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Keto Diet Effects On Mood

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EveHarrington

MyPTSD Pro
I posted about Keto a few years ago….and never followed through. Two weeks ago I just decided I wanted to do keto, and that was that. It was a mind shift from I want to do this to I AM going to do this.

So anyway, this discussion is about mood effects in particular. It is INSANE just how much better my mood has been and how much less reactive I have been.

The weight loss is nice, but to be honest it’s the mood effects that keep me on track. I guess I should note that I’m off my mood stabilizer (due to side effects), so the calming effect that keto has on my system is quite notable.

I’m just wondering if others have experienced this? I hope this keeps up in the long run, but we shall see!
 
Yes! I have been doing Keto for just on a year now. The positive effects on my mood and ptsd management are very, very noticeable. I felt much better, more energetic, more motivated and slept better too.

I started Keto mainly for it's anti-inflammatory possibilities but once fully established and in Ketosis, could not help but notice how much better I was psychologically. The weight loss also is a extra bonus. In addition the ease with making meals etc also sold me on the idea. I've heard around the web people saying it's expensive blah... it is not expensive because cutting out processed food certainly helps with the costs.

I also do intermittent fasting on a 16 to 18/24 hr basis.

I'm currently taking a short break from Keto but not because of any medical reasons. I noticed within days that I definitely started to struggle with regulating my mood and I know that once I get through this break I will happily return to it.

ETA: Just had my doctor (who endorses Keto/low carb btw) do a whole batch of blood work. My cholesterol is down, particularly my bad cholesterol, liver function is great, fasting blood sugars great and the rest completely within normal range. So it seems it is good for my body too.
 
I appreciate you opening this thread @EveHarrington! I need to fine-tune some aspects of diet for my Ménière’s.
I previously had ruled out Keto because of the cheese component as well as some other items due to my cholesterol being high as well. However, I am amazed to hear @blackemerald1 ’s testimony or share, offering a drop in blood levels with her pursuit. So now my interest is peaked again.

I have bookmarked a site to further explore and look forward to hearing more. Thanks.
 
I didn't enjoy the first couple of weeks on Keto. I reached an energy crisis and had to go back to the drawing board and completely embrace the targets I should have been aiming for. (Called macros) I hadn't quite shaken the decades of brain washing that fats should be avoided . Instead fats in my diet must be reached to make the switch from burning carbs to burning fats. I had been doing low carb and low fat. I literally had an energy crash which is a little hard to imagine but it is what it sounds like. I added some good fats and plenty of them into my diet and felt way, way better. Fats are no longer banned in my diet. Btw the studies that linked fat and high cholesterol have been mostly bedbunked now. Not sure if there is still any peer reviewed studies that make that theory still have legs but I got my bloods back and they were good so personal experience speaks louder.

I did experience very severe leg cramping whilst on Keto. It was hard to pinpoint why. It is a known issue. I was taking supplements to help ease them. I am not 100% it was the Keto at the time, it may have been the amount of swimming I was doing every day too. It did ease off after a while and I'm not sure why.

My experience on Keto underlines the biggest principal about carbs on Keto. If you eat carbs you will crave carbs. Our brains are lazy and really don't care where they get their energy from so long as they do and the easiest form of energy is carby food. So it's a bit like asking a drug addict to dump the addiction whilst still taking drugs. However after a while and once established in Keto the carb cravings go away - they really do. Sugar tastes... ugh... and carby foods makes the intestine rumble and cough.

Calories still do mean energy even on Keto though most Keto purists will say they do not. Again, too many calories will not reduce weight if that's why one is doing Keto for. But even on Keto once fat adapted the amount of energy I had was ridiculous and I felt alert and happy.
 
I know there is a lot of research on gut bacteria now. I'm diabetic and more and more docs and nutritionists are recommending keto. I have done keto before, and wasn't able to keep it up after a few months because I cooked for others. My mom, who's diabetes is in remission, took a class on diabetes 20 years ago and hasn't kept up with the research. "You need carbs!" No, not so much. My diabetes goal for carbs is 155 a day. I never stick to it because I haven't cared. Now I'm in therapy again and feeling better about myself I want to get the diabetes under control again.
 
@DharmaGirl I'm so glad you are wanting to do something about your diet again. I know there is mounting evidence that the diabetic food model is outdated and may be detrimental to those trying to stabilise their insulin levels. Certainly Keto is known to reduce the amount of insulin needed and that has many benefits for reducing complications related to diabetes disease.
 
Dr Olivia Rimmington

^ I thought you might find this interesting.

Dr Rimmington became a diabetic when she was in her teens. She found whilst following the recommended and established guidelines her disease was difficult to stabilise.

She went to a low carb because her husband wanted to do it so he could lose some weight. Being a doctor she recorded all of her health markers and the results are very encouraging. Even some retinal eye damage she was suffering as a result of the disease reversed.

She talks about the differences between Ketosis and ketoacidosis and why the latter will not happen on a Keto/low carb diet.

Low carb and Keto

This also helps clear the differences between Ketosis and ketoacidosis.
 
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