Keto Life. Dec 2016 Issue #5. Expanding Choices 6605 Uptown Blvd, Ste 240 Abq, NM EAT FAT, LOSE FAT. Saturated Fatty Acids (SaFAs)

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1 KETO LIFE #5 Issue 5 Keto Life Expanding Choices 6605 Uptown Blvd, Ste 240 Abq, NM Dec 2016 Issue #5 EAT FAT, LOSE FAT KETO IS FOR SMART PEOPLE Saturated Fatty Acids (SaFAs) We ve all heard the mainstream mantra artery-clogging saturated fats. Nothing could be further from the truth, and science sheds light on the facts. SaFAs are found in all food fats and oils, but are especially abundant in hard fats. SaFAs are the simplest fatty acid. They carry the carboxyl (acid) group at one end and the rest of the molecule is fatty material. The fatty material is an arrangement of carbon atoms chained together, and each of the remaining positions on the carbon atom are taken up by hydrogen atoms. Since SaFAs carry as many hydrogen atoms as they possibly can, they are saturated with them. Fig. 1 is an illustration of a saturated fatty acid. SaFA carbon chains can be from 4 to 28 carbon atoms long. They are straight, have no kinks, contain no double bonds, and are slow to react with other chemicals and carry no electric charges. The acid group of SaFAs reacts readily, either with glycerol to produce fats and cell membranes or with strong bases to make soaps. (Glycerol is a trihydroxy sugar alcohol that is an intermediate in carbohydrate and lipid metabolism). SaFAs are sluggish molecules, uninteresting in comparison to unsaturated fatty acids that we will consider at a later time. Short-Chain SaFAs The length of a SaFA carbon chain determines melting point and solidity. Short-chain SaFAs contain carbon chains 4 to 6 carbon atoms long. This is typically written as 4:0 to 6:0. Short-chain SaFAs makeup less than 10% of the total fatty acids found in butter and milk fat. Some short-chain SaFAs are also found in coconut and palm kernel oils. Up to a length of 8 carbons, SaFAs are liquid at room temperature. Up to 10 carbons, they are liquid at body temperature (98.6 F). Above 10 carbons they are solid at body temperature.

2 KETO LIFE Issue 5 2 Our body uses SaFAs up to 12 carbons long mainly to produce energy. They are easy to digest, and people suffering from liver and digestive ailments should include them in their diets. Butyric acid (4:0) helps feed the friendly bacteria that keep our: colon healthy. Medium-chain SaFAs Medium-chain SaFAs contain 6 to 12 carbon atoms, but mainly 8 to 10. Like the short-chain SaFAs, medium-chain SaFAs are metabolized to produce energy. The body does not store them as fat for this reason; they are used as Medium-Chain Triglycerides (MCT) in diets of people with digestive and liver problems. MCTs are also popular with athletes, who use them as a source of energy before workouts. MCTs can produce an unpleasant, scratchy sensation at the back of the throat, so only 1 or 2 tablespoons should be used for this purpose. Caprylic acid (8:0) is used to inhibit growth of yeasts and candida in our intestines. It appears to be incorporated into the membranes of yeast cells and then these membranes rupture, killing the yeast cell. Here at ECI we carry the Bulletproof MCTs which you can purchase for your daily use. These MCTs can be added to your bulletproof coffee, added to various recipes, or just taken as a daily supplement. We stock the Bulletproof XCT Oil which is a mixture of caprylic acid (8:0) and caproic acid (6:0), as well as the Bulletproof Brain Octane Oil which is a pure blend of caprylic acid (8:0). MCTs are a wonderful addition to a LCHF/Ketogenic diet. Not only are they an excellent source of energy for your body but they provide for gastrointestinal health and are an excellent source of ketones which keep your brain functioning at an optimal level. Long-Chain SaFAs Long-chain SaFAs contain 12 or more carbon atoms. Our cells use long-chain SaFAs to build cell membranes. Every one of our trillions of cells needs longchain SaFAs to function properly. Animal products such as beef, pork, and dairy products contain a large amount of long-chain SaFAs. It is true that they can be deposited within cells, organs, and arteries contributing to cardio vascular disease. It is the high blood level of long-chain SaFAs that contribute to cardiovascular disease. Nevertheless, we know from the work of Jeff Volek, Ph.D. that those who eat more of the long-chain SaFAs, while maintaining a low carbohydrate diet have a low level of blood long-chain SaFAs, and consequently a lower risk for cardiovascular disease. Individuals who eat more of a typical American diet with high amounts of carbohydrates and refined sugars will have a higher level of blood long-chain SaFAs. This paradox is explained by the fact that individuals consuming a higher amount of long-chain SaFAs use these fats for energy and cell membrane repair because their bodies are what we call fat-adapted. This means their cells will preferentially utilize fat which will keep their blood level low. Dr. Volek has conducted and published this study because there was no scientific basis to say that eating SaFAs causes cardiovascular disease. I would provide you with one word of caution here and that is if you eat a high-fat diet (which in my opinion is optimal) it is imperative that you limit carbohydrates and refined sugars. The typical American diet utilizes high carbohydrates (up to 300 grams per day) along with high fats, albeit mostly hydrogenated oils and transfats found typically in fast foods. Because of the high amount of carbohydrates, the body will not preferentially utilize the fat but rather will store the fat and increase the blood level of long-chain SaFAs. Hopefully this is not too confusing for you as I have tried to bring this complex material to you in a more simplified manner. You may have to read this over more than once to fully grasp this, as I have done. You can be assured that a LCHF/Ketogenic diet is not artery-clogging. Enjoy the healthy fat!!

