A good friend of mine who is currently in medical school brought to my attention a couple of patients he has seen who have experienced complications from a prolonged “Keto” diet. I appreciate his expertise and I have decided that it is necessary for me to talk about a few parts of my nutrition approach that vary from many of the ketosis craze articles you see online. Through my own personal research and experiences with the diet, I believe that a fat-based lifestyle is not only sustainable but healthy. That does not mean that the diet is for everyone and there are many factors that make everyone unique in their own wellness approach. Please consult a professional if you have any concerns, previous health issues, or chronic ailments before embarking on a keto journey. I am not a doctor and my opinions on nutrition, even though research-backed, are not universal facts. All I am aiming to do is provide you with evidence that I have seen work in my life and allowed me to be a more optimized human. I feel it is my duty as the creator of Optimization Daily to go over the problems I see with the majority of people practicing a ketogenic lifestyle.
The biggest issue I see with keto is that it has been marketed as an easy alternative diet that brings about weight loss. I can not tell you how many times I find out someone is keto and their diet is completely ignoring so many factors of health. Sure they may be losing weight, but they are wreaking havoc on their inside through inflammation and destroying their gut/intestinal tract. The truth is that just being in ketosis does not make you healthy. Sure you will lose weight and feel cognitive benefits, but at what cost? Overall, being healthy is not an easy task in the modern world we live in. Even most food that is marketed as healthy or organic is just from producers who found loopholes to make their products more appealing. It is tough work and it is even harder when there is so much out there trying to misguide you. Below are the five topics of the series that I will cover. If you aren’t familiar with Keto, in general, please check out my overview here.
1. Not eating enough veggies
I don’t care what anyone tells you. To be healthy you need to eat a ton of veggies. Sadly, most people think that being keto allows them to eat a minimal amount of veggies and when they do they are covered in cheese and cooked in butter. Most even feel that veggies will kick them out of ketosis and this flat out is not true at all (I eat an excessive amount of veggies a day and my blood tests still show I am in nutritional ketosis). Keto or not, everyone should eat 3-4 cups of raw veggies a day. Especially leafy greens and other cruciferous plants. The antioxidants in plants counteract many of the issues that arise from eating an excess of meat and cheese. This will be the next article and a very important one to pay attention to.
2. Sources of meat
You are what you eat, but you are also what your food eats. Most meat that you consume comes from animals who eat a very unhealthy diet themselves, therefore making the animal itself unhealthy to consume. You should always be seeking out 100% grass-fed and free-range sources of animal protein. Your body processes them much better and the fat has the proper ratio of omega 3s to reduce inflammation in the body. Please stay tuned for more.
3. Dairy Consumption
Cheese is the biggest problem I see with most people’s approach to keto. This is hard for people to understand because cheese is marketed as a healthy food. Unfortunately, most studies with cheese can only claim to have a “neutral” effect on health and these studies themselves are backed by the dairy industry. Dairy in general, especially from cows, is actually very hard for our bodies to process. The issue lies within the amount of casein protein which slugs through our body and takes forever to break down. So if you are on a ketogenic lifestyle right now then please stop eating cheese and stay posted for the deep dive on dairy in this series.
4. Hydration on Keto
This one seems simple, but many people ignore the ways in which keto can affect the hydration levels in the body. When adapting a fat based lifestyle, one must focus on keeping the body’s electrolytes in balance and maintaining adequate water intake. Please don’t pass over this part of the series as hydration is arguably the most important factor in health.
5. Macro vs Micro approach
All of the above factors come down to a big issue in the fitness community. There are so many people who are only focused on their “Macros” and completely ignore the micronutrients which have a huge impact on your overall health. Good veggies, berries, cinnamon, and other things need to be staples in the diet to make sure you keep your body regulated and optimized. The final piece of this series will sum up the previous articles and break down how important a micronutrient focus is so important.
Stay tuned
Please stay tuned for the articles focused on each issue above. I will do my best to crank them out as fast as possible, but this series will span over the next couple of weeks. Do not hesitate to contact me or leave a comment asking a specific question you have before a specific article comes out. Thank you for reading and I hope this finds you well.
With Big Love,
Rob Young