Monthly Archives: July 2013

Keto breath, tips to help improve it

4 Replies
keto breath

keto breath

People who eat according to a keto diet sometimes get something that is called keto breath. This means that you will have a bad smell from your urine and your breath that is due to that certain chemicals are released in your breath when the body is burning fat. The body will then release ketones which happens when you get into a state of ketosis. This is what is causing the bad keto breath.

Keto breath as a way to tell you are in ketosis

Some people use the smell in the urine and the breath as of a way to tell that they are really in the state of ketosis but for other people it can be a problem. You however do not need to be worried since this is very natural and nothing to fear.

“Carbohydrates aren’t readily available, so you start to use other fats and proteins as your source of energy, and as a result you are going to get a breath problem” – Kenneth Burrell, senior director of the council on scientific affairs of the American Dental Association.

keto breath cure

keto breath cure

The usual reason for that people have a breath is that they have a bad dental hygiene. This is however not the case with bad keto breath since it will not help with that you brush, floss or scrape your mouth. There is no real thing that you can do to actually remove the bad breath but you can of course do some things to hide it.

How to hide keto breath

The first tip to help with the bad keto breath is to use mouthwash or sugar-less chewing gum. There is however still a chance that the bad breath might come through even this but at least it will help hide it. You can also eat some sugarless mints to help hide the keto breath. Make sure that whatever you use do not contain any carbohydrates since that will impact your diet progress.

Another option is to change your entire diet but for most people that is not a valid option.

“If you have a metabolic cause of bad breath, there is very little the dentist can do; you have to change your diet”

You could also try to drink more water since it will wash out pieces of food that you might still have in your mouth. These small pieces of food in your mouth might help to increase the bad breath. If none of these tips help you to get rid of your keto breath then you could as a final solution try to contact a doctor to see if the bad breath depends on other reasons.

Share Button

Keto diet and cancer – can keto help cancer treatment?

2 Replies

In today there are many people who seek for alternative cancer treatments. There are also many people who talk about keto diet and cancer treatment and how a special diet can help with reducing or preventing cancer. Using a special diet like the keto diet is an inexpensive and easy way to help with cancer treatment. There are also virtually no side effects and keto diet can also be used in conjunction with other cancer treatments.

keto diet and cancer treatment

keto diet and cancer treatment

Keto diet and cancer, a story from a doctor

Let’s start this story about keto diet and cancer treatment with Dr. Fred Hatfield who is an author of many books but has also had cancer.

The doctors gave me three months to live because of widespread metastatic cancer in my skeletal structure. Three months, three different doctors told me that same thing.

Dr. Fred Hatfield’s wife Gloria also commented on his cancer in this way.

It’s a horrible, horrible feeling to have someone tell you that the person you love only has three months to live and you’re not going to be with him any more.

Dr. Fred Hatfield however turned his situation around when he heard about an anti-cancer diet which he tried out and was shocked that it actually worked.

The cancer was gone! Completely. To this day there’s no trace of it. And it’s been over a year.

The anti-cancer diet that Dr. Fred Hatfield tried out was very similar to a keto diet and when he stopped eating carbohydrates the cancer cells in his body got starved and did not receive the glucose they need. When the cancer cells do not get enough glucose they instead stop reproducing.

keto diet cancer risks

keto diet cancer risks

It just absolutely amazes me that medical science is just now finding this out.

Similar findings have been found in research from Dr. Dominic D’Agostino who has proven that by removing carbohydrates from the diets of lab mice they were actually able to survive cancer. It was also proven that mice that were treated with chemotherapy did not do as good as the mice who ate according to a keto diet.

We have dramatically increased survival with metabolic therapy. So we think it’s important to get this information out.

Since these tests have been done on mice many people have doubted that the same results would be possible in humans but Dr. Dominic D’Agostino claims he has also seen similar results in people.

I’ve been in correspondence with a number of people. At least a dozen over the last year-and-a-half to two years, and all of them are still alive, despite the odds. So this is very encouraging.

Therefor it seems like keto diet and cancer treatment has a strong correlation and that people who want to help improve their cancer treatment should try out a keto diet or another low carb diet to further enhance their treatment.

Share Button

Low carb diet and caffeine, does it impact ketosis?

1 Reply

Low carb diet and caffeine, is there any danger to kick you out of ketosis? This is a question that many people have been asking lately so I decided to look into this subject a little deeper to find out if there is any relation between a low carb diet and caffeine.

