Dave Does Keto - Week 5 in Review

My energy levels remain very consistent and high. My mood and sense of well being is very good.
Appetite remains somewhat suppressed. No cravings.  My stomach feels much better and my poop has "normalized". I would say that I am pretty much Keto adapted at this point.

I have really come to acknowledge and accept  the fact that sugar is responsible for cravings.

We’re all neurologically wired to favor sweet flavors, and eating sugar sets off signals in your body that make us feel happy — and crave more of it. There are many suspected causes as to why some individuals are more susceptible to to sugar cravings or sugar addiction however the basic fact is that when we eat sugar the brain receives these "happy" signals unlike when we eat carbs or protein which signals the brain that "hey thanks I'm full now". The brain just keeps asking for more of that "happy" sugary stuff and of course we want our brain to be happy so we eat more. It's the same as the old saying. "i just ate Chinese food an hour ago and now I am hungry again"

Here is what I will call the KETO EFFECT formula

No sugar = no cravings + High % Fat intake =  satiety = better life!

It's that simple! It really doesn't need to be complicated at all.

I am continuing to drop in weight and am showing continuous signs of body fat reduction. Strength has finally dropped slightly but workouts are still running at full steam.

Starting Weight - 206
Weight on Day 7 -198
Weight on Day 14 - 193
Weight on Day 21 - 189
Weight on Day 28 - 182 
Weight on Day 35 - 177

For anyone that is counting that's 29 lbs in 35 days! Just saying!
I fully expect the weight lose to trickle at this point but as I stated from the beginning this is an experiment and trial of sorts so let's see where this Keto thing takes us!

Keto on my Keto kompanions !

Keto and Coke Zero

Does Coke Zero or other Diet Sodas' Fit with Keto?

 

Nutritionally, yes. Basically because it has no nutritional value. 

 

But for many people it is detrimental, as it gives them cravings for sweet things. One of the main benefits of being on a Keto diet is the fact that you break the sugar craving cycle. By drinking Coke Zero which I  admit I did previously enjoy,  you are just working against yourself in eliminating that need for sweet sugary like fixes.

 

 

Both diet coke and coke zero contain aspartame. 

 

Aspartame is an artificial sweetener.

Aspartame is highly controversial. All things considered, although there have been many claims and many studies there is no good evidence to claim that aspartame is harmful. However, it is impossible to rule out some rare cases of real aspartame sensitivity or allergy.

If you feel like you have an adverse reaction to aspartame, then simply avoid it.

My advice and this is coming from an old school die hard coke and coke zero junkie - (the sweeter the better) - Just drink water. Water  has no fake sugar,  and actually hydrates you.

Keep the artificial sweeteners to a minimum. I  do enjoy a little stevia here and there but I keep it to a minimum and only as a very, very small treat.  i.e. Keto walnut fudge - love that Keto fudge!

Keto - The Alcohol Factor

So How Does Alcohol Fit in With Keto?

First off a disclaimer - I don't drink alcohol of any sort, never have so I can't offer any personal experience or insight on the matter but I believe inquiring Keto minds want to know.
What I can tell you is that you regardless of anything else. If you are trying to lose fat or weight alcohol is about the worst thing you can consume. Your body (liver) metabolizes alcohol first before other macros. What this means is that while your body is slowly metabolizing the alcohol everything else you consume needs to wait its turn and while waiting may just be stored as fat due to the fact that you have consumed too many calories.
 This also means that if your liver is busy dealing with alcohol, it will delay dealing with other nutrients—which is why drinking alcohol causes your blood sugar to go down and your blood fats to go up temporarily. I am over simplifying it and keeping it non scientific but this is what it comes down to.
My personal recommendation is to avoid alcohol when trying to lose weight. It is just going to mess with your macros' and unless you are extremely diligent in tracking your macros or limiting your alcohol you will be derailed. I have witnessed more times than I care to mention clients that are doing so well with their weight lose programs only to be derailed because "they had a few".

For your convenience and reference I grabbed the information below from a reddit Keto forum to illustrate some examples of alcohol macros'.

Can I drink alcohol on keto?

Yes. Provided you have no medical conditions that would otherwise prohibit it, it's perfectly fine to drink in moderation while you're low-carbing it. BUT, you have to be aware of the carb and calorie counts of whatever you're drinking!

Bear in mind that alcohol IS caloric. Your body has no mechanism to store the energy in alcohol, so you will metabolize the calories in alcohol before any other energy sources. That means that while your body is metabolizing alcohol, it is NOT metabolizing fat. Consuming alcohol will not knock you out of keto, but it will delay the results.


