Health and Fitness Tips

What is Ketosis?

The good, bad, and ugly...

And stop being afraid of the word carbs! 

The main purpose of going keto is for the body to raise ketone levels and enter a state of ketosis. Ketones are – in simple terms – an alternative energy source to glucose, which our brain and body primarily functions on. Ketosis can happen when you take a break from eating carbohydrates and build up ketone levels. In ketosis, your body switches from carbs to fat for fuel, allowing it to perform key functions in the brain and body.

Good: A good thing about this low-carb diet is that people have no choice but to avoid processed sugar. Most common reason is weight loss. Other benefits with going keto is lower triglycerides, more energy, and reduced seizures. Helps manage type 2 diabetes, reduces the number of migraines, and flushes toxins out of the body.

The Bad:  Even a little bite of fruit or dessert could throw you over your carb goal for the day, and kick you out of ketosis. People often resort to low-calorie sweeteners or even artificial sweeteners if they really want to treat themselves. Even though there are no carbs in sugar-free treats, artificial sweeteners can create an insulin response, increasing appetite and causing weight gain. Negative side effects that some keto dieters report is mood disturbance, fatigue, and lower motivation to exercise. This, in and of itself is counterproductive to weight loss and could be a sign of malnutrition.

The ketogenic diet is definetely not something that should be done long-term. Your body goes through a shock phase of fatigue because the keto diet eliminates or drastically reduces carbohydrates, which the body breaks down into sugars and uses as energy. Your body gets used to the shock after some days, but the initial stages can be very hard and dangerous because your body is adjusting to the carb restrictions, which results in fatigue.

The ugly: Sugar withdrawal by itself can cause these symptoms, but only for a short time like within the first week of giving up sugar. Even if you exclude processed sugar by going keto (a good thing), a diet without carbs is a diet without fiber (a bad thing).  In order to have regular digestion and a healthy blood cholesterol level, we need fiber! A low-fiber diet can cause constipation and gastrointestinal pains at the very least. If carbs aren’t the only thing lacking on a ketogenic diet, what is?  You might be thinking you have plenty of healthy options because the keto diet includes nuts, seeds, avocado, and a variety of vegetables. Unfortunately, only a moderate amount of those can be eaten, because they, too, contain carbohydrates.

Nutritional deficiencies are known to impair the ability AND desire to exercise, as well as causing emotional distress and mental difficulties. A minimal amount of fruit and vegetables are allowed in a keto diet, and (aside from soy and peanuts) there are no legumes, starches, or any grains allowed at all. A diet that emphasizes reducing fruit and vegetable intake can severely lack phytonutrients (such as carotenoids and flavonoids) thus increasing risk of disease. Vitamin A is limited in animal-based foods, while Vitamin C is practically non-existent. Supplimentation is very important!

People who go on and off this diet gain more weight in the long run. Other negative effects are amemia, kidney stones, and Ketoacidosis. When the keto diet is maintained for too long, it will cause your body to produce high levels of blood acids. The body is in need of fluids, insulin and recommended to go on a regular diet with carbs.

My opinion and advice: Unless you are either overweight and sedentary I don't recommend it. And it's not something to do long term. I do like that keto promotes a good fats like salmon, avocados, nuts and seeds but I don't like that it promotes high saturated fats like bacon. It also cuts out a lot of nutrient and high antioxident foods.

Carbs: Not all carbs are the enemy. It's getting the right carbs. Limit simple carbohydrates and processed foods which are loaded with sugar  and eat plenty of complex carbs such as fruits and vegetables. A balance of beans, rice, and quinua are great sources for energy. They are fuel for your body, workouts and recovery! 

There have always been diet trends and always will. There are pros and cons to many of them. Keto is no different. If any of these "diets" were perfect everyone would have stuck with them long term. 

PLANTBASED, LEAN MEATS LIKE FISH, GIVE YOUR BODY FUEL, AND GET MOVING!! BALANCE 😀

Greg

Foam rolling is a self-myofascial release (SMR) technique. It can help relieve muscle tightness, soreness, and inflammation, and increase your joint range of motion. Foam rolling can be an effective tool to add to your warm-up or cooldown, before and after exercise.

Below are the top 10 benefits of a massage gun that you should know:

1. Sports Performance, Injury Prevention, and Recovery

Percussive massage provided by a massage gun helps improve the muscle contraction, which results in the lengthening and strengthening of the muscles and fascial tissues. Making massage therapy part of your lifestyle and post-workout routine is a great way to relieve stress. The main purpose of a massage is to help relax the muscles and relieve tension in the body, which would help shorten the muscle recovery time between workouts, as toxic debris are constantly being eliminated to allow the muscles bounce back within the shortest possible time. 