To start it off some background for me and how much caffeine I consume on a daily basis. I have been a coffee drinker for many years and drink 5-6 cups of coffee every day. This is a quite high amount of coffee if comparing with most people and I have also been consuming the same amount of coffee during my 5 months of being on a low carb diet. Personally I have not seen any negative effects of a low carb diet and caffeine consumption but in order to be more sure if there is a relationship between the two I have also looked into research done in this area.

low carb diet and caffeine

low carb diet and caffeine

If we start out with what people on the Internet are saying there is both people who claim they are seeing negative effects of drinking coffee or tea while on a low carb diet but there is also people who claim they do not see any impact at all. It is hard to track how many on each side but it seems most people do not see any impact. There seems to be some people who suggest that caffeine could impact or even interrupt the glucose metabolism, which in turn could possibly affect ketosis. However even in this case it is hard to find any true evidence.

Another point that is being made is that when in ketosis you decrease the insulin resistance by improving the insulin sensitivity. This means the ability for cells to absorb glucose. Since there is some indications that caffeine might increase the insulin resistance this could have any impact but I have not found any proof of this in research.

There however was one study at Duke University Medical Center that looked at how caffeine impacted the glucose levels and insulin resistance. The study showed that people who take 250mg of caffeine did not see any impact on their glucose levels. However there was a noticed impact on the glucose levels if they at the same time took 75 grams of carbohydrates together with the caffeine. This shows that glucose levels are impacted by a high amount of carbohydrates but there does not seem to be any relation between a low carb diet and caffeine impacting the glucose levels.

The same thing has also been mentioned by Lyle McDonald in his book “The Ketogenic Diet: A complete guide for the dieter and practitioner”. Lyle McDonald even goes so far to state that there is no chance that caffeine can interfere with ketosis.

In the end there is very few studies focusing on a low carb diet and caffeine. When I have been looking into this subject I have not been able to find a single study that is focusing on low carb diets and caffeine and the relation between the two so it is hard to draw a final conclusion on the actual impact. As long as I myself do not see any impact with my heavy coffee drinking I do not think there is any impact on ketosis due to a high intake of caffeine.

Share Button

Ketosis & Alcohol, what are the impacts?

5 Replies

When on a ketogenic diet or other low carb diets there are many people asking if it is possible to combine ketosis and Alcohol. The simple answer is yes, you can stay in ketosis even though you drink alcohol but you need to be careful what kind of alcohol you drink. You can also not drink alcohol on a regular basis since it will impact your weight loss even though it does not take you out of ketosis.

The main reason that alcohol will impact your ketosis is that the body is not able to store the alcohol that you consume. Instead it will start to metabolize the calories in the alcohol first before the body uses any other energy sources. This means that you will not use fat as your main energy source until the alcohol in the body has been used up. Still does not impact ketosis, but your weight loss results.

ketosis alcohol

ketosis alcohol

Also when drinking alcohol on ketosis there are some kinds of alcohol that are better than others. Your first choice should be vodka, whiskey or other types of strong alcohol. They contain no or very little carbohydrates. If you do not like to drink strong alcohol then some dry wine is also quite okay. It contains some more carbohydrates but still okay now and then. Beer and other kinds of alcohol you should stay away from if you want to focus on your diet.

To help you to know how many calories there are in different types of alcohol you can use this keto alcohol cheat sheet from dietketo.com

Red Wines

Based on 5oz or 1.5dL.
Merlot: 3.7g carbohydrates and 120 calories
Pinot Noir: 3.4g carbohydrates and 121 calories
Cabernet: 3.8g carbohydrates and 120 calories

White Wines

Based on 5oz or 1.5dL.
Chardonnay: 3.7g carbohydrates and 118 calories
Riesling: 5.5g carbohydrates and 118 calories
Sparkling whites: 1.5g carbohydrates and 96 calories

Beer

Based on 12oz or 3.5dL.
Miller Lite: 3.1g carbohydrates and 96 calories
Bud select: 3.1g carbohydrates and 99 calories
Coors light: 5.0g carbohydrates and 95 calories
Bud light: 6.6g carbohydrates and 110 calories

Strong alcohol

Based on 2oz or 0.6dL.
Vodka: 0g carbohydrates and 128 calories
Whiskey: 0g carbohydrates and 130 calories
Tequila: 0g carbohydrates and 130 calories

Share Button

Ketogenic diet and cholesterol levels

Leave a reply

To better understand if a ketogenic diet and cholesterol has a real impact on each other I have looked into some of the research studies out there.

