Do you want to eat real food (as much as you like) and improve your health and weight? It may sound too good to be true, but LCHF (Low Carb, High Fat) is a method that has been used for 150 years. Now, modern science backs it up with proof that it works.
There is no weighing your food, no counting, no bizarre “meal replacements,” no pills. There is just real food and common sense. And all the advice here is 100 percent free.
Contents
- Introduction
- Dietary advice (in 20 languages)
- Theory
- Tips and recipes
- Cookbooks and more
- Frequently asked questions
Introduction
A LCHF diet means you eat less carbohydrates and a higher proportion of fat. Most importantly you minimize your intake of sugar and starches. You can eat other delicious foods until you are satisfied – and still lose weight.
A number of recent high-quality scientific studies shows that LCHF makes it easier both to lose weight and to control your blood sugar. And that’s just the beginning.
The basics
- Eat: Meat, fish, eggs, vegetables growing above ground and natural fats (like butter).
- Avoid: Sugar and starchy foods (like bread, pasta, rice and potatoes).
Eat when you’re hungry until you are satisfied. It’s that simple. You do not need to count calories or weigh your food. And just forget about industrially produced low fat products.
Real food. Add some good fat (like butter).
There are solid scientific reasons why LCHF works. When you avoid sugar and starches your blood sugar stabilizes and the levels of insulin, the fat storing hormone, drops. This increases your fat burning and makes you feel more satiated.
Note for diabetics
- Avoiding the carbohydrates that raise your blood sugar decreases your need for medication to lower it. Taking the same pre-low-carb diet dose of insulin might result in hypoglycemia (low blood sugar). You need to test your blood sugar frequently when starting this diet and adapt (lower) your medication. This should ideally be done with the assistance of a knowledgeable physician. If you’re healthy or a diabetic treated either by diet alone or just with Metformin there is no risk of hypoglycemia.
Dietary Advice
Eat all you like
- Meat: Any type, including beef, pork, game meat, chicken, etc. Feel free to eat the fat on the meat as well as the skin on the chicken. If possible try to choose organic or grass fed meat.
- Fish and Shellfish: All kinds: Fatty fish such as salmon, mackerel or herring are great. Avoid breading.
- Eggs: All kinds: Boiled, fried, omelettes, etc. Preferably choose organic eggs.
- Natural Fat, High-Fat Sauces: Using butter and cream when you cook can make your food taste better and make you feel more satiated. Try a Béarnaise or Hollandaise sauce, check the ingredients or make it yourself. Coconut oil and olive oil are also good options.
- Vegetables that Grow Above Ground: All kinds of cabbage, such as cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage and Brussels sprouts. Asparagus, zucchini, eggplant, olives, spinach, mushrooms, cucumber, lettuce, avocado, onions, peppers, tomatoes etc.
- Dairy products: Always select full-fat options like real butter, cream (40% fat), sour cream, Greek/Turkish yogurt and high-fat cheeses. Be careful with regular milk and skim milk as they contain a lot of milk sugar. Avoid flavored, sugary and low-fat products.
- Nuts: Good to eat instead of candy in front of the television (preferably in moderation).
- Berries: Okay in moderation, if you are not a super strict or sensitive. Good with whipped cream.
Basic tip for beginners: Maximum 5 grams of carbohydrate (excluding fiber) per 100 grams of food
Avoid if you can
- Sugar: The worst. Soft drinks, candy, juice, sports drinks, chocolate, cakes, buns, pastries, ice cream, breakfast cereals. Preferably avoid sweeteners as well.
- Starch: Bread, pasta, rice, potatoes, French fries, potato chips, porridge, muesli and so on. “Wholegrain products” are just less bad. Moderate amounts of root vegetables may be OK (unless you’re eating extremely low carb).
- Margarine: Industrially imitated butter with unnaturally high content of omega-6 fat. Has no health benefits, tastes bad. Statistically linked to asthma, allergies and other inflammatory diseases.
- Beer: Liquid bread. Full of rapidly absorbed carbs, unfortunately.
