A ketogenic diet refers to a diet which is high in dietary fats and low in carbohydrates with 80 % of the daily calories being derived from fats and less than 5 % from carbohydrates with the remaining being from proteins. Ketogenic diet has been suggested as an adjuvant therapy in cancer treatment as it caters to improve individual’s response to treatment. This article will cater to explore this claim with the help of succinct evidence.

A balanced diet includes carbohydrates in a greater proportion than fats, which means that ample amount of carbohydrates, and thus, glucose is available to all the cells of the body. Glucose is utilised both by normal body cells and cancerous cells. In fact, it has been recognized that cancer cells thrive on glucose. Like normal cells of the body require fuel or energy for survival, cancer cells also need some sort of fuel, which is majorly derived from these sugars. While normal cells of the body can also learn to thrive on alternate sources of energy like fats and proteins by altering their energy pathways, cancer cells find it increasingly difficult to alter their principal source of energy. This is in favour of the ketogenic diet as it reduces the availability of the major source of energy to the cancerous cells reducing their chances of survival.

Further, consuming carbohydrates raises blood sugar levels in the body leading to an increased production of insulin. Insulin has been found to mediate cancerous growth as it leads to the activation of P13K signalling in tumour cells causing these cells to replicate. By consuming a ketogenic diet, insulin levels in the body can be regulated, which makes cancer treatment more effective. However, definitive efficacy and safety of the ketogenic diet has not yet been established. Rather, some studies have found a reverse claim, in that, ketogenic diet consumed in isolation in cancer patients can have some harmful effects or it may exhibit no positive effects at all. This implies that there is a need to alter between different types of diets even while promoting ketogenesis in the patient. This also implicates that switching to a ketogenic diet without the recommendation of your doctor or the cancer group can indeed have a harmful effect, and thus, must be avoided[1].

While definite clinical course of the diet is yet to be established, ketogenic diet has demonstrated its repeated success as an adjuvant therapy for cancer in several preclinical and lab studies. These studies have provided evidence in the favour of anti – tumour effects of ketogenic diets. When combined with existing treatment protocol that is, chemotherapy or radiotherapy, ketogenic diet immensely helped in reducing the growth of neuroblastoma. This has been noted for 2:1 KD (ratio of fat to carbohydrates plus proteins) along with calorie restriction. Although calorie restriction has an anti – tumour potential as it helps to sensitize cancerous cells to chemotherapy, it is usually not recommended in patients due to weakness and weight loss witnesses in cancer. So, while ketogenic diet has been evidenced to have potential as a promising therapy, its clinical utilisation remains challenging.

Why a ketogenic diet has been proven effective with these lab studies can be explained in the lines of reduced ability of cancerous cells to proliferate in the absence of glucose. It has been found that cancer cells lack the ability to metabolise ketone bodies due to mitochondrial dysfunction and down – regulation of enzymes necessary for the utilization of ketone bodies. Further, reduction in blood sugar drops the levels of insulin and insulin – like growth factors, which are essential for the proliferation of cancerous cells[2]. Another pathway by which ketogenic diet is helpful in cancer therapy is that it also induces the shortage of lactate in the body, which is also essential for tumorous cells. It has been found that tumour cells take up an increased amount of glucose as compared to normal cells in the body and produce lactate, which they utilise for their proliferation[3]. By limiting glucose, the availability of lactate is also reduced, which is made through aerobic glycolytic pathways in cancerous cells.

Keeping aside the standard ketogenic diet, optimised ketogenic diets have proven to be more efficacious and safer during the treatment of cancer. Ketogenic diet in a ratio of 8:1 had a stronger anti – tumour effect as compared to a standard ketogenic diet when tested in patients. Within this diet, the fat content comprised of 25% medium-chain triglycerides and 75% long-chain triglycerides. This combination was more efficacious than an all long – chain triglycerides diet in the same ratio. This ascertains that there is a need for optimisation of the ketogenic diet based on the needs of the patient, the type of the tumour and the dietary requirements, in addition with optimization to suit the standard therapy for cancer management.

