Carbohydrates

[taffy]

A week ago I decided to try the new Keto diet. I sometimes get intestinal inflammation, even though I stay well away from gluten, for no obvious reason. Since I’ve given up carbohydrates, ie: rice, potatoes and gf pasta, I’ve had no cramps whatsoever. I’m wondering if I have carbohydrate malabsorption also. Does anybody else have this problem ? I’m not complaining though, I’m losing weight and pain free, a double whammy !

[pvanderaa]

We don’t digest carbohydrates directly. Normally the enzymes in the saliva in the mouth convert carbohydrates into sugars. The malabsorption would be of sugar.

How well do you chew your food? Chewing breaks down the structure of the carbohydrates allowing saliva to so it’s work.

What are you doing with milk products? The casein protein is very similar to gluten. Things like milk, cream, yogurt, cheese, sour cream, butter, protein bars (whey protein).

[Mathri]

I Had exactly the same experience after starting a ketogenic diet. Within a week of giving up bread (even gluten free) rice and potatoes and all other starchy foods I began to get my energy back, my stomach pains all but disappeared and I felt unbelievably better.

Don't worry about carbohydrate amalabsorption. Your body does not need carbohydrates at all other than to provide dietary fibre and you can get this from cauliflower rice which has about one tenth of calories as real rice.

The reason a ketogenic diet works is that the body normally runs equally well on carbohydrates and fats but if you cut out the carbs it is forced to use fat instead. It may take a week or two to transition from carbohydrate to become fully fat-burning and you may experience mild flu-like symptoms (keto-flu) but this soon passes.

Initially you will probably have a craving for you favourite sweet carbohydrate-rich foods, but this will pass and, if you are like me, you will no longer have the faintest desire eat anything sweet.

A ketogenic diet is a terrific way to loose weight and you can lose up to several pounds in a week as the glycogen (animal starch) and associated water in your liver and muscles becomes used up and converted to fat. But this is a one-way trip since humans and animals cannot turn this fat back into carbohydrate and are forced to burn it as a source of energy instead.

If, like me, you have too much fat around your middle, this is the way to get rid of it. I know it is counter-intuitive but the best way to get rid of body fat is to eat more of it. If you don't believe me, give it a go. You have nothing to lose except body-weight and unwanted inches around your middle.

[taffy in reply to Mathri]

Thanks for that. Still pain free !