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The Ketogenic Diet 101: A Detailed Beginner’s Guide

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I’m about to embark on my 3rd time starting a ketogenic diet. I see great results every time I get back to doing keto and I thought I would share this awesome article by my friends over at Authority Nutrition. This article was originally published by Authority Nutrition and is being republished on my website with permission. Here’s a YouTube video we did on the Ketogenic diet.

 

The ketogenic diet is a low-carb, high-fat dietthat offers many health benefits.

Over 20 studies show that this type of diet can help you lose weight and improve health (1).

Ketogenic diets may even have benefits against diabetes, cancer, epilepsy and Alzheimer’s disease (2, 3, 4, 5). 

This article is a detailed beginner’s guide to the ketogenic diet.

It contains everything you need to know.

What is a Ketogenic Diet?

The ketogenic diet (often termed keto) is a very low-carb, high-fat diet that shares many similarities with the Atkins and low-carb diets.

It involves drastically reducing carbohydrate intake, and replacing it with fat. The reduction in carbs puts your body into a metabolic state called ketosis.

When this happens, your body becomes incredibly efficient at burning fat for energy. It also turns fat into ketones in the liver, which can supply energy for the brain (6, 7).

Ketogenic diets can cause massive reductions in blood sugar and insulin levels. This, along with the increased ketones, has numerous health benefits (6, 8, 9, 10, 11).

Bottom Line: The ketogenic diet (keto) is a low-carb, high-fat diet. It lowers blood sugar and insulin levels, and shifts the body’s metabolism away from carbs and towards fat and ketones.

Different Types of Ketogenic Diets

There are several versions of the ketogenic diet, including:

  • Standard ketogenic diet (SKD): This is a very low-carb, moderate-protein and high-fat diet. It typically contains 75% fat, 20% protein and only 5% carbs (1).
  • Cyclical ketogenic diet (CKD): This diet involves periods of higher-carb refeeds, such as 5 ketogenic days followed by 2 high-carb days.
  • Targeted ketogenic diet (TKD): This diet allows you to add carbs around workouts.
  • High-protein ketogenic diet: This is similar to a standard ketogenic diet, but includes more protein. The ratio is often 60% fat, 35% protein and 5% carbs.

However, only the standard and high-protein ketogenic diets have been studied extensively. Cyclical or targeted ketogenic diets are more advanced methods, and primarily used by bodybuilders or athletes.

The information in this article mostly applies to the standard ketogenic diet (SKD), although many of the same principles also apply to the other versions.

Bottom Line: There are several versions of the ketogenic diet. The standard ketogenic diet (SKD) is the most researched and most recommended.

Ketogenic Diets Can Help You Lose Weight

Weight Scale

A ketogenic diet is an effective way to lose weight and lower risk factors for disease (8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13).

In fact, research shows that the ketogenic diet is far superior to the recommended low-fat diet (2, 14, 15, 16).

What’s more, the diet is so filling that you can lose weightwithout counting calories or tracking your food (16).

One study found that people on a ketogenic diet lost 2.2 times more weight than those on a calorie-restricted low-fat diet. Triglyceride and HDL cholesterol levels also improved (17).

Another study found that participants on the ketogenic diet lost 3 times more weight than those on the Diabetes UK’s recommended diet (18).

There are several reasons why a ketogenic diet is superior to a low-fat diet. One is the increased protein intake, which provides numerous benefits (14, 19, 20).

The increased ketones, lowered blood sugar levels and improved insulin sensitivity may also play a key role (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26).

For more details on the weight loss effects of a ketogenic diet, read this article: A Ketogenic Diet to Lose Weight and Fight Disease.

Bottom Line: A ketogenic diet can help you lose much more weight than a low-fat diet. This often happens without hunger.

Ketogenic Diets for Diabetes and Prediabetes

Blood Glucose Meter and Strips

Diabetes is characterized by changes in metabolism, high blood sugar and impaired insulin function (27). 

The ketogenic diet can help you lose excess fat, which is closely linked to type 2 diabetes, prediabetes and metabolic syndrome (28, 29, 30).

One study found that the ketogenic diet improved insulin sensitivity by a whopping 75% (29).

Another study in patients with type 2 diabetes found that 7 of the 21 participants were able to stop all diabetes medications (28).

