At Macaroni Kid Family Wellness, we recognize that different lifestyles work for different people. We like to share different perspectives to see if something strikes a chord with you. That said, we do not endorse any one lifestyle other than going with what works best for you.
Energy, mental-focus and weight loss, are three goals I had in mind when I finally found what has worked for me. The keto diet has truly changed my life. Not only have I gained energy and mental focus and lost weight, I feel like I have freedom from the food cravings that used to plague me every two hours.
I have always been into health and wellness. I followed the trends, as such, including calorie counting, low-fat diets, and eating small meals frequently. I never felt satisfied and I always ended up at a plateau with weight. I have since realized those years of light and fat-free foods were full of chemicals and junk. After eating cleaner, I still wasn’t getting what my body needed to actually feel full. Being “hangry” was so much a part of my life that my husband knew when I said I was hungry, he had to tread lightly. That all changed two months ago when I decided to give something totally different a try. When I say totally different, I mean turn the food pyramid upside down different. So, what is the keto diet and can it work for you?
The keto diet consists of eating roughly 75% healthy fat, 20% protein, and 5% carbohydrates. It makes your body burn fat for energy instead of using glucose for energy, which is what most of us are accustomed to. One of the byproducts of your body using fat for fuel is ketones. Being in “ketosis” means there are ketones floating around in your body and there are different over the counter tests out there you can do to test if you are in ketosis or not. So what are the ultimate results of ketosis? Energy, mental clarity, and weight loss. These benefits are only a few of the plethora of “side effects” of ketosis. Additionally, you feel full longer because you’re fueling your body more efficiently. The brain actually prefers ketones to glucose for fuel.
When starting a keto diet, some people experience the keto flu. The keto flu consists of flu-like symptoms and lasts while the body switches over to a new way of metabolizing. I have also discovered ketone supplements, which not only bridge the gap and help you avoid the keto flu entirely, but they also allow for more individualization of the keto diet. The supplement puts your body into ketosis within sixty minutes, whereas, the diet alone may take your body six to eight weeks to achieve ketosis. Additionally, you can eat carbohydrates, and by taking the supplement, you still reap all the benefits of ketosis.
I happen to like the keto diet and how it makes me feel, but I also like the ketone supplements and knowing that if I want to have a piece of birthday cake, I am still in ketosis and not killing my diet. I am thrilled to have found keto and reap all of its benefits. There are a lot of resources about keto success stories, recipes, and food lists on the internet and Pinterest.
May we all enjoy the journey as we strive to do the best we can while acknowledging beauty in imperfection. Most importantly, may we keep in mind life’s fragility, love ourselves, and love others.