- Fruit: Very sweet, lots of sugar. Eat once in a while. Treat fruit as a natural form of candy.
Once in a while
You decide when the time is right. Your weight loss may slow down a bit.
- Alcohol: Dry wine (regular red or dry white wine), whisky, brandy, vodka and cocktails without sugar.
- Dark chocolate: Above 70 % cocoa, preferably just a bit.
Drink most days
- Water
- Coffee: Try it with full-fat cream
- Tea
Advice on LCHF in other languages
- Bulgarian (pdf) (another version)
- Croatian
- Czech
- Danish (pdf)
- Dutch
- Estonian
- Finnish
- French
- German
- Hebrew
- Hungarian (pdf)
- Italian
- Norwegian
- Polish (pdf)
- Portuguese
- Romanian
- Russian
- Spanish (another version)
- Swedish
The Theory Behind LCHF
What are you designed to eat?
Humans evolved over millions of years as hunter-gatherers, without eating large amounts of carbohydrates. We ate the food available to us in nature by hunting, fishing and gathering all the edible foods we could find. These foods did not include pure starch in the form of bread, pasta, rice or potatoes. We have only eaten these starchy foods for 5 – 10 000 years, since the development of agriculture. Just a limited adaptation of our genes takes place in such a relatively short time.
With the Industrial Revolution, 100 – 200 years ago, we got factories that could manufacture large amounts of pure sugar and white flour. Rapidly digested pure carbohydrates. We’ve hardly had time to genetically adapt to these processed foods.
In the 80s, the fear of fat gripped the western world. Low-fat products popped up everywhere. But if you eat less fat you need to eat more carbohydrates to feel satiated. And it’s at this time in history that our disastrous epidemics of obesity and diabetes started. The most fat-phobic country in the world, the USA, was hit the hardest and is now the world’s most obese country.
Today, it’s clear that the fear of real food with natural fat contents has been a big mistake.
The problem with sugar and starch
All digestible carbohydrates are broken down into simple sugars in the intestines. The sugar is then absorbed into the blood, raising the blood glucose levels. This increases the production of the hormone insulin, our fat storing hormone.
Insulin is produced in the pancreas (pictured to the right). In large amounts insulin prevents fat burning and stores surplus nutrients in the fat cells. After some time (a few hours or less) this may result in a shortage of nutrients in the blood, creating feelings of hunger and cravings for something sweet. Usually at that point people eat again. This starts the process again: A vicious cycle leading to weight gain.
On the other hand, a low intake of carbs gives you a lower, more stable blood glucose, and lower amounts of insulin. This increases the release of fat from your fat stores and increases the fat burning. This usually leads to fat loss, especially around the belly in abdominally obese individuals.
Weight loss without hunger
A LCHF diet makes it easier for the body to use its fat reserves, as their release is no longer blocked by high insulin levels. This may be one reason why eating fat gives a longer feeling of satiety than carbohydrates. It’s been shown in a number of studies: When people eat all they want on a low carb diet caloric intake typically drops
So, no counting or food weighing is necessary. You can forget about the calories and trust your feelings of hunger and satiety. Most people don’t need to count or weigh their food any more than they need to count their breathing. If you don´t believe it, just try for a couple of weeks and see for yourself.
Health as a bonus
No animals in nature need the assistance of nutritional expertise or calorie charts to eat. And still, as long as they eat the food they are designed to eat they stay at a normal weight and they avoid caries, diabetes and heart disease. Why would humans be an exception? Why would you be an exception?
In scientific studies not only is the weight improved on a low carb diet – the blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol profile (HDL, triglycerides) are also improved. A calm stomach and less cravings for sweet food are also common experiences.
Initial side effects
If you stop eating sugar and starch cold turkey (recommended) you may experience some side effects as your body adjusts. For most people these side effects tend to be mild and last a just few days. There are also ways to minimize them.
Common during the first week:
- Headache
- Fatigue
- Dizziness
- Heart palpitations
- Irritability
The side effects rapidly subside as your body adapts and your fat burning increases. They can be minimized by drinking some extra fluids and by temporarily increasing your salt intake a bit. A good option is to drink some broth every few hours. Alternatively, drink a few extra glasses of water and put extra salt on your food.
