topic Re: Keto Sharing in Wellness

Keto Sharing

JeanLouiseFinch — Wed, 28 Aug 2019 12:59:15 GMT

I’m starting a thread for those of us who have adopted the ketogenic/keto way of eating (WOE) to share recipes, product recommendations, tips, support, etc. To those who disagree, please be respectful are refrain from posting here. You have something negative to say, start your own thread. My wish is that this thread can remain positive.

So, what are your best tips? What alternative recipes have you discovered? What are your favorite packaged products. BTW, If you share a recipe, please include the nutritional info so users can decide if it will fit into their macros. Thanks so much. Let’s have fun here and be supportive.

Re: Keto Sharing

JeanLouiseFinch — Wed, 28 Aug 2019 20:12:28 GMT

I guess I’ll start.

Reading labels is SO important. Watch for hidden sugars. Maltodextrin is a common food additive. It’s sugar.

My DH and I started the keto WOE at the end of June, only to realize we’d been doing i5 wrong for several weeks. Even so, he can make his belt tighter and I’m down a size. I still haven’t gotten on the scale though.

Re: Keto Sharing

lkat — Wed, 28 Aug 2019 14:10:59 GMT

Great idea to start a thread, hopefully the usual suspects don't hijack it.

I've been doing Keto since May. Have lost 24 pounds (almost at goal), my blood pressure is lower, my joint pain is gone and I'm never hungry. I got hit pretty hard with the keto flu on day 4, but except for that have felt great. It was much easier than I thought it would be. I've had hardly any cravings and have not had any cheats (or desire to cheat). Even though I haven't been doing it a real long time, these are the things that have helped me the most.

-I add one tablespoon of MCT oil to black coffee in the morning, it has no taste (I sometimes just have it off the spoon) and helps keep my appetite at bay (I have a 6-8 hour eating window). I know a lot of people like bulletproof coffee but it sounds gross to me and it also has a lot of calories.

-Drink electrolytes if you get the low carb flu or if you feel dehydrated and use Redmond Real Salt on food - it has a lot of trace minerals.

-Eat your veggies, I make sure to have a good portion at every meal. Get creative with them, there are a lot of delicious recipes online.

-Do not eat too much "dirty keto". Yeah, bacon tastes good, but it shouldn't be a staple in your diet.

-I hardly ever get the urge for sweets any more, but if I do, I make a little whipped cream (use Swerve confectioners instead of regular sugar) and have with berries and it tastes better than any cookie/cake would.

-There are a TON of delicious free recipes online and also some great cookbooks.

-If you like eggs, you'll probably be eating more of them, so invest in good organic, pasture raised eggs. You will notice a difference. One of my favorite meals when I'm home is eggs scrambled with sauteed mushrooms and onions, topped with a touch of butter and some nutritional yeast along with a side of avocado. Also an omelette filled with salsa and topped with sour cream and avocado is a great meal.

-Take advantage of all the online resources. There are a ton of forums, You Tube channels, bloggers, Instagrammers, etc. I did a lot of research before I started and it was worth it. It's not easy to stop eating sugar, bread, pasta, etc. all at once but it's much easier if you've done some prep work/research. There are a lot of really cool, helpful people out there.

-If you eat out, try to find nutritional info online for the meals before you get to the restaurant. A lot of meals that sound like they'd be good for keto have a lot more carbs than you'd expect.

-This isn't specific to keto, but I've found that a change in my mindset has really helped. I don't think of this as a diet. I'm not planning on ever going back to eating sugar/high carbs. I feel too good now. I also try not to ever think/say "I can't eat that", rather I think "I don't eat that". It sounds silly but it does help.

-And finally (sorry this is way longer than I planned), ignore the haters. So many people think their WOE is the only "right" way. Do your research and listen to your body. Tweak things as needed. Many people mistakenly think that all people who are keto live on bacon cheeseburgers and fat bombs. You'll never convince the militants that they're wrong, so don't waste any energy on them.

