Hello world, I have gone keto krazy!  It’s the new buzz word in the food diet industry that has received a lot of attention lately, because it works!  And, hopefully restaurants will catch on soon so dining out is not such a challenge.

So here’s the quick keto scoop. The ketogenic diet is a high fat, adequate protein, low carbohydrate diet that forces the body to burn fats rather than carbs. Normally carbs contained in food turn to glucose which is transported around the body which fuels brain function. However, if there are few carbs the liver converts fat into fatty acids and ketone bodies which in turn replace glucose as an energy source. The classic ketogenic diet was developed for treatment for paediatric epilepsy in the 1920’s, actually. Other therapeutic uses include treatment of Alzheimer’s disease, autism, brain cancer, Parkinson’s, and the list goes on.  PLEASE consult with a doctor.

Back to the food.  My husband and I have turned our home into a keto kitchen for 2-weeks now.  Husband has lost 15 pounds.  I have lost weight too, but refuse to step onto the scale.  Turning fats into fuel while eating the food we love is a fun concept.  Introduce items like avocado oil and coconut oil into your mix.  Add leafy fiber-rich greens like spinach and kale. Choose low carb veggies that grow “above the ground” like zucchini, cauliflower, and asparagus.  Add proteins like chicken, turkey, pork, beef, and fatty seafood like salmon. Honestly, we have had so much fun cooking and creating foods like cauliflower mash with bacon, burgers, and perfecting a cheesecake dessert, my cravings for sugar and carbs are gone!  We’ve also figured out how to make bread from almond flour, which takes 1.5 minutes to make in the microwave.  You can Google just about any recipe!  Items we keep on hand at home include eggs, cream cheese, heavy cream, butter, coconut oil, avocados, nuts, almond flour, baking powder, and sugar replacement sweeteners such as confectioner’s swerve, stevia, and monkfruit!  Try it out and let me know how you are doing!  PS, we just discovered a light beer that has 2.5 carbs.  So, you can still drink!  Just count your carbs.  I believe you can have up to 50 carbs a day which is doable!  Until next time, enjoy reaching ketosis!