The reason for this is that carbohydrate-rich foods may increase the water retention in your body. When you stop eating high-carb foods you’ll lose excess water through your kidneys. This can result in dehydration and lack of salt during the first week, before the body has adapted.
Some people prefer to decrease their intake of carbohydrates slowly, over a few weeks, to minimize the side effects. But the “Nike way” (Just Do It) is probably the best choice for most people. Removing most sugar and starch often results in several pounds lost on the scale within a few days. It may be mostly fluids but it’s great for the motivation.
How low to go?
The less carbohydrate you eat the more pronounced the effect on your weight and blood sugar will be. I recommend following the dietary advice as strict as you can. When you’re happy with your weight and health you may gradually try eating more liberally (if you want to).
The Food Revolution
This presentation I gave at the Ancestral Health Symposium 2011 summarizes the history and science behind the ongoing LCHF revolution.
More theory and practice
Here four of the world’s biggest experts on the subject explain the theory and practice of carb restriction:
Tips and recipes
Breakfast suggestions
Eggs and bacon- Omelet
- Leftovers from last night’s dinner
- Coffee with cream
- A can of mackerel and boiled eggs
- Boiled egg with mayonnaise or butter
- Avocado, salmon and crème fraiche
- Sandwich on Oopsie-bread
- A piece of very thin hard bread with lots of butter, cheese, ham, etc.
- Cheese with butter on it
- Boiled eggs mashed with butter, chopped chives, salt and pepper
- A piece of brie cheese and some ham or salami
- High-fat yoghurt with nuts and seeds (and maybe berries)
Lunch and dinner
- Meat, fish or chicken dishes with vegetables and a rich full-fat sauce. There are many alternatives to potatoes, such as mashed cauliflower.
- Stews, soups or casseroles with low-carb ingredients.
- You can use most recipes in cookbooks if you avoid the carbohydrate-rich ingredients. It’s often a good idea to add fat (e.g. butter, cream) to the recipe.
- Drink water with your meal or (occasionally) a glass of wine.
Snacks
When you eat a low-carbohydrate diet with more fat and a bit more protein you will probably not need to eat as often. Don’t be surprised if you no longer need to snack. Many people do well on two or three meals per day. If you need a snack:
- Rolled-up cheese or ham with a vegetable (some people even spread butter on cheese)
- Olives
- Nuts
- A piece of cheese
- A boiled egg from the refrigerator
- Canned mackerel in tomato sauce
Olives and nuts can replace potato chips in front of the TV. If you always get hungry between meals you’re probably not eating enough fat. Don’t fear fat. Eat more fat until you feel satisfied.
Dining out or meals with friends
- Restaurants: Usually not a big problem. You can ask to have potatoes/fries switched for a salad. With meat dishes, ask for extra butter.
- Fast food: Kebab can be a decent option (preferably avoid the bread). In hamburger chains the hamburgers are usually the least bad option. Avoid soft drinks and fries, obviously. Drink water. Pizza toppings are usually OK, and the stricter you are the less of the pizza crust you will eat.
- If you eat strictly everyday it’s less of a problem to make a few exceptions when you are invited out. If you’re not sure what will be served you can eat something at home before you leave.
- Nuts or cheese is good “emergency food” when there are no other adequate options to be found.
Shopping list for beginners
Print this list and bring it to the store:
- Butter
- Heavy cream (40% fat)
- Sour cream (34% fat)
- Eggs
- Bacon
- Meat (minced, steaks, stew pieces, fillets, etc.)
- Fish (preferably fatty fish like salmon or mackerel)
- Cheese (preferably high-fat)
- Turkish yoghurt (10% fat)
- Cabbage (cabbage, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, kale, etc.)
- Other vegetables that grow above ground
- Frozen vegetables (broccoli, wok vegetables, etc.)
