Dangers of Keto Diet

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I’ve talked about this before but it’s really important to remember how truly unique each of us are. From our personalities, to our looks to how our bodies react to foods, especially diets. A little over a year ago, I gave the Keto Diet a try for 15 days. But it didn’t agree with my body. I ended up losing weight but not fat. When I went back to eating my normal diet, which is vegan and I reintroduced the carbs, I put the weight back on and then some.

I came across some people who loved the Keto Diet so much that they stayed on it for a long time. But what most people don’t know, is the Keto Diet was designed to be followed for short periods of time. This is a diet of high fat. Even though some say it’s the good kind of fat, bottom line is fat is still fat. And too much of anything will take a toll on your body.

Long story short, by staying on the Keto for a long period of time, the people I spoke with developed serious health issues and were told to get off of the diet. The adverse affects of prolonged Keto Dieting is dangerous and include:

  • Hepatic Steatosis (fatty liver disease)
  • Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar)
  • Kidney Stones
  • Hypoproteinemia (abnormally low protein)
  • Keto Flu (symptoms mimicking a cold flu)
  • Rapidly Increased Cholesterol Levels
  • Vitamin & Mineral Deficiencies
  • Dehydration

Also keep in mind if you already have pre-existing health conditions you very well could make these worse or add more complications to your list. So please always consult with a doctor before and during major dietary changes so you can monitor your progress and avoid any serious adverse affects.

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“Every human being is the author is his own health or disease.” ~Buddha

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Keto Day 15 – Progress Report

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Keto Day 15 – Progress Report

Okay, today is my last Keto Diet progress report. I promised to report the good, the bad and and ugly. Well, I started out good, losing weight and inches and that has now slowed down to a crawl unfortunately. I’ve lost a total of 7 pounds but my body fat and muscle mass is the same. I’ve hit a plateau and it’s a little frustrating.

Going back to my history, my body doesn’t normally respond well to eating more fat. However, one thing I did start adding to my morning shakes was Coconut MCT Oil which is a long-chain triglyceride that is easier to digest and is a good source of energy. It’s also good for brain health. You can have it everyday, but I only add it to my diet 3 times a week. I will say I’ve noticed that my mind is definitely sharper. So that’s a plus! Some of my other issues related to inflammation have also lessened, another plus!

Many people lose a lot of weight on Keto, but it just doesn’t seem to totally agree with me so I have to tweak my diet a little more. I think if I go back to cooking oil free but keep the avocados, nuts, coconuts and olives in my diet a few times a week I’m hoping I can find a good balance.

The Keto recipes were delicious and I now have a few new favorites. I’m still a believer in the Keto Lifestyle and recommend giving it a try. But eat a clean Keto Diet, not the ones that convince you a slab of bacon is healthy. Before making any changes to your diet, always check with your healthcare practitioner.

Thanks for your support on this adventure!

Recommend books for Keto Diet:

  • “Fat for Fuel” by Dr. Joseph Mercola

  • “Keto-Green 16” by Dr Anna Cabeca

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“If your body’s not right the rest of your day will go wrong. Take care of yourself!” ~V. L. Allineare

Keto Day 10 – Progress Report

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Keto Day 10 – Progress Report

If you’ve been following my blog, you know I started the Keto Diet March 1st, Vegan style. So far I’ve lost a total of 6.4 pounds. My body fat dropped another .2% for a total of 1.2% while my muscle mass stayed the same for a total gain .5%.

I’m still happy with my progress. I thought I would have seen more of a change from fat to muscle by now, but it really didn’t fluctuate the last 5 days. I’m hoping to see more of a shift soon.

When I drank only smoothies made with raw fruits and veggies for a period of about 2 months, I lost anywhere from .3 – .5 lbs a day which totaled 10 – 15 lbs in a month. So considering I’m eating more fats than I have ever done in my life from avocado, nuts, olives and coconut I’m pretty surprised that the results so far are about the same.

The recipes thus far have been tasty, so no complaints there. However, I just can’t bring myself to cook with lots of oil. I still go light in that department and that’s worked out okay for me.

My energy levels are good and overall I feel great! So I’m sticking with it for another 5 days and will let you know how it goes.

Stay tuned because I will see you again on Day 15.

Thanks for your support!

Recommend books for Keto Diet:

  • “Fat for Fuel” by Dr. Joseph Mercola

  • “Keto-Green 16” by Dr Anna Cabeca

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“A healthy outside starts from the inside.” ~Robert Urich

Keto Day 5 – Progress Report

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Keto Day 5 – Progress Report

March 1st, I started on the Keto Diet, Vegan style. I’ve been doing good sticking to it for my first 5 days. It hasn’t been easy at times but I’ve managed. I’m still not in Ketosis (burning fat) but I have lost a total of 5.2 pounds.

I use the Eat Smart Digital scale to weigh myself and it also measures your body fat and muscle mass. I’m happy to report that my body fat dropped 1.0% and my muscle mass increased .5%. Although these aren’t big changes, it’s still progress, however small.

