KETO PLANNING AND STOCKPILING DURING COVID-19

March 25, 2022

Nothing is more challenging than stockpiling keto supplies during a major environmental crisis like the Coronavirus.
I apologize for not posting any keto-related topics lately; the coronavirus headlines are keeping me glued to the news channels. Its official name is Coronavirus Disease 2019, or you can call it by its nickname, Covid-19.

WHAT IS COVID-19?

Coronavirus 2019 is our unwelcome unseen visitor. Already striking fear in other parts of the world, it is really only a matter of time before we see it on our doorsteps. Luckily, you still have time to prepare, keep calm, and still remain in ketosis.
Recognized only in December 2019, the COVID-19 virus is not only related to the previous SARS virus from 2002-2003, but it also bears some similarity to the MERS disease ( Middle East respiratory syndrome) of 2012 fame.
Most patients affected with COVID-19 are adults. For some reason, children younger than age 15 seem less likely to be infected. Fatalities are seen in both immune suppressed and normal patients. The older you are, or the more coexisting medical conditions you already have, the more likely you will be sicker.
Luckily, even though COVID-19 appears to be more contagious, the death rate among those with symptoms is only 2%. No cure right now. But scientists are hoping that once we have more recovered patients, we can use their antibodies to make medications to fight this disease.
Like most of my neighbors, I was kind of in denial. The virus seemed so far away. But, reality finally hits me.

EMPTY SHELVES

I went out on my usual errand-shopping the other day and found that my favorite store was out of coconut milk. Not only that, I noticed the entire shelves of “nothing”. What is missing? Why it looks like people are buying up bleach, but thankfully, so far, most of the shelves in my neighborhood store are still fully stocked. I assume bleach is to clean off suspected surfaces contaminated with COVID-19, and not to use it as a drink!

Like many families, my family is not particularly a solid follower of any one diet. We have a couple of vegetarian members, one was vegan for a while, another member needs to avoid gluten, two are carnivores, one is intermittently keto, while another is keto, one has fish allergies, one of us has nut allergies, and three are carb lovers. Did I miss anyone? When I go shopping it is not unusual for me to buy some obviously keto-friendly items, only to add some groceries that cater to the dietary requirements of the rest of my family. Keto becomes a challenge and needs more will power than usual when you have non-keto family members. But for the rest of us, the KETO followers, I have compiled a quick list that you might find helpful.

NON-PERISHABLE AND KETO FRIENDLY FOOD – THE BASICS

What about the food? We need to get out there and buy at least some basic supplies. What can you buy that is both non-perishable and keto-friendly?

 

KETO FOOD SURVIVAL SHOPPING LIST

 

OILS and FATS

Keto is mostly fat, remember?

 

Coconut oil

These come in bottles or sometimes are canned. Coconut oil has a very long shelf life.

Coconut oil is also solid at room temperature and doesn’t need refrigeration for up to two years. You can use this for deep frying, sauteing, and salads.

 

Ghee

Popular in India and in the Middle East, ghee is also seen in Southeast Asia and was used as a form of traditional medicine.

Thanks to the keto movement, ghee is now usually available everywhere, even at Walmart. Bottles of yellow ghee are definitely shelf-stable. Ghee is clarified butter and usually is found as globs of yellow “candle like” wax, packaged in glass bottles. If you keep the jar unopened, ghee can last on your shelf for up to a year. If under refrigeration, I suspect it can even be longer.

Sour cream

Yes, you can find sour cream, but it has to be in powdered form, the type that you can rehydrate with water before using.  It is available in some camping stores, but for the majority of us, this type of specialty item, you will need to buy it online.

 

Heavy cream (canned)

If you would rather open a can, there are several options for you. Nestle makes these canned heavy creams, both available in stores and online.

 

Heavy cream (powder)

If you like cream in your coffee, or if you make your own whipped cream for dessert, you will want to make sure that you have heavy cream at all times. Powdered versions are available!!!

