When I worked and lived in China in 2009, I befriended a culture that had a unique relationship with food and a strong understanding of its relationship to their health and longevity. As a “just landed” newbie to the local dishes every dinner my friends would introduce me to the recipes and their ingredients. There was always a casual mention of what health benefits it would have if I chose to eat it. Most Chinese and Vietnamese, learn at an early age what foods benefit the different parts of the human body, this knowledge supported by today’s nutritional food facts. The term hot and cold in China and Vietnam refers to inflammatory and noninflammatory. Their understanding of the medicinal value of food, herbs, and spice goes back hundreds of years. This new perspective of looking at food and its effect on the human body from a medical perspective led me to start researching further to see where it could benefit me and my struggle with managing the joint pain of Osteoarthritis which I had struggled with for years.
Inflammation is natural and allows for defense within the body, it often gets out of control and becomes chronic. Chronic inflammation will affect your health and lead to health problems such as autoimmune disorders and cardiovascular disease. What you eat will cause inflammation! So if you are interested in following the keto diet, it’s important to stay away from foods that will cause inflammation. The inflammatory response is the body boosting the production of immune cells and white blood cells. All of these help us fight infection. Indications of short-term inflammation include swelling and redness. Long-term (chronic) inflammation will lead to diabetes heart disease and more health conditions. Certain factors can significantly increase inflammation such as our diet.
Sugar is the leading culprit of chronic inflammation. The two types of sugar people consume regularly are sucrose (table sugar) and high-fructose corn syrup.
These kinds of added sugars will lead to an increase in inflammation. Sugar can also be damaging due to its high amount of fructose. While there are small amounts of this sugar in fruits and veggies, that’s ok! It’s when you over-consume fructose through added sugars that you’re entering the danger zone. Seventy percent of your daily intake should be oils and fats made up of coconut oil, avocado, virgin olive, walnut and almond oils. Other fatty acids you want to be eating more of are omega-3sin oily fish like salmon and tuna, and also in other nuts and seeds.
Carbs are to be managed in the Keto diet and should never account for more than 10 % of your daily intake. You must avoid refined carbs at all costs! Refined carbs, increase inflammation. Eating foods like white bread, flour, & rice, pasta, sodas, snacks, and sugar is like throwing gas on an open fire. The exception is complex carbs like those found in leafy greens and other low glycemic vegetables, they give you a full feeling and come with other health benefits, like improving your blood sugar level. I highly recommend while ensuring that you get the correct fat ratio on the “Keto Diet” you should try to keep the saturated fats on the low end. Saturated fats are in meat, cheese, and eggs. The best diets for longevity are minimal in saturated fat and high in vegetables that are high in polyphenols. An example of this is the Okinawan Diet of Japan.
Consuming excessive alcohol can be harmful to your body because it leads to inflammation and cancers, so moderation is key. The Keto diet is applied in Vegetarian form as long as the ratio is correct. The ideal Keto ratio is 70 % Fat 20 % Protein and 10 % Carbohydrate. If you are a hardcore carnivore, you should know there is good protein, and there is lousy protein. Avoid consuming processed meat or meats with excessive; its associated with a variety of adverse health conditions like diabetes, stomach cancer, and heart disease. Meat like hot dogs, sausages, canned meats, and ham, are often modified to improve the taste or to increase its shelf life. They possess sugars and chemicals that are difficult to pronounce which is a clear warning sign if you are considering ingesting it.
Added sugars, vegetable oil, refined carbs, alcohol, and processed meats may taste good, but they’re harmful to your body and will increase the inflammation and potential for chronic pain. By being mindful and making a conscious effort to eliminate alcohol and all sugar from your diet, you will see an improvement in significant pain reduction, weight loss and increased quality of life.