Keto Diet: How Darren Lost Weight And Gained Energy

The ketogenic diet, or keto diet, is a low-carb, high-fat diet that aims to force the body into using a different type of fuel. Instead of relying on sugar (glucose) from carbohydrates, the keto diet relies on ketone bodies – a type of fuel that the liver produces from stored fat.

The keto diet involves drastically reducing carbohydrate intake and replacing it with fat. This reduction in carbs puts your body into a metabolic state called ketosis, where your body becomes incredibly efficient at burning fat for energy.

The keto diet is advertised as a weight-loss wonder, but it is actually a medical diet that comes with serious risks and is best used as a short-term dietary change to jumpstart weight reduction. It is also used to help reduce the frequency of epileptic seizures in children and may have benefits for certain other medical conditions, including heart disease, certain brain diseases, and acne.

Dr. Darren Schmidt, a chiropractor and professional speaker on health, is an advocate for the keto diet. He believes that ketosis, which can be achieved through the keto diet, fasting, or modifying the fast by eating some oils and low-carb plants, is the body's fantastic way to burn fat naturally. According to Dr. Schmidt, ketosis can also reverse type 2 diabetes, prevent the body from making waste products from carbohydrate metabolism, and improve sleep.

However, Dr. Schmidt cautions that the keto diet is not ideal for everyone. He states that it is not advisable for people with candida, mold, yeast, or a collection of organisms in the body, as these organisms can live off sugar and ketones. He also emphasizes the importance of consulting with a doctor before starting the keto diet, especially for those with type 1 diabetes.

The benefits of ketosis

Ketosis is a metabolic state in which the body burns fat for fuel instead of carbohydrates. This can be achieved through the ketogenic diet, fasting, or modifying the fast by eating some oils and low-carb plants.

Dr. Darren Schmidt, a chiropractor and clinical nutrition specialist, highlights the following benefits of ketosis:

• Detoxification and Cancer Treatment: Ketones have been shown to detox and kill cancer cells. Fasting has been observed to melt away tumours, proving that food is a powerful tool for healing.
• Hormonal Control: Ketosis lowers insulin and cortisol levels while raising testosterone in men and normalizing hormones in women.
• Improved Sleep: Ketosis can lead to better sleep.
• Reversal of Type 2 Diabetes: Ketosis can help reverse type 2 diabetes and prevent lactic acidosis by stopping the body from producing waste products from carbohydrate metabolism.
• Elimination of Pathological Tissues: Ketosis helps burn away pathological tissues, fibroids, cysts, and cancer cells.
• Natural Detoxification: Ketosis is the foundation of detoxification as the body eliminates toxins stored in fat cells.
• Reduced Inflammation: Ketosis lowers inflammation in the body.
• Neurological Benefits: Ketosis may have benefits for neurological conditions such as epilepsy, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and sleep disorders.
• Improved Endurance: A ketogenic diet can benefit endurance athletes by improving their muscle-to-fat ratio and increasing oxygen utilization during training.
• Weight Loss: Ketosis can lead to weight loss as the body breaks down fat for energy.

How to get into ketosis

Dr. Darren Schmidt, a chiropractor and clinical nutrition specialist, offers the following advice on how to get into ketosis.

There are three ways to get into ketosis, according to Dr. Schmidt: by following a ketogenic diet, fasting, or modifying a fast by consuming some oils and low-carb plants. The first step, according to Dr. Schmidt, is to increase healthy fat consumption. After a few days, you will naturally begin to consume less food, and transitioning to a low-carb diet will be simple.

To achieve ketosis, Dr. Schmidt recommends a fat-to-protein-plus-carb ratio of 3:1 or 4:1. However, for those who are overweight and relatively healthy, a 2:1 ratio will be effective. It is important to consume enough salt, such as Himalayan rock salt, as initial weight loss involves the loss of water, and the body urinates out potassium and other minerals.

Dr. Schmidt also recommends achieving ketosis for five days, followed by two days out of ketosis. For those who are healthy and want to maintain their health, he suggests doing a five-day ketosis for a month and then spending the rest of the month eating low carbs with a 1:1.5 ratio.

Ketosis can be achieved in a day by fasting or changing your diet. Dr. Schmidt also emphasizes the importance of achieving keto-adaptation, which means that your mitochondria adapt quickly to your diet and physical needs.

For those with severe health issues, such as problems with arteries, Dr. Schmidt recommends doing ketosis for nine days and then burning sugar for the rest of the month. He also mentions that some people do mild ketosis 24 hours a day, every day for a long time. The duration depends on individual needs.

It is important to note that the ketogenic diet is not suitable for everyone. Dr. Schmidt advises against it for people with candida, mold, yeast, or a collection of organisms in the body. Instead, he suggests a low-carb diet that is not in ketosis.