In yet another study, the ketogenic group lost 24.4 lbs (11.1 kg), compared to 15.2 lbs (6.9 kg) in the higher-carb group. This is an important benefit when considering the link between weight and type 2 diabetes (2, 31).

Additionally, 95.2% of the ketogenic group was also able to stop or reduce diabetes medication, compared to 62% in the higher-carb group (2).

This article has more details about low-carb diets and diabetes.

Bottom Line: The ketogenic diet can boost insulin sensitivity and cause fat loss, leading to drastic improvement for type 2 diabetes and prediabetes.

Other Health Benefits of the Ketogenic Diet

Older Male Doctor

The ketogenic diet actually originated as a tool for treating neurological diseases, such as epilepsy.

Studies have now shown that the diet can have benefits for a wide variety of different health conditions:

  • Heart disease: The ketogenic diet can improve risk factors like body fat, HDL levels, blood pressure and blood sugar (32, 33).
  • Cancer: The diet is currently being used to treat several types of cancer and slow tumor growth (4, 34, 35, 36).
  • Alzheimer’s disease: The diet may reduce symptoms of Alzheimer’s and slow down the disease’s progression (5, 37, 38).
  • Epilepsy: Research has shown that the ketogenic diet can cause massive reductions in seizures in epileptic children (3).
  • Parkinson’s disease: One study found that the diet helped improve symptoms of Parkinson’s disease (39).
  • Polycystic ovary syndrome: The ketogenic diet can help reduce insulin levels, which may play a key role in polycystic ovary syndrome (40).
  • Brain injuries: One animal study found that the diet can reduce concussions and aid recovery after brain injury (41).
  • Acne: Lower insulin levels and eating less sugar or processed foods may help improve acne (42).

However, keep in mind that research into many of these areas is far from conclusive.

Bottom Line: A ketogenic diet may provide many health benefits, especially with metabolic, neurological or insulin-related diseases.

Foods to Avoid

White Rice in a Glass Bowl

In short, any food that is high in carbs should be limited. 

Here is a list of foods that need to be reduced or eliminated on a ketogenic diet:

  • Sugary foods: Soda, fruit juice, smoothies, cake, ice cream, candy, etc.
  • Grains or starches: Wheat-based products, rice, pasta, cereal, etc.
  • Fruit: All fruit, except small portions of berries like strawberries.
  • Beans or legumes: Peas, kidney beans, lentils, chickpeas, etc.
  • Root vegetables and tubers: Potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots, parsnips, etc.
  • Low-fat or diet products: These are highly processed and often high in carbs.
  • Some condiments or sauces: These often contain sugar and unhealthy fat.
  • Unhealthy fat: Limit your intake of processed vegetable oils, mayonnaise, etc.
  • Alcohol: Due to its carb content, many alcoholic beverages can throw you out of ketosis.
  • Sugar-free diet foods: These are often high in sugar alcohols, which can affect ketone levels in some cases. These foods also tend to be highly processed.

Bottom Line: Avoid carb-based foods like grains, sugars, legumes, rice, potatoes, candy, juice and even most fruits.

Foods to Eat

Thumbs Up Man With Salmon Avocado and Almonds

You should base the majority of your meals around these foods:

It is best to base your diet mostly on whole, single ingredient foods. Here is a list of 44 healthy low-carb foods.

Bottom Line: Base the majority of your diet on foods such as meat, fish, eggs, butter, nuts, healthy oils, avocados and plenty of low-carb veggies.

A Sample Ketogenic Meal Plan For 1 Week

Meat

To help get you started, here is a sample ketogenic diet meal plan for one week:

Monday

  • Breakfast: Bacon, eggs and tomatoes.
  • Lunch: Chicken salad with olive oil and feta cheese.
  • Dinner: Salmon with asparagus cooked in butter.

Tuesday

  • Breakfast: Egg, tomato, basil and goat cheese omelet.
  • Lunch: Almond milk, peanut butter, cocoa powder and stevia milkshake.
  • Dinner: Meatballs, cheddar cheese and vegetables.

Wednesday

  • Breakfast: A ketogenic milkshake (try this or this).
  • Lunch: Shrimp salad with olive oil and avocado.
  • Dinner: Pork chops with Parmesan cheese, broccoli and salad.

