[g_podcast id="7676030"]
Today I'm talking to nutritionist Marina Lommel.
Among other things, we talk about:
I'm delighted to be interviewing Marina Lommel today. Marina studied nutritional science at the Technical University of Munich, where she wrote her thesis on ketogenic nutrition. In addition to her studies, she worked at the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, the Helmholtz Zentrum München, as well as in television and local radio.
After her studies, she founded the company Foodpunk and today, after a few years, the company has already moved into premises with 200 square meters, a warehouse and 9 employees.
Roman and I know Marina personally, we have spoken at the same congresses as her, such as the Paleo Convention and the LCHF Congress, and we are also pleased that we have been working with Foodpunk plans for our customers for a few months now. And of course we have already tried the ketogenic diet for ourselves with the help of a Foodpunk nutrition plan.
In this interview you will learn a lot about the benefits and effects of the ketogenic diet and Marina also shares some of her own experiences and how you can implement something like this in your everyday life.
Roughly speaking, it is a special form of low-carbohydrate diet with the aim of getting into ketosis. This means that the level of blood ketones rises above a certain level. The amount of carbohydrates we eat is individual.
When the body is in a state of ketosis, you feel more productive, you start the day more actively and are less tired in the afternoon. All of this is very pronounced at the beginning, but later it becomes normal.
You also burn fat better here. Because the insulin level is always very low, fat cells can release fatty acids, which can then be burned.
In addition, you are less hungry. People who want to lose weight can therefore eat less, but do not end up in a state of starvation.
From a medical point of view, the ketogenic diet is very promising for epilepsy. This has already been proven by many studies, especially in children. This is because a ketogenic diet causes similar processes to take place in the body as fasting.
Recent studies suggest that it can also have a positive, healing effect on cancer, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease.
Ketosis has an effect on many metabolic processes and processes in the brain. Brain.
Marina says that the myth "the brain absolutely needs sugar" is absolutely not true. Certain brain cells actually prefer to metabolize glucose, but neurons and nerve cells that we use for thinking can also use ketones.
If you have been eating a ketogenic diet for a long time, your body is well keto-adapted. This means that the better the body has learned to deal with ketone bodies, the better the metabolism works and is therefore more effective.
A change in metabolism does not happen overnight. It takes time and patience.
Ketosis is often confused with keto-acidosis, but these are two different things.
Keto-acidosis is actually a dangerous metabolic state, but it cannot occur in healthy people or it is not possible to achieve it.
In healthy people, the presence of ketone bodies in the blood triggers a certain release of insulin. Insulin is the antagonist of ketone bodies. When ketone bodies rise in the blood, the pancreas releases insulin, which in turn causes some ketone bodies to be excreted in the urine. This automatically maintains the balance or a healthy level.
If this no longer works, it becomes dangerous, as is the case with type I diabetics or alcoholics, for example.
Many prejudices used to arise due to incorrect implementation. Ketogenic diets were not as tasty and were therefore considered unfeasible or only used for children. At some point it was considered easier to take medication. But it is actually much easier to change your diet.
Of course, there are also diseases that cannot be cured by diet alone. On the other hand, it's also difficult to get well if you don't change your diet.
Ketogenic is a very powerful form of nutrition and there's a lot you can do wrong. That's why you should inform yourself well beforehand, because otherwise you can do worse just because you don't know any better.
The right sources of fat and the right sources of protein are very important to ensure that it is healthy. Healthy people should do it for at least 1 to 3 months to feel the real effects. In the beginning, you will have difficulties adjusting, such as tiredness and headaches, but it is only after 30 days at the earliest that you can judge whether it is doing you any good and then the first side effects will also go away.
It is good for very overweight people because it has an incredibly successful effect in a short time.
It is often less popular with very slim people. This is because it has a weight-normalizing effect. So very slim people may gain some weight. The body then goes to a healthy weight, which is not always the optical model weight. If you also do a lot of weight training, you should consider adding more carbohydrates after about three months, also to produce the hormone leptin again.
