Leyla weighs in: The case for ketosis
At this point in time, and in science, we know that low-fat diets aren’t helpful. Indeed, they’re harmful. The Dietary Guidelines, which encourage the substitution of fats with carbohydrates, have caused our rampant epidemics of obesity and type 2 diabetes.
And now, emerging as a third epidemic is Alzheimer’s disease. Did you know that Alzheimer’s is characterized as diabetes of the brain, or type 3 diabetes?
Truth is, we’re simply not genetically hardwired to be consuming all these carbohydrates. In fact, we are not meant tohave a chronic glucose-burning metabolism either. We’re meant to be in lipolysis/ketosis, also known as fat-burning metabolism.
Fat is our primary fuel, not carbohydrates.
And let me be clear: There is no such thing as an essential carbohydrate. But we would not survive without fats and protein.
It’s not a coincidence that my Advanced Nutrition and Human Metabolism textbook from grad school lists organ meats such as liver and animal protein as the most potent sources of nutrition anywhere. They are also the best sources of the critical micronutrients L-carnitine and CoQ10.
USDA Dietary Guidelines are very different from what we’ve learned as part of our nutritional training. Politics, anyone?
By the way, as you’re reading this, you’re burning primarily fat. Unless you just had a low-fat, carb-rich meal, then you’ve just put yourself into fat-storage mode for at least the rest of the day.
You have your work cut out for you at the gym later.
To your health!
