With respect to myths #1 (exercise) and #2 (long term sustainability), I am 60 and now thru-hiking the Appalachian Trail carnivore and OMAD (no snacks) from Georgia to Maine (2,200 trail miles). I hike in a fasted state and eat after I am done hiking for the day. I hike about 8 to 10 hours a day, covering about 12 to 15 miles wearing a 30 lb pack over steep mountainous terrain. For me, carnivore and OMAD is highly sustainable while long distance thru-hiking, as it is in my daily life. I never feel metabolically fatigued or bonk while hiking. Always feel good at the end of the day with plenty of gas left in the tank. Also, no NSAIDs, joint problems, or soreness. Always feel good in the morning and eager to start the day. I did a 4 month 1,000 mile proof of concept section hike last year, at which time I lost 14 pounds in the first 2 weeks as I was adapting to trail life and getting my trail legs, then lost only 1 more pound over the next 3.5 months. So far this year, I have been on-trail for 6 weeks and have lost only 4 pounds. No "hiker hunger", no "post-hike depression", no post-trail weight gain, no post-trail anything (other than feeling good). Most long distance thru-hikers follow the "recommended" thru-hiker diet consisting of 4,000 to 6,000 calories per day of 75% carbs, 15% protein, 15% fat (75-15-15) and tend to experience "hiker hunger", binge eating while in town, and progressive weight loss while on-trail. This is followed by post-trail depression, continued hunger, and significant weight gain after they go off-trail. Most long distance thru-hikers are sold on and indocrinated into the myth that you need a massive amount of carbs to keep your energy level up and perform. Typical thru-hikers continually snack on candy and high carb, highly processed junk food (e.g., honey buns) from morning to night. Meals are also a massive carbfest (pasta, rice, beans, tortillas, etc.). For purposes of personal interest and N=1 thru-hiking science, I am wearing a CGM to monitor blood sugar, a "Charge 6" model Fitbit monitor, and also brought my KetoMojo meter for finger stick monitoring of glucose and ketones levels. Resting heart rate is in the high 40s. Diet on trail consists of pemmican, salami, powdered eggs, and cheese. Last year, I had comprehensive blood work done after 3 months on-trail thru "Own Your Labs" and LabCorp. NMR lipid profile and Insulin Resistance score parameters were mostly all off-scale pegged to the green (low risk). Fasting insulin level was 1.2. For those interested in cancer, KetoMojo glucose/ketone index (GKI) cancer score developed by Dr Thomas Seyfried, PhD is fanstastic. GKI is typically, less than 2.0, sometimes less than 1.0. Lowest score was 0.7.
Thank you for sharing your diet and hiking journey and this makes sense for our life carb community reading through this. Curious what your heart rate range is while you're hiking. I would guess zones 1 and 2 depending on your pace and topology of the terrain.
Wow, pemmican - without the dried fruit I assume. I’ve been toying with the idea of hiking again being a carnivore and there are some keto freeze dried meals out there but definitely need to steer clear of the spinach and other depression causers like nuts too. Powdered eggs, cheese, homemade jerky is what I came up with. Canned “meat” if I can deal with the weight. The beef and salt pemmican would bring in the fat to make ketones. Maybe some MCT Oil also. Crazy I’m even thinking of hiking. Sadly I’d given up on that due to feeling old. Not anymore!
I am 65 and recently switched to a low carb diet to deal with high blood sugar and insulin resistance. I feel so much better in just a few weeks. I love your podcasts because they are so informative. I also love your enthusiasm. Knowledge is power. Keep up the good work.
I'm also 65 and in December I went Full carnivore and in 3 weeks I lost 22 lbs so I switched to a Keto and I lost a total of 37lbs and I am now at the weight I was when I was in the Military! I'm off all my blood pressure meds and feel great also.
That's great. I'm now 66 and have been low carb for 2.5 years. I was surprised at how quickly I started to feel improvements when I changed to low carb to remit my diabetes (which I did within 3 months). The first thing that I noticed after only about 1 week was that I was getting a better quality sleep. Even though I sometimes have difficulties sleeping due to back and knee issues which can disturb my sleep, I found that I wasn't as tired the next day. After about 3 months I had to reduce my BP drug by half, then later I had to do that again, and these days I am off completely. I am now back to my ideal weight which I haven't been since mid 1980s before children, without even trying. And amazingly my hair is not as grey as it was; when I started noticing this I had had no idea that this was possible but I have since found others online who have had the same thing happen. I wish you all the best.
I know a guy who races bikes, and when he went keto, he found that not only did he have more stamina and strength, but he wasn't shaking and collapsing after a long race.
I don't spend hours grocery shopping anymore. Half an hour when I am just being lazy adhd staring at the colors wandering the isles otherwise ten minutes to get my food for the week. Shop outter perimeters of the grocery store the middle for coffee!
Yeah exactly, compressed the grocery store to the meat section, the dairy aisle, and the coffee aisle. Well, sometimes the candy aisle when dark chocolate is on sale.
Great video! I don’t understand why people think Keto is unsustainable. I don’t check my metabolic state daily but it is easy to stay 20 grams carb a day. honestly, it’s more about feeling better for me ….and getting amazing metabolic panel results when I have bloodwork. Anything is sustainable if you see the benefits in your life.
