Itโs time for the Week Two Weigh-In if youโre participating in the 2019 Keto Challenge! You can post your progress in the group thread, or here on this post if you prefer. Itโs never too late to join in! See the challenge details here.
Metabolic Health Summit 2019 โ Long Beach, CA
Iโll be heading to LA in a few weeks to attend this amazing โketo science conferenceโ and I want to bring YOUR questions with me!
Iโve always been fascinated by the science behind the ketogenic diet, and even more so lately as Iโve been watching new research emerge and testing new things myself.
There are so many recent developments in the research and clinical practice of keto medicine, most of which you just get bits & pieces of โ and thatโs if you happen to come across them on the web.
And of course thereโs tons of misinformation floating around online too, leaving people with A LOT of contradictions & questions!
The Metabolic Health Summit is โwhere keto meets society.โ They bring together the worldโs most respected scientists and clinicians to share their research and their results in clinical studies on the ketogenic diet and various metabolic therapies.
Topics covered at this event include fact-based findings on keto medicine and nutritional/metabolic therapies such as:
- insulin resistance
- hypertension (high blood pressure)
- cholesterol
- type 2 diabetes
- cancer
- brain tumors
- hypertension
- inflammation
- alzeimerโs
- autism
- epilepsy
- mental health disorders
- testosterone problems
- cardiovascular health
- hormonal function
- autoimmune disorders
And much more, including weight loss and nutrition of course โ covering the whole spectrum of keto science and therapeutic nutrition!
You can scan over the schedule & topics for MHS 2019 here:
https://metabolichealthsummit.com/pages/tentativeschedule
To say Iโm excited about attending would be a HUGE understatement. ๐
What first piqued my interest in the event was a series of live videos and interviews leading up to this event, where they were specifically talking about Dementia and Alzheimerโs, and studies on the use of exogenous ketones to improve cognitive function in those patients.
Iโve mentioned a few times that Iโve taken a HUGE interest in this after reconnecting with my father recently.
This is a terrible picture of me lol, I was fresh off a day at the river!
At the point that we reconnected last summer, he hadnโt eaten solid food in almost two years. I discovered though that he LOVES the all natural nut butter packets and Iโve been finding ways to get a variety of nutrients in him with my โketo stashโ of liquid or soft foods!
I was really inspired by the studies and results of a ketogenic diet for cognitive function in older patients in those studies, and have witnessed DRAMATIC improvements in my own father in short time too โ specifically with his short term memory and level of alertness.
Some of the things that have worked well so far are the FBOMB Nut Butter Packets (his favorite!), Ketologie Keto Shakes (which have collagen and MCT in them), and also Pili Nut Butter โ which is made from a very nutrient dense nut.
While I donโt expect to โsaveโ my father, seeing IMPRESSIVE improvements in his cognitive function is both encouraging and interesting!
At this point itโs all about daily health & happiness, or simply: quality of life.
The fact that Iโve found things he ENJOYS (that also improves his health and daily life) makes our visits fun for us both. ๐
The Videos That Piqued My Interest
I think youโll really ENJOY the Interviews and Educational Videos on their YouTube channel. I did! Those alone will answer A LOT of your burning questions on health issues as they relate to a ketogenic low carb diet (or vice versa).
Those are the videos that really pulled me in, and encouraged me to do more testing โ both on myself and on my father. The fast results have just piqued my interest even more!
My Own Testing & Experiments
Iโm not sure how much of this Iโve talked about publicly, or whether Iโve put it in one place where everyone would have seen it, butโฆ
When I test a food, it takes me SIX FULL DAYS to do a clean keto testing experiment. When youโre doing true โclean testingโ you only introduce ONE single new thing into your diet at a time.
Since it can take up to 72 hours to fully metabolize the foods you eat, I will eat super simple for three full days prior to doing a test.
This gets my body into optimal ketosis and at baseline levels. I then test ONE food, and otherwise continue eating super clean/simple for another three full days after.