Thursday

  • Breakfast: Omelet with avocado, salsa, peppers, onion and spices.
  • Lunch: A handful of nuts and celery sticks with guacamole and salsa.
  • Dinner: Chicken stuffed with pesto and cream cheese, along with vegetables.

Friday

  • Breakfast: 3-cheese omelet with tomatoes.
  • Lunch: Leftover stuffed chicken from the night before.
  • Dinner: Steak, egg, mushrooms and salad.

Friday

  • Breakfast: Sugar-free yogurt with peanut butter, cocoa powder and stevia.
  • Lunch: Beef stir-fry cooked in coconut oil with vegetables.
  • Dinner: Bun-less burger with bacon, egg and cheese.

Saturday

  • Breakfast: Ham and cheese omelet with vegetables.
  • Lunch: Ham and cheese slices with nuts.
  • Dinner: White fish, egg and spinach cooked in coconut oil.

Sunday

  • Breakfast: Fried eggs with bacon and mushrooms.
  • Lunch: Burger with salsa, cheese and guacamole.
  • Dinner: Steak and eggs with a side salad.

Always try to rotate the vegetables and meat over the long term, as each type provides different nutrients and health benefits.

For tons of recipes, check out this link: 101 Healthy Low-Carb Recipes.

Bottom Line: You can eat a wide variety of tasty and nutritious meals on a ketogenic diet.

Healthy Ketogenic Snacks

Cheese

In case you get hungry between meals, here are some healthy, keto-approved snacks:

  • Fatty meat or fish.
  • Cheese.
  • A handful of nuts or seeds.
  • Cheese with olives.
  • 1–2 hard-boiled eggs.
  • 90% dark chocolate.
  • A low-carb milk shake with almond milk, cocoa powder and nut butter.
  • Full-fat yogurt mixed with nut butter and cocoa powder.
  • Strawberries and cream.
  • Celery with salsa and guacamole.
  • Smaller portions of leftover meals.

Bottom Line: Great snacks for a keto diet include pieces of meat, cheese, olives, boiled eggs, nuts and dark chocolate.

Tips for Eating Out on a Ketogenic Diet

It is not very hard to make most restaurant meals keto-friendly when eating out.

Most restaurants offer some kind of meat or fish-based dish. Order this, and replace any high-carb food with extra vegetables.

Egg-based meals are also a great option, such as an omelet or eggs and bacon.

Another favorite is bun-less burgers. You could also leave the bun and swap the fries for vegetables instead. Add extra avocado, cheese, bacon or eggs.

At Mexican restaurants, you can enjoy any type of meat with extra cheese, guacamole, salsa and sour cream.

For dessert, ask for a mixed cheese board or double cream with berries.

Bottom Line: When eating out, select a meat, fish or egg-based dish. Order extra veggies instead of carbs or starches, and have cheese for dessert.

Side Effects and How to Minimize Them

Three Pill Bottles

Although the ketogenic diet is safe for healthy people, there may be some initial side effects while your body adapts.

This is often referred to as “keto flu” – and is usually over within a few days.

Keto flu includes poor energy and mental function, increased hunger, sleep issues, nausea, digestive discomfort and decreased exercise performance.

In order to minimize this, you can try a regular low-carb diet for the first few weeks. This may teach your body to burn more fat before you completely eliminate carbs.

A ketogenic diet can also change the water and mineral balance of your body, so adding extra salt to your meals or taking mineral supplements can help.

For minerals, try taking 3,000–4,000 mg of sodium, 1,000 mg of potassium and 300 mg of magnesium per day to minimize side effects.

At least in the beginning, it is important to eat until fullness and to avoid restricting calories too much. Usually a ketogenic diet causes weight loss without intentional calorie restriction.

Bottom Line: Many of the side effects of starting a ketogenic diet can be limited. Easing into the diet and taking mineral supplements can help.

Supplements For a Ketogenic Diet

Although no supplement is necessary, some can be useful.

  • MCT oil: Added to drinks or yogurt, this provides energy and helps increase ketone levels.
  • Minerals: Added salt and other minerals can be important when starting out, due to shifts in water and mineral balance.
  • Caffeine: Caffeine can have benefits for energy, fat loss and performance.
  • Creatine: Creatine provides numerous benefits for health and performance. This can help if you are combining a ketogenic diet with exercise.
  • Whey: Use half a scoop of whey protein in shakes or yogurt to increase your daily protein intake.