Yes, it's the benefits that keep me motivated to stick with it. My pharmacist told me that he is trying to be low carb but said he is eating pasta some other foods. I asked him how he felt after he eats the carbs and he said he feels horrible. I'm hoping that makes him think more about cutting out those foods.
I’ve been low carb/KETO for 6 years finally going OMAD carnivore in January this year at 58 years young, I had my thyroid panel drawn in March and my testosterone was 711! But my TSH was a .5 ie hyperthyroidism (supposedly ) but I feel great I got tons of energy with none of the other accompanying symptoms so my endocrinologist just said let’s just watch it. A lot of anomalies exist as people cut carbs that are not necessarily bad but do stray from the “norm”.
Same for me. 10 years or so low carb, ending up in keto. High LDL, so checked for hypothyroidism. Subclinical hyperthyroidism, with antibodies to thyroglobulin. All other markers in range but low tsh. Just keeping an eye for now, but I do have some symptoms.
Great video! I have been tremendously successful with keto. Lost weight, yep. Improved my blood test results, yep. But most importantly I am now awake the dangers of insulin sensitivity, seed oils, and sugar. Thanks for all your efforts.
When I first started low carb I wasn't worrying about the seed oils because at that time I didn't know how bad they are. Over the last 2.5 years I've learned a lot and about 6-8 months ago I have been steering clear of them as much as possible; sometimes I will buy things like sausages which generally have them in but whereas before I was eating them regularly I now keep that sort of thing as my pseudo takeaway food (ie if I feel like something different I pick up a pack of sausages and bring them home to cook). When I've eaten something with seed oils I seem to notice a difference in how I feel. Steve of Serious Keto has mentioned that his knees stopped hurting after he changed his WOE but when he eats seed oils his knees started hurting. I wish you all the best. I've had great results too and it is well worth sticking to low carb.
Thanks, Dr. Norwitz, for doing this fair debunking of keto myths. The diet has been popular for so many years now, you would think that these myths would have been put to rest. There is so much conspiring against the keto diet - from special interest groups, like vegans and the processed food industry who garner immense revenue from high carb junk food, to those who want to harbor some outdated ideas about the supposed damaging effects of saturated fats - that we have to keep addressing these issues over and over again. I appreciate your contribution to the growing body of debunking videos that have been published on RU-vid.
One secret of keto for me is that after my 6 hour window of breakfast and lunch I do not get hungry the rest of the day and evening, so it is not a "sacrifice"for me ..
I don’t eat after dinner and before lunch, 16/8. I a diabetic family member who says I rather die than give up carbs. Good god, it’s only food. It’s a mindset….
I am living proof you do not NEED carbohydrates to live. Yes I am extremely thin but I can do all my work with ease and have no chronic health issues. Never been obese no matter how much I eat! I love my life and look forward to each of my three meals a day.
As a carnivore, I put on muscle mass so easily I wish I'd started as a teenager. I've tried high carb athletics and cycled from energy to lethargy. Plant based made me fat and prediabetic. I might have 30 gr carbs on a CHEAT day. No vegetables no carbs to feel great every day...
I love “context”. It clears up questions and helps subdue doubts with all the information thrown at us. I am keto because I like what it does to my intestinal issues which now seem,to be in the past. I can’t imagine going back to my standard low fat carbs diet if for no other reason, my insides are at peace ☮️. This is one of my favorite videos I will refer back to and refer to others. Thanks.
About point 2; I would add that it doesn't need to be sustainable to have very positive long lasting health affects. I have been able to prevent diabetes by going keto for months at a time every few years. My grandmother and sister both died from the direct affects of diabetes and my mother died from indirect. I have no signs of diabetes since cycling off and on keto which always astonishes my doctors. I'm convinced that simply letting my pancreas rest and resetting my insulin levels has been the key. I also believe it may help with preventing cancer, improving heart health, and preventing a myriad of other health ailments. Also, I've been studying keto and nutrition in general since I read Atkin's book in the early 90's. Your last point on using the term "keto diet" is the first time I've seen it described by someone other than me. LOL I've argued this point with many people over the years so I'm glad I have a video I can point people to now. 🙂
Ketosis can be an effect of a combination of diet and exercise, but it’s not any particular diet. A particular diet that tends to induce ketosis in an individual is a ketogenic diet with respect to that individual. That’s how I describe it.
I went low carb to remit my diabetes, successfully. I'm now sticking with it because I feel a lot better on it and my arthritis doesn't hurt like it used to. I'm hoping that by keeping the inflammation as low as possible that I will slow the progression and be able to keep as mobile as possible for a lot longer. Dennis Pollock of Beat Diabetes! says that his arthritis doesn't seem to be getting any worse.
@@jobrown8146 if you want to keep down inflammation, be sure to eat ‘clean’ keto and lots of fatty fish (salmon, sardines, cod liver); throw in garlic, turmeric and ginger. Huge impact on my chronic inflammation. I’m healed. Off many drugs related to inflammation. Keto wasn’t enough though -it’s gotta be clean and no fake sugar, and eat lots of fatty fish.
