#keylife

[ftlukens]

Have fun at this unique hidden gems in the Florida Keys! Looking for a one-of-a-kind experience in the Florida Keys? Seek out these hidden gems and embark on a journey filled with fun and surprises. Get off the beaten path and discover the true essence of paradise.

[aikidocenterofmiami]

Can it get any better than this? I think not. #lovemywife #keylife (at Caribbean Club) https://www.instagram.com/p/Ci3e3mMv6NyRXnpTIo-jUHrJbo3HmoMLL6TtKs0/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[aikidocenterofmiami]

Enjoying Life on the Rocks #floridakeys #keylife #lovemywife (at Caribbean Club) https://www.instagram.com/p/Ci3chLFvMQXJlMS48syP9lO1yeYBtk1pfKFWGA0/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[aikidocenterofmiami]

Pulling 556 AL to make a temporary parallel line to we can do an R&R of the CCVTs. Got a chance to work with and alongside the EHV crew. #ibew #journeymansubstationelectrician #keylife (at Tavernier, Florida) https://www.instagram.com/p/CXRv4JNvTneeK41GZzEyrYnd-EmqBb1lZwrglU0/?utm_medium=tumblr

[pinkysmiles]

Heading to the Keys..... #keylife #keywest #miamilife #pinkysmiles https://www.instagram.com/p/COYUd5FFxBk/?igshid=1hcjufoh2j1vh

[thedoriangrace]

“I can’t remember the last time I had such a lovely day. A drive down the Florida keys, then a spliff to help the sunset sink into the Gulf of Mexico.. I can’t remember the last time my bothers melted away this easily.” — @thedoriangrace — - - - - - - - #keylife #sunset #gulfofmexico #backporch #view #nirvana #peaceful #420 #spliff #joint #doobie #skank #spankdust #palm #palmtrees #sun #sundown #enjoy #relax #relaxed #calm #calming #relaxing #r&r #randr (at Islamorada, Florida) https://www.instagram.com/p/BvVBXTDFDZp/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1ec4cf87tc1us

[keylifehealth-blog]

What is a ketogenic diet?

So we understand what ketosis is from my previous article, and that our bodies are hybrid engines. But how do we stay in ketosis? What is the ketogenic diet?

To stay in ketosis while eating (This is called nutritional ketosis) we need to avoid insulin spikes. As mentioned, our blood vessels can hold approximately 4-5 grams of sugar/glucose. Anything above this will cause an insulin spike and our bodies will revert to using glucose as its primary fuel. So keeping glucose levels low is key. Throughout the day we will need to keep net carbs (more on this in next article on nutritional labels) between 20 to 50 grams per day. This equates to about 5-10% of your daily calories. To make up the loss of calories to fuel the body we will need to increase our fat intake. 70-80% of calories will come from fats. Which will be converted into ketones in the liver to fuel our body. Your protein intake should remain the same, making up the remainder of 15-20% of our daily calories.

To remain in ketosis carbs are key. Avoid all foods that have a net carb number above 5 grams per 100g starting out.

So effectively the keto diet is very low carb, moderate protein and high fat. There are 2 ways of being on a ketogenic diet, which I call either a dirty keto diet or a clean keto diet. (more on these in another article)

When glucose levels are low, insulin levels will also be low. Insulin also functions in the retention of electrolytes in the body. These are 3 minerals called sodium (salt), potassium and magnesium. Salt is excreted at a higher rate with low insulin, which means we can (and must) increase our salt intake. The same goes for potassium and magnesium, which are found in many foods (more on that later) without these electrolytes we will be susceptible to headaches and muscle cramps.

One other aspect from low insulin and less salt retention, is a decrease in water retention in the body, so we must make sure to keep well hydrated.

So keto=high fat/low carb=low sugar=low Insulin=increase electrolyte intake=increase water intake.

You now may be wondering which foods are low carb?

How do I know if a food has 5 or less gram net carbs per 100g?

What does net carb mean?

These questions are answered in another article “Reading Nutritional labels”

[keylifehealth-blog]

What Is Ketosis?

Ketosis is a biochemical process where our body uses fat as its primary source of fuel/calories/energy, when the liver converts either ingested (eaten) or stored (visceral) fat into ketones which are the bodies fuel, as opposed to using glucose derived from carbohydrates (carbs) in standard diets.

To understand ketosis, we must first look at how we use calories in our body.  

The brain is the largest user of calories in the body (nerve signalling and cell health maintenance). It is only 2% of our total body weight yet uses 20-25% of energy consumed based on a balanced diet with normal daily activity, i.e. at least 1/5 of all calories consumed are used by the brain, and the fuel requirement increases when we do mental tasks such as studying, playing musical instruments, or critical thinking.

From this we can see that when looking at fuel consumption (i.e. burning calories) that it is important start with the brain.

Carbs, fats or protein? Which of these fuels the brain?

The brain has a protective barrier between the bodies blood vessels and itself called the blood brain barrier. Only 2 types of fuels can pass through this barrier: glucose, which is the simplest sugar from digested carbohydrates, and ketones which are created in the liver from fat.

From this we can see that the body is a hybrid engine capable of using two different types of fuel just like a hybrid engine car.

But how can we get our body into ketosis, where we use fat as fuel instead of glucose?

The body will always use the cheapest source of fuel available. Glucose provides 4 calories per gram, while fat provides 9 calories per gram. As glucose is a poorer /cheaper fuel providing less energy per gram than fat, the body will use this fuel first.  

So if we have glucose in our body that is what will fuel our brain, and we will not be in ketosis.

When we eat carbohydrates (bread, pasta, rice, oats, fruit, potatoes, vegetables, or anything with sugar in it) they are broken down in the body into glucose, the simplest form of sugar, which then enters the blood stream. Human blood vessels can hold approximately 1-1.5 teaspoons of sugar (glucose) which is about 5 grams. Anything in excess of this is toxic and will lead to hyperglycemia, which in the long term this can cause many health problems of the eyes, nerves, kidneys, as well as heart disease and cancer.  

To prevent this occurrence the pancreas creates and secretes the hormone insulin into the blood which brings the glucose to the cells that need it for energy at the times we are active or working (Glycolysis). If we have more glucose than our energy requirements at that time, insulin then brings the glucose to the liver where it is converted to non-toxic glycogen (Glycogenesis) which is then stored in our muscles for later use i.e. our muscles are our fuel tanks for glucose.

Therefore, if we do not eat carbohydrates our body will use this stored glycogen, convert it back into glucose in the liver and use it to fuel the body.  

The average person's muscles store about 2,000 calories worth of glucose/glycogen. This can last 1-3 days depending on our energy requirements. Once the glycogen in the muscles is used up (I.e. the glucose fuel tanks are empty) the body needs to adapt to fuel the itself. It does this by taking fat (either ingested or stored) and converts it into ketones in the liver to fuel the brain as well as the rest of the body.

This is how the body gets into ketosis, and as long as we keep glucose levels low in the blood (below 5g to avoid an insulin spike) we will remain in ketosis where our body is burning fat as a fuel. When we use up the eaten fats our body will find the next cheapest/poorest/easy-to- access source of fuel, which is the stored flabby visceral white fat.

To maintain this biochemical state of ketosis we would need to follow a ketogenic diet/lifestyle.