Jamie Meloni
Dr. Berg Certified Keto and Fasting Coach
What is the Keto Diet?
Keto diets make your body run primarily on ketones instead of sugars from carbohydrates which are your pastas, grains and sugary foods. Ketones are an efficient source of energy meaning they burn slower and last longer whereas sugars/carbs are energy sources that are stored in shorter supply and convert quicker to energy. In short, keto diets limit your body's primary energy source, sugars, and force it to run on ketones or your own body fat.
What are carbohydrates and how do I choose them wisely?
Carbohydrates are a macro-nutrients such as sugar or starch that provide the body with "quick energy" Simple carbohydrates are made of refined flour and added sugars and convert quickly to blood sugar (glucose). Complex carbohydrates such as grains and vegetables convert slower. The body then converts the excess sugar to fat inside the body. You should choose complex carbohydrates and have them in your diet for their vitamins, minerals and fiber as opposed to a primary source of energy.
What do you eat on the keto diet?
All foods can be classified into one of three macro-nutrient categories. These are fats, proteins and carbohydrates. The keto diet consists of a diet that is 70% fats, 20% proteins and 10% carbohydrates with an emphasis on non-starchy vegetable carbs. To be more specific, a good keto plan would have between 1500 and 1800 calories with the ratios above and carbohydrates ideally at 20 grams or under and no more than 50 grams max.
I heard fat is bad for you, why is it promoted in this diet?
There is no truth to the myth that eating fat is stored as fat in the body. The origins of this myth date back to the 1950s when obesity began to climb. As medical professionals and politicians began to push for answers, a battle between the sugar industry and other foods began. The sugar industry was better equipped and more influential and were able to create a narrative that blamed saturated fat for weight gain despite lacking scientific evidence. Fat is vital to a diet and aids in cell growth, hormone production, and the absorption of nutrients.
How is water fasting related to the keto diet?
The keto diet is a high fat, moderate protein and low carbohydrate diet that puts the body into ketosis forcing it to burn it's own fat. Water fasting does the same thing because it eliminates all calories including carbohydrates but adds two additional benefits that the keto diet does not, autophagy and increased human growth hormone levels in the body.
What is human growth hormone and why should I want more of that?
The body produces HGH naturally in the pituitary gland but around the mid-20s, the production is reduced. This results in aging and other health side effects. When the body fasts, HGH spikes upwards of 300% in 1 day to over 1250% in a week. This hormone counter acts the effects of aging and is often referred to as the fountain of youth hormone. Supplemental HGH is risky but fasting produces it naturally inside the body.
What is autophagy?
Autophagy is a process of "self-eating" that occurs in the body after the body abstains from any food for about 12 hours. Think of it as it's maintenance cycle. While much is still being discovered about this, current studies show that autophagy begins at 12 hours and peaks around 72 hours. During this time, the body works to rid itself of aged, diseased, and defective cells. It is interrupted by eating because that is a primary duty of the body to digest food and takes 50 to 60% of available resources to do.
What can I have on a water fast?
The short answer is just water. The idea is to rid the body entirely of other inputs so it focuses entirely on autophagy, weight loss and the production of human growht hormone. Studies have shown that 0 calorie inputs such as black coffee and black tea are acceptable and can aid in the autophagy process.
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