Ketosis & Measuring Ketones . Ketoacidosis. Ketosis is a state at which your body produces ketones in the liver, shifting the body's metabolism away from glucose and towards fat utilisation. The presence of ketones in your body, which is indicative of lipolysis, is a definite proof of ketosis. According to Volek and Phinney in their best- selling book . Ketosis is not only a great weight loss tool, but it has been used for treating diseases such as epilepsy, Alzheimer's or cancer. You can check out my post here to see more about health effects of ketogenic diets with links to relevant research. While nutritional ketosis is perfectly safe, ketoacidosis is an indicator of serious health problems. Ketoacidosis occurs in serious health conditions such as type 1 and type 2 diabetics and alcoholics and has nothing to do with nutritional ketosis. The level of ketones in ketoacidosis are 3- 5 times higher than in ketosis resulting from a ketogenic diet. Ways to Measure Ketones. There are three types of ketone bodies: Acetone, Acetoacetate and Beta- Hydroxybutryate (BHB). Unlike protein intake, where the daily amount is determined by your lean mass weight, the amount of carbs to enter ketosis can be estimated using: 1) Blood ketone meter. It's the most accurate way to measure ketone bodies, beta- bydroxybutryate (BHB, although not technically a ketone body). The Alternative Daily shares alternative health news on stress, sleep, alternative diets with a newsletter and health eBooks. Fertility Ucla Can I Get Pregnant At 42 While On My Period Fertility Ucla Pregnancy Information Booklet How To Get Pregnant Fast In Marathi Not Getting Pregnant Bad. 9 Proven Ways To Lose Stubborn Belly Fat And 1 really good reason why ignoring it is no longer an option Hallie Levine July 18, 2014.
Blood ketone meters can precisely determine the level of ketones in your blood but they are also pricey. To give you an idea, the meter itself is about $4. If you want to test yourself daily, it will cost you $1. I don't know about you but I'd rather spend it on quality food or a gym membership. On the other hand, if you are on the Restricted Ketogenic Diet and numbers matter to you, a blood ketone meter may be the best and only option you have. Breath testing - . Acetone is one of the ketone bodies that results from a break down of acetoacetate. The Ketonix Acetone Breathalyzer is available and offers an easy and inexpensive way to test your breath ketones (acetone). Keep in mind that breath ketones do not always exactly correlate with blood ketones and are affected by several factors (alcohol consumption and water intake). You can find my review of the breathalyzer here. Urine ketone strips. Ketostix, Uriscan and other urine detection strips are not as accurate and may not work for some people. They only show excess ketone bodies excreted via urine (acetoacetate) but tell you nothing about the level of ketones in your bloodstream (BHB) which is most probably higher. Some people use them to test if they are sensitive to certain foods that may be keto- friendly but still have a negative effect on their weight loss. They are easy to use and fairly cheap. You'll pay about $1. If urine detection strips don't work for you, use one of the other two methods. Observation. Listening to your body's signals is another way of finding out whether you are in ketosis. When your body is in ketosis, you may smell of acetone. This could be sensed in your breath, sweat or urine. Some people refer to this as ketogenic . If you detect any of these signs, you are more than likely in ketosis. Why are Ketostix Inaccurate? As mentioned above, although your body may produce ketone bodies which you can measure in your blood stream, Ketostix only show excess ketone bodies excreted via urine. These excess ketones are, in fact, wasted calories. Below are the main reasons for different level of ketone bodies in your blood and urine: Ketostix don't measure all types of ketones produced by your body. Although there are 3 types of ketones (acetone, acetoacetate and beta- hydroxybutyrate), they only measure acetoacetate. Depending on how long you have been in ketosis, your body produces different types and amounts of ketones and you may not be able to detect acetoacetate when keto- adapted. For more details, check out this post at Ketopia. As you become keto- adapted (3- 4 weeks), you will excrete less ketone bodies via urine. This means that you may show high blood ketones and low or none urine ketones. Also, changes in hydration affect the concentration of ketones. A high water intake may dilute the concentration of ketones in the urine. Because it's important to stay hydrated, you will likely see lower readings. Other reasons (fluctuations that