This is a short report on my Keto journey. I have been Keto for two years and four months now. I have had several people ask me about the topic and here is my impression about it.
The first thing people generally want to know is 'how much weight have you lost.' I must qualify this by saying weight loss was not a prime factor in my going Keto. The main reason I went Keto was to heal from a stroke, but weight, specifically fat around one's mid section, is a related issue.
I have lost 47 pounds. I do not look much different, as I was never obviously over weight or 'fat.' I was what is called a TOFI... i.e. thin on the outside fat on the inside. This is a real medical phenomenon that sometimes manifest in those with metabolic syndrome. Having said all that, I do like not having those 47 pounds on me. My clothes fit wonderfully and my tummy is flat.
Two years and four months into Keto has many benefits in addition to aesthetic ones. I feel good, I get up in the morning fully rested with no aches and pains, no inflammation, etc. My memory and cognition are excellent, which is the primary reason I began Keto, i.e when one is healing from a brain injury, cognition, memory, brain health, are the most important goals. But, as I mention the two things are connected, i.e. weight loss and brain health. Losing the weight, and we are talking fat here, is a integral part of brain health.
My protocol is simple, I keep my carbs to circa 20 a day. Sometimes I might go up to 30 or 35 and other days I will be under 20 and as low as 0 to 5. I am normally in ketosis. I used to monitor my ketone levels often, but I do not do this any longer. At this stage, I just know when I am in ketosis.
I enjoy the food I eat. I eat a lot of beef, grass fed when I can get it and afford it, but I also eat a lot of fish, pork, eggs, and my favourite food, Spanish manchego cheese (made from sheep milk). I do eat vegetables, but all low carb ones... brussel sprouts, green cabbage, green beans, broccoli, cauliflower,, collards, green salads, etc., things of that nature. I also will eat some berries, such as blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, etc. I do not eat any high sugar fruits however (such as apples, bananas, oranges, etc.).
Another frequent question... do I drink on Keto? Well, yes I do. Though, it is selective drink, it has to be a low carb beer, of which there are many brands that I like. With wine, I only drink dry reds, the type and brands I get are normally under 1 carb per 5 oz. Very doable. Of course, I enjoy whiskey a lot, and it has No Carbs at all. Those that know me, know I like Jameson, Tullamore Dew, and several other Irish whiskeys, and like a good rye occasionally.
Next question often asked... how do you stay on it? That one easy, Keto allowed me to heal from a stroke and has radically reduced my chances of having another one. Strokes are caused by metabolic syndrome. I enjoy being healthy, fit, and at the top of my mental function. It is that simple, I like that more than I like ice cream, potatoes, junk food, etc.
I call my Keto 'ancestral eating' meaning I eat the way my tribe, my ancestors, ate. Metabolically, I am a northern European, my ethnic classification is Celtic. My father's family Gaels from mid Argyll, my mother's family Gaels from western Ireland. Going back prior to ethnic classification, I am of Yamnaya (Steppe herding folk) in paternal ancestry and northern European Hunter Gatherer in my autosomal DNA. This Yamnaya-European Hunter Gatherer folk are also known as the Bell Beaker folk in pre history. They are the ancestors of northern Europeans. My people settled in the Isles 4,000 years ago. This is not speculation, rather data gathered from extensive Y chromosome DNA testing I have participated in. Since paleolithic times well into modern times, my people ate low carb. In short, I do better with a diet high in protein and fat, very low in carbs. It comes down to evolutionary biology. While we are on the topic, yes I do have some Neanderthal DNA, as do most northern European people.
I lost 47 pounds with no dieting and eating as much as I wanted, I only changed what I ate. I eat like my ancestors, and now I feel and look like them.
© Barry R McCain 2020
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| smoking a beef brisket |
I have lost 47 pounds. I do not look much different, as I was never obviously over weight or 'fat.' I was what is called a TOFI... i.e. thin on the outside fat on the inside. This is a real medical phenomenon that sometimes manifest in those with metabolic syndrome. Having said all that, I do like not having those 47 pounds on me. My clothes fit wonderfully and my tummy is flat.
Two years and four months into Keto has many benefits in addition to aesthetic ones. I feel good, I get up in the morning fully rested with no aches and pains, no inflammation, etc. My memory and cognition are excellent, which is the primary reason I began Keto, i.e when one is healing from a brain injury, cognition, memory, brain health, are the most important goals. But, as I mention the two things are connected, i.e. weight loss and brain health. Losing the weight, and we are talking fat here, is a integral part of brain health.
My protocol is simple, I keep my carbs to circa 20 a day. Sometimes I might go up to 30 or 35 and other days I will be under 20 and as low as 0 to 5. I am normally in ketosis. I used to monitor my ketone levels often, but I do not do this any longer. At this stage, I just know when I am in ketosis.
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| Spanish Manchego cheese |
Another frequent question... do I drink on Keto? Well, yes I do. Though, it is selective drink, it has to be a low carb beer, of which there are many brands that I like. With wine, I only drink dry reds, the type and brands I get are normally under 1 carb per 5 oz. Very doable. Of course, I enjoy whiskey a lot, and it has No Carbs at all. Those that know me, know I like Jameson, Tullamore Dew, and several other Irish whiskeys, and like a good rye occasionally.
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| Jameson neat |
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| ancient Celts |
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| Our ancestors ate low carb |
© Barry R McCain 2020