During which thereโs a lot of finger pricking and testing of course! ๐
I use the Keto Mojo Glucose & Ketone Testing Kit and we have a 15% off discount coded in my affiliate link here. I love mine!
This allows me to see how any given food or โketo productโ affects me, impacts my blood glucose levels and ketone levels, and whether I experience any side effects from certain ingredients.
When I first tried Lolliโs Low Carb Cookie Clusters for example, she had FOUR flavors. I tested each flavor individually, six full days per test, which took me almost a month! (lol)
But by doing such a โclean testโ I discovered that not only are her products VERY keto friendly, they actually *improved* my ketone levels!
Of course they were delicious at first bite, but I like to KNOW if foods are truly โketo friendlyโ โ or not. ๐
By the way, you can get a discount at Lolliโs, just use coupon code LOWCARBTRAVELER.
~
Most of the time I stick to simple foods that I know WORK for me: raw pecans, berries in moderation, eggs, salmon, meat and greens (plain, just salt & butter), etc.
And of course I also enjoy the all natural macadamia nut butters myself, especially when Iโm on the go or traveling โ or hiking. Theyโre super convenient, satisfying and a perfect โenergy shotโ when youโre fat adapted. ๐
In addition to hearing the science and studies that may benefit my father from the top physicians & scientists around the world (not just some random internet page)โฆ
Iโm interested to learn more from the case studies about the health benefits of intermittent fasting and also exogenous ketones (when to use them, and when NOT to).
Plus how to identify โfood culpritsโ and properly test for intolerances or issues. And GUT HEALTH โ I want to learn EVERYTHING that I possibly can about gut health! ๐
One of the things Iโm SERIOUSLY considering testing next is an all liquid keto diet. Iโm thinking Iโd like to try it for maybe 3 full days โ with various broths, shakes, and maybe the liquid nut butter packets as well.
Why all the testing?
I suppose I went backward with this by not prefacing that first, lol โ apologies.
Iโve mentioned here and there Iโve had some issues over the last year. Not just with long periods of weight loss stalls and odd weight fluctuations (even in ketosis), but also with my overall health.
Lately Iโve experienced inflammation again for example. But why?
While Iโm working with my doctor on all the โusual thingsโ Iโm also very interested to experiment myself โ and learn more about gut health issues, ingredient triggers, the benefits of going dairy free or doing intermittent fasting, etc.
All of course in clean testing โone thing at a timeโ mode, which requires tons of patience and discipline. ๐
So yes โ Iโm STOKED about the Metabolic Health Summit!
Iโve been eating a ketogenic low carb diet for almost 8 years now, by the way. Even at my lowest weight, way below my goal weight actually, I continued โeating ketoโ for health reasons.
I was in a near fatal car accident when I was 20 years old that resulted in a head trauma and back injury. Iโm deaf on one side and have regressive memory loss, but worse than that was the chronic pain from my back injury.
The older I got the less mobility I had as it turned into inflammatory arthritis, sciatica, and all the symptoms of fibromyalgia.
Prior to switching to the keto diet there were days I couldnโt even lift my coffee cup to my mouth. I was in constant debilitating pain.
And now?
I got back up on a water ski for the first time in 23 years, LOVE hiking and rock climbing, and can dance for hours in 4โณ heels. ๐
I never in a million years would have dreamed that I could live a FUN active lifestyle again. Itโs amazing to me how something as simple as your diet, the foods you eat, can impact your life SO much!
Like I said, I find this all deeply fascinatingโฆ
So much more information is available now than ever has been before. All of my adult life I honestly just thought food was for eating and for enjoyment. The concept of โfood as medicineโ (outside of weight loss being a healthy thing) never actually occurred to me.
Experiencing those results firsthand has me HUNGRY to learn more! Pun intended. ๐ lolโฆ
What are YOUR biggest science & health questions or concerns as it relates to a ketogenic low carb diet?
