On our next deep dive about common diets, we'll talk about a rather controversial one: THE KETOGENIC DIET And by controversial I mean: some people love it and swear by it, some people are more reluctant about its benefits and, most of all, about the increased difficulty in adhering to it. Let's check what it's all about? A ketogenic diet is characterised by using ketones as the main source of fuel, not glucose. And ketones are molecules produced from FAT oxidation. Translation: it's a diet that 'forces' your body into using more fat as a source of fuel. And let me tell you right off the bat that this doesn't mean you'll burn and lose more fat with this diet - I already explained, just a couple of posts above, that burning and losing fat are different things. BUT - having fat as your primary source of fuel could come with its own set of benefits. For relevant ketone production, however, a few conditions must be met: - Your carb intake has to be low (about 5-10% of total calories - your body still prefers to burn glucose for energy, and some glucose is necessary to keep a few processes running in your body - so carb amount has to be low, but not zero). - Your protein consumption has to be moderate (yep, in low-carb scenarios, your body can resort to transforming protein into glucose to generate some energy for the purposes I mentioned. If your protein is too high, you'll create glucose out of protein and ketone production will suffer). - Consume enough fat. Healthy fats, preferably, otherwise you're already throwing some of the benefits of such a restrictive diet out the window. - You will likely go through a period called 'keto flu', which is a period of adaptation (days to weeks) your body will go through during that metabolic transition. You can feel moody, tired, with some brain fog during that time. But once you're through that, here are some potential benefits you can expect: - Ketones are a very good energy source - they provide steady energy, which can help against cravings, and some people report better focus - With little carbs, you are reducing glucose spikes and reducing the risk for diseases like diabetes type 2. With less blood sugar spikes and less insulin, you also decrease general body inflammation - Ketones also generate less oxidative stress when being burned for energy. That helps against inflammation. And on top of that, they can bring significant benefits for the brain — they stimulate the production of BDNF, a molecule that promotes the generation of new neurons, protects the existing ones, and fosters stronger and more numerous neural connections. Also, the brain not relying on sugar for energy can help against neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's. As a matter of fact, this diet was initially popular for its benefits against epilepsy. - You COULD improve your lipid profile: more HDL cholesterol, less of the dangerous VLDL circulating in the blood, and although your LDL may rise due to an increase in fat and cholesterol consumption, those LDL particles will tend to be bigger, which makes them less likely to promote cardiovascular incidents. But note that this section of the benefits is highly individual - there is a genetic component that affects how your body handles that extra cholesterol and you should not just assume you'll be fine.

I'll wrap up the 'diets deep dive' series with the last dietary pattern we focused on during my lessons. PLANT-BASED DIETS That's a popular one, so I hope it helps many of you. But let's understand first what it is, potential benefits and things to pay attention to. Plant-based diets don't mean 'animal products free'. It means that it's a dietary pattern that revolves around plants, but some animal products can be included - it depends on how strict you are. A standard plant-based diet can also include meat. One step further, a vegetarian diet will generally exclude meats, but tolerates dairy and eggs. On the far end of that scale we have veganism, which avoids all animal products (usually going further than just food and considering other lifestyle items such as cosmetics and clothing, for example). There are different approaches here. An infinity of names and food habits. Pick the one that matches your preference, and learn its pros and cons. Plant-based diets actually correlate well with longevity in studies. They have yielded good results when it comes to health outcomes throughout life. This is why: - It could decrease cardiovascular disease risk: less saturated fat to stiffen arteries over time; plants are rich in dietary nitrates (found in leafy greens and beetroot) which your body converts to nitric oxide, helping decrease blood pressure and widen blood vessels; less LDL cholesterol, etc. - Lots of plants and fruits means bigger phytonutrient consumption. Those are plant compounds that are beneficial to us, especially due to their antioxidant potential. Less inflammation, lower disease risk in general, and less DNA damage over time too. - Better blood sugar control: fibre and other compounds that you'd ingest in higher quantities in vegetables contribute to slowing down glucose absorption and improving insulin sensitivity. - Healthy gut microbiome: feeding your gut bacteria with enough and varied types of fibre will improve their health, which in turn improves yours. Healthier gut lining to avoid leaky gut, inflammation, and better mood, immunity, etc! - It's also linked to lower risk for some types of cancer, especially colorectal. Excess heme iron from too much red and processed meat can be dangerous over time, and a well-balanced gut microbiome will produce compounds that help with your colon health.

I wanted to spend some time in nature this weekend - it's finally getting warmer here. I mean - hot, real hot lol. So before I went on to a lake, I decided to quickly pass by my favourite Saturday market! Being there early allowed me to experience some of the artists and sellers there that are normally too busy later in the day. So I got my portrait done by a Korean artist! Had wanted to get that for a while - and this was an act of self love for me. Do you think it looks like me? hahah

Was feeling pretty down yesterday. No particular reason - just a part of the regular 'ups and downs' of life. Questioning everything in life, lol. Myself, my work... I decided not to engage in that mental battle - withdrew myself a bit, went to bed earlier than normal, and woke up earlier to set the tone for a new day. Down days are normal. But don't let them become 2, 3, or 4 in a row. Still put effort into moving, eating well, sleeping enough - also skipping those will make the 'down feeling' even worse. And ask for help if you need. A friendly shoulder to lay against makes all the difference. Better today. Will be even better tomorrow.

Starting the week with the right foot - setting the tone for the day.

Germany doesn't know how to balance its weather. It's either freezing, or too hot. Today, just before a pleasant weekend with 40+ degree weather, my cardio session was... interesting lol Very sweaty, but proud to have gone through with it with no A/C - and not getting stinky afterwards 😄

Bryan Johnson, who some of you might know as they 'crazy longevity guy who spends millions each year trying to improve his longevity' made a list of 41 things that are the most effective for one's health: https://x.com/bryan_johnson/status/2054294779194982637 What I love about this is how simple it all is! If you think about it, those are just natural things that we should all do as a part of a regular day. We are just great at building unnatural routines, lol. Most of these are very low-effort things we can add to our days. How many do you currently do already?

I've recently talked about the importance of stretching and mobility on my IG. Then came across this. Worth giving it a listen! https://open.spotify.com/episode/6sRnCacuerkGcniCAQFXPw?si=FSw649WRQwqFCu-qfUTK6w

A couple of weeks ago I had my parent over. Each day, a huge breakfast table. Here's a snap of a delicious fruit bowl to get the day started! By the way, I adde yogurt and started with 3 eggs (proteins first) so the glucose spike in my blood was more controlled.

I would say I'm pretty strict with my nutrition - sometimes even too much! It's also a learning for me to let go a bit every now and then. This doesn't mean throwing all out the window, but exceptions are fine... So look at me... I had a full pizza the other day! 😄