As stated above, ketogenic diets are not favoured in cancer therapy because of their weight – loss effect. However, if calorie restriction in ketogenic diet is managed, weight loss will not be a delinquent of ketogenic diet and then it can be more greatly utilised. When patients affected with gastric cancer were given a ketogenic diet for a duration of 8 weeks, they demonstrated increased energy intake and an improvement in body weight, which implies that weight loss effect in ketogenic diet can be managed with the help of optimizations. The effect of the diet also depends on the type of cancer. Particular benefit of the diet has been found in advanced cases of gastric cancer in which metastasis has occurred.

All in all, ketogenic diet is effective in the management of cancer as it improves patient’s response to treatment. However, this depends on the advancement of the tumour and the type of cancer. In cancer patients, optimised ketogenic diets have demonstrated greater potential than standard ketogenic diet and must be utilised while facilitating optimisation on the basis of type of cancer, its progress, patient needs, type of fat given and the amount of calories fed to the patient. It is important to rule out calorie restriction in ketogenic diets before advising it for cancer patients to prevent cachexia and other side effects. Due to the risk of these side effects, it is imperative that you do not begin a ketogenic diet unless so advised by your doctor and cancer group.

[1] https://blog.aicr.org/2018/09/17/the-ketogenic-diet-and-cancer-treatment-what-patients-should-know/

[2] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5842847/

[3] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5624453/

Ketogenic Endurance – I hoped you enjoyed this interview post.

You can read my newest book Carnivore Fit which is available on Amazon.

You can find the below product and others on Etsy.

As a thank you for reading this article, you can use the Discount Code KETOGENICENDURANCE10 for 10% off on my Etsy Store:

I am also a fan of Softstar Shoes for minimalist footwear, Quad Lock for sporting mobile phone accessories, and Cheesies for a Carnivore appropriate snack. I use these companies myself and recommend them.

Or you can join the Contemporary Carnivore Diet newsletter: http://eepurl.com/doN0aH

When you are traveling or on-the-go, you can keep maintaining your keto diet.

Find out the right low-carb meal at every fast food restaurant you stop by.

There is no doubt that eating healthy while in a hurry is a difficult task. In addition, you may be on a ketogenic diet, and that challenge becomes even harder.

You’re likely thinking that there is no way to eat fast food and maintain ketosis state, however, I have good news for you. It’s definitely possible.

If you’re on keto and planning to travel soon, you might end up in a fast food restaurant. it’s totally possible to still track your ketosis, of course, it’ll be harder than normal, as most lifestyle choices are while on a hurry. But some creativity will solve the problem.

Let’s start the challenge. But first, here is a quick rewind of the keto diet and it affects our bodies.

Why Keto?

The ketogenic diet, simply, is a diet that consists of a high amount of fat (between 75% and 80%), moderate in protein (between 15% and 20%), and a very very low percentage of carbohydrates (around 5%).

The significant reduction of carbs puts the body in ketosis state, a physiological state in which your body relies on fat for energy instead of carbohydrates.

This means that fat becomes fuel,  it’s your primary and essential source of energy. And this leads to weight loss for many people.

Can I eat fast food while on keto?

Briefly, the answer is YES! You can eat fast food and still on keto but be ready to make some sacrifices, as fast food restaurant menus can be full of carbs and sugars that you should avoid.

Here some quick tips:

• Plan out your meals before ordering and check the nutritional values in advance. This allows you to remove certain ingredients from your list and track your macros accurately.
• Stick to meat, cheese, and some veggies. Avoid anything comes with bread.
• Know exactly what to eat and drink, stick to the simplest ingredients to avoid added carbs.
• Add extra high-fat sides like bacon and avocado…
• Read your labels carefully and opt-in for fattier dressings such as balsamic, ranch, and blue cheese…
• Avoid high-carb salads with berries and starchy items.
• Opt-in for water, coffee or tea.

Eating low-carb at fast food restaurants:

I’ve selected 8 of the most popular American fast food chains to help you create the perfect keto-friendly meal at each restaurant.

