The Truth About Ketosis
“Fats are bad and carbs are good!” For many years, this myth has been so widely thought true that those of us from the last generation feel as though it were tattooed upon our brains. Today, as we walk down the grocery aisles we still recognize its influence in the remaining “Fat Free” product labels. Thankfully, the world is becoming more aware that fats are essential for good health and sugars are the real problem. This is evident by the recent explosion of “Sugar Free” marketing labels found on food products of all kinds. We are obviously reaching a turning point that will forever change our views concerning the benefits of fat in our diets. Science has only reached the tip of the iceberg with respect to the diverse health benefits of a “high fat low carb” diet.
Understandably, it is hard to trust science when we are still utilizing chemotherapy to treat cancer with only a 15 percent survival rate! Yet, the truth is physicians prescribe chemo, scientists develop solutions and publish results. The scientifically tested, “ketogenic diet” is becoming the latest rage. Yes, it’s a diet that allows you to eat BACON! What meat eating hippie would NOT be inspired by that? It is an extremely simple yet hard to understand, multifaceted process, which in a nutshell comes down to this: A body deprived of carbohydrates it will enter a state of ketosis!
Our body is a highly effective machine. It employs several different pathways to produce fuel. Glucose, which is produced by the breakdown of carbohydrates, is our body’s primary fuel source. Without getting into too many details, when glucose levels are inadequate, the body turns to fats as an alternative resource. Our cellular communication and nutritional flow is based on lipids (fats). The idea that we would deprive our body of fats is horrifying especially once one understands how our neurons communicate and how our cells are structured.
Sugars, carbs, and glucose are the main fuel source for multiple diseases. Once that fuel source is cut off our body regains the upper hand. The human body operates in a ketogenic state in a decidedly efficient manner. Ketones are the fuel produced by the breakdown of fats. They are known to starve cancer cells, increase neurological function, increase satiation, lower blood pressure, and lower cholesterol.
Now that you are sold concerning the benefits of the “Keto Diet” with plenty of reliable facts, the diet regulations are the next questions which require answers. Macros is a hard concept to grasp for most people. To put it as simply as possible, the Keto Diet allows for limited carbs with a regulated amount of protein and increased allowable fat grams. The macro nutrient breakdown would consist of 5% carbs, 20% protein, and 75% fats. Calculating the proper macros is based on your goals, weight, and body fat percentage. There are plenty of free Keto Calculators found on the internet that will help determine the correct macros.
Keep in mind, everyone’s body is different in reference to how resistant we are to ketosis. My recommendation is to start a ketogenic diet in a fasted state with 20 percent less fats than are suggested. Depleting the body’s glycogen would be ideal before starting the diet as well. In order to deplete your body of glycogen, perform cardiovascular or High Intensity Interval Training while you are fasting. Additionally, make sure to drink a minimum of a gallon of water per day to assist your body in eliminating metabolic waste and toxins.
Ketogenic dieting is increasing in popularity now that well-known actors and athletes are bragging about the benefits. Yes, this diet will bring about a more aesthetically pleasing figure, but what it does for individual health far exceeds the benefits of enhanced appearance.
- Published in The Frog Pond
Tampa Bay Storm meets with Frog Fitness
Frog Fitness has an unsubstantial passion to take the elite athlete to the next level. We were given an opportunity to train with the Tampa Bay Storm arena football team after their light day of practice. The first person to hop on The Frog was Leigh Baker, Head Athletic Trainer. He finished twenty yards gassed but with a believer grin.
Brandon Lang, The Football Operations Coordinator for the Storm, would send players over one by one as they received a personal training session developed and coached by Joel C Metzger. After less than three minutes on The Frog the players were dripping with sweat and smiling with excitement. They instantly understood the effectiveness of the position and motion The Frog offers. Shortly after their session they were already creatively using The Frog, adapting it to their personal workouts.
Every player walked away from their session with a full body pump as well as an excited and motivated outlook on adding The Frog to their training program. Approaching four hours on the practice field appetites where increasing. Understanding how taxing The Frog is to the body and how important fueling the body is for an athlete Frog Fitness catered a post practice meal geared towards replenishing the muscles. PDQ, People Dedicated to Quality brought a feast that would disappear in minutes but perfect for an athlete’s appetite. The Frog Fitness team was extremely grateful for the opportunity to work with the Storm. They would like to thank Derrick Brooks and the staff of the Tampa Bay Storm for Hoping on The Frog.
- Published in Hoppin' Happenings
Start Right, Choose Wisely
Start Right, Choose Wisely, Fitness One at a Time, All things Considered
Making fitness and health a priority is easy when it is your career. Their income becomes dependent on performance or physique. What about the non-athlete or non-fitness model? When making lifestyle changes they must be accommodating to the individual. NO, I am not saying making the change is easy. I am advising everyone to make goals realistically challenging. Don’t fall for glorified marketing. We have all seen “Get Shredded” “Get Lean” “Burn Fat” “Tone up” ad campaigns on Fitness Products and supplements. If these ads are true, they are increasing the body’s metabolism. The options are overwhelming to the average person but thinking through molecular terms they exhibit the same outcome, cutting fat storage by spiking the metabolism. DNA and fingerprints are all different. Why would we all follow the same diet? In order to make the decision process a little easier we must figure out what will fit into our lifestyle and gradually add new challenges one at a time.
DO NOT try to flip your diet overnight. This will lead to negative side effects that will convince you to retract to your old unhealthy habits. In order to prevent this, we must understand that the human body is very adaptable. The differences between everyone is how stubborn the body is to adapt. Dramatically changing the diet overnight only shocks the body. Tracking our diet for two weeks before we make changes is the best way to start. This is how we get a grasp on what kind of macros we are eating. Then we must start by eliminating certain unhealthy foods while adding in a healthier alternative ONE at a time. We all have those foods we love but know we should hate. An easy solution is to find a healthy alternative or limit how often we indulge. No, artificial sweeteners are not considered a healthy alternative. No, organic does not always mean healthier. An easy example would be, stop eating canned vegetables and grab some fresh produce instead. After making these changes we can focus on meal prep. This can be extremely stressful so initially meal prep one meal a day. No meal planning doesn’t have to be plain and tasteless. Spice up your meals to what you desire. Add one meal to your planning as they become more habitual.
UNDERSTAND your physical limitations are low in the beginning. Use it or lose it, is a very true statement. If our body has not been under physical stress in a long period of time your gym or activity time will be extremely short. This discourages people in the beginning but it should encourage. No you don’t have to start off spending one to two hours in the gym. YES, it is ok to only spend 15 to 30 mins on small simple movements. Our bodies adaptability is phenomenal. In a matter of weeks the body will be able to last a lot longer, especially if we are starting from the bottom.
LEAVE the supplements alone. Unless we are talking about a daily vitamin or fish oil. It is very obvious that that we have a hard time making sure we get what the body needs on a daily basis so a quality multi-vitamin is GREAT. NO, I am not against the supplement industry by any means but, in the beginning we DO NOT need any supplements. Yes, they do help a lot, especially when you find a company that has quality ingredients. No, they are not needed in the beginning stages of any fitness program. After four to six weeks of consistently being active and eating healthy that is when supplements can be implemented.
Positive life changes are a common desire that must be added one at a time. Make the changes permanent by adopting an active lifestyle that fits your unique individuality. Taking the same ideals when altering your diet. This will be the solid foundation you need in order to have a positive lifestyle you are proud of.
- Published in The Frog Pond