I was recently teaching my Keto Kickstart Class at the clinic. It was the first class – full house – I was pumped! The class was engaged – had great questions. I really felt in my groove. Toward the end, I realized I forgot to show the class how to test for ketones – which is totally optional in my programs, but I test once in a while just to see where I’m at, so I wanted to cover it.
Since urine ketone strips are only accurate in the very beginning (as the ketone body known as acetoacetate starts to spill into the urine), blood testing is the more telling tool because it measures the primary ketone body called beta-hydroxybuterate (BHB). My blood meter device measures both glucose and ketones. The blood ketone strips are expensive – up to $2 a pop, whereas the glucose strips cost pennies, so I demonstrated the blood testing using a glucose strip.
I’m “fat adapted” – meaning my body now has the metabolic flexibility to function in ketosis – which means I use fat as fuel AND I can also run on glucose (aka as a sugar burner). This adaptation usually takes a few weeks to months of strict Keto eating depending on the individual. I’ve been fat adapted for well over a year.
That day, I worked out at high intensity in the morning, worked with clients, fasted until 3pm-ish and broke my fast with eggs, bacon, leftover Brussel Sprouts and greens – totally Keto. At 7pm when I was demonstrating blood testing in class, I was fasted again.
Care to guess what my blood glucose reading was?
127
Diabetic levels.
I turned so red! I couldn’t believe it. Here I was teaching all about Keto, insulin resistance, blood sugar dysregulation and diabetes and my reading was high enough to be considered Diabetic.
What The Actual Heck?!
Well, here’s the gem in this story. I say this all the time: STRESS NEGATES YOUR HEALTHY EFFORTS. Stress will kick you out of ketosis. When stress is out of balance, the body increases cortisol output which will elevate blood sugar which then signals the pancreas to secrete insulin to lower blood sugar. Insulin grows things like muscles and fat cells.
Keto aside, I learned this the hard way in my highly stressed 30s and 40s. I would strive for the ‘perfect’ way of eating and exercise like crazy, but I couldn’t lose body fat. Or if I did manage to lose weight with severe restriction, it would come back with a vengeance and then it would be harder – near impossible – to lose the next time.
Caloric restriction is a STRESS. Over exercising is a STRESS. Poor sleep is a STRESS.
And talking in front of a class is a STRESS – yes it was positive and I loved it, but it was stress nonetheless.
So the lesson is, if you’re Keto, experimenting with Keto or low carb eating – or even if you’re trying to lose weight or heal another way, you must keep stress in balance. As humans, we need some level of stress to grow, thrive and feel fulfilled, but there’s a tipping point that then creates a negative response.
I hope this helps you look beyond diet and exercise when you’re approaching your own health. If you feel like you’re not getting anywhere – that you keep on spinning your wheels – your response to stress – your patterns – are where we have to look.
So many people just want to look at the food – thinking a meal plan or more recipes will solve their weight problems. Eating right will certainly help, getting support may even reduce the stress and stuck-ness we have around food, but no diet will fix stress imbalance. I know this first hand and it’s why I have a holistic approach in my practice.
When I got home that night, I retested my glucose and ketones. They were at ‘perfect’ levels (84 & 2.2mm respectively), so I recovered well, but the lesson was priceless. Now it’s your turn to share. Have you found stress to be a barrier in your health goals? How do you handle it? What do you notice in terms of behavioral patterns and your body? Send me a direct message or comment below.