Bottom Line: Certain supplements can be beneficial on a ketogenic diet. These include MCT oil and minerals.

Frequently Asked Questions

Man Putting Salt on Meat

Here are answers to some of the most common questions about the ketogenic diet.

1. Can I ever eat carbs again?

Yes. However, it is important to eliminate them initially. After the first 2–3 months, you can eat carbs on special occasions — just return to the diet immediately after.

2. Will I lose muscle?

There is a risk of losing some muscle on any diet. However, the high protein intake and high ketone levels may help minimize muscle loss, especially if you lift weights.

3. Can you build muscle on a ketogenic diet?

Yes, but it may not work as well as on a moderate-carb diet. More details: Low-Carb/Ketogenic Diets and Exercise Performance.

4. Do I need to refeed or carb load?

No. However, a few higher-calorie days may be beneficial every now and then.

5. How much protein can I eat?

Protein should be moderate, as a very high intake can spike insulin levels and lower ketones. Around 35% of total calorie intake is probably the upper limit.

6. What if I am constantly tired, weak or fatigued?

You may not be in full ketosis or be utilizing fats and ketones efficiently. To counter this, lower your carb intake and re-visit the points above. A supplement like MCT oil or ketones may also help.

7. My urine smells fruity? Why is this?

Don’t be alarmed. This is simply due to the excretion of byproducts created during ketosis.

8. My breath smells. What can I do?

This is a common side effect. Try drinking naturally flavored water or chewing sugar-free gum or snagging some peppermint oil and dropping it in your mouth. 

9. I heard ketosis was extremely dangerous. Is this true? 

People often confuse ketosis with ketoacidosis. The former is natural, while the latter only occurs in uncontrolled diabetes.

Ketoacidosis is dangerous, but the ketosis on a ketogenic diet is perfectly normal and healthy.

10. I have digestion issues and diarrhea. What can I do?

This common side effect usually passes after 3–4 weeks. If it persists, try eating more high-fiber veggies. Magnesium supplements can also help with constipation.

A Ketogenic Diet is Great, But Not For Everyone

A ketogenic diet can be great for people who are overweight, diabetic or looking to improve their metabolic health.

It may be less suitable for elite athletes or those wishing to add large amounts of muscle or weight.

And, as with any diet, it will only work if you are consistent and stick with it in the long-term.

That being said, few things are as well proven in nutrition as the powerful health and weight loss benefits of a ketogenic diet.

 

Fancy Bacon Peas

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Fancy Bacon Peas

Have you ever ate something that made you angry? Like it was so good that it made you make a face that said, “Holy moly…how did you make this?“. Yea, that is the kind of reaction I get to my Fancy Bacon Peas. This simple, side-dish is sure to impress your family and friends…and it has bacon in it, so you can’t go wrong!

 Fancy Bacon Peas: 

INGREDIENTS: 

  • 16oz package of frozen peas, thawed out
  • 4 slices of thick-sliced bacon 
  • 1 shallot or 1/4th of a sweet onion
  • 1/4 cup of Mayonnaise (make it yourself)
  • 2 teaspoons of Lemon Juice 
  • 1/4 teaspoon of Pepper 
  • 1/4 teaspoon of Sea Salt 

 DIRECTIONS: 

  1.  Cook the bacon in a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. 
  2. Remove bacon when crisp but leave the heavenly bacon grease.
  3. Saute the onions for 3-5 minutes until soft and tender. 
  4. Add the peas and cook for 3 minutes until soft and cooked. Remove from heat and put in a serving bowl. 
  5. Toss the mayo, pepper, salt and lemon juice till combined and smooth. 
  6. Add bacon to the serving bowl with the peas. 
  7. Pour the dressing over the peas, bacon and onions and toss. 
  8. Serve warm! 

Fancy Bacon Peas The Paleo Mama

Plantain Crust Cashew Cream Pie (Paleo & Gluten-Free)

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Cashew Cream Pie

Paleo pie lovers are often crust challenged. You can roll out a grain free crust, but that’s a lot of work. Or you can mix nut flour and dates. But when that gets boring, I’ve got another option…a plantain and gelatin crust. It’s made of nothing but fruit and gut-healing gelatin and used in this recipe, it makes a delicious foundation to a paleo friendly, cashew cream pie.

