Juicing and still in ketosis!

in_faith
in_faith Posts: 42 Member
edited November 2024 in Social Groups
So shocked that having started juicing essentially 32 oz of spinach, chard and kale a day that I'm in ketosis and in fact, my outward keto signs (smells and ketostix) are more intensified.. I'm convinced it's because my body's been craving the RDA of 4700mg+ of potassium (which juicing is giving me). This potassium level is needed to improve cellular functions (related to the sodium-potassium pumps). Pretty excited about this! Was worried it would kick me out due to carb count.

Replies

  • RalfLott
    RalfLott Posts: 5,036 Member
    in_faith wrote: »
    So shocked that having started juicing essentially 32 oz of spinach, chard and kale a day that I'm in ketosis and in fact, my outward keto signs (smells and ketostix) are more intensified.. I'm convinced it's because my body's been craving the RDA of 4700mg+ of potassium (which juicing is giving me). This potassium level is needed to improve cellular functions (related to the sodium-potassium pumps). Pretty excited about this! Was worried it would kick me out due to carb count.

    I have to confess that I half expect to see mangoes, oranges, carrots, etc., when someone says "juicing", but if you're doing it mostly with spinach, chard & kale and consuming it over the course of a day, you're probably not getting any jolts in net carbs (or seeing BG spikes) at all. B)
  • kpk54
    kpk54 Posts: 4,474 Member
    Excellent! What else do you have in it @in_faith? I'm very much a greens eater.

    @RalfLott do we non diabetics have to be so concerned with BG or carb jolts?
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,251 Member
    Juicing, not smoothie-ing?
  • RalfLott
    RalfLott Posts: 5,036 Member
    kpk54 wrote: »
    Excellent! What else do you have in it @in_faith? I'm very much a greens eater.

    @RalfLott do we non diabetics have to be so concerned with BG or carb jolts?

    Well, let's see. If you don't care about being/staying in ketosis for whatever reason and you're not diabetic, then...

    Yep, I would recommend eating, oh, 80 blueberries a day now that they're in season, and enough tomatoes to get canker sores so you won't want them till they're good again next summer... For starters.

    So, I guess that's a clear "Nope!"
  • nvmomketo
    nvmomketo Posts: 12,019 Member
    That's neat to know! :)
    I wonder if it would differ for a smoothie? Bit of fibre in it. Hmmm.

    Avocado is also a great source of potassium if you want more. Pretty good I smoothies too.
  • EryOaker
    EryOaker Posts: 434 Member
    Want do you add to your "juice" to make it drinkable? I've tried greens in the past and couldn't stomach it without some apple juice.
  • Sunny_Bunny_
    Sunny_Bunny_ Posts: 7,140 Member
    nvmomketo wrote: »
    That's neat to know! :)
    I wonder if it would differ for a smoothie? Bit of fibre in it. Hmmm.

    Avocado is also a great source of potassium if you want more. Pretty good I smoothies too.

    Dr Bernstein has a strong opinion on smoothies and juicing.
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  • tcunbeliever
    tcunbeliever Posts: 8,219 Member
    I don't see how juicing is cutting them any more than chewing, vegetables don't enter the bloodstream whole no matter what you do, by the time food gets to the small intestine where glucose absorption occurs, it's already quite pulverized by the digestion process.
  • nvmomketo
    nvmomketo Posts: 12,019 Member
    I don't see how juicing is cutting them any more than chewing, vegetables don't enter the bloodstream whole no matter what you do, by the time food gets to the small intestine where glucose absorption occurs, it's already quite pulverized by the digestion process.

    I've wondered about that too. I used to make a lot of spinach smoothies and I would leave it as chunky as I could tolerate while thinking of the fibre. Juicing would remove the fibre more so I would think.

    I probably won't do many smoothies for myself just because I seem to do better with fewer raw veggies (darn it) but for those who can handle veggies, it would be helpful info to know what it may do to your BG.

    @in_faith You didn't happen to test your blood glucose, did you? That would be interesting info!
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    I don't see how juicing is cutting them any more than chewing, vegetables don't enter the bloodstream whole no matter what you do, by the time food gets to the small intestine where glucose absorption occurs, it's already quite pulverized by the digestion process.

    Juicing actually removes the fiber (or much of it) whereas chewing (like a smoothie) leaves it for your body to deal with.

    I've never juiced (other than making fresh-squeezed orange juice years ago or squeezing a lemon or lime on occasion), so don't know how many grams of greens you'd use when making some juice, but even without the fiber chard, spinach, and kale don't have that many carbs.

    Say you did 100 g of each, you'd get 8.75 from the kale, 3.63 from the spinach, and 3.74 from the chard, or a total of 16.12. Depending on how low you are, and if you respond by being more active, I wouldn't expect that to kick someone out of ketosis. Less so if the juice was less than 300 g (starting) or proportionally lower in kale and higher in the other two. But I don't know if 300 g of greens gives any kind of volume of juice, because I've never used a juicer. I think there is also some fiber left in the final product, which reduces it.

    With the same 300 g, used in a smoothie or eaten whole, it would be only 5.15 net carbs for the kale, 1.13 from the spinach, and 2.04 for the chard, for a total of 8.32 g.

    For keto levels I'd prefer to eat the foods whole (or as part of a smoothie) for the volume and fiber, but if someone loves green juice with just greens, it certainly could work, I guess.
  • kpk54
    kpk54 Posts: 4,474 Member
    nvmomketo wrote: »
    @in_faith You didn't happen to test your blood glucose, did you? That would be interesting info!

    This always puzzles me. Am I the only person in this forum who doesn't own a blood glucose meter and has never tested my blood glucose? What am I missing? Is there a reason for me to be doing this? I suppose BG might be checked when I get a "panel" done at a doc's office but my BG has never been brought to my attention by a physician.

