What are exogenous ketones and are they for you?

A big part of the world of Nutrition Science these days centres on the idea of Personalization - the idea that there is no one way or method that will work for everyone. This is a big part of the reason why I like exogenous ketones so much as a tool for so many different people.   I love the idea that one can get the benefits of ketones without actually having to be on a fully ketogenic diet. As much as Keto and LCHF lifestyles can be transformational for some people they are not necessarily appropriate for everyone. You may not tolerate a high fat diet, you may be suffering from chronic stress, and your genetics may have you set up for a different plan - whatever the reason, being Ketogenic may just not be available to you.

Enter Perfect Keto - combined with a clean diet (know that good as Perfect Keto is it cannot do ALL the work for you!), you can use the shake to increase your energy, decrease your cravings and reintroduce your body to the magic of ketones, work on your sleep, start exercising (even if for you that means walking 20 minutes a day), hydrate and repeat. Day after day....be consistent, notice the changes in how you feel and allow those to drive your actions: make better food choices, take the stairs instead of the elevator because you cannot because you have to - continue to do this day after day and over time, like so many of my clients can attest, you will see results. The beauty of this product is that it seems to level the playing field for so many people and it is for this reason that I recommend people try it. Ok.

On to Intermittent Fasting. 

What is it?

Intermittent fasting is simply the practice of deliberately refraining from eating food for a 16-18 hour window on designated days. It's really not as bad as it sounds - think of it this way - you finish dinner around 7:30 pm and then don't eat again till lunch time the next day. You can drink water, herbal teas and even a bit of coffee or, you can do a modified IF (see below). This way of eating comes naturally to some (those people who hate breakfast for example) and sounds completely insane to others (people who are on the edge of famine upon opening their eyes every morning). But the benefits, which are still an active area of study, can be amazing for many people.

Benefits Of Intermittent Fasting (IF):

Fat Loss.

It appears that even 16 hours without food helps your body to increase your metabolic rate slightly. In addition, assuming that you don't then go on to overeat at your next two meals you will effortlessly reduce your total calories for the day. You burn more and consume less - a win-win.

IF seems to target belly fat and promote lean muscle preservation - sound familiar? Indeed, this is a much touted effect of having ketones on board or being in a ketogenic state.

Improved Blood Sugar Control

IF seems to improve insulin sensitivity and hence may contribute to decreasing the risk of Type 2 Diabetes. The caveat here is that this effect seems to be more true for men than women - read on for a hack that may help women access the benefits.

Improves Brain Function

IF is good for your brain - this is an active area of research from traumatic brain injury recovery to Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s there is a growing body of evidence that the presence of ketones are beneficial - so anything you can do to increase your exposure to ketones be it through diet alone or taking Perfect Keto may be helpful in this area.

Now - let's talk about how to go about trying Intermittent fasting for yourself.

Those of you who will have the easiest time:

·         You are following a high fat low carbohydrate diet (with or without Perfect Keto)

·         You are following a Ketogenic Diet (with or without Perfect Keto)

·         You use Perfect Keto - in this case, just start your day with a glass of water and a tablespoon of Apple Cider Vinegar (I love this for Blood Sugar stabilizing effects) and then have a serving of Perfect Keto. Drink lots of water...eat when you are hungry - typically should happen around lunch.

If you are on a high carbohydrate standard diet I do not recommend that you try this strategy cold turkey, the odds are that you will feel quite awful. Instead try this modified strategy first:

·         Upon waking - a glass of water with a tablespoon of Apple Cider Vinegar (Bragg's is a great brand) - notice that you feel less hungry after a few minutes - one of the many benefits of apple cider vinegar.

·         If you need coffee or tea to start your day - add either ½ a serving of Perfect Keto with ½ serving of MCT powder or some coconut milk and serving of MCT oil powder and some cinnamon to your coffee.

·         When you feel hungry again, have a serving of Perfect Keto.

·         Next time you get hungry....have your healthy lunch.

·         Try to gradually ease yourself into a lower carbohydrate diet and gradually increase your healthy fat intake to fill the gap.

Notes:

There is some evidence that women over 40 do better with a bit of protein in the morning so either have an egg with your coffee or, what I like to do is to add some Keto Collagen or plain collagen peptides to my coffee.

After a couple of weeks you may find that you can skip the coffee altogether and just have the shake - see how you feel.

Do NOT do this every day - at least not to start - start with two days a week, eventually you may make this your workday routine just because it is easier and you feel so good but have a healthy breakfast at least two days a week.

Keep notes and listen to your body. If you are feeling lightheaded or weak with hunger, no need to be stubborn, you may not be ready for this. That's ok. Have a healthy snack on hand with some protein and fat and celebrate what you have achieved!

So there you have it, a quick overview of Intermittent Fasting and some of the benefits you can experience with exogenous ketones. For more information on how Perfect Keto may be the perfect fit for you, send me a message and we can chat.