- Avocados
- Olives
- Olive oil
- Nuts
Clean out your pantry
Want to maximize your chances of success? Especially if you have difficulty with cravings / sugar addiction, it is smart to throw out (or give away) sugary and starchy foods, “light” products, etc. These include:
- Candy
- Potato chips
- Soft drinks and juices
- Margarine
- Sugar in all forms
- Bread
- Pasta
- Rice
- Potatoes
- Breakfast cereals
- Everything that says “low fat” or “no fat”
- Ice cream
- Cookies
Why not do it now?
The Serpent in Paradise
Be very skeptical of special “low-carb” products such as pasta or chocolate. Unfortunately these products usually stink. They have prevented the weight loss for loads of people. They’re usually full of carbs once you see through their creative marketing.
For example, Dreamfields’ “low carb pasta” is almost pure starch that’s absorbed more or less like any pasta:
How about low carb bread? Be careful: if it’s baked with grains it’s certainly not low carb. But some companies still try to sell it to you as a low-carb option. Here’s an example:
Low-carb chocolate is usually full of sugar alcohols, which the manufacturer does not count as carbs. But roughly half of these carbs may be absorbed, raising the blood sugar and insulin. The rest of the carbs ends up in the large intestine, potentially causing gas and diarrhea. Furthermore any sweeteners can maintain sugar cravings.
If you want to be healthy and slim, eat real food instead.
RECIPES
Easy ways to cook eggs
- Place the eggs in cold water and boil 4 minutes for soft-boiled or 8 minutes for hard-boiled. Eat them with mayo if you like.
- Fry eggs in butter on one or both sides. Add salt and pepper.
- Melt some butter in the frying pan and add 2 eggs and 2-3 tablespoons of cream per serving. Add salt and pepper. Stir until done. Add some chives and grated cheese on top. Serve with fried bacon.
- Make an omelet batter with 3 eggs and 3 tablespoons of cream. Add salt and spices. Melt butter in the frying pan and pour in the batter. When the omelet solidifies on top you can fill it with something tasty. For example one or several kinds of cheese, fried bacon, fried mushrooms, good sausage (read the ingredients) or left-overs from last night’s dinner. Fold the omelet in half and serve with a crispy salad.
Instead of bread
Will you have a hard time living without bread? Ooopsies are a good option. It’s a “bread” without carbs and can be eaten in a variety of ways.
Oopsies
6–8 depending on size.
3 eggs
100 grams (3.5 ounces) of cream cheese
a pinch of salt
½ tablespoon fiberhusk / psyllium seed husks (can be excluded)
½ teaspoon baking powder (can be excluded)
- Separate the eggs, with the egg whites in one bowl and the egg yolks in another.
- Whip the egg whites together with the salt until very stiff. You should be able to turn the bowl over without the egg whites moving.
- Mix the egg yolks and the cream cheese well. If you choose, add the psyllium seed husk and baking powder (this makes the Oopsie more bread-like).
- Gently fold the egg whites into the egg yolk mix – try to keep the air in the egg whites.
- Put 6 large or 8 smaller oopsies on a baking tray.
- Bake in the middle of the oven at 150° C (300° F) for about 25 minutes – until they turn golden.
- You can eat Oopsies as bread or use them as a bun for a hotdog or hamburger. You can also put different kinds of seeds on them before baking them, for instance poppy, sesame or sunflower seeds. One big Oopsie can be used for a swiss roll: Add a generous layer of whipped cream and some berries. Enjoy.
Less strict: some bread
Can’t live without real bread? Then have a thin piece of bread and add lots of butter and toppings. The more butter and toppings the less bread you need to feel satisfied.
Instead of potatoes, rice, pasta
- Mashed cauliflower: Divide the cauliflower into smaller pieces and boil them with a pinch of salt until soft. Remove the water. Add cream and butter and mash.
Salads made from above-ground vegetables, perhaps with some kind of cheese. Try out different kinds.- Boiled broccoli, cauliflower or Brussels sprouts.
- Vegetables au gratin: Fry squash, aubergine and fennel (or other vegetables you like) in butter. Add salt and pepper. Put in baking dish and add grated cheese. Heat at 225° C (450° F) until the cheese melts and turns golden.
