KETO DIET, IS IT ALL HYPE?

BY: FITZ-GEORGE RATTRAY

Many of our ancestors faced famine, varied
food availability and necessary physical activity of great intensities.  Because carbohydrates are not a long-term energy source and cannot always be readily available, a mechanism of sustaining metabolism and energy production without the presence of carbohydrates and
utilizing fat was and is necessary.

Talk of the keto diet triggers responses, both positive and negative among many experts and believers.  It is always better to have discussion about nutrition than no discussion at all. However we have been here before, when the sugar industry was threatened, they blamed fat and when the dairy industry was threatened, they blamed sugar and carbs, then they all blamed their victims by calling them lazy and instructing them to exercise, hard.  Nutrition is not black and white, fats or no fats, carbs or no carbs proteins or no proteins, meats or no meats. The best nutrition is a spectrum of foods, colors and flavour, that nature provides.

Just about anything said is going to be polarizing, and that is the bigger issue.  Not, Keto or not-keto, or paleo or not-paleo.  The real issue is how people think, not what is true. Anything said with enough anchored or floating facts will get people’s belief (or disbelief) systems activated. And the more polarizing the more we “sink our teeth” into it.  This blinds us to the discovery and appreciation of truth and restricts our growth as a people.

Just to momentarily add to the keto issue,
there is a serious difference between, the medical understanding of ketosis, the
scientific study of ketosis and the diet fad of ketosis.

• Medically Ketosis is a natural metabolic state which occurs during fasting, after prolonged exercise and/or during the utilization of a high fat diet, utilizing ketone bodies to derive energy from fat stores.
• Scientifically ketosis is effectively the same as medically, but will delve deeper into such terms, molecules and pathways involving, HDAC, FOXO3a, MTII, Citrate, Acetyl-CoA, 2 NAD, 2 NADH, HMG CoA and scores more.
• As a diet the description is much wider, for some. Keto is essentially the Atkin’s diet, for others; zero carbs with protein and fats, and others, low carbs, high protein and fats, or, 10/20% calories from carbs. There are many variations of believers but with all, the commonality is  three or less meals per day with high fat, high protein intake and restricted carbohydrates for the purpose of keeping insulin levels low, thereby utilizing fat intake and stores for energy.

A Ketone inducing diet will always work,
that is why the Intekai System incorporates ketone inducing stages, throughout our
autophagy waves. Autophagy is triggered by partial-day and multi-day fasting and
improves cell and tissue longevity, health and reconditioning.

However, unlike the Keto diet we focus on the balances which are known to enhance and prolong life. 

• Keto supporters speak about how much better they feel as a result of restricted carbs
  • In fact, managed portions, restricted sugars, flours and PROCESSED carbohydrates will yield the same benefits

• Keto supports rave about their low fat levels and their utilization of ketone bodies.
  • In fact, calorie management, maintaining a proper eating window of four to eight, maximum 10 hours will result in ketone production and fat utilization, with all the additional health and cell health benefits
• Keto supporters speak about reduced oxidative stress (which will damage cells and may cause cancer) because of the more efficient non-insulin, non-sugar, metabolic paths.
  • In fact, this is true for any calorie managed low simple carbohydrate diet with a controlled eating window, BUT, with a diet HIGHER in vegetable, fruit and berry intake (yes I know keto has some, but higher is the key), there is a higher concentration of micronutrients, fiber and all important oxidation fighting ANTIOXIDANTS.

I could go on, but, why? It should already
be clear that the principles of a diet which induces ketosis is solid, but a diet utilizing these balances and INCREASING
the protections of a balanced more natural way of eating covers more of the
requirements of healthy eating.

We only need to know four things about a healthy diet, it:

1. should be based on proven science, not just be overflowing with science, and constantly contradicting of other proven healthy lifestyles
2. should follow the model of our healthier ancestors (balanced, natural foods with varied availability)
3. should follow the model of healthier long living societies today (blue zone regions) and,
4. most importantly should be sustainable.

Just a few take-away points.

The keto diet has been tested over the past
30 years and has been found not to cause any discernable damage. 

That is, keeping in mind that testing on
humans is a matter of questionnaires, as controlled restricting of a group,
possibly causing harm is unethical, and discernable damage means that their
disease and death rates are no more than average.

• However, we do have a group of keto “dieters” who have been monitored for hundreds of years, the Inuit (including Eskimos), who because of their Alaskan, Greenland and Northern Canada homelands have been living 100% Keto.  Their average lifespan is the same to 10 years LESS than the world average.
• FORTUNATELY, we also have decades to centuries of cultures living as the ITK system and other more balanced diets promote, The Blue Zone cultures, minimum to zero refined sugars and carbohydrates, moderate fruit intake, moderate to no animal products and high vegetable and fiber foods. THEIR average lifespan is 10 to 20 years MORE than the world average.

Both groups enjoy fair to excellent
physical activity

It is true that the balanced approach
minimizes:

• The occurrence AND EFFECTS of
  oxidative stress
• insulin resistance issues
• cravings
• hormone imbalances
• mental stresses
• inflammation, and
• nerve damage

while:

• promoting healthy SUSTAINABLE
  AND CONVENIENT habits
• builds gut microbiome health
• works with your natural PH
• body fat management and more,

Here’s the thing, many people do not enjoy
balance and moderation; extreme choices empower and focus them.

If you have the ability to conceptualize a balance which has served several societies for centuries, and can accept scientific truths which when incorporated will help you attain and maintain an even healthier steady state in the middle of all this turmoil; then you know what to do and where to turn to for the direction and support needed to make the last change you will ever need to make.