All about Carbs, Keto, & Blue Light with with Nikko Kennedy, CLD, BS.
Slow Talks - Episode #2: A science-filled and FASCINATING chat with Nikko Kennedy, CLD, BS, where we dive into glucose metabolism, ketogenic diets, natural light and the gut...
Slow Talks is a series in which I forge connections with others around the world in the natural health and slow living community and bring their wonderful insights to you!
This time, I had the pleasure of chatting with the amazing Nikko Kennedy, CLD, BS, experienced doula, mother of 4(!), quantum health expert, the author of Brighter Days, Darker Nights here on Substack, and someone I’m chuffed to call a friend.
Our talk focused on nutrition and presenting some really interesting info and research-supported natural considerations and ways to support women’s health, especially during the childbearing years. We talked about:
the dangers of blood sugar spikes
how light affects the microbiome
ketogenic diets
carbohydrate intake considerations
how light and electromagnetic frequencies affect blood sugar
how to ideally set up your home lighting environment
gestational diabetes
which parts of your body are most important to get sunshine on
BONUS - Nikko asks:
Q: What do you think makes sense in terms of carbohydrate recommendations for women in their childbearing years?
A: This is a complicated question because there is a lot more to the picture than macronutrient counts. In addition to acknowledging that there is a spectrum of where the “average” woman is with her health, we must the consider the quality of the carbohydrate intake, quantity, time of day, and so on. That said, a what would be ideal for one woman would likely not for the next but, I emphasize “ideal” because it isn’t to say that what benefits woman #1 would necessarily be outright harmful to woman #2 and therefore, even in highly individualized medicine and wellness care, we can make statements like “vegetables are healthy for the majority of people”.
The FDA guidelines currently suggest 130 grams per day or 45-65% distribution range - and that is for anyone above the age of one years old (so not very specific!). Functional medicine practitioners, including myself, would more likely suggest a maximum of 40% carbohydrates in the diet for people in good health that have no weight to lose and want to support their system, such as in the case of pregnancy, nursing, or athletic training. For individuals that have signs of carbohydrate intolerance etc., I would suggest a lower intake and stopping carbohydrate intake while it is still light outside as the research is pretty clear on the benefits not eating too close to bedtime.. One study, though small, showed a drastic improvement in glucose management for 24 following a 60% carbohydrate dinner for participants that had eaten at 6pm vs 9pm (Nakamura, K., et al., 2021).
All said, my clinical experience has been that individuals will benefit more quickly by focusing on broader goals, such as meal timing, nutrient status, and detoxification before honing in on specific macronutrient ratios. This is because it will inherently limit or eliminate processed and excessive carbohydrates from the diet and start to reveal what is needed metabolically to improve function. Additionally, there is a psychological piece to the whole diet conversation and unfortunately many women have an unhealthy relationship with eating (in my opinion) and I think that should also be addressed at the forefront.
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References
Arsyad, A., Idris, I., Rasyid, A. A., Usman, R. A., Faradillah, K. R., Latif, W. O. U., Lubis, Z. I., Aminuddin, A., Yustisia, I., & Djabir, Y. Y. (2020). Long-Term Ketogenic Diet Induces Metabolic Acidosis, Anemia, and Oxidative Stress in Healthy Wistar Rats. Journal of nutrition and metabolism, 2020, 3642035. https://doi.org/10.1155/2020/3642035
Chen, S., Su, X., Feng, Y., Li, R., Liao, M., Fan, L., Liu, J., Chen, S., Zhang, S., Cai, J., Zhu, S., Niu, J., Ye, Y., Lo, K., & Zeng, F. (2023). Ketogenic Diet and Multiple Health Outcomes: An Umbrella Review of Meta-Analysis. Nutrients, 15(19), 4161. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu15194161
Nakamura, K., Tajiri, E., Hatamoto, Y., Ando, T., Shimoda, S., & Yoshimura, E. (2021). Eating Dinner Early Improves 24-h Blood Glucose Levels and Boosts Lipid Metabolism after Breakfast the Next Day: A Randomized Cross-Over Trial. Nutrients, 13(7), 2424. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu13072424