Hi! New here, friends wanted!

RedSquadronLeader

Hi all, I'm new here and would love friends also doing keto!

I'm generally very focused on nutrition and fitness, but in the fall/winter last year I had some really stressful stuff going on and was sick, and I was still usually low-carb but I found myself eating crap more and more often, and I've gotten sort of flabby. In January I decided to bar sugar and processed foods from my diet (along with things like dates that trigger my tendency to binge eat sugary things), and about 3 weeks ago I decided to dive into keto. I've done it a few times before, and love it mainly for the mental benefits - steady sustained energy, no depression, clear-headedness - but also because it minimizes digestive issues I have.

I'm around 145 lbs now, and I think I'm shooting for 120 - 125, but I'll just see how it goes. I'm headed to Hawaii in June; I'll wear a bikini now, but I'm a bit self-conscious of all the wiggly bits, I want to just enjoy the trip and not have anything holding me down mentally. I'm also into Taekwondo, lifting weights, running/cycling/yoga pretty much whatever. Finally, I'm a scientist and I love digging into the research on keto; I've got a pretty extensive library of full-text studies which I'm fortunate to have access to through my university. I'm always up for discussing research.

My diary's open, I cook all the time and love getting new meal ideas from people.

KnitOrMiss

I would ask what digestive issues you're addressing, because longer term keto can uncover some more invasive ones, and upon depletion of digestive resources, you can be in for more trouble down the line. I was thrilled when I first went keto, as my digestive and bowel issues seemed finally to have eased up. Then around 9 months down the line, I hit a hard wall. I rebooted, and started over, and another 6 months further, another wall.

Then began the research. I discovered low stomach acid and needing additional digestive enzymes made a ton of difference, and even improved long-standing health conditions and related nutrient deficiencies.

Best of luck as you continue on this path. Remember that your performance in your physical activities will tank for a bit while your muscle mitochondria remember how to run on ketones instead of glucose...so don't be dismayed, as you know the performance levels will return AND IMPROVE the longer you stay at this. Best of luck getting the wiggly bits to comply!

RedSquadronLeader

I have problems digesting things in general - but mainly cruciferous vegetables (sad because cabbage is my favorite, but they don't bother me as much fermented, so I eat kimchi), nuts, and wheat. I'm not celiac, but my doc thinks I have some kind of non-celiac mild wheat allergy. When I was younger I was lactose intolerant, but thank god I grew out of that in high school. Really it's mostly insoluble fiber -- too much and I'll be bloated and stopped up for a week. Anyway I've found following a low FODMAP, keto diet, plus taking digestive enzymes when I eat seems to do the trick. Fermented food in general has so many of the enzymes people need for good digestive health; I used to make kefir and kombucha but sort of fell out of the habit. Sometime I'll start it up again.

I'm surprised that you had low stomach acid, because keto is generally thought to lead to lower pH and overproduction of acid, leading to some concerns for people who have acid reflux or ulcers, etc. I'll have to dig up that research again - maybe it was one of the usual studies in epileptic children, which tended to used "non-food" as the basis for the diet.

As far as exercise, pleasantly surprised to have no problems! I lift weights 5 times a week and thought I'd struggle - but after taking it easy for a few days while I adjusted, I'm back at my normal capacity. The only thing that suffers is explosiveness; once I'm doing martial arts sparring regularly again, I'll probably do something like a TKD.

Thanks for the reply!

KnitOrMiss

Recently, in a thread on the LCD group (covers all levels and types of low/slow carbing), I learned that there are dozens of types of gluten issues - and as many of tests to find them! I tested negative for celiac myself, too, but I only had one test done, and I react to some foods more than others...


As for the low stomach acid issue, I don't have a gallbladder (out in December 2000, 7 weeks postpartum), and that is the fundamental root of my overall issue. It is compounded by the fact that I have insulin resistance, PCOS, hypothyroidism, etc. They all contribute, especially the low functioning thyroid. It actually is one of the major indicators of metabolism and digestion, so the worse my thyroid function got, the worse my digestion got. I had two incidences with eating salad (any raw greens) that created an auto-eject situation so bad, I thought I had food poisoning. It lead me to research to show that reacting to greens like that is a major waving red flag for low stomach acid and lack of digestive enzymes.

(I don't generally have the issue with cooked foods (and I don't think I've EVER reacted to cabbage - and I'm thankful, as that would make me REALLY SAD - or not nearly as badly, but other than grilling romaine, which I've heard is amazing, I haven't enjoyed cooked spinach since I was a kid, and I don't remember having any issues with kale in my soup - though cilantro and I are not friends, cooked or otherwise... Also, I seem to have a histamine threshold issue, as fermented foods and leftovers started triggering migraines for me, so I had to stop my beloved kombucha and sauerkraut to end the migraines...


After adding both things (ACV and super enzymes that include ox bile and other digestive enzymes), I have been able to improve my thyroid health, treat an insanely low Vitamin D3 level (this also required K2, as all D3 supps should), improved low iron, treated a huge B12 deficiency, improved digestion in general, improved overall gut function, and a bucket-full of other issues, but this is the big noteworthy, off the top of my head list.

There are many relatively easy ways to test for low stomach acid. Any heartburn and such I get NOW is fixed immediately with some raw ACV with the mother cut with water as a gut shot (generally, it is related to drinking water before or during a meal either diluting my acids leading to overproduction - or causing the acids to float and trigger a reaction - the Bragg's ACV/water shot has helped in very instance this has happened).

Heartburn and indigestion result the majority of the time from overproduction of the wrong types of acids attempting to compensate for a missing acid component (stomach and intestines use a cocktail of stomach acids to break down all foods). Adding in the right type of acid (usually a citrus or vinegar component in 3/4 or more of cases), and the overproduction of the wrong types of acids stops. Personal experience and research both prove this out, though it is easier to medicate than to adjust diet (for the majority of people). Using acid blockers, PPI, and stuff like rolaids will actually damage the majority of people's long term gut health, though the pharmaceutical companies don't want us to know this...

For the explosiveness, the deeper you get into fat adaption, my understanding is that there are better sources than TKD to regain that. I believe that Reddits' Ketogains/Darth Luiggi has some fab info on this...

juansmontoya5

Hey guys, glad i could find a Keto group. I've previously tried Keto but it wasnt the best thing, although i did eat only eggs and chicken breast for a month i know i wasnt doing it correctly. I'm now working into doing keto in the next 2 weeks, but i need some help for some quick recipes for meal prepping and mainly for the breakfast if you guys could help me. always down to meet new people feel free to add me.

kpk54

@KnitOrMiss, yes grilled romaine is delicious.