There are many studies out there that show that a ketogenic diet is bad for your cholesterol and this is something that people tell you when they find out that you are eating according to a ketogenic diet. There however also are many studies that show that a ketogenic diet might not be bad for your cholesterol. The most common thing that people mention when talking about high cholesterol is that you get it from eating a lot of fat. All that fat you eat must be bad for your heart. What people do not consider is the bad fat that is associated with high cholesterol is fat that people on a ketogenic diet usually do not eat (pizza, fries and other bad food).

ketogenic diet and cholesterol

ketogenic diet and cholesterol

In order to give you some perspective on if a ketogenic diet and cholesterol is something that is really associated. The first two studies were made in 1970s and 1980s and followed a small amount of people who ate according to a ketogenic diet for a short while. All subjects in the two studies got a higher cholesterol level during the studies which lasted for a couple of days. These studies are too short to show any real results since you need to stick with a diet for a longer time to see real results and impacts.

The two longer studies about ketogenic diet and cholesterol show a different study. The people in these two studies followed a ketogenic diet for a much longer time (over a year in one of the studies) and all people showed improved cholesterol levels and also a weight loss.

These are however only a low amount of studies and still more research is needed in this area in order to see the full effects of a ketogenic diet and cholesterol levels. Read the full article about ketogenic diet and cholesterol levels over at dietketo.com

Share Button

Ketogenic diet foods recommendation

Leave a reply

When on a ketogenic diet you need to know which are the best ketogenic diet foods that you should eat. There are many different lists out on the internet that lists different kind of foods that are good on a ketogenic diet but sometimes it can be hard to know the best ones. This list contains the different keto diet foods that I recommend you to base your diet on.

High protein ketogenic diet foods

Beef of any kind
Fish or seafood of any kind
Pork
Bacon and sausage (make sure you avoid those with added sugar)
Free range poultry, like chicken, turkey, duck and goose
Shellfish like clams, crab, lobster, scallops, shrimp
Eggs

Ketogenic diet foods – Vegetables

ketogenic diet foods

ketogenic diet foods

Alfalfa Sprouts
Asparagus
Bamboo Shoots
Bean Sprouts
Broccoli
Brussels Sprouts
Cabbage
Cauliflower
Celery
Chives
Collard Greens
Cucumbers
Dandelion Greens
Garlic
Kale
Leeks
Lettuces and salad greens
Mushrooms
Radishes
Scallions
Snow Peas
Spinach

Ketogenic diet foods – Dairy products

ketogenic diet foods list

ketogenic diet foods list

Whipping cream
Sour cream
Cheese

Ketogenic diet foods – Beverages

Water
Coffee
Tea

Ketogenic diet foods – Fat

Olive Oil
Butter
Mayonnaise
Coconut oil

These are the best ketogenic diet foods that I would recommend you to add to your shopping list. If you are looking for more information I recommend you to continue reading about different keto foods or about how to create a ketogenic diet plan.

Share Button

Keto diet risks, is the keto diet dangerous?

Leave a reply

There are many people talking about the advantages of a keto diet but very few people mentioned the possible keto diet risks. This article will try to look at some of the most likely risks with a keto diet and look into if there is any truth or danger behind these statements.

Keto diet risks heart problems

The most common motivation why people should not go on a keto diet is the risk of having a heart attack or similar heart problems. There is a research report published by researchers at the Cincinatti Children’s Hospital Medical Center that describes possible life threatening cardiac complications. This study was made by studying children who were following a ketogenic diet to see what the possible keto diet risks were. The keto diet that the children were following was used to control seizures. In the study it mentions a 5 year old child who got heart weakening and when this was discovered they started a full study of all the children who were following the same ketogenic diet in the clinic.

keto diet risks

keto diet risks

It was then found that 15 percentage of the children had physical and electrical heart abnormalities. The conclusion was then made that the reason for these heart abnormalities was the keto diet that they were following. The strange part with this study and what is not shown is that there was no study on how many of the children who had heart problems before they started with the keto diet. These 15 percentage with heart abnormalities could just as well have had these problems before starting with their diet.

Keto diet risks liver damage

In a Korean study from 2005 it was also said that a keto diet can give you liver damage, pancreatitis and electrolyte imbalances. There is also a possibility for getting osteopenia, kidney stones and cardiac problems after following a low carb diet such as the keto diet for a long time. However in the study it was also shown that some individuals did not suffer any of these problems even if following a strict keto diet for a very long time. There is a need for more studies within this field to see the full keto diet risks.

Keto diet general risks

As previously mentioned the keto diet is often used as a treatment for epilepsy. However on the website epilepsy.com there are also some possible side effects and keto diet risks listed. Some people who have been on a keto diet have experienced dizziness, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. This was also noted in the Korean study. The likely cause for these symptoms is the high amount of fat that is consumed during a keto diet. These studies that show these symptoms are however studies that have been done during a very short time and these symptoms will most likely go away if continuing with the keto diet for a longer time.

keto diet risks heart attacks

keto diet risks heart attacks

In the end there are of course possible side effects and risks with following a keto diet. However there are also studies showing that a keto diet will also improve your life and make you more healthy. There is even research showing that a keto diet can help with preventing and treating cancer. In the end it is up to you if you want to try out a keto diet after knowing the risks and possible side effects. Always keep in mind that even with a “normal” diet there are side effects and risks.