People who want to gain weight should make sure that they consume more energy or more calories. In this case, they usually automatically have a greater appetite for fat. In this case, a ketogenic diet can help to bring your weight up to a healthy level.
It is generally not a good idea to start something new during pregnancy and breastfeeding. Marina would not recommend a strict ketogenic diet, but each case must be discussed individually.
Marina would also recommend the ketogenic diet not recommended for growing children unless medically necessary. In epileptic children who have been fed a very strict ketogenic diet, it has been observed that it can lead to growth deficits. Here you have to weigh up what is more important in the case. And medication also has side effects.
Ketogenic
Vegetables are also an essential part of a ketogenic diet.
From a social point of view, Marina respects it when someone chooses not to eat meat. From a nutritional point of view, she doesn't think it's ideal. Some components in meat (such as B12) or animal protein are sometimes recommended.
It is easier to follow a ketogenic diet as a vegetarian than as a vegan. You can use eggs or high-fat dairy products, for example.
Vegans often get their protein from pulses. However, these are too high in carbohydrates for a ketogenic diet. An alternative are various vegan protein powders, such as almond protein. You should also use these to get at least 50g of protein a day to ensure muscle maintenance.
Of course, it takes some practice, but over time it works just as well as a normal diet. In the beginning, a plan and recipes help you to get a feel for how much fat you should eat, how much protein you need, etc.
Gradually, you will get a better feel for what you can eat and how much you can eat to stay in ketosis. The body gets used to it and develops a certain tolerance (if you are well keto-adapted). Then the body can stay in ketosis for longer or get back into it more quickly.
Of course, you have to look carefully at where you eat and can't just go to McDonald's, for example, but perhaps choose a good burger joint and leave out the bun, for example, or have some extra guacomole, etc. You will definitely find your way. You will definitely find your way and especially when you realize how well you feel and that it's worth it.
Even for people who otherwise eat healthily, it has a big impact. Especially on sleep, fatigue and regeneration. At some point, you even develop something of an addiction to this good feeling.
Marina is the founder of Foodpunk. She started out with a blog in which she shares her knowledge in an easily understandable way. This is about ketogenic nutrition, Paleo, low carb etc. and their differences.
After Marina was asked more and more often by people for nutrition plans, she started to develop and offer these too.
On Foodpunk you get individual nutrition plans including meal structure, quantities etc. for 30 days. This helps you get started and get a feel for your new diet. You also get support from experts like Marina herself, a food technician, a nutritionist and a biochemist.
A plan helps immensely at the beginning and takes the stress away. At some point, you gain the freedom to develop your own recipes.
In the future, there will also be an app that you can use to keep a shopping list, for example, and move and duplicate recipes to make it easier and easier to implement the ketogenic diet.
So that was our interview, you must have felt Marina's enthusiasm for the ketogenic diet and perhaps the effect on your energy levels and well-being has also impressed you and inspired you to give it a try yourself.
Ganz The book Der Keto Kompass, which Marina co-wrote with Ulrike Gonder, Julia Tulipan and Brigitte Karner, has just been published.
Links to the episode:
The aforementioned movie "First Do No Harm" with Meryl Streep
The Foodpunk blog
To the Foodpunk nutrition plans
Marina's books:
- Low Carb typgerecht (Südwest), published in 2017
- Low Carb typgerecht Express (Südwest), published in 2018
- Keto Kompass (Systemed, Mit Ulrike Gonder, Rezeptteil)
- Schlank mit Keto (Südwest), published in December
Now I recommend you subscribe to the podcast so you don't miss an episode, and if you like what you hear, I'd really appreciate a review on iTunes or Apple Podcast. Because these reviews also help other people find the podcast so we can spread the knowledge about gut and health more.
Today I'm talking to nutritionist Marina Lommel.
Among other things, we talk about:
- What is a ketogenic diet anyway and what is the difference between low carb and keto?
- Are there any studies or evidence on the effect of the ketogenic diet on certain diseases?
- Why the myth "the brain needs sugar" is not true?
- Where the rumor that the ketogenic diet is dangerous comes from, what mistakes you can make on the ketogenic diet and why you shouldn't confuse ketosis with ketoacidosis
- Who should not follow a ketogenic diet?
