Day 365….

So, when I initially started my carnivore trial I had absolutely no idea if still be eating this way a year later! I will say, it’s crossed my mind several times over the year that I really no want to write more of my experience, then I reflect on what new I have to share and realize it may be pretty boring! I LOVE blogging about food and now that I really only have about 5 regular foods that I eat, with now sauces, or bright colours, there’s not really much you can do to make beautiful food photos! So… yes I still eat meat. Yes I still feel fantastic!

Some changes I have noticed that are worth sharing would be:

1. I definitely have better digestion
2. My skin is consistently clear
3. Inflammation is way less than it used to be
4. I actually tolerate heat and cold better than I used to… that one is a really BIG deal for someone who’s lived with an autoimmune disease for years!

So hears the thing – at the end of the day, the best diet for YOU is the one that makes you happy and feel your best!  If you can stick to eating real food, especially if you aren’t currently, your health and life will improve, potentially in a really big way!  I talk about the carnivore diet passionately because for a good portion of my life I felt like crap and didn’t really know if I’d ever feel good and like myself again.  Drinking ketones were the start for me, my brain turned back on after years and years of feeling trapped.  The keto diet helped as well with some other symptoms I had been carrying around, but it’s the combination of ketones and the carnivore diet that have been a total game changer for me.  That being said, as I near the end of earning my holistic nutritionist designation, I have quite a strong understanding that finding out what works best for each individual body is the trick to overall optimal health and well-being.  Start with real food.  If you still find there are symptoms, then it’s time to try eliminating some trigger foods to see if you feel better.

I need to say this – often I hear “yeah, I get bloated after I eat, but that’s just me.” or “yeah, I get itchy a couple times a month, but that’s just my allergies.”  Etc, etc, etc… NO!!  We are not meant to have regular symptoms!  Just cause you’ve had them for weeks, months or years does not mean that’s just the way things are!!  If the smoke alarm went off a couple of times a month would you just turn it off and ignore it?  NO!  Symptoms are warning signs that something is not right in your body!  If this is YOU, please reach out or find a nutritionist/naturopath in your area.  

Check this out if you’d like more info or like to book a time to chat – More Info

The carnivore diet is the ultimate elimination diet in that it eliminates EVERYTHING, then gives you the option to start reintroducing foods one at a time to see what works and what doesn’t.  Maybe one day I too will bring things back, maybe not.  I feel better than I could remember going into this.  This is going to sound crazy, but I honestly feel lucky for my MS diagnosis in my 20’s because it directed me on a path to the healthiest life possible!  Hopefully you’ll pay attention to the gentle nudges your body is giving you and don’t have to wait for a giant kick in the butt to start doing your research and making some changes.

New things coming!

Well, hello! I initially designed this site as more of a store front and education sharing platform for ketones and the Keto life, but I have been more of a storyteller-style blogger for so long and I really miss that! So I’ve decided to go back to doing what I love most, sharing my random humour and chaos and motivation, mixed with occasional sarcasm. Hope you enjoy, if not I’m sure you will find others who speak your language 🙂

I’m going to start with a brief little bit about me and how I got to the point of living a life of the best health and well-being I’ve felt after many years of quite the opposite. My story of overcoming emotional and physical trauma, riding myself of all the complications of autoimmune troubles from 3 different autoimmune conditions and actually finding gratitude in how all I’ve been through has shaped me into the person I am now is a pretty good one. I’ve learned that we are responsible for advocating for our own health, our struggles can be an inspiration to others when we can find the courage to share, and that going against the grain and being yourself is the best possible way to happiness and living a life beyond your wildest dreams!

Sound good? Drop a follow for more! This won’t be for the faint of heart if you’re looking for our own transformation. I tell it as it is, and I’m not going to wipe your tears. If you’re ready for change, I’m here for you! If you’re willing to put in the work, I’ll be your guide and cheerleader. If you don’t want it bad enough yet to set aside your excuses that’s fine too, I’ll be here when you’re ready.

Meet Judy

Many have a misconception that exogenous Ketones are JUST for athletes or people looking to lose weight!  I want you to meet Judy.  Her story is one that you may be able to relate to 🙂

I have been dedicated my whole life to being active and living a healthy lifestyle. I don’t know how it happened but I just celebrated my 64th birthday!
I am still active and try to eat well. In the last years I’ve noticed my body is changing and not for the better. I was starting to feel my age. It was becoming harder to stay fit and feel healthy. I was getting arthritis especially in my right wrist. I had a painful lump of inflammation on it. It prevented me from doing some actions and activities.
For about 3 months I have been on a product called Ketones. I’m happy to say the inflammation in my body has improved especially in my wrist. Some might find this odd but I am excited I can do burpees and push-ups again! (Yeah). I enjoy doing more yoga moves. I feel I am stronger. My mind is clearer and most nights I sleep like a baby. Though I didn’t need to lose weight I have lost belly fat and have gained muscle tone.
I have more energy. Recently on a trip to Florida I was able to run around the island the first day without feeling exhausted or overheated. It used to take me several days to build up to that.  Long story short, I’m grateful I found this wonderful drink!  I’m not getting any younger according to the calendar, but I love how great I feel since I started drinking this stuff and I’m excited to continue being healthy and active for many years to come!

