Categories
Nutrition Tips

Get Back to Keto After Your Quarantine Carb Binge

The ketogenic diet is pretty popular in Sarasota. Unfortunately, it’s one of the hardest nutritional plans to obey. Add in some quarantine—along with a dash of pandemic panic—and you have a recipe for a serious carb crash.

If you feel derailed from your Keto Diet, you aren’t alone. It happens to everyone. And it’s nothing to feel ashamed of.

Good news: It’s easy to get back on track. Just take it one step at a time.

Back to Keto in 5 Steps

We recently read a great post on Mark’s Daily Apple that discusses what happens when you carb-binge, and how to get back to nutritional ketosis as soon as possible. Mark Sisson is an endurance athlete, author of The Primal Blueprint, and Founder of Primal Kitchen. Needless to say, when he writes about keto, we stop and listen.

Mark recommends the following 5 steps to getting back on the keto train:

First, cut back the carbs. This might seem obvious, but it is a critical first step. You can’t get back into ketosis if you’re eating carbohydrates. According to Mark, you should aim for the same amount of carbs that you were eating before you binged.

Second, get enough electrolytes. This is a commonly overlooked, which can be detrimental to overall health. Transitioning into ketosis causes you to lose glycogen. Glycogen is essentially sugar that your body has stored for later. However, a drop in glycogen leads to a corresponding drop in water and other electrolytes. To avoid dehydration (especially during hot summer months), be sure to supplement with a keto-friendly electrolyte mix.

Third, eat high quality fats. If you were previously on a ketogenic diet, this shouldn’t be hard. Avocado, extra virgin olive oil, coconut oil, walnuts, and other seeds/nuts are all good sources of fat. And of course, avoid trans fats.

Fourth, take it easy. Remember that your body will need some time to transition back into a state of ketosis. While transitioning, your body might have trouble producing and utilizing enough ketones for exercise. So, take a break from running, strength training, and other heavy duty exercise. Enjoy light movement, like walking and Yin Yoga.

Finally, consider fasting to jump-start your bodies ketone production. By restricting calorie intake, you can activate your body’s natural ketone production machinery. Two approaches to consider include Intermittent Fasting (IF), and a traditional multi-day fast.

Intermittent Fasting means restricting your eating to a small window during the day, like 12pm to 6pm. This creates an 18-hour window that mimics a traditional fast. During that window, be sure not to consume any calories whatsoever (e.g. black coffee is okay, but coffee with cream is not).

A traditional fast is just what it sounds like: Multiple days spent consuming nothing but water. The topic of healthy fasting is complex and beyond the scope of this article. Do not attempt this without consulting a physician.

Find a health coach who specializes in Ketogenic Diets.

Sometimes, it’s best to speak with a coach who can help you navigate the uncertainty of major life changes. Coaches can also help you find doctors, nutritionists, and other licensed professionals who can safely fast-track your fitness goals.

Learn more about coaching by visiting our Nutrition Coaching page.

 

 

 

Categories
Weight Loss Research

Researchers find a new way to ‘trick’ your body into weight loss

Weighted vests are a staple among modern fitness enthusiasts, especially those who practice CrossFit. The idea is simple: By wearing a weighted vest, your body is forced to recruit extra muscle fibers to perform even simple movements. Functional fitness improves as your body gets used to supporting extra weight while performing exercises like running, squatting, and planking.

However, it seems there is another, sneakier health benefit to wearing a weighted vest: It can actually trick your body into losing weight.

Weighted vests trigger weight loss in clinical trial

In a small clinical trial, researchers at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden divided 69 participants into two groups. The first group wore 2.5lb weight vests. The second wore vests that weighed 25lbs. All participants wore their vests for 8 hours a day.

After 3 weeks, the first group lost about a half pound. However, the group wearing the 25lb weight vest lost an average of 3.5lbs.

How significant is 3.5lbs in 3 weeks? As one researcher put it, “[That] exceeds what’s usually observed after various forms of physical training.”

Your ‘graviostat’, and how it affects your weight

This study highlights the importance of your body’s graviostat—the internal system that endeavors to keep your body weight constant. Although follow-up studies are needed, researchers believe there are at least two important implications to consider:

1. If you sit a lot, your gaviostat might think you are lighter than you really are. As a result, your body might release hormones, create hunger signals, and engage in other biological processes to make you gain weight.

