Due to Mental Health Benefits, I’m Not Ditching the Keto Diet After All

Why am I staying on a diet that has been described as difficult, monotonous, and unhealthy? This decision breaks from statements in my last post. However, after months of researching the science that both support and slam this diet, I have determined that the benefits outweighs the disadvantages for me.

I have been on this diet for eleven weeks.

During the course of my research, I learned that elevated cortisol and insulin may contribute to increased waist size and some chronic diseases. Additionally, the reason for my personal relief may be, in part, because cortisol levels (fight or flight hormone) are not spiking due to stress, especially work-related stress. What does that mean for me? It means I’m losing weight. It means I’m not a nervous wreck on the job. It means my mental health has taken a sharp turn for the better. For that, I am vey thankful!

Apparently, there are not enough keto mental health human trials, so I am conducting my own. As always, I am providing my unfiltered experience. Whether this trial proves successful long term or whether it goes south quickly, I am prepared to tell all.

This diet is a personal decision for me and my psychiatrist is onboard. Because everyone is different, it is always best to consult a doctor before attempting this or any diet.

It is very early, but the difference is too huge for me to ignore. Relief from symptoms of daily rapid bipolar cycling and extreme anxiety and panic attacks that i described in great detail in previous posts are gone.

This diet limits carbs. No, vegetables and fruit are not dirty words to me. Fact is I love most fruits and veggies, and I eat them on a daily basis. I mainly stick to cruciferous veggies and I seek fruits that are on the lower end of the glycemic index. I watch my carb intake so that I don’t exceed 100 macros each day. Actually, I don’t usually exceed 50 carb macros. The idea is to stay in ketosis. I monitor blood ketones regularly so that I know how much my body can tolerate without throwing me out of ketosis. Everybody is different.

Another issue with this diet is eating fat. Fat causes alarms to go off for many people. Just the other day, someone said cardiologists are giving keto a thumbs down. If a diet is filled with unhealthy fats, I would agree. However, my diet includes healthy fats such as avocados, pecans, almonds, fish rich in omega 3s, flax seed oil, and healthy oils. I did switch to foods like ultra-filtered whole milk ( less sugar) with DHA omega 3 fatty acids, almond flour, and coconut flour.

With a few recipe tweaks, I still have delicious meals, snacks and desserts. My family often asks, is this keto? Yesterday we had keto cornbread and chili. The best part is that I actually feel like cooking. I have energy for a change. Cooking is fun after all. For me, the key is to limit saturated fats and avoid junk food. I wonder what the cardiologist says about sugary, salty, processed junk food that Americans eat regularly.

I check my ketone level once a week. Yesterday, my ketone blood level was 2.9, which is excellent for optimal weight loss and mental health. So far so very good.

This diet is a lifestyle change; however, it is okay to throw my body a curve ball every now and then so that it doesn’t become completely accustomed to the diet. This means I might break from the routine once in a while without going overboard. A jumpstart is always good.

One reason for my decision to go keto and intermittent fasting (IF) is that there is a history of cancer, diabetes, high blood pressure, and stroke in my family. My research shows that this diet and IF essentially reduce glucose and induce ketosis. This is my brain on ketones rather than sugar.

The optimal range is 1.5 -3.0. (See picture of my ketone meter results below).

The ultimate test occurred on Friday when a spur of the moment meeting was called at work. I didn’t freakout as I usually do. The small amount of anxiety I felt was actually good because it motivated me to both gather info and materials quickly and present myself as a confident team member. You must understand that this has never happened before. This is huge!