Introduction
My Keto Story
I’ve always struggled with my weight. Carbohydrates and sugar controlled my life for far too long. I tried every diet on the planet only to fail with every attempt. I thought I just didn’t have the willpower that others had. Plus, my blood sugar would not allow me to go hungry for very long without feeling unwell, and that made dieting even harder.
When I heard about the keto way of life and its ability to help with weight loss, I was intrigued and decided to give it a go. I vividly remember the day—January 27, 2017—that I cleaned out my pantry of all the foods I was used to consuming but that no longer fit into my newfound keto diet.
Two weeks later, I was holding strong to my weight loss goals, and my husband asked where I wanted to eat on Valentine’s Day. I was worried that if we went to a restaurant, I’d end up eating the wrong foods, either because they were too tempting or without realizing it (restaurants don’t tell you every ingredient that goes into a dish), so I suggested we buy some rib eye steaks and celebrate at home instead. It was right then and there that we both realized I was serious about this new way of eating.
Fortunately, just because I was on the keto diet did not mean I had to deprive myself of food that tasted great. I was determined to make delicious meals that not only conformed to the diet requirements, but that my family would also love. I didn’t want any of us to think of this way of eating as a restrictive diet, and once I understood the basic rules, I knew that keto was much more than that. It was a way of eating that anyone could make a part of their lives.
Embarking on a new healthy lifestyle can be intimidating and scary, especially when you’re just beginning and don’t have all the answers and are inundated by information. But don’t let that stop you from starting the diet. If I can do it, so can you!
Today, I have lost 55 pounds and I feel wonderful. I have never stayed with a diet plan this long, ever, and I think it’s because it’s not very hard to follow and I actually like to eat the food. Carbs and sugar no longer have a hold on me like they did. I may have started this plan to lose weight, but now it’s simply the way I live every day, and the way my family lives too. It’s amazing that small, simple changes in your food choices can change your whole life. Not only has this helped my waistline, but I feel better and have so much energy.
I decided to write this book because it’s become my life’s mission to share the knowledge I have gained and my love for creating recipes to help others who have struggled like I have. I found that you don’t need to eat crazy, unheard-of ingredients that you can’t pronounce (let alone find at the grocery store), and you don’t need to spend a ton of time in the kitchen either. In my mind, a diet will never work unless the food tastes wonderful and doesn’t leave you feeling as though you’ve missed out on anything. That’s exactly what I’m giving you with the recipes in this book. Good food that tastes great!
The Keto Diet
There are two ways our bodies can burn fuel. We can burn ketones, or we can burn glucose. The goal of the keto diet is to get your body burning ketones—to get into ketosis. Keto is a low-carbohydrate, high-fat, moderate-protein diet based on your body’s macronutrient needs. Typically, the ratio is 75 percent fat, 20 percent protein, and 5 percent carbs. When your body switches into ketosis, it burns fat as its main fuel source. When you restrict carbohydrates, sugar, and monounsaturated fats, your body will go into ketosis and start burning fat instead of storing it. Most people eat carbohydrates as their main fuel source and burn glucose (sugar). But if you burn fat as your main source of fuel, you won’t feel hunger so quickly—and you’ll start to lose weight. I promise, this is the reason I have been able to do this diet successfully. (Note: When your body consumes more protein than it needs, it can turn that excess into glucose which is a process known as gluconeogenesis, and this will interfere with weight loss. That’s why it’s important to eat the right proportions of fat, carbs, and protein.)
The following will give you more information about ketones and how to calculate your own macronutrients based on your body fat, activity level, and weight.
Types of Ketones
When you burn fat, your body produces ketones. There are three different types of ketones:
1. Beta-hydroxybutyrate, which is found in the blood.
2. Acetoacetate, which is found in the urine.
3. Acetone, which is found in the breath.
There are three different ways to test to see if you are in ketosis. This is important to track because once you are in ketosis, your body will be working as efficiently as possible, which will promote weight loss.
1. Blood meter: Measures the amount of beta-hydroxybutyrate and is the most accurate form of testing.
2. Urine strips: These measure acetoacetate in your urine. The strips can be helpful in the beginning of your journey but will eventually give you a false reading as you utilize the ketones in your body after you become fat-adapted.
3. Ketone breathalyzer: Acetone can be read by these devices, which provide an accurate and noninvasive tool for measuring acetone in your breath.
You can purchase a blood meter and urine strips at your local Walmart or drugstore. All three items are available to purchase online on Amazon.
Macronutrients
Macronutrients consist of fats, protein, and carbs. There are two factors that influence your macronutrient levels: activity level and lean mass weight. It’s important to maintain your body’s correct macronutrient ratio to get into ketosis, so it switches your body’s fuel source from glucose to ketones.