So many people look at systems as the addition of all of its components. But they can't visualize/imagine it, in their minds, in its working state. These are the Daysprings, Attias, etc. in the world. Then you have those that can and do see systems in their working states, visualizing them as a movie in their minds. These are the Norwitz's, Feldman's, Cromwell's, etc. in the world. The first group will never get it unless you present it to them as a static image. But that's really hard to do. But if anyone can do it, it's Nick.
Excellent, Nick! You're the best!!! I'm going to transcribe the part about thyroid and bring it to my doctor. He's a good guy and likes to learn. I see him Tuesday 🤩
Hi Nick Thank you so much for all your contributions and content they are so appreciated!! I think as you said the biggest (ongoing) myth of a ketogenic diet is that it is a diet high in meat and saturated fat, obviously it often can be but people have this ongoing belief that keto = meat and high levels of saturated fat.
Nicholas - you need to review Noakes' latest research about burning carbs during exercise. They tested multiple distances and levels of intensity through a full range of track type events. In no case was the amount of carbs ingested important to the performance of the athlete. They also proved that ingesting about 5 grams of carbs before an event helps the brain to cope with the anticipated load - the carbs are not consumed for energy to execute the event, they are used in the feedback loop for the brain to sort out what the muscles are doing and what they need. In all cases, and in all events, fatty acids were burned for fuel, not carbs. Carbs are not necessary for any athletic event. Once fat adapted.
At 4:15 SUSTAINABILITY HACK: If you're looking at some cheat and say I DON'T want to eat it, how easy is it to flip and say I WANT to eat it? I say "I want to NOT eat it." (Generally a food "group" like candy, dessert, muffins, bread) - It's a further push back from something that otherwise could just flip to yes. Hubby & I have "sustained" since 2010. Both got down to our marriage weights after reading Gary Taubes' Good Calories, Bad Calories and have held steady for 14 years.
I went on vacation recently and ate carbohydrates (including sugary foods). Weight gain ensued, but my LDL went from 301mg/dL to 196mg/dL. I am not lean. I now have 75 lbs to lose. From December 2022 until February 2024, I ate less than 50 grams of carbs a day and am on Mounjaro (lowest dose). Getting back off of the sugar after vacation was hard (even on Mounjaro- I am a sugar addict), and gaining 25 lbs of the 80lbs I had lost up to vacation was demoralizing, but I’m slowly decreasing my carbs and am now cold turkey on the candies, cakes, cookies, ice cream, and bread. Two bucks says my next LDL will be back up to 300mg/dL.
@@RussKarlberg As far as I know those studies don't account for the fact that people's LDL will often drop before death (e.g. a malnourished cancer patient will have low LDL)
@@dangallagher6176 they aren't levels taken right after heart attack deaths, as the studies discuss all cause mortality, including cancer and diabetes, so this is what factored in. Having worked in hospital medical records for years, I see ENTIRE charts- just as many people have heart attacks with normal regular bloodwork (annual physicals) with LDL under 100, but interestingly the lower "regular" LDL die more frequently- and we are a big and busy hospital with a top-notch cardiology center- so it's not because we only have a few cases a year
That last segment really shifted my thinking. That the sum of carb intake, activity level, and physiology determine whether one is in ketosis or not. So with that in mind, people set out to do a keto diet by cutting carbs, and it works because it brings that state of ketosis closer. Moving one variable... and probably the easiest one to move right out of the gate. Similarly, someone who doesn't change diet, but starts walking 45 minutes per day is moving the physical activity variable in a way the pushes them toward ketosis, provided they don't immediately slam 80g of carbs in the form of a Mountain Dew or something similar the moment they finish their walk. The physiology will change the slowest - but bodybuilders are working toward it because one of their core premises is the way increased muscle mass leads to a higher BMR. Bearing in mind, I've never thought about it this way until Nick touched on Ketosis being a metabolic state and not necessarily a function of some heuristic.
Nick explained it very well. It took me some time when I first started low carb 2.5 years ago to understand that ketosis is a metabolic state. I have an egg coffee for breakfast and think that I get into ketosis mid morning if I only drink water. However I realise that if I have a coffee with milk or a hot chocolate, then that will most likely kick me out of ketosis. These days I can mow the yard after only having an egg coffee and then water up until lunch time simply because I am fat adapted and enter ketosis. I do feel hungry a bit earlier than usual, but it's not the "I have to eat now" hunger that I used to have and I can wait until the same time for my lunch. Wishing you all the best.
PLEASE do a video about Keto and sleep 🙏🙏🙏 Why is it that some people report much better sleep on Keto (or while fasting), whereas others - like me - can't sleep at all?? I recently saw a video on a channel called "Life & DIY" which addresses this issue (the video mentions you and LMHRs among many other things). I don't know if the girl in the video hit on the right answer, but it made me aware that so many people out there are struggling with the same issues...
So just fast with a stick of butter to help you sleep. Problem solved. Fat fasting is still fasting for most reasons people fast. Good Sleep is so important I think that takes priority if the sleep thing doesn’t adjust itself over time. Usually just a transition thing.
