A Few Keto Meal Ideas

/

These are a few examples of the meals we enjoy around our house. You’ll notice there’s more the same about them than there is different. Namely, cast iron skillet, lovely types of protein and their attendant fat - or some bacon thrown in if the protein is on the lean side (beef liver, I’m looking at you) - and maybe a handful of vegetables. One skillet. Fast, simple, nutritious.

Here’s a short video describing the various dishes.

Here are a few examples of the #ketomeals we enjoy. You can see that the #ketogenic diet is far from restrictive. A skillet and some imagination is all it takes! Enjoy! For more information on the ketogenic diet, see below.

The Food List.... Again

/

The most visited page on this site is, hands down, that plain old PDF found under the 'Resources' tab labeled 'Casey's Keto Food List'. To be clear, it's not really my food list. It's the list I followed when I commenced on the ketogenic diet although at the time I didn't event know the word ketogenic. I just wanted to change my life so as to avoid having to take insulin - or any medication - to deal with Type 2 Diabetes. I hadn't yet been diagnosed with that insidious disease but I knew it really was just a matter of time. I come from a large family of people with metabolic challenges and I was on deck. I've written about the day it all hit home for me previously.

I was also really fat. I had given up on that ever changing. I had been overweight for about thirty years and was sadly resigned to the situation. I've written about this previously. Let me attest to the fact that loss of hope is demoralizing. But while I was pretty sure it was my role to the be the fat lady in the room, the prospect of losing my feet or eyesight or a kidney to diabetes was a bridge too far. I might have been demoralized, but I wasn’t dead.

Yet.

And so I did what we all do when we need information. I started typing and Ms. Google returned some results for my ‘how to not take insulin for diabetes’ query. I don’t know whether it was the first link I clicked on but I was taken to a video of Dr. Eric Westman of Duke University where he was talking to his clinic patients, as he continues to do every Monday to this day, about how his program addresses obesity and Type 2 Diabetes with food. Not with insulin. On this particular video, whoever had uploaded it had included a link to the food list to which Dr. Westman makes reference several times - "if its' not on page 4, don't eat it" ( 'page 4' because it was the fourth of a five or so page handout for the patients). That seemed simple enough. At the time I didn't understand the physiology of why keeping ones carbohydrate intake to 20 grams or fewer a day would have such a dramatic effect on my body, but the protocol was simple. Always a good thing for me. So I copied the list to my computer, perused it a few times and, the next time I ate something, I left off the carbs.

It was that simple. Really

And what’s really simple is the food list. The thing is, it’s not a magical list. Not a special combination of foods and condiments. It’s a list of various animal products and some non-starchy vegetables. It’s not comprehensive as far as all the fatty sources of protein is concerned. After all, it’s one page. There’s only so much space on a PDF document. For instance, I don’t think bison is listed. Like bison? Have at it. Ditto alligator. You get the idea.

Here’s the thing: while a list is a handy guide as you get started, it’s not a sacred scroll. Once you recognize which foods you like and are likely to go to, the list isn’t needed. In truth, I haven’t referenced it for myself since about the first week into following the diet. Again, it’s animal flesh and a few veggies. And let’s face it, no matter what food routines we have had over the years, have we ever needed 365 different dishes? Heck, have we often deviated from the same half dozen or so? But, the list is there. Use it for what it’s worth. But keep in mind that you can create your own list. Those foods that you like, that you can find in your local market. That suits your life. In our house? Mostly beef, sometimes nice, fatty pork, less frequently poultry and fish. Our veggies, when we eat them at all, rotate between broccoli, cauliflower, green beans, zucchini and sometimes Brussels sprouts. Romaine and cabbage for leafy greens. Maybe we’re unusually boring but I bet we’re actually unusually common, to use an oxymoron.

So, try to not fret over that danged list. Or over the protocol itself, which is: keeping carbohydrates to 20g or fewer a day, eat fatty sources of protein (meat with the fat, poultry with the skin, eggs with the yolks, fish), don’t eat if you’re not hungry and stop eating when satiated. Simple. That is not say easy.

That, though, is a topic for another day.  

Disclaimer: I’ve been fortunate to have had the time and resources to research the ketogenic diet, also known as LCHF (low carb/high fat). The information I share is based solely on my understanding of that research. We are all responsible for our own choices, including what we put in our mouths and there’s no substitute for each of us checking things out ourselves. And I’m not a medical professional in any way. Go Keto With Casey is not a medical site. “Duh,” you might say. But best to make it clear to all.  I welcome questions, comments and even civil criticism. I’m still learning. So, if you have something to add, go for it. Links in this post and all others may direct you to affiliate links, where I will receive a small amount of the purchase price of any items you buy through those links. Thanks!

Veggies and the Ketogenic Diet

/

The tenets of a well-formulated ketogenic diet are pretty straightforward: keep carbohydrate intake to 20g/day or fewer (total carbs, not net), eat fatty sources of protein and don't eat if you're not hungry. 

That's it. Truly. And the simplicity of it may be what gives some people pause. There must be more to it than that, right? The next question that many ask is, "Wait. What about eating plenty of vegetables & fruit? You forgot to add lots of veggies to the protocol."