The risks of a keto diet

The keto diet has been linked to several health risks and adverse side effects. Here are some of the dangers associated with the keto diet:

• Nutrient Deficiency: The keto diet restricts several food groups, including fruits, whole grains, and legumes, which are excellent sources of essential vitamins and minerals. This restriction may lead to deficiencies in micronutrients such as selenium, magnesium, phosphorus, and vitamins B and C.
• Liver Problems: The high-fat content of the keto diet can put a strain on the liver, as it has to metabolize large amounts of fat. This may worsen existing liver conditions.
• Kidney Problems: The diet's high protein content may overload the kidneys, which play a crucial role in metabolizing protein. Additionally, the keto diet's emphasis on animal-based foods can lead to increased acid levels in the blood and urine, contributing to the formation of kidney stones.
• Constipation: The keto diet is low in fibrous foods like grains and legumes, which can lead to digestive discomfort and constipation.
• Fuzzy Thinking and Mood Swings: The keto diet's restriction of carbohydrates, the brain's primary energy source, may cause confusion and irritability.
• Heart Disease: The keto diet is often associated with increased levels of "bad" LDL cholesterol, a known risk factor for heart disease.
• Low Blood Sugar: While the keto diet can help manage blood sugar levels in people with diabetes, it may also increase the risk of hypoglycemia, especially in individuals with type 1 diabetes.
• Bone Health: Some studies suggest that the keto diet may impair bone health and reduce bone mineral density.
• Digestive Issues and Gut Health: The lack of fiber in the keto diet can lead to digestive issues and negatively impact the balance of gut bacteria.
• Social Isolation and Disordered Eating: The strict nature of the keto diet may lead to social isolation and contribute to disordered eating patterns.
• Keto Flu: During the initial phase of the keto diet, some people may experience symptoms such as an upset stomach, dizziness, decreased energy, and mood swings, commonly known as the "keto flu."

The foods to eat and avoid

The keto diet is a low-carb, high-fat diet that can be effective for weight loss and certain health conditions. It involves drastically reducing your carbohydrate intake and replacing it with fat. This reduction in carbs puts your body into a metabolic state called ketosis, where it becomes incredibly efficient at burning fat for energy.

Foods to Eat

• Meat: red meat, steak, ham, sausage, bacon, chicken, and turkey
• Fatty fish: salmon, trout, tuna, and mackerel
• Eggs: pastured or omega-3 whole eggs
• Butter and cream: grass-fed butter and heavy cream
• Cheese: unprocessed cheeses like cheddar, goat, cream, blue, or mozzarella
• Nuts and seeds: almonds, walnuts, flaxseeds, pumpkin seeds, chia seeds, etc
• Healthy oils: extra virgin olive oil and avocado oil
• Avocados: whole avocados or freshly made guacamole
• Low-carb vegetables: leafy greens, tomatoes, onions, peppers, etc
• Condiments: salt, pepper, herbs, and spices

Foods to Avoid

• 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: low-fat mayonnaise, salad dressings, and condiments
• Some condiments or sauces: barbecue sauce, honey mustard, teriyaki sauce, ketchup, etc
• Unhealthy fats: processed vegetable oils, mayonnaise, etc
• Alcohol: beer, wine, liquor, mixed drinks
• Sugar-free diet foods: sugar-free candies, syrups, puddings, sweeteners, desserts, etc

The history of the keto diet

The ketogenic diet, or keto diet, is a high-fat, low-carb method of eating that has captivated popular culture in recent years. The idea behind the diet is that limiting your carbohydrate intake and consuming fats instead will put your body in a "fasted state" where it will burn ketones instead of glucose, resulting in better health. While most people today start the ketogenic diet to lose weight or otherwise improve their health, the eating strategy was originally developed as a treatment for epilepsy.

The term 'ketogenic' wasn't used until the 20th century, but there is a historical precedent for fasting for health. Ancient Greek physicians advocated for restricting one's diet to treat diseases like epilepsy, and fasting was considered integral to a healthy lifestyle. In fact, fasting is the only epilepsy treatment recorded by Hippocrates, and it was standard practice across much of the world for over two thousand years.

The research story behind the ketogenic diet begins with the first modern study of fasting and its role in epilepsy, which took place in France around 1911. The study found that epilepsy patients who consumed low-calorie diets combined with periods of fasting experienced fewer seizures and had fewer adverse health effects from the condition. Around the same time, an American osteopathic physician named Hugh Conklin began to recommend fasting to his epileptic patients to help them get their seizures under control.

While these results were impressive, there was one glaring problem: fasting is meant to be temporary. Many patients found that their seizures returned once they went back to their regular diet. As other doctors began working to replicate these results, some experimented with modified fasts that focused on eliminating starches and sugars rather than restricting all calories equally. Specifically, Dr Wilder at the Mayo Clinic observed that certain epilepsy patients had fewer seizures when their blood sugar was lowered from eating a high-fat, low-carb diet. He consequently created the ketogenic diet as a way to mimic the metabolism that fasting produces.

The "Classic Keto" approach, standardised by Dr Peterman at the Mayo Clinic, advocates for a 4:1 ratio of fat to protein and carbs, with 90% of calories coming from fat, 6% from protein, and just 4% from carbs. Though these ratios are still considered the gold standard, a 3:1 ratio was also regarded as beneficial.

By the 1990s, the ketogenic diet was all but forgotten. However, it was reintroduced to the public consciousness by a 1994 episode of the TV show Dateline, which reported on the case of Charlie, a two-year-old with severe epilepsy whose seizures were controlled by the keto diet. The episode triggered an explosion of scientific interest in the diet, and it soon began to be offered in hospitals as a viable option for treating epileptic patients.

Today, the ketogenic diet is available at almost all major children's hospitals, and it continues to attract scientific interest for its role in neurological disorders. However, most people today are interested in the diet for its potential to help them lose weight. It's not entirely clear when the keto diet first attracted attention as a weight loss solution, but renewed interest in the diet's effects caused researchers to take a closer look at what it could offer otherwise healthy individuals.

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