Diets

A ketogenic diet is one that encourages your body to rely less on sugar-based fuels and rather to turn to fat and ketones (produced in the liver by metabolizing fat) for fuel. The benefits of a consistently ketogenic diet are primarily recognized in the sphere of neurological problems, where there has been evidence of benefit in treating obesity, type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol, epilepsy, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s Disease A ketogenic diet is one that encourages your body to rely less on sugar-based fuels and rather to turn to fat and ketones (produced in the liver by metabolizing fat) for fuel. Some folks notice improved mood, sleep, mental focus, blood sugar regulation and reduction of general inflammation. Once you are adapted to a ketogenic diet, going in and out of ketosis intermittently is thought to yield some of the longevity, anti-inflammatory and cancer-fighting benefits previously attributed to calorie restricted diets.

Staying in ketosis makes it easier for many people to maintain weight loss. For a good discussion of that process, as well as the research behind that observation, you can read this blog post from the "low carb dietitian" here. 

Testing for food allergies is controversial. Conventional and integrative physicians line up on opposite sides of blood testing, skin testing, and the ultimate issue of whether food allergies are a serious problem or not. However, any physician who has spent much time listening to patients knows that food allergies are real and that food allergy tests are not always reliable.

If you suspect food allergies from your medical history or because you have a condition that indicates you have high levels of inflammation in your body, it may be worth the investment of time and effort to investigate your food allergies on your own.  Here’s how:

Phase One: Eliminate food allergens

Do you suspect any particular foods are causing your allergies? If so, go off all of those foods that you suspect in any way are responsible for your symptoms. Do this for 2 weeks very strictly, or longer as needed to get to the point where you feel better. Remember symptoms can be emotional or physical. The goal is to eliminate foods until you feel relief from your symptoms and you are definitely better.

The Paleo Diet has been inspired by the study of our own human history. The Paleolithic Period began about 2.6 million years ago with the first use of stone tools by pre-historic humans and ended about 10,000 years ago. In the Paleolithic Period, humans formed small groups and survived by hunting and gathering food. The end of the Paleolithic Period is marked by human groups settling in one era, introducing agriculture, religion and culture that has survived to the current day. Humans clearly evolved during the long Paleolithic period, developing physically and genetically. The successful survivors of that era thrived because they were eating and living in a way highly compatible with their genetic structure. It is possible our genes have evolved to some degree over the more recent 10,000 years, but it is most likely that this change is small.

The Paleolithic Period was not entirely uniform: hunter-gatherer tribes varied in their use of fire or their ability to fish for food. Surprisingly, a great deal of evidence indicates that the hunter-gatherers, dependent on the whims of nature for their food, were actually healthier in many ways than the early farming communities that developed later. Controversies exist concerning what Paleolithic people actually ate, leading to some differences among adherents of the Paleo Diet.

The second session of my class on losing it (weight, inches or inflammation - or all three!) is underway, and for those who didn't make it into the class, I want to talk about the main focus of the class: reducing carbohydrate intake. “Low carb” is a hot topic, attracting its supporters (many with their own success stories) and its detractors. Despite its failure, many docs and health advisors still cling firmly to the conventional dietary wisdom recommending My Plate, roughly divided into quarters - grains, vegetables, fruits, and proteins - is the healthiest way to eat. I admit I had to look it up, those ideas are so foreign to me now. Dairy is included in a milk-glass-shaped portion off to the side.

If your waistline expands over your hips in an expanding version of the My Plate shape, do not follow these dietary guidelines! If you'd like your waistline to be a trimmer oval, sitting snugly inside your other body contours, you have two choices.