As we progress with our dietary adjustments, we are ratcheting down our processed carbohydrate consumption and adding healthy fats to our diet. With a major goal of avoiding or at least minimizing the consumption of all processed foods, we naturally migrate towards a nutrient-dense, real-food diet, such as a Paleo or ancestral diets. Basically, eating foods available in nature that a caveman could hunt, fish, pick or find. That’s right, it’s so easy even a caveman can do it! Meats, wild game, free-range poultry, wild fish, seafood, cage-free eggs, non-starchy vegetables, nuts, seeds and berries, as examples. Do your best, choose natural, real-food, for as many of your meals and snacks as possible. Because of these intelligent food choices, we stimulate mitochondrial biogenesis, enhance mitochondrial function, and become fat-burning machines. Better mitochondrial function, better energy, better body composition, better health.
As you become a more efficient fat-burner, you will notice elimination of cravings and less hunger while simultaneously feeling awesome and getting leaner. These are great signs that you are promoting a healthy metabolism with your dietary adjustments. Contrast this to most diets plans that inevitably lead to fatigue, sluggish metabolism and an intense desire to quit ASAP!
INSULIN CONTROL
When we consume processed carbohydrates our blood glucose level rises. As blood glucose elevates our pancreas releases insulin. One of insulin’s main functions is fat storage. Increases in insulin levels lead to increases in fat storage. To release stored body fat and burn it for energy production, we must choose foods that control insulin such as our LCHF (low-carb, high-fat) foods discussed previously.
With our LCHF approach we control insulin so we can burn fat and produce the superfuel called ketones. Ketones are the preferred fuel source of brain, heart, liver and muscles. When in nutritional ketosis: WE BURN FAT, GET LEANER, AND PRODUCE A SUPERFUEL THAT LEADS TO MORE EFFICIENT ENERGY PRODUCTION from our high energy requiring organs. Ketones are an excellent fuel source for our mitochondria. Ketones lower inflammation, reduce oxidative stress, and enhance brain, heart and skeletal muscle function. Nutritional ketosis has been found to slow the rate of aging while simultaneously improving cellular repair throughout our bodies. Nutritional ketosis is a tremendous antiaging maneuver.
In upcoming blogs I will discuss tips to promote and amplify the health and wellness benefits of nutritional ketosis.