ketogeneic diet and effect on mood
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Thank you all for the comments!!
I'm nervous as am an anxious person and prone to lethargy and depression. Not severe depression though, but my mood picks up later int he day, during the day my motivation is nada and I'm chasing caffeine and looking forward to the next meal/snack. It takes something small such as little sleep, illness or pmt to push me over the edge.
I use food carbs to improve my mood so am not sure if keto will help but I have seen it work in epileptic children and if it can be that powerful on the brain then in someone with mild depression it may work.0 -
I am an anxious person and previously used carbs to lower stress. I have never had a depression diagnosis though, so take this with a grain of salt.
Keto has done wonders for my anxiety. I used to lay awake at night for hours if something woke me up just worrying about one thing after another: I was on the verge of getting fired (I wasn't) we were on the verge of homelessness (we're fine) and I was the world's worst mother (I really don't think I am). This hasn't happened to me since going keto.2 -
I am an anxious person and previously used carbs to lower stress. I have never had a depression diagnosis though, so take this with a grain of salt.
Keto has done wonders for my anxiety. I used to lay awake at night for hours if something woke me up just worrying about one thing after another.
Exactly this for me. Fortunately for me I don't have any major negative stressors in my life. However, unfortunately for me, I get anxious over pretty much everything. Even things people would very much consider a blessing. Like planning a vacation and not being able to sleep because I'm wondering if I should take the 1:00 pm train from the airport or the 1:15 pm train from the airport for a trip that's 6 months away! Most people would be like "why are you letting this worry you?" . For me, my mind just won't shut off. Keto, maybe even just LCHF in general and not specifically keto, has helped calm me down. I mean, I'm still crazy but it's manageable.
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I am an anxious person and previously used carbs to lower stress. I have never had a depression diagnosis though, so take this with a grain of salt.
Keto has done wonders for my anxiety. I used to lay awake at night for hours if something woke me up just worrying about one thing after another.
Exactly this for me. Fortunately for me I don't have any major negative stressors in my life. However, unfortunately for me, I get anxious over pretty much everything. Even things people would very much consider a blessing. Like planning a vacation and not being able to sleep because I'm wondering if I should take the 1:00 pm train from the airport or the 1:15 pm train from the airport for a trip that's 6 months away! Most people would be like "why are you letting this worry you?" . For me, my mind just won't shut off. Keto, maybe even just LCHF in general and not specifically keto, has helped calm me down. I mean, I'm still crazy but it's manageable.
Exactly the bolded. It's awful. I would love to live a day where I just don't care.
BUT, this does mean our finances are impeccable and I'm valued for my attention to detail at work...I just stay up all night worrying about it. 
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@surreychic when talking about my past actions at where they will often say well that was before LC it was a really bad move or decision. My pain level dropping from around 8 down to 2 in the first 30 days of LCHF late 2014 I expect made me less of a donkey.
At my age and state of health the first two weeks was hellish for me and the family but as the carb cravings and pain dropped like a rock everything started to improve.
I have been using the Sota Bio Tuner for about 10 days and that seems to be improving mood even more and giving better attention spans.
Best of success.0 -
I am an anxious person and previously used carbs to lower stress. I have never had a depression diagnosis though, so take this with a grain of salt.
Keto has done wonders for my anxiety. I used to lay awake at night for hours if something woke me up just worrying about one thing after another.
Exactly this for me. Fortunately for me I don't have any major negative stressors in my life. However, unfortunately for me, I get anxious over pretty much everything. Even things people would very much consider a blessing. Like planning a vacation and not being able to sleep because I'm wondering if I should take the 1:00 pm train from the airport or the 1:15 pm train from the airport for a trip that's 6 months away! Most people would be like "why are you letting this worry you?" . For me, my mind just won't shut off. Keto, maybe even just LCHF in general and not specifically keto, has helped calm me down. I mean, I'm still crazy but it's manageable.
