How do we burn fat- and what the heck are ketones?

You may have heard about intermittant fasting, ketosis and maybe even a new product called “Pruvit”… but do you know what it means?

We are built to be fat burners but most of us are sugar burners as a result of our high consumption of carbohydrates, addiction to sugar and fear of eating fats.

Think about a fire burning… is the fire going to last very long with only kindling? No- unless you continue feeding the fire more small pieces of kindling to keep the fire burning.

Ideally we keep our fire burning by feeding it with slow-burning logs that we don’t have to re-stock or re-fuel for hours! The fire will continue to burn for hours without the need to add new logs.

If you have been scared of eating fats and only consume “non-fat” or “low-fat” foods then you are probably over consuming carbohydrates and then of course sugar- which will probably make you into a sugar burner and not a fat burner.

Don’t you want to be burning fat while you are sitting down reading this blog? or when you are driving your car? or when working at your desk or computer? how about when you are sleeping at night? We should be burning fat during these activities- but if you are “feeding your fire” kindling every few hours then you are burning sugar.

Healthy Fats of real butter, Olives and MCT and Coconut oil for a Ketogenic Diet on a wood plank board — Healthy Fats of real butter, Olives and MCT and Coconut oil for a Ketogenic Diet

How do we become a fat burner?

We stop eating so many carbohydrates, processed foods and sugar every day and do a little type of “sugar detox”.

We want to train our body to rely on fat for energy – and one of the byproducts of breaking down fat for fuel are ketones. Did you know your brain actually prefers ketones for fuel over glucose? Especially when we become insulin resistant from an over-dependence and consumption of carbohydrates – resulting in exhausted insulin receptors (see another blog and podcast episode for more details). We don’t only need glucose as our main fuel source… we can use fats and as a result of breaking down fat- ketones for fuel as well as glucose. Ketones are a naturally occurring process in our body that we never were taught before recently- even thought it is a natural process and how we were built to survive during times of food restriction.

Bulletproof coffee in white cup with butter and coconut oil on a wooden table — Bulletproof coffee – grass fed butter and coconut oil in BP coffee

Ketosis – is the body’s ability to use fat for fuel and ketones as the main source of energy over glucose. When we breakdown fat for fuel – the process results in three bi-products that are types of ketones:

B-hydroxybutrates (BHB)
Acetoacetate (ACA)
Acetone

When we eliminate excessive sources of processed carbohydrates and sugar, then we should replace those carbohydrates with healthy sources of fats (see blog on good fats) and clean proteins (grass-fed and free-range). When we restrict carbohydrates to a certain level (varies per person as we are all biochemical individuals) and our glucose levels are more in homeostasis, then our body searches for another fuel source- fats for fuel and energy. When the liver breaks down fat- the byproduct are ketones released into the blood and then used by the brain as well as other organs for energy.

Another reason to have more ketones in your bloodstream are for brain health…

“The interesting thing about ketones is that BHB may be a more efficient source of fuel for the brain than glucose, and because ketones are water-soluble substances, any excesses are eliminated through the urine (BHB and ACA), or the breathe
(acetone).”

Benefits of Ketosis include:

Originally treatment plan for seizures in children for epilepsy
Insulin sensitivity
Balance blood sugar levels
Increase satiety and keep you full for longer (eat less!)
Decreased food cravings (and sugar)
Treating migraine
Neuro-protective benefits; ADHD; Alzheimer ’s disease, memory and cognitive function; Parkinson’s Disease and Multiple Sclerosis
Improved mood

Another resource: Benefits of the Ketogenic Diet

Ketones are sometimes referred to as the “super-fuel”

“Energy levels and athletic performance have also shown significant improvement with higher levels of ketones. Ketones play a role in improved blood flow. They appear to enhance the function of the mitochondria (our energy power house), cause blood vessels to dilate, and lead to improved oxygen capacity, which can enhance athletic performance and improve motor performance. Ketones are also a powerful antioxidant, they have an anti-catabolic effect and help to preserve and promote muscle mass. Ketones have also been associated with an increase in branch chain amino acids (BCAA), which play a role in muscle growth.“

Today we have a new ketone supplement that I have been using- a new exogenous ketone supplement called “KETO//OS” by Pruvit”. I have been using Pruvit (orange cream) supplement each day and love it! The supplement (tastes so good as well as good for my brain health which seems to be foggy!). The BHB in ketones and medium chain fatty acids, provides the benefits of ketosis without having to go so low carbohydrate to get into ketosis. I have interviewed different experts on Ketosis on my www.thewholeathletepodcast.com over the years including Prof. Tim Noakes and Jimmy Moore.

Get ready to Transform the WHOLE you this 2017 with The WHOLESTIC Method and Pruvit…

Stay tuned for Keto Basics podcast