From my understanding, neither all meat nor true ketogenic diets have ever been discovered among indigenous peoples, why would anyone want to resort to it unless for medical reasons or for brief periods - also for medical/dietary reasons?
Let's work backwards...
For Medical Reasons
Two of the key medical reason the Keto Diet is employed for medical reason is...
1) Epilepsy: It one, if not the most effective method of controlling seizures.
2) Cancer: Research has demonstrated that it is an effective diet for controlling and in some instances the remission of cancer.
Normal cell are "Metabolically Flexible"; they can sustain life with glucose or ketones, fractured fats.
Cancer cells are "Metabolically UNflexible", their survival and growth relies on glucose. Research shows that the restriction of glucose via Ketogenic Diets, essentially starves cancer cells to death.
3) Diabetics: The diet works for diabetics. However, their medical condition does not require the same stringent controls on carbohydrate consumption, as the two above.
There is no evidence anywhere that Ketosis is anything other than a starvation adaptation to allow efficient use of fat in the absence/shortage of other macronutrients.
Keto for "Efficient Use of Body Fat"
That is one of the ancillary benefit to the Keto Diet. The body shift utilizing ketones rather than glucose.
Your has an enormous amount of fuel stored fat and not so much fuel store as glucose.
Example: 200 lb Man with 15% Body Fat
That means a 200 lb man with 15% Body Fat would have 105,000 calories as fuel
(200 lbs X 15% = 30 lbs of Body Fat. 30 lb of Fat X 3500 kcal (amount of calorie in a pound of a fat) = 105,000)
The amount of glucose stored in the body is around 500 gram. That amount to 2000 calories for energy.
(500 gram X 4 calories gram of glucose = 2000 kcal)
By shifting your body to utilizing ketones as your primary energy source, you burn more body fat. With that said, there another alternative that can be used. We'll get to that in a minute.
Keto "Starvation Adaptation"
Good point. It mimics starvation without placing you in starvation. Research has demonstrated a multiple health benefits from this and other type or "Calorie Restriction" protocols.
If it wasn't practiced except from necessity, why resort to it out of choice, esp as it seems to be a finicky diet to dial in?
Why?
Keto is an effective method of increasing muscle mass while decreasing body fat. Research indicates it increase Leucine levels. Leucine is the amino acid responsible for the maintenance and growth of muscle. It increase mitochondria, the "Power house of the Cell", etc.
"Fickle Diet"
It not what would be termed a fickle diet.
As I stated in my previous post, the restrictiveness of the diet (any/all diets) is what make it hard.
The more restrictive the diet is the harder it is for the majority of individuals.
The Inuit come close to all meat diet as it was traditionally practiced, but they also were eating a lot of that meat uncooked and naturally preserved. The meat was high in glycogen as is the blubber of marine mammals.
NO Glycogen In Blubber
Blubber is all fat, there's no glycogen in it.
They also had/have larger liver mass capable of higher levels of gluconeogensis.
Please present the research data on this.
It almost goes without saying that they ate far too much protein to achieve ketosis, but they also got too many plant carbs as well. On top of the animal sources they ate plenty of forage in the form of berries, kelp, tubers etc whenever it was available.
Please present the research data on this, as well.
To survive on all meat you have to not only eat the entire thing, but you need to have a good variety of animals
I cannot wrap my head around the avoidance of whole food carbs unless for specific medical reasons?
I understand. That was my initial response. However, once you delve into this, you find research that will provide you with a better understanding of Keto; it benefits for health and athletes.
[quote[Many carb-rich foods are very high in important micronutrients. Some of the longest lived communities on the planet not only eat predominantly carbs, but even include grains in their diet. [/quote]
High Fiber Low Carbohydrates
The most nutritious carbohydrates primarily are high in fiber and low in carbohydrates.
Research by Dr Donald Layman demonstrated that the body is able to effectively process around 30 gram of carbohydrate per meal.
Chronically high carbohydrate meals spike insulin. Chronic elevated insulin levels promote increases in body fat and a multitude of health issues.
As per nutritionist Jay Robb,
"Insulin is a fat maker..."
Foods of Color
Dr Jonny Bowden, PhD Nutrition has stated the best food are those of color. Those foods are high fiber and low in carbohydrates.
High fiber low carbohydrate foods are also "Low Glycemic Index Foods".
IDK, maybe I try it someday, but I don't have any issues with my current diet excepet for the high cost of quality produce.
Learning
It requires researching the topic information and the practical application, experimenting with it.
The Keto Diet has worked for me and other on several levels. While I am a proponent of the Keto Diet, I don't recommend it to the majority of individuals. That because...
1) It require more discipline and dedication that the average individual has.
2) The Keto Diet with most individuals is not a Keto Diet. Most individuals are really consuming a High Protein, High Fat, a Low Carbohydrate Diet. Keto protein consumption need to be low to moderate, protein intake no higher than 25% of your caloric intake.
The average individual does not take time to educate themselves on its application.
Intermittent Fasting
I recommend this method. It is essentially elicits some of the same benefits as the Keto Diet.
It is simple, Eat or Don't Eat. Nothing to fix, count. Virtually no time required.
It is something everyone has done at one time or another, miss or skip a meal.
"Metabolic Flexible"
One of the main advantates of Intermittent Fasting is the body learn to efficiently utilize glucose or ketones for energy.
Kenny Croxdale