- Why a slim person should eat a little more carbohydrate in between meals
- Whether you can eat a ketogenic diet as a vegetarian or vegan?
- And: how you can easily incorporate the ketogenic diet into your everyday life
I'm delighted to be interviewing Marina Lommel today. Marina studied nutritional science at the Technical University of Munich, where she wrote her thesis on ketogenic nutrition. In addition to her studies, she worked at the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, the Helmholtz Zentrum München, as well as in television and local radio.After her studies, she founded the company Foodpunk and today, after a few years, the company has already moved into premises with 200 square meters, a warehouse and 9 employees.
Roman and I know Marina personally, we have spoken at the same congresses as her, such as the Paleo Convention and the LCHF Congress, and we are also pleased that we have been working with Foodpunk plans for our customers for a few months now. And of course we have already tried the ketogenic diet for ourselves with the help of a Foodpunk nutrition plan.
In this interview you will learn a lot about the benefits and effects of the ketogenic diet and Marina also shares some of her own experiences and how you can implement something like this in your everyday life.
What is a ketogenic diet?
Roughly speaking, it is a special form of low-carbohydrate diet with the aim of getting into ketosis. This means that the level of blood ketones rises above a certain level. The amount of carbohydrates we eat is individual.
When the body is in a state of ketosis, you feel more productive, you start the day more actively and are less tired in the afternoon. All of this is very pronounced at the beginning, but later it becomes normal.
You also burn fat better here. Because the insulin level is always very low, fat cells can release fatty acids, which can then be burned.
In addition, you are less hungry. People who want to lose weight can therefore eat less, but do not end up in a state of starvation.
From a medical point of view, the ketogenic diet is very promising for epilepsy. This has already been proven by many studies, especially in children. This is because a ketogenic diet causes similar processes to take place in the body as fasting.
Recent studies suggest that it can also have a positive, healing effect on cancer, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease.
The myth that "the brain needs sugar
"Ketosis has an effect on many metabolic processes and processes in the brain. Brain.
Marina says that the myth "the brain absolutely needs sugar" is absolutely not true. Certain brain cells actually prefer to metabolize glucose, but neurons and nerve cells that we use for thinking can also use ketones.
If you have been eating a ketogenic diet for a long time, your body is well keto-adapted. This means that the better the body has learned to deal with ketone bodies, the better the metabolism works and is therefore more effective.
A change in metabolism does not happen overnight. It takes time and patience.
Is a ketogenic diet dangerous and what mistakes can you make?
Ketosis is often confused with keto-acidosis, but these are two different things.
Keto-acidosis is actually a dangerous metabolic state, but it cannot occur in healthy people or it is not possible to achieve it.
In healthy people, the presence of ketone bodies in the blood triggers a certain release of insulin. Insulin is the antagonist of ketone bodies. When ketone bodies rise in the blood, the pancreas releases insulin, which in turn causes some ketone bodies to be excreted in the urine. This automatically maintains the balance or a healthy level.
If this no longer works, it becomes dangerous, as is the case with type I diabetics or alcoholics, for example.
Many prejudices used to arise due to incorrect implementation. Ketogenic diets were not as tasty and were therefore considered unfeasible or only used for children. At some point it was considered easier to take medication. But it is actually much easier to change your diet.
Of course, there are also diseases that cannot be cured by diet alone. On the other hand, it's also difficult to get well if you don't change your diet.
Ketogenic is a very powerful form of nutrition and there's a lot you can do wrong. That's why you should inform yourself well beforehand, because otherwise you can do worse just because you don't know any better.
The right sources of fat and the right sources of protein are very important to ensure that it is healthy. Healthy people should do it for at least 1 to 3 months to feel the real effects. In the beginning, you will have difficulties adjusting, such as tiredness and headaches, but it is only after 30 days at the earliest that you can judge whether it is doing you any good and then the first side effects will also go away.
Who is better off not following a ketogenic diet?
It is good for very overweight people because it has an incredibly successful effect in a short time.
