My Keto Journey - Part 5 - Week 3

Day 15 - Baby Belly

 I cared for mum my today. She has Altziemers and me and my sisters care for her outside out work hours. But I forgot my natural sweeteners. I had 3 cups of coffee there today, and couldn't resist using the sweeteners she had there. So I had 2 cups with one Sweetex in, and one with Canderel in last one in a coffee shop. (Oh and thank you so much Starbucks for starting doing Coconut and Almond milk lattes! Made my day! But they do add sugar, so ask them not to) And didn't think too much of it.
 
When I got home, my stomach swelled like a big baby belly balloon! It could only have been those sweeteners as my diet was clean and the usual food I have today. It was pushed right out and was hard. So. the proof is in the pudding it would seem, that those sweeteners were a major factor to the bloating I had had before, that I had just got used to. Now I know what it is not to be bloated, it's easier to recognise when I am. The sweeteners are definitely being left out the diet after this Keto experiment.

Day 16 - 'I can't bring myself to eat fat'

I was thinking today about a conversation I had with a customer at work last week. She looks after herself, and we always have chats about food, diet and exercise whenever I go, even though she is one of my telecoms customers, we always catch up on these subjects too. 

She had said to me that she can't bring herself to eat fats. Shes only just been able to start eating avocado's, and even that to start with was a struggle. And this was because it has just been embedded into her over all these years that all fats are bad, and that fats make you fat. She is a well educated smart woman, and knows that what she feels is nowadays wrong but it's just part of how she thinks now.

Everyone needs to understand, by leaving good fats out of your diet, this could have a massive negative effect on your digestive process and your body in general. It doesn't mean you have to do a Ketosis 70% fats diet, but a conscious effort to have good fats in your daily diet should be happening or should be considered.

Most people seem to have a bit of knowledge about the benefits of carbohydrates and proteins, but don't really understand fats, and why the body needs them. So here's some information to help with this.
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A healthy human diet should have about 25 - 30% of its daily calories from fat in your normal everyday diet. Fat is a very dense source of energy, though is only usually converted to energy in the absence of carbohydrates, as we are finding out in this Ketosis process. 

So other than energy, what else does it do? 

1. Fat helps to store and transport fat soluble vitamins A, D, E and K.  So what does this mean exactly? There are 13 Vitamins that the human body needs to survive. Vitamins are organic nutrients that we need. They come as two types and that's either water soluble, or fat soluble. Vitamin A, D, E and K are the fat soluble's. Unlike water-soluble vitamins that need regular replacement in the body, fat-soluble vitamins are stored in the liver and fatty tissues, and are eliminated much more slowly than water soluble vitamins. We only need small amounts of these, and we must eat fats to utilise them fully and to keep topping up the stores. So, if you are not eating an amount of fat in your diet, you won't be able to utilise Vitamins A, D, E and K. All that healthy eating you are doing, and multi-vitamin supplements, would be wasted. This can mean your immune system is weakened (Vit A), teeth and bones could suffer (Vit D), you are not clearing body toxins properly (Vit A) and your blood clotting slows when injured. (Vit K). See my basic description of vitamins below.

 2. We need body fat. Although most of us don't want it, it is very necessary to cushion and protect your body organs, and protects us from injury. As a body builder, at show time, our aim is to get as low a body fat as possible. This look, is only fully achievable for the few days around show time, as it is so dangerous to stay this low. During show time, ladies tend to get between to 8-10% and men can get to 2 - 4%. This is red alert time. In this period you are prone to injury, organ damage and can feel very cold. Training should be careful and lighter. A lot of people see there body building idol in this state on stage and think that how you look all the time. It isn't. It can't be. Which is why off season most of us like to get the fat back on to feel healthier, in most cases look healthier, be able to grow more muscle by utilizing nutrients more efficiently and to protect our organs.

Men and woman are different in what body fat levels we need. So I am a 46 year old woman, a healthy range for me is 23 - 35% body fat, and for men of the same age 11 - 22%. (Although from various sources this may slightly differ, but to give you an idea) Quite a massive difference. Woman are made different to men. The reason for this difference is that women at some point in their lives may become pregnant and will need to nourish a fetus and then a baby from their own fat reserves, so women have to stock energy in the form of fat in anticipation of future pregnancies. (Unfortunately for those ladies like me who decided not to have children, there is no off switch in this part of our genetics!)