Breakfast options:

McDonald’s:

Entrée: Egg McMuffin without English muffin which has around 27g of carbs. Throw it away, will leave with 3g of carbs in total.

The Egg McMuffin comes with one egg, Pasteurized Process American cheese, and ham. You can ask for double the meat or double the egg.

Beverage: McDonald’s McCafé offers a sugar-free decadent iced coffee and it has only 1g of carbs. Also, you can opt-in for the Americano Espresso with 0g of carbs.

Starbucks:

Iced Drinks:

• Starbucks Cold Brew Coffee (Grande, no syrup)
• Nitro Cold Brew (Grande, no syrup)
• Freshly brewed Starbucks Iced Coffee

Hot Drinks:

• Espresso
• Americano
• Teavana Earl Grey Brewed Tea (Grande, No Sweetener)
• Teavana Organic Chai Tea
• Emperor’s Cloud and Mist Green Tea
• Organic Jade Citrus Mint Brewed Tea

Lunch options:

Subway:

Entrée: Chicken & Bacon Ranch Melt. Avoid the bread, which leaves you with 28g fat, 30g protein, and 6g carbs. It includes Monterey cheddar cheese, grilled chicken with seasoning and marinade, crispy bacon, onions, spinach, and tomato. You can add additional staples (hard-boiled egg, avocado, Bacon), and choose a dressing with a high-fat amount like olive oil, or avocado oil.

Beverages: Water, diet soda, and unsweetened iced tea are some of the best keto-friendly choices.

Burger King:

Entrée: Bacon King with no bun and ketchup. You’ll get 3g carbs, 75g fat and 54g protein.

Beverages: Water, diet soda, and unsweetened iced tea are some of the best keto-friendly choices.

Wendy’s:

Entrée: Grilled Chicken Sandwich, Double Stack, or Baconator are great delicious options. Again, throw the bun away.

Beverages: Water, diet soda, and unsweetened iced tea are some of the best keto-friendly choices.

Taco Bell:

Entrée: Here you can go for the Power Menu Bowl. Order it without rice, beans, and sour cream, and you can ask for some additional cheese. Full-fat sour cream is another option instead of the reduced-fat.

Beverages: Don’t forget to avoid the famous Mountain Dew Baja Blast as it has a significantly high amount of carbs (around 56g). Instead look for water, diet soda, and tea.

Dinner options:

Buffalo Wild Wings:

Entrée: Traditional Wings are one of my favorites. They’re tasty and delicious. For snack size, you get 0g carbs, 20g fat, and 44g protein. Also, you can opt-in for Naked Tenders which also have 0g of carbs.

Beverages: Water, diet soda, and iced tea are some of the best keto-friendly choices.

I love “B-Dubs”, I’ve actually created a full guide on how to eat keto at Buffalo Wild Wings. You can check it HERE.

KFC:

Entrée: Kentucky Fried Grilled Chicken with thigh, breast, drumstick or whole wing, a thigh has the highest fat amount at 9g. It’ll have 17g of protein and a carb count of 0g per serving. Perfect choice.

Opt-in for the ranch dressing over the dipping sauce for some extra flavor.

Beverages: Water, diet soda, and iced tea are some of the best keto-friendly choices.

Conclusion

Eating keto while on-the-go is definitely possible with a little creativity and discipline.

Whether you’re on the road for hours or even day, travel can wreck our health goals, especially when it comes to diet and exercise. Sometimes can’t avoid travel, but what we can do is take a few steps to prepare us ahead of time in order to maintain our ketogenic diet healthy even while eating fast food.

Ketogenic Endurance – whilst Fast Food should not form the basis of your diet, it is a good tool to have in your toolbox when needed.

You can read my newest book Carnivore Fit which is available on Amazon.

You can find the below product and others on Etsy.

As a thank you for reading this article, you can use the Discount Code KETOGENICENDURANCE10 for 10% off on my Etsy Store:

I am also a fan of Softstar Shoes for minimalist footwear, Quad Lock for sporting mobile phone accessories, and Cheesies for a Carnivore appropriate snack. I use these companies myself and recommend them.