appear after waking up, after eating and post- workout)More Ketones, More Fat Loss? Most people believe that in order to lose as much fat as possible, they need to restrict their carbs intake as much as they can. I've already explained the main effects of a low- carb, ketogenic diet. Currently, it's not clear what the full effect of such carbs restriction is. Some diet authors, including Atkins himself, supported the idea that more ketones equals more weight loss. The reasoning they gave was that ketones are, in fact, calories which are made from the breakdown of fat in the liver. Is that really a valid reason? Although some fat loss may appear as a result of a potential . While urinary ketone excretion means that body fat is being excreted causing fat loss, the effect is minimal: Based on recent studies, the number of calories lost in the urine as ketones is not significant (1. Anecdotally, higher levels of ketones may actually slow down fat loss. Individuals who maintain lower ketone levels (trace ketones) appear to lose fat more efficiently. One explanation may be that high levels of ketones in the bloodstream may slightly raise insulin and block the release of free fatty acids from fat cells. Also, when becoming keto- adapted, some individuals tolerate relatively greater carbohydrate intakes without disrupting ketosis. It's up to you to find your optimal carbs intake. As I've explained above, more ketones won't help you burn significantly more calories - no studies show such effects. As long as you stay in nutritional ketosis (0. M), moderate amounts of carbohydrates can be added to your diet. If you want to know more about ketone levels and their effect on fat loss, have a look at this post: Do Ketones Matter? Don't Focus Just on Ketones, See the Big Picture. Recently, I've noticed a growing obsession when it comes to measuring ketones precisely. Although urine detection strips may not be accurate for keto- adapted people, they work for most of those that have just started the ketogenic diet. By the time they become keto- adapted, which takes 3- 4 weeks, most of them understand what to eat and what to avoid without any real need to measure the precise level of ketone bodies. I've been in nutritional ketosis on and off for almost two years and can't really complain about urine strips. I don't personally need to track exact numbers because it won't make a difference to me. When I started, I used Ketostix to find out when I was in ketosis and what my net carbs limit should be. These days, my daily net carbs intake varies from 3. I am. My advice is that you should give Ketostix a try. If you need to keep track of your ketone levels, use a blood ketone meter or the breathalyser. In the end, what really matters is not ketones but the effects of low- carb diets: weight loss and improved health. More Diet Tips. Generally, ketone concentrations are lower in the morning and higher in the evening. Whatever time you pick to measure ketone levels, make sure to keep it consistent. Also, do not measure your ketone levels right after exercise. Ketone levels tend to be lower while your glucose levels higher so you won't get representative numbers. Keep in mind there are daily fluctuations caused by changes in hormone levels. Don't get discouraged! Another aspect that affects the level of ketones is the amount of fat in your diet. Some of you may show higher concentration of ketones after a high- fat meal. Coconut oil contains MCTs that will help you boost ketones. To easily increase your fat intake on a ketogenic diet, tryfat bombs - snacks with at least 8. Ketone levels tend to be higher after extensive aerobic exercise as your body depletes glycogen stores. Exercise may help you get into ketosis faster. To avoid this, drink a lot of water, mint tea and make sure you eat foods rich in electrolytes. Avoid too many chewing gums and mints, as it may put you out of ketosis; there may be hidden carbs affecting your blood sugar. Increase your electrolyte intake, especially potassium. You are likely going to lose some sodium and potassium when switching to the keto diet. Finally, if you find it hard to lose weight on a ketogenic diet, there may be plenty other reasons than the level of ketone bodies: Not Losing Weight on Low- Carb Ketogenic Diet? Don’t Give Up and Read Further. My Apps and Book. I hope you enjoyed reading my post. To find out more about the ketogenic diet and keto- friendly recipes, check out my apps Keto. Diet, Keto. Diet Basic and my new cookbook! Effective Exercises and Strategies to Burn Your Belly Fat. By Dr. Mercola. If you're looking to shrink and tone your belly, there's a better way to do it than trying to do crunches. In fact, research has shown that doing abdominal exercises