Interesting theories on water - your weight loss friend :)

noodles1609

Having a very lovely life
I've been reading an awful lot recently on the metabolic processes of ketosis to enhance my own understanding of what goes on in the body (actually I set off to find out why it's reportedly dangerous to drink alcohol in ketosis, haven't found that out yet but did find lots of other interesting info!) - and have found some interesting theories on water consumption. These are just theories as there isn't a full understanding of why water helps with weight loss, the experts just know that it does! Thought I would share what I've found as it's really helped me to focus on upping my intake :)

Drink your water ice cold - the body works hard to maintain a core temperature, the colder your water, the harder it has to work to get that water up to temperature - this process requires energy, the energy is from ketones, the ketones are made from your fat. So, drinking cold water burns your fat :)

When you are dehydrated your blood gets thicker - so it makes total sense that being very well hydrated will have at least a temporary effect of thinning your blood, until your body equalises that through other processes. If your blood is more dilute for even a short period then it makes sense also that your insulin levels will be temporarily lowered too. Insulin allows fat into fat cells but then holds the door shut so it can't get out again. Lowered insulin means there are some fat cells that will have their doors unguarded for a while, so the fat can sneak out.

Ketones are made in your liver, but the capacity the liver has to devote to making ketones from your fat depends on what else it's doing. There are other processes that take priority (it's like the queuebusters in a supermarket, while they are serving on the tills, their regular job of filling the shelves isn't being done) - so if your liver is detoxifying the toxic substances you've ingested, there is less capacity devoted to ketone production (toxins being things like caffiene, otc drugs, alcohol etc). Drinking water dilutes these toxins so more of the queuebusters can go back to filling the shelves ;). One suggestion is drinking a glass of water after each cup of coffee (or coke zero, or tea).

Ketones have a maximum capacity in your body - going back to the supermarket shelves, there is only one aisle available for the ketones, once that aisle is full, there is nowhere to put the rest, so they stop being made until there is room. If you then flush that aisle with water, the shelves will empty and production will continue to fill the shelves back up. Keep on flushing them out, they keep on being made from your fat.

As I said, these are theories, but theories from experts in their fields so do have their base in metabolic understanding. I do like them, and they work for me! What's not to like about having a fat flushing facility literally on tap! :D
 
And here's another one that isn't a theory - add a pinch of salt to your water to help balance out what you're flushing through - needs to be the most natural salt you can get, sea salt or rock salt rather than processed fine white stuff :)
 
You should start an interesting info thread! I keep reading bits you're posting and am finding them really interesting. Sure you'll get lots of subscribers!
 
That's awesome info.
 
Very interesting :thumbup:

You really are a fountain of knowledge! I agree that you should start your own thread xx
 
amazing! thank you!
I find the more information I have, gives me more reasons to do things that I think I should do anyway.

I might be careful with my caffeine intake, but Ill also ensure my water intake goes up, I really try but I think I could drink even more.

I also take milk thistle for my liver -not sure exactly what it does but its good for your liver, I would take to clear up hangovers and Im sure it works.
I also heard that nettle tea is good for cleansing the liver and ive been drinking it continuously in the afternoons at work, its been really enjoyable!
 
(actually I set off to find out why it's reportedly dangerous to drink alcohol in ketosis, haven't found that out yet but did find lots of other interesting info!)

Below is the research you were looking for...


DO NOT DRINK ALCOHOL IF YOU ARE KETOTIC!

Alcohol is a powerful inhibitor of gluconeogenesis. In fact, it forces part of the gluconeogenic metabolic process into reverse. This means that if all the glucose in the blood is being derived from gluconeogenesis then the consumption of alcohol will inevitably cause the blood glucose level to fall. Worse still, the alcohol also stops ketone body production, thus leaving the brain entirely without fuel.
A person who is ketotic is 100% reliant on gluconeogenesis to maintain adequate levels of glucose in the blood. If, under these circumstances alcohol is taken, the person will become disorientated and might lose consciousness, not just from the alcohol, but from low blood sugar. Needless to say, this could be very dangerous, and even fatal.
Alcohol does not have these effects if the glycogen stores in the liver are normal. Under these circumstances the blood glucose level in the blood is maintained by the breakdown of liver glycogen, a process that is not influenced by alcohol. If a person becomes confused under these circumstances it is due simply to the pharmacological effects of the alcohol!

