5 Tweaks To Make The Ketogenic Diet Even More Effective: A Doctor Explains

Yet on that fourth visit—after following a ketogenic diet—Michelle glowed with newfound energy and vigor. Her blood work confirmed glowing health: dramatically improved blood pressure, lipids, insulin sensitivity, and inflammatory markers. Studies confirm a ketogenic diet can create1 those benefits and more. Though the diet was originally designed to help control epilepsy, studies today show ketogenic diets benefit numerous conditions including weight gain2, cancer3, type 2 diabetes4, low energy levels5, and aging2.

Please don't confuse nutritional ketosis with diabetic ketoacidosis, a life-threatening complication of type 1 diabetes. Nutritional ketosis involves6 the regulated, controlled production where blood pH remains buffered within normal limits. Like many patients, Michelle initially seemed skeptical about this high-fat, moderate-protein, low-carbohydrate diet. But by her second visit (12 pounds lighter and on her way to better health) she had become a believer.

That's why I created an adjusted version (Keto-Alkaline™) of the ketogenic diet, which juxtaposes a ketogenic diet's many benefits with a focus on alkaline foods. I emphasize testing, not guessing with urine keto pH strips because what we eat is only a part of what gets us keto-alkaline. It's a lifestyle. Before shifting dietary focus into ketosis, my patients focus on alkaline-rich foods, eliminating many problems ketogenic diets potentially create like bad breath and constipation, helping them easily stay in ketosis. I also have them focus on alkalinizing lifestyle practices like meditation, gratitude journaling and long walks in nature, which all lower the stress hormone cortisol's effects on the body.

Once you're alkaline, you'll shift into ketosis by eating about 56 to 70 percent healthy fats, 20 to 25 percent protein, and about 5 to 10 percent healthy carbohydrates (mostly vegetables). Women tend to need the higher end to really stay alkaline while in ketosis. Michelle loved this way of eating, which included wild-caught fish, coconut, nuts and seeds, and loads of leafy and cruciferous vegetables. "I can't believe I'm losing weight so quickly on these delicious foods!" she told me her second visit. Whether you want to reverse or prevent disease, lose weight, or break a weight-loss plateau, a ketogenic diet can help, and these five hacks will get you started or upgrade your current ketogenic diet.

Along with plenty of filtered water, foods like green leafy veggies including kale, beet greens, spinach, chard, and a veggie-blend powder can help you become and stay alkaline.

That means alcohol (sorry!), coffee, and most dairy. And this doesn't mean you'll never eat them again (I love my dark chocolate and pinot noir), but you'll need to ditch them temporarily as you shift into alkaline territory. And if you're checking with your pH urine test strips, you'll know if they negatively affect you or not.

I give patients a week to become alkaline (don't worry: Like Michelle, you'll lose weight while you're shifting); then we focus on ketosis. Most patients see results almost immediately, but any lifestyle transformation can require a few days to adjust.

You can also up your benefits with modified intermittent fasting (IF). My patients fast 13.5 to 15 hours between dinner and breakfast. It isn't as hard as you might think: You'll be sleeping about eight of those hours, so this modified IF version is (figuratively) a piece of cake!

So whether you're a keto newbie or want to give your existing diet an upgrade, I'd love to share more about my ketogenic diet that can transform your weight and your health.