Ketogenic diet? I am so confused

Thanks, Joelle! I've been looking for a good summary of Seyfried's work. They've been working on this keto research for years. Are you going to buy the Seyfried book? It's mainly for scientists, isn't it?

His talk on youtube is good from the Ancestral Food scholars or something like that.

The vegetarian diet isn't anti-cancer--that's an old myth people are totally committed to so I don't get into it with anybody.

I did keto years ago but they've learned a lot since then. I didn't take enough fat. There seems to be several versions of the ketogenic diet that the scientists have used in the studies but they all work on the "program" of the cancer cell. 

Some people love Gerson. But his program works for some and not for others. I've known people who have gotten dramatically better and one woman who went there and got worse. I see the dilemma. How do you know which works for your metabolism????? I'm more inclined to go paleo. I never felt well on the veggie diet--tho it sure was more convenient than paleo.

http://www.economist.com/blogs/babbage/2012/02/fasting-and-cancer

I'm watching a PBS special on fasting and health.  It's fascinating....here's the link

http://video.pbs.org/video/2363162206

Joelle, thanks for posting the PBS piece, nice overview of the various aproaches out there.

i understand the logic behind keto diet, but its not easy as it sounds. i know a guy who has stage 4 colon cancer. he is on a strict keto diet. he has been on it for months. his last blood glucose level read 6.3. thats pre diabetic. so just because u r on a keto diet doesnt mean u gonna achieve low glucose levels or maintain them. having said that some of his previous readings have been brilliant. good luck.

I'm getting ready to start a ketogenic diet tomorrow.. little nervous, but also excited. I already do water fasts before chemo and have had a lot of success with that, so this diet seems promising. It does a lot of what the fasting already does, but instead of getting a few days it would be an every day thing. Good luck with it! Maybe we can keep each other informed.

I thought I would share my experience with the ketogenic diet.  I did it for a little over a month between the time of my initial diagnosis and my first neoadjuvant chemo.  I used urine strips to make sure I was in ketosis.  During that time, my tumor didn't shrink, but it didn't grow either.  I know this because I happened to have ultrasounds that measured it both at the beginning and at the end of the time I was doing the diet.  I did lose weight unintentionally.  I probably needed more fat in my diet.  

I think that it probably depends on the TYPE  of cancer whether a ketogenic diet would work.  After I get done with all my conventional treatments, I may try doing a ketogenic diet  for three or four days in a row each month to try to kill off any remaining cancer cells.  I don't know.

I have found vegetable juicing really helps with my energy levels.  Juicing is really not compatible with the low carbs necessary to maintain ketosis, so when I'm juicing, I'm not trying to be in a ketotic state.  No matter what, I try to avoid giving my body a surge of carbs and I avoid simple carbs like the plague.

Glad you made it past the first week, pipers dream! (my daughter is named Piper). That first week can be killer. I find myself so crabby and tired and starving, and craving sugar. Then that surge of energy and lack of hunger once you reach ketosis...it's great that you made it past that hump. I've been eating this way for 2.5 years and won't ever go back. I, too, have numbers that are pre-D and never did until my Diep surgery. I have lost around 40 lbs and want to lose 10-15 more before my final reconstruction. But, I'm not in a hurry as I want it to stay off.

I've been doing a modified Paleo diet, modified in that I am not eating most fruits and there are even a couple of vegetables I am not eating, like carrots or beets, at least for now.  I was at pre-diabetes levels too, and now I believe my levels are out of the danger zone! 

However, for weight loss, it's not working that well.  My first diet plan after my diagnosis was mostly juicing and raw foods, and I lost about 30 pounds in 6 weeks.  Then I've been doing the Paleo diet for a 2 - 3 months and I have only lost about 10 more pounds (which might sound good but I am not eating very much so it feels like I should still be losing, plus I've been stuck at the same weight for maybe a month).

Is anyone else finding the don't lose much weight on Paleo (similar to Ketogenic, yes)?  I do the cottage cheese and flax for breakfast (not Paleo, Budwig!), so I was thinking possibly the cottage cheese could be the reason.

Oh, and for going to the supermarket, I find having a few walnuts with me in case I get hungry is a big help (and I don't eat many or that often so I don't think walnuts are the reason I am not losing much weight).

Piper, try the "My Fitness Pal" app. When I think I am closely following my diet without any monitoring I tend to think I am doing better on it than I am in reality..

On low carb I thought I was doing reslly well, but the amount of almond butter I was eating on one low- carb tortilla was blowing my day off the charts.

When I fist start low carb, I like to use ketostix to make sure I'm doing it right and getting into ketosis.  I'm not in ketosis now and it probably explains why I've gained a few pounds through the holidays and after, even though I've eaten pretty clean.  Menopause is messing with my progress, too, I'm sure. 

I found this article and thought it would be great for you ladies that are interested in this. I read it and then realized there is an audio track to listen to, as well. Research regarding cancer and keto. Just more reinforcement for this WOE.

http://meetinnovators.com/2013/12/24/professor-tho...

Piper, perimenopause wreaks havoc on your periods. I never even believed in PMS and had always had short light periods. Then I started having mine get closer together, sometimes less than three weeks, and really heavy bleeding and clotting. I finally went to the gyn when I started and it didn't stop for 2 1/2 weeks. I thought I was going to bleed to death.

Lightandwind, what is lugols?