And now, the cheat sheet:

Straight Liquor

• UNSWEETENED Vodka, rum, gin, tequila, whiskey, scotch, brandy, cognac (80 proof): 0g carbs, 64 calories PER OUNCE. A shot/jigger is 1.5 oz, or 96 calories.
• Mix any of the above with water, club soda, or diet soda to keep the 0g carbs. Tonic contains sugar and carbs! Martini lovers: be advised that dry vermouth contains carbs, so order 'em extra dry. The few drops probably won't hurt.
• Liquers, like amaretto, Jagermeister, Grand Marnier, curacao, cordials, sweet vermouth, limoncello, etc (basically anything sweet) contain sugars. Not always drank on their own, but they frequently sneak their way into cocktails.

Wine

Wines can vary based on any number of factors, but here are some averages:

Reds (5 oz. serving):

• Merlot: 120 calories, 3.7 carbs
• Pinot Noir: 121 calories, 3.4 carbs
• Cabernet: 120 calories, 3.8 carbs

Whites (5 oz. serving):

• Chardonnay: 118 calories, 3.7 carbs
• Pinot Gris/Grigio: 122 calories, 3.2 carbs
• Riesling: 118 calories, 5.5 carbs
• Champagne/Sparkling whites: 96 calories, 1.5 carbs
• Dessert wines, ports, and sherries are sweetened and should be avoided.

Beer

Unfortunately for beer fans, most of the good stuff is very high in carbs and calories. Especially anything red, amber, or dark. But all is not lost: some lighter beers are ok to drink.




Don't Forget!

• Alcohol counts toward your daily calorie and carb counts!
• Alcohol delays fat-burning!
• Ketosis lowers your alcohol tolerance, so take it easy!
• Beware of the drunk munchies!
• Alcohol dehydrates you! Order a couple waters, and drink a glass before bed.
• Unsure of the nutritional value of your favorite drink? Look it up !  If it tastes sweet, it's probably sugary and keto-unfriendly!

Fat Supplement - Quest Coconut Oil Powder

Quest Coconut Oil Powder

This is a great way to incorporate coconut oil in your diet to get your fat macros in! Great in smoothies and also in protein pancakes as well.

Mixed just plain with water it basically tastes like nothing  

Mix some easy-to-measure fats into your favorite shakes or baked goods with the rich, delicious goodness of coconut oil.

 

Most people aren’t aware of the benefits of coconut oil, MCT oil, and ketosis. Coconut oil is a fat that has been really popular over the last five or ten years. It is a saturated fat, which means it essentially has a very stable temperature, allowing you to cook it at higher temperatures and not rancidify the fat. Healthy saturated fats are really important for optimal health.

If you don’t eat much coconut oil I’d encourage you to include it in your daily routine. However, increasing (or adding) coconut oil can have some negative, temporary effects. If you start eating too much too soon, you’ll likely get an upset stomach, cramps, and diarrhea for a couple of days. So I’d encourage you to add it slowly. The benefit definitely outweighs any discomfort.

Benefits of Coconut Oil

Coconut oil is an abundant source of lauric acid (C12) and has many health benefits including ketosis, decreased cravings, boosted immune functions, weight loss, and enhanced brain health.

Coconut oil is high in natural saturated fats. Saturated fats not only increase the healthy cholesterol (known as HDL) in your body, but also help to convert the LDL “bad” cholesterol into good cholesterol's  by Increasing the HDL's in the body, it helps promote heart health, and lower the risk of heart disease.

Most Common Low-Carb Mistakes (And How to Avoid Them)

A simple brief article on

5 Most Common Low-Carb Mistakes (And How to Avoid Them)

Follow the link below for the article

5 Most Common Low-Carb Mistakes (And How to Avoid Them)

Garlic-Parmesan Hasselback Zucchini

Another great Keto friendly recipe. A great tasting low carb side dish. I was enjoying this recipe this even before going Keto.

Garlic-Parmesan Hasselback Zucchini

Garlic-Parmesan Hasselback Zucchini

Another great Keto friendly recipe. A great tasting low carb side dish. I was enjoying this recipe this even before going Keto.

Garlic-Parmesan Hasselback Zucchini

Garlic-Parmesan Hasselback Zucchini

Another great Keto friendly recipe. A great tasting low carb side dish. I was enjoying this recipe this even before going Keto.

Garlic-Parmesan Hasselback Zucchini

How Does Sugar Affect The Brain

How Does Sugar Affect the Brain?

A very informative 5 minute video

Source TED ED

Dave Doess Keto - Week 4 in Review- Let's Talk About My Poop

This 4th week of Keto has been a little more interesting. First off I have  the usual good stuff to report:
My energy levels are very consistent and high. My mood and sense of well being is very good.
I have not had 1 hunger pang or episode of feeling "hangry".

