The Basic Principles I Follow…
Read below!
If you follow me on Instagram you know that I eat low carb high fat meals. I guess you can call it “keto” but I don’t like to put a label on it, as diets come and go and with each one, there are a slew of processed products claiming to align with that diet and help you lose weight. I would characterize what I eat as a “low processed carb, high healthy fat, close to zero sugar (natural or processed), moderate protein and dairy” diet.
Why I Switched
I originally switched to this type of eating because I was having a lot of digestion issues- severe heartburn, nausea, excruciating bloating, irregularity, and an overall noticeable difference in how I felt and looked after every meal. I was on prescription medication and I knew something had to change. To make matters worse, I had gained about 10 lbs because the way I was feeling along with the medication side effects made me just want to eat comfort food- bananas, breads and pastas. These foods seemed very plain and felt like they were the least likely to make my stomach flare up. Not to mention when you feel like crap you eat like crap. My version of healthy eating had always been high protein, low fat. I ate processed carbs with almost every meal consisting of oatmeal, brown rice or quinoa pasta. I also ate a lot of carb rich, fiber poor vegetables like sweet potato, beets, and carrots. I just had a gut feeling (no pun intended) that the high level of these types of carbs and protein were the culprit for how I was feeling. So I decided to switch it up and see if I felt better.
Results
Within one week there was a noticeable change in my digestion. No more bloating, my stomach didn’t swell up after every meal, and no more heartburn. I felt like I had more energy, less cravings, and better mood. Within two weeks, I lost 5 lbs and by week six I lost 8 lbs. I have stopped taking daily medication and feel better than I have ever felt!
My Basic Principles
TONS OF ORGANIC DARK GREEN VEGETABLES WITH HIGH FIBER - Broccoli, Broccolini, Zucchini, Asparagus, Spinach, Avocado
LOTS OF HEALTHY FATS ( EMPHASIS ON “HEALTHY”!) -
Saturated Fats = Good
Found in red meat, butter, ghee, lard, cream, eggs, coconut oil (MCTs) or palm oil
Monounsaturated Fats = Good
Found in extra virgin olive oil, avocados, avocado oil and macadamia nut oil
Natural Trans Fats = Good
Found in meat from grass-fed animals and dairy products
Natural Polyunsaturated Fats = Good (specifically Omega-3)
Found in fish, fish oil, flaxseed and chia seeds
Processed Polyunsaturated Fats = Bad
Avoid vegetable and seed oils including:
Canola, Soybean, Corn, Sesame, Grapeseed, Peanut, Sunflower
Processed Trans Fats = Bad
Avoid processed foods, fast foods, margarine and commercially baked goods
MODERATE PROTEIN
wild caught fish
organic, pasture-raised, grass-fed beef, lamb, chicken, pork.
avoid processed or cured meats
LOW DAIRY
Full fat, pasture raised, organic cream and cheese
ZERO PROCESSED FOOD
if it has more than 5 ingredients, or ingredients you don’t recognize, put it down
if it has sugar, put it down
