The Keto diet combined with the practice of intermittent fasting is the latest health regime that’s flooding the world. There’s no doubt that the Keto diet is an extremely beneficial way to help reduce your weight, reduce inflammation and keep your body in tip top shape. The evidence that the Keto and fasting combined diet can cure Diabetes, Lower Cholesterol and help with lowering blood pressure is overwhelming.
It seems to be coming such a popular way of life that almost every other person you talk to now knows about the Keto diet. I can certainly vouch for it myself as it has helped me to lose weight and maintain a healthy weight as well as improve my overall health immensely. So let’s take a closer look into what the Keto diet is all about.
Understanding the Keto diet
The word Keto is simply short for Ketogenic which is basically a very low carb and high fat diet. The idea of the Keto diet is to greatly reduce the intake of carbs and replace it with fat’s. It’s kind of the opposite diet to what has been taught to us over the past 30 years however if you look into the science it is actually very beneficial for you. By reducing our carbohydrate intake our body goes into a metabolic state known as “Ketosis”.
When the body goes into the Ketosis state it becomes an incredibly efficient fat burning machine. Unlike carbohydrates that are stored as sugar and take a lot of exercise to burn them up the fat is used very effectively by the body as an energy source and is able to be burned up much faster than sugar.
So that is pretty much the idea of Keto or Ketosis in that you are using fat for fuel and not carbohydrates. So by having a low carb diet the body is able to metabolize all that is consumed quite rapidly and once it is finished and the body is no longer turning the carbs into insulin then it goes into this state of Ketosis where it is then using the fats as it’s energy source.
By adding intermittent fasting to the process our bodies are able to reach the ketosis state much faster than under normal eating habits. The idea of Keto is to keep our bodies in this state of Ketosis for as long as we can to help lower and stabilize our blood sugar levels and to help maintain a healthy weight.
Effects on Depression and Anxiety
The Keto diet has proven to be an incredibly effective tool against both depression and anxiety. The medical profession continues to try and combat these diseases by using various medications which are no more than a band aid cure and often only short lived. Modern research is strongly indicating that the condition of our gut acid is a huge factor in our overall well being. Many diseases such as Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s and Dementia are now believed to be directly related to our gut health.
Epilepsy and Sugar Diabetes have also shown amazing improvements and in many cases completely cured by a strict Keto diet. One of the main hurdles however is the willingness of the patient to make a radical change in their diet and to stick to a rigid Keto diet for an extended period of time.
I myself suffered sever depression and anxiety for over 30 years and tried every medication known to man. Some antidepressants worked for a short period of time but none ever gave a long lasting relief from the wretched disease. Eventually I became heavily dependent on Valium and after several years of this I managed to get myself off of it as I knew it was leading me nowhere.
During these years of depression I remember going to various online forums and seeing all of the other poor souls who were also going from medication to medication in hope of a cure. As with myself they all seemed to be chasing their tails. I first got onto the Keto diet only because my family wanted to try it for health reasons so I figured I’d join in. Little did I know that within a month I would be feeling joyful for the first time without medication.
As we progressed in the diet we added intermittent fasting to the equation and the combination has cured me of my anxiety, depression and fatigue. I no longer feel depressed or anxious and my overall health has improved immensely.
Another huge bonus was that my IBS was cured and my insomnia also disappeared. Previously I rarely experienced a good sleep and my stomach was always bloated and inflamed. To be honest I never would have believed that a diet change would have made such a radical difference to my overall health.
If you are reading this and you suffer depression, fatigue and or anxiety PLEASE give the Keto diet a go but you MUST give it at least one month before you will notice the radical change. I actually almost gave up as I felt worse at around the 3 week period however I believe that there were huge amounts of toxins leaving my system and major changes were taking place.
On the fourth week of the diet I was ready to give up, I was with my family on a weekend holiday and I went to bed feeling much the same but little did I know that in the morning I would feel like a whole new person. The radical diet change had done it’s trick and from that time till now my life has completely changed. No more depression or anxiety, no fatigue, no bloated stomachs and a much higher energy level.
I am not saying that I never get anxious or stressed however I have gone from a permanent 24/7 life of stress and anxiety and not sleeping well to feeling normal and being able to cope well with everyday life rather than struggling through life half dead all of the time.
Medications will NEVER cure anxiety or depression
After 30 years of trying different medications I come to the conclusion that no pill is ever going to cure you. Sure they will mask the pain or put you into a kind of “Zombie” state but who wants to live like that? There is no doubt that the old saying ” You are what you eat” is 100% the truth. What we poke into our mouths will determine how we feel, think and move and ultimately determine every aspect of our physical and mental health.
Here is the big problem though. Nobody wants to stop eating what they like in fact I have spoken to more than one person with Cancer that told me straight out that there was no way they could give up sugar or soft drinks etc. In fact one person I actually asked “Would you rather give up sugar or die from Cancer?” and he simply responded with a smile and said he liked them too much to give them up.
What are the good fats for the Keto diet?
Over the years there has been a huge amount of false information that has circulated in regards to what fats and oils are good for cooking with and eating. Overall the trend has been simply to avoid fats and to eat a more complex diet which included a high amount of carbohydrates.
It is now a well known fact that the old Pyramid Diet is not the best diet for your overall health. In theory if all of the vegetables, fruits, grains and meats that the pyramid diet consists of were not GMO, sprayed, Chemically fertilized and gas ripened then it might not be so bad.
Most of the oils that were previously promoted as being healthy have now been scientifically proven to be the reverse. Products such as Canola Oil go through a process known as hydrogenation which actually changes it’s chemical structure making it very harmful for human consumption.
A more healthier oil for cooking with is Coconut oil as it is natural and it does not change it’s chemical structure when heated during the cooking process. Virgin Olive Oil is also another great alternative for cooking as that also does not change it’s chemical structure when heated and once again it is an unmolested, natural product.
The most common healthy fats and oils used or eaten by people on the Keto Diet include Avocado, Macadamia, MCT oil, Coconut oil, extra virgin olive oil and Grass fed Organic Ghee. Remember that our body needs these healthy fats as they are essential for our health. MCT Oil is extremely beneficial for your overall health as it contains a high amount of triglycerides which are rapidly absorbed by the body.