Re: Keto Sharing

JeanLouiseFinch — Wed, 28 Aug 2019 14:30:33 GMT

Thanks, @lkat. That was a great post. I recently watched a film on Netflix called "The Magic Pill". It was sobering to see how sugar impacts multiple areas of our health and wellness. We have decided that this needs to be our ongoing WOE rather than just for weightloss. I'm in another online forum and I feel so bad for those who have been successful and then somewhere along the line they make a series of bad choices only to return to where they began, sometimes worse.

Admittedly, my first week of no bread, I was dying for a piece of buttered toast. We've had a couple other cheats over the past couple of months, but they have gotten less important to us. When we have cheated, those foods we thought we loved and missed didn't taste the same. I don't know why or how that happens, if it has something to do with our built in sugar receptors.

Re: Keto Sharing

lkat — Wed, 28 Aug 2019 14:56:23 GMT

@JeanLouiseFinch wrote:
Thanks, @lkat. That was a great post. I recently watched a film on Netflix called "The Magic Pill". It was sobering to see how sugar impacts multiple areas of our health and wellness. We have decided that this needs to be our ongoing WOE rather than just for weightloss. I'm in another online forum and I feel so bad for those who have been successful and then somewhere along the line they make a series of bad choices only to return to where they began, sometimes worse.

Admittedly, my first week of no bread, I was dying for a piece of buttered toast. We've had a couple other cheats over the past couple of months, but they have gotten less important to us. When we have cheated, those foods we thought we loved and missed didn't taste the same. I don't know why or how that happens, if it has something to do with our built in sugar receptors.

I totally agree about sugar. I think giving that up was the best thing I've ever done for my health.

There are definitely things I miss (buttered toast being a big one!). I tell myself that if I ever can't stop thinking about a certain food, I will let myself eat it (I'm sure I'd also find that it didn't taste as good as I imagined it would). I worry about letting little cheats turning into big cheats and ending up back where I started. One of the things I like the most about keto is that I rarely ever have a craving for what I used to eat. Yeah, when my husband and son are eating pizza and fries, it smells good, but so far I've never been tempted enough by it to eat it.

Personally, I do better if I just don't eat certain things. When I was younger, I was "all things in moderation" and always maintained a healthy weight. That's become much harder after menopause. I'd eat "healthy" all day and then have a little of this and a little of that at night and I found myself 30 pounds overweight.

There are lots of recipes for keto bread, desserts, etc. I'm a bit afraid to go down that road though. During my first month, I made keto rolls with almond flour and my weight loss stalled that week. I also try to stay away from keto packaged foods like Quest tortilla chips, etc. Even though the macros fit, I'm a little afraid that eating that type of substitute will make me want the real thing more.

It sounds like you and your husband are off to a great start. It must be great to have your partner doing it with you. My husband and son (who are both thin) have no interest at all in changing their eating so my house is still filled with lots of sweets (hubby) and lots of salty snacks (son). Very annoying sometimes!!

Re: Keto Sharing

meem120 — Wed, 28 Aug 2019 16:59:46 GMT

I use Coffee Booster original flavor for my bulletproof coffee. Its on the A site. I add cream and it tatse like a Dunkacinno.

Re: Keto Sharing

Grouchomarx — Wed, 28 Aug 2019 19:18:16 GMT

Birch Benders Keto pancakes from Amazon are life changing! I haven't eaten regular pancakes in ages. Now I can have pancakes and sausages on Sunday. They taste normal and are not loaded with lots of weird ingredients. Sugar free maple flavored syrup is the perfect compliment (also Amazon).

Cauliflower pizza is also a godsend. I use the recipe from the Pioneer Woman on Food Network's website. I top it with sauce, pepperoni and cheese. Yum. (I know some company makes it pre-made but I can't find it anywhere by me.)

Make a batch of breakfast frittatas in muffin tins. You can microwave them for a minute in the morning, a batch keeps in the fridge for a good week. Add anything you like, such as bacon, ham, spinach, diced zucchini, broccoli, onion, various cheeses. It makes breakfast in a hurry so easy.