Or you can join the Contemporary Carnivore Diet newsletter: http://eepurl.com/doN0aH

 

Are you not seeing the results of your intermittent fasting?

Are you giving up on Keto diet?

What if you’re told that weight loss and overall health can dramatically improve when these two are combined?

Learn how to do keto intermittent fasting properly through this article.

Plus: a list of the most common intermittent fasting mistakes.

What is Intermittent Fasting?

Intermittent Fasting (IF) is a schedule that involves brief periods of fasting and unrestricted eating.  It is different from most diet regimens because it is focused on “when to eat” than on “what to eat”.

What is Ketogenic Diet?

The ketogenic diet limits consumption to foods that are very low in carbs and high in fat. It aims to speed up metabolism by putting the body in the state of “ketosis”.

Keto Diet & Intermittent Fasting: Why Are They Better Together?

Keto diet and intermittent fasting are two of the most popular health trends of today. But many are not are aware that these two can make a powerful duo!

Learn the secret now…

Speeds up Ketosis

Ketosis is the key process to keto diet. It is a normal process, wherein the body turns to fats when the primary energy source (glucose) is depleted.

Since intermittent fasting requires a very low carb intake, the glucose levels don’t go too far from a certain point where the body is forced to burn fats.

Adding intermittent fasting to keto diet may be an effective way to jump-start weight loss.

Increases Fat Loss

Fat loss is higher with keto intermittent fasting compared to undertaking them individually.

Intermittent fasting stimulates heat production in the body, which may lead to the utilisation of stubborn fats. Studies suggest that IF can decrease body fat safely. (Remember: Not all fat loss regimens are safe!)

Listed below are some scholarly publications that attest to IF’s possible benefits:

1. //www.annualreviews.org/doi/full/10.1146/annurev-nutr-071816-064634?url_ver=Z39.88-2003&rfr_id=ori%3Arid%3Acrossref.org&rfr_dat=cr_pub%3Dpubmed#_i24
2. https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/healthy-weight/diet-reviews/intermittent-fasting/
3. https://academic.oup.com/ajcn/article/102/2/464/4564588
4. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4516560/

Here’s the evidence:

According to a study published in 2016, IF with resistance training could decrease body fat mass, maintain muscle mass, and improve certain health-related bio-markers. This was concluded after 34-resistance trained men practised the 16/8 method for 8 weeks. Researchers noted that their fat loss is 14% higher than those in normal eating schedule.

This is supported by a 2016 review on 28 studies on the effects of intermittent fasting

Improves Athletic Performance

IF turns your body’s attention to fats because carbohydrate intake is low. Keto diet provides the body with high-fat and moderate protein allowance so that it has enough fat to burn while the body is building up muscles. This is beneficial to people who are looking to improve their athletic performance.

Also:

Some studies point out that intermittent fasting prolongs the satiety or the feeling that you are still full.

How to Do Intermittent Fasting Properly

In order to reap the benefits of IF, you will have to do it properly.

Here’s an expert guide on the two of the most popular methods:

16:8 Method

A lot of people prefer the 16/8 method because it is the easiest.

Why?

You just have to stop eating by 8:00 pm (just right for dinner), skip breakfast (which many already do) and eat again at 12:00 pm. Of course, you can change the time but it must always include 16 hours of fasting and an 8-hour window for eating.

5:2 Method

The 5:2 method has a charm of its own. You can eat on a normal pattern for 5 days a week, and then limit your calories to 500-600 grams per day for two days. Choose whichever days to you want to eat normally or fast, as long as there is at least one day of fasting between them.

The OMAD

OMAD or One Meal a Day is a diet regimen wherein a person should not eat for 23 hours straight. A 1 hour window is given to replenish the body with nutrients. It is important to make certain that recommended dietary allowance is reached within the 1 hour window.

The Multi Day Fasting

In Multi Day Fasting, you are to skip meals for at least 72 straight hours. You will entirely be dependent on water and supplements. This diet plan should only be practised by experienced faster’s. It is not recommended to directly jump on a multi day fasting if your body is not used to extreme diet restrictions.

