Tag: ketosis

Brain Function and Ketosis

Did you know that as we age or if we have had TBI‘s or PTSD that your brain doesn’t uptake glucose into the brain?

I know that I have experienced less brain fog and clearer thinking since I have been taking exogenous ketones and using a keto lifestyle.

Part of my keto lifestyle includes intermittent fasting. Intermittent fasting will give you a brain flush by clearing your mind, awakening your senses, and improving brain function.

Here is a link to an article that talks about the benefits of Intermittent fasting and brain function. https://www.businessinsider.com/fasting-diet-ketosis-brain-body-effects-2017-12

To summarize all of this information, it would seem that our brains work better while our bodies are in ketosis, whether from endogenous ketones or exogenous ketones. In TBI’s or PTSD the trauma that our brains have suffered leads to less capability of the brain being able to uptake glucose.

If you want to try intermittent fasting or ketones that put your body into ketosis in under 30 minutes, don’t hesitate to reach out. There are so many benefits other than feeding the brain, but to me as I age that is one of the biggest things.

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How to Stay Motivated Week 2

Surround Yourself with Positivity!

Have you ever tried to do something and the people that you love laugh at you or remind you of all the times you have failed in the past??!?!?!?!?!?! Remember Colonel Sanders of KFC? Remember Thomas Edison? Take a look at the chart below and see how many times different people tried something before they were successful.

So to reach your goals and stay motivated you have to surround yourself with positivity. If your family only laughs at you, then join a facebook group or find a blog (like this one) where you can ask questions or get suggestions as to how to stay on target.

Don’t let the Negative Nellies control your life! I sometimes have allowed myself, in the past, to be bogged down because we’ve made a statement to a family member about losing weight and then when we don’t take any off, they just sit there and shake their head at us. Don’t give that person control over you.

You need to take control over yourself and be headstrong and willing to step up and eat different, or go for a walk, or exercise at the gym, or take ketone supplements. Ketone supplements can help to jump start your body into that lifestyle that you want. They are good for your brain, your joints and every other aspect of your body. And they taste good too!

So SURROUND YOURSELF WITH POSITIVITY! to help you stay Motivated.

Click the blue link above for more information on Pruvit Ketone supplements and how they work.

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How Does Ketosis Work?

Picture complements of Pruvit Hacked Magazine

On a SAD (Standard American Diet) with higher carbs and lower fats

Step 1 Glucose Levels Rise

Step 2 Pancreas Secretes Insulin

Step 3 Insulin shuttles Glucose into cell

Step 4 Energy is Created

On a Keto Diet with higher fat and lower carbs

Step 1 Glucose Levels Fall

Step 2 Lipase Releases stored Triglycerides

Step 3 Fatty Acids travel to the Liver

Step 4 Energy is Created

In the absence of Carbohydrates the body will use it’s own fat stores to generate energy through the process of Ketosis.

Ketosis is the act of the body burning fats for fuel. The most popular old style diet out there that was known for putting your body into ketosis was the Adkins Diet. You still see people doing it today. The big difference between it and a Keto diet is that on Adkins you could have unlimited proteins and on Keto your proteins are limited to about 20-25% of your daily intake. The reason protein is limited is because after a certain amount it turns into carbohydrates for your body to burn glucose as fuel instead of fat for fuel.

Diet alone takes about 3-10 days for your body to burn all the glucose and for you to be in ketosis. Every body is different so thus the difference in the amount of time it takes to get into complete ketosis. You also have to watch out for the keto flu – which happens when you cut carbs out of your system cold turkey. I recommend that you take 3-5 days to get into ketosis by eliminating more carbs each day. The keto flu is real and that generally turns most people off of a keto diet. You can get through it though, by just slowing your carb intake each day. Cut out sugar one day then bread the next and pasta the next and potatoes the next.

You can also use exogenous ketones which will put your body into ketosis in under an hour. Sounds too good to be true but I recommend that you don’t change your eating habits for at least the first week, then after week two gradually start changing your diet as above. This eliminates the problem of the keto flu. If you are an unbeliever on the fact that this exogenous ketone will put your body into ketosis in under an hour – you can buy test strips to check it or the most accurate way is with a blood test. It is amazing how fast they work.

Whether you decide to put your body into ketosis with just food or by adding a supplement you will need to keep in mind that you will want to make sure and add electrolytes to your diet as well as making sure you get enough magnesium and potassium.

The top 10 Keto approved Potassium foods are as follows:

  • Avocado — 1 whole — 27% RDI
  • Salmon — 15.5 oz filet — 28% RDI
  • Zucchini — 2 cups raw — 17% RDI
  • Cauliflower — 2 cups raw — 14% RDI
  • Mushrooms — 2 cups raw — 13% RDI
  • Brussel Sprouts – 2 cups raw — 15% RDI
  • Sirloin Steak — 5oz filet — 14% RDI
  • Trout or Mahi Mahi — 5oz filet — 14% RDI
  • Celery — 2 cups raw – 11% RDI
  • Almond Milk — 1 cup — 4% RDI

The Top 10 Keto approved Magnesium rich foods are as follows:

  • Almonds — 1oz. — 75mg
  • Cashew Nuts — 1oz. — 81.8mg
  • Brazil Nuts — 6 kernels — 106mg
  • Flaxseed — 1 tablespoon — 27.4mg
  • Cocoa and dark Chocolate — 10g square — 17mg
  • Artichokes — 1 medium — 50mg
  • Salmon — 200g or half a filet — 58mg
  • Spinach — 100g raw — 79mg
  • Swiss Chard — 100g — 81mg
  • Avocado — 1/2 avocado — 29mg

These are just some of the foods that will help you as you move to a Keto Lifestyle.