 

Butter

Backpackers and off grid survivalists are all too familiar with ready to eat food. And butter? It happens to be also available in powder form

 

Cheese

 

Yes, cheese too, can come in powdered form. 

 

Mayonnaise

Watch out, many commercial mayonnaises have hidden sugar. Look for sugar-free options. I had no luck finding keto mayo in regular discount stores. Not surprisingly, scrutinize the label and you’ll find they all have sugar in them. Try the specialty grocers (Wholefoods and Trader Joes) and you will have a better chance of finding them there. Good luck.

 

Olives

Olives contain about 10 to 15% fat, are delicious, and flavorful.

Canned olives are always a good choice. There are many choices in the grocery store.

 

VEGETABLES

This could get tricky. Thanks to our pioneering forefathers, they used salting, canning, drying and pickling, way, way before we had refrigerators.

Vegetables can be dried or canned in order to last for several months.

If you don’t have an off-grid experience, don’t despair, go get some canned vegetables.

 

Canned vegetables

Easiest option. Go early to the stores to beat the crowds. Canned spinach, kale, mushrooms, artichokes, black olives are keto-friendly. Don’t forget, you will need a can opener.

 

Dried Vegetables = DIY do it yourself

If you happen to own a home dehydrator, you can even go out and buy fresh broccoli and dehydrate them yourself. Not all vegetables are keto-friendly. Remember, choose veggies such as *** broccoli peppers, eggplant, and Brussel sprouts. Kale, cucumbers, radishes, spinach, asparagus, bokchoy, cabbage, celery, mushrooms.***

A tip when drying your own veggies: Blanch them first before drying.

Broccoli has to be blanched first in some hot water. Once the broccoli changes color to a bright green, you can shake off the excess water and cut the stems up before placing the broccoli in your dehydrator. A basic, no-frills dehydrator should be fine. You might even be able to score a used one at a garage sale for $5. The dried broccoli can then be stored in large gallon zip lock bags to be stored for future use.

 

Dried Mushrooms 

These are popular as meat substitutes. There are many kinds. You will find that mushrooms are also easily dehydrated. Our local oriental store sells dried mushrooms in bulk. They keep forever. Once you need some, you can soak them in water for a few hours until they swell up, and become soft enough to slice and cook.

 

Zucchini and cauliflower

These are dehydrator friendly, dry well, and are less likely to stick to the trays. Cut them thicker. If cut too thin, they tend to stick to the tray. See above *** for the other keto-friendly veggies.

 

Onions 

  • Onions tend to carry more carbs so please limit to 2 tablespoons daily

Artichokes

 bottled, canned or pickled

 

Red roasted peppers 

bottled

 

Sprouters

Do you enjoy fresh alfalfa sprouts? Sprouting your own vegetables is not only fun but its also a good way to produce a portion of your daily greenery for side dishes.

 

PROTEIN

 

Meats

Beef, chicken and turkey jerky. Be sure to check for added sugar or honey. If they have these sweeteners on the list of ingredients, put them back on the shelf.

Canned sausage, canned meat, chicken cubes

 

Seafood

Canned clams, crabmeat, shrimp, tuna and sardines in oil. Dried anchovies, dried fish. DIY- do your own dry fish using a dehydrator.

 

KETO friendly long-life milk 

Almond milk, coconut milk, and soy milk are all available in tetra brick packaging, which means they do not need refrigeration. You can find these kinds of milk under the baking section.Not only are protein powders convenient and shelf-stable, but you can also use them in baking, cooking or in keto smoothies.

 

Bone Broth

These come in cans and tetra bricks too. Some are bottled. Stock up on a few.

 

Keto-friendly ethnic food

If you are adventurous, you can try salted eggs. Many Wuhan households are doing fine as far as protein is concerned. With a stash of salted eggs and pickled veggies, all they need is rice. But if you have never been to, or are not brave enough to walk into an oriental grocer, you are out of luck, because that’s where you will find them. These eggs are usually vacuum packed, and if you find them on the regular shelf instead of in the freezer section, you can expect these eggs to last can stand a shelf life of up to 40 days. There are US versions of pickled eggs too.

