Ketogenic Nation

Keto & Magnesium Supplements

Supplementing Magnesium into your diet can be very helpful especially on the Ketogenic Diet.

Magnesium helps your nervous system and has a relaxing effect on your muscles and your body. It can also help with muscle cramps, heart arrhythmia and anxiety.

Magnesium levels are typically low on a North American diet. While it would be best to overcome this diet deficiency through natural food sources, a supplement is the next best thing to help make sure you reach these levels.

Why are Magnesium Levels So Low

Magnesium levels have been low in our diet due to a number of recent factors. One reason is that the rise in processed foods has changed the typical nutrients found in most foods. Another reason is that the soil conditions of most plants have been degraded and have a lack of nutrients. A third reason is that many people have simply changed their eating habits, which cause a decrease in magnesium consumption.

Magnesium typically used to come from soil containing magnesium. However, with the desire to produce more crops and yield larger sizes, the focus has shifted away from more natural and organic growth. Fortunately, more awareness is being brought to this topic, but the reality is right now, many crops don’t have the same nutritious soil that more traditional farming touted.

Which Type of Magnesium Should I Choose?

Magnesium comes in many different forms. It can be somewhat overwhelming to narrow them down. The universal consensus on magnesium is that Magnesium Citrate and Chelated Magnesium are the best sources. A very popular Magnesium supplement on the market is Magnesium Oxide. However, Magnesium Oxide is typically NOT recommended as it is not as bioavailable as Magnesium Citrate and Magnesium Chelate.

Magnesium and Laxative Affects

Magnesium taken in large amounts is known to cause some laxative effects. This is more common in less pure sources, but might happen more often initially as the body adjusts. This shouldn’t have a major impact on your day but it is something to be aware of.

Natural Sources of Magnesium

There are quite a few food sources of Magnesium that are Ketogenic friendly that can help your body absorb more of this naturally. We have made a short list below:

Raw Spinach

Mackerel

Avocados

Magnesium Citrate Supplements

A Ketogenic Diet will benefit greatly from increased Magnesium intake. If you are feeling anxiety, muscle tension, or having trouble relaxing at night, increasing your magnesium levels may be beneficial.

NOTE: As always, you should consult with a doctor before making drastic changes to you dietary habits.

Pork Rinds: The Ketogenic Diet’s Best Kept Secret

Being on the ketogenic diet does mean that you have to cut out a few things from your diet that may be a struggle for most people. The positive side to this, is that people are extremely creative in coming up with new ways to make the diet much easier. It may come as a surprise to you that pork rinds are one food item that can be used to supplement a large portion of the things you may be missing in your diet. Pork rinds are somewhat of a ketogenic miracle when you are struggling with findings delicious snacks to keep your meals interesting. The excellent thing about pork rinds is they are carb free and versatile.

You may be aware that many different dips are sour cream based, which make for a great keto snack. The struggle with that is most people require chips of some sort of eat with their dips and that is a keto no-no. A fantastic and delicious solutions, are pork rinds! They make for excellent chips to dip into your salsa or low carb dips. It is honestly very little difference and makes it so that you can enjoy some delicious snacks without having to go without chips. There are also different flavor variations with pork rinds that you can use if you just want some chips handy to snack on. Just make sure to keep an eye because there are a few different flavors that add sugar to them. As long as you take a look on the ingredients list to be sure there is no carbs in there, you will be good to go.

Pork rinds also make an excellent breading alternative. We all know that consuming meats is one of the main intakes of the ketogenic diet, but that means we must cook our meat without breading right? WRONG! Pork rinds crush up rather easily and can make a nice breading for your different meats. Just add a little bit of seasoning and use a nice coconut or almond flour instead of regular four and you are good to go. This is a perfect way to add some delicious flavoring to your meals without adding to the carb intake.

You can also try adding some pork rinds in your salad to add some texture in place of those bread crumbs that you can longer have. They add that same crunchy texture and soak up nicely in your dressings.

