Thinking of Starting the Keto Diet? Here are some Common Misconceptions

1. “I couldn’t eat ALL that FAT!”

I only add extra fat in the form of MCT oil (about 1 tsp.) in my coffee every morning. It gives me energy to start the day. I use olive, avocado, coconut oils in my cooking and salad dressing. I use butter, as much as I want for flavor, on my vegetables. In the months that I have been eating keto, I have NEVER eaten a fat bomb! I do enjoy a small bite of dark chocolate and peanut butter pretty often. Some keto authors suggest adding in more fat as you begin to eat keto, with the idea that you are switching your body to fat burning instead of sugar burning. This is helpful at first, but if you continue eating loads of fat, your body will not go for burning the stored fat. Let’s face it, most of us are wanting to burn those extra fat rolls! A typical ketogenic diet contains 70% fat, 25% protein, and 5% carbs. Remember that is 70% of your calories and fat contains a lot of calories. It isn’t 70% of the food on your plate. Big difference!

2. “I couldn’t eat ALL that MEAT!”

A balanced keto diet is not huge steaks and tons of bacon. Most of us have this idea leftover from Atkins fanatics who were eating unbalanced amounts of meat. Most keto diets contain protein at every meal, 25% of your daily calories. That protein should be a serving size, about enough to fit in the palm of your hand. Keep in mind that nuts, dairy, and eggs count as protein too. Getting enough good quality, clean protein, is important for healing. You also need enough protein so that you don’t lose muscle, just extra fat stores. Keto is a moderate protein diet, not a high protein diet.

3. “I don’t want to give up my carbs!”

Yep, that is the real problem. None of us want to give up those comfort foods. Many of them have a great emotional attachment. After all how can it be Christmas without decorated sugar cookies or a Birthday party without the cake? Let me just say that if you decide to do keto as a lifestyle and not just a diet, there are yummy substitutes that work just as well. I made fabulous keto cheesecakes for my husband’s birthday last year. The kids never knew the difference! Plus, after you are fully keto adapted, you can go off the diet once and awhile to enjoy a treat without it totally sabotaging your ketosis. You just can’t eat loads of carbs every day. Another thing to note is that once keto adapted, your cravings for the sugar and junk go away. I am NOT kidding! You really don’t want it and don’t miss it. I find myself looking at carbs and wondering if they are worth it. I feel SO good when I don’t eat them. Is the taste today worth feeling crappy tomorrow?

4. “What about ketoacidosis? Isn’t it life threatening? Is this diet safe?”

This is a common mistake: ketosis is NOT ketoacidosis. Diabetic ketoacidosis is a life threatening condition seen with unmanaged diabetes. It is characterized by dangerously high levels of blood ketones (15-25mM/L) and high blood sugar (200 mg/dL), as well as very low blood pH. Nutritional ketosis is a safe metabolic state that produces low-level ketones (generally 0.5 to 5.0 mM/L) with blood sugars averaging from 60-120 mg/dL and normal pH levels.

These are just a few of the misconceptions I have heard about the ketogenic diet. I hope I have clarified them for you. Please call me to set up a health coaching appointment if you would like to work one on one with me. I would love to help you find solutions for your health struggles.

If you are tired of doing the same old diet, with the same old results, maybe it is time for a change of lifestyle. Consider KETO – it could change your life!

Increase Your Vitality

How do you feel today? Tired, overwhelmed, depressed, sick, stressed, in pain? Or are you “on top of the world”, full of joy, energy, laughter, and just plain healthy. It is easy to let the work of daily living take its toll on your body. All at once you wake up to notice that you look terrible and feel even worse! Been there?

At the beginning of this year, I took a good look in the mirror and wasn’t happy with what I saw or how I felt. It is easy to “let yourself go”, being too busy working or taking care of others. Maybe it is time to take care of yourself for a while. Yes, it really is ok to think about how YOU are doing – you have permission to take some time for yourself. These are some of the changes I have made to take care of myself and increase my vitality.

Vitamins – I began taking DoTerra’s Vitality Pack for multivitamins, omega oils, and antioxidants. Amazing the difference! I have far more energy now. Most of us do not eat everything we should daily, yep – I am talking vegetables! So taking supplements can really make a difference. Call me if you want to save money with a DoTerra membership.

Dance – I always wanted to learn how to dance, you know, like Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. So my husband and I have been taking ballroom dance lessons. What FUN! It is great exercise too. Next, I want to learn line dancing – anyone know a good place to learn?

Cleanse – Any time my vitality is lagging, I know the toxins have built up in my body and it is time to do a cleanse. Many people are afraid of cleansing, thinking it will be too uncomfortable. I like to use a simple herbal box cleanse, like the Tiao He Cleanse from Nature’s Sunshine. It helps support the liver and bowels to remove toxins and even addresses parasites. The herbal cleanses I carry in the store are designed to allow you to continue with your daily life and work without being too interruptive. You eat normally, just try to eliminate junk foods. It is just like changing the oil in your car, it keeps you running smoothly.

Ketogenic Diet – My husband and I both committed ourselves to losing weight this year. The keto diet is a challenge to get started, but once you learn how it works, it is easy to maintain. I have lost 24 pounds and hubby has lost 40 pounds in just 3 months! I feel great, have energy, and am not hungry. I always have struggled with low blood sugar and the grumpiness of not feeling good if I didn’t eat in a timely fashion. This new diet is changing that. I no longer feel a slave to needing to eat and find I don’t have to think about food all the time. Stop into the store and buy my favorite book on the subject, Simply Keto, by Suzanne Ryan. She has a simple, easy to understand explanation of the keto diet and great, easy to make recipes!

Reiki and Yoga Practice – I am trying to establish a daily practice of meditation, Reiki, and yoga. Reiki is a light touch healing technique which helps you find balance and maintain the energetic flow in your body, mind, and spirit. This spring I took the Level 2 Reiki class so that I could offer Reiki sessions to others (Call me for an appointment). For myself, I have set up a simple yoga mat in a quiet corner of my home to make it easy for the daily practice of both of these. Keeping a positive energy feels amazing, but it doesn’t just happen, we have to work at it. That is why they call it practice.

Aromatherapy and Essential Oils – I have attended several essential oil classes this spring and am learning how amazing they are! Not only physically, but emotionally. I now run a diffuser every night as I sleep, all day here in the store, and I love to wear my diffuser necklace too. I want to know how to use these wonderful herbal oils in my daily life!

Daily Skin Care – Wrinkles, puffy or dark circles under eyes, brown spots, dry skin, these are not healthy looking. Growing older is not fun, but it does inspire us to take better care of ourselves. I was at the shopping mall, when one of those expensive vendors grabbed me and put me in front of a mirror. She started talking about some of these skin problems and how her products could help (for a cost of $250). Yikes! After a good look at the difference I saw in the mirror, I knew it was time to take better care of my skin. Rather than spend a lot of money, I ordered DoTerra’s Essential Skin Care kit and got started with a daily routine. I also found a wonderful Eye Cream on my store shelf that makes a huge difference. My skin feels soft, moist, and smooth – all it takes is a few natural products and a little time to take care of myself.

Grandchildren – I now have 5 beautiful grandchildren. If I need a little positive energy, I just give one of them a hug or a smile, even just seeing a picture of them or hearing them laugh will increase my vitality and mood. Children are a blessing, make sure you have a few in your life.

These are a few changes I have made in my life so far this year! I hope this simple list inspires you to take better care of yourself. Summer is a great time to give a little extra time to YOU. As your vitality goes down, your disease goes up. Prevent disease by increasing your vitality. It is that simple! Call me for a personal consultation, I would love to help you through this process.