I like to snack on olives. All different types. I try not to eat too much meat or cheese but it gets tempting. So a veg snack of olives of cucumber slices in blue cheese dip is refreshing.

We found great keto ice cream recently, the brand is Rebel. Absolutely delicious and made with real cream. You just have to let it sit out a while before attempting to eat it, it's like astonaut ice cream straight from the freezer.

The best low carb tortillas I found are Tumaro's. Multi grain (which doesn't taste like it) has only 3 net carbs and 7 grams fiber. They are great for so many recipes including quesadillas, burritos, cold cut wraps, you name it. I live on these things and keep extra packs in the freezer.

Chia seed pudding is a nice dessert. Chia seeds, coconut milk, unsweetened cocoa powder, flaked coconut, stevia, vanilla extract. Very rich and satisfying.

Re: Keto Sharing

JeanLouiseFinch — Wed, 28 Aug 2019 19:53:09 GMT

@Grouchomarx I'm delighted to read your recommendation on the Birch Benders pancake mix. We're having out of town company soon and bought the mix so I could make them pancakes, bacon, and eggs one morning. What syrup are you using? I bought some Choc Zero, but the bottle is so tiny that I want to get more to have on hand. I'm thinking I'll get the Lankanto.

I've been using the Fathead Dough recipe to make pizza. It's really easy and tastes so good. Plus it feels like you're eating a real crust. The RAO pizza sauce is really good and a good low net carb option. We were grocery shopping a few weeks ago and I grabbed a crust from the freezer section, called CauliPower, without reading the label. BIG mistake. That thing is loaded with carbs, so it's stilling in my freezer until I can bring it back. I also made the mistake of buying the bulk, measures like sugar, stevia. Another lesson learned. The ingredients are stevia and maltodextrin - aka sugar! Ugh!

We tried the Halo ice cream and have mixed feelings about it. The flavors were great but the consistency wasn't as creamy as I'd hoped. I've tried some ice cream experiments on my own with just so-so results. There's only one store in our area that is listed as selling Rebel. I'll need to plan a trip there. They only have three flavors and it's like $6.50/pt. I could actually order from Amazon if I wanted 8 pints of the same flavor. The price isn't too far off from the store price and shipping is free.

I'll have to look for the tortillas. I found some little round flat things called Egg Thins. They're paper thin, OK for a small wrap as long as you don't overfill it. A nice piece of lettuce is sometimes easier.

I bought chia seeds but haven't tried them yet. I'm waiting until I get some non-dairy yogurt so I can make a recipe I came across.

Re: Keto Sharing

Grouchomarx — Wed, 28 Aug 2019 20:03:35 GMT

@JeanLouiseFinch wrote:
@Grouchomarx I'm delighted to read your recommendation on the Birch Benders pancake mix. We're having out of town company soon and bought the mix so I could make them pancakes, bacon, and eggs one morning. What syrup are you using? I bought some Choc Zero, but the bottle is so tiny that I want to get more to have on hand. I'm thinking I'll get the Lankanto.

The brand of maple flavored sugar free syrup is called Lakanto from Amazon. It's quite good. I bet your company would never be able to tell the pancakes are low carb! I hope you like it. My partner gets very excited for Sunday breakfast now. If I don't feel like making them he gets so depressed!

Re: Keto Sharing

AnjalenaQVC — Wed, 28 Aug 2019 20:18:29 GMT

This post has been removed by QVC because it contains a link.

Re: Keto Sharing

JeanLouiseFinch — Wed, 28 Aug 2019 21:23:25 GMT

Has anyone tried "Chaffles"? They're a bread hack - basically eggs & cheese, cooked in a waffle maker. You can vary the seasonings and additions to customize for your purpose. Eat them as a waffle, use them as a base for something, use them as a top and bottom for a sandwich or burger. I tried making some in my 40+ yr. old waffle maker and they oozed all over the place. Back then, waffle makers only had a standard design. The chaffles are best made in a Belgian waffle maker with the bigger indentations. They have single mini makers on Amazon for about $10-12.