It is often less popular with very slim people. This is because it has a weight-normalizing effect. So very slim people may gain some weight. The body then goes to a healthy weight, which is not always the optical model weight. If you also do a lot of weight training, you should consider adding more carbohydrates after about three months, also to produce the hormone leptin again.
People who want to gain weight should make sure that they consume more energy or more calories. In this case, they usually automatically have a greater appetite for fat. In this case, a ketogenic diet can help to bring your weight up to a healthy level.
It is generally not a good idea to start something new during pregnancy and breastfeeding. Marina would not recommend a strict ketogenic diet, but each case must be discussed individually.
Marina would also recommend the ketogenic diet not recommended for growing children unless medically necessary. In epileptic children who have been fed a very strict ketogenic diet, it has been observed that it can lead to growth deficits. Here you have to weigh up what is more important in the case. And medication also has side effects.
Ketogenic
diet for vegetarians and vegans
Vegetables are also an essential part of a ketogenic diet.
From a social point of view, Marina respects it when someone chooses not to eat meat. From a nutritional point of view, she doesn't think it's ideal. Some components in meat (such as B12) or animal protein are sometimes recommended.
It is easier to follow a ketogenic diet as a vegetarian than as a vegan. You can use eggs or high-fat dairy products, for example.
Vegans often get their protein from pulses. However, these are too high in carbohydrates for a ketogenic diet. An alternative are various vegan protein powders, such as almond protein. You should also use these to get at least 50g of protein a day to ensure muscle maintenance.
How to integrate a ketogenic diet into your everyday life
Of course, it takes some practice, but over time it works just as well as a normal diet. In the beginning, a plan and recipes help you to get a feel for how much fat you should eat, how much protein you need, etc.
Gradually, you will get a better feel for what you can eat and how much you can eat to stay in ketosis. The body gets used to it and develops a certain tolerance (if you are well keto-adapted). Then the body can stay in ketosis for longer or get back into it more quickly.
Of course, you have to look carefully at where you eat and can't just go to McDonald's, for example, but perhaps choose a good burger joint and leave out the bun, for example, or have some extra guacomole, etc. You will definitely find your way. You will definitely find your way and especially when you realize how well you feel and that it's worth it.
Even for people who otherwise eat healthily, it has a big impact. Especially on sleep, fatigue and regeneration. At some point, you even develop something of an addiction to this good feeling.
About Marina's work
Marina is the founder of Foodpunk. She started out with a blog in which she shares her knowledge in an easily understandable way. This is about ketogenic nutrition, Paleo, low carb etc. and their differences.
After Marina was asked more and more often by people for nutrition plans, she started to develop and offer these too.
On Foodpunk you get individual nutrition plans including meal structure, quantities etc. for 30 days. This helps you get started and get a feel for your new diet. You also get support from experts like Marina herself, a food technician, a nutritionist and a biochemist.
A plan helps immensely at the beginning and takes the stress away. At some point, you gain the freedom to develop your own recipes.
In the future, there will also be an app that you can use to keep a shopping list, for example, and move and duplicate recipes to make it easier and easier to implement the ketogenic diet.
So that was our interview, you must have felt Marina's enthusiasm for the ketogenic diet and perhaps the effect on your energy levels and well-being has also impressed you and inspired you to give it a try yourself.
Ganz The book Der Keto Kompass, which Marina co-wrote with Ulrike Gonder, Julia Tulipan and Brigitte Karner, has just been published.
Links to the episode:
The aforementioned movie "First Do No Harm" with Meryl Streep
The Foodpunk blog
To the Foodpunk nutrition plans
Marina's books:
- Low Carb typgerecht (Südwest), published in 2017
- Low Carb typgerecht Express (Südwest), published in 2018
- Keto Kompass (Systemed, Mit Ulrike Gonder, Rezeptteil)
- Schlank mit Keto (Südwest), published in December
Now I recommend you subscribe to the podcast so you don't miss an episode, and if you like what you hear, I'd really appreciate a review on iTunes or Apple Podcast. Because these reviews also help other people find the podcast so we can spread the knowledge about gut and health more.
