Why I Started Keto
Newsflash!! I'm still getting my act together (will post when that chapter of life is finished- ha!)
It's been a long haul, and I am always trying to improve my body and feel better. I want to boost my mitochondria as best as I can, and nourish every cell in my body. We all seem to settle for not feeling well, and I really don't get it.
I have learned from working with enough people and patients, that most people will not change until they are sick and tired of being sick and tired. For some people, they never change.
I can be a stubborn person, so yes, it takes me a bit of time to change my ways. I get into this cycle of pointing the finger at myself, which truly does not do my body any good. And I think most people wind up doing this too - being hypercritical of themselves and judging themselves. Or is that just me? ;)
I have been doing Paleo train for 3 years, and some bouts of the the Autoimmune Protocol. And look, the Paleo and AIP lifestyle definitely have worked for me in different ways, but sometimes not so much. I had done a natural treatment in the winter time and felt my stomach acting up again, prone to bloating, discomfort. I felt myself being more emotional and overthinking. I know enough about my body at this point to know when these things occur, I need to look at the root.
I had recommended the ketogenic lifestyle (I hate the word diet. I grew up anorexic and I just can't really use that term in my mind or it just brings up old thought patterns) to several patients before, and I knew this much about it : high fat, low carb, lose weight, feel better, more energy.
I didn't totally grasp the concept, but it made sense to me because fat nourishes the nervous and gastrointestinal system. But really what is this lifestyle all about?
Fat, protein and carbs are all macronutrients, making up the bulk of our food. Most everyone burns glucose for energy - your body is primed to use energy from the limited glucose in your body, so when that starts to get used up, you become hungry and need to eat again. This leaves you seriously hungry all day and hangry (can I get an amen??!).
What the ketogenic diet does is switch the body from burning glucose to burning fat, resulting in a metabolic shift. When the body burns fat for fuel, it produces molecules known as ketones. When ketones are the primary source of fuel in the body, this results in ketosis. When your body is using fat as fuel you don't crave carbs and sweets.
What happens to your body when you are in nutritional ketosis? Eventually you become "fat-adapted" rather than "glucose-adapted," with your body utilizing ketones regularly for their main source of energy. Blood sugar and insulin levels drop and levels of HDL (good) cholesterol increase. Cardiac health improves (the heart prefers ketones to glucose). People often report increased energy, improved mood, fewer cravings, clearer thought, improved sleep, reduction in gas and bloating, reduced appetite, lower blood pressure, and effortless weight loss.
Pretty cool right? Yeah I thought so. I have seen enough people do really well following this lifestyle that I decided to give it a try and look forward to posting my favorite recipes and any successes and losses. My goals with it are improved gastrointestinal, immune and hormone health, while preparing for pregnancy. So far I love it! It can all be accredited to one word too: bacon <3
I will be posting in the coming weeks the changes I notice and another one of my new favorite things: Intermittent Fasting (not as bad as it sounds). I should mention too, for me it is important to continue gluten, dairy, and soy free eating while still doing kept.
First off, check out some of my favorite ketogenic staples below: Bulletproof coffee and fat bombs!
For bulletproof coffee, I blend in one tbsp kerrygold butter or
It's been a long haul, and I am always trying to improve my body and feel better. I want to boost my mitochondria as best as I can, and nourish every cell in my body. We all seem to settle for not feeling well, and I really don't get it.
I have learned from working with enough people and patients, that most people will not change until they are sick and tired of being sick and tired. For some people, they never change.
I can be a stubborn person, so yes, it takes me a bit of time to change my ways. I get into this cycle of pointing the finger at myself, which truly does not do my body any good. And I think most people wind up doing this too - being hypercritical of themselves and judging themselves. Or is that just me? ;)
I have been doing Paleo train for 3 years, and some bouts of the the Autoimmune Protocol. And look, the Paleo and AIP lifestyle definitely have worked for me in different ways, but sometimes not so much. I had done a natural treatment in the winter time and felt my stomach acting up again, prone to bloating, discomfort. I felt myself being more emotional and overthinking. I know enough about my body at this point to know when these things occur, I need to look at the root.
I had recommended the ketogenic lifestyle (I hate the word diet. I grew up anorexic and I just can't really use that term in my mind or it just brings up old thought patterns) to several patients before, and I knew this much about it : high fat, low carb, lose weight, feel better, more energy.
I didn't totally grasp the concept, but it made sense to me because fat nourishes the nervous and gastrointestinal system. But really what is this lifestyle all about?
Fat, protein and carbs are all macronutrients, making up the bulk of our food. Most everyone burns glucose for energy - your body is primed to use energy from the limited glucose in your body, so when that starts to get used up, you become hungry and need to eat again. This leaves you seriously hungry all day and hangry (can I get an amen??!).
What the ketogenic diet does is switch the body from burning glucose to burning fat, resulting in a metabolic shift. When the body burns fat for fuel, it produces molecules known as ketones. When ketones are the primary source of fuel in the body, this results in ketosis. When your body is using fat as fuel you don't crave carbs and sweets.
What happens to your body when you are in nutritional ketosis? Eventually you become "fat-adapted" rather than "glucose-adapted," with your body utilizing ketones regularly for their main source of energy. Blood sugar and insulin levels drop and levels of HDL (good) cholesterol increase. Cardiac health improves (the heart prefers ketones to glucose). People often report increased energy, improved mood, fewer cravings, clearer thought, improved sleep, reduction in gas and bloating, reduced appetite, lower blood pressure, and effortless weight loss.
Pretty cool right? Yeah I thought so. I have seen enough people do really well following this lifestyle that I decided to give it a try and look forward to posting my favorite recipes and any successes and losses. My goals with it are improved gastrointestinal, immune and hormone health, while preparing for pregnancy. So far I love it! It can all be accredited to one word too: bacon <3
I will be posting in the coming weeks the changes I notice and another one of my new favorite things: Intermittent Fasting (not as bad as it sounds). I should mention too, for me it is important to continue gluten, dairy, and soy free eating while still doing kept.
First off, check out some of my favorite ketogenic staples below: Bulletproof coffee and fat bombs!
For bulletproof coffee, I blend in one tbsp kerrygold butter or
ghee, 1 tbsp Brain Octane Oil and optional 1 scoop collagen peptides. The creaminess keeps this very filling and a hint of sweet from the butter!
The best fat bomb in the galaxy :) . 1 did 1/2 cup organic peanut butter and 1/4 cup MCT oil (or can do brain octane.) This is sweet enough by itself for me but you can add a hint of erythritol if you need more. The longer you do kept the more your sweet cravings go away! Other great options to include in fat bombs include : coconut butter, cacao butter, butter, ghee, other nuts/seeds.
Blessings,
Lindsay
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