Re: Keto Sharing

lkat — Wed, 28 Aug 2019 22:21:59 GMT

@JeanLouiseFinch wrote:
Has anyone tried "Chaffles"? They're a bread hack - basically eggs & cheese, cooked in a waffle maker. You can vary the seasonings and additions to customize for your purpose. Eat them as a waffle, use them as a base for something, use them as a top and bottom for a sandwich or burger. I tried making some in my 40+ yr. old waffle maker and they oozed all over the place. Back then, waffle makers only had a standard design. The chaffles are best made in a Belgian waffle maker with the bigger indentations. They have single mini makers on Amazon for about $10-12.

Funny, I was just reading a thread about them earlier today on ketogenicforums.com. I have a Belgian waffle maker, will let you know if I try them.

Re: Keto Sharing

pdxlalesley — Thu, 29 Aug 2019 20:43:14 GMT

Hi JLF, Count me in. I have found lots of info, recipes, and more from a site called Diet Dr dot com. It's based in Sweden I believe. Anyway, lots of info there.

I also got a book by Jason Fung from Amazon, not done reading it yet. Have you shared that you are doing keto with your doctor? I will need to, as I have type 2 diabetes. I have tried a few recipes and like the food. (And it's not all bacon, all the time.)

I look forward to hearing from others.

Re: Keto Sharing

JeanLouiseFinch — Thu, 29 Aug 2019 20:51:18 GMT

@pdxlalesley wrote:
Hi JLF, Count me in. I have found lots of info, recipes, and more from a site called Diet Dr dot com. It's based in Sweden I believe. Anyway, lots of info there.

I also got a book by Jason Fung from Amazon, not done reading it yet. Have you shared that you are doing keto with your doctor? I will need to, as I have type 2 diabetes. I have tried a few recipes and like the food. (And it's not all bacon, all the time.)

I look forward to hearing from others.

Glad you're participating, @pdxlalesley. I have not said anything to my doctor or NP yet. First and foremost, I need to get rid of the excess pounds, which I'm sure they would support. At my last physical, roughly a year ago, I was borderline for diabetes so that's another push to do something.

The other day I bought a bag of frozen cauliflower rice at Costco, figuring I'd eventually need it for something. I ended up finding a recipe hack for mac and cheese, using the riced cauliflower on the food network website. I made it last night and it was really good. The only problem is that they don't list all the macros under the nutritional info.

Re: Keto Sharing

JeanLouiseFinch — Thu, 29 Aug 2019 21:07:07 GMT

My husband has never like Brussels sprouts but was willing to try them. Our son lost a ton of weight doing keto and recommended this to us. It was one of the first keto recipes I tried and we loved it. The cornstarch is not really too keto friendly so substituting arrowroot powder or xanthan gum would save some carbs or just leave the thickening agent out altogether. Conversion charts are easy to look up online.

Creamy Garlic Parmesan Brussel Sprouts with Bacon

(Creamy Garlic Parmesan Brussels Sprouts & Bacon will become your NEW favourite way to eat Brussels Spouts! Sautéed Brussels sprouts baked in a cheesy creamy garlic sauce with bacon, topped with bubbling mozzarella and parmesan cheese!)

Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
30 mins
Total Time
40 mins

Servings: 8 people (as a side) Calories: 312kcal

Ingredients
10 ounces (300 g) bacon, cut into strips
2 tablespoons butter
2 pounds (1 kg) Brussel sprouts, washed, (trim bottoms and cut sprouts in half)
Salt and pepper to season
5 cloves garlic finely chopped
1 1/2 cups (400 ml) light or heavy cream, (thickened cream)
1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch mixed with 1 tablespoon water (cornstarch slurry -- optional)
1/3 cup fresh shredded or grated mozzarella
1/4 cup fresh shredded or grated parmesan cheese

Instructions
Preheat oven to 375°F
Fry the bacon in a large oven-safe skillet over medium heat until crispy. Use a slotted spoon to transfer to a paper towel lined plate to soak up some of the oil. Set aside.
Drain most of the bacon fat from the pan, leaving about 1-2 tablespoons for added flavour (adjust this amount to your liking). In the same pan, melt the butter, then add the Brussels sprouts and season with salt and pepper. Scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan, and cook while stirring occasionally, for about 6 minutes. The edges should start crisping and slightly charring.

