The Keto (or Ketogenic) diet has become a wildly popular fad diet recently, and I just can't pretend it's okay any longer. The health repercussions and the potential for liver damage from this diet are serious risks, and I don't want anyone to end up in poor health due to a trendy diet that is taking over the internet. For those who aren't in tune with the keto diet, here is the quick low-down.
What Is The Keto Diet?
The keto diet is a low-carb, high fat diet that touts many health benefits that range from helping diabetes, cancer, epilepsy and even Alzheimer's disease. It involves drastically reducing carbohydrate intake and replacing it with fat. This reduction in carbs puts your body into a metabolic state called ketosis.
When this happens, your body allegedly becomes incredibly efficient at burning fat for energy. It also is said to turn fat into ketones in the liver. Finally, it is even said that Ketogenic diets can cause massive reductions in blood sugar and insulin levels.
Sounds pretty great, right? So why all the hate?
Depsite various studies that show the benefits of keto, I am here to convince you that they are not showing the entire picture. Sure, you may experience health symptom improvements on a high-fat, low-carb diet because you are subtracting gluten, dairy and processed foods that feed pathogens. It's still not the answer to getting 100 percent better.
The Medical Medium
All of the information in this post comes directly from The Medical Medium. A lot of people seem to have an opinion Anthony William because he does not have a medical degree. That seems fair enough, until you actually dig into his information and read his books. If you have a general understanding of the holistic body and how it works, I guarantee you will be absolutely blown away by the answers that The Medical Medium provides.
He is years ahead of science and medical research and has helped heal thousands upon thousands of people suffering from health issues ranging from eczema, psoriasis, diabetes, strep, acne, gout, bloating, gallstones, adrenal stress, fatigue, fatty liver, weight issues, SIBO, auto-immune diseases and much more. I would highly recommend his book that digs deep into this topic called, "Liver Rescue" which you can check out here.
High Fat Levels Damage The Liver
Any diet with a focus on high levels of fat as the main calorie source will burden the liver and could possibly result in pre-fatty or fatty liver conditions ---regardless of whether someone is exercising regularly and maintaining a healthy weight. Exercise and weight do not determine pre-fatty or fatty liver. Rather, it's about what the liver is up against in the river of blood running through it, and how hard your liver must work to protect your pancreas, heart, brain and the rest of your body.
As fats enter the mouth, whether it's through food or drink, the liver gets signaled and spits out bile so your body can break down the fat as quickly as possible. The liver wants to break up and disperse fats to make the passage of our blood easier for our vascular system. Secondly, your body wants to thin out your blood before it gets to the liver, to lessen the burden and impact. In an effort to save you, your liver will do what it has to. When high fat becomes a chronic issue, the liver takes the brunt force and begins to take on those fats to protect your pancreas. This is why the liver is the first part of the body to become heavy or fatty.
When the fat is taking over the liver, the liver cannot do its 2,000 + critical functions for the body effectively. Toxins then can become too hard for the liver to process out and many toxins then get lodged in the fat stored around the liver.
If you think keto or another trendy high-fat diet stops at your liver, that's simply not the case. High fat in your blood can lead to high cholesterol, heart disease, stroke and more. This is why you see very thin people have heart attacks. They may not have excess fat in their bodies, but they have excess fat in their blood and it becomes thick and can cause massive issues within the arteries, blood vessels and the heart.
What About Healthy Fats?
I know what you might be thinking right now. What about healthy fats? They couldn't possibly burden the liver like unhealthy fats, right? The short answer is: they do. But here is what you need to know. Plant based fats vs. animal fats are not recognized differently by the liver. All fats are hard to digest and hard to process, however plant fats are digested and processed significantly quicker than animal fats. Plants are digested in 3-6 hours when animal fats can take up to 12 hours to be digested (source).
There is good news here, believe it or not. You can keep your avocados. They are a unique type of plant fat that your liver actually enjoys. But still, practice moderation. However, the key takeaway here is that your liver would prefer a very low or even NO fat diet, regardless of the source. (If you are thinking you need fat for a healthy brain, that is a myth...sorry). <3
Symptoms of a Burdened Liver From High Fat Consumption
Fatty Liver
Gout
Heart Disease
Heart Attacks
Chronic Inflammation
Pancreas Problems
Nutrition Deficiencies
Kidney Damage
High Blood Pressure
Adrenal Fatigue
High Cholesterol
Stroke
Liver Loving Diet Solutions
Hopefully I have convinced you by now that you need to love and adore your liver, because good health stems from this critical, life-giving organ. Ultimately, our livers do not get enough air time and that needs to change immediately. Almost all health issues can circle back to a sluggish liver. When you begin treating your liver with the love and care it deserves, your health issues may truly begin to improve and YES, you will lose weight as a result!
Avoid High Plant & Animal Fats - I know it's hard to get out of the trendy keto zone, but it's imperative you find new natural sources of nourishment that are not high in fat. Try to limit your fat consumption to one meal a day.
Hydration is KEY - Humans are chronically dehydrated (this goes back centuries) and the best way to thin our blood and properly nourish and hydrate our bodies is absolutely critical to good health. Staying properly hydrated can be the sole factor that takes someone with an auto-immune disease from feeling good to going into a flare. Drink at least half of your body weight in ounces per day. Lemons and limes activate otherwise dead water and allows the water to penetrate deeper into the body and hydrate you more fully. Avoid soda, coffee, booze and caffeinated tea when possible.
Remove Gluten, Dairy & Eggs - These three food groups feed the pathogens present in our bodies. Pathogens like strep and Epstein bar need fuel and they love to feed on these foods to ramp up in our bodies and take over.
Eat Carbs - Yep, I am giving you the official green light on carbs. But let's talk about which carbs fuel your liver and body. The carbohydrates I am talking about contain glucose and fructose which is truly what your body thrives off of. Sweet potatoes, regular potatoes, winter squash, apples, berries, melons, grapes, bananas, peaches, and plums (source). Don't be afraid of the sugar in fruit. These fruits are exactly what your body needs and they have the power to heal.
Drink Celery Juice - Mineral salts are another part of the equation. This means adding more leafy greens, celery, spinach, brussel sprouts, and asparagus into your diet. Of course, and perhaps most importantly, do not forget to drink your celery juice. If you can, try to drink at least 16 ounces of straight celery juice a day. The mineral salts in celery juice will help your liver rid itself of the sludge that is hanging around from unwanted viruses and other toxins.
Detox Heavy Metals - Heavy metals get in the way of true healing and full health. The best way to detox heavy metals from the system is through nature's gifts: fruits and vegetables. The Medical Medium has an amazing Heavy Metal Detox Smoothie that I will post below. This is a great start to your healing.
Medical Medium Heavy Metal Detox Smoothie Recipe
2 bananas.
2 cups wild blueberries.
1 cup cilantro.
1 cup orange juice.
1 tsp barley grass juice powder (grab it here).
1 tsp spirulina (grab it here).
1 small handful of Atlantic dulse.
Optional: water to blend
(Source: Medical Medium)
I know this information may be really surprising to a lot of people, but the truth needs to be revealed and we need to learn the true ways to create a healthy lifestyle without damaging our bodies in the process. I wish you so much love, light and health.
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