Episode 22: Veggies & Bloating, How To Know If You’re Metabolically Flexible, Low Energy During HIIT, The Lion Diet, and More!

In this Q&A episode, Rachel talks about common vegetables that cause bloating vs. those that don’t, tips for taking digestive enzymes, FODMAPS, how to know when you’ve become metabolically flexible, fueling HIIT workouts, The Lion Diet, best protein supplements, and Rachel’s top book recommendations.

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Episode Top Takeaways:

• Tips for dealing with bloating from veggies.
• Concrete ways to check if you are metabolically flexible.
• Adjusting your fueling strategy for HIIT style workouts.
• Best protein supplements (for keto and in general).
• Some reads that Rachel really loves!

Show Notes:

• [0:00] Intro
• [0:58] Rachel jumps right into question one,  “Veggies and bloating?” further explained what are the most common veggies that will cause bloating in many people, low carb diet or otherwise?
• [1:51] The main culprit of bloating is the cruciferous vegetable family. Including commonly consumed members broccoli, cauliflower, sprouts, and kale.
• [2:04] The cause of bloating is humans not having or lacking the needed amount of the enzymes raffinose and cellulase which causes them to not break down and ferment in the lower intestine leading to gas creation.
• [3:35] Cooking, steaming, sauteing these vegetables can help reduce digestive distress. All raw vegetables are a little harder for us as humans to digest.
• [4:00] Onions and garlic are also bloaters because they are a big source of fructans, another type of difficult to digest fiber.
• [4:20] FODMAPS, stands for Fermentable Oligo-, Di-, Mono-saccharides and Polyols. These are a group of short-chain carbohydrates that are poorly absorbed and digested. Common in the veggies we just talked about and also in,
• artichokes
• asparagus
• beetroot
• fennel
• leeks
• mushrooms
• okra
• peas
• shallots 
• [6:26] List of Vegetables that cause less bloating
• Bell peppers
• Bok choy
• Cucumber - skin removed
• Cooked Spinach
• Zucchini
• Squash
• Asparagus - are a FODMAP but just depends on the person
• [7:29] Extra tips on how to limit bloating as much as possible. Be aware of portion size, cook vegetables, chew food more thoroughly...
• [9:31] Benefits of taking supplemental digestive enzymes. And tips on how and when to take supplemental digestive enzymes.
• [13:14] Next Question, If you are not insulin resistant, how do you know when you are fat-adapted/metabolically flexible? Rachel’s more in-depth talk on this topic with Dr. Mike T. Nelson, also her blog on The Blood Sugar Roller Coaster. Rachel talks about objective and subjective metrics.
• [13:45] Objective metric options. Measure blood glucose after meals. Measure Ketone levels, blood, breath, urine. 
• [16:45] CO2 levels, more on this in the podcast with Ben Pakulski
• [17:28] Subjective metric options. Ease of fasting, emotional response to food, energy level, and training performance to name a few.
• [20:05] Next question, Any diet suggestions for someone on Keto struggling with low energy during High-Intensity Interval Training (or HIIT for short). In-depth talk with Rachel in previous podcast episode Carb Ups, Carb Cycling and Building an Anti-Fragile Metabolism
• [22:00] Next question, Thoughts on the Lion Diet? The Lion Diet is a type of carnivore diet (stricter version of a Keto Diet) named by Mikhaila Peterson that consists only of ruminant meat, salt, and water. Ruminant animals have four-chambered stomachs, examples are cows, sheep, goats, buffalo, elk...
• [25:29] Next Question, What is the best protein supplement that’s Keto? Rachel has several she recommends:
• Perfect Keto Whey
• Perfect Keto Collagen
• Organifi Complete Protein
• Primal Kitchen
• Equip Prime Beef Protein

But make sure you do your own research as well and always look for approved third-party tested supplements. One good resource to use is www.consumerlab.com to compare products. 

• [27:51] Last question, Rachel’s best book recommendations? Take a look for yourself on her amazon shop Link to Rachel’s Book Recommendation list

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Rachel Gregory (@rachelgregory.cns) is a Board-Certified Nutrition Specialist, Strength and Conditioning Specialist, and Author of the best-selling book, 21-Day Ketogenic Diet Weight Loss Challenge. She received her Master’s Degree in Nutrition & Exercise Physiology from James Madison University and Bachelor’s Degree in Sports Medicine from the University of Miami.

Rachel helps her clients transform their lives by starting with the physical (body), realizing the power of the mental (mindset), and ultimately gaining massive confidence that bleeds into every aspect of their lives (family, relationships, work, etc.).