Ketogenic lifestyle combined with Mediterranean diet promotes well-being, increasing longevity, slowing aging and reducing risks of cancer, chronic and metabolic disease.

What is a ketogenic lifestyle?

Ketogenic lifestyle encompasses a healthy fat diet, lifestyle and exercise habits to increase ketone production. Ketogenic lifestyle does not necessarily mean a high fat, no carb diet. Instead, a ketogenic lifestyle involves intermittent fasting, healthy fats, high fiber whole plant foods with low carbs (and no processed foods). It involves cycling between fasting days and non-fasting days. This type of lifestyle promotes ketone production, stimulate detox and promotes fat burning and tissue regeneration. Incorporating 30-45 minutes of combined aerobic and resistance exercise or HIIT (high intensity or interval training) on fasting mornings further optimizes ketogenesis and it’s health benefits.

How to Achieve Ketogenesis ?

Regular fasting of 13-17 hours on an average of three days per week, and breaking it with fat/protein instead of carbs, achieves ketosis much more efficiently and effectively than long-term use of high fat no carb diet. Such intermittent fasting has proven to be anti-inflammatory due to its ketogenesis. Consuming healthy fats (like avocado, raw nuts (no peanuts) and seeds, seed oils, evening primrose oil, high quality fish oils, wild cold water fish, eggs, avocado oil, grass fed ghee, etc) provide essential fatty acids and fats that promote healthy cellular function and are anti-inflammatory. As ketones increase, cellular metabolism, blood sugar and insulin regulation and hormone balance improve, methylation and immune function modulate, and inflammation decreases. Simultaneously, modulation of epigenetic factors occurs.

On the other hand, a daily intake of high fat no carb diet for long periods of time (greater than 6 weeks), consumption of processed ‘keto’ foods, hydrogenated and processed oils, omega 6 oils found in animal fat, and pesticides and herbacides in food promote inflammation, insulin and glucose dysregulation, cortisol production as well as cause high cholesterol and hormonal imbalances.

Benefits of Ketogenic Lifestyle

A ketogenic fasting lifestyle (always cycling fasting with whole plantbased Mediterranean foods) enhances gut microbiome with observed improvements in anti-inflammatory bacterioides and butyrate production through gut fermentation. As the gut microbiome improves so does the immune function. The result is reduction in autoimmune diseases, as well as in diabetes, heart disease, neurological conditions (such as seizures, Alzheimer’s and dementia risks) while improvements in hormone function and diminished cancer risks are observed.

A ketogenic lifestyle combined with a Mediterranean diet positively impacts mitochondrial function (cellular engine function). It also appears to reduce resistance to oxidative stress (which slows aging and chronic disease progression). Ketones produced as a result of fasting and low carb diet directly up-regulate the bioenergetic proteins that influence the antioxidant defenses of cells and the function of the immune system.

The beta-hydroxybutyrate produced by beneficial bacteria during fasting in conjunction with moderate amounts of healthy fat, high fiber diet, low carb and moderate protein improves cellular signaling, as well as brain and cognitive function resulting in longevity.

Ketones accelerate fat metabolism, stimulating visceral and body fat burning, including belly fat, to improve muscle to fat ratio (body mass index), and promote a healthier body composition.

Fatty Liver and Kidney Function

Studies show that ketogenesis not only improves fasting insulin levels and supports proper blood sugar regulation, reducing HA1C and diabetes risks, as well as controlling triglyceride and cholesterol production, but it furthermore significantly reduces fatty liver, improving liver and kidney function. Detoxification by the liver and kidneys is optimized with such a lifestyle. In mild kidney failure, research shows ketosis normalizes kidney function.

How You Break The Fast is Also Key

When our fast is broken with high glycemic foods like orange juice or fruit or breads and pasta, insulin, blood glucose and cortisol spike prompting a dysregulation of hormones and increase in fat stores as well as inflammation. Breaking the fast with healthy fats and protein instead helps stabilize glucose, insulin and cortisol which help maintain the anti-inflammatory state of the body and support rebuilding of muscle.

Conclusion

Ketones are necessary for healthy cognitive and brain function, proper cellular energy metabolism, antioxidant production, balanced hormone regulation, and healthy immune production. One easy way to achieve regular ketone production involves incorporating intermittent fasting along with an organic Mediterranean diet in conjunction with 30-40 minutes of exercise on fasting days.

Regular intermittent fasting (ensuring breaking the fast with high fat/moderate protein) of 13-17 hours per day 2-3 days per week in combination with an organic Mediterranean diet (whole foods organic non-processed carbs (through legumes, squash, sweet potatoes, vegetables and fruit), healthy fats ( seeds and nuts, avocado, olives, coconut and their oils) and low moderate protein (occasional lamb, wild cold water fish, poultry, eggs) significantly increases ketone production, increases muscle mass while accentuating fat metabolism, causing optimization of body mass index. Add in exercise ( especially HIIT or intermittent/interval training with resistance) and bingo: you’ve got more ketogenesis power!

Incorporating Ketogenic lifestyle and dietary modifications in one’s daily life can potentially transform our individual and community health and well-being.

Remember: this is a LIFESTYLE, not a temporary diet!

 

References:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8153354/#!po=60.8844

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25127866/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24440038/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23821742/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19099589/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21586415/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17684196/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25498959/

https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/12/3/788

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32854046/