Before I was diagnosed with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), Id never heard the word ketogenic. Id never even been on a diet before, let alone one that would reduce my beloved carb intake. But according to functional medicine doctor Tom Sult, author of Just Be Well, adopting a ketogenic diet would sharpen my insulin sensitivity, helping to reset the cataclysmic hormonal response that, for me, led to irregular periods, lack of ovulation, polycystic ovaries, anddrumroll, pleaseinfertility.
Not being able to have kids is a pretty good motivator for changing what you eat. The good news is, by the same mechanism as it works toward reversing symptoms of PCOS, a ketogenic diet can also help reverse type 2 diabetes. Studies, such as this one conclude that a ketogenic diet improved glycemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes such that diabetes medications were discontinued or reduced in most participants. Hows that for promising?
For most people, though, going keto is not just a lifestyle changeits a lifestyle overhaul. It requires commitment, discipline, and a dramatic shift in perspective, recognizing that food truly can be medicine. In practice, keto means reducing your daily net carb intake to 20 grams or less. When the body cant rely on glucose for energy, it breaks down stored fat into ketones and uses that insteadthis is the metabolic state known as ketosis.
Ive now been in ketosis for three months. Heres whats worked for meand what I wish Id known when I started.
Is a ketogenic diet a miracle cure? No. Ill be the first to say its hard work, especially in the first month. But that work can pay off in profound ways, as it has for me, and I hope it does for you.
*You can now preorder Carolyn Ketchums cookbook, The Everyday Ketogenic Kitchen!
Katie Gutierrez has an MFA from Texas State University. She has co-authored eight books and edited upwards of 70, many in the health and wellness space, and her writing appears in Catapult, SheKnows, Asterix journal, and Narrative magazine, among others. You can read more of her writing here.
Excerpt from:
What I Wish I'd Known Before Starting a Ketogenic Diet - A Sweet Life