 

Pickles

Pickled cucumbers, pickled eggs, pickled olives, pickled fish. The list is endless.

 

Peanut butter

Yes, its true. Peanut butter now comes in sugarfree versions. Look at the labels and you only need to buy the ones with two ingredients - peanuts and oil. You can find it on the shelf at Whole foods or online.

Keto Emergency Snacks

Nuts, pork rinds, jerky, baked cheese (Moon whisps, or keto cheese balls). Seltzer water, with a hint of lemon flavor, and no sweetener, is one of my favorites. We really should be avoiding snacks. But for those who struggle to get into a regular keto lifestyle, snacks might still be a needed bridge to success, at least in the beginning.

 

To summarize,

 

My favorite emergency keto shopping list

 

OILS AND BUTTER

Coconut oil
Olive oil
Clarified butter or ghee
MCT oil (medium-chain triglyceride oils)
Powdered sour cream
Coconut milk
Powdered cream

Powdered BUTTER

canned heavy cream

PROTEIN (Canned or bottled)

Tuna
Salmon
Sardines
Chicken chunks
Artichokes
Mushrooms
Black olives
Powdered whey isolate protein
Coconut milk in tetra brick packs (doesn’t need refrigeration)
Almond milk – in brick packs (doesn’t need refrigeration)
Dried eggs

Salted eggs
Century eggs (only for the adventurous)
Certain Keto BHB salts ( comes in powder form, but are expensive)

Bone broth

SNACKS

Nuts (peanuts, walnuts, macadamia, pecans, etc.)

Sugarfree peanut butter
Pork rinds

Sushi wrapper snacks
Unsweetened cocoa powder
Lilys - Chocolate chips (These are stevia-sweetened)- buy it at Wholefoods or Trader Joes
Quest tortilla chips (somewhat expensive)
Pickled foods

Seltzer water, plain!!! or with citrus flavor but unsweetened.

WATER

The recommendation is to have at least three days of water supply. That’s one gallon per person per day to account for cooking and personal hygiene. Store some water in jugs or get yourself some potable water purification tablets.

PET FOOD - don't forget Fluffy!

Stock up on Fluffy's food and medications.

Additional survival tips:

 

MEDICATIONS

Band-aids.
Allergy medications.
Acetaminophen, Ibuprofen.
Antibiotic ointments or a bottle of hydrogen peroxide
Sugar-free cough medicine.
Prescription meds – make sure you have enough refills
Write down a list of contact information - doctors contact numbers, pharmacy, next of kin

OTHER FIRST AID and EMERGENCY SUPPLIES

Rubbing alcohol at least 70%
Bottle of bleach or pine sol
Hand sanitizer
Tweezers
Scissors
Matches
Flashlight with batteries
Crank radio

CAR MAINTENANCE

Did you change your oil, filter, and check your tires?
Fill up with gas

CASH

Get some cash from the bank or ATM.

MASKS

Did your stores run out of protective N95 masks? The Center for disease control approves other forms of face protection.
They must fall under the following categories: N99, N100, P95, P99, P100, R95, R99 and R100.

MENTAL HEALTH

Call your relatives and friends, offer help to those in need.
Meditate, pray.


I hope this short blurb was helpful in some way. It is not too late to make a plan of action and at the same time, stay calm, sane and collected.


Here are a few of my favorite survival items on Amazon. Some may have affiliated links, proceeds of which will go to costs of my upcoming book. If you happen to be one of my patients, you can get my future book for free! If you are part of my Facebook Keto for Cancer group and are an active commenter, you will have a chance to win one keto-related book from my overstuffed keto library!

