Finding out that I was pre-diabetic was really scary. Not only was I frustrated with myself for getting to the point where I could have seriously jeopardized my health. Naturally, my imagination lead me to the worst case scenario where I magically ended up in a diabetic coma because I hadn’t paid attention to myself. How do you undo the damage that you’ve done to yourself without the use of drugs?
With food.
Yes, food. I had to make the choice to eat foods that took care of my body with intention and that’s why I chose the keto diet. I use the term diet very loosely too because it insinuates that this is a short term solution to a long-term issue and it’s not. For me, this has been a lifestyle change that involves me listening to my body and truly doing what’s best for it.
Why The Keto Diet?
My body is having trouble with insulin and sugars. While eliminating sugar from my diet is one solution, the reality is, my body has never really done a great job with carbs. Between speaking with some friends and my research, I decided that following a keto diet would be in my best interest. While on keto, you don’t consume sugars or carbs at all really. I knew that I would give it a try and see how my body felt before fully committing to this lifestyle.
After detoxing from sugars and carbs (which was hard and I totally recommend taking Ashwagandha during this time or you’ll end up biting the heads off your loved ones), I had an incredible amount of energy. Not like jittery energy—but sustained energy throughout the day. After waking up just to take naps, having legit energy just felt good.
The Hardest Part Of The Keto Diet
I would be lying if I said that it was easy for me to just transition from what I was doing to being more intentional about what I was eating and meal planning JUST for me versus the whole family. In fact, it was really hard for me to be inspired to meal plan. Yes, there are some really great blogs that are solely dedicated to keto recipes but I got overwhelmed. I got the book “Clean Keto” and it was a game-changer for me. There was a simple explanation of the diet and then there were MULTIPLE meal plans. Yes, friends, more than one. And she even broke down the grocery list.
Taking the thinking out of changing my lifestyle was the first hurdle I overcame. The next hardest was my mindset. See, we’re amidst a body-positive movement and everywhere I was seeing meme’s that we can eat whatever we wanted. But here’s the thing: my body said something else. So it was really hard for me to figure out how to balance loving my chubby body with doing what’s best for it within the definitions that social media was giving. But then I realized that truly loving myself and celebrating my body meant choosing foods and activities that fueled me.
Resources That Have Helped Me
I’m an avid reader and really value having books that I can keep on me to reference. These are the books that I’m loving and have made a difference:
- Clean Keto Lifestyle by Karissa Long
- Dirty, Lazy Keto Cookbook by Stephanie Laska
- Keto for Life by Mellissa Sevigny
After reading some books, I also delved into the Keto 360 Blueprint that’s been produced by Dr. Josh Axe and Jordan Rubin. I met some of the representatives from Ancient Nutrition last year when I was at the WOW Summit and they were really amazing. After finding out that I was pre-diabetic, I immediately sent an email to my contact there for help. Ancient Nutrition has a plethora of products and supplements geared toward the keto diet and were eager to help me.
Friends who are following the same lifestyle make a world of difference too. I have one friend, Aretha, who has used keto as a means of health management too. She’s taught me what changing your entire lifestyle means–sometimes you’re super disciplined and then sometimes you give in to the cravings. It’s about balance and support.
Keto Is Easy
I say easy very loosely. By easy, I mean that because it’s a diet that is currently popular and on trend, there are a loooooot of resources, books, supplements, and shortcuts that make it really accessible. Keto is also really flexible with even the things that you eat. I have a friend who is doing a vegan keto lifestyle because that’s what works for her. I’m more of a clean keto person because it’s what makes my body feel the best. Don’t get me wrong–I love bacon as much as the next person. But I also love avocados, nuts, and other sources of fats.
While the keto diet/lifestyle may not be for everyone, choosing the next steps in your healthcare journey is something that is personal. Listen to your body, consult a trusted healthcare professional and really put your health first–seriously. If you have any questions, please know that I’m an open book!
