Have you tried the keto diet?

Or cutting out carbs?

You probably know about the possible benefits of the ketogenic diet:

[+] Lose weight / burn fat

[+] Improve brain function

[+] Better gut health / function

You may also already be familiar with some of the challenges of keto. You’ll learn more later but first…

Jason Ryer / Zen Strength Update

In this update I’ll share my recent journey with keto, a story about Bulletproof Coffee, Pterostilbene, and the Carnivore Diet.

First, you’ll learn more about my experience with keto…

Keto Challenges in Thailand

Here in Thailand I have a few main challenges to going keto:

[+] Rice comes with almost everything.

[+] They add sugar to almost everything.

[+] Carbs are still relatively high in a lot of foods.

Solutions to Keto Challenges

Some solutions are fairly simple:

[+] Don’t order rice or ask for no rice.

[+] Ask for no sugar.

[+] Prepare my own food.

The first one is pretty straight-forward. However, asking for no sugar is interpreted in different ways.

Where most people go wrong is assuming you don’t want to add sugar. If you’re keto or low-carb, this is a problem with foods and mixes that already contain sugar.

Perhaps the most obvious example is with fruits. They are mostly loaded with sugar and absolutely not low-carb.

Where it gets tricky for many is with things like vegetables. For example, starchy vegetables like potatoes are a no-go.

Simplify Your Food Choices

Where does that leave me?

The upside is that my food list gets much simpler:

[+] Plants: Limes, Avocados, Olives, Asparagus, Leeks, Chili peppers, mature Coconuts and Carrots / Pumpkins (in moderation)

[+] Meats: Eggs, Grass-fed Beef and Lamb, and Fish.

[+] Fats: Grass-fed Butter and Ghee, Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Why am I doing keto?

I’ve tried keto a little bit before but not consistently so this is a new thing for me.

I officially started a keto diet almost a week ago on Monday. So far, I’m feeling a little low on energy but I’m not sure how much that has to do with the diet because I was already feeling tired the day before I started after getting back from Japan.

Anyway, my goal is to try it for 3 months and see what happens. I’m hoping it will help solve some GI issues, as well as what seems to be a fungus on my toe. Yes, fun stuff! 😉

What are your thoughts and experiences with keto?

In the News

Here are some interesting articles I’ve read recently that may interest you too…

WHAT IT’S LIKE TO DRINK BULLETPROOF COFFEE EVERY MORNING FOR A MONTH

This is just one person’s story about trying out Bulletproof coffee. It seemed to work well for him and seems to work for many people. What about you? Have you tried blending butter and MCT oil in your coffee?

The Carnivore Diet: Is It Really Healthy?

I think this is a great in-depth look at the Carnivore Diet. I agree with Chris that it probably works really well for people not so much because of what they are eating (purely meat), but instead what they are NOT eating. That is, if you stop eating everything but meat, you are probably cutting out foods that are doing damage to your body.

Pterostilbene. Is it the best polyphenol for “health”?

Whoa, I had never heard of Pterostilbene before! It sounds like it has superpowers to improve health. My question is: What foods have it? And a quick Google search gives me the answer: Pterostilbene Food Sources.

What else I’m doing

I’m researching water in Thailand. I’m wondering how I go about finding clean and healthy water for drinking and bathing.

I’m already taking a break from lifting weights because of something called golfer’s elbow causing pain where the tendons attach to the bony bump on the inside of my elbow. I’ve dealt with this before so I’m doing some exercises to recover (quickly I hope!).

It’s HOT here in Chiang Mai so I’ve been getting on the Ping River for some kayaking.

That’s it for now. Questions or comments? Let me know!