 Not only does this add a health factor to your dessert but the plantain crust adds natural sweetness and holds up as a great crust. This no bake pie is super easy to make, it just takes a little patience and planning ahead because the crust has to set in the fridge like jello and the cashews need to be soaked (which coincidentally makes them easier to digest…bonus!).

This pie is perfect to bring to a party where it will please the gluten-free and paleo crowds alike. And if a nut allergy is a problem, fill the crust with cooked apples, figs, coconut cream, pumpkin or your favorite no-bake pie filling.

I garnished my pie with a ring of chocolate chips and a dollop of cashew butter in the middle, but you garnish with berries or banana slices.

Don’t like plantains? Experiment with adding jello to fruit like sliced pears or apples. I love to experiment in my kitchen lab (that’s how I came up with this recipe) so have some fun and try some experiments of your own.

Ingredients

How to Make the Crust:

  1. To make the crust slice the ripe plantains into rounds.
  2. Saute them in fat of choice until they darken in color, soften and caramelize. When you taste one it should be sweet and soft.
  3. Pour 1/4 cup of water in a shallow bowl and sprinkle gelatin on top and let it sit for 5 minutes. This is called “blooming” the gelatin and will soften it so it dissolves easier in hot water. Boil the other 1/4 cup of water and pour over the cold water and gelatin. Mix until the gelatin dissolves.
  4. If it doesn’t dissolve, you can pour the gelatin mixture into the pan with the plantains and heat the pan until the gelatin dissolves.
  5. Transfer the plantains and water to a pie tin. This is going to be your super healthy and sweet crust.
  6. Put in the fridge for 3 to 4 hours for the crust to set.

IMG_4524

How to Make the Filling:

  1. Submerge the cashews in water and leave it to soak while the crust is setting, or you can soak them overnight if you prefer.
  2. Drain the water from the cashews and throw the soaked cashews into the food processor and process until smooth.
  3. Add in coconut cream, lemon juice, sweetener, salt and vanilla. You can also used soaked dates instead of honey or maple syrup.
  4. Process until all the ingredients are well combined.
  5. Pour the cashew mixture into the set pie crust and return to the fridge for an hour.
  6. You can decorate the pie with a dollop of cashew (or other nut butter) in the center and a ring of chocolate chips around the perimeter of the pie. You can even mix some chocolate chips into the cashew cream filling, by hand, before putting it into the pie crust.
  7. Enjoy this unique no bake pie with a sturdy crust that can be served to just about anyone.

IMG_4527

 

 

Plantain Crust Cashew Cream Pie

 

gravatarAngela Privin stumbled on the Paleo diet while trying to cure her symptoms from irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). After a year on a strict Paleo diet she was completely healed and her food allergies were reversed. She’ll always be grateful to her health challenges for making her learn to cook years ago. These days she’s Paleo because she loves the creative challenge of cooking delicious grain-free, real food. She spends much of her spare time experimenting in herPaleo Kitchen Lab and eating the experiments. You can check out her recipes here. 

14 Benefits of Maca Powder and 14 Maca Recipes

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“Maca is a plant that grows in central Peru in the high plateaus of the Andes mountains. It has been cultivated as a vegetable crop in Peru for at least 3000 years. Maca is a relative of the radish and has an odor similar to butterscotch. Its root is used to make medicine.” (1) The benefits of Maca have long been valued and has gained more and more popularity in recent years. Culture is awakening to the fact that Maca carries a long list of nourishment to the body. The amazing thing about Maca is that it is an adaptogen, meaning it adapts to the needs of your body.