- Vegetables stewed in cream, e.g. cabbage or spinach.
- Cauliflower rice: Grate cauliflower, boil for a minute or two. Great substitute for rice.
- Avocado
Snacks and dessert
- Mixed nuts
- Sausage: Cut it in pieces, add a piece of cheese and stick a toothpick through them.
- Vegetables with dip, Try cucumber sticks, red, yellow or green peppers, cauliflower, etc.
- Cream cheese rolls: Roll some cream cheese in a piece of salami, air-dried ham or a long slice of cucumber.
- Olives
- LCHF chips: On a baking tray, form small piles of grated Parmesan cheese. Heat in oven at 225° C (450° F). Let them melt and get a nice color (be careful – they burn easily). Serve as chips, perhaps with some dip.
Cookbooks
There are a million cookbooks with low-carb recipes. Just avoid books that are unnecessarily scared of fat. Remember: If you avoid carbs you have to eat more fat or you’ll be hungry. Don’t fear fat. Fat is your friend. Add fat until you feel satisfied.
Here is a good example:
Good luck with your new LCHF life!
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Further reading
Do you have more questions about LCHF? See my page with common questions and answers.
Do you want to lose weight as effectively as possible? See How to Lose Weight.
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2,119 Comments
i do notice dinner fills me long
so maybe
more add of veggies with butter to meals
one meal idea
- 3 eggs hb, a cup mushrooms and spinach cooked butter, n cottge cheese/ricotta on side
tea
or even steak blue cheez dressing n brussel sprouts in butter
i think when i count calories i add all want
but if i didn't i'd eat right amount or lighter without stress of numbers n hunger.
love spinach n mushrooms
Its over diagnosted but the cure for it seems to be the same.. lower glycemic load and to eat small portions often.
"Low-carbohydrate diet and/or frequent small split meals is the first treatment of this condition. The first important point is to add small meals at the middle of the morning and of the afternoon, when glycemia would start to decrease. If adequate composition of the meal is found, the fall in blood glucose is thus prevented. Patients should avoid rapidly absorbable sugars and thus avoid popular soft drinks rich in glucose or sucrose. They should also be cautious with drinks associating sugar and alcohol, mainly in the fasting state."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reactive_hypoglycemia
"SUMMARY - Postprandial reactive hypoglycemia (PRH) can be diagnosed if sympathetic and neuroglucopenic symptoms develop concurrently with low blood sugar (< 3.3 mmol). Neither the oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) nor mixed meals are suitable for this diagnosis, due to
respectively false positive and false negative results. They should be
replaced by ambulatory glycemic control or, as recently proposed, an
hyperglucidic breakfast test. PRH patients often suffer from an associated adrenergic hormone postprandial syndrome, with potential pathologic consequences such as cardiac arrhythmia. PRH could result from
(a) an exaggerated insulin response, either related to insulin resistance
or to increased glucagon-like-peptide 1; (b) renal glycosuria; (c) defects
in glucagon response; (d) high insulin sensitivity, probably the most frequent cause (50-70%), which is not adequately compensated by hypoinsulinemia and thus cannot be measured by indices of insulin sensitivity
such as the homeostatic model assessment. Such situations are frequent
in very lean people, or after massive weight reduction, or in women with
moderate lower body overweight. PRH is influenced by patient’s alimentary habits (high carbohydrate-low fat diet, alcohol intake). Thus, diet
remains the main treatment, although α-glucosidase inhibitors and some
other drugs may be helpful."
http://www.alfediam.org/media/pdf/RevueBrunD&M5-2000.pdf
Jimmy Moore did get the same condition!
http://livinlavidalowcarb.com/blog/
And I think he managed to come out of it?
again here frequently. I'm quite sure I'll
learn plenty of new stuff right here! Good luck for the next!
First thing in the morning: 80 mg/dl
During the day I hardly go below 60 mg/dl
When I eat carbs like avocado it might go down to no less than 50 mg/dl.
It can get as high as 100 if I don't eat any carbs at all.
I feel normal. Do I have to worry about being so low?