Leave a comment and let me know. Iโm taking notes and taking a list of questions with me to the Metabolic Health Summit conference โ and will share the answers and information I learn there with youโฆ
Iโm curious: do you eat keto simply to lose weight or maintain your weight loss, or are you using nutritional ketosis for health reasons too โ like I am?
NOTE: I personally donโt think you should EVER do anything just because everyone else is doing it, or because someone said it works for them. Knowing WHY you should test something, and what works for YOU (or with your combination of issues/needs) is the key to being the healthiest version of yourself. ๐
Agree?
Best,
Lynn Terry,
aka @LowCarbTraveler
p.s. Donโt forget to weigh in this week! ๐
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Discount Code: LOWCARBTRAVELER

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WHAT ARE THE EFFECTS OF HAVING CHEAT DAYS LIKE ON A HOLIDAY OR BIRTHDAY AND GETTING RIGHT BACK ON LOW CARBS? DOES IT RUIN ANY OF THE BENEFITS BESIDES GOING OUT OF KETOSIS ?
THANK YOU,
DOROTHY
Hi Dorothy,
That depends on a lot of variables โ first being how often you do it. There are always holidays, birthdays, special occasions, births, deaths, weddings, trips, parties, etc โ plenty of โexcusesโ to eat junk food.
Second being any known or unknown health issues. A history of high cholesterol for example โ you definitely wouldnโt want to cycle between high fat and high carb/sugar. Thatโs a recipe for disaster! (scary)
As for me, I eat keto to stay out of chronic pain due to a lower back injury. The inflammation pinches my sciatic nerve so if I eat off plan Iโm in debilitating pain and my feet and ankles swell to the point of total discomfort. So thatโs not a pleasant result and definitely a deterrent for me personally, lol.
I do know back before I got a handle on my binge eating and emotional eating issues and would go on/off plan once or twice a month, going in and out of ketosis constantly, both my regular medical doctor and my holistic healer told me my body was totally out of whack and I needed too stop doing that. ๐
Iโve done the Keto diet for s few years with great success of my own.
I wanted to tell you about my son. He is 17, has been a high school football player.
Heโs always been healthy. When he wanted to enlist with the Army National Guard, he found out he needed to lose a little body fat.
I helped him with the Keto plan, and he did a great job! He lost more body fat than needed, lost 9 pounds and feels great!
Yesterday he was sworn into the National Guard and will go to basic training after high school graduation.
Thank you!
Brenda
What a beautiful story, Brenda โ I can only imagine how proud you are of your son! And how easy was that, to drop the weight? ๐ Way to go!
HEllo Lynn
I was on KETO and almost lost my 20lbs over 2 months wen my Platelets began to fall daily. My dr gav me literature that stays the cell membrane of Platelets are made of lipids and forced me to quit the diet. During those 2monyhs my Fibro/RA came to a screeching halt I was BETTER THAN EVER The BEST 52yo old version of myself. I noticed shaving nicks thatโs bled too long hence I was concerned. Recently I added more carbs and tweaked my Macros and am giving it a go again. Would love any info u could bring back- as an RN Iโm receptive and appreciative of ur efforts. Cheering u on
Just wanted to specify my FibroFog was eradicated and my systemic inflammation was both objectively & subjectively GONE. I no longer reached for my pain meds(Ultram)MY Range of Motion was dramatically improved as if the Tubman no longer needed a oiling canโฆ the swelling in my hands was gone.. but the energy level and brain clarity was something I yearned for over 15years..so wen I was told u need to come off bc my Platelets continued to fall .. well I was so defeated. I wanted to continue and weโll sign me up for Platelets transfusions.. sounds like I shouldโve been committed and of course that wasnโt going to fly.. I looked into it and came across Epileptic kids and WillieVonBrand Disease.. I will be getting tested.. either way I want & NEED THE KETO RESULTS IN MY LIFE.. ANY HELP WOULD B APPRECIATED.. only other diagnose is severe neutropenia/leukopenia w/no etiology. HOPING U CAN CONNECT ME W/a NETWORK OF ANSWERS
I TRULY AM APPRECIATIVE
TY AGAIN
Wowโฆ Iโve never heard of that, but your doctor REALLY thinks that could have happened so quickly, in two short months?!