In a previous post, the topic of fruit was covered and, you may be shocked to read that fruit is just not part of the program. Fruit = sugar. But what about veggies? We've been told to load up on brightly colored vegetables and that veg is pretty much "free" good. I think even some well known fee based diet programs still follow that recommendation. Not only must they be good for you, how in the world will you be able to... ahem.. "go" without copious amounts of vegetables?

The thing is, there are no unlimited foods on the diet. It's illogical to think one could eat endless portions of anything, keto-friendly or not, and not either stall out or, more likely, gain weight. In the end, consuming more fuel than your body needs for its energy requirements will  result in exactly what common sense tells us will happen: nothing good. And there are no minimum requirements for vegetables, leafy and green or otherwise. To the contrary. For most people, the majority of carbohydrate intake comes from non-starchy vegetables (for a partial list of those, see the 2 page document of the food list I follow) and since the program is to keep total carbohydrate intake to 20/g/day or fewer, there are maximum veggies to consume. Not minimum. It comes to about a cup a day of non-starchy veggies (before cooking) and about 2 cups a day of leafy greens a day. Again, maximum. I often go days without eating any vegetables at all. 

This is a haul of veg that lasted us quite a while. Some days we eat more vegetables. some less. Some none. 

This is a haul of veg that lasted us quite a while. Some days we eat more vegetables. some less. Some none. 

This is so NOT what we've been told for decades. Keep in mind, carbohydrate is not an essential nutrient. That means we don't have to consume it. We do indeed need to consume protein and fat since the components of those two macronutrients can't be created by our bodies. But carbs? Not so much.

And the nutrition in vegetables is paltry compared to that in animal products. Check out the writing of Dr. Georgia Ede and Zoë Harcombe and their deep dives into this very topic. The ketogenic diet with the delicious, luscious, satiating - and a whole bunch of other positive adjectives - foods is simply very nutrient dense. Veggies can't compete

As for it idea that our bodies won't be able to process foods and then be able to eliminate the waste without vegetables, I can share that hasn't been even close to a problem for me, nor for the many people to whom I speak. Keep in mind that many things about our internal workings will behave differently when we're fat burners than when we were sugar burners. You'll be amazed just how many things. Seriously. 

Some people will mourn not eating mixing bowl sized salads. Some will be relieved they don't have to eat one more spear of asparagus or floret of broccoli. If you're in the former situation, take solace in the fact that you can dip your steak in the bleu cheese dressing that used to cover your garden-on-plate. 

It's hard to feel too bad about that.

Disclaimer: I’ve been fortunate to have had the time and resources to research the ketogenic diet, also known as LCHF (low carb/high fat). The information I share is based solely on my understanding of that research. We are all responsible for our own choices, including what we put in our mouths and there’s no substitute for each of us checking things out ourselves. And I’m not a medical professional in any way. Go Keto With Casey is not a medical site. “Duh,” you might say. But best to make it clear to all.  I welcome questions, comments and even civil criticism. I’m still learning. So, if you have something to add, go for it. Links in this post and all others may direct you to affiliate links, where I will receive a small amount of the purchase price of any items you buy through those links. Thanks!

 

 

 

How to Start the Ketogenic Diet?

/

As with nearly everything in life, the starting part can be the most intimidating. Filing your taxes, starting a retirement plan, having "the talk" with your adolescent children? All daunting to contemplate and easy to put off. And, by the way, that garage isn't going to clear itself out.

Fortunately, starting the ketogenic diet is much easier even though it may have a much greater impact on your life than just about anything else you've done.

So, how to start? Simple. The next time you eat something, leave off the carbs. That's it. 

No special foods are required. No need to order supplements or tonics, pills, or potions. There aren't any shakes or oils or fancy devices that will help your body do what it was designed to do in the first place, namely, burn fat for fuel. (There are some tools that can help, but they aren't necessary for success)

You probably already have the food you should eat in your house. You also very probably have food you shouldn't eat there as well and ridding your pantry, cabinets, and fridge of those items may take some mental effort. But you can do it.

Look at this copyrighted Page 4 from Dr. Eric Westman. If it's not on that page, don't eat it. Period.

Again, starting is as straightforward as making sure your next meal or mouthful doesn't have carbs. Eat the hamburger, just don't eat the bun or fries. Enjoy your chuck roast but leave out the potatoes. Breakfast at your local diner? Sure! Eggs, sausage, bacon are all fine. Toast, biscuits, and hash browns aren't. 

You needn't wait for next Monday to start, or next month. Tomorrow morning could find that you have already made the change if you just start with the next time you eat today. Right now. There's truly no reason to wait. And for some of us, no time to waste.

You want your carbohydrate intake to be 20g/day or fewer. And, following the food list noted above, that means that essentially all your carbs will come from vegetables, roughly 1 cup a day of non-starchy veggies, and about 2 cups a day of leafy greens. Those are maximum amounts. There are no minimum amount of veggies, which may come as a relief to some.

