Would I benefit from a ketogenic diet and intermittent fasting?

When coaching, I often get asked, "should I follow a ketogenic diet?". I also meet with people who are following a Banting diet or low-carb diet who think that they are on a ketogenic diet but are not. I have also coached clients who think that because they need to eat a low-fat diet, they can't follow a ketogenic eating plan. I think it's time to clear up a few things!

What is ketosis?

Ketosis occurs when you take away the glucose in your diet so that your liver breaks down fat for fuel. When you are in this state, 3 ketone bodies are released; namely acetoacetate, beta-hydroxybutyrate, and acetone. Research has shown that these ketone bodies provide excellent energy to your brain and mitochondria, reducing global inflammation in your body, increasing BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor) and turning on NrF2 pathways. Sounds amazing!  

Who would benefit from this eating plan?

If you have determined your genotype by ordering a DNA test from MY DNA CHOICES., then you'll have insight into your APOE status together with your BDNF, inflammation, detoxification, insulin sensitivity, and methylation genotype. Having this insight will empower you and your practitioner to 'tweak' your eating plan to ensure that derive the maximum benefit to prevent chronic diseases associated with the above. 

If you have an active chronic disease such as an autoimmune disease, certain cancers or cognitive decline, discussing a ketogenic diet with your doctor would be a good idea. 

The best test to determine the above is:

How do I safely induce ketosis?

You can be in a ketogenic state either via your diet, intermittent fasting and after exercise. Often all three of these are used daily as part of your ketogenic goals. 

In Functional Medicine, a ketogenic eating plan is often used as part of the client's overall treatment plan. This is primarily due to the huge therapeutic value in eating a diet with little or no carbs, the right amount of good fat together with the correct amount and type of protein. The ketogenic eating plan is a 'flexitarian' diet that should be personalised according to your unique genotype, biochemistry and phenotype (what are your current health challenges). 

Intermittent fasting is a very helpful and inexpensive tool in helping you to reach the right levels of ketosis in order to optimise the health benefits. Intermittent fasting induces mild ketosis, improves insulin stability before sleeping and supports autophagy (cell clean up). I have seen the best results with the 12/3 Ketoflex Intermittent Fasting, which means 12 hours of fasting overnight and 3 hours of fasting between dinner and bedtime (this includes avoiding caloric drinks).

I love using this table to assist my coaching clients in personalising the above:

If you would like to get some support in following this diet plan, you can book a virtual coaching session with us:

How do I know when I am in ketosis?

You can easily measure ketosis at home using a ketone meter. When adopting overnight fasting, you should wake up with a reading of 0.2 - 0.5 mM. If you are following a ketogenic eating plan, then your morning reading should be between 0.5 - 3.0 mM. A level of 10mM or more is considered dangerous and means that you are overdoing it.

What is keto flu?

When starting with a ketogenic diet plan, you may find that you suffer with flu-like symptoms. Even though this is uncomfortable, it also means that all the good things are happening so hang in there! I have found that increasing your hydration and adding a small amount of salt before bedtime can alleviate symptoms. 

My favourite ketogenic tips

• Break your fast in the morning with a cup of warm water and lemon
• If you don't have an autoimmune disease or Alzheimer's disease, then take a Sunday off!
• Let  your intermittent fasting hours be flexible around your social life

What I truly love about the ketogenic diet is that it is very similar to how our ancestors ate and the results are such a powerful example of how food can heal our bodies.