Phase II

BACKGROUND & GROUND RULES

Keep in mind that the human body is the ultimate survival machine, and the body does not care what your fitness or health goals may be. Continuing existence is priority number one for the body and requires specific nutrient manipulation to “persuade” the body into burning fat as the main fuel source. Essentially, Phase II runs parallel with what is known as Ketogenic Diet, where the body is burning fatty acids for fuel and producing ketones as a byproduct.

I began experimenting with the ketogenic diet around late 2012 and since made count less adjustments to make it work from a performance standpoint. This journey has been constant trial and error until what I found to work best for maintaining a seamless compliance to this eating style all the while being able to adhere to a rigorous training schedule of a multifaceted approach to exercise 5-6 days of the week. This style of eating has heavily reduced my homeostatic body fat percentage to a steady 5%. I have tested with a body fat percentage of 3.3% as my all time low but feel this is much to lean for optimal wellness, just voicing this as an accomplishment from a properly executed nutritional regiment.

Ketogenic styles of eating have become popular in recent health atmospheres but the diet has been around for many decades. Initially discovered in the 1920’s as a means to reduce the occurrence of dangerous epileptic seizures in children. At the time fasting (abstaining from eating) was proven to be a massive beneficial intervention to reduce these seizures but long term fasting would not be realistic as the treatment. The underlying benefit caused from fasting is inducing the body into a ketogenic state, which happens when food (specifically carbohydrates) are no longer being ingested, the liver glycogen (storage form of carbohydrates) becomes depleted (around hour 17 of fasting), and the body begins burning fatty acids from stored body fat producing ketones as the by-product of fatty acid metabolism. Fasting is not the only way to induce ketosis but with the exclusion of carbohydrates or severely limiting them will produce this beneficial state. Ketones are the X-factor in the reduction in epileptic seizures in children due to the fact that ketones are neural protective, in essence, ketones protect the human brain. This form of the ketogenic diet is known as The “Classical” Therapeutic Ketogenic Diet, which is a diet constituted of 90% of calories from fat and the remaining are from protein and carbohydrates. Now this does sound extreme but keep in mind that this approach is an alternative therapy to pharmaceutical drugs to treat epilepsy. What Phase 2 embodies is known as The Nutritional Ketogenic Diet.

The Nutritional Ketogenic Diet is the vehicle that induces the user into a state of ketosis with proper macronutrient manipulations to burn fat. This style of eating has many different definitions concerning the macronutrient profile. Commonly defined with the calories configured to 75% Fat, 20% Protein, and only 5% Carbohydrates. The adherence to these parameters can be challenging so personally I follow and recommend what has been called, “The Well Formulated Ketogenic Diet” or “Performance Level Ketogenic Diet.” The Performance Level Ketogenic diet in regards to macronutrient calorie breakdown is 60% Fat, 30% Protein, and 10% Carbohydrates. Certainly not to the exact regality of this breakdown but best attempt to hit these numbers.

This phase of eating is aimed at communicating to you body that fat is the main fuel source to maximize the burning of body fat. To do this properly one must understand that under any circumstances the body will always choose to use carbohydrates as fuel, if and when available, over the use of fat as fuel. This is because the metabolic processes for carbohydrates are much faster. The body stores these carbohydrates in the form of glycogen in the largest amounts in the muscles, next the liver, and blood stream has a minimal amount and has essentially one days worth of storage before these stores get depleted. Once depleted, or more importantly, once the liver is depleted of glycogen the body receives the signal to seek means of other sources for energy, fat. To maximize on this signal to burn fat one must exclude dietary carbohydrates to a minimum and focus mainly on correct fats to communicate that fat is now the fuel source. Any dietary carbohydrates ingested will limit this transition, especially during the early stages because the body will “attach” itself to the carbohydrate due to it being the preferred fuel, limiting the reconfiguration to burning fat as the main fuel. Correct Fats refers to fats that have not been oxidized from incorrect storage or exposure to high heat temperatures and are of the best quality of being sourced organically. High quality fats such as GRASS FED butter, coconut oil, ghee, MCT (Medium Chain Triglycerides, essentially coconut oil concentrate) are awesome fats. The high quality unsaturated fats include extra virgin olive oil, avocado oil, and macadamia nut oil. Studies have proven a diet high in correct fats to enhance heart health with efforts to improve blood lipid profile. My best suggestion is to eat predominantly unsaturated fats that have not been oxidized through heat to provide high quality Omega-3 fatty acids, which are proven to aid in anti inflammatory processes.