Amazingly I am continuing to drop in weight and am showing continuous signs of body fat reduction. I have done low carb, low fat and carb cycling diets in the past. The previous most effective for weight lose was carb cycling. But now Keto takes the crown as reigning king of weight lose. Not only have I lost a total of 24 lbs in just 28 days my strength, energy and well being are all very good still. Obviously I cannot continue to loose on average 6 lbs a week as there would be nothing left of me. Based on the rapid success I have decided to revise my plan somewhat and take full advantage of what Keto may provide for me. At this new current weight of 182 lbs I am very lean and have a visible six pack. However that just isn't enough for me and now I plan on going from lean to shredded or ripped which ever term you prefer. Can I get ripped on Keto? .All indications are yes! Lets see just how far we can take this Keto thing!!!

Starting Weight - 206
Weight on Day 7 -198
Weight on Day 14 - 193
Weight on Day 21 - 189
Weight on Day 28 - 182

Okay so What About the Poop Scoop?

Okay so now for the interesting stuff. Although I report ed all the good stuff of being on Keto just above. This week I did experience one of the more unpleasant side effects of Keto. Now if your squeamish and don't like poopy talk then just stop reading now!

Keto Diarrhea

From the very beginning days of starting Keto my poop started getting very soft but by the end of the 4th week my poop turned into liquid. It did feel quite draining as everything was "flushed"out of me so even though I still had energy my stomach was a bit upset for the last few days of week 4.

Main Causes of Keto Diarrhea.

1. Your body is adjusting to high fat intake
2. Too much magnesium supplementation
3. Not enough fibre
4. Too much coconut oil too fast

I am pleased to say that by adding in a bit more fibre by the way of spinach, zucchini and broccoli my poop has turned from liquid back to soft solid. I am sure the high fat intake is also a cause but my first step is to focus on fibre as I really don't want to reduce my fat if I can help it. Although approximating 70% of my carb intake is in the form of fibre my body is used to so much more so I am listening to it and adding in a bit more of the mentioned high fibre veggies.

Granola - Cake in Disguise!

Granola =  piles of sugar

Commercial varieties of granola are often loaded with enough added sugar to rival a slice of chocolate cake. Homemade granola recipes are often no better, calling for ample amounts of refined sugar, maple syrup, honey and other sweeteners.

Granola bars and cereals are widely marketed as wholesome and natural, or made with whole grains, which helps to give the products a health halo. But experts say they are junk foods in disguise. Even the USA  federal government’s dietary guidelines label granola as a grain based desert placing it in the same category as cookies, doughnuts and cake!

A cup of Nature Valley Oats ’n Honey Protein Granola has 24 grams of sugar and actually contains more sugar than protein by weight. Nature Valley also has a Peanut Butter ’n Dark Chocolate Protein Granola that has 30 grams of sugar per cup. Bear Naked Honey Almond Granola has 20 grams of sugar per cup.

By comparison, a slice of chocolate cake with frosting has 26 grams of sugar. A cup of ice cream has 28 grams of sugar. A regular Krispy Kreme glazed doughnut has 10 grams of sugar, according to the Krispy Kreme website.

At its most basic level, granola is just super sweet, crunchy oatmeal.

If you like granoala look around for home made recipes and make your own. Just serach "low carb granola "
*Always look for recipes that have the carbs, proteins, fat and sugar content listed and remember to follow the portions for appropriate serving size.

Here is one that looks very good.

Chocolate & Orange Spiced Granola

Parmesan Crusted Chicken with Bacon

 Keto Dave and family approved!

This was a hit at my house this week. Everyone loved it and it will be going on the menu.
Its great to find recipes that the entire family enjoys when its just yourself running Keto or any other nutrition program. Doesn't everyone love chicken, cheese and bacon?

• Calories………….413
• Carbs…………….. 0.9
• Fat………………… 22.7
• Protein …………..  48.7

Parmesan Crusted Chicken with Bacon

Keto Friendly Beverage

Thanks to a fellow Keto -er for recommending this.
Tastes great! I have found Blu Dot available at Zehrs and Sobeys and online at vitocost

Blu Dot Protein Tea
* There are 2 versions make sure you get the version that has  Natural Stevia Sweetened, lower calorie the flavors with no sugar (stevia instead) are:

Blueberry Acai Green Tea (50 Calories)
Apple Pear White Tea (50 Calories)
Orange Pineapple Green Tea (45 Calories)
Per Bottle

45 Calories, 10 Grams of Protein, 5 Grams of Fibre
The simple formula is filtered water, organic cane sugar, New Zealand whey protein isolate, chicory root inulin, organic green tea, organic honey, natural pineapple and orange flavours and citric acid. *contains MILK

Blu Dot Protein Tea

Keto - Explained in 5 Minutes

For those that still don't quite get what Keto is I found this short fun 5 minute video that explains Keto in a nutshell.

Take 5 minutes if you still don't have a basic understanding or if I just haven't explained it well enough.
The video explains the state of Ketosis and the pros and cons of being in ketosis.