Pork rinds truly are a ketogenic miracle, something that will help you keep your snacking much more interesting. We all know it can get boring if you are constantly eating the same things, and adding a few little creative touches are a great way to keep your diet going strong. Pork rinds are just one of the excellent snacks and cooking additives that will help you along the way. So make sure to pick up a few bags of pork rinds, they will definitely be your new favorite keto snack.

Carbohydrate Addiction: How To Beat Cravings

When you are diving into the ketogenic diet, you may find yourself experiencing carbohydrate cravings. This comes from your body essentially being addicted to those refined sugars that it is so used to consuming. Your body is used to getting its supply of energy from your consumption of carbs, and suddenly it is experiencing a drop in that intake. Like any extreme change, the body needs time to adjust to what is happening. Eventually your body will shift to the ketogenic way, but this will take time and persistence. Your body is probably going to push you incessantly to consume what it is so used to (and addicted to).  To help you beat those cravings, we have compiled a list of helpful tips to get through.

Stay Full- It is important to keep your body feeling well fueled, so that is can adjust quicker to the new changes. Consuming a fair amount of protein and a high amount of fats, will help curb those pesky cravings. When your body feels sufficiently full it will help keep the cravings to a minimum. Starving yourself is not going to help you adjust well to the ketogenic diet. Cutting out carbs is the most important part, cutting calories is not necessary.

Drink Water- Drinking plenty of water is of course necessary for everyone who is trying to stay healthy. But for someone on a low carb diet it is completely vital. When your body is burning fat for energy it increases the amount of water that your body needs. Sometimes when you are feeling cravings, it is because your body simply needs more water.

Stay Active- Exercise is something that raises your body’s serotonin levels, much like sugar. This will help reduce your body’s carb cravings, replacing those cravings with a much healthier alternative.

Consider Supplements- Certain supplements can help suppress your body’s sugar cravings.

Be Careful with Artificial Sweeteners- Artificial sweeteners may not contain carbs, but they may have an effect on your body’s cravings. Since your brain tastes that similar sweet flavor, it is preparing itself for its old sugar friend to return. When your body does not receive that sugar it is waiting for, it can often jump start more intense cravings. It is important to be prepared for this potential struggle if you do decide to use artificial sweeteners.

Stay Rested- Lacking in sleep is never good when you are experiencing cravings. If your body is tired it may end up causing your more powerful cravings, since your body is hoping for a quick energy fix. Making sure to get enough good sleep is a great way to diminish your cravings.

Have Food Prepared- Sticking to a specific meal plan is often very helpful in keeping the cravings away. Staying full is an important factor and if you have your meals planned out that helps you avoid poor last minute decisions. Having easy high fat meals and snacks prepared can help you keep your cravings in check.

Permanently lowering your carbohydrate intake is the only true way to get rid of those cravings. Over time your body will adjust to the changes and you will begin to leave those cravings behind you. Once you have adjusted to burning fat instead of carbs to get your energy, your body will definitely thank you. Many people find that once they have adjusted to the ketogenic diet, they don’t feel any sugary cravings at all.

The Ketogenic Diet Vs. The Atkins Diet

When many people are first introduced to the Ketogenic Diet they make comments like “that sounds just like that Atkin’s diet” or “didn’t that Atkins guy do this and die?” However, while these diets do have some overlapping similarities, they are still fundamentally different.

The goal of Keto or the Ketogenic Diet is to get the body into ketosis and become “Keto-adapted.” This happens when the body starts producing ketones. Ketones are produced when the body breaks down fats for energy.

The difference between the Ketogenic Diet and Atkins is that Keto is focused on counting calories, consuming high fat, moderate protein, and low carbs. Atkins disregards carbs, focuses on high fat and high proteins and low carbs.

Both diets put your body into ketosis. One reason that the Ketogenic Diet focuses on low protein is that the body can still break down protein into glucose through a process known as gluconeogenesis.

The goal of the Ketogenic Diet is to get energy from fats instead of carbohydrates, sugars, and glucose so preventing protein from turning into glucose is important.