Exactly the bolded. It's awful. I would love to live a day where I just don't care. BUT, this does mean our finances are impeccable and I'm valued for my attention to detail at work...I just stay up all night worrying about it.
Right? And I can put together a stellar vacation itinerary lol.0 -
My energy levels have been lower on keto, but everything has evened out so much- there's not so much of the up and down mood swings there used to be. I'd love to have more energy back, but that was an issue even before keto, and my primary and I are trying to figure out if there might be something else underlying.0
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CarrieMoritz wrote: »My energy levels have been lower on keto, but everything has evened out so much- there's not so much of the up and down mood swings there used to be. I'd love to have more energy back, but that was an issue even before keto, and my primary and I are trying to figure out if there might be something else underlying.
I was physically at a very low point but it took about a year before my energy was OK.0 -
GaleHawkins wrote: »CarrieMoritz wrote: »My energy levels have been lower on keto, but everything has evened out so much- there's not so much of the up and down mood swings there used to be. I'd love to have more energy back, but that was an issue even before keto, and my primary and I are trying to figure out if there might be something else underlying.
I was physically at a very low point but it took about a year before my energy was OK.
Did your energy level actually dip at the beginning of your LC phase, or were you recovering from existing lethargy?
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I have found that prolonged periods of keto cause me pretty severe depression, this has happened to me on two separate occasions of trying a keto diet. I'm trying to figure out what kind of carb level is appropriate for me as I have to be some level of low carb to keep cravings at bay.2
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I have found that prolonged periods of keto cause me pretty severe depression, this has happened to me on two separate occasions of trying a keto diet. I'm trying to figure out what kind of carb level is appropriate for me as I have to be some level of low carb to keep cravings at bay.
Thank you for sharing... this is what I'm afraid of...0 -
There is so much at play here and each individual's experience may be different. We all employ different kinds of coping strategies and some of us may be better at self care than others. I'm certainly no expert, and can't comment on scientific factors, but I do know what I have experienced.
I used to suffer from depression, anxiety and panic attacks. I took several prescription medications throughout the years, most of which did not perform the miracle of making me feel better. I tried counselling and ended up feeling more damaged than ever before. I read self help books as well. Mostly I reached for food to calm and comfort, including carb laden foods.
I think that we've been so brainwashed into believing that our conventional doctors know best when prescribing drugs. We've similarly believed conventional dietary wisdom until some of us discovered various versions of low carb. I must admit that I was scared at first. I had already ditched the anti-depressants etc, but low carb was new to me. I wanted to do it right. The truth is though, that there is no "one" way to eat this way while managing anxiety symptoms. What works for one might not for another. But I know that for me, reaching for carbs is not the answer to soothe me when feeling emotionally upset. This has the opposite effect for me and I end up feeling not only bloated and sluggish, but depressed and a bit out of control.
I still suffered from occasional anxious moments in the beginning when going Keto until I started to relax and began to take note of how I felt while adopting this woe. I realized that my body and mind were thriving on a high fat low carb diet. The high fat allows nutrients like vitamins to be absorbed by the body and it produces a feeling of wellbeing in me. I also learned about the gut/ mind connection and started paying attention to keeping my belly happy with natural probiotics like kombucha and foods like bone broth. Happy belly equals a happy mind for me. I gradually started to feel so good that I stopped obsessing so much about the details that used to drive me nuts in my previous life.
Most of all I have learned that if I keep my carb intake as low as I can get it, I will feel my best. Carbs trigger cravings for eating more food and I want to avoid that. I've realized that my body can't tolerate very many carbs. It really means that we should pay attention to what our bodies are telling us and learn as we go.
I practice intermittent fasting as well and eat one meal per day when I am at my best. I do love extended fasts of up to 72 hours, especially for the benefits of clarity of mind, increased energy and elevated mood.
