Ketogenic diet and Meniere's

I have not followed a keto way of eating but did spend over two years sticking to about 100gr of carbs a day. I got them mainly from fruits and vegetables. I eliminated gluten and dairy completely as well as other starchy carbs like rice.

I think <50gr isn't very healthy in the long run but, yes, the keto way of eating seems to work well for people with seizures according to the literature. My feeling is that the elimination of certain food groups may have helped you more than the actual keto plan.

I do very well without gluten, dairy, soy, table sugar, some types of legumes, and ready made/fast food. I saw a great improvement in my symptoms.

I recently introduced plain yogurt and some bread back because I am pretty active and need the extra carbs. However, I don't go overboard. I am careful with what I eat because there is a correlation between food and symptoms in my case.

Have you looked into a low FODMAP eating plan? I do believe that for some people, an unhappy gut exacerbates symptoms. It takes a lot of discipline and dedication to follow both a keto or FODMAP plan but it can be done. I had no problem following it.

 

You would like Dr David Perlmutter's book, "The Grain Brain".

He is an advocate of keto diets.

 

wow wobbly! That's great to hear and know, thanks for the update!

 

Remember to INCREASE your sodium consumption on a keto food plan or you may start crashing fast.

 

I too am eating low carb. I've had 2 doctor tell me to eat mainly meat and vegetables It is cooking a lot from scratch and more expensive. I try to not go over 80 gr a day. It is a tough way to eat sometimes. Supposedly eating low carbs helps get rid of inflammation in the body. I guess it makes sense it can help the ears. I have to add salt because eating this way people seem to need salt. Which could be why a person with MM would feel better. Not as much salt in the diet because not eating processed foods.

 

Wobbly, I'm so glad you are feeling better. That would be amazing if just a change in diet has helped!

I just wanted to add a couple of thoughts. A keto diet is actually high fat (around 70% of calories), moderate protein and low carb. Many people on a keto diet consume a max of 20 g of net carbs (carbs minus fiber and sugar alcohols, I believe). Keep in mind that the body can convert protein (meat/eggs/milk products/nuts) to glucose that can keep your body from forming ketone bodies to burn as fuel.

I have been following a keto diet for over two months now as a way to control diabetes. I found the standard high carb, low fat diet promoted by the American Diabetes Association and other professional organizations just left me with high blood sugars, high triglycerides and feeling bad.

The keto diet has actually been quite easy and quite healthful for me. I eat lots of salads and cooked vegetables with about 4 oz of meat or cheese with lunch and dinner and sometimes a couple of eggs and uncured bacon for breakfast. For fats, I consume lots of black olives, avocados, avocado oil (from Costco) and some coconut oil, butter from grass-fed cows (Costco), and some heavy cream. I don't eat any fruit except for some berries. Occasionally, I'll eat some macadamia nuts and cream cheese.

My blood sugar levels are fantastic, my triglycerides are great, and my LDL particles are primarily of the fluffy variety (pattern A). Oh, and I have effortlessly dropped 16 pounds, even though I had a normal BMI to begin.

In my opinion, the low carb/high fat diet will become more mainstream in the next few years. There was an important prospective study that was just published last week in the Annals of Internal Medince concluding a low carb diet was more successful than a low fat diet in many regards: "Conclusion: The low-carbohydrate diet was more effective for weight loss and cardiovascular risk factor reduction than the low-fat diet. Restricting carbohydrate may be an option for persons seeking to lose weight and reduce cardiovascular risk factors." http://annals.org/article.aspx?articleid=1900694

 

A couple more thoughts... While I do make the vast majority of our meals at home, it really isn't all that difficult for me to find something appropriate while eating out.

At a restaurant, I'll usually choose a large, mixed salad with some kind of protein (grilled chicken, steak or cheese), dressing and a glass of water with lemon. Or, fajitas are another good choice for me: grilled chicken, steak or shrimp dipped in sour cream and guacamole with bites of pico de gallo. I ask the waiter not to bring tortillas, rice, beans or chips with salsa. (The salsa at many restaurants raises my blood sugar so I suspect there is added sugar of some form.) Instead, I'll ask for a double portion of the grilled vegetables, which are usually onions, peppers and summer squash. Another option is to order a steak or un-breaded chicken or fish dish without gravy (flour thickener) with a side salad and cooked non-starchy vegetable. (I melt a couple of pats of butter over the meat to up the meal's fat content ) If I don't think I've had enough fats at a meal, I'll order a cup of decaf hot tea and add a hearty portion of cream. Yum!