Enjoy and Keto On!

Keto - The Satiety Serenity

Hunger Be Gone?

Well not entirely I hope as I really do enjoy the act of eating! I have mentioned in recent posts that I have been experiencing little to  no effects of feeling hunger since going Keto just over 3 weeks ago. This past Sunday I experienced something extremely rare for me. I skipped lunch!  This might not sound like a big deal because people have busy lives and seem to do this frequently. I just don't skip meals period! Sunday mornings are heavy training days for me and by the time I get home from the gym  I am ready to refuel. Sunday when I got home I wasn't feeling that need to refuel so I decided to do some running around town and by the time I was finished it was close to diner time. I do not advocate skipping  meals and always advise against it and chastise my clients when they tell me that they are skipping meals in an attempt to lose weight. In order to make up for the missed lunch I will had some extra Keto friendly snacks later in the day  in order to keep my calories and macros up for the day.

Some Keto gurus  and other nutritionists do advise to not schedule meals and only eat when your body notifies you that you are hungry and I am not disagreeing with this. For myself I am a "planner" type of person and like to make sure I am getting enough nutrients and am hitting my macros on regular daily basis.
Remember do what feels right and works best for you. For a proper nutrition plan to be effective it needs to work around you and your lifestyle. If you try to force in a nutrition plan and schedule that is contrary to your lifestyle it will be too difficult and unrealistic to maintain and likely  to result in failure in the long term.

My point for even mentioning this, is  that this lack of hunger can be normal for some people when doing Keto as the hunger you are used to is caused by a need for glucose --- low blood sugar. 

Blood sugar is strictly regulated on a ketogenic diet, so you just simply do not experience hunger in the same way. As well "fats" calories are known to be more satiating for some people. You may have noticed I said "some" people proteins, fats and carbs seem to have a different satiety effect on different people.

Take Away Message

My take away message is this. Be sure to get enough calories and macros to support your daily needs and daily activity level. Choose a plan that fits you!

Dave Does Keto - Week 3 in Review

Well 21 days in on strict Keto.

I continue to finely tune my Keto diet and I can say that I am feeling on top of the world! My energy levels are very consistent and high. My mood and sense of well being is very good.
I have not had 1 hunger pang or episode of feeling "hangry".

I am continuing to drop in weight and am showing obvious signs of body fat reduction.* I forgot to start tracking my body fat percentage when I started so I am just going to use the scale, my clothing  and most importantly the mirror to track my progress as far as the outward physical tracking of the Keto plan.

Starting Weight - 206
Weight on Day 7 -198
Weight on Day 14 - 193
Weight on Day 21 - 189

As you can see by the above weight the initial weight lose was pretty extreme for the first 2 weeks and was still quite significant for week three. I expect this to slow down to a much more appropriate level of 2 to 3 lbs going forward and I will just add in a few extra calories of fat in the event it does not slow down. In my experience this is fairly normal and what would I expect in any weight lose program for myself .  But this is Keto so it is pretty new for me and we will let time tell. There is no rush here folks. That being said it is important to note that water weight loss is common when you first start a low carb diet. Ketosis has a diuretic effect to it that can cause many pounds of weight loss in only a few days. While I hate being the bearer of bad news, this isn’t fat. But on a side (and more positive) note, that shows that your body is starting to adjust itself into a fat burning machine! Now I just want to be clear with everyone. The ongoing weight lose is due to a few very important factors.

1. I am on a calorie deficit - A calorie deficit is the number of calories you need to eat in a day to lose weight compared to the calories to maintain your weight. You create a calorie deficit by either eating less calories, burning more calories (through exercise) or a combination of the two.

2.  I am in Constant state of Ketosis - A low-carb diet lowers your levels of the fat-storing hormone insulin, allowing your fat deposits to shrink and release their stored energy. This tends to cause you to want to consume less calories than you expend – without hunger – and lose weight.

3. I am be very, very strict, no cheating!

Protein Bars and The Keto Diet - A Protein Bar Junkie Confession

A  Protein Bar Junkie Confession

My name is Dave and I am recovering  Protein bar  Junkie.

For a while now protein bars have been my vice. But lets be honest eating a protein bar is essentially little more than a license to eat a candy bar and get a little extra protein along the way or in my case a lot of extra protein. I am not knocking protein bars as they have come a long way and eating them is a far better option than a lot of things. But I had myself convinced it was all good!

The Big Question

Can or should you eat protein bars while running a Keto diet?

