Diets That Keep You Younger
There are two totally different definitions of 'starvation' depending on who you ask.
Most people are very familiar with the traditional definition: eating less calories each day than you use up.
But there is another definition of 'starvation' that scientists are using without any real regard to actual caloric need, and that is the kind of 'starvation' in which your body doesn't get the majority of its calories from carbohydrates.
This kind of starvation is called ketosis, from which we get the term ketogenic dieting.
Both caloric dieting and ketogenic (also called low-carb) dieting cause a few interesting effects on the human body, including weight loss and, most people don't realize, a longer lifespan.
When looking at low-cal dieting and its effect on longevity, I was surprised to find that literally all of the dominant theories behind it revolve around the reduced level of and/or ability to metabolize glucose - the same chemical plainly missing from a ketogenic diet.
So, the effects of low-cal dieting on long life and the effects of low-carb dieting on long life are similar because the chemical changes that they incur in your blood are similar.
I can only conclude that regardless of which pathway you choose - calorie restriction vs.
ketogenic dieting - the actual goal is the same: restricting the intake of excessive carbohydrates that lead to spikes and dips in blood sugar and high insulin levels.
Furthermore, quitting the diet - whichever one you're on - and increasing your carbohydrate intake will result in a resumption of weight gain, chronic health problems, and lead to a reduced life span.
Most people are very familiar with the traditional definition: eating less calories each day than you use up.
But there is another definition of 'starvation' that scientists are using without any real regard to actual caloric need, and that is the kind of 'starvation' in which your body doesn't get the majority of its calories from carbohydrates.
This kind of starvation is called ketosis, from which we get the term ketogenic dieting.
Both caloric dieting and ketogenic (also called low-carb) dieting cause a few interesting effects on the human body, including weight loss and, most people don't realize, a longer lifespan.
When looking at low-cal dieting and its effect on longevity, I was surprised to find that literally all of the dominant theories behind it revolve around the reduced level of and/or ability to metabolize glucose - the same chemical plainly missing from a ketogenic diet.
So, the effects of low-cal dieting on long life and the effects of low-carb dieting on long life are similar because the chemical changes that they incur in your blood are similar.
I can only conclude that regardless of which pathway you choose - calorie restriction vs.
ketogenic dieting - the actual goal is the same: restricting the intake of excessive carbohydrates that lead to spikes and dips in blood sugar and high insulin levels.
Furthermore, quitting the diet - whichever one you're on - and increasing your carbohydrate intake will result in a resumption of weight gain, chronic health problems, and lead to a reduced life span.