Want to know MORE about how this product might be able to help YOU?  Reach out!  Happy to answer your questions and share information!

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carnivore FAQ’s

Here’s a totally shocking fact for most people…. yesterday marked 10 weeks of Carnivore eating, which means I haven’t eaten even ONE vegetable in 10 weeks. I’m going to answer some of the common questions I hear for you today.

You aren’t eating ANY vegetables? Aren’t you worried about the lack of nutrients?

No. While vegetables carry a wide variety to micronutrients, they are also heavily laden with toxins in the form of pesticides, herbicides, fertilizers, etc. that interfere with the body’s ability to absorb them as well as disrupting other important functions in the body. I’m also not purchasing solely grass fed meat. Here’s the analogy- picture a barrel, with all of the toxic load our body has to manage daily. There’s a threshold it can take, but if it becomes too much and spills over the top, that’s where problems occur. Removing all of the toxic load that comes along with the vegetables I was eating, creates quite a lot of space! The non-grass fed is minimal for the body to detox in comparison.

Ok, but what about, you know… the lack of fibre 💩

Also NOT an issue. Proper gut motility needs either Fibre OR Fat to digest properly. Provided you don’t have a major imbalance with gut bacteria, this way of eating has actually shown to improve the culture even more in the absence of sugar and starch which feeds the “bad guys”  Also, protein digestion happens in the stomach, where the bulk is broken down effectively before moving on.

Isn’t eating only meat really expensive?? 💰

Again, not the case, unless you choose to eat a big ribeye 🥩 every day! I’m definitely on the lookout for sales, and we balance the more expensive options with ground beef patties as well. Think about what your plate looks like at dinner time… if you’re eating a healthy diet, it’s hopefully 3/4 non-starchy veggies, 1/4 protein and 1-2tbsp of healthy fats. My plate is JUST the protein and fat portions. I haven’t really added a whole lot (except butter of my steak and burger!) and I’ve removed 75% of my previous plate load.

What about snacks? If you get mucnchy after dinner, or mid-afternoon, what do you snack on?

You just don’t. When the blood sugar isn’t on a constant roller coaster ride of highs and lows, the cravings just aren’t there! Especially in the evenings, this is a matter of habit more so than necessity. Don’t get me wrong, I was guilty of it too! Especially in the long winter months where curling up on the couch with my girl and a treat sounded way more appealing than skipping the snack and going for a walk! But now that the cravings just aren’t there, and there’s really nothing snacky in the house, it’s not even a struggle anymore.

Hope this helps! If you have any other questions you’d like me to answer, please message me or drop them in the comments! Have a great day!

Low Carb Sausage Pasta

Sausage Pasta

Ingredients:

8oz sausage, mild or spicy
1/3 cup onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic
1/4 roasted tomatoes, chopped
1 cup broccoli, chopped
1/2 cup cream
1/2 water
1/2 cup parmesan, freshly grated
Salt + pepper
Spaghetti squash*

 

Instructions:

1. Over medium heat, sauté sausage, breaking it up into crumbles, for 4 minutes
2. Add in onion and continue to cook
3. Once onions are translucent, add garlic, tomatoes, and broccoli
4. Add in cream, water, and parmesan cheese
5. Simmer until sauce thickens
6. Season with salt + pepper to taste
7. Serve over top spaghetti squash

 

BEST Spaghetti Squash

Ingredients:

1 squash
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1 clove garlic, chopped finely
Salt
Pepper

 

Instructions:

1. Mix together oil, garlic, and seasonings in bowl.
2. Cut spaghetti squash in half and remove seeds
3. Rub oil mixture over flesh of spaghetti squash
4. Place squash cut side down (so it lays flat) on foil lined baking sheet
5. Baked for 20 minutes at 420º F, until tender.
6. Use fork to remove squash from skin

Simple Keto Treat

Peanut Butter & Swiss Cacao Frappeketo™

Servings: 1
Per serving: 6.7g Net Carbs, 18.5g Fat, 9.2g Protein

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons peanut butter (Or favorite nut butter)
1 cup almond milk
1 packet KETO//OS® Max Swiss Cacao
1 -2 cups ice

 

Instructions:

1. Blend all ingredients together until smooth
2. Enjoy!

Carnivore continues… and Some Exciting Discoveries

So, if you were just assuming I’d given up on my carnivore challenge, you’d be wrong 😉 I’ve lost track of what day it is, but I do know it’s been more than 2 weeks.  Ok… my goal was NOT weight loss, and I don’t really care about the number on the scale as much as how my body feels and how my clothes fit.  That being said my work jeans, which have been snug for the last little while around my strong crossfit thighs were actually feeling a quite a lit looser last week so I stepped on the scale.  In 11 days I was down 11 lbs!  Much of which is likely less inflammation, but still pretty interesting in my opinion.  Especially for someone who has followed a keto diet for nearly 2 years!