@@BeefNEggs057 You don't know what you're talking about. I have been doing Keto for more than 5 years, my sleep is only getting worse and worse!!! Eating fats does NOTHING for my sleep.
@@aurapopescu1875Problem with sleep is it can be affected by many outside factors. My first thought would be trying magnesium before bed. It's the one mineral that can be lacking for some people. Otherwise I think you need to first rule out your own habits e.g. Going to bed too late, too much screen time before bed. Now that doesn't mean it isn't diet related.
Anyone who says keto is not sustainable is addicted to carbs. The behaviour lines up. Also - while I'm don't compete (and don't want to) - I'm fitter than most my age: I can ride fasted 100 km/day for multiple days. I regularly (if not almost exclusively) ride fasted and havn't bonked since I quit carbs. Might not be for everyone but it sure makes my life easier and better in many ways.
The 6th point was good. Indeed, to be sure that you are in ketosis you need to confirm it by measuring ketones level in breath, blood or urine. Blood measurement is the most precise one. Ketones Breath measurement is the easiest one to do, which I do personally.
Oh ya .... Thanks Nick!!!! Truly I look forward to your videos!! I really enjoyed your better defining keto - as a state of ketosis, not some sort of diet.
I was Keto for 4 years. Went Carnivore 5 years ago. So going on 10 years now. 66 years old and will sustain for life. Healthier on almost no carbs (most days zero but always less than 10 daily if I use some spices on my meats) than I was 10 years ago. It works for me.
The math doesn’t make sense. Carnivore is keto. Not all keto is carnivore. If you were keto 4 years and carnivore 5 years…. Makes no sense. At a minimum you were keto 5 years.
@@RC-qf3mp My math might not be so accurate, thanks for reminding me. When I was Keto for about 4 years I ate meats with lots of low carb vegetables thus my carbs were much higher than when I went Carnivore. With Carnivore I eat meats & eggs only (no dairy) but do use spices which adds a few carbs to my one meal a day.
@@YeshuaKingMessiah the math doesn’t make sense because carnivore is necessarily keto; keto is not necessarily carnivore. So he can’t have more years of carnivore than keto. What he likely means is he was non-carnivore keto for 4 years, and carnivore keto for 5 years. That would be a total of 9 years keto. He says he was only keto for 4 years, which is false.
wish you could like specific moments within the timeline so little hearts and likes pop up while the vid goes on. even comment along the way, people can chime in on those comments, having living conversations threaded thoughout the video. great vid again, life is nuance- something about billions of individual perceptions gazing from upon this microcosmic dirt ball hurtling through the quantum void...
love your very balanced unemotional take on this topic💪🏻 i’ve been on keto for a few years now, turning 50 this year and have felt pretty darn good considering. and im no nazi on this stuff, i buy my kids all the ice cream and sugar they want. ive never tried selling or persuading keto to anyone else. it’s just my own diet that i follow cuz i like it for me
Some say carnivore is not a ketogenic diet. It seems we need clarity on what ketosis actually is. Bart kay says we are " kicked out of ketosis for a couple hours when we eat sufficient meat due to a slight rise in insulin. " but this does not make sense to say " kicked out of ketosis" i would say we may notice a slight decrease in ketone production momentarily but definitely not Kicked out of ketosis. If one is " kicked out" i assume they are entirety running on glucose. May be semantics but the terminologies seem to confuse people into thinking carnivore is nt keto. . . carnivore is definitely keto. And maybe a slight bump in insulin from eating sufficient meat due to gluconeogenisis would bring a slight decrease in ketogenisis but i refuse to use the term " kicked out of ketosis" when we eat sufficient meat. Thoughts?
Thank you. When I first changed to low carb and was listening to videos I was confused about whether to say I was low carb or keto. Then I heard someone explaining that keto is short for ketosis and as you say, a metabolic state, so I realised that the term keto for the diet type is not accurate. I don't really care what my WOE is called but if anyone asks I just say low carb and that I managed to remit my diabetes and get to my ideal weight (without trying) just be cutting the carbs.
When doctors push meds without discussing a sustainable keto lifestyle it negates their patient's desire to tap into willpower and exercise better choices. We deserve better than that. It's defeatist and that attitude should never enter into a doctor's "advice". There's never a discussion on nutrition unless it's to push the lean meat-whole grains-fruits-veg model if you've an elevated LDL. I've never been able to sustain an energy level on carbs that I have on ketovore and even more so when I was strictly carnivore for 2 years and lost a lot of weight that my doctor has never mentioned. Not one bit of interest how I did it, so if curiosity isn't part of your doctor's "practice" move on to someone who shows interest in your positive lifestyle changes and cheers you on.
I had the SAME experience with my old doctor! Zero curiosity! After keeping forty pounds off for 5 years on a low carb diet, I asked him how many of his patients do that. After thinking, he said, "Just you", but still no interest or enthusiasm in what I was doing.
I found most of the points compelling, particularly “keto diet is not about what you eat but about your resulting ketosis level”. I would go further and suggest that the glucose/ketone ratio is a better definition of ketosis than ketone level alone, as it filters out keto acidosis states. For me GKI values below 5.0 indicate my diet is ketogenic. One nuance is that if I am stressed, a cold or an injury for example, my ketosis ends, i.e. BG UP - BK down, which has nothing to do with my diet.
