There are so many diets out there with people view on food varied. One diet does not fit all so it is important to find the one that best suits you.
I have chosen this diet as I for a long time have eaten a Palaeolithic Diet on and Intermittent eating adaptation. However, I have just come back from holiday where I have gained a few pounds as I enjoy allowing my body to eat and drink what I want for 2 weeks. Now I need to get myself back into peak mental and physical condition, so this is the way of eating that I wish to change too.
Here I want to introduce you to why the Paleo Ketogenic Diet is a good idea and what the benefits are.
As we age our bodies change too and I am immensely proud of the fact that I am a 53-year-old woman who is in relatively tip-top condition. However, I know myself that my body cannot deal with food in the same way as it did when it was younger. I have always believed that food plays an important part in our physical appearance and mental ability.
I want to continue to live a good life free from illnesses, but I also need to lose some weight at this present moment in time.
I wish to share with you the reasons why the Paleo Ketogenic Diet are beneficial for you and perhaps you can try it out too.
What Is The Paleo Ketogenic Diet?
As you can imagine this diet is a combination of both the Paleo Diet and Ketogenic Diet.
The Palaeolithic Diet, pre – agricultural times there was no single diet. Local conditions dictated the type of food that was available for us which was often very seasonal. This way of eating has always taken the form of pure food evolved over 2.5 million years. Today this diet depicts a natural and unprocessed approach to our food without grains and dairy.
The Ketogenic Diet is one that results in the body’s energy deriving from ketone bodies in the blood thereby being in a state of ketosis. Instead of our body burning fuels from carbohydrates and sugar this diet is based around burning fat and fibre for our energy.
The PK Diet therefore is
Rich In Micronutrients
Low Chemical and Toxic Burden
This is the starting point for preventing and treating diseases and generally looking after our bodies to be at the highest and top peak condition both physically and mentally.
This diet combination gives you the best of both worlds and best suits your bowels, body, and brain’s.
The aim as a total is to enjoy a better quality and quantity of life.
As we age – we change – we need a diet to keep us healthy.
Why Is This Diet Good For Us?
In our youth our eating habits were very different however once you start to get into your late 20’s and 30’s you start to realize that certain foods cause irritations or we become a bit more noticeable to issues with blood pressure or fatigue etc.
Going into our late 40’s and 50’s things really start to change including hormonal and metabolic issues which cause weight problems and thyroid issues amongst a few.
The PK Diet allows our bowels, bodies, and brain’s to work more efficiently so that when can live a better quality and quantity of life through the aging process.
The cliché of “You Are What You Eat” has never been a truer saying.
I know I want to live longer but I also want to look and feel good free from illnesses and hospitalization.
Exercise certainly helps this but most often we do not have the motivation to do this because of fatigue and this can be as an effect of what we eat.
A western diet generally includes lots of processed foods and carbohydrates. These types of sugars are highly addictive and give us no nutritional benefits for our bodies to stay fit and healthy. If we continue to eat these types of food, then disease such as heart, cancer and dementia can occur and in the long-term early mortality is inevitable.
A high carbohydrate diet switches on a hormonal response which is primarily insulin. Insulin primarily lies down fat. Sometimes mild hypothyroidism occurs which reduces our metabolic rate making it difficult for us to lose weight.
The idea behind this way of eating is not only about weight loss but increased health. I do not take any medication as I believe that pumping anything into our body also makes us worse. Our bodies are perfectly capable of looking after themselves, but they do need good food to achieve this. The PK diet therefore also this to take place.
Paleo Ketogenic Diet Aim
The whole idea of this diet is to allow your body to get to a ketosis state which means completely burning fat and fibre for fuel.
Ketosis Sticks can help you to monitor this and are easily available and cheap to purchase.
Keeping carbohydrate levels low is important and everyone is different so monitoring where you are is key. This is easy to do just purely with the sticks and you can usually buy in pack of 50.
During the switch from burning sugar and starch to fat and fibre you might experience an unpleasant window which could last up to 2 weeks. This is called the “Metabolic Inflexibility” where we are not burning carbohydrates nor efficiently burning fats. Basically, this is the crossroads of our hormones.
It is important that at this stage you do not give into the addictive cheap carbohydrates and persevere through. This is important for you and in the long term you will feel great and full of energy.
At this time, you might feel
Which comes about because there is a lack of fuel for the body to burn.
The temptation to give into your cravings is high but this will only spike your insulin levels. You might again instant satisfaction but soon you will want another fix and then the sugar addiction will continue.
The reason that this happens is since people do not go full into the PK Diet and just start by cutting down, which is when the lethargy, fogginess, cold and depression happen.
Moving straight into the diet and measuring your ketones is the best way to achieve ketosis and stay there. As a result, you will receive all the health benefits that are associated.
How Do You Know You Are Efficiently Burning Fats?
Improved Energy Levels
Glassy Smooth Teeth – Dental plaque gives teeth a rough surface and start of teeth rot.
