More than a year ago, Nino mentioned to me that he wanted to go keto. He cited a couple of different articles as to what happens when the body goes into ketosis, and how he thought it would be good for him if we looked into it. I wasnt ready to explore it as a dietary option, because I knew it would mean a lot of work for me, since I prepare most of our meals at home. We quickly came to an agreement to try out this new lifestyle when I stumbled on Ketoveganph through the Ketolivingph Founder and entrepreneur Kath Buendia. Through our experiences, Nino and I learned many things about each other, our eating habits, and our commitment to health. And because of my experience, I am excited to share five things I learned by committing to the keto vegan lifestyle.
I have always been a firm believer that I can eat everything in moderation as long as I was careful and mindful of what I was putting in my body. However, in my past quests to make healthier choices, I figured out that my food intolerances were wheat, eggs, and dairy. Staying away from these foods enabled me to analyze how I felt physically, when I ingested my forbidden favorites, in spite of my leaky gut.
Returning to a very basic diet and limiting my caloric intake seemed drastic at first, but when I started to see and feel results, I became even more committed to my short-term goals of weight loss and jumpstarting my mission of a healthier middle-aged me.
The basics of a ketogenic diet include:
In short, Ketosis is a metabolic state in which your body uses fat for fuel instead of carbs. Modifying your diet and practicing intermittent fasting can help you enter ketosis faster.
Lifestyle, beauty, and wellness advocate Kath Buendia shares that a low-carb lifestyle is ideal for individuals who have diabetes and high blood pressure. Other individuals who have a specific weight loss goal in mind can benefit from the keto lifestyle and low carb intake, too. She and her partner, JV, founded Ketolivingph when he shed a considerable amount of weight from his own experiences with this new, to them, diet. They knew and understood that many people struggled with weight and health issues, so they studied, researched, and met with experts to introduce a diet plan that could yield results for those who could commit.
There are a variety of ways you will know that you are in a state of ketosis. Sometimes, you will experience a keto-like flu. These symptoms can present themselves when your body is adjusting to the new low-carb intake and can include nausea, irratibility, weakness, vomiting, muscle cramps, headache, dizziness, difficulty sleeping, and intense sugar cravings, among others.
Admittedly, I didnt experience many of these flu-like symptoms. Nino definitely experienced more symptoms of the keto flu than I did. However, I was a bit irritable because I craved sugar and carbs. Kath shares that one can do their best to avoid these keto flu-like symptoms by staying hydrated all throughout the process.
If one wants to test whether or not they are in ketosis, monitoring urine output with ketone urine strips can measure the level of ketones in your output. Additionally, some people can experience bad breath, natural appetite suppression, increased focus and energy, and insomnia.
As with any change in your intake or lifestyle, it is important to consult your doctor before making drastic adjustments. I have been bugging Nino to visit the doctor because he did so well with Keto Living that he lost close to 40 pounds in three months. The challenge for him is to continue to make healthier choices while incorporating more physical activities to build strength and muscle after losing all that weight.
Here are some long-term risks that I found while researching:
It is uber important to cycle on and OFF keto for your health. Staying on a limiting diet for a long time can actually do more damage to your body than good. In our case, using this diet as a jumpstart on our #Roadto50 was the perfect way for both of us to tune into our bodies and get in sync with one another in our healthier choices.
Kath suggests educating yourself,and choosing the right plan that suits your needs and dietary preferences. Keto newbies can start with any of the premium plans from Ketolivingph, Ketopescaph, Ketovegetarianph, or Ketoveganph, which includes breakfast, lunch, dinner, and a snack. Supplementing with juices and smoothies from another sister company, BetterJuicemnl, can help with the adjustment as well.
1. Chew slow
Gosh, even if we have been in quarantine for more than two years, I realized I wasnt exactly mindful of my intake. I could see how if I would wait too long to eat, I would binge on snacks. Chewing slow, eating only when hungry, with meals packed portioned and weighed for me, allowed me to become more mindful of even how I CHEW.
Chewing with intent also gave me time to enjoy my food, and the company sitting around the table while I ate.
2. Portion control
Admittedly, the first week of being on this calorie-deficient meal plan was quite difficult. I wasnt used to the smaller portions, and in order to make it through the day, I messaged Kath Buendia often. I would ask what was safe to eat while trying to achieve a state of ketosis at least once a day.
I would send her photos of nutrition labels to check if what was being sold as keto was actually safe to eat. (Believe me, there are fakers out there, too!) In that first week of adjustment, Nino and I would weigh out almonds, macadamia nuts, and even pine nuts in 50g snack bags to help survive those hanger pains.
Which leads me to my next learning lesson (and probably the biggest) of this entire experience.
3. There is such a thing as leptin resistance
I started my keto journey just after Mothers Day in 2021, and stayed on keto for three months. After two weeks of receiving my keto vegan meals, I realized that I couldnt finish what was being sent to me on a daily basis. I asked Kath if she had upgraded my meal plan to an extra-large plan because I couldnt understand why I found it so difficult to finish each of my three meals.
So what does it mean when we are leptin-resistant?
People who are leptin-resistant usually have high levels of leptin, but the leptin signal doesnt work properly. So, not only does the brain not get the signal properly, but it will have you thinking that you are hungry when you are not. And this condition even limits the calories your body will burn.
After my body set into ketosis, I went through so many changes. The biggest change was the inches I lost immediately. I didnt lose weight right away. In fact, I had to stop comparing myself to Ninos dramatic weight loss because I started to feel bad. Thankfully, it was Kath who said: dont weigh yourself. Just monitor how you feel and how your clothes fit.
4. I can survive on mostly veggies
Keto + vegan was a necessity for me. Because of my wheat, dairy, and egg intolerances, I knew that it was important for me to monitor my intake and go vegan. This added to the physical benefits of weight loss and measurements in more ways than one. I followed the meal plan strictly during the week, but since we prepared our own meals on the weekends, I would up my leafy greens and add grilled proteins of either meat or fish when I craved it.
I didnt miss the meat as much as I thought I would, but at least once a month, I did crave a nice piece of steak.
5. Bye bye brain fog
Once I was in ketosis, I felt better. I had more energy. I slept better. I was not bloated. And I had a mental clarity that I had not experienced in YEARS. I had a renewed inspiration to write. I started pitching new projects, and felt like I had the ability to be more organized and clear in my thinking.
In short, by week three and four, I felt better than ever. And this was largely due to the commitment of staying vegan and eliminating food that I was intolerant of. Staying keto vegan for three months put me on the path to healing my leaky gut.
I have often said that you give someone the chance to be better once you educate them. I use this when Im speaking to groups of individuals as we establish new Best Buddies Philippines friendship chapters in schools or corporations.
This same principle applies when we train ourselves to eat properly. My keto journey empowered me to make better choices in my food intake by keeping things simple. Having healthy keto food delivered to our doorstep made it easy to stay committed to this way of life. Supported by the keto community Kath has nurtured, 33 enabled us to stay on track, share our experiences, and learn from others success stories. When we are armed with information, a support group, and the understanding that it doesnt have to be complicated, we can all make healthier choices.
Rappler.com
Original post:
[Kitchen 143] Curious about keto? Here's what happened to my body - Rappler