What I really appreciate are your analyses about how to look at biomarkers more deeply than just as dumb thresholds. Unfortunately most medical practice just look at biomarkers as thresholds for definitive diagnosis and nothing more.
Community, yes, but intrinsic motivation is much more important for a person to persevere on a regimen involving a substantial modification of lifestyle.
To me, that “intrinsic motivation” is called Mounjaro. For the obese, it’s the hormones, stupid. That’s what got me back to keto and keto is how I’m losing weight and will keep it off once I reach my goal. Once I reach my goal weight, I will go off the Mounjaro. The Mounjaro will always be there in case I fall off the sugar-free wagon.
Keto is very sustainable, and so is Ketovore. That's me - Carnivore up to the Keto part at the end - 5 Tsp Olive Oil, and just a few macadamia nuts, walnuts, and pecans to get the OO down. I seem to be thriving on it, and will leave out all of the good results my 64 y/o body doing fine, with daily walks, and regular gym time. Very happily, my VA doctor is used to Keto and Carnivore Vet patients, and has not tried to push Statins on me. Crucially, fellow old dudes - don't be too "lonerish!" Force yourself into a bit of social stuff regularly. That's not food, but all longevity studies show we outta be regularly social.
I've been keto for 5 years and I'm a lean mass hype responder, 66 years old. But in the last 2 years my CT CORONARY CALCIUM SCORING has increases from 126 to 219. This seems to fly in the face of your LMHR study with Dave Feldman Should I be concerned? Am I eating something wrong?
Good video. I'm torn with your definition of LMHR to be a defect. I'm no scientist but it seems high cholesterol needs to be in the company of inflammation to cause problems. Isn't it premature to call it a "defect" ??? Much needs to be exposed about high cholesterol and what it really does or doesn't cause or contribute to, in my opinion.
I always question this...why do we never see inflammation being a concern along with the high ApoB or high LDL, no inflammation, no problem. It's like saying fuel tanks cause fires, but unless there is an instigating factor that happens to ignite the vapors then NO FIRE.
Take it with a pinch of salt when you see a paper being negative about Keto. They all do the same as he says they never actually do a Keto diet 20-50g net carbs. They have them on a "low carb" or "keto like" diet with like 100g of carbs then give them a load of fat to eat. If you are eating fat not in ketosis then obviously this is mimicking the standard american diet and links to poor health.
Yeah like when they try to show saturated fat is bad for you by force feeding rats muffins with saturated fats....well yeah that combo is always bad, but cut out the muffin and the saturated fats become incredible for your body.
Ya it’s not Keto - they used a SAD light diet. Basically they put people on more restricted SAD diet. Low carb needs to be defined. They used “lower carb” and not “low carb” or “lowest carb” - superlatives and comparatives matter much in scientific research. They also need to define high fat - not just simply use higher fat. People don’t have a good sense of keto and don’t actually define it correctly.If you aren’t using fat for energy, is it really keto?
Adding butter and animal fat doesn’t hurt anyones health and helps satiate everyone’s hunger. The low fat laughing stock (not a diet) is why we have obesity and diabetes everywhere. The sugar, vegetables and carbs hurt your health. Not the fat. For instance my wife started losing weight eating dinner with me. I also made her a high fat chicken salad with bacon and bacon grease (delicious). She lost a lot. Very satisfying food when it has fat. Eat less. Lose weight. Eating lean just makes you always hungry and we know that’s not sustainable.
Check out the movie where a football player bikes across Aus from Perth to Melbourne fuelled by a carnivore diet. He had a companion for a short time who needed to stop every few hours to eat his carbs.
Don’t forget other sports benefits of keto - not bonking in endurance sports and more stable energy levels. And Phinney/Volek research and the top keto endurance athletes in ultramarathons, cycling, triathlons. There’s a different ‘carb loading’ protocol for some keto athletes in some sports. So it’s sport-specific and individual differences - but even for those athletes, the carbs they take in are drastically fewer and nothing like the conventional wisdom.
@@ebrahimshahidarshad1763 that’s a fallacy. Because everybody does X, doing not-X (Y) must be inferior. By that logic, there’d never be any progress in anything. To answer you anyway, despite having identified the fallacy, it is a matter of fact that many records in various races and trails for ultra endurance athletes have been set by keto athletes. Look it up. I gave you the names of the scientists doing the research (for decades) in my original post. Show that their research is wrong - they’ve proven that keto-adapted pro athletes oxidize fat higher than anything ever recorded in human history by carb-loading professional endurance athletes. By a mile. See Zach Bitter and Timothy Olson, Miranda Carfrae. Most athletes don’t do this because they are too indoctrinated by orthodoxy and are accustomed to carb-loading. It would take a very long time to make the switch to keto - at least six months, probably longer. It’s also well studied that keto athletes recover MUCH faster after big endurance races. And there are the countless health benefits/risks of keto vs stuffing yourself with high fructose corn syrup and other junk - like pooping your pants while racing or vomiting which is common among carb-loaders. This isn’t a debate. The science is in. Keto is better on a number of objective measures for performance and health for endurance athletes. If a particular individual does well with carb-loading, fine. It’s possible. But with risks, and the question remains whether those athletes would perform better on keto and have faster recovery times and fewer risks to overall health. Since people are carrying body fat anyway, why not use it? And using it efficiently requires adaption. And that adaption requires time. And people need to learn a whole new way of preparing food and eating it, which most don’t bother doing. The “if everybody is doing it argument” is something I’d expect from a child, you’re obviously not a scientist. In any case, many keto endurance athletes kept their diet a secret b/c it gave them an edge they don’t want others to know about. But watch videos of endurance athletes vomiting, bonking and pooping their pants - those are almost all carb-loaders. Many develop GI issues from carb loading that is only successfully treated by keto. Look it up. Facts.
