Having a Hard Time With the Keto Diet? One Change Will Make a Huge Difference

We’ve all heard the incredible success stories: Over the past several years, the keto diet has emerged as the surest, tastiest, most popular path to slimming down and boosting overall health — and fast. “After just a few days, you start incinerating the stubborn love handles and belly fat you’ve tried to get rid of for years,” promises clinical nutritionist Josh Axe, DNM, author of Keto Diet. But for far too many people, sticking to the plan is easier said than done: Women feel hungry, tired, achy, and generally blah after just a few days on the popular plan. So what gives? A big part of the struggle, Dr. Axe asserts, is that most women simply don’t get enough of what he calls “the most under-appreciated nutrient out there.” That nutrient is called collagen . About 30 percent of the human body — including the bones, muscles, skin, and tendons — is made of this protein-rich compound. “Collagen plays a major structural role in building skin and connective tissues,” explains Taz Bhatia, MD, an integrative medicine physician and author of Super Woman Rx. It’s also crucial for repairing cellular damage and building healthy new cells to keep metabolism humming. “You need it to help you keep feeling strong, healthy and youthful,” says Dr. Axe. But the body’s production of collagen declines as we age. “Once you’re 30, your body’s collagen production drops by as much as eight percent every year.” As a result, we begin to develop wrinkles, sagging skin, and creaky joints — and it’s harder for our cells to make the switch from burning sugar as their main source of fuel to burning protein and fat, as they do on a keto diet. This puts stress on the body and leads to the “hangry,” headachy side effects […]

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