The answer in my opinion is a resound no!. Now there are exceptions. The problem as I see it is trying to keep within 50 total carbs. Yes I count total carbs and net carbs. If I were to eat one typical protein bar I would be eating on average 20 to 25 total carbs. Yes I know you are going to say but Dave about 15 to 20 of those carbs are fibre and the remaining is only a small amount of sugar.or sugar alcohols.
Here is my response. I just cant put my faith in the fact that this is still a processed food item and I am not getting my very valuable fibre from whole foods like brocolli and asparagus.
If I were to eat just a single Quest protein bar (which would I enjoy thoroughly) I would be at half of my daily allowed carb intake for that day leaving me very little room for "real" fibre in the remaining 25 grams of carbs for the day.

The fiber of choice these days for protein bar companies is something called Isomalto Oligosaccharide Fiber (or IMO fiber for short). When IMO fiber was first being considered for use as a food additive, they subjected it to two enzyme tests to see if those enzymes could break it down – one of these is found in your mouth, and the other in your stomach. The result - Neither enzyme broke IMO down, so voila – it isn’t digestible! It’s a fiber!

More recent studies have found that IMO does in fact get digested in the small intestine. If it were a true fiber, it wouldn’t (it would get fermented in the colon).

What does that mean? IMO is a good old-fashioned carbohydrate. NOT a fiber.

IMO is getting digested and metabolized, and all those carb calories aren’t showing up on the nutrition facts panel.

Swearing off Protein Bars For Good?

Now I still think protein bars have there place but only in a real pinch such as when traveling etc. I will be keeping them to an absolute minimum.

A Special Mention

There is one Keto approved protein bar that I have come across however it is not yet available in Canada and is too pricey to import at this time. See below
Keto Bars

Keto - What not to Eat!

Foods to avoid while going all Keto

Any starchy food.
All foods with added sugar.
No grains and cereal
No bread of any kind - Yes this means no PIZZA! (there are keto pizza recipes though)
Beans (some exceptions, like green and yellow beans, read the labels!),
Pop
Soda
Coke
Pasta
Potatoes
Pizza,
Beer
Cookies
Crackers
Bagels
Candies
Sugar
Honey
Chips
Pretzels
Popsicles
Ice Cream
Any sweet fruits: oranges, bananas, peaches, etc.
Small fruits (strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, etc.) in very small amounts are acceptable.

**If it comes in a box it  most likely 99% not Keto approved
***Never eat anything low fat or reduced in fat.

Keto Shopping List

List of Keto friendly foods to Have on Hand

Its not an exhaustive list but this will give you a really good idea and head start for what you need in your kitchen

eggs,
bacon
pepperoni
pepperonni stickes
chorizo sausage
salmon
tuna
chicken breasts
ground beef 85/15 (protein/fat)
pork rinds

mozzarella cheese
cheddar or farmers cheese
ricotta cheese
olive oil
coconut oil
butter
almond butter
broccoli
caulifour
asparagus
mushrooms
spinach
lettuce
truvia or stevia
almond milk
almond flour
coconut flour
flax
chia
cream cheese
sour cream
heavy whipping cream

Total Carbs VS Net Carbs

If you have ever read a protein bar nutrition facts label you will find that carbs are listed and then broken down by fibre content and sugar content.

In an effort to cash in on the low-carb craze, food manufacturers have invented a new category of carbohydrates known as "net carbs," which promises to let dieters eat the sweet and creamy foods they crave without suffering the carb consequences.

But the problem is that there is no legal definition of the "net," "active," or "impact" carbs popping up on food labels and advertisements. The only carbohydrate information regulated by the FDA is provided in the nutrition facts label, which lists total carbohydrates and breaks them down into  dietary fibre and sugars.

A Definition of Total Vs Net Carbs

Total carb is the count of all of the carbohydrate grams available in the food, including fiber, sugar alcohols, and other indigestible carbohydrate. Usable, impact, effective or "net" carbs are a measure of the total carb grams minus the indigestible carb grams.

Huh? - Say that Again?

In short, net carbs are total carbs without fibre. There are two types of fibre: soluble and insoluble. The reason why most people use net carbs (aka available carbohydrates) is because they believe that dietary fibre doesn't affect blood sugar and our body cannot derive any calories from it. However, this claim isn't entirely accurate because it only applies to insoluble fibre which cannot be absorbed and has no affect blood sugar and ketosis.

 

Should you count total or net carbs?

It depends on what your goal is and how sensitive to carbs you are. Some people may be affected by the tiniest amount of carbs from berries while others can eat most foods without any issues.
I personally prefer using total carbs. I still track both fibre and sugar content of my total carbs so that I can be sure that I am getting enough fibre and limiting sugar as much as possible.

What do the Experts Say?

There are differences of opinions amongst experts not only whether to count total or net carbs but also regarding the "ideal" carb level. Dr Volek & Phinney suggest that ~ 50 g of total carbs a day is enough to induce nutritional ketosis. This is 20-35 grams of net carbs depending on the fibre content. Most people on a ketogenic diet successfully follow this approach. This is the approach that I haven chosen to follow.