2. If you trick your body into thinking you’re heavier than you are (e.g. by wearing a weighted vest), your graviostat might actually engage in processes that lower your bodyweight.

Of course, wearing weighted vests comes with the added benefit of strengthening your body’s musculature while performing everyday activities, like walking, climbing stairs, sitting up, and lying down.

Find a health and nutrition coach

Visit our Sarasota nutrition coaching page to learn more about sustainable weight loss programs that work. Connect with a local professional who will help you meet your fitness goals, and begin living a healthier life today.

Categories
Weight Loss Research

Cold weather and weight loss: Are Floridians missing out?

Research shows that people with ‘brown fat’ burn more calories. But what is it, and can get it if you live in Florida?

When it comes to gaining weight, conventional wisdom goes something like this: If you eat more calories than you burn, your body stores those excess calories as fat. And voila, your waistline grows over time.

It’s no wonder the thought of ‘fat’ makes us cringe. In reality, fat has gotten a bad rap.

After all, fat is a macro (major) nutrient that our bodies need for dozens of vital functions. From easy energy to synthesizing hormones, fat is an essential part of everyday life.

Plus, some fat might actually help your body burn excess calories and improve quality of life.

What is brown fat?

When we think of fat, it’s usually white fat. And while white and brown fat are both types of adipose tissue, only brown fat seems to contribute to weight loss.

Writing for MayoClinic.com, Dr. Donald Hensrud explains how brown fat is different from white fat:

“Brown fat[…] is a special type of body fat that is turned on (activated) when you get cold. Brown fat produces heat to help maintain your body temperature in cold conditions.”

Dr. Hensrud goes on to explain that brown fat is being studied as a potential aid in the fight against obesity. The key: Mitochondria.

Brown fat, mitochondria, and burning more calories

Mitochondria are like little power houses. Located within each of your body’s cells, these structures help to convert calories into energy. And when it comes to mitochondria, brown fat has more than white.

“Brown fat has generated interest among researchers because it appears to be able to use regular body fat as fuel,” writes Dr. Hensrud.

In theory, this means you could naturally burn more body fat simply by increasing the amount of brown fat you have.

Can my body create brown fat?

This is the key question that researchers are trying to answer. Can we increase our body’s brown fat? If so, will it help our bodies naturally become leaner and lighter?

Here’s what the current research says*:

  1. Cold exposure seems to activate brown fat.
  2. Activated brown fat seems to increase energy expenditure (calorie burn), improve glucose homeostasis, insulin sensitivity, and lipid (fat) metabolism.
  3. Exercise might also activate brown fat, but more research is needed.

*This list is drawn from Cold and Exercise: Therapeutic tools to activate brown adipose tissue and combat obesity, published by the National Institutes of Health in March 2019.

If cold exposure is the best way to create brown fat, are Floridians missing out?

Interestingly, you do not need to live in a cold climate to reap the benefits of brown fat. Instead, you might be able to increase your body’s brown fat by practicing intermittent cold exposure.

There are three common techniques for this, including:

1. Cold showers

When you’re done bathing, simply turn the water as cold as possible. Stand beneath your shower head and use your breath to calm your body. Holotropic breathing might help.

2. Ice bath

This is more intense than a simple cold shower. It can also get pricey, since each bath will require 3-6 bags of ice. That’s up to $20 a bath, so consider practicing cold showers daily and ice baths once a week.

3. Cryotherapy

You’ll have to find a local cryotherapy center for this one. Cryo machines resemble an upright tanning bed, but there are no UV lights and the inside drops to -250 degrees Fahrenheit. You’ll only be in the chamber for up to 5 minutes, but the machine is thought to “shock” the body into producing proteins that create brown fat (among many other health benefits).

Please note: Research on cold therapy and brown fat is still ongoing. Always consult your physician prior to making changes to your diet or health regimen.

Stay on track with your own personal health coach.

Professional guidance, plans, and encouragement. Those are the keys to success. Make today the first step in your journey toward a healthier and more vibrant You!

Visit our Sarasota nutrition coaching page to learn more, and connect with a local professional who will help you meet your health and fitness goals.