30-Day Challenge – Zero Carbs

meat

I’m going full ketogenic for July. No foods or drinks that come from plants. That’s right I’m doing a 30-Day No Carb Challenge. Let’s see if eating just animal foods is possible. Photo courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net and amenic181.

Well this should be interesting. I love my veggies, avocado, plum tomatoes, coconut oil and seasonings. But in the interest of my diet, I decided to give them all up in July. Yep, I’m going from 20g of net carbs a day to 0g total carbs.

That means no vegetables or fruits of any kind. No garlic. No leafy greens. No berries. No coffee or tea. No alcohol!!!!! No spices or seasonings, except for salt. If it comes from a plant, I’m giving it up in July.

Why am I doing this? Why not. Sometimes its good to shake things up. Also many LCHF folks experiment with this and many find it much easier to stick to. For me, the idea of giving up my morning avocado seems impossible, but I’m going to try.

What Can I Eat & Drink?
For 30 days the only foods I’ll eat comes from animals. Drinking is also restricted. Read More


The Best Soups of 2015!

Soup

Easy to make, soups are a great way to eat healthy and stay warm during winter. Low carb recipe blogger All Day I Dream About Food put together a list of the 21 top recipes of 2015. Enjoy! Photo courtesy of FreeDigitalPhoto.net and rakratchada torsap.

What better way to officially welcome winter than with soup recipes. But not just any recipes — 2015’s best low carb and ketogenic soup dishes.

Courtesy of All Day I Dream About Food (an awesome low carb food blog if there was one!), here you’ll find recipes for:

The recipes were pulled from great low carb, paleo and keto recipe sites.

As a soup lover, I can’t wait to start whipping these recipes up. I think I’m going to start with the Chicken & Chorizo Stew.

 

 


Book Review: The Ketogenic Cookbook

My new cookbook. The recipes taste amazing. This to this book, I'm even more inspired to get into my kitchen and start experimenting!

My new cookbook. The recipes taste amazing. This to this book, I’m even more inspired to get into my kitchen and start experimenting!

Since going ketogenic, I’ve struggled with getting more healthy fat into my diet. Yes, I love butter. But I’d like to think I’m a little more creative in the kitchen than just adding a tablespoon of butter on top of my steak. That’s why The Ketogenic Cookbook is a godsend!

The recipes are high in fat, easily allowing me to hit my daily goal of consuming 75-80% of my calories in healthy fat. The recipes look amazingly delicious. And like my Julia Child’s cookbook, it inspires me to get into the kitchen and play with ingredients.

I’m working my way through the book, busily making lots of sauces and dressings in the book’s “Condiments, Dressings, Broth and Other Basics” section. The tomato sauce and yellow marinara sauce recipe were more than worth the price. This week I’m testing out the “compound butter” recipe using beef tallow and duck fat! Read More


Homemade, Low Carb Marinara Sauce

Last night we used the yellow marinara sauce over meatballs and zoodles. Absolutely delicious!

Last night we used the yellow marinara sauce over meatballs and zoodles. Absolutely delicious!

Powering through my new ketogenic cookbook, I spent a lovely evening making a marinara sauce for two dishes I’m making – Meatballs with Zucchini Noodles and a Pizza Casserole (recipe coming).

I love tomatoes, especially tomato-based sauces. While I’ve tried making my own sauce, it was mostly cooking down diced roma tomatoes in olive oil for a few minutes. Nothing to write home about.

Typically I’d just hunt the grocery store for the lowest carb sauce I can find. Not an easy task as many include added sugar.

Then I discovered the Yellow Marinara Sauce in The Ketogenic Cookbook. Intrigued, I was nervous about trying this recipe. Why? Peeling tomatoes. I’ve never done that before. It always seemed like an impossible task. Read More


Weekly Weigh-In: Feeling Zen About Weight Gain

aug 29 weigh inAs expected I’m up a few pounds. Four to be exact. And as predicted, I’m not freaked out by it. I’m back on track eating wise. Next week I’m taking a couple of parkour classes, starting my daily 6+ mile walks, and begin my 10K training.

Yes, all is right with the world.

On Area For Improvement
Before my trip to Texas I shifted my eating to a ketogenic diet – low carb, high fat, moderate protein. Despite a few bumps in the road, mainly Tex-Mex dining, I’m enjoying the shift. Read More


MCT Oil & Tummy Issues

MCT oil is a very healthy saturated fat, but you need to ease your body into it. Otherwise tummy troubles commence.

MCT oil is a very healthy saturated fat, but you need to ease your body into it. Otherwise tummy troubles commence.

Two weeks ago I picked up some MCT oil as a way to add more healthy fat into my diet. I upped my daily intake of fat from 65% to 75% as a way to get into ketosis. I had issues getting to 75% but the MCT oil helps. However, I’ve learned that I made a mistake with MCT and my tummy is rumbling loud about it this morning.

What Is MCT Oil?
MCT stands for medium-chain triglycerides. MCT, found in coconut oil, is a healthy saturated fat. It’s a more concentrated form of saturated fat that is quickly absorbed. It can be used in cooking or you can consume it (MCT oil is used for bulletproof coffee) as it doesn’t have any flavor. Research shows has a lot of benefits for those with metabolic syndrome and can improve blood sugar and appetite regulation. If you are on a ketogenic diet, this puppy can enhances ketone production and is a big energy booster. Read More


Looking For The Ketosis Sweet Spot

Yummy! Ordered my first batch of lard and beef tallow. Next month, I hope to actually try rendering unprocessed lard and tallow from local farmers.

Yummy! Ordered my first batch of lard and beef tallow. Next month, I hope to actually try rendering unprocessed lard and tallow from local farmers. Getting into ketosis will be tasty fun.

I’m in the final push of reaching my goal weight and I’ve determined how I’m eating now will not get me to goal. I need to recalibrate how many fats, proteins and carbs I’m eating. Time to kick myself back into optimal ketosis.

I found a nifty little keto calculator that helps you decide your best food intake levels for weight loss with a ketogenic way of eating (WOE).

Lately my micronutrient breakdown averages to: 62% fat, 28% protein, 10% carbs.  I’m planning to make a slight cut in both my protein and carbs to become a fat burning machine. Read More