Because I monitor my blood sugar levels throughout the day like a mad-woman, I now know what I can and can not eat. I don't allow myself a cheat day because I receive immediate feedback from my blood sugar meter as to the effect food has on my body. It's really quite motivating for me, just as Wobbly's remembrance of having a drop attack keeps him/her on a straight path.

I'm certainly not suggesting that this is diet is for everyone, but wanted to mention that it's actually a pretty easy way of eating and healthful, too, if done right.

 

I'm doing keto now for the last (almost) 3 months. I've lost 26 pounds and feel so much better, also with a moderate, regular workout routine. The problem I'm having is with salt. Keto experts say salt is important but I was told to avoid salt. My ENT told me to get no more than 3,000 mgs of salt per day. When I do have too much salt I feel it soon; I get dizzy and feel horrible. I know to just rest up and get more water in, and I feel better after a few hours. I am just concerned about the conflicting advice for Menirere's and keto dieting.

 

I talked to my nutritionist about Keto and I never got past the word Keto. She said in no way shape or form should I be messing with Keto. But, I have high blood pressure and I’ve had a triple bypass. She was not at all keen on Keto.

 

While nobody knows for sure what causes Meniere's, the common thread is there is an immune system component (whether allergies, autoimmune, viral, etc.) My thoughts are that while you are on a keto diet you are cutting out grains and many other foods that you may be allergic to or have a food sensitivity to (they are defined differently). In addition, you are cutting out a lot of foods high in arginine probably (high arginine foods feed viruses). So it may not be the keto per se but the fact that these foods are being avoided.

 

Doctors mainly are against it because it makes people healthy. Healthy people = less patients. And if that's not the case, many of them aren't educated or have some kind of bias. I've lost almost 30 pounds since mid March. I was headed towards 200 pounds, as a 5'4" tall woman. I gave up all sugar and starches, white flour and I do feel much better but still have some off balance days.

 

Another possibility is MAV and your diet has reduced the triggers your consuming. Read David Buchholz, “Heal your headache” to learn more about migraines, including MAV and how diet triggers it.

 

Hola, nos puedes decir que tal si sigues con la dieta keto y como manejas los sintomas de tu Meniere? Gracias

 

Hello, can you tell us how if you continue with the keto diet and how do you manage your Meniere's symptoms? Thank you

 

Apart from lingering Meniere's symptoms, I've been a health beneficiary of a keto-like diet. I don't go in for full ketosis as a goal, but the diet is similar. I'm going for optimal metabolism.

More good reading that supports a low-carb, high fiber/good fat/protein diet for overall health:

Metabolical — Dr Robert Lustig:


Nature Wants Us To Be Fat — Dr Richard Johnson:


Drop Acid — Dr David Perlmutter:


Why We Get Sick — Dr Benjamin Bikman:


I recently quoted Bikman's bit on Meniere's in this thread. There is reason to believe that diseases of the inner ear are downstream of metabolic syndromes and dysfunction. I see it as one more tool to add to the arsenal in the struggle to get this awful disease to heel.

 

Interesting stuff!

I have been eating "keto-like" for the last 2 months. I no longer eat ice cream or other high sugar foods.

2 months ago, I looked at my blood test results which my doctor didn't bother to show me until a YEAR after he had them and my A1C was 6.7 (pre-diabetic). That really scared me which is what motivated me to cut out the carbs. I had my blood sugar tested again, as soon as I received the year old ones and my A1C was 5.7 which is much better. And this was before making any changes to my diet.

I golf a lot and have been eating Keto snacks like Fat Bombs etc during the long golf days. However, I had a couple of vertigo attacks during golf and I thought maybe the lack of sugar was the problem.

So, for the last 3 golf days I have continued with my Keto snacks but I also drink a thermos of apple juice as we play and some water. I know eating Keto and drinking apple juice is a contradiction. But, for now, it seems to be working but we will see how long that lasts.

I'm not sure if it was on this thread or the other one, Good Listener, but I think it was you who mentioned eating peanut and almond butter for energy. I have avoided these foods for a very long time because of the high Arginine content. Any thoughts on that? Or on my Keto/apple juice contradiction?