@@RC-qf3mp I am one of those people. I rode my bike almost 300 miles over mountain passes, climbing about 24,000 feet, in less than 48 hours, fueled only by steak, peppers, olive oil and eggs.
To highlight the first myth, there was a German study that showed that elite athletes didn't live as long as the general population and that the more dominant they were, the more their life expectancy was negatively impacted. So, when asking whether you need carbs for elite performance, it's very possible that the answer is yes but if you're looking to extend your life expectancy as much as possible, maybe not.
Nick, I loved this video. I'm a 69 yr old male who ate a bad diet the first 65 years of my life producing a calcium score or 380, high BP and severe osteo arthritis. Now on mostly carnivore the last few years and numerous issues resolved except the coronary artery issue. Arthritis still not good. My concern is I am a LMHR and my cardiologist put me on Repatha which I agreed to with reservations. I don't feel as good since on it but it's hard to describe how. I'm waiting on any shread of information to know if the repatha is necessary for someone like me. I don't have forever to find the answers. I hear there is evidence older people live longer if LDL is higher. Now that my diet is radically different than the awful version I ate in my 1st 65 years maybe I don't need the drug. I wish I could know. Please keep reporting on any LMHR thoughts you may have as information becomes available especially as it relates to people who already have damage from previously bad dietary choices and need to make medication decisions as a LMHR now that the diet has been reformed. Love your videos!
Funny with unsustainable... I've been mostly ketovore since 2018, and absolutely love it. Don't need support, don't listen to deniers. It's simple, I just enjoy meat :)).... One-two weeks maybe a little bit of struggle, giving up sugar and carbs almost completely, but since then, under 20 grams of carbs/day, consistently.
My problem is I am carb addicted. So I go keto and somebody force feeds me scones. Then all hell breaks lose. I am on cake and crisps and chocolate. I get angry that I have fallen of the wagon. I do good for two weeks feel great. Then another person insists we do lunch or they bring me cake or chocolate. They say it will do no harm. I succumb and then another two weeks of carb mayhem. Then I sober up off sugar and try again. I think for me I need to go away into the wild away from the carb pushers. Love Nicks Videos he makes it so interesting and he has loads of enthusiasm. Keep up the good work.
This was very informative. This isn't a myth about the ketogenic diet, but it is an issue that people can face on a vegan ketogenic diet. Oxylates -- Do they play a role in chronic diseases, and should the general person be alarmed about them. What about other plant defense mechanisms that trigger toxic responses in the human body? After trying out the carnivore diet, I am a firm believer that Dr. Chaffee is correct in his analysis, but I am more curious to know your thoughts. You mentioned Dr. Baker in this video, and I assume, possibly incorrectly, that you are familiar with Dr. Chaffee's work also. As always, your nuanced approach to discussing these topics is greatly appreciated.
I'm not personally too concerned with dietary oxalates. Some people may have sensitivities. But - for your avg. person - I don't think they're a reason for concern... unless you're trying to fully replicate a Popeye diet... then maybe? Yes, Anthony and I are friendly :) May not see eye to eye on everything... but that would be boring
Electrolytes = taurine Energy = taurine Fat digestion = taurine Most problems with keto actually stem back to a taurine deficiency. It cleared all of my issues up immediately. ❤
Question on the sustainability of keto. What about the long term difficulty with electrolytes absorption? I’ve heard some arguments about the difficulties and would love more info on the nuances and or solutions here.
Nah, it’s hormones. You’re just lucky. I’d love to see a thin person in my shoes pre-Mounjaro for just one day. You’d lose your fucking mind not being able to exert your will on your own body.
I would argue, personally, that we don't NEED science to prove keto improves longevity--or rather, to be more accurate, the science that proves it lies in other fields, like human physiology. It's been theorized that the two best dietary markers for longevity will be high total cholesterol and low fasting insulin, both of which make sense when considering what this would mean in the context of a human body (cholesterol is one of the main components of the brain, cell membranes, and is a big precursor to hormone creation; while high fasting insulin is a symptom of chronically high blood glucose levels, which damages bodily tissue and deprives the cells of their ability to obtain energy). As someone who dabbles in the field of longevity mainly as a hobby, I would fully agree with you on longevity science being total crap. Heck, there's a strong possibility it'll never be good at all since we're trying to study things that simply cannot be proven, bare minimum, until another few decades pass. Especially if we continue focusing on calorie intake and whether a diet's predominantly animal-based or plant-based, instead of looking at stuff like chronic Randle cycle activation as well as the difference between lifespan vs healthspan and how things like nutrient bioavailability and fat adaptation factor into this, etc.