The only way to bring down the level of ketosis is to eat more carbs.
Do any of you have any information or comments about this?
Positive values are read as:-
Small - less than 20 mg/dL
Moderate - between 30-40 mg/dL
Large - 40 to 80 mg/dL
Very large - 80 to 160mg.dL
Positive ketones are not considered to be a problem if:-
1. Your blood glucose is within range.
2. If you are fasting or you are on a very strict diet, especially one with very low carb and lots of protein and fats."
http://www.diabetesexplained.com/ketone-test.html#urinenormalvalue
No, you shouldnt have any worrys if you eat some small amounts of carbs but still are in ketosis!
If you not think that a specifik number is a sign of healt and weightloss?
Stick to your feeling of normality.. and make the plans for a long healty life.. I think you know by now how you should do to accelrate weigtloss if you want to.. but short cuts often becomes dead ends!
Ketosis seems more to have an apetite reduction apeal.
And ketosis only means that you dont eat enough carbs for your bodys emediate demands.. so it do replace a lot of glucose with keton budies.. your brain can take as much as 70% of its energy need from keton budies.
Some say they get a lot warmer.. but that is probably about gluconeogenis.. that make glucose from amino acids.. and it spills a lot of heat.. its a energy demanding process.
Its more about how energy regulation affects your apetite or if you have som metabolic disturbance.
And it is dificult to eat to much fat in absens of sugar or other carbs.. becuse high blood sugar do rise insulin levels thats promte storing of fat and inhibit fatoxidation.
You know.. there are as much energy in a calorie of fat as in a calorie of carbs.. and if one is an healty person with an undamaged metabolism.. ones apetite react from how much calories one eat.
But your individual cells are the enduser of energy you put in your mouth.. and if its not get to those cells, they starve, and you get hungry.
And of course there are seldom any good reason to eat more then one need.
For moste that is obese it seems to have a apetite regulation apeal.
You know.. fat have calories to.. but it affect ones body different then glucose, one get a different metabolism.. lower insulin and higher glucagon.. its rise ones fatoxidation capability.
And your next question is probably if one have to exercise a lot?
Well, exercise is good for healt for moste peopel, but not that nessesery for weightloss.
ScienceDaily (Dec. 6, 2012) — Scientists at the Gladstone Institutes have identified a novel mechanism by which a type of low-carb, low-calorie diet -- called a "ketogenic diet" -- could delay the effects of aging. This fundamental discovery reveals how such a diet could slow the aging process and may one day allow scientists to better treat or prevent age-related diseases, including heart disease, Alzheimer's disease and many forms of cancer.
n stomach growln n feel ill n huge headaches all day
right now too.so hard to concentrate.
Or are you only geting eating less becuse of less apetite?
The ultimate thing is to have a normal apetite regulation, thats make you eating what your body needs.
And if one is obese and eating a low carb high fat diet one often become an fat burning person.. and if ones body take some frome the fatstores, then the apetite get lower.. but then one lose weight.
"AST/ALT elevations instead of ALP elevations favor liver cell necrosis as a mechanism over cholestatis."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liver_function_tests
"In medicine, cholestasis is a condition where bile cannot flow from the liver to the duodenum. The two basic distinctions are an obstructive type of cholestasis where there is a mechanical blockage in the duct system such as can occur from a gallstone or malignancy, and metabolic types of cholestasis which are disturbances in bile formation that can occur because of genetic defects or acquired as a side effect of many medications."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cholestasis
Talk to your doctor, and tell him your on a ketogenic diet for weight loss and to revers fatty liver.
Limiting Carbs, Not Calories, Reduces Liver Fat Faster
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/04/110419003651.htm
Take care of you and never lie to your doctor about ketogenic diet.. he then can draw the wrong conclusion!
And I am currently transitioning from hyperthyroid to hypothyroid [which will result in slower metabolism] - have there been positive results for those with hypothyroid? Or hashimotos disease?
Thank you!
