Will a Keto Diet Cause Heart Disease?

I see a lot of chatter about the ketogenic lifestyle and a ton of accusations of scam or disease potential. So what's the truth about fat?



It makes sense to me that if I eat steak every night, I'm not doing my heart any favors. I always go back to Ben Franklin who cautioned "Moderation in all things." That's my motto too. Since adding ketones into my daily regimen, I simply have skipped the burgers and cut back on carb and sugar intake.

Basically, I'm not a diet person, jumping from one fad to the next.  I think what I've been looking for is that perfect thing that works for me - a supplement, one that does not upend my household and how I need to cook.

Having said that, I'm still doing my research, and if this blog post finds you and makes you curious about ketones, I hope you won't just take my word for it and do your own research.  Look at both the pros and the cons and then come up with your own opinion.  I needed to take my own 60-day challenge to see if drinking ketones worked for me.

Can I Overdo it on Ketones?

Now that I have surpassed my 60-day challenge, I've found that my body craves ketones, much like it did the coffee, tea, and carbs that used to rule my diet. I've introduced KETO//OS Max into my daily regimen, and Maui Punch is my flavor of choice, although some prefer the sweeter taste of Raspberry Lemonade.  I wasn't a sugar drinker in the past, meaning that I didn't drink sodas and preferred unsweetened tea; however, I've found that I can handle the "sweetness" of the fruity Maui Punch flavor the best.

But here's the thing with the Max line - it's stronger. So while I'm not literally running a marathon each day, my body is doing so internally. What that means is that if I drink the Maui Punch Max in the morning, I feel like I'm going to crash four to five hours later. So after lunch I drink the KETO//OS Orange Dream which provides that pick-me-up I need without making my body do the heavy-duty workout.

One of my major concerns was drinking too many ketones.  It makes sense that I need to keep up the water regiment daily. I have a Yeti knock-off, large cup with a metal straw which I highly recommend. At first I found that I had a hard time drinking enough water until I used a straw. Then I found the stainless steel metal straws on Amazon which are awesome, not to mention better for turtles. (Sidenote: did you know that disposable straws continually make the top-10 list for marine debris? ) But, again, could my body handle the double dose I was feeding it each day?

The answer for me was yes - watch this short video which explains further:

What Should I Eat?

Think about it . . . why do we even have diet challenges anyway? I blame Taco Bell which is damn delicious and insanely cheap. You may have your favorite fast-food preference, but basically the abundance and easy supply of food in this country is the main culprit. I am proud to report that since beginning my personal keto challenge that I've only visited one fast-food chain sparingly. That would be Chick-fil-A, where I admit the grilled chicken cool wrap is my special splurge.

To achieve the greatest results while drinking ketones, the diet should be rich in vegetables, fruits, healthy fats, and protein. To better understand, watch the video below which details which foods are best when reducing carb intake.

Should I Drink Ketones?

                        

Another good question . . . I'm not a doctor, although I regularly play one in my household daily. This is my way of saying if you are unsure about any diet regimen or any supplement to aid diet, please check with your doctor first.  Just because something is working for me doesn't mean it is right for you.

Although you will hear me preach to increase water intake daily while drinking ketones and making food choices that include less carbs, the video below will explain what ketosis is and how it affects the body.

So You Ask, How . . . Exactly . . . Do Ketones Work?

Good question so I'll send you to the experts to understand better.

Already on a Keto Diet? Read This!

If you have already committed to a Keto Diet, kudos to you. Really, I mean it. I'm in awe of people who have the discipline to adhere to a strict diet. My husband and I are not excessively overweight and never have been, but we go through periods where we think we need to diet to lose the excess that comes with working in an office (you know . . . sitting in a chair, on the computer or phone five days a week). Together we've done the South Beach diet, the Sonoma Diet, and dabbled a bit with the Atkins Diet. None have been sustainable because  . . . life happens, not to mention that we have a young son who is the pickiest eater the good Lord ever created.


So, basically, we start a diet with good intentions and then tend to abandon it when meal planning becomes too difficult. People I've talked with who have tried the Keto Diet say it's great - when they have successfully achieved putting their body into ketosis through diet, they feel great and notice significant weight/fat loss. But most also confide that it's a difficult diet to maintain. Those who do struggle are probably like me - want to commit but find the meal prep difficult to maintain the level of commitment necessary to achieve desired results.

Now are you ready for the good news? 

If you are already on the Keto Diet, the hard work is done. Drinking supplemental ketones aids the diet you have mastered and intensifies the results.

Why I love it? The answer is simple. To keep sanity in our crazy schedule, I started using Blue Apron, a meal service which provides everything needed to create a fantastic meal. I select the meals each week and a box is delivered that supplies all I need to create a nightly meal in about 30-40 minutes. I don't think about it. I don't have to make a quick run to the grocery store for that one ingredient I don't have but desperately need. I simply cook with simple instructions that guarantee success for each and every meal.

However, as great as the recipes are they at times can be carb heavy with breads, rice, or pasta.  By drinking ketones I've found I can eat what I want, within reason, and still achieve great results. The lifestyle simply works great for me and I hope it will for dedicated Keto dieters too.

Ahhhh . . . So This Is How It Works

To use one of the oldest cliches, no one snowflake is like another.  The same goes for people drinking ketones. Some will do well with little-to-no side effects. These usually are the super committed who voluntarily restrict carb intake and drink tons of water.  Age and hormone level could also be huge factors.

The beauty of KETO//OS and KETO//OS Max is that it is a powder which, when mixed with water, provides the necessary ingredients to jump start the ketosis process.  Let's face it, unless you are in the medical field, in a professional sport, or are a personal trainer, you probably don't know much about ketones.  I didn't. To me it sounded like just another fad. But here's what I discovered . . .  it's really not a weight-loss diet - it's a fat reducing, lifestyle diet.

KETO//OS basically means "keytone operating system." The product is an exogenous ketone supplement which provides many benefits: enhanced athletic performance, better weight loss, cancer prevention, cognitive improvement. It also contains anti-inflammatory properties. 

A serving of ketones rapidly puts the body into a state of ketosis which burns fat. Achieving ketosis through restricting certain foods and increasing intensity and frequency of workouts is extremely hard for the average person. Drinking ketones basically hacks the body's biochemistry into a state that continually burns fat, hence the fat loss.

Here . . . watch this . . . it explains the basics much better than I can:



I wish I had learned more about ketones before I began taking the supplement. Had I done so, perhaps my experience with the side effects of putting my body into a state of ketosis would have been less. However, I have to admit that although at times unpleasant, none of the side effects were unbearable.

While I didn't experience any headaches, at times I felt light-headed and foggy.  In the first few weeks, at times I felt extremely fatigued. The worst side effects happened in the bathroom. I went from being super constipated one week to having extremely loose bowels the next which led to a queasy stomach. 

Here's what I should have done that I simply didn't.  I should have visited the Pruvit website and viewed the short videos which explain what ketones are, how they work, and gives tips for avoiding negative side effects. Basically, if you experience side effects, take half a serving for a week or so to give the body time to ease into the state of ketosis.

But here's the good news, as my body adjusted to being in a state of ketosis, my diet did as well.  For instance, I used to be a huge coffee and tea drinker. That's gone now. I have no desire to drink anything but water and tons of it.  And man did I love my carbs: bread, pasta, and rice mainly.  Not anymore.  My carb cravings are completely gone. 

May's results - 9 pounds lost and tons of energy. I can tell the adjustment period is almost over as the side effects have significantly decreased. Bonus!