Take Home Message

My suggestion is this. Regardless please ensure that you keep your carbs low but in doing so keep your fibre intake as high as possible within the allotted 50 grams of carbs. It can be difficult. Nobody said it was easy but its pretty straight forward.

Keto and low carb Baking

Keto and low carb Baking

When making recipes and baking, use recipes that are low carb, low sugar recipes that call for  stevia and erythritol.   Stevia and erythritol are all natural and all processed, but I choose stevia or erythritol as they do not raise blood sugars.  Don’t be fooled by the so-called healthy alternatives to refined sugar such as honey, agave, medjool dates, are  too high in sugar regardless that they are unprocessed. Your body will still raise its insulin to respond to the natural sugars. However, you may decide that using unprocessed honey or dates is a better alternative for you, especially if you can tolerate more carbohydrates. Just don’t think that by choosing honey, is any better for you from a carbohydrate point of view. It is really down to you, as long as you are aware natural sugars count too.

 Don’t be fooled by so many recipes claiming they are refined sugar free, look closer and they are generally packed with coconut sugar (sugar), dates (sugar), honey (sugar), agave (fructose which is worse than sugar), maple syrup (sugar) or rice malt syrup (yup, glucose).

Look for recipes that call for almond or coconut flour instead of  wheat floors.
Almond milk, heavy cream, baking powder, unsweetened cocoa powder, vanilla extract, peanut or almond butter, psyllium husk powder, whey protein powder ( check for added sugars), Xanthum gum  ( which is a thickener) are all acceptable ingredients you should expect to find in Keto baking recipes.

Sugar Is Hiding From You

Do you ever read a nutrition label and think to yourself what on earth are all these ingredients? Did you know that many of them are actually an alias for sugar?

Food manufacturers know if sugar is high on their ingredient list, their product isn’t exactly going to fly off the shelf. So what do they do?

1   Firstly they disguise sugar under all these different names knowing people don’t associate many of these with just regular table sugar.

2   Secondly, they use many different types of sugar. Food manufacturers know that if sugar is no.1 on the list, people probably won’t buy it. They want sugar to be as far down the list as possible so they use multiple types of sugar and then each type of sugar is individually smaller and will now appear further down the ingredient list, giving you the impression sugar is no longer the number 1 ingredient. So watch out for all the names of sugar, and add them up. Look at the nutrition label for total sugar per servings as well as the ingredient list.

3   “No added sugars” or “refined sugar free” are other terms floating around these days. Do they mean sugar free? Well no, not exactly. They may still be high with naturally occurring sugars or packed with coconut sugar, dried fruit or some other sugar. Sugar is sugar no matter what you call it.
So ignore the front of packet (advertising fluff and wonder) instead look at the nutrition label for total sugar per serving as well as the ingredient list.

And lastly. What is natural It’s just another advertising term that is thrown on most products and their packaging to improve sales. But do you know what it means?

What Happened as Obesity Doubled

 

From the Diet Doctor
Between 1971 and 2000, obesity doubled. Look at what happened to macro-nutrients at the same time.

People ate way more carbs and much less saturated fat. Maybe that was not such a great idea?

Ketostix - Determining if You are in Ketosis

So What are Ketostix?

Ketostix are small, thin plastic strips with a small reagent area on them.  When Ketostix are dipped in urine (or passed through a stream of urine), the reagent area changes color to indicate the amount of ketones that are present in your urine.  This is an important indicator for those on ketogenic diets because it lets us know that our body has adapted to ketosis and we are doing the diet right. The goal is to achieve a colour match in the purple range.

Ketostix are  useful because it is an indicator that you are doing the ketogenic diet correctly and have  limited your carbohydrate consumption sufficiently to force the body into ketosis, thereby starting the process of burning fat for energy instead of carbohydrates.  More advanced keto dieters use the strips to help figure out exactly how many carbohydrates they can eat before they are kicked out of ketosis.  It can also help determine how different foods affect one’s ability to stay in ketosis.  For example, some people’s bodies can handle sugar alcohols without having trouble staying in ketosis, and Ketostix can help diagnose this.

 Ketostix are available at most pharmacies. I just purchased a box of 50 strips at my local Shoppers for $6.99. You need to ask the pharmacist as they are over the counter. Below is my first reading taken this past weekend. Ketosois is identified by having a reading in the purple range. As you can see by the matching colour I am in ketosis.

Diet, Health and the Wisdom of Crowds

From the Creator of the Fathead documentary

This is a speech  describing how the dietary wisdom of crowds was replaced by advice from the so-called experts, which is now being replaced again by the wisdom of crowds.

Breakfast Cereals - BBC Documentary

A BBC documentary on Breakfast cereal - The Foods that make Billions
FYI - 59 minutes in length

It’s Official – Frosted Flakes Are Healthier Than An Avocado!