alone—even when performed five days a week for six weeks—has no effect at all on subcutaneous fat stores and abdominal circumference. In an op- ed piece for Forbes Magazine, Jennifer Cohen suggests using strategies that burn up cortisol instead. Cortisol is a hormone in your body that depletes lean muscle and holds on to fat in the abdominal region. One of the most important ways to help this process is to reduce stress in your life, because stress causes cortisol levels to spike. Cohen also delves into a number of other strategies that help reduce your cortisol levels, such as the following. To learn more, please see the featured Forbes article: . Getting sufficient amounts of sleep, for example, not only helps normalize cortisol levels, it's also important in order to optimize your circadian clock, which can have a profound impact on your metabolism and weight. As an example, a couple of years ago researchers at the University of Chicago found that dieters who slept for 8. But the master key really lies with your diet, followed closely by the type of exercise you engage in. About 8. 0 percent of your ability to reduce excess body fat is determined by what you eat, with the other 2. What this means is that if your diet is based on sugar/fructose and processed junk food, your chances of getting flat, ripped abs, even if you work out religiously, are quite slim.. You simply will not see defined abs unless you reduce your overall body fat, and a poor diet cause your body to hold on to excess fat, despite all your exercise efforts. Cohen mentions two of the most important dietary factors in her article, namely: Reducing or eliminating sugar from your diet. This includes ALL forms of sugar and fructose, whether refined or . By avoiding processed foods in general, and focusing instead on whole, preferably locally grown organic foods, cooked at home, you can circumvent one of the greatest dietary obstacles there is today. For more details, I suggest you review my Optimized Nutrition Plan, which is a comprehensive and step- by- step guide to help you make health- promoting food- and lifestyle choices. The top offenders in this category include. But while considered . The trick to achieve flat abs is to incorporate the correct types of exercises. High- intensity interval exercises are at the core of my Peak Fitness routine. This short intense training protocol improves muscle energy utilization and expenditure due to its positive effects on increasing muscle mass and improving muscle fiber quality. Muscle tissue burns three to five times more energy than fat tissues, so as you gain muscle, your metabolic rate increases, which allows you to burn more calories, even when you're sleeping. Further, several studies have confirmed that exercising in shorter bursts with rest periods in between burns more fat than exercising continuously for an entire session. In fact, you can actually lose more weight by reducing the amount of time you spend on exercise, because when doing high- intensity interval training you only need 2. Any more and you'll overdo it! You can get the details on how to properly perform these exercises in the video below. Next: Exercises that Target Your Abs. While ab workouts specifically may not help you reduce body fat, they still provide important benefits and should not be overlooked. Your abdominals are part of your body's 2. This group of muscles provides the foundation for movement throughout your entire body, and strengthening them can help protect and support your back, make your spine and body less prone to injury and help you gain greater balance and stability. When you build your ab muscles, it's like developing an internal corset that holds your gut in. By doing so, you help stabilize your spine, vertebrae and discs, which in turn can significantly reduce back pain and make it easier for you to lift heavy items, twist and turn and perform the movements required for a full life. Having a strong abdominal wall is very important for optimal body movement and gets increasingly more important with advancing age. A strong abdominal wall is also what will produce that six- pack look once you've lost sufficient amounts of subcutaneous fat. However, conventional crunches and sit- ups are not the most effective when it comes to creating flat, well- defined abs. In order to effectively train your core muscles, you must incorporate a variety of stabilization, functional and traditional exercises. A study by Petrofsky (2. The simple, traditional abdominal floor crunch was found to produce and recruit the least amount of muscle activity when subjects were attached to an electromyography (EMG) machine! That's not to say that you should never perform a traditional abdominal