So there you are. How to start? By starting. It's what you don't do that's key here. Don't eat carbs. No bread, pasta, rice, potatoes, fruit. But you'll love the foods that are included. You may even find you feel like you're getting away with something, enjoying eating again after years of avoiding luscious meats, chicken with the skin, butter, sour cream, mayonnaise, cheese omelets and, my particular favorite, ribeye with a nice band of fat.

Go ahead. Don't wait. You've deprived yourself long enough. 

Disclaimer: I’ve been fortunate to have had the time and resources to research the ketogenic diet, also known as LCHF (low carb/high fat). The information I share is based solely on my understanding of that research. We are all responsible for our own choices, including what we put in our mouths and there’s no substitute for each of us checking things out ourselves. And I’m not a medical professional in any way. Go Keto With Casey is not a medical site. “Duh,” you might say. But best to make it clear to all.  I welcome questions, comments and even civil criticism. I’m still learning. So, if you have something to add, go for it. Links in this post and all others may direct you to affiliate links, where I will receive a small amount of the purchase price of any items you buy through those links. Thanks!

 

 

Dinner Table Change of Focus.

/

Our family dining room table, complete with my late mother's china and a bit of my grandmother's linen.

The dinner table. It's a piece of furniture that is so closely related to food that it's in its name. The same can be said of the breakfast bar, snack tray and cookie cabinet. Many things in our lives revolve around food. It makes sense. Sustenance is essential to the human condition. All good. But since starting the ketogenic diet, losing 97.4 pounds and truly regaining control of my life, food and its place in my life has changed.

Recently I experienced something, quite by accident, that drove home a thought for me about the true, deeper purpose of the family dinner table. Let's face it, we can - and sometimes do - eat standing over the sink. So how can the family dinner table multi-task and what is is like to realize there's more to a meal than food?

A week or so after many people completed their holiday traditions, many of which revolve and food and family (sometimes in that order) we had the pleasure of having a day with our two grown sons, daughters-in-law and our newly minted granddaughter, a mere month 6 weeks old. Both sons and their families live a bit over an hour away so day trips are common and easy. We had decided that gathering arbitrarily on Christmas Day wasn't all that important for any of us. They have in-laws and lives and new traditions of their own and a getting together the Saturday after suited us just fine. Nothing structured or mandatory. Just hanging out, flapping our gums, catching up and enjoying each others' company.

As with many family get togethers, the day would find us seated for a meal. The menu was standing prime rib - the easiest fancy entree to prepare - mashed cauliflower casserole, with melted shredded cheddar cheese on top and sautéed zucchini, yellow squash and onion. A filling meal. Even a bit elegant. I prepared the meal as the afternoon progressed and as we toasted each other with wine, Marker's Mark and, for My Lovely Mate, diet cranberry juice. Stories, gentle debates, and passing the baby from one set of loving arms to the next.

Then it was time to eat. The table had been set before anyone arrived, the prime rib was transferred to a serving dish and vegetable dishes place on trivets. Glasses were filled and raised and the meal progressed. The conversations that had originated in the living room and kitchen shifted to the dining room. Lovely Mate served gracious portions of medium rare beef and casserole dishes made their way around as each person spooned firsts, and then seconds onto their plates. 

A typical family dinner.

The thing is that I had been lucky enough to be on deck to hold the baby. I sat at the head of the table, opposite my husband, our sons and daughters on either side. Talk, talk, talk. Laugh, guffaw, laugh. None of this 'dining dead' situation where people sit together without speaking. Not around here. The patriarch shared stories and his experiences with his sons. Their wives contributed their perspectives and indulged us oldsters. All was right and the dinner took a luxurious amount of time, relaxed, animated and nourishing, in every sense of the word.

The thing is, I realized at the end as plates were being cleared, I hadn't eaten anything. Hadn't even thought about it. Not because I hadn't planned on eating. Prime rib? Are you kidding? I had been looking forward to it. But sitting at that table, set with family linen and china, dinner took a backseat to the experience. Food wasn't the point. Family was. I can't say that, prior to starting the ketogenic diet, did food often fall into the background. But now it really is often an afterthought. This is amazing and was unimaginable before.

So, that 'dinner' table could have been the Jenga table, or the jigsaw puzzle table. Or just the 'let's sit down and talk about what's going on with you' table. For me now, life is the focus. Dinner (or breakfast or lunch) aren't. And holding my little granddaughter as she slept gave me more sustenance than any thick slice of prime rib.

But I did eat some later. Again... it's prime rib!

Disclaimer: I’ve been fortunate to have had the time and resources to research the ketogenic diet, also known as LCHF (low carb/high fat). The information I share is based solely on my understanding of that research. We are all responsible for our own choices, including what we put in our mouths and there’s no substitute for each of us checking things out ourselves. And I’m not a medical professional in any way. Go Keto With Casey is not a medical site. “Duh,” you might say. But best to make it clear to all.  I welcome questions, comments and even civil criticism. I’m still learning. So, if you have something to add, go for it. Links in this post and all others may direct you to affiliate links, where I will receive a small amount of the purchase price of any items you buy through those links. Thanks!