The Atkins diet is a much more specific diet and have specific steps that people can follow. The diet does cause its members to enter ketosis, so it could technically be considered a Ketogenic Diet. However, its idea of not counting carbs strays from the beliefs of most traditional ketogenic diets.

The Ketogenic Diet is primarily concerned with getting into Ketosis and becoming Keto-Adapted. The Atkins diet is more about restricting carbs to lose weight, which can incidentally put the individual in to Ketosis.

History of the Atkins Diet

The Atkins diet was promoted by Robert Atkins based on a research paper he read by Alfred W. Pennington called “Weight Reduction” published in 1958. Atkins did a study which showed his diet led to up to 2.9% more weight loss than a control group. Atkins also used the diet to deal with his own personal weight problems.

His first book was published in 1972 called Dr. Atkins’ Diet Revolution. He also released a new, slightly modified version (but still sticking to original concepts) in 2002 called Dr. Atkins New Diet Revolution. In 2010, The New Atkins For a New You updates the diet based on a decade of new information, and also includes more nutrient-rich foods.

Atkins Death Myth

There have been many stories created around the death of Robert Atkins. Many people think that his life was taken at a fairly young age (xx) because of his diet. They have used this fallacy to deduce that his diet was not healthy. However, the truth of the matter is that he died from falling and hitting his head. Some say he suffered a heart attack when he fell, although no conclusive evidence has been found.

Regardless, the death of Atkins is not enough scientific evidence to support or deny his diet any way, so the point really is moot.

Nonetheless, expect to hear this story brought up many times during your weight loss journey whenever his name is brought up.

What is the Keto Flu?

In the beginning of a new change to the body, we often experience some discomfort. The body needs time to adjust to any major dietary changes before it gets back to a state of normalcy. Because the state of ketosis is a massive change to the body, you will likely experience some distasteful side-affects. The important thing is to remember that these negative results will go away soon enough, and it is important to push through them. During this adjustment period many people feel overwhelmed and often give up on their progress. This is the hardest struggle of the keto diet, and once you push through it things get a lot easier. It is important to remember that this is perfectly normal and most everyone experiences a few negative side-affects during the adjustment period.

Your body has likely become adjusted to a high carbohydrate diet and is used to consuming carbs for a source of energy. Because of this you will experience a sort of carbohydrate withdrawal which is often referred to as the “keto flu”.

What does it feel like?

The symptoms you may feel during your adjustment period can vary from person to person. Because your body has built up a natural understanding of how to process carbs to make the glucose that is needs and has experienced very little in the way of processing fats for energy, it needs time to adjust. The body often needs a decent amount of time to fully adapt to any major changes, especially if you have been on a high cab diet for most of your life. The flip side is that the body does a surprisingly good job of adjusting, as long as you give it the proper time. Most people are capable of adapting properly to the keto change, as long as they push through the beginning side-affects. Some symptoms can range from mild irritation, to uncomfortable headaches and stomach distress. We have listed a range of symptoms below.

• Fatigue
• Nausea
• Headaches
• Stomach Discomfort
• Irritability
• Cough
• Dizziness
• Fogginess

While some people may experience very minimal symptoms, others may be slightly more severe. Just remember to monitor your body’s changes and keep yourself pushing through. Some helpful tips are to make sure you keep drinking plenty of water, and even increase your intake of salt. Maintaining your electrolytes will help decrease these negative symptoms as your body adjusts.

For the devoted gym goer it is important to remember you may feel a big weaker at first. Your endurance and strength may drop a bit but this will go away soon enough. After your body has adjusted you may even experience high levels of energy throughout the day, so just keep yourself going past this initial struggle.

Your body is essentially coming down from a carb addiction and just needs time to adjust. Your withdrawals may diminish within a few days, but your body takes a few weeks to fully adjust to ketosis. Preparing yourself mentally for this struggle can be helpful in pushing through it. When you fully realize the rewards and the positive effects that this change will have on your body, you can better equipped yourself for the initial struggle. Having more energy and being able to get yourself to a healthy weight, are wonderful results of the keto diet. Once your body has adjusted to the changes you will be able to diet without feeling constantly hungry, which is a major plus. The truth is that nobody likes feeling the negative side effects of anything, and flu-like symptoms aren’t the most pleasant to deal with. The rewards far outweigh the minimal discomforts that you have to feel to adjust to this new diet. Anything change requires some adjustments, as long as you prepare yourself for that you should do just fine.