Whey powder
Powdered butter
Pickled eggs
Survival radio

Exploring the Link Between Cancer and Weight Loss:

March 14, 2024
Breaking Down the Fear  Ketogenic diets often result in weight loss. Cancer patients frequently lose weight. Does this mean that keto diets are harmful to use in cancer patients? Cancer and weight loss are two topics that often come hand in hand, yet the relationship between them can be complex and sometimes frightening. Weight loss, particularly unexplained or rapid, can evoke fear in many individuals, often signaling underlying severe health concerns. However, when it comes to cancer, weight loss can sometimes be one of the earliest signs of the disease. In today's blog, we delve into the connection between cancer and weight loss, unraveling why the latter often instills fear and how understanding this relationship can lead to better health outcomes. Understanding Cancer and Weight Loss: Cancer involves uncontrolled cell growth and abnormal spread of cells throughout the body. These invading cells affect various organs and systems and disrupt their normal function. Weight loss can be very subtle or profound depending on the type of organ invaded. As cancer takes root and establishes itself, it also spews out cytokines (unique inflammatory proteins) that also serve as signal messengers, signaling muscles to lose volume, resulting in a weight loss phenomenon known as cachexia. Cachexia is a complex syndrome. Inflammation is often at the root of this problem, of profound muscle wasting, generalized fatigue, and poor appetite, Why Are We Afraid of Weight Loss? Weight loss, in general, is often perceived negatively in society. There's a prevailing notion that thinness equates to health, beauty, and success, while weight loss may imply illness or a lack of control. However, when weight loss occurs without intentional dieting or exercise, it can be a red flag for underlying health issues, including cancer. In cancer, especially, the presence of weight loss is disturbing because we traditionally associate it with illness. Association with Illness: Unexplained weight loss is commonly associated with illness, particularly severe conditions like cancer. The fear of the unknown and the potential implications of such weight loss can be daunting for individuals. To be of "normal" weight is equated with health. Loss of Control: Weight loss, especially rapid or involuntary, can make individuals feel like they've lost control over their bodies. This loss of power can be unsettling and exacerbate feelings of anxiety or fear. Uncertainty: Weight loss without a clear cause can be perplexing and raise questions about what might happen within the body. The uncertainty surrounding the underlying cause can contribute to fear and anxiety. During chemotherapy, however, weight loss is inevitable because we are in a catabolic state. The active cancer is making us lose weight. The key is to control or snuff out the underlying cancer. Once you weaken the tumor, less cytokine release and less inflammation will follow. As this occurs, the "source" of the cytokine release will die, and weight gain should naturally recover. Therefore, loading up on carbohydrates to make us appear to be of "normal weight" is incorrect. Loading up on sugary treats will only strengthen the cancer and will only be counterproductive! Conclusion: The fear of weight loss, particularly in the context of cancer, is understandable, given the potential implications for health and well-being. However, by understanding the complex relationship between cancer and weight loss and challenging societal stigmas, we can accept some form of healthy weight loss during chemotherapy. We can learn to recognize unhealthy weight loss (loss of muscle mass) and differentiate it from healthy weight loss during a ketogenic diet (most of which is weight loss from fat and excess water). As long as one feels energetic, with normal blood parameters and no indication of significant liver or kidney failure, anemia, or marrow failure, then some healthy weight loss during chemotherapy or implementation of a ketogenic diet CAN be acceptable.

