LCHF Week Five – Health Observations (Sept. 24 – 30, 2015)

Strange things have been happening this week, so I will dive straight in

1. My fasting BGLs have been between 145-165 almost every morning. I have no idea what is causing this. I have been doing IF (Intermittent Fasting) from 12-16 hrs each day and I wonder if my body is just so insulin resistant that it has gone haywire trying to find something to burn for fuel since I am keeping my carbs below 20 grams each day. It is supposed to be going to the next best thing for fuel, fat, but is it actually burning proteins instead? I hope not. I need that for muscles.
2. The good news is that after I eat, up to 2 hrs later, my BGLs have been coming down to 99-117. That is a good sign that my body is actually processing glucose correctly.
3. The neuropathy in my feet has been insane this past week. I’ve been experiencing a lot of burning. Soaking in cool water and then applying some Aloe Burn relief gel has been helping some.
4. No aches and pains this week. Which is a godsend.
5. I don’t know what my weight is yet. I have lost 5 lbs on my last weigh-in which was 8 days ago. I go to see my GP tomorrow, so will have my numbers to report in then.
6. I’ve been experiencing an overall heating sensation with my body. It doesn’t begin until I have that BPC in the morning with the coconut oil in it. I am wondering if it has anything to do with the coconut oil, or if I am experiencing hot flashes due to menopause. Either way, it is not really bothering me and I am not sweating a lot, just fell overly warm.
7. I still cannot get over how soft my skin has gotten. I still have some dry spots, like on my legs, but my face, hands and arms are super soft and look so much younger than my 49 years.
8. I’ve slept more this past week, averaging about 10 hrs of sleep per night. This has kept me from taking naps during the day. I don’t really miss the napping as my overall energy levels are still pretty high.
9. I’ve cut back to just having BPC in the morning and then eating around 2-3 in the evening. I am staying full all day and haven’t felt the need to snack or even eat more than the 2 meals.
10. I began taking some sea salt in the morning to help the dizziness and taking ACV (Apple Cider Vinegar) at night. Both of these seem to be helping me keep my body hydrated and blood sugar under control a bit.
11. Overall, my mood has stayed high, I have more energy, my eye sight continues to do better especially at night, and I just feel better.

Some tools that I have been using along with this WOE are dietdoctor.com, watching videos by Dr. Jason Fung and Gary Taubes on Youtube, and sticking with my macros and caloric intake on FatSecret. So far, so good! I will post my test results tomorrow when I return from the doc.

The Wonders (or not?) of Bullet-Proof Coffee

There is a sensation sweeping the LCHF world. It is called Bullet-Proof Coffee (BPC). Many sing its praises as a quick alternative to a full breakfast of eggs and meat, giving them energy, fullness for hours, aids in weight loss, and mental clarity. Some (like this ONE) discount it because it has little to no nutritional value and they don’t believe that consuming that much saturated fat is good for you.

Here is the premise of the coffee drink: 1 Tbsp of butter, 1 Tbsp of coconut oil, 2 cups of coffee, and LC sweetener of choice. Some even add HWC (I do).

Personally, I don’t see the problem. I AM on a high fat diet. I try to consume about 80-100 grams of fat per day. I KNOW I am not getting that much in the foods that I eat because my appetite has diminished and I only eat 2 meals per day with maybe a snack at night. So adding that extra oomph in a cup of coffee is a great way for me to get those added fat grams. I am also NOT worried about saturated fats because I have already seen what adding fat to my diet has done for my body in just the two weeks I’ve been on this WOE.

I do not use it as a substitute for a meal though. I consume one cup of this coffee in the morning with 3 eggs and a meat. Then I just use the HWC and stevia in cups of coffee that I drink the rest of the day.

I plan to continue doing this until I see the lab results for my cholesterol in October. If my numbers haven’t improved, then and only then, will I make changes.