What is Ketosis?

Ketosis is a normal metabolic process that happens when the body is not given enough glucose for energy. On an average carbohydrate high diet the body will use glucose as the main source of energy. When glucose in the body is used to produce energy the fats are not needed and are then stored in the body. When the body is deprived of these carbohydrates the body begins to break down the fat storage instead. This results in a build-up of acids called ketones in the body. When the body enters into this state it is referred to as ketosis.

For someone who has diabetes ketosis can be a sign that they are not using enough insulin in their body. For a healthy person ketosis is simply a sign that they are not taking in a high amount of carbohydrates and so the body is burning fat instead of glucose to get its energy. This can also happen after exercising for a long time, or during pregnancy.

What is the Ketogenic Diet?

The ketogenic diet is also referred to as the keto diet, low carb diet or the low carb high fat diet (LCHF). The intent of the ketogenic diet is to force the body into the metabolic state of ketosis. This will cause the body to burn fat as its main energy source, causing you to lose weight while maintaining a healthy level of energy. The keto diet can also be referred to as a high fat diet, since the bulk of your calorie intake is from fats.

On the ketogenic diet you are no longer consuming high amounts of carbohydrates, but rather replacing those carbs with high fat foods. This forces your body to adjust to these new consumption choices, causing you to burn fat. The body is rather resilient and you will find that over time it adjusts rather well to these changes.

Potential Benefits of the Ketogenic Diet

A huge benefit of the ketogenic diet is the way the body now produces your main source of energy. Instead of the body constantly needing to take in sugar to keep you alert, your body now has to be more independent to keep you going. Many people find that this way of producing energy keeps them feeling more alert and focused on an even level. Instead of the high cab diets which often leave you feeling sluggish and in need of more sugar to keep you energized. Many people say that this helps them think clearer and maintain focus throughout the day.

Unlike most diets which leave you hungry and with intense cravings, the keto diet keeps you feeling full. The consumption of fats has been proven to keep people feeling much fuller than simply cutting out calories to diet. This helps people diet efficiently, especially if they have struggled in the past. Studies have shown that the cravings are strongly diminished on the ketogenic diet.

The ketogenic diet can also help to lower blood pressure. For anyone who experiences higher blood pressure the keto diet has been proven to help lower these levels. Of course if you are not medication these changes need to be monitored by a doctor.

The keto diet also causes higher amounts of HDL Cholesterol which can help lower risk of heart disease.

Along with these benefits there are many more potential health benefits to the ketogenic diet. Of course the efficiency in losing weight is excellent for keeping the body healthy, especially in people who are overweight.

How Do I Start?

The best way to begin the ketogenic diet is my figuring out a smart meal plan and also remembering that it takes time to adjust. Your body needs a few weeks to full adjust to the changes it is undergoing, which means results may not happen overnight. Make sure you are prepared to go through some adjusting while both you and your body figure out how to navigate these changes.

It is very important to plan ahead since many things in our average diet include high amounts of carbs. Once you figure out what you can and cannot eat, you may even find yourself excited about your new meal plan. There are many ways to incorporate higher fats into your diet while cutting out the carbs, it just takes a little research and learning. Just because you are used to a high carb diet, doesn’t mean you will truly be missing out on anything. You will find yourself fuller and energized as time goes on, and those cravings will begin to melt away. Luckily the internet is full of recipes and information of which foods contain high or low amount of carbs. The great thing is that there are so many creative keto recipes out there that just about anyone can enjoy. The reason it is important to plan ahead, is so that you can prevent yourself from making any last minutes snacking mistakes. Maintaining a strictly low level of carbs and a higher level of fats will help you see exciting results. It may take a little time to adjust but it will certainly be worth it.