GINGER ALE DURING CHEMOTHERAPY

March 4, 2024
Are you still drinking "ginger ale" during your chemotherapy sessions? You know, those gleaming, chilled cans of sparkly soda that your cheerful chemotherapy nurse hands out along with your anti nausea pills?  The scent and the taste of ginger help nausea stay away. But did you know that your "ginger ale" contains no ginger? Worse, the HFCS high fructose corn syrup, a highly processed sugar, can do you more harm than good. And making your cancer cells really happy. Next time you go for your chemo session, ask for water instead. Or better yet, bring your own ginger-infused drink from home. Here is some background about ginger. For centuries, ginger has been used as a remedy for nausea and digestive issues, and some scientific evidence supports its effectiveness. Here are some examples. Morning Sickness: Pregnant women often experience morning sickness, and ginger has been traditionally used to alleviate these symptoms. Several studies have shown that ginger can reduce nausea and vomiting during pregnancy. For example, a meta-analysis published in the Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology Research in 2014 concluded that ginger supplementation significantly reduced the severity of nausea and vomiting in pregnant women without any significant side effects. Motion Sickness: Ginger is effective in reducing motion sickness. A study published in Aviation, Space, and Environmental Medicine 1986 found that ginger was more effective than a placebo in reducing symptoms of motion sickness. Subsequent studies have supported these findings, suggesting ginger can alleviate symptoms like nausea, vomiting, and cold sweating associated with motion sickness. Chemotherapy-Induced Nausea: Cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy experience nausea and vomiting. The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine 2009 published a review that analyzed several randomized controlled trials and found that ginger supplementation could reduce the severity of chemotherapy-induced nausea. Postoperative Nausea: Nausea and vomiting are common after surgery. A meta-analysis published in the journal Integrative Cancer Therapies in 2012 found that ginger effectively reduced postoperative nausea and vomiting compared to a placebo. However, we need more research to fully understand its mechanisms and best dosage. Everyone responds differently, but ginger, in its natural form, is usually safe to take during chemotherapy. Just make sure its the real thing! Photo credit Dan Sorum @ unsplash

Welcome to all our new members

January 30, 2023
Welcome to all our new members

Getting Started On A Keto Diet

May 17, 2022
Getting started on the keto diet usually sounds like someone is trying to lose weight? When you add cancer to that recipe, it becomes a whole new ball game. Do any of these thoughts sound familiar? “ I want to fight my cancer , and I heard that this diet can help me heal “ “ I’m confused because the keto diet will make me lose weight” “I’m afraid to lose more weight.” “I can’t afford to lose weight! “ “When is weight loss just right, and when is it too much? “ Is there real hope for me? Over the past two decades, I’ve seen my share of cancer patients. Yup, the whole package - diagnosis, anxiety, chemo, radiation, hair loss, weight loss, and, failures. But, I also saw many patients who achieve clean CT scans, remission, happy news, hair growth, and of course, the coveted weight gain. I have my own collection of patients with stage four cancers, a few have actually reached their ten to twelve year anniversary with me. Most of them have made it past five years and some are in complete remission. Yes, stage four to stage zero! How did they do it? You may have come to this website, searching for answers. I wish that I could tell you all that I know, in one sentence, but I can’t. It usually takes me several office visits to educate my patients. For now, you can stick around, and try to absorb the knowledge from current posts. Take time to read through my past blogs. Signup for a keto conference. There is one coming up very soon. The MHS 2022 in Santa Barbara California. May 5 to 8. Read books, and more books. You might be surprised. Not all books are the same. Some are full of dense material, while some are mostly fluff. But eventually, you will find the right book for you. Join me in one of my subgroups. But you need to fit the profile and be past the beginners stage when you join. Or you might get bored! I do show up there from time to time, to break the ice. And by the way, when you are stuck and can’t find the answers you are looking for...you need to make your voice heard and post your questions. What if my cancer doctor doesn’t approve? If your cancer doctor doesn’t know much about the keto lifestyle, or about metabolic approaches to cancer, don’t lose hope. Try to educate them, Share your knowledge. Even if they are at first resistant, with time, some will marvel at your progress and will notice that you are doing better than their average patients. Finally... the number one question that shows up on my blog.... What diet is best for me? I’m so CONFUSED! “ Dr. XXX on YouTube said that a keto diet and weight loss is good for cancer, but another doctor YYY said the opposite, that I should eat, healthy carbs, more plants, fruit , avoid fat and protein, try to gain weight. “ Dr. WWW advocates a vegan diet, but Dr ZZZ said do a carnivore diet.... , help!!!! Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!

