014: AMA – Christmas, Social Drinking, NAFLD and more

AMA - Christmas, Social Drinking, NAFLD and more

This week’s episode is ‘ask me anything’ (AMA) which we wanted to answer questions from our listeners. Questions for our next episode can be submitted through https://fabulouslyketo.com/ama/

The following questions were asked by our listeners.  

If you “come off the Keto wagon” for some treats at Christmas, how do you kick start it again and will you have to go through the “keto flu” again?!  Mel

It will depend on how long you have been eating low carb keto for, which means depending on how fat adapted you have become, you will likely not expect to experience ‘keto flu’ if you have a higher carbohydrate meal.  Secondly, it will depend on how long you consume carbohydrate heavy food, whether it is one meal or one week.  The weight gained then will be water retention associated with glycogen storage.  What I would encourage is reflecting on the idea of being ‘going off’ plan as this needs to be a lifestyle choice which you can plan ahead to social events.  Before heading out, why not have a meal of bacon and eggs, which means you feel fuller.  If you are served carbohydrate options on your plate, eat fatty protein first, vegetables leaving the potato (for example) last.  

Does fat cause fatty liver disease? Charlotte 

No, Robert Lustig’s Bitter Truth about sugar explains that it is fructose which is attributed to fatty liver.  You can watch his video at this link: https://robertlustig.com/sugar-the-bitter-truth/

Non Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease is where the excess consumption of carbohydrate is deposited in the liver as fat.  This deposits create inflammation and then becomes fibrosised causing scarring which is non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH).  The scar tissue is the same as that of an alcoholic.  

What to drink when socialising?  Donna

There is a great infographic produced by Diet Doctor which you can check here: https://www.dietdoctor.com/low-carb/alcohol

Another great resource is the website and app produced by the Liquor Control Board of Ontario (LCBO).  What is good about this resource is that you can search for the brand or variety of drink, and it lists the carb content. 

What butter is best? Amy

Typically any butter which does not contain any blend of vegetable oil is best.  That is, pure butter, and not the ones labeled as spreadable.  When looking for pure butter, consider that those which are produced by grass fed cows have a better fatty acid profile than grain fed.  In Australia and the UK, most dairy products are from grass fed cows.  

Just starting out, it has been 2 days, and feels like my body is craving sugar.  I am feeling really hungry, I know we are meant to eat to satiation but how can I get over this hungry feeling? April

When starting out it is fine to eat ‘plate fat’ until you become fat adapted.  This may take up to six weeks. Make sure that you keep up your electrolytes as this will make you feel better.  

What to do when I am the only one in my family doing low carb? Tamara

This will be a challenge on a number of fronts: having support for you and your food choices, having higher carbohydrate options which potentially is a trigger, as well as some may have to make two different options at meal time.  Jackie shared how her family have slowly adapted to making changes to how meals are prepared and served.  This was done by her husband as he is the main preparer of meals.  The main change to how meals are prepared is the substitutions: courgette (zucchini) for pasta, cauliflower for potatoes and being respectful when she is not home they will have pasta.  

Today is the day: I am starting out - what recipes do you suggest? Where to start? Lyn

Along with the following suggestions, don’t forget we covered some starting tips in Episode #02: 

Download tracker 

Tracking BG/BK 

Check out the Diet Doctor website 

Lots of leafy greens, protein, electrolytes 

Eating fat until you’re full 

Clean out cupboards of carbage and other 

Meal planning - templates are a great way to to plan ahead 

I’ve been doing low carb / keto, and when I visited my GP they said that all that fat is bad - eat foods in moderation and don’t restrict carbs as you need it for your fuel. Racheal

We’ve been lucky to have interviewed some great medical practitioners who reminded us that busy GPs have very little nutrition training as part of their qualifications.  While your GP is concerned about your welfare, it is not based on current knowledge.  Jackie reminded us when describing ways of eating which is less confrontational, consider using the term ‘modified Mediterranian Diet’. 

What to eat when going out in mall / food hall? Amy

In Australia there are a number of options when going out in the shopping center food halls: Guzman y Gomez has their burrito bowl which you can ask for no beans or rice with extra sour cream and avocado; carvery roast meats; McDonalds or other burgers can be prepared in a lettuce wrap; or kebabs can be done with salad and no wrap.   Jackie mentioned that in the UK there are some high street options such as Pret A Manger has some pre-packaged meals such as their protein bowls, salmon and boiled eggs.  Some of the other supermarkets like M&S have great packaged options, however always read the nutrition label for hidden sugars such as on the chicken breast.  

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Music by Bob Collum

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