nutritional advice
Q: Should I take
omega-3, -6 and -
fatty acids?
A: You only need to worry
about omega-3 fatty
acids. The source should
be fish oil, not flaxseed
oil. Even though omega-
and omega-6 fatty acids
are both essential fatty
acids, you probably get
way more than enough
omega-6 fatty acids.
Omega-9 fatty acids are
found in avocados and
olive oil. They’re good fatty
acids but not essential, as
the body can create them,
so there’s no need to take
a supplement.
In the food industry,
virtually one hundred per
cent of the oils used are
seed oils – and they’re
very high in omega-6 fatty
acids. This throws out your
ratio, which should be 2:
or 1:1 omega-6 fatty acids
to omega-3 fatty acids. In
modern man it is anywhere
from 10:1 to 50:1. To
balance this, take a fish-oil
supplement or eat fatty fish
three times a week. Don’t
consume anything with
omega-6 fatty acids in it
(vegetable and seed oils
such as canola, flaxseed,
hemp, sunflower, and
safflower, as well as soya,margarine, processed
foods, and supplements),
as you get enough already.
Forget the seed oils- they damage your
health, contributing to
cardiovascular disease and
inflammatory disorders.
There are so many
delicious fats and oils that
are safe and healthy: all
animal fats plus olive oil,
macadamia oil, avocado
oil, coconut oil and butter.
Q: I love fruit but it’s
not usually included
in the LCHF lifestyle.
Are there any I could
eat occasionally?
A: If you really want some
fruit, raspberries are best,
as they contain only 3g
carbs per half cup. See the
list opposite of some fruit
you might want to indulge
in, especially with summer
coming. Work out your
carbs accordingly.Q: Are there adverse
effects to ketosis?
A: It’s not necessary to go
into ketosis to lose weight.
Some people (especially
men) do very well on a
ketogenic diet, but we’re
all different. For diabetics
it might work better than
anything else, but for thosewith a sluggish metabolism
it might not be that great.
Seizures are well controlled
in ketosis, and it is also
beneficial to those with
Alzheimer’s disease,
Parkinson’s disease,
autism, bipolar disorder and
polycystic ovary syndrome.
It’s extremely hard to
sustain a ketogenic diet,
though, so cycling in and
out of it might be better.
In the long term there
are possible adverse
effects to consider. Some
of the problems I’ve seen in
women who sustain ketosis
for too long include:If you feel you’re
damaging your health rather
than benefiting from ketosis,
stop, and follow a more
balanced low-carb diet. QQ
&
A
‘Is it true that there are
adverse effects to ketosis?’AND 2 OTHER READER QUESTIONS
FOR SALLY-ANN CREED
WITH NUTRITIONAL
THERAPIST
SALLY-ANN CREED
- Hypothyroidism
- Slowing down of the
metabolic rate - Loss of period (and possibly
infertility due to this) - Other menstrual irregularities
- Depression
- Sleep problems
- Constipation/diarrhoea
- Vomiting, nausea/reflux
- Thinning hair
- Kidney stones
- Muscle cramps
- Hypoglycemia
- Nutrient deficiencies
- Heart arrhythmias
- Acute pancreatitis