New drug for relapsed Glioblastoma, a deadly form of brain cancer

March 30, 2022
There is exciting news on the horizon for glioblastoma, which is a deadly form of brain cancer. Have you heard of activated T cell therapy? It is similar to the car-T cell therapies that you often hear about for blood cancers. Well, this form of therapy is now available for patients with brain cancers. The catch is, you must enroll in a clinical trial. It is not yet available to the public. To qualify, one must have glioblastoma, a form of brain cancer , and cancer must have relapsed after the first diagnosis. Patients who are interested are now able to ask for information about enrolment at the Cedars Sinai Medical Centre in Los Angeles. This trial will be classified under a Phase one type of clinical trial. The drug company, Kairos pharma is the sponsor. This exciting new therapy, otherwise known as KROS 201, is a form of activated T cell therapy. The patient’s white blood cells are first harvested. Blood is removed by a simple intravenous blood draw, and then sent off to the lab to be processed in a cell culture. In the lab, the white blood cells are primed by exposing them to small protein substances called cytokines. This process will in turn activate the white blood cells, specifically the killer T cells. Once activated, these cells can now fight cancer by inactivating cancer stem cells. The T cells are returned to the patient’s body by intravenous infusion. The link for enrolment is not yet available but do keep checking on www.clinicaltrials.gov

Mistletoe plus chemotherapy in non small cell lung cancer

March 25, 2022
Iscador, a type of mistletoe preparation was tested by a medical team in Israel alongside conventional chemotherapy in the treatment of patients with advanced non small cell lung cancer. Although no improvement in survival or quality of life was noted,non hematological side effects from the chemotherapy and hospitalizations were less in the group which received the mistle toe preparation. Possible yet unproven mechanisms of action include improvement of immune function via increasing the number of NK natural killer cells as well as improve the function of Tumor Necrosis Factor Alpha. Fever which is also a noted side effect of this preparation has been described prior to spontaneous regression of certain cancers such as melanoma implying a possible role of immunotherapy in the fight against cancer. No randomized trials on cancer patients have yet been published. 

Brain cancer – Challenges with the ketogenic diet

March 25, 2022
We made little progress in the way of survival in the treatment of malignant brain tumors, specifically the deadly glioblastoma multiform. Despite aggressive surgery followed by radiation therapy and precautionary chemotherapy, they relapse early and survival is measured in months. Patients rarely survive beyond a year. Alternative therapies abound with few successes. Some patients attempt to enroll in clinical trials in search of new drugs that might make a difference in their survival.  There is a biologic treatment available. It is the monoclonal antibody called Bevacizumab. It supposedly controls the growth of blood vessels that supply nutrition to the brain tumor. Shrinking the blood supply supposedly starves the tumor. Very exciting, but nonetheless isn't a cure. Long term survivors still remain a rarity. There is mounting interest in metabolic basis of cancer development. In this respect, I do feel that ketogenic diets have potential benefit in brain cancer patients. The role of sugar and carbohydrates in the progression of brain tumors is interesting. Since most patients also are on steroids to improve brain swelling. It is also bad for them because this also increases their blood glucose. I wonder, if we are indeed adding fuel to the fire. A few case reports of brain tumor patients who were offered the ketogenic diet showed that some tumors stopped growing while others improved their survival. Notably, upon discontinuation of the diet, the tumor was noted to again progress, only to regain control upon reinitiation. Currently there are 4 clinical trials ongoing in the United States involving the ketogenic diet in the treatment of various forms of cancer. Another is ongoing in Germany. More clinical trial participation is desperately needed if we are going to move ahead and forge any progress with this deadly cancer. =