crunch; but this particular exercise should be done as part of a varied core- strengthening routine. This may include: Traditional exercises, such as a standard crunch with rotation or a standing rotation with a light hand weight. Functional exercises, including work on a stability ball. Stabilizing exercises, such as lying on the floor and pulling your belly back toward your spine and holding that position while breathing deeply Extension exercises, such as lying on your stomach with arms extended above your head. Then raising both arms and both legs, at the same time, off the floor. But there's yet another exercise you might not have thought of: push- ups! Push- ups don't just give you a stronger upper body, they also train your abdominals—as long as you're doing them correctly. I recommend watching Darin Steen's demonstration of the proper form below, but I've also included a summary of key points to remember: Keep your body stiff and straight as a plank Elbows at a 4. Breathe in on the way down Lower your body all the way down. Breathe out on the way up If you're looking to get rock- hard abs, remember that proper dietary choices is your first step, but from there a comprehensive fitness program and targeted ab exercises will help you achieve your goal. Mayo Clinic Diet- Fad Diet Version By Mizpah Matus B. Hlth. Sc(Hons)The Mayo Clinic Diet continues to cause considerable confusion. This is not an “official” Mayo Clinic Diet. The Mayo Clinic health center (based in Rochester, USA) categorically states that it had never endorsed any diet plan until December 2. Mayo Clinic Plan was available via the Internet. The clinic does however provide a number of guidelines for healthy eating – including the new Mayo Clinic Healthy Weight Pyramid (aka Mayo Clinic Food Pyramid). What is the unofficial “Mayo Clinic Diet”? What was supposedly the Mayo Clinic Diet is a fad or crash diet. It is based around grapefruit, lots of salad and protein, and little carbohydrates. Weight loss was supposed to be in the region of 5. Mayo Clinic Diet – Meal Plan. This is a copy of the fad diet – and it IS NOT RECOMMENDED. Representatives from the Mayo Clinic have disavowed this diet. From the Medical Edge Newsletter July 2. Versions of a Mayo Clinic Diet have been circulating for decades. Most push grapefruit, eggs, cabbage soup or meat and promise dramatic weight loss. None of these diets is associated with or has been endorsed by Mayo Clinic.”1. Breakfast. 1/2 Grapefruit or 4 oz. Grapefruit Juice (unsweetened)2 Eggs (any style)2 Slices Bacon. Lunch. 1/2 Grapefruit or 4 oz. Grapefruit Juice (unsweetened)Meat (any style, any amount)Salad (any kind of dressing)Dinner. Grapefruit or 4 oz. Grapefruit Juice (unsweetened)Meat (any style, any amount) (fish may be substituted for meat)Vegetables (any green, yellow, or red vegetables cooked in butter or any seasoning)Bed Time Snack. Skim milk. Vegetables Allowed. Red onions, green onions, bell peppers, radishes, cucumbers, broccoli, spinach, lettuce, cabbage, carrots, peas. Vegetables to Avoid White onions, potatoes, celery. Instructions. At any meal you may eat until you are full – until you can’t eat any more. Don’t eliminate anything from the diet, especially don’t skip bacon at breakfast or omit salads. It is the combination of foods that burn fat. The grapefruit is important because it acts as a catalyst that starts the burning process. Cut down on caffeine – it affects the insulin balance that hinders the burning process. Try to limit to 1 cup per meal at mealtime. Don’t eat between meals. If you eat the combination of food suggested you will not be hungry. Note that the diet completely eliminates sugar and starches, which are lipids and form fat. Fat doesn’t form fat; it helps burn it. You can fry food in butter and use butter generously on vegetables. Do not eat desserts, bread, and white vegetables or sweet potatoes. You may double or triple helpings of meat, salad, or vegetables. Eat until you are stuffed. The more you eat of the proper combination of food, the more you lose. See Also Mayo. Clinic. Health information from the Official Mayo Clinic. Mayo. Clinic. org – Official site of the actual Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minneapolis, USA. Fad Diets – Article about Fad or Crash Diets. Pandemic obesity and the contagion of nutritional nonsense. Public health reviews, 3. N., & Brownell, K. Weight reduction diets and health promotion. American journal of preventive medicine. Adiponectin, inflammation, and the expression of the metabolic syndrome in obese individuals: the impact of rapid weight loss through caloric restriction. The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, 8.
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