I wish I knew about Keto years ago. It sure has helped me overcome completely or deal with more adequately, emotional disturbances that come my way. Good luck to all of you in finding your way.4 -
GaleHawkins wrote: »CarrieMoritz wrote: »My energy levels have been lower on keto, but everything has evened out so much- there's not so much of the up and down mood swings there used to be. I'd love to have more energy back, but that was an issue even before keto, and my primary and I are trying to figure out if there might be something else underlying.
I was physically at a very low point but it took about a year before my energy was OK.
Did your energy level actually dip at the beginning of your LC phase, or were you recovering from existing lethargy?
Not sure but guess 30% LC and 70% existing lethargy?
As my mental fog cleared and the pain levels continued to stay lower I realized I was behind the curve in several cases and had to push hard both mentally and physically. Without LCHF at that point the outcomes may have been very different at work and on a couple other fronts as well as my physical health.
In hindsight I was gaining ground but just having to force myself to physically and mentally do more on several fronts at the same time. LCHF gave me hope in the future and the ability to keep going. It was a close call health and business wise.
The below still is painful but was the mess that crashed my heath.
wpsdlocal6.com/story/26017882/mid-continent-university-board-member-voted-out-by-other-members1 -
Hi, I am the beginning, just keeping keto since 5 February but till now I can feel already more good energy , but also some clarity in my mind and ideas, clarity which sometimes makes me see the bad attitudes around me or my diet of some people, misunderstandings and so on.So I just feel also a little confused about how to find arguments , but I know that step by step I will feel better and my knowledge will improve and results will appear despite bad reactions or thoughts.Hopefully one of my friends keeps also keto and he showed me a lot of benefits so that I could understand better this WOE1
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I don't know whether this counts, but one of my motivations for losing weight and following a keto diet was a particularly painful break-up last December. Yes, it was important to me not to slip into bad habits like comfort eating but it was more important to be able to say to myself 'you know what? She might not want you but you're AWESOME!' I've been able to reconcile the break-up over the past month or so and I've realised that I'm not only better off out of the relationship but that my confused feelings about her are coming into line with the new reality... Whether the WOE helped I have no idea, but I do know I would still be wallowing if I'd retreated into a tub of Ben & Jerry's for the past six weeks! And is it wrong of me to take a small amount of satisfaction in the fact that as I've got lighter and healthier she seems to be packing the weight on even faster? To the point that I wouldn't have been attracted to her had I met her now? Is that a bit selfish and mean..?5
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@RalfLott I was not not just obese when I accidentally found LCHF trying to beat my arthritis pain without Rx Meds but basically had lot most of my muscle mass due to lack of movement due to the pain and serious stomach issues like IBS.
I could lying on my back lift both feet about two inches maybe three times in a row max. For a long while I had to just lift one leg at a time to start building back my muscles. This muscle wasting was body wide and was why I needed help getting in and out of cars or even dressing some days.
While I do not dwell on my past health issues it is important for readers to understand I was fighting for my own life when I found LCHF WOE not just doing some mental/physical tweaking.
Yesterday being the third anniversary of when I went to the local TV station to break the news of the the emotional and financial abuse of the students because of scams by the admin of the college where I had been a trustee for 11 years at that time. It was a much rougher day than I had expected. Monday evening I had driven by MCU and the For Sale sign said SOLD.
The Admin were told by the US Dept of Ed in August 2011 that we were going to loss Federal Student Aid access due to fraudulent activities found in a 2010 on campus audit. That report and facts were covered up by the Admin and Chairman of the Trustees. It was not until 20 Feb 2014 before the Trustee Finance Committee learned the college had forever lost access to Title IV funding of any kind. I stood up for the abused students, staff and facility in my weaken state.
Thankfully I got my life back because I realized I was going to die due to my old Way Of Eating and then trained myself on how to eat to recover my health.
LCHF will always have a special place in my heat. Many of you on MFP where helping in ways you did not even understand at the time and I thank each one of you for helping save me.9 -
@GaleHawkins, whatever the state of your back muscles, you obviously never lacked backbone.
Thanks for your countless contributions of insight and inspiration!5
