The Ketogenic Diet

H, who had come into the emergency department two days prior for diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) and was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. The Mayo Clinic explains that diabetic ketoacidosis occurs when the body cannot produce insulin. Insulin is the key that allows glucose to enter cells, and provide the cells with energy. Without glucose for energy, the body begins to breakdown fats that produce harmful substances known as ketones. DKA is characterized by hyperglycemia, metabolic acidosis and ketones in the urine, (2017). That had since resolved, so for the most part of the day me and the secondary nurse were providing diabetic education. She was educated on the use of the glucometer, how to give insulin injections, and symptoms of hypoglycemia, I felt confident in this education and was surprised by how much I remembered from previous lectures. I did not have time to provide teaching on diet, exercise induced hypoglycemia, or patient specific teaching based upon her report, because we switched our roles. I can see how education can get swept under the rug in practice when you are so busy throughout the day. Instead of saving education until the end of the day, when I become a new nurse I will make sure I am taking advantage of every patient encounter as an opportunity to educate. Later in the simulation, when I had transitioned roles, Ms. H experienced a hypoglycemic episode after receiving a dose of insulin and not consuming any of her breakfast. According to Silvestri, hypoglycemia is often caused by the following, too much insulin, too little food, or excessive activity (2014, p. 653). In Dr. Johanson’s lectures I learned that carbohydrates are the main source of energy for the body and are metabolized to form glucose for the body to use. When there is no consumption of carbohydrates, there is no glucose and this results in low blood glucose known as hypoglycemia. A type 1 diabetic lacks the ability to make insulin, which is the key that

The nutritional dietary consumption of carbohydrates is between 55-75% for the vast majority of the global population as their main source of food intake and energy.  And the general populous continues to be misinformed by government agencies regarding what a normal, healthy diet, should be, as well as what a balanced diet looks like.  Eating a low-carb high-fat, or ketogenic, diet of high fat, adequate protein and low carbohydrates can provide many health benefits as compared to the alternative of an unhealthy diet. Research suggests that a ketogenic diet builds a healthier body than

When analyzing the comparison of the percentages intake of carbohydrates, the dietary recommended intake (DRI) in iprofile was 45-65%. The outcome of the three-day process displays that I am within an acceptable range of 57%. However, the foods that were part of the three-day diet consisted of various carbohydrates such as complex, simple, and fiber. Despite, that many people try to avoid or cut starches, they are vital to an individual health for several reasons. However, the body used carbohydrate as the primary source for providing energy, to protect against diseases, controlling weight, which all factors are important in a healthy diet (Mayo Clinic, 2016). An importance of carbohydrates in the diet, it can easily store in both the muscles and liver for future use and plays a role in the organs such as the kidneys, brain, and the heart for operating properly (Medline Plus, 2016).

Nutrition is essential for organs to develop (building material), but also to let it operate (fuel). On average, as much as 25% of all energy a human daily takes in with one’s food goes directly to the brains. At those moments when the brain goes through major developments such as during childhood and adolescence this percentage may increase to 65%.

The ketogenic diet; one of the oldest treatments for epilepsy is based on the creation of ketones in the body. The creation of ketone bodies is accomplished through high fat intake, carbohydrate depletion and a fasting-metabolism; over long periods of time. When the body is in a fasting state, it creates ketones, a by-product of a fat-burning metabolism. It has long been recognized that seizures often lessen or disappear during periods of fasting in some individuals with epilepsy (Richard Senelick, 2014). This fat-burning metabolism is slowly become popular amongst dieters and endurance athletes. Besides the clear loss of body fat there is the increase in brain processes that create extreme amounts of clarity.

The prognosis for Epilepsy is if you take the medication you can be seizure free. Surgery can also eliminate seizures. The Ketogenic diet can reduce seizures.

Ketosis is a normal metabolic process where the body has a high fat-burning rate. A low-carb and high fat diet is required for ketosis. Ketosis is when everything is good and your body is running on fat rather than glucose. The ketosis diet is therefore receiving more attention as people become aware of the harm of consuming too many carbohydrates.

A young, healthy teenage girl fell to her death after following a high-protein, low carbohydrate diet for no more than two weeks. The girl, having no identified sicknesses or medical conditions, exhibited "electrolyte imbalances" along with minimal levels of potassium and calcium, which appeared to be a result of the diet according to doctors at the University of Missouri Health Science Center. These irregularities upset the "normal electrical function of her heart" causing it to stop and her to collapse ("US teen . . ."). Based on this alone, it is evident that a high protein, low carbohydrate diet is not a safe and healthy long-term weight loss program.

Epilepsy is a serious global problem that affects approximately 1% of people worldwide (1). Epilepsy is a chronic condition of the central nervous system (CNS) characterized by epileptic seizures, which can affect physical and mental functions (2). Epileptic seizures are unprovoked reoccurring episodes of abnormal, excessive, or hypersynchronis neuronal activity in the CNS (2). The treatment options of epilepsy include medications called antiepileptic drugs (AED) and surgeries based on individuals’ specific diagnosis and background (1). The AED Keppra®, S-enantiomer of α-ethyl-2-oxo-1-pyrrolidine acetamide, or Levetiracetam (LEV) is Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved for the treatment and prevention of epileptic

Epilepsy is one of the most complex neurological disorders there are. It occurs mostly in children in many different ways, like through genetics or even because of something as simple as a high fever. Most epilepsies are managed with medications whose effects vary not just from person to person, but also by the type of epilepsy. There are many cases of epilepsy that cannot be managed with medication. Just one medication could take at least two years to find the right dosage and often that patient would have to incorporate an accompanying medication to balance the effects of the fist medication, thus resulting in high toxicology. But in 1921 the Mayo Clinic’s Dr. Wilder suggested that the Ketogenic diet, a diet in high fats and low carbohydrates,

An individual can be diagnosed with GLUT1 deficiency using multiple tools to deduce its presence. The primary testing for GLUT1 deficiency is through measurement of glucose and lactate concentration in the cerebrospinal fluid. Low levels of glucose and lactate in the fluid indicate the onset of the disease (Suls et al., 2009). Most of the phenotypic abnormalities can be treated or reduced utilizing a ketogenic diet. Since ketone bodies utilize a different transporter to facilitate the movement of nutrients they can supply the brain with a viable fat-derived source of energy which ultimately can reduce the onset of epilepsy (Leen et al., 2010).

However, it was only in 1921 in the journal Medical Record that fasting as a treat-

The Ketogenic Diet is a way of eating that is becoming increasingly popular within fitness and health communities. The Ketogenic Diet began as a way of eating to combat Alzheimer’s disease along with neurological disorders such as Multiple Sclerosis and Parkinson’s Disease (Davis, n.d.). In the past decade it has become widely known for its weight loss benefits. As of recent, many famous public figures and professional athletes have further popularized the concept of the Ketogenic Diet. Many years ago, the Ketogenic Diet began as a way to combat diseases and neurological disorders, but has since then become a much more popular tool for weight loss.

Many people are familiar with a low carbohydrate diet and the keto diet falls within those parameters, but it has some distinct additions which are considered paramount to its

Baranano, K., & Hartman, A., (2008). The ketogenic diet: Uses in epilepsy and other neurologic illnesses. Current treatment options in neurology, 10(6), 410-419