Before trying out this method, start with a 16:8 or 5:2 for a month or two. Once you believe you’re totally ready for longer fasting, move to the OMAD. Get used to it for another 1-2 months before going into a multi day fasting.

“Normally” Doesn’t Mean “Everything”!

It is important to understand that “eat normally” does not mean “eat anything”. You still have to be conscious of the quality of your food.

If you spend the 8-hour or 2-day window binging on junk food, your weight loss efforts will still be in vain.

Every diet regimen should emphasise healthy food choices. Remember to eat Keto friendly to boost metabolism by lowering sugars and carbohydrates.

Common Intermittent Fasting Mistakes

Intermittent Fasting, even when combined with keto diet, may not be effective if you continue doing these:

Not Replenishing Electrolytes

At its metabolic state, the body uses plenty of electrolytes. During fasting, you’re not getting a lot of electrolytes from food.  

Low electrolyte level causes a feeling of weakness, which could lead you to eat more. Severely low levels can lead to abnormal heart rhythm and seizures. So make sure to replenish these with an electrolyte drink during periods of eating.

Not Consuming Enough Fat

When you’re on keto intermittent fasting, your body doesn’t receive a lot of glucose. As a result, it burns the stored fats. When all the stored fats are used up, the body will get energy from the proteins in the muscles.

To maintain muscle mass, you have to consume enough fat to sustain the normal physiological processes. Ideally, fat should take up 70-80% of your daily calorie consumption.

But these fats should be obtained from healthy sources such as avocados, fatty fishes, and cheese.

Not Consuming Healthy Protein

Protein deficiency can lead to a slower metabolism, lack of focus, delayed healing of injuries, and fluid retention.

Beef and organs meats are excellent sources of  high quality protein, meaning, they contain all the essential amino acids needed by the human body. They also contain a good amount of vitamin B12, folate, iron, and zinc.

Organic nuts are another healthy and relatively inexpensive source of protein. We recommend cheap bulk nuts that you can snack on during the non-fasting parts of the day.

Not Consuming Enough Water When Fasting

Increased fluid intake is important during keto + intermittent fasting in order to flush out the toxins and by-products of metabolism. Furthermore, water helps you feel full.

Water is also crucial for normal metabolism, digestion, and metabolism. Dehydration can cause weakness, dizziness, and confusion which you could mistake for signs of hunger.

A Very Important Reminder

Avoiding these intermittent fasting mistakes may improve your weight loss efforts.

However…..

Whichever diet regimen you plan to undertake, it is best to consult a physician first. Not every health trend works for everybody, particularly for those with existing health problems such as diabetes and hypertension.

Also, food intake is not everything. Regular exercise, enough rest, and a good state of mind are all needed to achieve the desired weight and improve overall health.

Ketogenic Endurance: Thanks to Ann (annvrealm@gmail.com) for writting this guest post. I hope you enjoyed it and you found some value in it.

Not only do the carnivore and keto diets work when it comes to weight loss, but you also don’t have to give up some of your favorite food. In fact, you can indulge in them. You can eat burgers and bacon by the bucket load! But an important part of any diet is to have as much variety as possible. It’s going to be harder to avoid carbs if you’re bored with your keto meal plan. So, here are 5 keto diet foods that you might not have even thought about trying, but should absolutely be eating more of and slapping them on your shopping list.

1. Oily Fish

Let’s start with something straightforward, possibly a bit obvious, and not very shocking: oily fish.

Oily fish include:

• Anchovies
• Herring
• Mackerel
• Salmon
• Sardines

All of these are high in protein and are rich in minerals. But the real selling point is the fact they’re packed with Omega-3. This seemingly miraculous fatty acid can help you with everything from improving your vision to reducing the risk of heart disease.

However, some people find the strong fishy flavor of these a little too hard on the palette, especially for stronger tasting ones like anchovies and herrings. But if you can suffer the taste of this feisty little swimmers, their oiliness provides you with plenty of fat for turning into ketones, along with their other benefits.