3. Fat also provides insulation in the body fat and by providing healthier skin. One of the more obvious signs of fatty acid deficiency is dry, flaky skin. In addition to giving skin its rounded appeal, the layer of fat just beneath the skin (called subcutaneous fat) acts as the body’s own insulation to help regulate body temperature. Lean people tend to be more sensitive to cold; obese people tend to be more sensitive to warm weather.

I had my hairdresser over on Friday just gone. She has been going on at me about my dry scalp for about 6 months, telling me ways of treating it. On Friday, it had totally gone. She said not a trace. Could this be because of eating all this healthy fat for the last 2 weeks? I think it could. My skin in general looks a lot better Another tick in the box.

4. You need fats also because they regulate the production of sex hormones. Hormones, such as estrogen, testosterone, adrenaline and insulin, are important chemical messengers that affect many aspects of your overall health. Hormones are secreted by various glands and organs, including your thyroid, adrenals, pituitary, ovaries, testicles and pancreas. The endocrine system (the collection of glands that produce hormones) works together to control the level of hormones circulating throughout your body, and if one or more is even even slightly imbalanced it can cause widespread, major health problems. An imbalance can cause a low libido, insomnia, depression, weight gain/loss, irregular periods and a whole host of issues. Dr Axe explains well in that link details of all the issues in more detail that it can cause. So...do you go to the doctors for hormone replacement treatment, or thyroid treatment, or anti-depressants? Or could it be you don't eat enough good fats? Could you not just try eating a good amount of good fats in your diet for 3 months or so, and see what effect it has on your body? As fats help regulate the sex hormones, I think it would be worth a try.

By the way, any change of diet for health reasons, or to see an improvement in the way you function, will take 2 - 3 months to see or feel the difference you may be looking for. This is because your body and organs regenerate all the time, most organs take 60 - 90 days, some much less. So it takes this long for a diet to 'become part of you' when done for medicinal purposes. Like when a cut heals on your skin, that may mend in a matter of days, this is a quick regenerating organ, Liver and pancreas and the like take something like 60 days for example.

So patience is a virtue. And why you have to give change a chance. You don't know how many times I've heard 'I tried this diet for 2 weeks and I didn't feel different'...yeah...well...you won't. or 'I took multi-vitamins for a month and nothing happened?'...yeah...well...shame...*sigh*

5. Your brain needs fats to function properly. The brain is the fattest organ in the body, being made of about 50% - 60% fat. When it comes to building the brain, the body needs a high concentration of omega-3 fatty acids from animal foods, to keep the brain functioning efficiently and consistently. Some experts are now saying that a widespread lack of omega-fatty acid balance you get from eating fats may be at the very root of some of the most troublesome neurological epidemics of our day, such as Altziemers and Fibromyalgia.

So, have I got you wanting to add more good fats into your diet? Pick a few of these to add to your shopping basket the next time you go shopping -

Day 17 - Physiologically easier... 

I've noticed something. I am not having my treat meals, or treat days like I often have on diets to look forward to...or those occasional biscuit or choccie with my coffee with Mums. We baked mince pies today..didn't even think of trying one. Simply because in my head, I can't. As I know a carb hit could throw everything off. When you've finally reached Ketosis, you just don't want to ruin it! So I'm finding resisting temptation much easier. It simply isn't an option. And an added bonus.

Made my best coconut bread to date. Not a vegan version, just keto. So took out the soy yoghurt and added butter and 3 egg whites instead. And a little less salt. Delish! Its in the prep for the week! See how my prep evolves over time. Changed a bit since day 1 -

Day 18 - Has all this fat upped my bad cholesterol?

Starting wondering today whether my cholesterol has been effected by the sudden rise in fat I'm eating? My LDL (Low-Density Lipoprotein...or bad cholesterol) was 4.8 mmol/l end of last year, and the ideal is under 5.0 mmol/l. I had previously been up to 7.2 mmol/l!!

