JC's 12/12 Diet

This protocol is for people who have certain health conditions which cause difficulty with: 

• Fasts that are longer than 12 hours
• Stress (cortisol) response
• Mobilization of fatty acids
• Digestion of above ground vegetables 

This diet contains no special fasts, no complicated gram counting and no macronutrient paranoia. But, what it lacks in bells and whistles, it makes up for with effectiveness. After all, it took 145 lbs. off my husband JC, and kept them off. 

This diet is a great option for people who are having difficulties adhering to longer fasts. Certain medical conditions can cause these issues like thyroid disease, autoimmune conditions and genetic abnormalities. JC has celiac disease, thyroid dysfunction and a genetic condition, which causes the mobilization of fatty acids to be downregulated making it difficult for him to use fat for fuel. 

OVERVIEW: 

• This diet is low in carbohydrate and prioritizes protein. 
• This diet is safe to follow for the entire month or for life. 
• The goal of this diet is not to maintain ketosis, but to naturally cycle in and out periodically, depending on carbohydrate intake. 
• This diet can help with weight loss, stabilization of blood glucose and lowering of insulin levels. It does this by making carbohydrate restriction sustainable. 

RULES: 

• This is a super clean diet. You must avoid anything that is processed or that has more than 3 - 5 known ingredients. Whole, unprocessed foods are the goal for every meal. 
• Protein is eaten to satiety. A recommended daily, minimum consumption of 1.0 grams of protein, per pound of ideal body weight. Protein should be derived from whole, animal based foods, like fresh meat. 
• Fat remains below 80 grams a day and should come only from the protein foods, which naturally contain it, like meat or the fats used for cooking. No "vegetable"/seed oils. 
• Carbohydrates remain between 65 - 80 grams a day and come from whole food sources only. No sugar or grains, but starches are allowed up to your carb allotment, especially if you have digestive difficulties with above ground vegetables. 
• Only 2 meals a day, plus 1 snack, are allowed within a 12 hour period and a water only fast for the remaining 12 hours. The snack cannot be processed food, but whole foods like nut butter, nuts or 90% or more chocolate. 
• Dairy is either eliminated or severely restricted, depending on your tolerance level. 
• Stevia sweetener is allowed on this diet. It should be limited to your coffee or snack and not included in your main meals. 
• This diet does not track calories. 
• This diet recommends 8 - 10K steps or 40 minutes of low to moderate intensity exercise a day, 5 days a week .  

KEEP IN MIND: 

• This is a very "lazy" diet that doesn't require tracking of anything. The only gauges that determine whether a change has to be made are satiety and results. Some people are unable to obtain progress from this lack of dietary vigilance. If that's you, then you will need a more hardline protocol. There are several other diet options under the label "Recommended Diets", on this blog's right side column, which offer more stringent tracking. 
• This diet allows for the use of artificial sweeteners and this can be problematic for some. Gauge their effects and eliminate them if needed. 
• As with all carbohydrate restricted diets, keep electrolytes in mind and supplement accordingly. At least 5 grams of table salt, every day. A recommended electrolyte guide can be found here. 
• If you are a type II diabetic, on medications, do not start this protocol without first discussing it with your healthcare professional, as combining this diet, alongside glucose lowering medications, can cause dangerously low blood glucose.