30 Days of The Keto Diet
Day 1
Today I am beginning a stricter Keto Diet and I will be following this plan for 30 days. I will be posting daily recipes, thoughts, glucose readings and more. This is a fun and exciting experiment for me to do and it is also a 'project' that aims to keep me mentally well during this time of unemployment and social distancing. I've never been super strict on Keto for this amount of time so it will be interesting to see not only chemical changes but physical, emotional and mental shifts. I eat a good amount of vegetables, poultry and fish so you will see most of the recipes in this vein. I do not eat beef, pork or other game animals. I welcome your recipes or comments on The Keto Diet or The Keto Diet for Diabetics.
Background
I was first diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes in 2013 at the age of 32 I went on a low-carb diet but it was very difficult. I think that did help me slow the destruction of my beta cells (which are the cells that produce insulin in your pancreas). I bought a recipe book that used almond flour as a substitute for gluten/flour and there are some great recipes in that book. I may refer to it to make some recipes this month. It was not easy to sustain a low-carb diet at the time and I've gone back and forth with practicing it over the last 7 years. It's definitely easier to manage your glucose levels with low carb intake.
One of my friends at my restaurant job was doing Keto for a while (and still is) and very strict on his diet. This has definitely been inspirational! Thanks Pablo :)
63 days ago I was able to get the Freestyle Diabetes sensor so I've been able to monitor my glucose levels with more ease and more accuracy and it will be helpful during this time to make sure my levels don't go too low and also provide data on how reducing carbohydrates/sugar intake will reduce the total number of units of insulin I take.
Groceries
Yesterday I went shopping at Trader Joe's to get food for the next week and a half. I generally shop every couple days but given the circumstances, this was the plan. Just to note, I will be eating fruits in small portions and while you may be eyeing oranges or carrots in my photo and how they are not necessarily 'Keto', I am ok with having small servings. Weight loss is not my goal, nor is ketosis. For my recipes I will be using other items already in my pantry. Here is what I picked up and it's not much different than what I usually buy. I buy organic as much as I can and TJ's has a lot of organic goods for less cost than Whole Foods. (*denotes organic)
*Apples (honey crisp)
American cheese (sliced)
*Avocado
Blueberries
Broccoli
*Carrots
*Cheddar cheese
*Chicken breast
Cream cheese
*Cucumbers (Persian)
*Eggs
Fennel
*Half & half
*Milk (whole)
*Mushrooms
*Oranges (navel)
*Onions
*Peppers
*Tomatoes (cherry)
Turkey bacon
Turkey ground
Walnuts
*Zucchini
Thank you for reading and following me.