14 Benefits of Maca Powder:

  1. Increases Energy – Maca has a reputation for boosting energy levels without stressing the adrenals (like coffee can)
  2. Increases Libido and Sexual Function – Maca is a known aphrodisiac among native Peruvian culture. It has been known to increase the libido among men and women!
  3. Improves Fertility – Black Maca has been known to increase sperm count and volume in men and Red Maca has been known to balance female hormones and ovulation cycles.
  4. Regulates Hormone Balance – Maca has a vast variety of amino acids, which are known as the building blocks of hormones.
  5. Reduces Depression – When you take Maca regularly, Maca can work to increase positive emotional moods. Maca has a very unique nutrient called macamides, which aid in decreasing depression and anxiety.
  6. Reduces Anxiety – Maca has a positive effect on your individual mood and can help to reduce any self-perceived anxiety.
  7. Helps with Menopause – Many Maca uses report a significant decrease in hot flashes after using Maca powder.
  8. Enhances Mental Clarity – Black Maca has been shown to have a beneficial effect on learning and memory. Maca is safe for both children and adults!
  9. Improves Blood Circulation – a very interesting property of Maca, is that it has been seen to improve blood circulation.
  10. Improves Acne – When acne is related to hormone imbalance, taking Maca can be very productive for improving hormonal acne.
  11. Improves Muscle Gain – More and more athletes and bodybuilders are using Maca powder to increase their athletic performance.
  12. Improves Thyroid Function – Due to the hormone balancing properties in Maca, it has been known to stimulate thyroid function.
  13. Improves Strong Teeth and Bones – Black Maca is great for increasing bone density and strength.
  14. Improves Skin Tone – Maca has a strong nutrient content and hormone balancing effect on our skin.
  15. Improves Hair Growth – Maca has been traditionally used to stimulate hair growth, as well as prevent hair loss.

Which Maca is Right for You?

There are several different types of Maca and choosing which one you should use can sometimes be overwhelming. Raw Maca has never been heated and all the enzymes and nutrients are left in tact at peak levels. This is the one that I prefer to use.

Gelantized Maca is heated to remove all the start content within the root. This makes it more concentrated, however, the high heat destroys some of the enzymes and alters the nutrients. If you have a sensitive stomach, gelantized maca would be the one for you.

Click here to see a great article on choosing which Maca you should take.

Where to Buy Quality Maca Powder:

After figuring out which Maca powder is right for you and your body’s needs, I, personally, use and recommend THIS brand of Maca. I find that The Maca Team carries very high quality Maca powder and they are willing to work with you to figure out which Maca you need. My husband takes the Black Maca and I take the Red Maca. I prefer to take 2 teaspoons daily in my morning smoothie! I don’t mind the taste of Maca, but if you do, The Maca Team sells capsules. Click here to check out The Maca Team products!

[box]The Maca Team is offering my readers a 10% discount using coupon code: PALEOMAMA. CLICK HERE to order quality Maca products! [/box]

14 Recipes Using Maca Powder

 Remember to use coupon code: PALEOMAMA to order Maca products today from The Maca Team! Click here to order!

14 Maca Powder Recipes and 14 Maca Benefits .001

 

Is Natural Living Driving You Crazy?

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Is Natural Living Driving You Crazy.001

Was life less stressful for you pre-crunchy? Were you happier before you *knew* all these dangers and toxins and BPA and OH MY GOD DOES IT EVER END?

Do you feel more guilty being a “natural” mom because now you have to live up to the persona? Now you have to make sure you freaking read everything?!

Did your transformation into living natural become a transformation into now feeling like you suck at everything? At least *before* you didn’t know you were choosing harmful ingredients or detergent that could blow up a house. You were oblivious to it, right? You just enjoyed your little, happy life without giving anything else a thought. It was nice.

But now you see all these warnings and labels and artificial food colorings and your brain is about to explode. How can you be a good mom now and CHOOSE to buy something that has corn syrup in it?

Now you have to soak your nuts (hehe!) for 100 hours, and dehydrate your own jerky. You literally cry when you drive through Chick-Fil-A because you are submitting your kids to such dangerous chemicals in the food.

You feel more guilt.

You feel more stressed.

You feel less happy.

You feel less functional.

You….feel……….miserable, exhausted, and anxious.

You don’t enjoy this beautiful life anymore cause you are more stressed about the ugliness in this world. You no longer enjoy learning about natural and healthy living, you stress out when new studies come out and more pressure is now on you.

You CANNOT read ANY more blogs or websites. It’s just too much. You’ve blocked them from your feed. You are on healthy education overload and you are about to throw in your natural living, crunchy towel for good.

You know what moms…AIN’T NOBODY GOT TIME FOR ALL THAT.