I went back to crossfit yesterday after nearly 2 months of focusing on yoga while a foot injury healed.  Almost 2 months and I was impressed with how good squat cleans, push-ups and air squats felt!  The workout was a good one, so I added a second serving of ketones to my day to help with recovery and feel not too bad today considering!  Usually I’d be walking funny and terrified of stairs…

I still enjoy drinking ketones every day.  They have made such a huge difference in eliminating the annoying brain fog I used to deal with, and improved my mood and energy to the point I have no plan to stop.  A friend of mine was at the Metabolic Health Summit this week and heard some incredible information from doctors, scientists and top researchers in the benefits of ketones in the body for a wide range of metabolic conditions as well as performance on many levels.

Carnivore diet – What I EAT in a day

Why do you care?  Cause there really isn’t that much information online with this way of eating yet, so I thought I’d share.  Yes, it varies.  On days where I don’t have to get out the door to work or school, I typically don’t eat breakfast and just listen to my body and eat when I’m hungry.  Do you know all the benefits associated with Intermittent fasting?  Here, this is a quick summary:

That’s just an additional fun fact lol!  We have been trained and conditioned since childhood that we NEED to eat at specific times of the day, but if you really think about it, that couldn’t be farther from how our ancestors would have lived!  What you eat definitely matters too, but when you eat can also play a very important role as well!

Anyways, I’m rambling a bit!  When I DO eat breakfast, it has been 2-3 eggs + either ground beef or naked pulled pork + generous pink salt.  Lunch is either steak or a beef burger patty, possibly grass fed butter, definitely more pink salt.  Dinner is the lunch option I didn’t eat, or salmon, or some chicken with skin on.

Long story short – eggs, ground beef, pork shoulder, salmon/trout, chicken (w/skin), butter, salt, water and Ketones.  THAT’S IT!!  It’s a short list, but very filling and satisfying.  The strict version of the carnivore diet is JUST beef, salt and water, but although I’m pretty dedicated when I decide to do something, I’m not sure I’ll get to the point of that strict of limitation.

p.s… I lost 9lbs in 8 days! My yoga pants are getting loose!

If you’re interested in learning more, email me anytime!  katemcdowell@mac.com

The Brain NEEDS fuel 24 hours a day!

I realized this morning that I totally should have taken before pics. I’m generally somewhat against the practice of before and after pics for my own reasons, but even my yoga tights were kinda baggy this morning so I admitted my error to myself. I DID take day 6 pics 😉

I don’t have a whole lot new to share today although I did test my blood ketones 😁 and I learned something pretty cool yesterday that could benefit everyone…

Two questions for you:

Do you wake up in the middle of the night? 😳

Did you know your BRAIN needs fuel, even while you’re sleeping? 🧠 ⛽️ 😴

Your brain performs some pretty important tasks while you’re asleep!

Creates and consolidates memories – While you’re asleep, the brain is busy forming new memories, consolidating older ones, and linking more recent with earlier memories, during both REM and non-REM sleep. Lack of rest could have a significant affect the hippocampus, an area of the brain involved in memory creation and consolidation.

Clears out toxins – If we’re not getting enough sleep, our brains don’t have adequate time to clear out toxins, which could potentially have the effect of accelerating neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s.

Learns and remembers how to perform physical tasks – The brain stores information into long-term memory through something known as sleep spindles. This process can be particularly helpful for storing information related to motor tasks, like driving, swinging a tennis racquet or practicing a new dance move, so that these tasks become automatic. What happens during REM sleep is that the brain transfers short-term memories stored in the motor cortex to the temporal lobe, where they become long-term memories.

 Make more sense why your brain still needs energy while you’re asleep?

Drinking Ketones is one way to “preserve” fuel for your brain during your sleeping hours! This is one of the reasons drinking this stuff is helping SO many people actually get a good night’s sleep after years of restless nights! Another way is to either eat something small right before bed, or when you wake up, take 1-2 bites of food before trying to head back to dreamland.

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Blood ketone tests.  I wanted to compare two stimuli, but I had a blonde moment this morning and didn’t take a picture 🤦🏻‍♀️ Thankfully I had one from a previous test with the same result 😉 The first image was a test done in the middle of the day.  I had consumed Ketones that day, although about 5 hours before. The second test was taken first thing this morning on an empty stomach. 😊 Ketosis baby!! Do you know all the AMAZING things that happen when your body is in this state? 💪

Carnivore Diet – WITH Ketones

Carnivore Diet – WITHOUT Ketones