Clean Tongue – Bacteria builds up causing the furry discoloration
1 – 2 Kg Drop In Weight – Carbohydrates are stored in the liver and muscle as glycogen which in turn means that we hold water. When glycogen has been used up before fat burning starts this water is peed out.
Blood Sugar Levels Stabilise – Levels of insulin and adrenalin remain constant.
Missing A Meal Is Easy – You can survive on constant fat burning for weeks. Fasting stimulates new brain neurones to grow and you no longer need food.
No Longer Food Obsessed – Brain no longer consumed by next brain fix as plenty of fuel in your body.
Increased Athletic Performance – Better power to weight ratio with glycogen stores.
Improved Endurance – Stored sugar in liver and muscles can only last up to 1700 K calories. Fat stores can last up to 140,000 K calories.
Better Mental Performance – Preferred fuel for the brain is ketones and can treat all brain pathologies from mental health problems and dementia to epilepsy and malignant tumors.
Creates Calm within – Stress arises when the brain does not have the physical, mental, or emotional energy to deal with life’s problems. Ketosis increases the brain’s energy creating the sense of calm.
Gut Symptoms Improve – Grains, Dairy and Yeast or upper fermenting gut often caused by SIBO and can result in irritable bowel syndrome’s because of food allergies due to fermentation in the upper gut. Reflux and bloating are typical symptoms of this. Most bowel tumors are driven by the fermenting of the gut. (Too many Sugars and Starches).
Improved Sleep – Disturbed sleep is caused by nocturnal hypoglycemia. A common cause of snoring is due to allergy typically dairy products.
Problems Associated with Metabolic Syndrome and Fermenting Gut Improved – Many conditions are driven by allergies to gut microbes such as Type 2 Diabetes, Hypertension, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Arthritis, Irritable Bladder, ulcers, autoimmune syndrome’s psoriasis and psychiatric conditions.
Skin Quality Improves – Dry skin, dry eyes, dry mouth, dry perineum, may result from low fat diets.
Protection From Infections – The immune system like the brain prefers to run on fats. Infecting microbes largely run on sugars. The PK Diet is anti fungal, antibacterial, and antiviral.
Inflammation Improvements – The PK Diet is anti-inflammatory.
Improved Fatigue – The preferred fuel of mitochondria is ketones. The heart and brain run 25% more efficiently burning ketones compared with sugar.
In short, the PK Diet is highly protective against disease and infection associated with Western Lifestyles.
Foods To Eat
Cook with Saturated Fats – Lard, Butter of Coconut Oil
Cold Pressed Oils – Good for salads and dressings
Trans Fats – Margarine and Spreads (NOT ALLOWED)
Meat – Grass Fed
Wild Caught Fish
Non-Starchy Vegetables – Those grown above ground level
Leafy Greens – Kale, Lettuce, Spinach
Cruciferous – Pok Choi, Broccoli, Brussel Sprouts, Cauliflower, Cabbage
Nightshades – Asparagus, Aubergines, Eggplants, Peppers, Tomatoes
Root Vegetables – Potatoes, Turnips, Parsnips, Carrots (NOT ALLOWED)
NUTS AND BERRIES
High Carbohydrate Fruits – Banana, Raisins, Mango, Pineapple (NOT ALLOWED)
High Carbohydrate Nuts – Cashews, Almonds, Nut Butters, Coated Nuts (NOT ALLOWED)
EGGS – Great source of micro nutrients and fats
Foods To Avoid
Dr Sarah Myhill and Craig Robinson – The PK Cookbook which is full of information and science behind this diet from 2 experts. Also, has plenty of recipes and food options such as PK Bread. Worth purchasing as also has menus and food options.
I believe that we have a duty to look after ourselves and the best way that we can do this in a simple form is through what we eat.
As I mentioned previously, I want to remain healthy and free from disease so that I can have a longer and better quality of life.
Empowering ourselves through what we eat to give us the life we want to lead is so great.
Sugars and starches are deadly to our bodies as I have previously mentioned earlier. We do not have to be governed by the big manufactures who rely on us for their survival through our addiction to their products.
We have lived for over 2.5 million years through eating simple good food so why would we want to change this. This Paleo Ketogenic Diet certainly allows us to achieve this and I would recommend try to buy locally sourced food as they have fewer pesticides so are better for you and help our local communities.
Let us take our health and well-being back into our own hands as we have always done all those many years ago. We do not need modern drugs and medicines if we look after our bodies.
I hope that I have given you an insight into the wonderful world of the Paleo Ketogenic Diet and the health benefits.
As I mentioned earlier not all diets suit everyone and you need to find the one that is right for you so that you can continue to sustain these eating habits as a way of life.
However, it is always good to try something new for 30 days and see what your achievements are as a result especially if you are suffering from any of the above symptoms I described earlier.
If you have any further questions or queries, please do not hesitate to leave your comments below so I can help you further.