
