Lonsurf, newly approved colon cancer drug

March 25, 2022
Three weeks ago I got word that another new chemotherapy drug has been approved for the treatment of colorectal cancer. Ideal candidates for this drug are patients who failed previous chemotherapy involving one of the following drugs: 5-Fluorouracil, Oxaliplatin, Irinotecan, Cetuximab (also known as Erbitux) and Avastin ( also known as Bevacizumab).This new drug has two active components, trifluridine and tipiracil. Trifluridine is a new nucleoside analog. In other words, a nucleoside is a nitrogen containing biologic compound linked to a sugar, which when phosphorylated, turns into a nucleotide, which is a vital part of the DNA backbone. Trifluridine therefore is a nucleoside analog, meaning it isn't but acts like a nucleoside. It incorporates itself into the DNA structure and interferes with cell growth and proliferation. Tipiracil inhibits the enzyme thymidine phosphorylase, which catalyzes the degradation of Trifluridine, thus allowing it to last longer. Thymidine phosphorylase by itself has pro-angiogenic properties, meaning it promotes blood vessel formation and encourages better blood supply of tumors, so Tipiracil directly stops this advantage. Furthermore, Tipiracil by stopping thymidine phosphorylase, prevents the formation of thymine and 2-deoxy-alpha-D-ribose 1-phosphate. 2DARP is a strong reducing sugar product of thymidine catabolism and causes increased oxidative stress within tumors, promotes release of more tumor blood vessel promoting factors ( angiogenic growth factors) such as interleukin-8, vascular endothelial growth factors VEGF, and matrix metalloproteinase-1 an enzyme which breaks down collagen and extracelular matrix, which is key in promoting tumor metastases. This three mode action of tipiracil ( inhibits thymine production, thymidine phosphorylase VEGF activity, stops ROS and MMP-1 , VEGF and cytokine production)- makes it more attractive since it can potentiate the action of the common colorectal chemotherapy drug 5- fluorouracil whose main action is to inhibit formation of thymine. The RECOURSE trial, a —international, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study conducted in patients with previously treated metastatic colorectal cancer apparently resulted in statistically significant improvement in overall survival and progression free survival . The drug is given orally, twice a day, for two straight weeks, minus weekends, followed by a two week break. Side effects are listed as anemia, neutropenia, asthenia/fatigue, nausea, —thrombocytopenia, decreased appetite, diarrhea,vomiting, abdominal pain,—pyrexia. Since it is barely a month since FDA approval ( Sept. 24, 2015) it still has not hit our pharmacy shelves. I am however eager to try this. Will update you again in a few months. 

Getting into ketosis

March 25, 2022
How long does it take to get into a state of clinical ketosis? By ketosis, I mean the levels of beta-hydroxybutyric acid reaching to above normal levels yet not high enough to bring you into a medical emergency such as ketoacidosis. As little as a day is all it takes. You an achieve this in different ways. The most common and sure fire method is to simply stop eating. If you fast and only limit your intake to water or sugarless herbal , which technically has ZERO calories, you will achieve a state of ketosis in no time. Another way is to try fasting for 15 hours a day, or roughly, just eat one full meal daily. this should bring you into ketosis too, though not all 24 hours are involved. If you try a ketogenic diet, that means, you will be limiting your carbohydrate intake to approximately 20% of your total daily intake, and take the rest in the form of fats ( 70-75%) and proteins (5 to 10%).  Monitoring your progress will be helpful. A simple glucometer will suffice. Individual serum Ketone sticks, readily available from Amazon.com or special order through your pharmacy can be used to check your ketone levels throughout the week.

Update on clinical trials of the ketogenic diet in cancer

March 25, 2022
Several clinical trials are ongoing throughout the United States at the moment.  The University of Iowa Department of Radiation Oncology is running a couple of Phase I trials on the use of the ketogenic diet plus radiation and chemotherapy in head and neck cancers, and they also have another which studies the ketogenic diet plus chemoradiation in non-small cell lung cancers and pancreatic cancer. Michigan State University has one which recruited brain cancers, also known as glioblastomas, a very deadly type of brain cancer. Duke University recently began a randomized trial studying the ketogenic diet plus androgen deprivation therapy in prostate cancer , using the ketogenic diet versus a control standard diet. Unfortunately per recent info posted on the clinicaltrials.gov website, the trial was terminated as of December 2015, due to lack of funding, and due to the principal investigator leaving . Closer to home, the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Pittsburgh has their own trial which recently concluded in 2015. This trial recruited patients with advanced solid tumors across broad tumor types and patients dieted up to 16 weeks or until tolerated. The results have not yet been publicly released as it is currently under manuscript review.
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