I went on Keto and lost a bunch of weight. However, my cholesterol basically went through the ceiling. All in a matter of months. Then I decided to cut all the added saturated fats totally and I cut way back on meat. I went heavy on seafood. While HDL-C went from 75 to 65, TG went down a few more points to 45. Total cholesterol and LDL-C took a huge dive almost to normal level. It appears that everybody is different alright.
Could you turn that last part about what a ketogenic diet is/isn't into a short? The people I know don't have the attention span for much more but I could get them to watch a short by telling them you are the oreo statin guy. I really enjoy your videos informative and entertaining 👍
I agree. There isn´t problem with sports without carbs unless you are like Husain Bolt when you need explosing power to perform. Total opposite if you run a marathon. Well i´ve been only 15 months on keto and i am not going to go back on carb based life. I just have to add some fat into my diet after i´ve received my idealic weight. Ofcourse cholesterol will rise. You need it for the new cells as building blocks. When your body starts to heal itself, it needs high amounts of cholesterol. If you´ve got insuline resistance or t2d, you need cholesterol to heal your liver. I was diagnosed of hypothyrodism after 12 months of keto. But keto wasn´t the reason for that. My mom has it too so i had bad genes for it and the symtoms started 5 years earlier. I just didn´t know that those symptoms came with hypothyroidsm. Now i have medication for it. Yes! If you are and stay on ketosis, you are on ketogenic diet. I try to limit carbs as low as possible, but i know that i wont drop from ketosis if i would eat 50 grams of carbs a day. I am pretty big guy and have some frame. It is totaly different if i would be very small. There is huge personal differences becouse we have different kind of bodies.
Have any of the keto gurus looked into the fact that ketone and fatty acid oxidation produces much less CO2 than carbohydrate metabolism? According to Ray Peat this can be problematic as CO2 serves as the primary vasodilator in our bodies (nitric oxide being an emergency backup vasodilator that can cause damage in excess) and proper CO2 levels are needed to oxygenate tissues via the Bohr effect (which is the reason hyperventilation also causes mild hypoxia despite there potentially being a higher concentration of oxygen in the blood). Some of this isn’t widely recognized in mainstream medicine but neither is keto considered to be as great in the same circles. If true though, wouldn’t keto be bad for those who already have issues with producing enough CO2 and/or have excess NO?
Makes sense! Thank you ❤ I just fell off the keto wagon because it’s too much for me to handle in social settings. I also have a Hypothyroid and my hair falls out 😮. Looking for ways of keeping my hair skin and nails healthy. (Keto 5 months).
Long-term excess consumption of meat is linked to several health problems, including colorectal cancer. That being said, junk & grain carbs could probably be reduced by 80-90% for the average American, only to their benefit. There's some evidence that endurance athletes largely benefit from a degree of carbo-loading (though not that much, IMO). I remember playing 3 games of hockey in a day, this was when I was very fit, and it kicked my ass. 2 ganes in a day would also but I found some white rice 3-4h before helped a bit. Again, this doesnt apply to most people.
Here's a ChatGPT summary: - The speaker created a sequel to a prior video on myths and false equivalencies, which was surprisingly well-received. - Myth 1: Athletes need carbs. The speaker clarifies that while top athletes in certain sports may benefit from carbs, the average recreational athlete does not need them to perform well once fat-adapted. - Myth 2: Keto is unsustainable. The speaker argues that many people have sustained ketogenic diets for years, and the term "unsustainable" is misleading and promotes failure. - Myth 3: Keto and longevity. The speaker states that data on diet and longevity in humans is poor, and sensational headlines about keto shortening lifespan are misleading. The focus should be on optimizing metabolic health and quality of life. - Myth 4: Lean mass hyperresponders. These are individuals who see massive increases in LDL, HDL, and low triglycerides on low-carb diets. The speaker argues that their physiology is different from those with high LDL due to genetic conditions, and LDL should be considered in the broader clinical context. - Myth 5: Keto screws up the thyroid. While keto lowers T3 levels, it does not necessarily indicate hypothyroidism. The speaker explains that low T3 in a low-carb context can be due to better thyroid sensitivity and decreased demand for thyroid hormone. - Myth 6: There is the ketogenic diet. The speaker emphasizes that ketosis is a metabolic state, not defined by a specific diet or carbohydrate threshold. Different individuals may achieve ketosis with varying carb intakes and dietary compositions. - Main message: The speaker debunks common keto myths by providing nuanced explanations and emphasizing the importance of context and individual variability.
I'm HeZ FH positive, confirmed genetically, and I eat low carb, and I am extremely health at age 53. No CAC, no soft plaques, no issues what so ever. I believe high LDL is protective in general when eating low carb, and LMHR is just a normal person experiencing the same thing I'm experiencing from a genetic mutation. Nothing special about LMHR, if that's even really a thing.