Phase II has helped me develop an understanding of the way food can give you energy. The body can sufficiently be fueled by carbohydrates and/or fats. Carbohydrates are the body's preferred fuel source due to the fact that the process of converting carbohydrates to cellular energy (ATP) is done much quicker than fat. The body can also sufficiently utilize fat for fuel (known as ketosis), but this requires some nutritional manipulation techniques. When the body is powered by fat, it takes on a different overall energy level. Throughout the weekly dietary modality of Phase II, the body dips in and out of ketosis. I personally enjoy the feeling of being in ketosis, but it is believed to be ideal to cycle in and out of ketosis to maintain a balanced energy utilization system between fats and carbohydrates. Carbohydrates (glucose) are stored in the body as glycogen within your muscles and liver. The average human can store up to between 500g-600g of glycogen, or between 2,000-2,400 calories. The body stores fat as adipose cells and can hold upwards of 100,000+ calories (depending on individual). In terms of durability, we can see how using carbohydrates for fuel does have a rather low limit. Fat on the other hand, has essentially an infinitude of fuel to provide.

The results experienced from following the Phase I meal plan for around two years were phenomenal, but there were means of improvement. Jiu Jitsu and my Functional Fitness training regiment became much more demanding, so I looked into my nutrition to see if I could add adjustments. After researching many nutrition philosophies, I found Dr. Dominic D’Agostino, Jacob Wilson, Ryan Lowery, Lyle Mcdonald, Dave Asprey, Gary Taubes, and many others to be the most beneficial pertaining to my current eating habits. These nutrition researchers preach the idea of ingesting more *correct fats into the daily dietary regimen (please feel free to look into their material, very informational). With my training schedule bumping up to 5-6 days a week and most days being two-a-days, I decided to give their philosophy a shot. I have compiled many ideologies concerning the proper approach to executing the optimal ketogenic diet and came up with what worked best for myself. Within 5 months, I dropped my body fat from 9% to a consistent 5%, mentioned earlier reaching an all time low of 3.3% . This is an opportunity for yourself to tinker with the information given here to figure out how you can make the ketogenic diet work best for your personal human vehicle.

Phase II utilizes the low and slow protocol when it comes to cooking food. Ideally do not go past medium when cooking with fat and stay in the low-mid range on my stove top burner. When fats are cooked at too high of levels it causes the fats to oxidize, actually becoming toxic to our bodies. Best case scenario is to cook predominantly in a little bit water and covering the food items to allow for a steam cooking protocol. Cooking with water, as opposed to oils, will not oxidize, also it evenly cooks the product at a faster rate when it steams. Phase I is a perfect precursor to Phase II because it prepares the body to thrive off of lower carbohydrates, an increase of fat intake, and getting used to the exclusions of most grains, dairy, and soy.

Before continuing, I would like to say that in my opinion the goal on this meal plan or any meal plan for that matter, is to strive to be at least 90% within the rules. Mentally having that 10% slip up cushion is comforting and eases the mind when things may slightly fall out of line. Do not rely on that 10% cushion but understand that your structure is not completely ruined if mistakes happen, and believe me they do happen. For instance, if you are in a pinch and you have not properly prepared food on the go and you are in the store and the only thing you find to be suitable is a rotisserie chicken that is covered in sweat sauce, just to your best to clean off the sauce. Use this 10% cushion as you please. Counting calories is something I have only done to give myself an average of what my macronutrient (carbohydrates, fats, and proteins) breakdown looked like but is used strictly for reference. Counting calories is tedious, can be very stressful, and believed to be unnecessary. This meal plan involves a much higher ingestion of fats when compared to the traditional RDA (recommended daily allowance) established by the USDA: 45-65% Carbohydrates, 10-30% Protein, and 25-35% Fat. Of course the percentages pertain to the total caloric intake for a day. To figure out my daily caloric intake, I recorded my macronutrients for a week and came up with this breakdown: 10-15% Carbohydrates, 30-40% Protein and 45-65% Fat. Do not be alarmed to see fat hosting the highest percentage here. One gram of fat yields 9 calories compared to one gram of protein or carbohydrate, both yielding only 4 calories. The fact of the matter is that fat has more than twice the calorie density in one gram, contrasting to the two other macronutrient counter parts. We can see how racking up fat in calories can rise very quickly, but the good news is, it is all irrelevant (counting calories, in my opinion).

