Back into Ketosis

Ok, It's official. I feel much better when I am in ketosis.

I have just completed a 24 hour fast, and have broken it with some scrambled eggs. Yum!

So lets fill you in on what has happened over the last few days.

As you know, I felt an overwhelming urge for a few vegetables, so I gave in and ate some. Very nice they were too. I also ate a small handful of raw almonds with no ill effects. So on Sunday I made a loaf of 'bread'. It was made of 4 eggs, 1 cup of almond flour, one cup of LSA (linseed, sesame and almond) a bit of butter and cream, a few spices, and 2 stewed apples and one banana. The apples were, of course, stewed without sugar!

The loaf was WONDERFUL! I can post the recipe if you like, but you can take my word for it, it was absolutely delicious! I had 2 slices on Sunday, 1 on Monday and 1 on Tuesday at 11am. I also had a few vegetables with my evening meals. By 2pm on Tuesday I was asleep on the sofa. That has not happened in months. By 6pm I did not feel at all my usual perky self, I spent the evening on the sofa with a book, unable to concentrate on much for long. I also had tummy ache. I decided not to eat any supper, so I had not eaten since 11am.

This morning I broke my fast at 11.30am with scrambled eggs. I am quickly back in ketosis after the fast, and I feel fine again. I did not run today but I walked 5k with the dog.

So what have I learnt?

First of all, just how quickly one can progress from a few vegetables with ones evening meal if one wants, to making a fruit loaf. Carb creep anyone?

Secondly, I can easily tolerate a small amount of sugar and grain free carbs with no problem. But 4 slices of high carb food over 3 days is too much.

Thirdly, I think it is the fruit. There was a lot of fruit in that bread, and I have not had fructose in a very long time.

So, where to from here?

I think I will go basically zero carb again for my day to day living, however I will not be afraid of using a few vegetables as condiments or for variety.

If I go out to eat (I am going, to of all things, a vegetarian restaurant on 8th June!) I will eat gluten free and enjoy myself. I shall fast afterwards and then go back to my zero carb life. I do not think a very occasional foray out of ketosis will harm me, although I might feel sluggish and sleepy.

And I will look out for carb creep. If I am OK after one slice of almond bread it does not mean that 2 slices would be a good idea!

Zero carb. Russian Roulette?

It is no secret that I am a zero carb dieter. According to conventional wisdom, this must be just about the unhealthiest way to eat on the planet. All that saturated fat, no 'good fats' at all, no fruit, no vegetables...what about your 5 portions a day? Where are your healthy whole grains? And you eat all that red meat!!!

It feels as though we zero and very low carbbers are playing some kind of Russian Roulette. If we are right, we get to lose weight, reverse our diabetes, get fit, and generally live long and happy lives. If we are wrong, we are on a one way trip to the morgue via cardiology department of the local hospital.

So what do we do?

All the traditional research seems to show that whole grains are good for us, we need lots and lots of fruit and vegetables, we need to drink lots of water, and we need to limit our consumption of saturated fats and red meats. Yet despite following this advice people are getting, well, quite simply, fatter and fatter and more and more sick. Heat disease is on the rise, diabetes has become an epidemic, the list goes on and on.

The 'authorities' put the blame firmly back on us, of course. It is our own fault we are fat; we eat too much fast food, drink too many sodas, and we don't exercise enough. If we got off the sofa and went for a jog every day, all would be well.

We, of course know this not to be true. We eat the low fat, high grain diet and jog 3 miles a day...and we are still fat. Yes, we may be a little more toned, but we are still fat. If you tell a conventional authority this, they tend to think you are lying.

So to my way of thinking the accepted wisdom is wrong. I tried it. It didn't work. Now I am trying something else, and I feel good, and I am losing weight and volume.

And I am playing Russian Roulette with my health.