Yeah I tell people if you eat carbs one day and then fast half the day the next day and you alternate on that you are doing a ketogenic diet. As long as there's ketones you are doing a ketogenic diet and some people can get away with 50 grams. It's all about if you are making progress towards your goals. Lower carbs generally easier for goals.
I went almost full carnivore. I'd say 95% carnivore. But I allow myself carbs here and there in small amounts. That way I don't feel trapped by a diet. Lost a ton of weight and my energy and mood is thru the roof. I don't know what the science says but I FEEL frickin healthy as hell and that's good enough for me. One trick that worked for me was when I realized that trying to find motivation to stay on a diet is super hard but completely unnecessary. Cultivating long-term self-discipline is way easier for me than finding motivation. I don't have to find motivation, I just tell my body that this is what we're doing and that's that. No use bitching about it !!! LOL, sounds crazy but this change of attitude helps me. 😛
I don’t think I’ve ever heard anyone say athletes need carbs and I’ve watched a fair few videos on the topic over the years. What I often hear is adding carbs will give you optimal performance. Perhaps those who do say ‘need’ mean the same thing.
Love your content Dr Norwitz. You seem the type that likes to "figure things out" When you graduate from medical school, consider a career in forensic pathology.
In medicine, the mantra is, we don't treat a number we treat the patient. We are different and it's not surprising that some of us like the LMHR are significantly different.
It really doesn't matter what you eat. But of course you want to eat clean. But the human body will turn practically anything into what it needs, whether it be Fats, Carbs , or Proteins. The body will turn it into ATP to make whatever it needs to build. Diversity of diet is needed to satisfy a balanced nutrition, and not to become anemic of a given nutrient .
Good morning and thank you very much for your videos 🙏. What you think about someone who do 10 years kéto and said that now she is Insuline resistance ? Thanks for your explication 🙏
I have been using a CKM for about a month. I don't know how accurate it is. The CGMs are not very precise, so I am thinking that the same is true for the CKM. In any case, it is interesting to see the ketones level bounce around, sometimes in response to food and sometimes not. What is clear; is that a few more benchmarks are needed to make sense of the data. A ketone threshold of 0.5 does not seem to have useful interpretive value.
Not sure if you will read this, but I'm curious to know what you think of cycling keto by the seasons. For instance, reintroducing carbs in the form of local seasonal fruits and tapering off of them as winter approaches?
58 male, Low glycemic paleo, i notice a substantial difference in performance at the gym doing my 1.5 hr cross fit type circuit/interval training. My exercise is fairly high heart rate and im definitely burning more carbs than fat. I still eat more fat than higher glycemic carbs but i did eat higher glycemic more like Salidino for 6 months so i can tell the difference. I obviously can do it low glycemic like in back to again.
I was on a protein only diet for several months then switched to a carnivore diet. Able to maintain 16 hour fasts, and longest fast has been 48 hours. Swim regularly, 2km a session during the fast, and no loss in energy, no need to eat afterwards. Most sustained level of energy I've ever had.
@nicknorwitzPhD I was diagnosed as bipolar 2 three years ago and since being free of sugar both the mania and depressive episodes have been reduced in nadir and zenith. I then re-introduced sugar back into my diet via 2 teaspoons of honey a day, and on day 5 I noticed a significant depressive episode occurring, much more so than since removing sugar several months earlier. I subsequently removed the honey and by the third day thereafter, the extremes of the moods had waned.
Shawn Baker seems to be able to break world records pretty well without carbohydrates. Although, it would be really interesting to see if they augmented his performance at all.
Yeah, there's some religious keto people. ONLY 20G or less carbs per day or you're not keto. I think the more important thing is measuring what your body is doing with what you're eating and what physical activity you're doing. I've been Keto for 6 years now and I'm still learning about how my body uses carbs. I've ate huge amounts of carbs at times and had no blood sugar spike and tolerated them pretty well. What, when and how matters. When you eat the carb vs when you eat the fat or protein and etc.
My recent TSH was 0.050, which is at rock bottom. The T3 and T4 are normal. My endocrinologist's face just looked... off... anyway, my levo got dropped from 75 mcg to 50 mcg. I had been on the same dose for over a decade, until I started eating keto/low carb/carnivore. Lost a lot of weight. I used nuclear medicine in 2009 to kill the overactive thyroid. Now... something has changed. I'm a little concerned. Getting retested next month.
Nicholas, have you done any thought on potential carbohydrate intake strategies / timing for athletes that want to stay on a generally all around low carb diet (or even those that fall into a LMHR phenotype) while occasionally using specific timing of carbs to peak for specific sport performance? This is something that's rarely discussed in general, is there a way to try to get the best of both worlds?
For Lean Mass Hyper Responders with high LDL, are their ApoB levels highly elevated as well? I am on a low carb diet. My LDL has climbed to around 160. But my ApoB levels are on the lower end of normal. It is no way near the level of LDL seen in LMHR, but I've not heard about the discussion of ApoB levels in LMHR. It's all LDL.
When people say that a keto diet or even a carnivore diet is unsustainable that is like saying a vegan diet is unsustainable. They both can be sustainable if you're committed to them.
