Claims about carbs
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hippygirl325
Posts: 223 Member
I saw a link to this article on Facebook and these claims seem very bold and adamant about ketosis being unnatural and very dangerous (and another claim is boring but I highly disagree with that one). Basically saying that it prevents you from "properly" burning fat, that you will have so little energy that you will always feel miserable, not be able to get through workouts, etc. Well all I have experienced so far on this diet counters all those claims. What I am still a bit curious about is why these claims can still be spread on a weightloss website like Sparkpeople, saying no one should ever eat low carb cuz it's so horrible for you and "extremely dangerous."
Here is the full article. What are your responses to this based on experience and research?
http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/nutrition_articles.asp?id=590
Here is the full article. What are your responses to this based on experience and research?
http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/nutrition_articles.asp?id=590
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Replies
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Also curious even more so about long term effects?0
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The biggest problem with many of the statements in that article is that they seem to assume that you go to a low carb diet by jacking up your protein intake. They keep referencing "high protein" diets. Keto is not a high protein diet. Its a moderate protein, high fat diet.and above all—boring
Well, we know that's not true, right?With no glucose available for energy, the body starts using protein from food for energy. Therefore this protein is no longer available for more important functions, such as making new cells, tissues, enzymes, hormones, and antibodies and the regulation of fluid balance.
Also not true for us if doing it right. If protein is required for energy, its converted into glucose. That will prevent ketosis. If you're in ketosis, you're using fat for energy. This is the concern you'll sometimes see mentioned on keto boards about "too much protein".These ketones accumulate in the blood and in the urine causing ketosis, which is an abnormal state.
This seems like its probably pulling from the fear of ketoacidosis? Dunno.Due to the lack of energy and the accumulation of ketones, low-carb diets are often accompanied by nausea, headaches, dizziness, fatigue, bad breath, and dehydration.
bad breath aside, we know that these things are not caused by "the accumulation of ketones", but by a lack of key electrolytes and is something that we all manage.Exercise and fitness performance is reduced on a low-carb diet. Do not be surprised if your energy level is so low that you cannot make it through your normal workout routine.
Exercise performance is initially reduced on a low carb diet, while the body adjusts to its new source of energy. This is part of what you hear when you hear the phrase "keto adapted". Exercise performance typically returns to normal levels for almost everyone after a month or so of being on a ketogenic diet.
http://www.reddit.com/r/ketogains/wiki/index
The ketogains FAQ, and sub in general, is a great resource for this. They do discuss some options for performance involving carbs, but they also stress heavily that those options are really only necessary for intense activity. The "TKD" method there gives you a small carb boost before a workout but you burn it all right away and never leave ketosis.Kidney stones are more likely to form on high protein, ketosis-producing diets.
Drink lots of water to keep things running cleanly!The risk of heart disease is greatly increased on a low-carb diet that is high in protein, cholesterol, fat, and saturated fat. A temporary reduction in cholesterol levels may be experienced, but this is common with any weight loss.
This goes along with the "eating fat makes you fat" and "eating cholesterol raises your cholesterol" schtick that we now know isn't true (eggs are bad remember?!).
The reddit user "darthluiggi" has been on keto since 2001. He's a mod of the ketogains sub:
http://www.reddit.com/r/ketogains/comments/1dheo4/darthluiggi_man_moderator_legend/
There is part of his story, I always enjoy his posts and advice given the great experience he has.
http://www.reddit.com/r/ketogains/comments/2dq865/a_big_shoutout_to_uanbeav_super_ketogainer_of/
reddit user anbeav is extremely active on the keto subreddit and has been on keto for a decade. I believe there are some other longer term keto folks there but those are the two I'm most familier with.
I'm not the best at pulling tons of studies to refute things, but I guarentee if you spend some time on the "ketoscience" subreddit searching through these things you'll feel better0 -
I skipped past some of the claims made in that article:
-- constipation - I'm not the one to answer this. I've had issues before keto and during, they appear to be improving (yay!) with the help of physical therapy and a "retraining" process, keto didn't make my personal issues worse or better, but I'm not a good one to answer this.
-- fiber - This gets fairly dogmatic at times. I'm eating a lot of fiber right now, mainly with the help of chia seeds. There are a lot of folks on the keto subreddit who are way smarter and more experienced than me who will argue that fiber just isn't necessary. I dunno what to say about this either.