Medical Physiology; Stellenbosch Faculty of Health Sciences



 
Thanks Mini, I have come across that, but I've also come across a lot of information that directly contradicts it. I'm still on the search for the why of all this information, I'm like a toddler asking why all the time, so I can understand it, I'm afraid I can't just accept things at face value until I understand them. From what I've found so far the suggestion that alcohol reverses gluconeogenesis makes no sense to me at all - that is the metabolic process of making glucose for the vital functions that can't do without it from protein - I've not found anything yet that supports the reason why that process would be reversed in the presence of alcohol, as alcohol to the liver is just a toxin, in the same way that caffeine or paracetamol is. The suggestion that alcohol stops ketone production also doesn't make much sense either, only in as much as the majority of alcohol contains carbs which are metabolised in favour of ketones and so you would temporarily come out of ketosis and make glycogen instead - and if that is the case it directly conflicts with the further information suggesting that it leaves your brain without fuel.

I'm not saying that's not right, but for now, I can't see how it could be, and are seeking to understand how it could be right, or to see if it's not right at all :)
 
Thanks Starlight - I know people have had bad experiences - what I'm looking for is why that should be. Lots of people have similar experiences who aren't in ketosis. I'm not looking to prove or disprove anything, I'm just seeking my own understanding - in the main as I don't tolerate carbs very well and intend to maintain on a relatively low carb diet going forward, as many people do, so I need to understand what this would mean if I had a drink too. There are many people who have a low carb lifestyle and also consume alcohol - I am wanting to understand what these dangers actually are (or aren't) - as my Dad would say - it says bovril on the side of buses, but they don't sell it ;)
 
after being in ketosis on LL for 3 solid months, I had my first night out drinking (after fully going back onto carbs an all foods)
regardless of anything else, my tolerance to alcohol had gone! I was in improper terms; wasted! I was lucky I noticed the effects before I drank any more as who knows what might have happened!

I agree its good to find things out though, research is ongoing on food and what we really should and shouldnt eat.
not long ago I would have thought a VLCD was a mad idea (perhaps many of you would have thought so too?)
who knows what will happen next!

apparently eating insects might be the new big thing!
 
Really interesting info re water-thank you. I am rubbish at drinking the stuff,not keen on flavouring it either. Just need to do it- a no brainer I know but I will try to give myself a star or something for every 1/2 litre like a kid's star chart lol
 
I upped my water consumption this week as i had been slacking a little with it - i think i was down to 2ltrs extra to packs rather than the 4ltrs that i started the journey with...and my weighlosses are getting a to be a bit of a struggle...

i lost 3.5lbs this week as opposed to 1.5 last week, and i hadnt done anything different apart from the water... it definitely makes a difference...

*off to get another glass of water* :)
 
And here's another one that isn't a theory - add a pinch of salt to your water to help balance out what you're flushing through - needs to be the most natural salt you can get, sea salt or rock salt rather than processed fine white stuff :)
Most of us get too much salt in our diets. The TFR diets all contain the required amount of salt don't they?

If you've got diarrhoea and are vomiting then salt and sugar should be added to water if you're not keeping anything down but otherwise it's not really needed.
 
Most of us get too much salt in our diets. The TFR diets all contain the required amount of salt don't they?

If you've got diarrhoea and are vomiting then salt and sugar should be added to water if you're not keeping anything down but otherwise it's not really needed.

What you need to consider is that by flushing everything through quickly you are also flushing out some salts. There is a great deal of research that backs this up.

I'm glad people have found some value in these theories, and that this thread didn't get sucked into the alcohol debate (I'm still reading sat right on top of the fence on that one!).
 
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