Learning to measure your ketones

I started out on the Atkins diet, and on that diet I first learned about the benefits of being in ketosis, and how to check if I was in ketosis using urine test strips.

But the urine test strips are not the most reliable method of testing your state of ketosis. You can be in ketosis and not be putting out many ketones in your urine.

The ideal way is to measure your blood ketones. There are meters for that, similar to the little meters you use to test your blood sugar if you are diabetic.

The problem is the little test strips you have to buy can be pricey, ranging from $1 per strip to $6 per strip, according to Jimmy Moore. It is probably worth doing anyway, but if you have limited funds, there is another way of measuring your state of ketosis that's better than the urine test strips, but not such a big ongoing expense.

This alternative is KetonixⓇ, a meter that tests your breath ketones. I have had one for some years now, and I can test and test and test without having to buy strips or anything for each test. You blow into it, and it lights up in colors, which tell you how deep in ketosis you are.

My own Ketonix is an older model. The current one costs $270 and links up to your computer (I think) and so does more. They only have the one model available, at least on Amazon.com.

For a blood ketone monitor, the KETO-MOJO is advertised on Jimmy Moore's podcasts, and the ketone testing strips are about a dollar each. I'm seriously thinking about getting one, since this is the best test, but my old Ketonix is still working well, and as long as it does, it will do well as a backup device. Maybe I would alternate days between the two testing systems so I would use half as many strips?

Anyway, the important thing is if you make keto testing a daily part of your life, you can tweak your keto diet to work better for YOU. I mean, if I get kicked out of ketosis every time I eat a certain food, maybe I shouldn't eat that food.

Do you test for ketones daily? What method do you use? Are you thinking of trying another method? Do you think testing helps you stay in ketosis?

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