The ketogenic diet has gained immense popularity for its potential health benefits, including weight loss, improved heart health, reduced risk of certain cancers, and enhanced brain function. However, many people find the traditional keto diet challenging due to its strict carbohydrate restrictions. In "Unlocking the Keto Code," Dr. Steven R. Gundry challenges conventional keto practices, offering a fresh, more flexible approach to achieving the benefits of ketosis.
The Problem with Traditional Keto
Proponents of the ketogenic diet claim that drastically cutting carbs and consuming 80% of daily calories from fat triggers the liver to produce ketones, a "super fuel" for the body. While ketones were first discovered in the 1880s and later found to reduce seizures in children with epilepsy, Gundry argues that they are not the primary driver of keto's benefits. He contends that very low-carb diets can lead to muscle wasting and poor cognitive health in the long term.
The Keto Code: A New Perspective
Instead of focusing solely on ketones as a fuel source, Gundry emphasizes their role in regulating metabolism within cells. He introduces the concept of "mitochondrial uncoupling," a cellular process that he believes is the key to keto's success. This process is facilitated through the gut when our bacteria manufacture post-biotics. This whole process builds more mitochondria which burn more energy and forces fat cells to release their calories.
The Keto Code program aims to alter mitochondrial function, promoting weight loss, improved health, and longevity without extreme restrictions. According to Gundry, it offers all the benefits of a traditional ketogenic diet with far more flexibility.
Understanding Mitochondrial Uncoupling
Dr. Gundry reveals the biological mechanism that makes keto diets so successful: a cellular process known as "mitochondrial uncoupling." As it turns out, ketones are not the magical fuel source they've been made out to be; in fact, the body cannot run on ketones and fats alone. Over the long term, a very low carb-diet can lead to muscle wasting and poor cognitive health. Luckily, you don't have to restrict all carbs to reap the benefits of ketosis; you simply have to have enough ketones and other plant compounds called polyphenols present in your body to "unlock" the process of mitochondrial uncoupling.
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Key Principles of the Keto Code
Gundry's approach involves several key principles:
- Cellular Health and Metabolic Flexibility: Focus on promoting cellular health and metabolic flexibility rather than solely restricting carbohydrates.
- Sustainable Eating: Adopt a sustainable eating pattern that optimizes mitochondrial function and reduces inflammation.
- Mitochondrial Uncoupling: Ignite mitochondrial uncoupling through various methods, including consuming specific foods and following a timed eating schedule.
Implementing the Keto Code
The Keto Code program incorporates several strategies:
1) Consume Medium Chain Triglycerides (MCT)
Consume some of your calories as medium chain triglycerides, MCT oil for example. Start with a tablespoon per day and try to increase it to three times a day gradually. MCT oil can be added to beverages or consumed directly. They should ideally be non-GMO and organic. Start with a tablespoon a day in the morning and this will not break your fast.
2) Time-Restricted Eating
Utilize time restricted eating ideally would be one meal a day (OMAD). People who are originally on a higher carbohydrate diet will have a hard time with time restricted eating initially. If this is the case, delay your first meal of the day as long as possible. Each week try to delay it a little longer until you get to about a six hour eating window, say 2 to 8. Do this Monday through Friday and be more lenient on weekends. Try to avoid grazing, and stay hydrated. Use the MCT oil and the psyllium in the morning and MCT oil in the afternoon. Drink black coffee or coffee with MCT oil powder. Drink black or green tea.
3) Feast on Fermented Foods and Fiber
Feed on fermented foods and fiber including cruciferous vegetables. Cruciferous vegetables should be chopped before steaming and these include broccoli, cauliflower as well as other sulfur containing vegetables like onions, garlic, leeks, shallots, etc. Feast on fermented foods and resistant starches. Sauerkraut, kombucha, miso paste, kimchi. Sweet potatoes, yams, plantains. Yogurt and cheeses from France, Italy and Switzerland. Goat and sheep dairy. Up to 6 ounces of red wine per day. Try to buy organic. Try a good quality vinegar such as Braggs in warm water as a beverage snack. Other high-fiber foods include artichokes, asparagus, leeks and chicory. Avoid sweets including fruit juices which are high in fructose. If you need to sweeten a dish, try swerve or Monk fruit sweeteners. Try and macadamia nut creamer.
