I lost my sweet tooth…fact or bullsh@t?!?!?!?!?!?!
That girl looks like me when I was younger…and sometimes now! Ha! I have had a sweet tooth since birth and I hate it, I strongly believe that sugar is one of the worst poisons on the planet and we EAT it daily and in large amounts. But….I have found one thing that gets rid of mine. Simply, if I eat more fat and less carbs, after a few days I lose my sweet tooth and even appetite a bit. This is the KETO diet everyone is facebooking, twittering, IGing about….it is not for everybody but can help many issues.
The keto diet has been around since the 1920s…it is not new. Heck, even Atkins is a version of Keto. I’m not going to go into the science and biochemistry of the diet, because no one gives a fuck, they just want to know if it works. It does. If one limits carbs to less than 20 grams (net carbs) per day they will not gain weight, probably lose weight, and lower inflammation in the entire body. Thats what giving up sugar does for the body. Period. If we lower inflammation we are healthier and live longer.
So instead of binging on sugar filled treats, breads, pasta, potatoes or even fruit…you get to eat bacon, butter, cream, cheese, avocados, eggs, meat, green vegetables, berries, some nuts/seeds and a few other things. You can go to pinterest or FB and find diet plans, day plans, shopping lists, ideas for treats, and good old GOOGLE never disappoints either. There are extreme versions of the diet and more LAZY or DIRTY versions of KETO (not my terms but terms given to those who don’t do the diet perfectly). Ha!
I have had patients lose 60+ pounds on Keto. I have patients that have reversed Type II diabetes on the diet, a patient who controls her seizures with the diet, a patient with MS who is doing lovely on the diet, and numerous people who have reduced inflammation and OMG even their cholesterol on the diet. NOT everyone can do Keto…there are some health concerns, but very few.
Back to me losing my sugar addiction…I have done keto several times for 7 to 10 days at a time. I am not trying to lose weight just be healthy and reduce my carb consumption. It works as a reset for me. About day 3 I lose my appetite and sometimes my energy but the energy comes back for me about day 5…then I feel fantastic. I sleep great on keto…some people find their sleep affected. I work out, I eat well, I sauna, and I feel great. Why don’t I always eat this way?
Keto is hard to maintain and a bit boring to me. Many would argue with me about this…some folks love all the rich food. I do eat Paleo (lower carb) 90% of the time anyway so just eating more fat and less protein and really watching carbs is tedious to me. SO my answer is to cycle through keto occasionally and just pay attention to my sugar. I enjoy a glass of wine in the evening and don’t always want to feel guilty about it. Heck, it lowers my cortisol!
My recommendation is to give it a try for 10 days! I can help you if you need it…come see me for before and after labs (I recommend 30 days for lab changes to really count). Try something new in the new year. Why the heck not?
Regards….Dr.Jen