For every deep tissue massage with the massage guns, fluids and tension are released within the deep muscles and this results in improved circulation, as the blood and tissue cells exchange substances which help boost tissue metabolism. The supply of nutrients and oxygen is also improved due to the massage, therefore increasing blood circulation throughout the body. It also helps prevent overtraining due to the sedating effect it has on the nervous system. It heals and prevents injuries, as the improved circulation helps break down adhesions and the increased production of nutrients and fluids could help with quick tissue repair. 

Sports performance is also improved, as the massage guns help increase power and performance, which makes the muscles more flexible and efficient.

2. Advanced Vibrational Healing & Powerful Pain Relief

Vibrational healing is a form of healing that is based on vibrations and subtle energies, without any dependence on other systems of healing. It is based on each person’s unique energy field and is known to be efficient. Interestingly, a massage gun provides this same benefit, as it delivers vibrations deep into the muscle by using the “percussive therapy” technique. The vibrations from the massage help improve blood and lymph circulation around the body, which helps produce more oxygen and nutrients into the muscles. The result of this is speedy recovery, improved range of motion, pain relief and relieving muscle fatigue and soreness. Pain in the neck, shoulders and lower back can easily be relieved with the advanced vibrating effect from massage guns.

3. Rehabilitation

Massage is known to be one of the most effective forms of injury rehabilitation therapy, as it not only speeds up the recovery process but also prevents re-injury. Massage guns work as a supplement to the standard injury rehabilitation process and encourage healing and recovery of atrophied muscles due to trauma or disease. Improved circulation into the muscles and fascial tissues helps the injured areas to become more flexible and heal within a short time. 

4. Release Lactic Acid

Lactic acid forms when the oxygen levels in the body are low and the body begins to compensate for it by converting newly formed lactate into energy. This often happens during intense exercise and the lactic acid tends to build up in the bloodstream faster than it can burn off. This could make you feel exhausted, nauseated and have cramp feelings in your muscles. A massage gun can reverse this, as it helps the release of lactic acid and other toxins from the muscles to surrounding tissues. This will help reduce the risk of muscle soreness that often comes after a prolonged exertion due to lactic acid accumulation.

5. Increases Blood and Lymphatic Flow

Massage guns provide deep tissue massage, which increases the rate of blood flow and stimulates the nerve receptors responsible for dilating blood vessels. The lymph works to remove waste and toxins from the bodily tissues and the flow is controlled by muscle contractions; this means less active people might not be stimulating enough lymph circulation while very active people might be accumulating too much of it. This could result in lymphedema if not controlled. However, with a massage gun, you can create a balance, as it helps improve circulation throughout the lymphatic system.

6. Activates the Nervous System and Muscles

The nervous system stimulates and regulates the activity of the muscles and maintains the body’s homeostasis. For every activity on the muscles, the nervous system gets notified. Massage guns help stimulate the receptors of the sympathetic nervous system, which causes vasodilation in the skin and muscles, thereby releasing tension and helping the muscles relax while improving mobility. 

7. Relieves Muscle Spasms and Stiffness

Massage guns can help relieve muscle spasms and stiffness that may arise from an intense workout. The muscle spasm often leads to ischemia in the muscles, which means the muscle is lacking proper blood flow. This could result in spasms that are painful to the touch. The massage gun works by applying pressure to the muscle, tendons, and ligaments to help them become relaxed, thereby reducing spasms and painful contractions

8. Breaks up Scar Tissue

Scar tissue is made up of collagen fibers that help with the repair of damaged fibers in the body. However, the elasticity of the tissues does not measure up with the natural muscle tissues of the body. Massage guns provide deep tissue massage, which will help break down these scar tissues, thereby alleviating pain and relieving restriction. You can use massage guns not only for sports injuries but also for post-surgery scar tissues. 

9. Enhance Range of Motion Quickly

Massage guns work on the muscles, connective tissues, tendons, ligaments, and joints, all of which work together to aid mobility. With the consistent use of massage guns, the joints will be more flexible and less prone to strains and sprains. The relaxed muscles and fascial tissue and improved blood circulation work together to improve flexibility and range of motion of the body. Improved range of motion would then result in added advantages like enhancing athletic performance and improved stimulation of the body’s natural lubricants to help keep the body flexible. 

10. Wellness Benefits

There are many other health benefits of massage guns apart from relaxing the muscles and alleviating pain. This includes increased mobility, improved sleep, and improved immunity. It is also helpful for depression and anxiety, fibromyalgia, digestive disorders, and stress-related insomnia.