2. Oysters

Shellfish are good to eat on both the carnivore and keto diets. They’re high in protein and full of minerals and that fantastic Omega-3, but there’s one shellfish that really rules over them all: oysters.

Why? because of the insane amount of zinc in them.

One serving of oysters contains more than 1500% of your recommended daily intake (RDI). Some of the many things that zinc does are boost your body’s immunity and repair systems, as well as increase your cells’ metabolism rate. This means you’ll recover quicker after a hardcore workout or a seasonal illness, and burn energy quicker.

And yes, the rumors about them boosting your libido is true. Oysters also help increase sperm count and sperms’ swimming ability, whilst helping support estrogen production and ovary health in women.

3. Bone Marrow

Now we’re getting onto the more interesting keto diet foods: no bones about it! Have you ever thoughts about eating the inside of a bone? Probably not. But it’s a great carnivore and keto treat.

Marrow is the soft bit that’s in the center of a bone. When an animal is alive, it’s responsible for creating new blood cells. When bone marrow is cooked, it’s a brilliant source of Omega-3, gelatin, and collagen. All of these help to keep your digestive tract healthy and boosts your immunity and healing ability. It also keeps your joints healthy which is great if you’re doing high impact exercise.

What’s more, it’s the perfect ketosis food. The marrow itself is made up of 96-97% fat!

To get bone marrow into your diet, buy bones from your local butchers. Beef joints are best to cook with as they’re usually the biggest. Make sure you ask the butcher to cut the bones up into smaller pieces, as it can be quite difficult to cut bones in your home without the correct knives.

4. Bone Broth

Scoping out the squishy bit from the inside of bones is hardly elegant and probably quite unappealing to some. So, you might want to consider drinking or cooking with bone broth instead.

Bone broth is made by boiling down bones and joint tissue for a long period of time. Bone broth is different to stock because it has been cooked for significantly longer, meaning there’s a lot more of the nutrients from bones and joints in it: specifically protein, gelatin, and collagen.

What’s great is that it can be used just like stock. So you can add it to soup to give them a keto boost. You can even flavor it with some herbs and spices and drink it by itself. Drinking it will help keep you hydrated, which will help combat some of the symptoms of keto flu.

Make it yourself by buying bones and joints from your butcher and popping them in a crockpot or slow cooker for 10-20 hours.

5. Animal Organs (Offal)

This is probably the wildest suggestion on this list. Animal organs as carnivore and keto meats sounds as crazy as it is off putting. But it needn’t be either.

Animal organs are full of vitamins and high in protein, making it one of the ultimate keto diet foods. Particularly, they’re usually packed with vitamin B12. This vitamin is key to maintaining healthy bones and warding off osteoporosis. B12 is also said to give you an energy boost. This will give you a little extra vim over what the ketones are already fueling you with.

Different organ meat has slightly different benefits to the next. For example, liver is packed with a vast variety of vitamins. Tongue is full of that great fat you need for ketosis. Whilst heart is packed full of folate, iron, zinc, and selenium.

However, the idea of eating any of these can be unappetizing. Sitting there with a slab of meat that looks like a heart because it is a heart can make it difficult to tuck in. Also, some organs have quite distinctive and strong tastes which can get some getting used to. That’s if you can stomach it in the first place.

Therefore, start by using milder tasting organs such as liver and heart. Furthermore, you can also chop them up and mix them with your usual meat to make food like meatballs. This makes them a little more edible if the thought of eating them by themselves makes you queasy.

Level Up Your Carnivore and Keto Diet Foods

So, there you have it. 5 great carnivore and keto meats and foods you can put onto your carnivore and keto shopping list. Try your best to get as much of these into your diet as possible. However, some of these will certainly require a bit of bravery, and maybe even a bit of adjustment to eating.

But try to try them.

If they’re really not working for you, don’t worry. Remember, as much as variety is important on any diet, enjoyment is too. Don’t ever force yourself to eat something you dislike. If you’re not finding the keto or carnivore diet fun, you’re going to be less likely to stick to it.

However, if you’re able to broaden your food horizons, it could have some great benefits for you.