For the last 30 days I’ve been trying something new...KETO. I haven’t said too much about it until I knew if I liked it and if I was getting out of it what I wanted, which is optimum health, more energy, and fat loss. Menopause has been gifting me some crazy changes in my body, namely feeling like my body has been a magnet for fat. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve always had a naturally thin build, but for the past year there are times I haven’t looked like or felt like myself and have felt like an alien is taking over my body. I wanted to try a natural way to balance my hormones. I also had always been intrigued since watching the documentary The Magic Pill which shows the incredible healing benefits of our bodies running on fat rather than carbs...and the illnesses Keto can heal. I’m all about prevention and healing the body through nutrition.

Keto is actually VERY close to the way I was already eating, I’m just being more intentional with my macros. I knew I wanted to enter into this as a LIFESTYLE, not a “diet”, so I’m not meticulously measuring my food because that’s just not sustainable for me long term. I’ve also always been a natural intermittent faster, it’s just what my body likes and has always been very easy for me. I kinda already did it before it was “a thing”.

I chose to approach Keto in a very CLEAN + HEALTHY way (as you can do it pretty dirty). I’m getting most of my healthy fats from things like avocado, coconut, olive oil and game meat from my husband’s hunts.

I also chose to go at this without any exogenous ketone supplements (besides MCT oil) because when I thought about it, I never want to go at a “way of eating” wondering if this is working “because of X”. I never want to rely on a pill. With that said, there are a lot of healthy supplements with good ingredients that support your body during Keto. Depending on your health history and past habits, they could be the right choice for YOU. I just know my philosophy when it comes to nutrition and I needed to see if this works for me without them for now.

I was already eating pretty paleo most of the time, so my fridge and pantry didn’t need a total overhaul at all. I already knew about all the hidden sugars, unhealthy oils, grains, legumes, etc. I’ve always been all about the healthy fats. I kicked out potatoes which was new for me but haven’t missed them. I’ve even lost my strong craving for potato chips which used to hit me hard. I’ve exchanged some of my on-the-go emergency foods in my purse to be lower carb, higher fat options…more Keto friendly like Perfect Keto Bars, but Keto has left me so satiated, I haven’t been “hangry” between meals. I’m getting my carbs from leafy greens and the occasional glass of wine (remember I’m in this for the long haul so I wanted to see if that would work for me.) I’ve kicked ALL sugars out except a small amount of stevia and monk fruit. (Not hard for me at all as I don’t have a sweet tooth.) I’ve added really high quality dairy which has helped this be super enjoyable, and I know I tolerate dairy well since doing a reintroduction with Whole30. I also already was having “Keto coffee” with MCT oil in the mornings and had things like collagen and bone broth in my pantry already.

My husband has been doing this with me which is optimal. Since he’s a doctor he loves the science and bought us this blood meter to see if we were getting results and to monitor our levels. What we’ve learned is that it it can take time to get into Ketosis and everyone is different. In today’s world where we want immediate results, I can imagine many people who embark on this will give up in frustration before the magic happens of becoming a fat burner. I know I was feeling a little frustrated the first couple of weeks...but them something happened. My body started to change a little. My clothes were fitting differently. The blood meter showed I was in Ketosis. My body fat % is dropping on my Aria scale every time I get on it. Small but significant changes that’s making me know I’m on to something...something sustainable because this has been really enjoyable, and therefore sustainable.

Being trained in nutrition, and being a veterinary nurse, I understood the basics. I love learning what’s happening inside the body....so I knew I’d learn even more from Diane Sanfilippo’s newest book Keto Quick Start. I’ve been reading it and have learned so much I didn’t know. I highly recommend it for anyone who wants to learn about…or learn more about keto. It’s fascinating and am even more excited to know the health aspect for my husband and I. At ages 47 and 57, we are two people who are searching for longevity to really enjoy life to the fullest. I aim to be an inspiration for women to say ‘Yes, this is what 47 years old can look and feel like.’ We are always open to learning and trying new things nutritionally for our health. I also got this Simply Keto book which has such delicious looking recipes, I want to make them all!

What are your thoughts on Keto? If you’re curious, I recommend starting out by watching The Magic Pill. When that 10 year old little girl with autism improves significantly through NUTRITION, I literally cried. Anytime I see people get off of medications with dangerous side effects because they HEAL their bodies through NUTRITION, it makes me so happy.

I really recommend taking the time to LEARN about Keto before trying it though. Too many times, people ask if a food is KETO or NOT KETO and that’s not really it…what matters is whether what you’re eating is putting your body into ketosis and whether your body is then using those ketones…not just chasing a “number on the blood meter”.

These days, it’s more important than ever to be our own health advocates.

START SOMEWHERE.

—-> Eat clean, real, high quality food. Switch to safer skincare and makeup. Use non-toxic cleaning products and kitchen supplies. See a good, corrective care Chiropractor. Move your body. Learn something new.

Screen Shot 2020-05-12 at 7.58.02 AM.png — There’s an App for that…

This Carb Manager App was so helpful for us when I started Keto to ensure I was on track. You can track Net Carbs and see a pie chart of your Macro percentages (Carb/Protein/Fat) at the end of each day. I only had to use this for about 1 week to get the hang of keto, so I recommend it as a tool to get started and then you can take those training wheels off…because I’m not a fan of tracking and counting constantly as fueling our bodies shouldn’t feel “hard”.

I look forward to keeping you updated on my journey. What’s something you’ve been wanting to change that would positively impact your health, but haven’t?

I’m not one to freely post a bikini pic at 47 years old….but this is a pic that was taken of me in the Bahamas at Coco Plum Beach after being on Keto for 6 weeks. It’s my reminder that it WORKS!