To give you an idea, the levels of total cholesterol fall into the following categories:

• ideal level: cholesterol level in the blood less than 5mmol/l
• too high cholesterol level: between 5 and 6.4mmol/
• very high cholesterol level: between 6.5 and 7.8mmol/l
• extremely high cholesterol level: above 7.8mmol/l

I did then put things into place to improving it, lowering my protein in take a little and adding some regular good fats/oils to my diet, which worked. So all is good. So what is it now? I fasted for 6 hours, and tested my cholesterol

Result? 5.2 mmol/l. Up slightly, but not massively to be fair. Which is what I would expect. A lot of the fats I am eating come under the good fats of unsaturated (poly-unsaturated and mono-unsaturated) These fats actually help improve your cholesterol and lowers the bad (LDL) and helps raise the good (HDL). 

However, I am eating quite a lot of cheese, butter, cottage cheese, and coconut oil, and as good a rep that this has, it is still a saturated fat like the ones before, which come under the bad, which can raise your LDL. So a small rise like I have was what I though may happen, as they battle to find a balance. Still not a level I would yet worry about. So happy days!

So why is high cholesterol an issue? How can it effect me? To go into detail check out this great link from Bodybuilding.com, but most of us know it places you at risk of heart disease as it can cause blockages in arteries. Body builders are prone to having high cholesterol due to the high amount of saturated fats eaten off season (some peoples bad habits) butters, eggs, meats and poultry skin, and also that obesity is a known cause of it too, and some body builders really do carry some serious weight at times. Excess weight of any kind can put pressure on your body.

It doesn't have to be that way though. Just eat better. Eat more unsaturated fats, and keep them to 30% of your diet. Also -

• Eat plenty of soluble fiber, including oats, apples, beans and peas. (although on Keto this is an issue!)
• Eat lean protein sources such as skinless chicken, small amounts of very lean meats, and fish.
• Reducing non-essential fats like butter, eggs, cheese and whole milk. (Keto clash again...ahhhhhh!)
• Supplement your diet with vitamins B3, B12, B6, and Vitamin E, and Omega 3's.

Just best to be aware of what is going on in your body. Prevention, rather than cure.

Day 19 - So..shouldn't my insulin be real low now?

Insulin is a hormone normally produced in the pancreas and helps the body's cells absorb glucose from the blood, so when eating carbs, it helps you utilise your food more efficiently :

• After a meal the glucose level rises to about 7 to 10mmol/l.
• One to two hours later, the glucose level starts dropping again. By the next meal, the glucose level is back to normal: about 4 to 5mmol/l. The insulin level in the blood has also returned to normal.

So that must mean that mine is super low now right? I should have a real low amount of glucose being produced in my pancreas because of the lack of carbs and my Ketosis state, therefore lowering my insulin levels? I needed to find out. Time to test my blood sugars.

WOOOOOAAAHHHHH!! Didn't see that coming! According to this..I'm now diabetic! Prior to this diet I was 5.2 mmol/l and now I've shot up to 8.6 mmol/l? 

I tested through out the day. And all day it stayed between 8.6 - 9.0 mmol/l, not peaking and troughing after food either like it is known to do. But I have no diabetic side effects? Tiredness? Thirsty? Feel sick? Feel Faint? Nope. None of the above. Although I have had a dull headache for a few days, which I put down to a bit of stress in the family life at the moment. But it also could be this. So, an investigation is required.

I consulted Dr Google as you do, and found this interesting read on ​www.dietdoctor.com -

“We definitely see that in people who are doing low carb long term, the majority will find that their fasting blood glucose becomes their highest value of the day,” says Dr. Sarah Hallberg. “They are not actually having issues with blood sugar. They are doing really well. But if you are looking at a log of 24 hours of blood glucose you will see a high first thing in the morning and then a steady decline throughout the day, with no big excursions [in glucose levels] even after meals.” (This is true of me. I tested Friday morning and was 9.2 mmol/l, and I'm normally about 8.6-9 mmol/l in the evening, no major ups and downs)

The scientific name is “physiologic insulin resistance” and it’s a good thing — unlike “pathologic insulin resistance.”