What Happens to Your Body When You Drink a Can of Coke

What Happens to Your Body When You Drink a Can of Coke.This is what happens to your body when you drink a can of coke.

Dave Does Keto - Week 2 in Review

DaveDoes Keto - Week 2 in Review

Week number 2 was an absolute breeze! I am not sure I am out of the woods yet but if I don't suffer from carb depletion in the next couple weeks I think I may just have escaped the dreaded "Keto flu" . I do believe I owe this to planning well in advance and tapering off my carbs during the last couple months before going "all in".

I am showing definite signs of weight lose. My face is thinning out, my size 34 pants are becoming lose fitting, My size large t-shirts are getting loser, no more stomach poking out in front when I where a tighter t-shirt and I can see my abdominal s coming back in. That and I have received a few unsolicited comments from people.

How am I Doing Indicators?

 Feeling of well being- Excellent

Weight Change - Week Two Start weight 198  lbs
                             Week Two Finish weight 193 llbs
Energy level is fantastic.
Strength in the gym has not dropped.
Workout intensity and endurance has not been affected as of yet.
Sleep is still a bit  erratic but I am still waking up quite easily, early and refreshed.
Only change this week was to add 1 tablespoon of psyllium (metamucil) to a cup of water once per day to help with the lack of fibre intake.

Just as a note I have not changed anything in my routine. I am not currently doing cardio just averaging about 13,000 steps per day per normal daily activities just like I did before going on Keto.

Keto Fudge - Walnut & Chocolate

Going Keto can be delicious.

Now I'll be the first to admit that  am not all that talented in the kitchen. I am very good at meal prep and organizing however any recipe that has more than 3 steps or 10 ingredients is just a disaster waiting to happen. I still like to snack and so I build small snacks into my daily macro's. This recipe took a total of 10 minutes start to finish. Just mix and place in refrigerator. That I can handle. The fudge turned out absolutely delicious too! I highly recommend this recipe to satisfy a Keto sweet tooth fix.  The key here is just like anything. Moderation. One small piece per day. This recipe filled a 5 by 7 glass dish about an inch deep. I carved into 9 pieces. each individual piece worked out to :
208 calories each. 17.3 grams of fat. 6.8 grams of carbs and 3.8 grams of protein.

See the recipe and instructions by following the link below. Enjoy!

Walnut Keto Fudge

How I Track My Calories and Macros - Lose It!

There a a few good apps out there that you can use that make tracking your calories and macros quite easy. The most popular app is Myfitness Pal the next would be Lose It!.

I having been using the Lose It! app for a while now off and on. They both have there pros and cons. My fitness Pal may have a larger food database because it is more popular and focuses a lot on exercise. I just seem to like the Lose It! app better because it really focuses on tracking macros and was simple to use. Both of these apps are PC, Android and IOS friendly and will sync all of your data instantly between your multiple devices. It will take a little bit to set up but once you do and the more you use the app the quicker it gets because it remembers your previous food choices and portions so that you can easily add to your next days food intake. You can add custom foods and recipes but most foods can be selected from the huge online database. You can also track weight and water consumption as well as exercise. Both apps integrate with Fit Bit and other devices. Both apps have really good free versions with a few added features with the paid versions.
There are a myriad of charts and graphs to help you really get a quick look of how you are progressing by the day, week or linger. Just remember the data is only as good as what you put into it!

Link to Lose It!
Link to My Fitness Pal

When I am starting a new nutrition plan I log every morsel of food so that if I need to make adjustments for my goals I can easily determine where to make the changes.

It may seem tedious but I also recommend not only counting calories in the first few weeks but weighing your food. a food scale runs about $30. If you are really serious you really need to get a firm handle of what 6 ounces of chicken or 2 cups of asparagus really looks like on your plate and the weight scale and calorie counting will teach you this. There are others that would advise against this but if you are new to this how will you really know how much you are eating? Just take the guess work out. I am not suggesting that you have to do this for ever just a few weeks.

Below are a couple examples from my Lose It profile

The Sugar Lane Effect

Now that I have cut virtually all sugar and processed food from my diet  as part of my Keto plan one of the weird side effects  is this...

When I walk down the lanes in the grocery stores just like this

All I can see is this.
I get a little bit of a "yuck" feeling when I just think of all the crap and sugar I have ingested throughout the years.

Sugar by Another Name is still Sugar.

Why Are There So Many Names Of Sugar?

If we want to really read and understand labels so we can avoid sugar, we need to know all the tricks of the trade and how sugar hides from us. Food manufacturers are getting savvy, knowing if sugar is high on their ingredient list, their product isn’t exactly going to fly off the shelf. So what do they do?
Firstly they disguise sugar under all these different names knowing people don’t associate many of these with just plain old sugar.