Add in the garlic and stir it through the sprouts for a minute, until fragrant. Pour in the cream, reduce heat down to low and allow them to simmer until tender (another 3-4 minutes).

If the cream is too thin for your liking, add in the cornstarch slurry, stirring it through immediately, until combined.

Add the bacon in and give everything a good mix to combine all of the flavours together. Top the sprouts with the mozzarella and parmesan cheeses. Bake until cheese is bubbly and sprouts are done to your liking (about 15 minutes). If you like your cheese browned, change oven settings to broil for 2-3 minutes, until golden.

Season with a little extra pepper, if desired, before serving. You can also sprinkle with fresh chopped parsley, thyme or rosemary.

Re: Keto Sharing

GingerPeach — Fri, 30 Aug 2019 00:05:38 GMT

There is a fairly easy food tracker that gives you not only net amounts but percentages.

It's called My Plate and can be found on livestrong DOT com.

BTW, beware of "net carbs," since they are pretty much a marketing scheme and can throw off your counts and desired results, depending on your needs and goals.

Re: Keto Sharing

pattiewaddle — Fri, 30 Aug 2019 00:25:43 GMT

Thanks for starting this thread as I would like to start this WOE. Have some idea about low carbs from South Beach and Atkins. Please suggest the best book to get me started...so many to choose from.for keto......Im so close to being Diabetic need to watch my carbs....Thanks

Re: Keto Sharing

Athome2 — Fri, 30 Aug 2019 09:50:31 GMT

@pattiewaddle, My husband and I eat keto and love it. His sister was here yesterday with a book by Ivor Cummins and Dr. Jeff Gerber called “Eat Rich, Live Long” and it was really good. I had a couple of hours with it and it seems to have a great explanation of ketosis, why this way of eating works, bloodwork and heart info and also good recipes to get you started. We plan to buy it and have it on hand for easy reference. Also, as said before, the Diet Doctor website is an excellent place to go for information. Their resident cardiologist, Dr. Brett Scher, does great articles on current topics and studies and also is the host of the Diet Doctor podcast. Ivor Cummins has a really good podcast too, called The Fat Emperor. I’ve eaten keto for several years and the feeling of optimism i get along with easy weight management and overall health is amazing. My downfall is dairy and also keto “treats”. They can be great but I’m way too susceptible to overdoing! When I stick to whole foods and plainer meals, I do much better. I also implement some intermittent fasting, eating from about 4:00 am to noon and that’s it. I wake up full of energy and ready to go! I don’t recommend the fasting until you’re fully fat adapted though. It should come naturally and not be forced. I’m really looking forward to this thread!

Re: Keto Sharing

Athome2 — Fri, 30 Aug 2019 10:04:08 GMT

@JeanLouiseFinch, that Brussels sprouts recipe sounds amazing! I’m copying it to give it a try.

Re: Keto Sharing

JeanLouiseFinch — Fri, 30 Aug 2019 10:17:36 GMT

@GingerPeach wrote:
There is a fairly easy food tracker that gives you not only net amounts but percentages.
It's called My Plate and can be found on livestrong DOT com.

BTW, beware of "net carbs," since they are pretty much a marketing scheme and can throw off your counts and desired results, depending on your needs and goals.

Thanks for the input, @GingerPeach. I've not heard of My Plate, I've only heard of My Fitness Pal and Carb Manager.

How is the "net carb" tracking/counting a marketing thing? Everyone I know or have read from manages their net carbs. I mean, it seems to be the way the ketogenic diet is done.