Sep 26, 2018
Dr. Brian Lenzkes, founder of Low Carb Advisor (lowcarbadvisor.com), details the many advantages of a ketogenic diet and lifestyle. From weight loss, alertness, more energy, and a feeling of general well being, Dr. Lenzkes lays out the undeniable benefits and the science behind the diet that Americans are turning to for good health. As an internal medicine doctor in San Diego, Lenzkes has long been interested in clinical nutrition. His physician group has been in operation since 2004, and when he is not practicing medicine he can often be seen at speaking engagements around the country, discussing modern health. Lenzkes received a BS in Biology at UC Irvine. After attending USC Medical School, Lenzkes completed his residency at Scripps Mercy Hospital in San Diego and was named Chief Resident there before launching his private practice at Internal Medicine Associates.
Lenzkes discusses his personal struggle with weight gain in spite of following standard medical advice for weight loss. As a physician, Lenzkes was determined to find ways to reduce his patients’ reliance on drug companies by working with them on nutrition and a healthier lifestyle in general. Working from personal experience, Dr. Lenzkes was, and is, strongly motivated to bring the ketogenic lifestyle to his own patients who are seeking nutritional advice, as well as to the general public. Lenzkes provides an overview of the connection between fasting and good health. He talks about the many medical problems that he sees regularly as an internal medicine physician, such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, fatigue, hypertension and weight gain, and their connection to insulin resistance. He discusses the advantages of cutting out sugars and processed foods and returning to real, wholesome natural foods.
The nutritional expert and respected physician describe the innumerable benefits of the ketogenic diet and lifestyle. The diet offers safe and healthy weight loss, control of blood glucose levels, improved brain function, and the potential to literally reverse many chronic health conditions. The keto diet transitions the body into a fat-burning metabolic state called nutritional ketosis. In nutritional ketosis, the body uses few carbohydrates for energy—it begins using ketones that are produced by the liver from the breakdown of fats. It’s the process of burning body fat for energy by eating the proper foods. He describes the cycle of hunger and eating, and how it is quite often directly related to higher triglyceride levels. A triglyceride is an ester that is derived from glycerol and three fatty acids. He explains that a ketogenic diet will drop triglyceride levels nearly in half in a surprisingly short amount of time, which will lower hunger and even allow for fasting to be tolerated easier.
Lenzkes delivers an analysis of the effects of carbohydrate loading on the body. He talks about the benefits of higher fat, higher protein diets and how they can actually decrease hunger. Additionally, he expounds upon the growing medical problem with the fatty liver, how the body stores fat, and the carbohydrate connection, as well as what medical experts can do to advise patients on nutrition, to combat the problem. He talks about the paradigm shift in medicine that is coming, in regard to nutrition. Lenzkes gives an overview of his ketogenic program and the many options from fasting to carb cutting and beyond. He discusses the challenges people face when they take on a ketogenic lifestyle, and how variations within the diet may be necessary for people to find the best way to their true success.
Lenzkes states that experimentation is key, as different foods and plans work better for some than others, but the nutritional benefits will be incredibly rewarding once someone finds the plan that works best for them. He discusses how carbs break down into sugar, and the hidden carbs in many foods that people know to be healthy foods even. He talks about how the key to health and fitness is often unnecessarily overcomplicated when the basic tenets of controlling sugar and carb intake are easier to grasp and adopt than many people realize. He details how a drop in insulin level will, in most cases, immediately begin to improve fatigue, mood, cognition, depression, and so much more. Ultimately, as Dr. Lenzkes states, the power exists within us all to change our nutrition habits and reverse potentially dangerous medical issues and conditions, and it is his personal goal to help everyone take steps toward achieving their best health possible.