The point is that you are TRYING. You are learning. You are making your home the best place that you can for your children. Most moms forget to give their kids their supplements, use disposable diapers over cloth, and forget to soak their nuts. Hell, I order pizza on occasion for my family! It’s OKAY. My kids are not going to die.

Yes, ignorance was bliss before. You gave your dogs crappy kibble without a second thought and your kids loved those Gerber Puffs. C’mon moms! You aren’t going to damage your kids, or your dogs. It’s not the “once or twice” that hurts us, it’s the lifetime of it.

If the natural remedies aren’t working, there is an amazing thing known as medicine. It’s not evil if you do it the right way. It’s a gift.

This is not the granola olympics and we are not trying to win the award of the crunchiest mom. Stop trying to live up to your fantasy Pinterest world and if you have to stop reading all the new articles that come out (don’t stop reading mine!), then so be it!

Go back to the basics. Read my post on how you might not be perfect, but you are enough for your family or this post on how this mother is done trying to make her kid’s childhood magical.

What is it that is most important to you?

Write out 5 things that are the MOST important to you and go from there. If you love pizza and so do your kids? Then eat the damn pizza on occasion. Your kids aren’t going to look back at you and say, “geez mom, how come you let me eat pizza so much?”

What is important to you? Is breastfeeding important to you? Put your energy into that.

Are you literally HATING cloth diapering? Then stop and buy a safe alternative.

Is making your own detergent getting annoying? Then don’t.

Make a decision to do the best that you can and then leave the rest to grace. Grace covers our inadequacies and our guilt and it fills us up with joy.

Go look at your kids face. Do you see a child who is wishing for more from you?

Tomorrow is a new day, my friends!

Is Natural Living Driving You Crazy? | www.thepaleomama.com.001

Why is Bread Bad for You? The Shocking Truth

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Why is Bread Bad for You.001

“The Whiter The Bread, The Sooner You’re Dead.”

It has been known for a long time that white bread and refined grains in general aren’t particularly nutritious.

Nutritionists and dietitians all around the world have encouraged us to eat whole grains instead.

But grains, especially gluten grains like wheat, have been under intense scrutiny in recent years.

Many respected health professionals now claim that bread and other sources of gluten grains are unnecessary at best and potentially harmful.

Bread is High in Carbs and Can Spike Blood Sugar Levels

Even whole grain bread usually isn’t made out of actual “whole” grains.

They are grains that have been pulverized into very fine flour. Even though this process reserves the nutrients, it causes these products to be digested rapidly.

The starches in bread get broken down quickly in the digestive tract and enter the bloodstream as glucose. This causes a rapid spike in blood sugar and insulin levels.

Even whole wheat bread spikes blood sugar faster than many candy bars (1).

When blood sugar goes up rapidly, it tends to go down just as quickly. When blood sugar goes down, we become hungry.

This is the blood sugar roller coaster that is familiar to people on high carb diets. Soon after eating, they become hungry again, which calls for another high-carb snack.

Elevated blood sugars can also cause glycation at the cellular level when the blood sugars react with proteins in the body. This is one of the components of ageing (2).

Studies on carb restricted diets (which eliminate/reduce starches and sugars) suggest that individuals who are diabetic or need to lose weight should avoid ALL grains (3, 4,5).

[box]Bottom Line: Most breads are made of pulverized wheat. They are easily digested and rapidly spike blood sugar and insulin levels, which can lead to the notorious blood sugar “roller coaster” and stimulate overeating.[/box]

Bread Contains a Lot of Gluten

Wheat contains a large amount of a protein called gluten.

This protein has glue-like properties (hence the namegluten) responsible for dough’s viscoelastic properties.

Evidence is mounting that a significant percentage of the population is sensitive to gluten (6, 7, 8).

When we eat bread that contains gluten (wheat, spelt, rye and barley), the immune system in our digestive tract “attacks” the gluten proteins (9).

Controlled trials in people without celiac disease show that gluten damages the wall of the digestive tract, causing pain, bloating, stool inconsistency and tiredness (10,11).

Gluten sensitivity is also associated with some cases of schizophrenia (12, 13) and cerebellar ataxia (14, 15) – both serious disorders of the brain.

Gluten is probably harmful for most people, not just those with diagnosed celiac disease or gluten sensitivity.

The only way to really know if you’re gluten sensitive is to remove gluten from your diet for 30 days and then reintroduce it and see whether it affects you.