Secondly, they use multiple versions of sugar. Ingredients are listed in order of the quantity present in that product. If a product has more sugar than anything else, sugar will be the first ingredient on the list. Now food manufacturers know that if sugar is no.1 on the list, people probably won’t buy it. They want sugar to be as far down the list as possible so they use multiple types of sugar and suddenly each type of sugar is individually smaller and will now appear further down the ingredient list, giving you the impression sugar is no longer the number 1 ingredient.

So watch out for all the names of sugar, and add them up. Look at the nutrition label for total sugar per serving as well as the ingredient list.

And don’t be fooled by “no added sugars” (may still be high with naturally occurring sugars) or “refined sugar free” (generally means it’s packed with coconut sugar, dried fruit or some other sugar). Sugar is sugar no matter what you call it

MCT - Medium Chain Triglycerides Supplementation

As mentioned in a recent post I decided to add MCT  or Medium Chain Triglycerides to my Keto  plan

Why add MCT?

I added the MCT supplement due to the fact that I just wasn't hitting my macros the way I wanted to and the MCT supplement provided me with an easy way to just add to my protein shake. It is a convenient way for me to boost my fatty acid intake. . It adds no taste and actually creates a much thicker creamier experience. Just an fyi some people do can experience digestive issues with this type of supplement.

MCT Fats

Whereas carbohydrates and fat turn into components that can enter the bloodstream directly from the digestive system, most dietary fat converts to water soluble molecules that enter the liver via the lymph system. The liver then converts these molecules to fatty acids and ketone bodies. MCT fats are medium chain triglycerides and are present in relatively small amount in most sources of dietary fat. Unlike their longer cousins, they can enter the liver directly without having to go through the lymph system. So, consuming MCT fats gives the body an opportunity quickly to produce ketone bodies as an energy source for the brain.

MCT Ketogenic Diet

The MCT ketogenic diet recommends that 30 to 60 percent of the fat intake in the diet comes from MCT fats. Good sources include MCT oil, coconut oil and coconut products, such as coconut milk and cream. Because MCT fats quickly convert into ketone bodies, without having to take the detour through the lymph system, an MCT ketogenic diet allows for a greater intake of carbohydrates and protein, potentially making it easier to follow the diet.

14 Tips on what to AVOID in a low carb diet

14 tips on what to AVOID in a low carb diet

1. Bread:
Most breads are too high in carbs to include on a low-carb diet, including whole-grain types of bread.

2. Fruit:
Fruits on a low-carb diet are limited or restricted, depending on your personal carb tolerance; Restrict banana, raisin, dates, mango, pear; Opt for berries, occasionally and in season.
3. Starchy Veggies:
Although many vegetables are low in carbs, some are actually quite high (eg corn, potato, sweet potato, beets & other veggies that grew below ground). It’s best to choose mostly non-starchy, high-fiber vegetables.
4. Pasta:
Both regular and whole-wheat pasta are high in carbs. Spiralized vegetables or shirataki noodles offer healthy low-carb alternatives.
5. Cereals:
Even healthy whole-grain cereals are high in carbs and should be avoided on a low-carb diet.
6. Beer:
Avoid drinking beer on a low-carb diet; beer is made of grain and provides no nutritional benefit. Dry wine and spirits are better alcoholic beverage options.
7. Sweetened Yogurt:
Sweetened low-fat or nonfat yogurt often has as many carbs as ice cream and other desserts. 1 cup (low-fat) can contain 47 grams of carb. Try plain greek yogurt instead and sweeten with berries or stevia.
8. Juice:
Fruit juice is a high-carb beverage that should be avoided on a low-carb diet (eg unsweetened apple contains 48 grams, grape juice 60 grams).
9. Fat-free or Low-fat Salad Dressings:
Avoid fat-free and low-fat salad dressings, which are typically high in carbs. Use creamy dressings or olive oil and vinegar instead.
10. Beans and Legumes:
Beans and legumes are HIGH in carbs. Avoid them altogether.
11. Honey or sugar;
Avoid sugar, honey, maple syrup and other forms of sugar, which are high in carbs but low in nutrients.
12. Chips and Crackers:
Avoid eating chips, crackers and other processed, grain-based snack foods while on a low-carb diet.
13. Milk:
All milk, whole or low fat, still contains 13 g carbs per oz. If you only use it in your coffee, heavy cream aka double cream is actually a better option.
14. Gluten-Free Baked Goods:
Gluten-free breads and muffins can be as high in carbs as traditional baked goods. They’re also often made with carb sources that raise blood sugar quickly.

Take Home Message
When following a low-carb diet, it’s important to choose foods that are highly nutritious, yet low in carbs.
Some foods should be minimized, while you’re better off avoiding others altogether.