3 KETO LIFE Issue 5 3 Banish the Saturated Fat Demons!! Excerpt from The Art & Science of Low Carbohydrate Living by S. Phinney, M.D., Ph.D. & J. Volek, Ph.D. Issue: Maybe an appropriate fat diet isn t necessarily bad, but I still have to avoid all those dangerous saturated fats. Response: IF you are what you eat, and IF saturated fats from the diet had been proven to cause death and destruction, then this might be a valid concern. Let us take a quick look at each one in turn. We have done both human and animal studies examining the amounts of saturated fats and blood and tissue samples after a low fat, high carbohydrate diet versus a low carbohydrate diet containing appropriate fat. In both cases, the fat-containing diet provided about 3 times as much saturated fat. And yet, we saw no increase in saturated fat levels in either blood or tissue samples. In fact, in people with metabolic syndrome, the appropriate fat, low carbohydrate diet actually decreased the blood levels of saturated fat, whereas the lowfat diet subjects saw no decrease in blood saturates. This paradox - eating a saturate rich diet makes your blood levels of saturates go down - occurs because keto-adapted people dramatically increase the rate that their bodies burn saturated fat. When you cut back on carbohydrates to the point that fats get burned first, the saturated fats go to the front of the line, and if you burn them up for energy before they can accumulate, how are they going to harm you? In response to the second IF, scientists have begun to take a second look at the 50-year old idea that dietary saturated fats are harmful. Yes, it has been shown that saturated fats in animal or human diets can raise blood cholesterol under some circumstances. However, we now know that some forms of blood cholesterol are either not harmful or even protective (like HDL Cholesterol), and a wellformulated low carbohydrate diet containing a fair amount of saturated fat has been shown repeatedly to raise blood levels of this good cholesterol. Moreover, three studies published in the last year have examined carefully collected dietary records of huge populations who were followed for decades. In all three of these recent studies, there was no connection between saturated fat intake and either the frequency of heart attack or death. If it doesn t accumulate, and eating it hasn t been shown to actually harm you, where s the demon in saturated fat? Nutritional Ketosis??? Excerpt from Ketoclarity by J. Moore A good starting point is to define exactly what ketosis is. Ketosis is a metabolic state that happens when you consume a very low carbohydrate, moderate protein, high-fat diet that causes your body to switch from using glucose as its primary source of fuel to running on ketones. Ketones themselves are produced when the body burns fat, and they re primarily used as an alternative fuel source when glucose isn t available. In other words, your body changes from a sugar burner to a fat burner. Depending on your current diet and lifestyle choices, becoming ketoadapted can take as little as a few days and or as much as several weeks or even months. So being in ketosis just means that you are burning fat. Patience and persistence are an absolute must as you pursue ketosis. Let me be very clear about something I know you re probably already thinking about: is this a completely normal metabolic state? In fact, according to pediatric physician Dr. Mary Newport, newborn babies who are exclusively breast-fed will go into a state of ketosis within 12 hours of birth, and ketones provide about 25% of their energy needs. Actually, 10% of the fats in full-term human breast milk is composed of medium chain triglycerides (MCT), which the liver converts to ketones. This is one reason why virtually every infant formula sold on the market today contains MCT oil and coconut oil, which mimics the fats in breast milk. Dr. Newport