    I check my blood pressure at the machines when in a store because I previously had high blood pressure (when over weight) and was advised by doc/s to take medication which I ultimately did until the weight came off and my blood pressure "normalized". I even had a dentist make me sit in a chair for an inordinate amount of time indicating he would not do any "work in my mouth" unless my blood pressure lowered. Even my eye doc checks my BP and suggested I visit my "family doctor" regarding my BP.

    What am I missing by not checking my blood glucose? I feel fine. But I felt fine with high blood pressure too. Is high blood glucose the other non symptomatic "silent killer" in an otherwise healthy body?
  • nvmomketo
    nvmomketo Posts: 12,019 Member
    kpk54 wrote: »
    This always puzzles me. Am I the only person in this forum who doesn't own a blood glucose meter and has never tested my blood glucose? What am I missing? Is there a reason for me to be doing this? I suppose BG might be checked when I get a "panel" done at a doc's office but my BG has never been brought to my attention by a physician.

    I check my blood pressure at the machines when in a store because I previously had high blood pressure (when over weight) and was advised by doc/s to take medication which I ultimately did until the weight came off and my blood pressure "normalized". I even had a dentist make me sit in a chair for an inordinate amount of time indicating he would not do any "work in my mouth" unless my blood pressure lowered. Even my eye doc checks my BP and suggested I visit my "family doctor" regarding my BP.

    What am I missing by not checking my blood glucose? I feel fine. But I felt fine with high blood pressure too. Is high blood glucose the other non symptomatic "silent killer" in an otherwise healthy body?

    Yep. LOL JK ;)

    Elevated BG can cause organ damage even if it is not into the diabetic high range. Or at least that is some of the newer theories coming out. It can be helpful to know how BG responds to certain foods and to know if it is spiking high after meals. People can end up with elevated BG at times through out the day yet have normal fasting BG tested by labs.

    I think testing can be helpful by possibly heading off future problems. I am one of those who believes that the foods we eat can contribute to the development of insulin resistance. Not every thinks that but I believe if one never ate high carb, and ate good proteins and fats, that person would never develop T2D. Partially because their BG and insulin is never elevated.

    But mainly I think it is just a good tool to use to know how foods affect each individual. A tool towards good health, just like the fitbit or BP cuff. JMO. And often not agreed with either. :)
  • blambo61
    blambo61 Posts: 4,372 Member
    Watch oxylic acid consumption with your recipe. I've read can cause kidney stones. Not sure about this but I do know spinach has it in it.
  • canadjineh
    canadjineh Posts: 5,396 Member
    blambo61 wrote: »
    Watch oxylic acid consumption with your recipe. I've read can cause kidney stones. Not sure about this but I do know spinach has it in it.
    healthline.com/nutrition/oxalate-good-or-bad#section6
    Higher oxalate levels can also bind with minerals (calcium and iron) and carry them out of the body via stools.
    Just a 'heads up'.


  • Sunny_Bunny_
    Sunny_Bunny_ Posts: 7,140 Member
    I don't see how juicing is cutting them any more than chewing, vegetables don't enter the bloodstream whole no matter what you do, by the time food gets to the small intestine where glucose absorption occurs, it's already quite pulverized by the digestion process.

    All I know is that Dr B demonstrates chewing veg and testing its sugar content after chewed and compares that to juiced veg. The juices veg turns the glucose strip dark black immediately where the chewed barely registers glucose at all.
  • RalfLott
    RalfLott Posts: 5,036 Member
    kpk54 wrote: »
    Excellent! What else do you have in it @in_faith? I'm very much a greens eater.

    @RalfLott do we non diabetics have to be so concerned with BG or carb jolts?

    If you only check your BG in occasional fasting lab work, you might consider asking your doc to order an HbA1c test. Neither will tell you how high your BG levels are after eating, though, and spikes are linked to dementia risk (and maybe other chronic diseases).

    Many PCPs (like mine) miss even clear trends of rising fasting BG....
  • kpk54
    kpk54 Posts: 4,474 Member
    RalfLott wrote: »
    kpk54 wrote: »
    Excellent! What else do you have in it @in_faith? I'm very much a greens eater.

    @RalfLott do we non diabetics have to be so concerned with BG or carb jolts?

    If you only check your BG in occasional fasting lab work, you might consider asking your doc to order an HbA1c test. Neither will tell you how high your BG levels are after eating, though, and spikes are linked to dementia risk (and maybe other chronic diseases).

    Many PCPs (like mine) miss even clear trends of rising fasting BG....

    And these dementia causing spikes occur even though one eats very low carb 99% of the time?
  • RalfLott
    RalfLott Posts: 5,036 Member
    kpk54 wrote: »
    RalfLott wrote: »
    kpk54 wrote: »
    Excellent! What else do you have in it @in_faith? I'm very much a greens eater.

    @RalfLott do we non diabetics have to be so concerned with BG or carb jolts?

    If you only check your BG in occasional fasting lab work, you might consider asking your doc to order an HbA1c test. Neither will tell you how high your BG levels are after eating, though, and spikes are linked to dementia risk (and maybe other chronic diseases).

    Many PCPs (like mine) miss even clear trends of rising fasting BG....

    And these dementia causing spikes occur even though one eats very low carb 99% of the time?

    Unlikely! It's just that without testing, many people (yeah, moi included.. ) can't predict based on how they feel where the heck their BP and BG are.

    Also, it's not that a spike causes dementia, but that your risk rises as your BG levels increase.
  • dianaward0216
    dianaward0216 Posts: 11 Member
    That's a great idea. We've been doing Keto for almost three months but I never thought of juicing with the greens. Thanks for sharing!
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