Share Button

Ketogenic diet dessert recipes

1 Reply

When on a ketogenic diet sometimes you want to have something to treat yourself for the good work you have done. The perfect thing could be a ketogenic fat bomb, a ketogenic fat bomb smoothie or just ketogenic diet desserts.

Over at dietketo.com there is a nice collection of the best ketogenic desserts that are out there on the Internet and they are all rather easy to make. Among the recipes some of the most popular ones are the ketogenic diet dessert recipe zebra cake that looks just wonderful and it also tastes very good.

ketogenic diet dessert

ketogenic diet dessert

Another of the favorites among our readers is the Brownie cheesecake which is a wonderful combination of brownies and cheesecake. Also to make it even more better the whole recipe is for people who are on a ketogenic diet so you do not need to worry about the carbohydrates in this cake. It is also recommended to split up the recipe and only make the brownie or only make the cheesecake, both tastes wonderful either combined together or separated. Each serving of this recipe contains only 6 grams of carbohydrates so you can enjoy one every day if you do not eat so much carbohydrates in the other food you eat.

For the full ketogenic diet dessert recipe and the other wonderful ketogenic desserts check out the full collection over at dietketo.com.

Share Button

Ketogenic diet plan, to help you succeed with Keto

Leave a reply

In order to be successful with your ketogenic diet you need to make sure you have a good ketogenic diet plan to follow. There are many different low carbohydrate and high fat diets out there to follow like the Atkins diet, the LCHF diet or the Paleo diet. If you decide to go for a ketogenic diet and create a ketogenic diet plan for it then here are some advice to follow.

Ensure that you keep your carbohydrate intake to below 25 grams per day. Ensure you eat a high amount of fat during the day, at least 80% of your energy should come from fat. Make sure you eat a moderate amount of protein, somewhere around 1 to 1.5g per kilo of body weight is a good goal to aim for.

Start out your diet with getting as much knowledge about keto diets as possible. The more you know, the better you can actually follow your ketogenic diet plan and the better results you will get.

Make sure you clean out your home of all food that is not good for your ketogenic diet. You do not want to have high carbohydrate food in your home. Instead make sure you have a lot good ketogenic food at home to help you follow your ketogenic diet.

ketogenic diet plan

ketogenic diet plan

Prepare for sticking with your ketogenic diet plan for a long time. The more you plan the easier it is to follow your diet. Create meals for a whole week in advance, make sure you buy in the food and have it prepared for a long time.

Start counting calories, fat percentage, how many carbohydrates you eat and how much protein you get every day. If you have a good track of how much you eat every day you can also control that you eat the correct things and see when you do not get good results and when you get good results.

Update and change your habits if you feel they are not aligned with your new ketogenic diet plan. Do not put yourself in a situation that could make you fail with your ketogenic diet. The less temptation the easier it is to succeed with your diet.

Drink a lot of water to make sure you are not in a loss of fluids. If you start to get headaches or muscle pains you might be in a lack of water or vitamins like magnesium. Make sure you keep a high intake of water and eat vitamins to ensure your body gets all nutrition it needs.

Share Button

Keto food you could eat

Leave a reply

When on a keto diet sometimes you need some inspiration on what types of food you could eat. If you do not think the food you eat is interesting or tastes good it is extremely hard to stick with a diet. Therefor I regularly go through different blogs that have keto recipes and try to save down the best ones to use as inspiration for me when I feel I need some new kind of food to eat.

One of things I have always enjoyed eating is beef and different kinds of sauces. Before I found the keto diet I usually had my beed and sauce together with potatoes in different variations. Now however I just eat my beef with the sauce and skip the potatoes. Eating my favorite food even though I am on a special diet has really helped me to stick with it.

keto subway salad

keto subway salad

Some of the other things that I really enjoy when on a keto diet is the chance to eat some really nice keto salads. Salads are so great now in the summer when it is hot out and they are also very easy to make. That the food is easy to make and only takes a few minutes to put together is also really important to me since I usually work 10 hours per day and do not have time to spend 1-2 hours to prepare a meal. Together with the keto salads I eat I usually also include a nice keto salad dressing to make it taste even better and to also bring up the fat percentage a little.

For a snack I usually like to enjoy a keto fat bomb or a keto fat bomb smoothie. The fat bombs are good since you can prepare a large batch and keep them in the freezer. Then you just take them out when you need a snack or a fat boost.

Share Button