"The “pathologic” kind of insulin resistance is caused by higher and higher levels of insulin — hyperinsulinemia — trying to force glucose into over-stuffed cells. That insulin resistance is a prominent feature of type 2 diabetes, polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) and other chronic conditions. (So this isn't the reason for my high blood sugars)

Prior to converting to the ketogenic diet, your muscles were the major sites to soak up and use glucose in the blood for energy. On the long-term keto diet, however, they now prefer fat as fuel. So the muscles are resisting the action of insulin to bring sugar into cells for energy, saying, in essence: “We don’t want or need your sugar anymore, so move it along.” Hence, the elevated, but generally stable, glucose circulating in the blood.
Where is that glucose coming from when you consume no sugar and only leafy veggie carbs in your diet? Your liver, through gluconeogenesis — the creation of glucose from non-carbohydrate sources such as lactate, glycerol, and glucogenic amino acids from proteins. It is a natural protective process that got homo sapiens through hundreds of thousands of years of feasts and famines.
“There is no essential requirement for dietary carbohydrate because humans possess a robust capacity to adapt to low-carbohydrate availability,” says Dr. Jeff Volek. In the liver of a keto-adapted person, he notes: “ketone production increases dramatically to displace glucose as the brain’s primary energy source, while fatty acids supply the majority of energy for skeletal muscle. Glucose production from non-carbohydrate sources via gluconeogenesis supplies carbons for the few cells dependent on glycolysis [using sugar for energy.]”

So, it would seem I have a consistently high amount of blood sugars, floating around, being produced by my liver via proteins and other nutrients, with no where to go. And according to this, it is perfectly normal thing to happen in Ketosis. My ketones or consistently between moderate and large quantities, so they aren't being effected by these high glucose levels, my water is still between 2-4 litres a day, and I don't feel bad or lethargic at all. So no need to worry, tight? Still going to my GP for an opinion. It's the sensible thing to do. My GP, is also big into body building and has good knowledge in what I do. Whereas a lot don't and would flap about this straight away. But I do trust his word. So I will let you know what he says.

Day 21 - 3 weeks in..

So, finished week 3 now. Jumped in the Tanita scales and the results are in -

DAY 1 - 
Weight – 75.3 kg / 11st 12lbs
Height – 5 ‘6 / 168 cm
Body Fat – 22%
Muscle Mass – 53.5kg / 8st 6lb
Water % - 61%
Visceral Fat - 4

DAY 7 - 
Weight – 72.2 kg /  11st 5 lbs
Height – 5 ‘6 / 168 cm
Body Fat – 24.5%
Muscle Mass – 51.8 kg / 8st 2lb
Water % - 56.4%
Visceral Fat - 4

DAY 14 - 
Weight – 71.2 kg /  11st 3 lbs
Height – 5 ‘6 / 168 cm
Body Fat – 23.3%
Muscle Mass – 51.8 kg / 8st 2lb
Water % - 57.7%
Visceral Fat - 4

​DAY 21 -
Weight – 70.9 kg /  11st 2 lbs
Height – 5 ‘6 / 168 cm
Body Fat – 23.3%
Muscle Mass – 51.7 kg / 8st 1lb
Water % - 57.7%
Visceral Fat - 4

So, no major difference today. No fat loss, and some minor muscle loss. (Which I did expect to happen due to low proteins). This is a plateau, which always happens in diets. Your body starts to adapt to the calorie intake. But it could also be down to my bad habit I have formed this week in nibbling!

Little bit of cheese here, few nuts there whenever I open the cupboard door, extra couple of teaspoons of yogurt straight into the mouth not measured. And I was out for a meal on Weds In Hackney, London. I didn't eat carbs, but had tapas, which would be tough to calculate the calories. Now, when your nibbling fats, small amounts could easily add big calories, as we saw before that I had mentioned. So I am taking a little responsibility for this. My bad. You have to be honest with yourself on a diet. It's generally not the scales fault!

What I am happy about, is the consistency of the scale reading over the last 3 weeks. Due to the lack of carbs, my body isn't fluctuating up and down, my muscles aren't loading and depleting with food intake, giving a more stable read that I can trust. This is a big help when monitoring progress.

Thats, this week over. I'm baking this weekend! So more recipes next week to be included and I've mastered the perfect coconut bread so will give you a new recipe for that too!

Have a great weekend!

​Terri