[box]Bottom Line: Most breads are made of gluten grains. Gluten causes an immune response in the digestive tract of susceptible individuals. This can cause digestive issues, pain, bloating, tiredness and other symptoms.[/box]

Bread Contains Other Harmful Substances

Why is Bread Bad for You? The Shocking Truth | www.thepaleomama.com .001

Most commercial types of bread contain sugar or high fructose corn syrup, just like other processed foods.

Sugar causes many adverse effects and eating processed foods that contain it is likely to have detrimental effects on health.

Most grains also include the “anti nutrient” phytic acid.

Phytic acid is a molecule that strongly binds essential minerals like calcium, iron and zinc, preventing them from being absorbed (16).

Soaking grains before baking can degrade the phytic acid, which should improve the availability of minerals.

[box]Bottom Line: Most breads contain sugar, which is extremely bad for you. They also contain “anti nutrients” that block the absorption of minerals like calcium, iron and zinc.[/box]

Bread is Low in Essential Nutrients

There is NO nutrient in bread that you can’t get from other foods in even greater amounts.

Even whole wheat bread isn’t as nutritious as you may think.

Not only is it low in nutrients compared to other real foods, it literally reduces the absorption of nutrients from other foods.

  • Calorie for calorie, whole grain breads contain a low amount of nutrients compared to real foods like vegetables.
  • The phytic acid blocks absorption of minerals like iron, zinc and calcium (17).
  • By damaging the intestinal lining, gluten decreases the absorption of all nutrients (18).
  • Grains do not contain all the essential amino acids and are therefore poor sources of protein for humans (19)
  • Wheat fiber may cause your body to burn through its Vitamin D stores much faster and contribute to vitamin d deficiency (20), which is associated with cancer, diabetes and death (21, 22, 23).

[box]Bottom Line: Most breads aren’t very nutritious and the proteins in them aren’t of much use. A damaged intestinal lining along with phytic acid reduces availability of nutrients. Wheat may also exacerbate vitamin d deficiency.[/box]

Whole Wheat Raises The Bad Cholesterol

In one study, 36 men were randomized into two groups.

They were instructed to eat either whole oat cereal or whole wheat cereal (24).

After 12 weeks, the researchers measured blood lipid levels in both groups.

The oat cereal decreased LDL cholesterol and small, dense LDL. Basically, whole oats significantly improved the blood lipid profile.

However, the whole wheat cereal increased total LDL cholesterol by 8% and small, dense LDL by a whopping 60%.

Small, dense LDL is the type of cholesterol that is strongly associated with heart disease (25, 26).

What this means is that whole wheat significantly harms blood lipids and may drastically raise your risk of heart disease.

Yes, that slice of “heart-healthy” whole wheat bread may be killing you.

[box]Bottom Line: Eating not-so-”heart healthy” whole wheat may raise small, dense LDL cholesterol by a whopping 60%. This type of cholesterol is strongly associated with heart disease.[/box]

Whole Wheat is Just “Less Bad” Than Refined Wheat

It is true that whole grain breads are better for you than breads made with refined grains. They contain more nutrients and fiber.

However, they’re just the lesser of two evils. It’s like comparing unfiltered cigarettes to filtered cigarettes. Filtered cigarettes are less harmful, but that does not make them healthy.

If you really must include bread in your life, then there are some options that aren’t quite as bad.

Bread made with soaked and sprouted grains may be less bad for you than regular bread. Preparing it this way reduces the amount of phytic acid.

Ezekiel bread, for example, is made of sprouted grains. This probably makes it less unhealthy than other breads. Gluten-free breads may also be healthier than those made with gluten grains like wheat, spelt, rye and barley.

[box]Bottom Line: Whole grain breads are better for you than breads made with refined grains, but the best option is no bread at all. Breads made with soaked and sprouted grains may be less unhealthy.[/box]

Take Home Message

Anyone who needs to lose weight, has digestive issues or is somehow affected by the western diet should eliminate bread and other sources of gluten grains.

If a damaged intestinal wall, blood sugar roller coaster, bloating, tiredness and a 60% increase in small, dense LDL isn’t a good enough reasons to quit eating bread, then I don’t know what is.

 

Original Article was posted by Kris of Authority Nutrition and republished with permission.