To get more information about our Pruvit Exogenous Ketones – click the highlighted link for a short video that explains all about them with no obligation.

As you start getting your body into ketosis you will notice little changes and then big changes. Weigh and then throw away the scale. Make sure and measure before you start, because you will notice more with the measurements than you will with the weight. Have fun with it and make it a lifestyle!

For any help – don’t hesitate to comment and we can help with answering your questions. Have a great day.

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What is Ketosis?

Very simply ketosis is where your body burns fat for fuel!!!

Ketosis is a metabolic state that is characterized by elevated blood ketone levels coupled with lower, stable blood sugar levels. When you restrict carbohydrate intake, insulin is low, the body’s main fuel source shifts from glucose to fat, which sends the body into “ketosis”.

Ketones are made in the liver through a process known as ketogenesis. When you restrict carbohydrates, blood glucose and insulin levels decrease, which allows fat stores to break down and provide energy. Our liver then makes ketones. Kind of like the runners high! The runners high is when all glucose is burned and your body has now started to burn ketones. Gives you that extra burst of energy known as the “Runners High”. If you’ve ever experienced this you will know how much of a burst of energy you get.

Nutritional ketosis can take anywhere from 3-10 days to get into ketosis, maintaining a very strict keto diet of less than 25grams of carbs per day. But if you go over that even once and do, let’s say 50-100 grams of carbs, it can kick you out of ketosis and you will then have to start all over again. So anyone relying on a keto diet has to maintain a strict 25 grams of carbs per day.

Our bodies can also utilize a Keto supplement that can put your body into ketosis in under an hour. Amazing that a supplement can do this, but it can be tested using either ketone pee strips or blood tests. One Keto supplement can put you into ketosis for up to 6-8 hours. Add in some intermittent fasting or a modified keto diet and you get the same basic results as a strict keto diet without having to count macros or worry about too many carbohydrates.

I take a keto supplement every day and do a modified keto diet (most days I maintain less than 50 grams of carbs a day) thus a KETO LIFESTYLE. I don’t have to punish myself in my head for cheating once in a while. If temptation is high – 95% of the time I will just have a bite of something and that will allow me to have a taste but not feel deprived.

I’m a firm believer, at this age, that I want a LIFESTYLE not a DIET. So I have added the supplement to my lifestyle and I love it. If I need an extra boost due to late hours or extra workout, I can always add a second supplement. It comes in caffeine and decaffeinated versions so I don’t have to worry about extra caffeine.

I can also say after doing this LIFESTYLE for over two years, my body tells me when I’ve had too many carbohydrates. I can feel the lethargy coming on and my stomach immediately gets that bloated feeling.

This past week I had a diverticulitis attack and have had to eat soft foods, most of which were not keto. I have fought the lethargy every day while trying to get my tummy better. I thought about just doing an extended fast, but you have to eat when you take these antibiotics so I had bland food – mashed potatoes, pasta and some rice. When you have to eat those kinds of foods – they are just that bland. It didn’t matter how much butter I added or even cheese – they are still bland. I’m so glad I can get back to eating my healthy way of life. I’ve been able to add eggs back in and now that 5 days have gone by, I can start adding meat and veggies again. I just have to watch the fiber content so I will start by adding fish in and then by the end of this week I should be able to eat my full keto diet again. Yeah.

If you are still trying to decide if Low Carb/Keto is a way of life for you – don’t hesitate to contact us. We love to help people to understand how it works and how you can feel BETTER as well.

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What is a Low Carb Keto Lifestyle

We need to talk about the difference between a Low Carb diet, a Ketogenic Diet and a Keto Lifestyle.

A Low Carb Diet generally allows you to have a diet in which less than 30% of your total daily macronutrient calories come from Carbohydrates.

A Ketogenic Diet, however, consists of about 5-10% Carbohydrates, 15-30% Protein and the remaining as fat.

A Ketogenic Lifestyle basically consists of a Ketogenic Diet or a Low Carb Diet and then supplements with pure therapeutic ketones. Click for more information.

I personally do a Ketogenic Lifestyle. I take a supplement every day that puts my body into ketosis in under an hour and not feel guilty because I know my body will still be in ketosis.

Ketosis is where your body is burning fat for fuel. Our bodies do this as a normal part of life – create Ketones in the liver – and that runners high – well that is when you eliminate all the glucose from your body and start burning natural ketones. By taking a supplement, I burn Ketones every day.

When I first started on this lifestyle – I didn’t change my diet and I just added the pure therapeutic ketones. I put my body into ketosis with just supplementing. (you can test it and prove you’re in ketosis) Then about week two I started to eliminate carbs (keeps you from getting the keto flu) til I got into ketosis naturally and with the supplement. This allows it to be a lifestyle instead of a diet (DIEt) I have always felt deprived when I’ve been on a diet.

I used the supplement to help me lose weight but that isn’t really what it is for – that is just a great side benefit. It helps you have more Energy, better Sleep ( I used to have to take sleeping pills), better Mental Focus, Better Mood. It clears the skin, helps preserve the muscles, acts like an appetite suppressant and so many more things. It overall just makes you feel better.

AND for me the biggest benefit is that I have been able to maintain my weight within 3 lbs for the last two years. That is a first for me. I’ve always been able to DIET, but then as soon as I go off the DIET I gain it all back and then some. This time is different. Ketones for me are the way to go. I love my lifestyle and I don’t ever feel deprived.

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