From Experiment to Lifestyle

May 4th I started an experiment to see what the effects of a ketogenic diet also known as low carb, high fat, adequate protein diet would have on my current health.  I've attempted low-carb/high fat dieting (Atkins) before as well as a low-calorie/non-fat/ low-carb diet (6 Week Body Makeover). I was never particularly successful on either plan, particularly the 6 Week plan as it basically had me starving myself to death by way of 6 tiny, fat-free meals per day. The 30 pounds I lost on it was rapidly gained back in about 1/2 the time it took me to lose it. My hubby declared it a full fail as I was "a complete bitch" for the entire time I was on it (he's right, I was) And I never stuck to the Atkins plan very long as I took a lot of flack about it from friends and family worried that eating steak and eggs and  bun-less bacon cheeseburgers every day would lead me down a fast path to high cholesterol and heart disease. Little did I know just how wrong they would end up being.

What sparked me to give this ketogenic thing a try was a post I read on the Carb Smart website by  author and low-carb expert Jimmy Moore of the Livin' La Vida Low Carb blog and website. The post was about 10 unexpected health benefits of nutritional ketosis besides weight loss.  I read it with great interest because over the past year my metabolic health had taken a nose dive and on top of that I was found to have and enlarged and fatty liver and elevated liver enzymes as well as an enlarged spleen with multiple lesions in it. Reading his post made me think that if nutritional ketosis had such a positive effect on Jimmy's health that it might be of some benefit to me. I had no idea that within the first 6 weeks I would see dramatic changes happen in my body.

Here is what happened to me: In the first 6 weeks my

• Total Cholesterol went from 203 to 195 (under 200 is optimal)
• HDL from 48 to 54 (under 50 is optimal)
• LDL from 117 to 108 (under 100 is optimal)
• VLDL from 40 to 33 (0-30 normal range)
• Triglycerides from 202 to 167 (less than 150 is optimal)
• Liver enzymes: ALT from 94 to 50 (10-49 is normal range) and AST 85 to 36 (0-33 is normal range)

As you can see my previously high numbers were dramatically reduced to near normal levels in just a few short weeks by eating this high fat/low carb/adequate protein diet. 

In addition to the metabolic improvement, I've also lost 15 pounds, 2 pant sizes and gained back much of my joint mobility previously lost to me by almost constant pain which I now believe was totally diet related.

I credit my improvements not only on my High Fat/ Low Carb plan but also on the elimination of what I call the "nasty whites" from my diet; wheat, oats, corn, rye, barely, rice, potatoes and sugar. In addition I've added yoga to my daily routine. My primary care physician was quite impressed with my health improvements and she encouraged me to continue my lifestyle changes and come back in October for another blood test.

Just 3 months into this new lifestyle I've come to understand the effects of GOOD fats on my overall health. I didn't consume any margarine, soybean oil, canola oil or vegetable oil but instead generously ate butter, olive oil, coconut oil, fresh avocados and a few macadamia nuts. Yes, all those things that we've been told for years to avoid lest we raise our cholesterol, clog up our arteries and die of heart attacks at a young age. And upon dumping the nasty whites-including those "whole grains", the ones "they" recommend that we get plenty of, I not only shrank my waistline but eliminated the joint pain that I've been plagued with for years.  I feel amazingly good these days. I feel energetic, rested, focused, happy and with a bright outlook on my future!