You can find out what your specific macronutrient needs are by using a macronutrient calculator, which you can find online by searching for keto macronutrient calculator. There are many to choose from, and most are easy to use. Try a couple to find the one that feels right for you.
The calculator will determine the exact amount of macronutrients you need to consume in order to achieve ketosis. Most calculators will ask for the following information, though this may vary from calculator to calculator:
- • Gender
- • Age
- • Height
- • Weight
- • Activity Level
- • Body Fat Percentage
Here’s an example of how they work:
First you need to figure out your body fat percentage. To determine your body fat, you will need a DEXA scan, which is available at gyms, or by request at some doctors’ offices.
Your lean mass weight is your weight in pounds minus the weight of your body fat. For example, if you weigh 160 pounds and your DEXA scan says you have 30 percent body fat, your lean mass weight would be 112 pounds. (160 − 30% = 112 pounds.)
Multiply the result by 0.6 (grams of protein per pound of lean body mass—that is your target goal) to determine the minimum grams of protein you should consume each day. Therefore, 112 pounds × 0.6 = 67 grams of protein, the minimum you should consume on a daily basis. You should never consume more grams of protein than the number of your lean mass weight.
In this example, the minimum amount of protein you should consume is 67 grams, but you should not go over 112 grams of protein in a day.
Activity Levels
Use these basic guidelines to determine your own activity level.
Sedentary: Very little or no exercise at all.
Lightly active: Light exercise such as walking or cycling one to three times a week.
Moderately active: Moderate cardio or muscle training three to five times a week.
Very active: Hard exercise, muscle training, and/or intense cardio five or more times a week.
Athletic or bodybuilding: High-intensity exercise at a professional level done daily.
Fat Adapted
Being fat adapted means your body is using fat as fuel; it’s basically another way to say that you are in ketosis. Fat adaptation implies you have restricted carbs enough to induce and increase the fat-burning process. Once you are fully fat adapted and using fat for your fuel, you are officially in nutritional ketosis. This can take anywhere from a couple of weeks to two months to shift over. Once you become fat-adapted you will probably feel a burst of energy! I remember feeling as though I could run a marathon when my body first moved into ketosis.
Keto Benefits
When you start the keto diet, you will quickly notice the positive attributes that have made this lifestyle so popular.
Reduced Appetite
Fat tends to keep you full for a longer time than sugar and carbs. Consuming 75 percent fat in your diet leads to reduced appetite and fewer cravings. You will no longer be controlled by the typical hunger pangs or sugar cravings that occur on other diet plans. With a reduced appetite, you will easily consume fewer calories and that leads to weight loss.
Fewer Cravings
It takes about three days to fully detox your system from the cravings you get from sugar and carbohydrates. Three very rough days. Once that is over, your cravings will be gone! Knowing this in the beginning really helped get me through those first tough days. And I didn’t believe I could do it until I actually went through it. I was the most sugar-addicted person on the planet, so if I can get through three days of intense cravings, you can too.
Weight Loss
The keto diet is also known as a flushing diet. It helps reduce inflammation, which releases water. I vividly remember losing a pound a day for the first eight days following the diet. Rapid weight loss in the beginning is fairly normal. Just remember to supplement with additional electrolytes so you don’t get dehydrated.
Lots of Fat
It’s very important to understand from the beginning that healthy fats are good for you. In the past 20 years we’ve been taught that fat is bad, when in reality it’s the carbs and sugar that are the real culprit. Don’t eat anything that says low-fat, fat-free, or reduced-fat! Eating a ketogenic diet of 75 percent fats, 20 percent protein, and only 5 percent carbs will also raise your HDL (good) cholesterol and decrease your triglycerides.
Reduced Risk for Disease
You will reduce your risk of high blood pressure, high blood sugar, and diabetes when you reduce the amount of carbohydrates and sugar in your diet.
Improved Gut Health
Sugar, processed foods, and carbohydrates cause inflammation in your intestinal tract. Reducing these in your diet will help foster a healthy gut.
Improved Focus and Mental Clarity
A few weeks into your new keto lifestyle, suddenly you will realize you have improved focus and mental clarity. This really happened to me, and I never realized I was experiencing brain fog until it lifted.
Why You Should Start the Keto Diet
I believe everyone should begin a keto diet or some alternate form of low-carbohydrate plan. The foods available to us today are loaded with so much sugar, it’s unbelievable. And I don’t think cutting carbs and sugar is beneficial just for weight loss either. I have seen big changes in my kids when I restricted the amount of sugar in their diets. They have better focus, they concentrate more, and they are happier and less irritable. It’s absolutely amazing what can happen to your body when you eat real food!