I would look up Dr. Ken Berry on YouTube and see if he addresses this topic.
Just wondering if you use the Heads Up Health app along with your keto-mojo? I just started using the meter on 1/8 & took about 3 days to figure out how, when, etc. I am only eating butter, eggs & cheese omelets atm. but I am getting ready to start adding one food item at a time back into my woe. My reading tonight is 2.1. I think Iโm ready ๐
It sounds like it, Myrt! ๐ Did you watch the videos on their website? I found those VERY helpful.
How is testing going so far??
I havenโt set up the app yet, but thatโs next on my list! Are you using it? If so do you recommend it?
My friend has had gallbladder surgery
and wonders if she should try keto
as she was told to watch her fat intake
What have you learned regarding
Keto and gallbladder surgery?
Daughter and myself both had our gallbladder removed no issues.
A lot of people in my low carb Facebook group discuss that as well if you want to search in the group. Itโs at http://www.90DayLowCarbChallenge.com
Patricia,
Also see this video (heโs a medical doctor):
Can I Eat Keto Without a Gallbladder?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=36SU_31rNxE
I Connected with you the end of 2014 and started watching my sugar grams, as carbs are sugar, read Jose Kruse book on 100 TMs and then you at that time was the carb lady, so I truly dove into process as medically speaking my doctor had a hard time controlling my high blood pressure, even though I was on meds, my mom lost her memory in later years because of the high blood pressure. So now with meds and the diet it has things in order and also the same problem you have with pain of inflamatory arthritis, sciatica and replacing a hip in 2010 because of itโฆ..I started walkingโฆ.walkingโฆ.walking, for pain relief then in 2014 found that eliiminating the sugarโฆand only good carbs, I have remained in good health from further replacements of the other hip, etc. I will be 75 in March and have been maintaining my weight at 135 for 4 yearsโฆ.my high in the old days was 195, my weight in high school was 140. I am 5โ5โณ when I was younger I was just about 5โ7โณ because of the arthritis I started shrinking (getting closer to ground} ha haโฆ.thank you for your encouragement over the yearsโฆhang in thereโฆ.your young I am already on your e-mail list
Wow Bonnie โ what a beautiful story. Kudos for taking control of your health and your quality of life!! ๐ xo
Iโm very interested in hearing what they say about the exogenous ketones and whether they are good for long term use, etc. and about any Keto news you can share!! Thank you!
Iโm interested in that topic as well, Linda. Up to this point I have avoided them altogether and am not sure why I would use them or what benefits there are โ but I look forward to hearing more at the Summit!
Looking a way to lower cholesterol. Hopefully you can get some information on this. I need to find a doctor that doesnโt want to push pills.
cholesterol 266
trigly.-98
LDL-184
HDL-62
Hi Joyce,
Iโm not a doctor and canโt offer medical advice, butโฆ Atkins Phase One or Atkins20 IS Keto. Hereโs just one article: https://www.atkins.com/how-it-works/library/articles/atkins-heart-health-fact-1-low-carb-diets-decrease-fat-in-your-bloodstream-and-increase-good-cholesterol-better-than-low-fat-diets
From the Metabolic Health Summit Iโm attending next week where theyโre sharing all the latest research and clinical studies. This is just one of their videos on that topic: https://www.facebook.com/metabolichealthsummit/videos/1770976462967551/ (with a cardiologist)
I hope that proves helpful! I recommend looking up Dr. Ken Berry on YouTube as well and search his videos for that topic. Heโs a doctor in my state here that Iโve met personally.