Melissa! I think you and my nutritionist went to the same nutritionist school! I love this post. You summed it all up so nicely. So lightly. (Sorry, I have to…) In bite sized pieces. Ok seriously, THANK YOU. I love your added micronutrients section. What pulled me in was your first two sentences. Because I’ve chewed on kale like a rabbit, trying to learn to like it and lord knows I’ve loved cake my whole life. Even have a famous chocolate cake recipe that everyone asks for. But my journey with my nutritionist has been life changing. She’s showed me how to reframe my thinking about food. (And the weight is slowly coming off!) It ACTUALLY WORKS to have the snacks with carb, protein and fat in the afternoon so that I don’t crave and binge on whatever after dinner. Anyway this was a true joy to read first thing in the morning with my coffee and cream (without guilt because cream is ok, just a little less).
Oh my gosh Amy, I LOVE your energy! And super appreciate your kind words! I love that this post hit just right and resonated with you. Soooo... I will tell you, I also have the cream! I tried to cut it out, but you know what - I LOVE IT... and I am also doing a little less each week and my lil' tastebuds are adapting :-).
Thanks for this summary. A lot of people are trying to mow the lawn when the house is on fire. You get the picture. Sometimes simple is best. I love stepping back and asking yourself, "what do I need right now?" as you said in the article. It will jump up at you. Just be honest with yourself and start small. If the voice says, "you are not doing any workouts", then go for a 10 minute walk. Keep it as simple and doable as possible. Nice summary.
I’ve gone keto and carnivore for over a month at a shot and ate not a single carbohydrate. I had loads of energy, and I have a very technical job with lots of thinking. My brain never skipped a beat.
Yes, I know I probably made a bit of glucose out of protein. But I also burned a lot of ketones in my brain.
This wasn’t a long-term thing, I specifically did this as a way to heal.
I love that you found this way to heal! I've talked to a few folks who have gone on a carnivore diet for a period of time. I'd love to hear more about the experience sometime, and thanks for adding to the convo!
This is a great breakdown, Melissa. Your questions about how to use it in real life and the questions you ask yourself are a really good way to approach those times when a cookie (or an entire package) is more than just a cookie.
I love this! Thank you for taking the time to share this! I have one question that I have a difficult time getting an answer to. As I am trying to be vegan, I worry about protein, I’m not a big fan of beans. I have read a little about amino acids being the important factor, not the protein so much. But I can’t find much information about that. Any thoughts or suggestions?
Thank you Nancy! Good question! I am mostly vegetarian so I feel your pain on the protein! Amino acids are basically your body’s building blocks. Our body needs 20 different amino acids, but 9 are "essential," meaning you have to get them through your diet. The easiest way to get them is through protein-rich foods with all the essential amino acids like eggs, fish, poultry, dairy (Greek yogurt, cottage cheese), tofu, quinoa, or buckwheat. BUT the animal products are out for you! You could add hemp hearts, nuts/seeds, chia seeds, and nutritional yeast to your nutrition. Do you like nut butters? That is another good choice. I am loving tempeh these days!
Thank you!! That's very helpful and much appreciated!! I love nuts, chia, hemp hearts and quinoa. Honestly don't know much about tofu or tempeh. I picked up some library recipe books to help me. 😊
I love tofu and tempeh… I like to break tempeh into crumbled and cook up in a pan with avocado oil and seasonings. I use a fabulous recipe for tofu where you coat it in a nutritional yeast seasoning and bake it, and it is SO good! Let me know if you experiment with either. You’re like me - getting recipe book at the library! I like to try before I buy with books.
Melissa! I think you and my nutritionist went to the same nutritionist school! I love this post. You summed it all up so nicely. So lightly. (Sorry, I have to…) In bite sized pieces. Ok seriously, THANK YOU. I love your added micronutrients section. What pulled me in was your first two sentences. Because I’ve chewed on kale like a rabbit, trying to learn to like it and lord knows I’ve loved cake my whole life. Even have a famous chocolate cake recipe that everyone asks for. But my journey with my nutritionist has been life changing. She’s showed me how to reframe my thinking about food. (And the weight is slowly coming off!) It ACTUALLY WORKS to have the snacks with carb, protein and fat in the afternoon so that I don’t crave and binge on whatever after dinner. Anyway this was a true joy to read first thing in the morning with my coffee and cream (without guilt because cream is ok, just a little less).
Oh my gosh Amy, I LOVE your energy! And super appreciate your kind words! I love that this post hit just right and resonated with you. Soooo... I will tell you, I also have the cream! I tried to cut it out, but you know what - I LOVE IT... and I am also doing a little less each week and my lil' tastebuds are adapting :-).
The ritual of morning coffee is too important to mess with!
1000% (as I sit here sipping mine)…
Thanks for this summary. A lot of people are trying to mow the lawn when the house is on fire. You get the picture. Sometimes simple is best. I love stepping back and asking yourself, "what do I need right now?" as you said in the article. It will jump up at you. Just be honest with yourself and start small. If the voice says, "you are not doing any workouts", then go for a 10 minute walk. Keep it as simple and doable as possible. Nice summary.
And... you've said it quite perfectly!
You know so many people miss this valuable information. Thank God I am not one of them.😅🤩
Thanks for the comment! Have a great day!
Yes, your brain needs glucose.
Unless you fat adapt. Then it does not.
I’ve gone keto and carnivore for over a month at a shot and ate not a single carbohydrate. I had loads of energy, and I have a very technical job with lots of thinking. My brain never skipped a beat.
Yes, I know I probably made a bit of glucose out of protein. But I also burned a lot of ketones in my brain.
This wasn’t a long-term thing, I specifically did this as a way to heal.
I love that you found this way to heal! I've talked to a few folks who have gone on a carnivore diet for a period of time. I'd love to hear more about the experience sometime, and thanks for adding to the convo!
This is a great breakdown, Melissa. Your questions about how to use it in real life and the questions you ask yourself are a really good way to approach those times when a cookie (or an entire package) is more than just a cookie.
Thank you for the comment here! It sure helps me to have little cheat sheets like this.
Me too. It's a great resource for your readers.
I love this! Thank you for taking the time to share this! I have one question that I have a difficult time getting an answer to. As I am trying to be vegan, I worry about protein, I’m not a big fan of beans. I have read a little about amino acids being the important factor, not the protein so much. But I can’t find much information about that. Any thoughts or suggestions?
Thank you Nancy! Good question! I am mostly vegetarian so I feel your pain on the protein! Amino acids are basically your body’s building blocks. Our body needs 20 different amino acids, but 9 are "essential," meaning you have to get them through your diet. The easiest way to get them is through protein-rich foods with all the essential amino acids like eggs, fish, poultry, dairy (Greek yogurt, cottage cheese), tofu, quinoa, or buckwheat. BUT the animal products are out for you! You could add hemp hearts, nuts/seeds, chia seeds, and nutritional yeast to your nutrition. Do you like nut butters? That is another good choice. I am loving tempeh these days!
Thank you!! That's very helpful and much appreciated!! I love nuts, chia, hemp hearts and quinoa. Honestly don't know much about tofu or tempeh. I picked up some library recipe books to help me. 😊
I love tofu and tempeh… I like to break tempeh into crumbled and cook up in a pan with avocado oil and seasonings. I use a fabulous recipe for tofu where you coat it in a nutritional yeast seasoning and bake it, and it is SO good! Let me know if you experiment with either. You’re like me - getting recipe book at the library! I like to try before I buy with books.