2020 will go down in the record books for many reasons. This year has been insane on so many levels. Our country has seen the outcomes of what happens when everything becomes politicized. Everyday a new story emerges of another American who has come completely unhinged. People are afraid to express their views on topics that shouldn't be taboo and over-riding it all, there has been a pandemic. The societal breakdown has only compounded personal challenges we all face and it has been a year of digging deeper and deeper just to stay sane.
I have found solace in the same sources that have brought me peace my entire life. My religion, my family, and my cooking. While so many things look like the enemy in 2020, I wasn't expecting food to be in that category too. I have been doing this blog for a number of years and while not consistently, it is always something I happily return to. The recipes and foods I have learned to cook over the years was the launchpad for what I am doing now.
With aging comes changes in our physical bodies and mine is no exception. I have discovered I needed to dramatically alter the way I eat, prepare, and manage food in my life and so along with managing the crazy outside, I have been in life school in my home learning how to eat food all over again.
I came to the Keto diet either by accident or divine providence. I was 50lbs overweight last year and my body was screaming at me everyday to fix what I was doing to it. I thought I was eating well, but looking back on what I have eliminated from my diet, I was seriously in denial about my habits. Soda wasn't a treat, it had become a necessity. Treats were always available for "the kids" but really, I usually polished them off. I was feeding my own monster and Thanksgiving 2019 was the wake up call that I needed to tame the beast once and for all.
I hate to call Keto a diet. I have always thought of a diet is something you do temporarily to achieve a result on your way to getting back to what you were doing before. Ketogenic eating is really a lifestyle change. Everything I thought I knew about what was good for my body turned out to be completely wrong. I was consuming foods in every wrong way possible for my body type. I discovered that I was staring down the diagnosis of Type 2 Diabetes if I didn't put the brakes on and completely turn things around.
So what is a Ketogenic Diet? Basically, you change the percentages of the macro ingredients(carbohydrates, fats, proteins) you eat to switch your metabolism from using carbohydrates for energy to using stored fat for energy. This is not something you should ever do without first talking to your doctor and finding out what your blood sugar levels are, blood pressure, and other important metabolic information. After I went to the doctor and got all checked out, I picked up a book about the science of low carbohydrate living to start my education. It is called "The Art and Science of Low Carbohydrate Living" by, Jeff S. Volek, PhD, RD and Stephen D. Phinney, MD, PhD. I needed to know how to eat all over again and what these changes were going to do to my body.
It has almost been a year now and I have lost 40lbs. I also feel like I have been in school, learning how to cook all over again. There is an entire world of food, good food, that I was completely unaware of out there and it has been so exciting to learn about all of it. I have purchased new cookbooks, altered some of my favorite recipes, and have had fun with all of the new ingredients.
By way of disclaimer, a clinical low carbohydrate diet is not for everyone. There are specific health issues that benefit greatly from this diet. Getting a health check-up and determining what your dietary needs are is critical before you embark. The main conditions that are helped by this dietary change are people with insulin resisitance/metabolic syndrome, type-2 diabetes, hypertension, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), sleep apnea, and medication-resistant seizures. As you can see, these are all things that you would get diagnosed by a doctor and managed by a doctor.
If you choose to, the best way to start out a ketogenic life is to do your homework first. Keto is not just a collection of new recipes to try. When you start, it is for life. You will completely alter how your body metabolizes and to stop means that your body can be harmed with the dramatic dietary alterations. That being said, it has been a good life change for me. It has been difficult at times, but the results are hard to ignore. The list of physical issues I have had that have cleared up over the last year is too long(and personal really) to list. It has been an amazing journey and one that I am on for life.
So, I hope you will join me on my journey of discovery, and we can eat some great food along the way. I am transitioning this blog to now be a place where I share my Keto foods. I have started a youtube channel called Livin La Vida Keto and have posted several videos on their for public consumption. I will post the recipes I demonstrate with the links to the videos for you. Check it out and subscribe to my new channel if you like. Livin La Vida Keto
*Disclaimer:
I am not a doctor or trained medical professional. I am not qualified to diagnosis nor advise you on anything medical. Before you choose to change your diet you should seek the guidance of a medical professional who is an expert in diet. I am not responsible for any changes you choose to make and this blog and added videos are only for entertainment purposes.
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