Great information!
i'm feeling ill frequent headaches that when eat feel better.. but causing me to eat alot even if high fat..n gaining plus drinking 10cups water..
y is this is it my ketones r blood sugar
i arobic exercise 5mins..sedetary rest time..n under 20 net carbs
Its dependant of if you need any reefeding.. athlets often do!
Its cald Cyclic Ketogenic Diet, often used by body builders.. to stay as lean as posible.
If one have any thyroid disorder, its better managed by medcine.. but there are some diversity about those to.. the cause of thyroid disorders I meaning!
Chris Kresser have writhing about it.. I think its worth to spend some time to read his blogposts?
http://chriskresser.com/thyroid
And to the question about if a LCHF diet can have a benefit for those how have such a condition.. its get your energy levels more stabile.. and make your body not to make any T3 för disposal of high high blood sugar!
" The findings suggest that T3 regulates insulin level in the circulation after glucose ingestion and the increase in serum T3 levels after glucose ingestion is necessary for the glucose removal from the circulation in humans."
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3516161
" The pathomechanism proposed is based on the fact that serum concentrations of thyroid hormones, especially of trijodothyronine (T3), are dependent on the amount of dietary carbohydrate. High-carbohydrate diets are associated with significantly higher serum T3 concentrations, compared with very low-carbohydrate diets."
http://www.medical-hypotheses.com/article/S0306-9877(04)00169-0/abstract
Feel free to read all about LCHF.. its the same as Atkins realy.. his books, not the company that selling junkfood!
Try to read The Kresser blogposts to.. i am not a doctor but he is, and seems to know somthing about thyroids?
See what the people say's:
About the diet concepts.
I've lot at least 15 lbs so far which includes 2 notches on my belt. The biggest surprise was that my chronic pain left me after only 3 weeks. I had been suffering from an unknown diffuse nerve pain for many years and now I am free of it at last. That alone makes it all worth while.
The reason that I started this diet was because my doctor told me that my blood sugar was too high. I was afraid of becoming diabetic. It's strange but even though my doctor told me that my sugar was too high she made no effort to suggest that I change my diet.
The last time I saw my doctor (Dec 7) I told her I that I had stopped eating all forms of sugar but she didn't seemed all that pleased even though she saw that I had lost 12 lbs and I my chronic pain had gone away! Talk about not getting it! She also warned me against keytones! Aaahhh that's going to be a tough sell.
My blood pressure is now more stable than before but I'm still on meds (it's only been 2 months).
My next blood test is in late January and I hope that it will show that my blood sugar has decreased. This should keep her off my back about my new diet.
We have been quite happily following the LCHF guidelines for 12 months now, but I have recently started to regain weight. I think that this is due to over consumption of carbs in the form of green salads and vegetables as we enjoy them so much. It has been suggested to me that we should reduce our consumption of animal fats and replace them with flaxseed oil and apple cider vinegar. From the reading that I’ve done, the consumption of PUFAs is not recommended. Could someone please share their informed thoughts on the benefits or otherwise of this change? I have not been able to find convincing evidence that the claim about the benefits of consuming flaxseed oil is true, even though there are many people prepared to state that it is.
Regards
One get up and down in weight of a lot of things.. but verry seldom from veggie consumtion!
I realy think flax seed oil is better used in paint.. like in good old times!
I think Cris Kresser do explain the whole thing much better then me!
http://chriskresser.com/9-steps-to-perfect-health-2-nourish-your-body
That you lost that much is a sign that somthing is happen in your body, thats a fact, and its probably somthing posistiv!
High Insulin levels have a indirect link to pain in some studys, it seems to be that insulin uppregulate the conversion of inflamtory eikosanoids.. not sure.. probably an hypotese, but you are not the only one saying the same.
Tell here to look att those SA scientist that study ketosis, like Koeslag and Noakes.. its perfetcly safe and have an regulation by insulin.. so if you have an normal insulin secretion, then its regulated by its self.
And I still cant belive that eating real food can damage ones liver?
There are more links betwen high bloodsugar and fatty liver.. how if it do persist do leading to nekrosis of liver cells.
ASAT/ALAT are typical inflamation markers I read and can be of any reasons, not only in the liver.