4 KETO LIFE Issue 5 4 says this is a clear indication that from birth, and possibly before that, ketones play an important role. If you have ever fasted by skipping breakfast after a good night sleep than you likely have begun producing trace amounts of ketones in your blood. If you consume a diet with very few carbohydrates, moderate levels of protein, and plenty of healthy saturated and mono unsaturated fats, then these ketones begin to increase until they dominate the way your body is fueled, to the point that very little glucose is needed to function. This book will clearly explain why this is a very good and even preferable state for your body to be in. And it makes sense that we were designed to eat this way, just as our hunter-gatherer ancestors once did. Testing If it ain t tested, it ain t fixed!! Please do the necessary testing as described in the first edition of Keto Life. You want to KNOW if you are in nutritional ketosis. Ultimately our goal is not simply to lose weight or to lower our blood sugar but rather to shift our body into being primarily a fat burner. This will take some time, discipline, and testing. Fat is a clean fuel that burns more efficiently. A Ketonian s Rant When I think of a low carbohydrate diet I do not believe it simply relates to the food we eat but rather to our lifestyle. We all have an obligation to ourselves and our family as well as to our fellow man to take as best care of ourselves that we can. The healthcare system has been and continues to be in a state of financial crisis. By the year 2035 The United States of America will be spending as much money on diabetes and obesity as we currently spend on the entire healthcare system. That is not sustainable. Each of us should feel a responsibility to take care of our health so that we don t have to rely on the finances of our neighbors to take care of us. We may often think that we have insurance that will cover our needs. Nevertheless, for many of the disease processes that can be prevented, the cost for treating these same diseases far exceeds whatever we may have paid in insurance premiums throughout our life. The cost becomes the burden of our fellow taxpayers. We may do everything to the best of our ability and bad things may still happen. That is the reason we have a healthcare system, so that we do not fall through the cracks. Nevertheless if we do not do the simple things that will keep us healthy then we should not expect others to foot the bill for our lack of discipline. Eating a diet that can prevent Type II diabetes, lower inflammation and help to prevent most heart attacks, and contribute to the prevention of Alzheimer s disease is a great start for all of us. Sometimes it requires discipline, restraint, education, and perseverance. But this is the work each of us is responsible for. When you maintain a low carbohydrate lifestyle long enough it will become a part of you. I will often ask patients that should they have crushing chest pain would they go to the emergency room, consent to have a stent placed, possibly have open heart surgery, spend many days in the cardiac ICU, and weeks to months in rehabilitation. The answer is always yes (and that is what our healthcare system is for). Then I ask if they would do something that may prevent them from ever having to do these things. This something would be to maintain a cardio-protective diet and lifestyle and obtain appropriate, noninvasive testing that can alert them long before there is a problem. Most people have to think about that and I m not sure why. Do the right thing! Get tested. Eat a LCHF diet. Well, I don t mean to go on a rant here but that s the view from ECI.

5 KETO LIFE Issue 5 5 CRP-hs Chronic inflammation is at the foundation of almost all chronic disease processes. On the other hand, acute inflammation is protective. The classical signs of inflammation are calor, dolor, rubor, tumor (heat, pain, redness and swelling) and loss of function. Keeping our body s inflammation at a low level will enable us to live disease-free for a longer period of time. There are many blood measurements which can tell us how much inflammation is in our body. An excellent test which we have utilized for many years at ECI is the C-reactive protein, high sensitivity test (CRP-hs). The CRP-hs level is a stronger predictor of cardiovascular events than the low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol level. CRP-hs levels are elevated when there is tissue damage. The optimal level, which is what I challenge everyone to achieve, is a CRP-hs of 0.5 or less. A LCHF/Ketogenic diet has been shown to be the most anti-inflammatory diet and will lower your level of CRPhs. I recommend that this level be checked at least 1 time every year. If levels are high it may need to be checked more frequently. If you have not had this level checked within the past 12 months please call our clinic and we will be happy to get this done for you. Did You Know Grass-fed beef has 4 times the amount of conjugated linolenic acid (CLA) than does grain-fed beef. The benefits of CLA include: *Anti-carcinogenic *Increased lean body mass *Prevention of arteri0sclerosis *Slows or halts diabetes In addition grass-fed beef contains 2-4 times more Vitamin A & E then does grain-fed beef. These fat-soluble vitamins are crucial in reducing one s risk of cancer and heart disease. Grass-fed beef also is high in branch chain amino acids (BCAA), and contains one third fewer calories then does grainfed beef. The nutritional profile of grass-fed beef far exceeds that of grain-fed beef. The grains are utilized to fatten up the cattle so they can obtain a greater value on the market. (Grains will do the same to us!!) We all have a choice, so choose grass-fed when you are enjoying beef. Wallace Farms (Nick s Sticks) Wallace Farms was co-founded by several members of the Wallace family, because we believe in the dramatic health benefits provided by grass-fed beef and other nutrient-dense foods.