I learned about the ketogenic diet over 35 years ago when I did my special education degree. Since part of our work was helping children and adults with physical, emotional and academic challenges with food. The diet was developed in 1924 by Dr. Russell Wilder at the Mayo Clinic as a treatment for epilepsy. Yes, next year we’ll celebrate a 100-year-old health treatment.
For some very odd reason, I have many people around me resisting it even though my clients and family members are a proof it works. I have personal stories of recovery from: diabetes, Lupus, MS, Hashimoto, Graves, arthritis, cancer, Alzheimer (my own mother), cancer, Sibo, Crohn, Parkinson, unexplained autoimmune diseases and still, I hear people trying to convince me that those cases are the rare ones. They are local and mean nothing at all because they are out of the statistics.
I think all those people who say it, don’t understand that we, as individuals are not the 2% or 20% of the society, who benefit from eating like this, we are a 100% statistics. If something happens to me, than in my individual laboratory, where I check how my body reacts to specific food choices, whatever I find is 100% proof.
I would like to stress this issue of monitoring out body based on our feeling and not based on test and exams. If I am sick, no test will fix it. If I’m healthy, no test will change it.
This does not mean it is a bad idea to test and see what is missing or what we can add to this equation to make it easier, it only means we don’t need it to tell us that something is wrong in order to get into the lab and experiment and research what makes us, the individuals, happy, healthy or sick and miserable. Whatever we find, is 100% true regardless of what the research says on the general population.
When I was young, I had very “low” iron levels. The doctors and my parents freaked out. My doctor couldn’t understand how was I able to walk and function with such low iron level. “With this level people can’t get out of bed”. I, by the way, was pretty hyperactive. All my life, I was an energizer bunny.
Sure enough, they started me on iron tablet which did nothing to my iron level but damaged everything possible with my bowl and with constipation that dragged for many years ( until I took over!). What do you think was worse? Low iron level with no impact on health or energy level or going to the toilet once a week?
For doctors I was statistics. Statistically, such low iron level is dangerous but not for me.
When I took charge over my health and changed the way I eat, my iron level increased by itself so all my doctors escorting me in the four pregnancies that followed, said they have never seen a woman with stable iron level throughout their pregnancy. Even for them, I was nothing but a statistic. Some of them even tried to convince me to take iron tablets during the pregnancies, just in case!
When you start on a low carb, high fat lifestyle, treat yourself as individual. It is ok to learn about it but remember that you are a 100% lab. Whatever you find in your personal lab, is what is right or wrong for you. What other think/ feel/ believe about it, has nothing to do with you. They are in charge of their own lab, you are in charge of yours.
We are all different. Even twins are in fact different. This is the reason the scientific research loves researching twins. When one person reacts very well to butter and the other one is not, it doesn’t matter that 99,9999% find butter useful for them in the low carb world.
When you measure yourself against the majority, and you are not in the majority’s group (which can be 51% and the other 49% is a placebo) you feel that something is wrong with you. It is not!
Reading about research, gathering information and examining options and seek ways to achieve your goals are fantastic but if you pay too much attention to their statistics and findings, you miss the point that you could be on the 1% who reacted differently to the same treatment.
How useful it is for you to know that 99% of the people in the research benefited from eating berries, when you are allergic to them or that you have a rash every time you eat them?
In this quest for healthy life, strong and stable weight, mind and body, you are the only lab rat, you are the researcher and your body is the laboratory. The only thing you need to compare is you to yourself. Check what works for you. Use your feelings, your body measurement, your energy, your thoughts, your stamina, your strength, the number on your scale as a measurement tool. You don’t need tests to tell you how you feel. You can use them when you need support in measuring your progress or to help you boost the progress.
The best way to do your research is to record. The best researchers have an amazing recording system. Record what you eat, quantities, how much you drink, what you drink, When you eat/ drink, how long do you sleep, how well, how fast you fall asleep, your mood, your body measurement, your weight, your level of stress every day, your energy level… if you do it for a week, you’ll find the gems and correlation between cause and effect.
When I work with my clients, I use this measurement tool to assess their situation and over three weeks within 3 hours in total, I can pinpoint the problem and therefore the solution to their problem. I have 3 hours of recording. Imagine the wonderful discoveries you’ll have after recording a week.
I helped my mother recover from Alzheimer she had over 18 years, after four days of recording. In her case, she was the lab rat, I was the researcher, and I was limited only to the things I have seen and heard. I had absolutely no way of knowing how she felt, ( She could hardly speak, she didn’t even know who I was) the level of her pain and what she thought about any change I have introduced. When you are the lab rat and the researcher, the depth of the information is ten times more accurate.
Every change you make, requires research. Whatever you find is great!
If you find what works for you and what doesn’t work, it’ll stop you from arguing with… your reality. It will narrow down the trial and error and bring you closer to your success. This is when confidence steps in because you are not trying to fit yourself into the statistics and the majority. You are unique and you understand that life is a research and since you are the only research subject, whatever happens to you, falls into the 100% category.
Wishing you successful research.
Make your day a great day!
Ronit
The Happiness Coach
https://www.behappyinlife.com/
https://www.ronitbaras.com/