The recipes for the meals in Dr. Cabeca’s book, “Keto-Green 16,” have been surprisingly delicious! I thought with limiting my foods on keto and then limiting them even more because I’m vegan would be problem with flavor. But luckily this is not the case which makes it so much easier to continue.

I’m still doing my 30 minute weight and 30 minute cardio workouts everyday except Sunday, my day of rest. My energy for the first 3 days was a little low but on days 4 and 5 my energy increased and I feel like I have more energy than before which is another plus.

Stay tuned because I will see you again on Day 10. Wish me luck!

Thanks for your support!

Recommend books for Keto Diet:

  • “Fat for Fuel” by Dr. Joseph Mercola
  • “Keto-Green 16” by Dr Anna Cabeca

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“The best six doctors anywhere, and no one can deny it are sunshine, water, rest, air, exercise and diet.” ~Wayne Fields

Thoughtful Thursday

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Forgiveness

It seems there’s a lot of negativity in the world today, more than ever before. But what can you do when someone gets angry at you or says a lot of negative and hurtful things?

When you take in their negative energy you lose yours and feel terrible. You lose a precious piece of yourself like your self esteem. As human beings we have the ability to replay moments in our minds like a movie, good or bad. We can relive moments over and over again. Good moments fill us with joy while bad ones completely drain us of our power.

Sometimes it’s a loved one who says or does something hurtful not realizing how it may affect you, or it could be a friend or total stranger. But you need to take a deep breath and look at the bigger picture. Usually that person is acting out of a past experience or fear where they may have been hurt in some way. It doesn’t necessarily have to do with you. As hard as it may be don’t take in their negativity. Instead forgive them and send them loving energy, in the end it will make you stronger.

“Forgiveness doesn’t excuse their behavior. Forgiveness prevents their behavior from destroying your heart.” ~Buddha

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Keto Day 1 – Kick Off!

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Keto Day 1 – Kick Off!

If you didn’t have a chance to read my Thoughtful Thursday post from last week, I ‘m starting the Keto diet today. The goal is to stick with it, no cheating and get my body into fat burning mode, ketosis. I’ll be measuring my pH and Ketosis levels with test strips. I plan on giving you updates with my progress every 5 days for the first 15 days, the good, the bad and the ugly.

This morning I started my day as usual, with a 30 minute weight workout followed by 30 minutes of cardio. I’ve done this routine for years and you would think losing weight wouldn’t be a problem, but it all comes down to what you eat. You can get away with more in your younger years, but as you get older, your body is not so forgiving.

Fingers crossed, this keto diet will work. I’m following Dr Anna Cabeca’s menu included in her book “Keto-Green 16.” She has recipes and modification tips for vegans and so that’s what I will be following. If you want to join in, would love to have you along on this adventure!

Thanks for your support!

Recommend books for Keto Diet:

  • “Fat for Fuel” by Dr. Joseph Mercola
  • “Keto-Green 16” by Dr Anna Cabeca

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“Nothing has benefited me more physically, mentally and most important spiritually, then adapting a vegan diet. The best decision I have made as a human for me and the planet.” ~Tim Shieff, Professional Freerunner

Thoughtful Thursday

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What is Keto?

I’m sure you’ve seen plenty of publications in the grocery store and online about the Keto diet. To sum it up Keto is a low carb, high fat diet with good protein. By reducing the amount of carbohydrates you consume which turn to sugar and are used as fuel by the body, you put your body into a state of Ketosis. Ketosis is where your body utilizes stored fat as fuel and thus you drop weight, reduce inflammation, balance your hormones, get better sleep, reduce blood sugar levels, reduce brain fog and more. There are a lot of benefits to eating a Keto diet.

You may read some articles that claim it’s okay to eat as much fat as you want on Keto. However, this is Not True. The goal is to eat healthy fats like nuts, olives, avocados and some oil. But keep in mind that you cannot consume more calories than you’re burning in a day, otherwise the weight will not come off and any symptoms that you’re trying to resolve won’t get any better.

For most of my life I’ve eaten a low sugar, low fat diet. It has brought me to where I am today. I went vegan several years ago and overall feel pretty good and way better than when I ate meat and dairy. But like most us, I still have a little weight to loose, so I decided to try the Keto diet.

When I initially started the Keto Diet, I lost weight. But when I went off of Keto and then tried going back on the results weren’t the best. I’m having a harder time the second time around. Yes I’ve been cheating and that’s a big reason why it isn’t working so great. As of March 1st which is Monday, I’m going to start the Keto Diet fresh again. I will check in with you, my loyal readers, about every 5 days for the first 15 days and let you know how it’s all progressing. The good, the bad and the ugly. If you want to do it along with me that would be great!

I have a few books that I recommend if you’re interested in learning more about Keto and the effects a regular diet has on our bodies:

  • “Fat for Fuel” by Dr. Joseph Mercola
  • “Keto-Green 16” by Dr Anna Cabeca

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“When diet is wrong, medicine is of no use. When diet is correct, medicine is of no need”. ~ Ayurvedic Proverb