This meal plan is considered to be a bit more tedious than the previous Phase I meal plan. It does require more cooking, planning, and is encouraged to seek high quality foods. SUGGESTED to ingest predominantly organic produce and pastured, grass fed livestock. Reaching your desired fitness or health goals requires discipline and premeditation when it comes to knowing what exactly you put into your body. Spontaneous eating is no longer acceptable when trying to improve your health. In other words, let's talk about getting dressed for the day. We dress appropriately for what that day demands, whether it be work, a date, attending a wedding, or any other kind of event. Because we are on the topic of health, let's talk about exercise attire. When looking to perform at our highest potential, we need to wear the correct clothing. I doubt anyone would put together the randomness of a t-shirt three sizes too big, a cowboy hat, and shorts that are so big, they fall off of their waist. That would be ridiculous. Imagine attempting to exercise in the outfit just described. We can all agree that there isn't a spontaneous choice when deciding what type of footwear we put on when attempting to run our fastest mile. Image what your times on the mile run would look like if you just grabbed a pair of steel toe construction boots or high heels because they are available, compared to a functioning pair of running shoes. I know it is a no brainer but that is the message I am trying to get across about nutrition. It might take some effort to get used to, but in reality everything that we put into our bodies should have a purpose. Understanding the function of food, down to the nutrients is beyond necessary. Why wouldn't your dietary intake be one of your priorities? After all, it is the foundation to our overall well being. Food dictates how we feel, influences how we think, and governs how we could potentially perform (both physically and cognitively). Ultimately, food determines whether or not we are to flourish as human beings. In terms of the human body as a machine, striving to provide our machine with the vitality of nourishment requires our maximal effort.

The objective of this meal plan is to minimize inflammation in the body, heighten cognitive function, and to train the body to become a fat burning furnace using more fat (ketones) for fuel, as opposed to mainly carbohydrates for fuel. The meal plan excludes specific foods and food groups to minimize inflammation. Common foods that cause inflammation are wheat, dairy, oxidized fats, and sugars. In simple terms, the brain processes great when powered by fat, placing the user in a state of cognitive clarity. Eating lower amounts of carbohydrates and eating higher amounts of fats put the body into a state of ketosis. In ketosis the body metabolizes a larger amount of fat compared to carbohydrates and over time, taps into the body's fat storages to provide for fuel. I do not want anyone thinking carbohydrates are bad and to avoid them because that is far from the case. Carbohydrates are to be used in high amounts on selective days (Carb Reeded Days) and to express how much influence they play on your energy systems.

1. Avoid wheat, dairy, soy, all grains, fruit, sugar, and any sweeteners

2. Seek predominantly organic produce. Ingest natural and/or organic and/or grass fed and/or pastured and/or non hormone livestock, seafood, or any other type of animal meat.

3. Eat vegetables as your main food with vegetables being your plate base and adding proteins and fats to the plate.

4. Drink 2 large glasses of water in AM, and at least 1 gallon of water throughout the day for females, or 1.5 for males.

5. Establish an eating cut off time that is most convenient for your lifestyle.

6. 90% of the time, stick to the guidelines. 10% can be applied to anything else (simple carbs, going past your cut off time, etc.)

7. Eat meals rich in correct fats and low in carbohydrates to induce ketosis

BREAKFAST

Breakfast should be rich in correct fats (upwards of 30-45g) and a solid dosage of protein. Fat rich breakfast meals induce satiety (the feeling of being full) that can last for hours in duration. If hunger strikes, then it is acceptable to eat snacks like nuts in between meals.

LUNCH & DINNER

Lunch is typically the largest meal and includes a good serving of vegetables, a medium to large amount of protein, and a decent amount of fat. Vegetables also dominate dinner, consisting of a salad with a source of protein, doused in some sort of oil, usually olive. Try to fit in an avocado throughout the day, maybe half with lunch and the other half with dinner.