This week we would like to share a story with you. One of our Wellness Members, Jaclyn Douglas, has been following the Advanced Plan and in just 3 1/2 weeks has lost 10 lbs. and her husband has lost 18 lbs. (Way to go guys!) We would like to share a question that Jaclyn had about the Advanced Plan and juice fasting.
Question My husband and I have been following the Keto diet, (a variation of the Maximized Living Advanced Plan with the goal to create ketones or ketone bodies to put oneself into a metabolic state of ketosis) for the past three and a half weeks. I have lost 10 lbs. and my husband 18 lbs. My question to Dr. Phil has to do with juice fasting. I understood from the talk you had in April on Monitoring ketones that ideally you want to get your body into a state of ‘ketosis’. I know that you promote juice fasting, but how does that fall into the Ketone rules (eating 70% fat, 20% protein and 5% carbs)? Isn’t the juice all carbs? Or do you add protein and fat to it? I have been monitoring my glucose level and today it was 5.8.
Answer First off Jaclyn, well done to you and your husband for losing 10 and 18 lbs. That is amazing in 3 1/2 weeks! Whatever you are doing is working. I would say if you feel well and have lots of energy keep going with what you are doing until you get where you want. I recommend you go by body fat% to measure instead of what most people use: weight or BMI. (Give us a call to have your body fat% taken with one of the WtW team members, at no cost to you). Once you have reached your wellness body fat % (or ideal size, energy level) I would add more berry fruits (low sugar) and especially vegetables to your diet.
You mentioned about the juice cleanse and asked how did that fit into ketosis? Great question because it is almost the opposite of a ketosis diet. The recommended juices for the Welcome to Wellness cleanse are approximately 60% carbohydrate, 35% protein and 5% fat. One needs to lower carbs have a moderate amount of protein and have a higher amount of fat to be in ketosis. So logically one would think that a juice cleanse like the one we recommend wouldn’t fit.
Juice cleansing plays a very important role in creating ketosis indirectly.
Here’s how: Some people have tried everything to lose weight and if they tried the diet you are on they still wouldn’t lose weight even when working out- How frustrating! This is known as the dreaded WLR – weight loss resistance. Our bodies store toxins in fat. As a protective mechanism your body will not burn fat until you have the proper amount of detoxification enzymes. The WtW Juice has the ingredients your body needs to make phase 1 and 2 detoxification happen. This allows your body to remove the fat and get rid of the toxins safely. Many people can lose a significant amount of fat but can’t get the last 10 or 15 % until they remove toxins.
Whether one finds attaining their ideal weight easy or not, juice cleansing is a great strategy to help one get rid of toxins and achieve wellness. How often one detoxes depends upon your lifestyle. I recommend most people do a 3 day juice cleanse once a month. I also take 30 day detox supplements from MaxLiving four times/year. In summary, following a detox whether it is supplements or a juice cleanse it will be easier to reach a state of ketosis with the ketone diet. Officially, blood measurement using a ketone metre is the only way one can tell if you are in ketosis. Every person will be different in what % of fat, carbohydrate and protein is required to be in a state of ketosis.
All five fundamentals effect the ketone level as it does for every measurement of health.
One of my favourite sayings: the proof is in the pudding and you will be able to tell by your energy level and how your clothes fit as to whether you are going the right way or not.
I personally have followed a mix of the advanced and core Maximized Living Nutrition Plan: most days I am at approximately 55% fat, 25% carbs and 20% protein. By the way I have tweaked this back and forth for the past three years to get the right combination for me. You will find what is right for you with trial. My blood measurement shows that I am in ketosis throughout about half the day. If I wanted to lose more fat I would simply stay in ketosis longer.
If you need to lose body fat or you want to reduce inflammation, fight cancer, heart disease or any other chronic disease a ketosis diet will be of tremendous benefit.
Keep up the great work Jaclyn!
Dr. Phil