-- cancer risk - I seem to remember reading some studies suggesting that a proper low carb diet reduces the risk of some cancers. That's not something I feel qualified to address though. I believe on some of the more long term effects, there haven't really been studies done over a long enough time to answer these questions.
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This article made me laugh. Apparently my diet is disastrous and boring. I am happy, I have lost weight, and I finally get to eat fat. I may seem constipated, but the truth is that there is much less bulk now and I just don't have to go as often. The low energy comment is a joke - I haven't had this much energy in years!0
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lulalacroix wrote: »This article made me laugh. Apparently my diet is disastrous and boring. I am happy, I have lost weight, and I finally get to eat fat. I may seem constipated, but the truth is that there is much less bulk now and I just don't have to go as often. The low energy comment is a joke - I haven't had this much energy in years!
Exactly! I have tons of energy and feel great! And am definitely burning fat very nicely, so....yeah.-1 -
^^Why is this post flagged?0
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Don't believe everything you read. Keep in mind there are still many, many (did I say many?) adherents to the low-fat high-carb way of thinking that will continue to stick to their guns, no matter what evidence you present to them. Unfortunately, this includes the USDA, AMA, American Heart Association, and the American Diabetes Association. And because government and the medical community moves at a snail's pace, and have associations with big Pharma, it will take many, many (did I say many?) years for them to change their position. Once they do, be certain that their adherents will be quick to follow.
I simply choose to ignore them. I know first hand from my own weight loss success and blood lab test results that they are wrong.
If you want to follow people who are enlightened, check out Dr. Peter Attia's blog, or books by Drs Volek and Phinney (http://www.artandscienceoflowcarb.com/).
And if you need an example of someone who has been following a ketogenic regimen for many years, look up Dr. Richard Bernstein, a type 1 diabetic who has been low carb since the 1960s and continues to do well at age 80.0 -
Also understand that the article you link to was written by a "dietician," not a doctor. Dieticians tend to march in lockstep with whatever the medical community says. For the most part, they are paid to be spreaders of the word, not independent thinkers.0
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hippygirl325 wrote: »I saw a link to this article on Facebook and these claims seem very bold and adamant about ketosis being unnatural and very dangerous (and another claim is boring but I highly disagree with that one). Basically saying that it prevents you from "properly" burning fat, that you will have so little energy that you will always feel miserable, not be able to get through workouts, etc. Well all I have experienced so far on this diet counters all those claims. What I am still a bit curious about is why these claims can still be spread on a weightloss website like Sparkpeople, saying no one should ever eat low carb cuz it's so horrible for you and "extremely dangerous."
Here is the full article. What are your responses to this based on experience and research?
http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/nutrition_articles.asp?id=590
Hippi,
Radiii wrote a very good reply. The only thing I can add, is a link on my Blog that addresses some of the concerns raised:
7 Lingering Myths Everyone Should Know About Low-Carb Ketogenic Diets
Source: DittoDan's Blog #11 Really Good Keto Websites
I hope this helps,
Dan the Man from Michigan
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hippygirl325 wrote: »Also curious even more so about long term effects?
(for some reason my second post didn't upload) retyping it.....
If you study the Inuit People in Alaska, you will find a people that have lived for centuries without carbs. And there are some other groups around the world that have done the same.
Secondly, the mainstream media will never endorse or show in a positive light the Ketogenic WOL. There are very connected to the money the Carb industry brings to them. Imagine how many advertisers the media derives its living from:
Sugar,
Candy bars,
Breads, buns, bagels, bakeries, cakes, snacks
Pasta's & restaurants
Fruits (Dole)
Cereals (Post & Kellogg's)
[Insert your favorite Carb manufacturer here]
Is there a conspiracy, No. Just common sense and conflict of interest, I doubt the media will ever bite the hand that feeds it...
Dan the Man from Michigan
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hippygirl325 wrote: »lulalacroix wrote: »This article made me laugh. Apparently my diet is disastrous and boring. I am happy, I have lost weight, and I finally get to eat fat. I may seem constipated, but the truth is that there is much less bulk now and I just don't have to go as often. The low energy comment is a joke - I haven't had this much energy in years!
Exactly! I have tons of energy and feel great! And am definitely burning fat very nicely, so....yeah.
HG...looks like there's a FlaggingFool afoot
in the Keto group. lol0