Keto Approved Foods
There are so many delicious foods that can be eaten on the keto diet—many more than the foods you can’t. This is one of the reasons I like this diet so much—I never feel deprived.
What Not to Eat
- • Grains: Avoid all grains.
- • Fruits: Fruit has tons of sugar. Stick to berries such as strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries, but consume them in small quantities.
- • Processed foods: Stay away from anything that has been processed. Stick to fresh “real” foods.
- • Root vegetables: Avoid carrots, potatoes, parsnips, rutabagas, and turnips.
- • Dairy: Avoid all reduced-fat products.
- • Oils: Avoid canola oil, vegetable oil, safflower oil, margarine, Crisco, and hydrogenated cooking oils.
- • Sugar and low- or no-calorie sweeteners: Avoid sweeteners such as aspartame and sucralose.
- • Cured meats: Avoid all cured deli meats, cured hot dogs, cured bacon, or nitrates in meats.
What to Eat
- • Avocado
- • Butter
- • Cheese
- • Coconut aminos
- • Coconut vinegar
- • Cruciferous vegetables
- • Dairy
- • Eggs
- • Extracts for flavoring
- • Fatty cuts of meat
- • Ghee
- • Greens
- • Guar gum or xanthan gum, as a thickening agent
- • Heavy cream
- • Hot sauce
- • Liquid smoke
- • MCT oil
- • Miracle noodles
- • Nut butters such as almond, sunflower, peanut, cashew
- • Pepperoni
- • Pork rinds
- • Protein powders
- • Salt
- • Squash
Keto Approved Sweeteners
Stevia glycerite (liquid)
- • 0 calories
- • 300 percent sweeter than sugar
- • Conversion: 1 cup sugar = 1 teaspoon stevia
Stevia doesn’t affect the blood sugar and has no calories, which helps with weight loss.
Erythritol (powder)
- • 0 to 0.2 calories per gram
- • 70 percent as sweet as sugar
- • Conversion: 1 cup sugar = 1 cup erythritol
If using amounts over 1 cup, I usually add 1 teaspoon stevia glycerite for every 1 cup erythritol to reach a sweetness equal to sugar. For amounts less than 1 cup, you won’t notice any difference in sweetness. Erythritol crystallizes and is very similar to sugar. It’s perfect for baking and does not affect blood glucose levels.
Monkfruit Sweetener
- • 0 to 0.2 calories per gram
- • 100 percent as sweet as sugar
- • Conversion: 1 cup sugar = 1 cup monkfruit sweetener
Monkfruit crystallizes and is very similar to sugar. It’s also a zero glycemic sweetener that is perfect for baking.
Pyure Granulated Stevia
- • 0 to 0.2 calories per gram
- • 100 percent as sweet as sugar
- • Conversion: 1 cup sugar = 1 cup Pyure
Yacon Syrup (liquid)
- • 1.5 calories per gram
- • 50 percent as sweet as sugar
- • Conversion: 1 cup sugar = 2 cups yacon syrup
Yacon syrup is a low-glycemic sweetener that is pressed from the yacon root. It’s similar to the consistency of molasses and perfect for baking! It can replace molasses, honey, agave, and maple syrup. I purchase yacon syrup from Amazon.com, though most natural food stores will carry it.
Xylitol (granulated)
- • 2.4 calories per gram
- • 100 percent as sweet as sugar
- • Conversion: 1 cup sugar = 1 cup xylitol
Xylitol is a naturally occurring alcohol found in most plant material, including many fruits and vegetables. Warning: It is extremely toxic to dogs.
Keto Pantry and Fridge Items
Having the right foods in your pantry will make it much easier to stay on the diet. Knowing sources for the right foods is just as important. Proteins, healthy fats, and vegetables can be found at nearly any local grocery store, but keto snack items might be a bit harder to find.
I tend to shop at Walmart, Costco, Target, H-E-B, Sprouts, and Whole Foods, among others. I’ve found multiple items on Amazon too. You can find a list of my favorite keto products at bit.ly/KetoFavorites.
Healthy Fats
Healthy fats are extremely important on the ketogenic diet. There are good fats and not so good fats.
Good fats: butter, cream, lard, red meat, coconut oil, eggs, palm oil, avocados, avocado oil, cocoa butter, olive oil, macadamia nut oil, goose fat, bacon fat, flaxseed oil, walnuts, fish oil, sesame oil, chia seeds, nut oils.
Bad fats: Stay away from unhealthy processed trans fats and polyunsaturated fats such as hydrogenated oils, processed vegetable oils, and canola oil.