What keto actually means
Keto is a diet many women over 60 ask about, and grocery shelves are full of foods with the word on the label. Dr. Martin starts somewhere simpler.
Dr. Martin, The Doctor Is In, Episode 1287Your body has two choices of fuel. You're either going to burn fat or you're going to burn glucose. Those are your two choices, and which one of those you burn depends on what you eat.
Cut carbohydrates far enough and your body has to switch to fat. That switch is ketosis. A keto diet is simply eating in a way that gets you there.
How many carbs a day puts a woman in ketosis
Most women over 60 want the number first. He gives one, with a warning.
Dr. Martin, The Doctor Is In, Episode 1287Men under 50 grams and women generally under 30 grams of carbs. That's not easy.
On his 30 day reset you will be in ketosis. But he is clear that ketosis is not why he created the reset. He built it to fix insulin resistance.
Strips, keto snacks and dirty keto
Women ask him whether to buy the little strips that test for ketosis. His answer surprises anyone expecting a keto doctor.
Dr. Martin, The Doctor Is In, Episode 1287You know what? I could care less. I mean that. I don't care. First of all, I'm into quality, not quantity, okay?
A woman can hit her carb number and still eat badly. That is what he worries about, and it is why he likes packaged keto foods least of all. Once keto became popular, the food industry followed with keto bars, keto snacks and keto everything.
Dr. Martin, The Doctor Is In, Episode 1287They're processed, they're processed foods high in omega 6s, high in hydrogenated oils, and they're snacks and all this and that. They're not good for you, okay, they're not good for you.
His second objection is what is missing. Low carb on the label puts no nutrition in the packet, and you can be in ketosis on those foods without the protein your body needs. He calls it dirty keto, and his instruction is short.
Dr. Martin, The Doctor Is In, Episode 1287So don't do dirty keto.
To the woman keeping her carbs under 50, he says the same thing. Eat the right foods and the number looks after itself.
Protein, the part women over 60 miss
If one part of this episode is aimed squarely at women, it is protein. When he analyzed diets in practice, women came out worst.
Dr. Martin, The Doctor Is In, Episode 1287I used to analyze in my practice days, I analyze women's diets and generally, men too to a lot of extent, but women, even worse. They were so deficient in protein, it was unbelievable.
The meal he sees most is one many women over 60 think of as healthy: chicken and salad, salad and chicken. It is nowhere near enough protein.
"Protein is king. It's the king of the castle."
Dr. Martin, The Doctor Is In, Episode 1287He ties protein to the changes women notice with age. Hair first.
Dr. Martin, The Doctor Is In, Episode 1287For your hair, your hair is 99% protein.
Then the thyroid, which he calls the gas pedal in the car and says runs sluggish without enough protein. Hormones, enzymes, skin and nails go on the same list. Sugar works the other way, and he calls what it does to muscle and skin aging on steroids.
What goes on the plate
Ask him what keto should look like for a woman over 60 and the answer is three foods.
Dr. Martin, The Doctor Is In, Episode 1287You see, like man makes a donut. God makes eggs, okay? What's in an egg? Fat and protein together, okay? Cheese, fat and protein together. Meat, fat and protein together.
Eggs, meat and cheese, and lots of them. Red meat is even better, in his view. Asked how many eggs is too many, he says eat as many as you want.
Many keto guides warn women over 60 about cholesterol. He goes the other way. Cholesterol is found in the animal kingdom, and he does not treat it as the boogeyman.
Where fruit fits after 60
He is not telling you never to eat a plant. During the reset it is eggs, meat and cheese. After it, the plant kingdom comes back, with a condition.
Dr. Martin, The Doctor Is In, Episode 1287So post reset, you can add some fruits and vegetables. All I ask you not to live on them. It's not your primary food. It's not. It's secondary.
Dr. Martin, The Doctor Is In, Episode 1287I look at them like treats, and I actually called fruit God's candies. They're candies. They're good. Just don't eat a lot of them.
So some berries, a banana once a week, an apple if you want one. He is careful to say fruit is not bad for you. There is just no protein in an apple.
Is all that protein hard on your kidneys?
Many women over 60 have been told to go easy on protein for their kidneys. He does not agree. What he says instead is that
Dr. Martin, The Doctor Is In, Episode 1287there's nothing that will kill your kidneys more than sugar. How do I know that? Ask any diabetic.
If you already have kidney disease, talk to your own doctor before you change how you eat.
The 30 day reset and insulin resistance
This is where keto meets blood sugar for him. The reset is 30 days of eggs, meat and cheese, and some people stay on it for 60 or 90. The goal is not ketosis. It is the cells.
Dr. Martin, The Doctor Is In, Episode 1287We're fixing insulin resistance at the cellular level. We're getting your body, the cells in your body to stop being resistant to insulin.
After the reset he wants eggs, meat and cheese to stay the base for good, with plants added back. The signs he looks for are in insulin resistance in women over 60, and the same thinking runs through intermittent fasting for women over 60.
Common questions
Is the keto diet safe for women over 60?
Dr. Martin calls eating that way good for you, because your body burns fat as fuel. His caveats are real food, plenty of protein and no keto snacks. On blood sugar or blood pressure medication, talk to your doctor first.
How many carbs a day is keto for a woman?
He puts women generally under 30 grams a day, and men under 50. He says that is not easy, and cares more about what you eat than the exact number.
Are keto bars and snacks healthy?
Not in his view. He says they are processed, high in omega 6s and hydrogenated oils, and short on nutrients. He calls it dirty keto.
Can you eat fruit on keto after 60?
After his 30 day reset, yes, as a secondary food. He calls fruit God's candies: good, just do not eat a lot of it.
Start with the food
Dr. Martin built his reset to fix insulin resistance. Blood Sugar Support Formula is what Martin Clinic makes for blood sugar, alongside the food change, not instead of it.
Shop Blood Sugar Support Formula
60-day money-back guarantee. Talk to your own doctor before changing how you eat if you take medication for blood sugar or blood pressure.These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Always consult your healthcare practitioner before starting a new supplement, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, taking medication, or have a medical condition.