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Keto Yes & No Foods
Here's a general guideline of foods to include and avoid on the Keto Code, based on Dr. Gundry's recommendations:
Vegetables & Greens
- ✅ Yes Foods (Approved): Arugula, bok choy, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, kale, collards, Swiss chard, watercress, spinach, romaine lettuce, endive, fennel, seaweed, artichokes, asparagus, celery, garlic, onions, leeks, mushrooms, radishes, okra, hearts of palm
- ❌ No Foods (Avoid / Limit): Tomatoes, bell peppers, eggplant, cucumbers, zucchini, squash, pumpkin, goji berries (unless peeled/deseeded or pressure-cooked)
Fruits, Nuts & Oils
- ✅ Yes Foods (Approved): Avocado, olives, macadamia nuts, walnuts, pili nuts, coconut, flaxseed, hemp seed, extra-virgin olive oil, avocado oil, MCT oil, coconut oil, sesame oil, walnut oil
- ❌ No Foods (Avoid / Limit): Peanuts, cashews, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, processed nut butters, refined vegetable oils (canola, corn, soy, safflower, sunflower, peanut)
Animal Proteins
- ✅ Yes Foods (Approved): Wild-caught salmon, sardines, anchovies, cod, mahi-mahi, lobster, scallops, grass-fed beef, bison, lamb, venison, pasture-raised chicken, duck, turkey, omega-3 eggs
- ❌ No Foods (Avoid / Limit): Conventional grain-fed meats, farmed fish, processed deli meats, bacon with added sugar, cured meats with nitrates
Dairy & Alternatives
- ✅ Yes Foods (Approved): Goat cheese, sheep cheese, buffalo mozzarella, grass-fed butter, ghee, coconut yogurt, almond yogurt (unsweetened), plant-based yogurts
- ❌ No Foods (Avoid / Limit): Cow’s milk, cream cheese, cottage cheese, Greek yogurt (A1 casein), American cheese, ice cream, frozen yogurt
Grains & Starches
- ❌ No Foods (Avoid / Limit): Wheat, barley, oats, rye, corn, rice, spelt, millet, buckwheat, quinoa, pasta, bread, cereals, potatoes, chips, tortillas
Legumes
- ❌ No Foods (Avoid / Limit): Beans, lentils, chickpeas, soybeans, tofu, edamame, peas, peanuts (unless pressure-cooked & lectins neutralized)
Sweeteners & Treats
- ✅ Yes Foods (Approved): Allulose, erythritol, monk fruit, stevia, xylitol, yacon syrup, dark chocolate (≥72% cacao, unsweetened)
- ❌ No Foods (Avoid / Limit): Sugar, agave syrup, coconut sugar, maltodextrin, aspartame, sucralose, HFCS (high-fructose corn syrup)
Condiments & Sauces
- ✅ Yes Foods (Approved): Avocado-based mayonnaise, MCT-based dressings, olive oil vinaigrettes, fermented sauces (miso, coconut aminos)
- ❌ No Foods (Avoid / Limit): Ketchup, soy sauce, steak sauce, Worcestershire sauce, sugary dressings, barbecue sauce
Oils & Fats
- ✅ Yes Foods (Approved): Olive oil, avocado oil, coconut oil, macadamia oil, perilla oil, MCT oil, walnut oil, sesame oil
- ❌ No Foods (Avoid / Limit): Canola oil, corn oil, cottonseed oil, peanut oil, soybean oil, sunflower oil, vegetable oil blends
Benefits of the Keto Code
The Keto Code offers several potential benefits:
- Weight Loss: By promoting mitochondrial uncoupling and fat burning, the Keto Code can aid in weight loss.
- Improved Health: The focus on cellular health and reducing inflammation may lead to improved overall health.
- Increased Longevity: By optimizing mitochondrial function, the Keto Code may contribute to increased longevity.
- Flexibility: The program's flexible approach to carbohydrate intake makes it easier to adhere to than traditional keto diets.
- Better Cognitive Function: By including the right food, the Keto code helps deliver better cognitive function.
- Better Heart Health: Keto diet can also improve your heart health
Who Should Consider the Keto Code?
The Keto Code may be suitable for:
- Individuals who have tried and failed on traditional keto diets.
- Vegetarians and vegans who want to explore keto.
- Anyone seeking a more sustainable and flexible approach to ketogenic living.
- People with heart disease, cancer, epilepsy, Alzheimer's Disease, Parkinson's disease, PCOS, and other brain disorders.
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