Keto Ramblings

Keto When I started getting into the keto diet, I quickly learned that people were doing this crazy thing called intermittent fasting.  It took me a while to come around to the idea, but recently I've started doing a lot more fasting! I'm finding that it's helping me be more aware of why I'm eating (usually boredom), and scale back the sheer volume of food I'm consuming.  So why is fasting so popular among keto-ers?   When we're eating keto, our bodies go into a state of ketosis... Turns out the benefits of fasting are generally due to this same state of ketosis, although it's induced by restriction of food rather than choice of food.  So intermittent fasting can be seen as an extension of a keto diet in some ways.   In my experience, being on the keto diet reduces my hunger / cravings, so it makes sense that fasting would be easier if my body were already keto adapted.  While fasting in general doesn't specify which foods you can eat during your ...

Your Purpose  Determining what our purpose is in life can be one of the hardest questions that we as humans must try to answer. I can remember going through high school, where it seemed like absolutely everyone else knew exactly what they wanted to do when they grew up... and there I was feeling completely aimless!  It took me years (and a very wandering path) to create the life I'm so happy with today! In this quick article we will be going through a step by step process, exploring your feelings and options, and by the end, you should have a fairly solid tool you can immediately employ in your life, to help give it a meaningful direction and find more joy!  If you're looking for something more in-depth, check out Finding Meaning on Amazon. There are three steps to the process of discovering the purpose of your life: Understanding the principle of choice Creating your “underlying principle” Aligning your life with this underlying principle Understanding The Principle of ...

 Meal Planning Over the past 15 or 20 years, I had really slowed down on cooking.  I live alone, so for the most part, cooking and cleaning up afterwards seemed like far too much hassle.  I've simplified things to soups or curry, tacos, and ready-made meals I can buy and heat up.   As I started eating a ketogenic diet a few years ago, I found that cooking made a lot more sense.  With a little planning, I can prepare batches of meals and portion them into meal prep containers to freeze for later.  I'm also finding a renewed love of cooking that I had almost forgotten about!   Finding and trying new recipes is fun!  So this week I've picked out a group of recipes that I'll be trying next.  I've tried to focus on quick, simple dishes without too many different ingredients to keep costs reasonable.  If you're planning on making all the recipes with me, I've included my shopping list below. Recipe Links Keto Tuna Burgers (serves 1)...

If you've ever tried keto, you've probably noticed that your electrolytes can fall out of balance.  Electrolytes are important minerals the body needs for proper function.  When we don't have the right balance of these minerals, it can cause symptoms of the so-called Keto Flu.  Basically, you may feel brain fog, muscle cramps, headaches, dizzy, and a whole bunch of yucky symptoms.   The difference between consuming carbs regularly, and the dramatic change as you start keto can definitely have an effect on your system.  With the keto diet, your body doesn't need to release as much insulin to process your food.  This triggers several processes: it depletes glycogen stores, and also causes the kidneys to release sodium.  Further, a keto diet can be low in magnesium and potassium.  The end result is a body lacking those key minerals. Since our bodies are excreting more water while eating a keto diet, it's important to drink LOTS of water.  I...

  Hello!  This week I've been busy meal planning and batch cooking, and thought I'd write about it...  I've been following a keto diet on and off for a few years now and it still takes me a bit of planning to make sure I have the right foods on hand. First I make sure I have the basics: Heavy cream Olive oil Butter  Avocado Bacon Olives Pickles Cheese for snacking Salami / Pepperoni / Summer Sausage  Nuts Frozen veggies: cauliflower, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, asparagus Frozen meat: ground beef, ground turkey, chicken thighs  Eggs I use Atkins protein shakes instead of breakfast, using one as creamer for my several cups of coffee.  This keeps my mornings quick and simple. I also have protein shakes for lunch, but I use KetoChow - they're more expensive, but also more filling and they're designed to be a complete meal so I feel more comfortable that I'm getting the nutrients I need.  I love their chocolate flavor!  KetoChow shakes work best i...