Oscraps

Keto - what's for dinner?

Elaina, you have asked some very important questions. Sadly, I cannot answer them here, and am not anything close to a doctor, so cannot advise you what to do. But I will share the research I did that brought me to Keto.

My favorite, by far:
Dr. Stephen Phinney--Any of his Youtube videos, and/or his book, "The Art and Science of Low Carbohydrate Living" --- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r8uSv6OgHJE

Gary Taubes. He has Youtube videos, and his book is "Why We Gety Fat and What to do About It." This is similar to Dr. Phinney's book, but may be a bit easier to read. Both get into technicalities that I ended up skimming over, especially because I was already informed after watching their lectures.

The Diet Doctor: https://www.dietdoctor.com/low-carb/keto

2 Keto Dudes: http://2ketodudes.com/

Kristie Sullivan: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFGt_87bzlJXHxzvsU8leOQ/videos
Her videos are informative and inspiring. She's not a doctor, just someone who has been successful losing over 100 pounds on Keto. She has recipes (even a book, which I am hoping will be on my doorstep today!).

Casey Durrango: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFGt_87bzlJXHxzvsU8leOQ/videos
Again, not a doctor, rather someone who has succeeded on Keto.

As to your use of statins. I have been on them for years, and as soon as I read this article (and some others in this vein), I ceased taking them:
https://medium.com/@drrosswalker/statin-use-in-older-people-16a000be0634

The reason I quit? There is no science to back up the claim that statins improve cholesterol "numbers," and the possible side effects (of which I was never informed before taking them) are disastrous, especially:
raising blood sugar levels
type 2 diabetes
mental confusion
muscle aches
Here's the entire list:
Common side effects of cholesterol drugs include:

  • Diarrhea
  • Constipation
  • Nausea
  • Stomach cramps
  • Muscle soreness, pain, or weakness
  • Vomiting
  • Headache
  • Dizziness
  • Drowsiness
  • Fatigue
  • Problems sleeping
  • Rash or flushed skin
More Severe Problems

Statins are a common cholesterol medicine, but for some people they can cause severe side effects like muscle damage, dark-colored urine, liver damage, increased blood sugar or type 2 diabetes, and memory loss or confusion. It’s unclear why these issues happen. Your doctor may test your liver while you take statins to see if you’re having liver problems.


Obviously, these risks are not worth taking to me! I'm looking forward to the next blood test to see how my numbers are.

Anyway, again, I am NOT suggesting what YOU should do. But I hope these sources will help you come to a decision.
 
Well Sharron I think you have given out the best info you can!! None of us are doctors just people who are loving being Keto and enjoying the health benefits of it!
 
I am not a huge fan of the bullet proof coffee either Sharron, but I do enjoy my coffee with the whip cream! Our regular store (SaveOn Foods) has started carrying all kinds of veggies that are made into noodles, I haven't tried any yet, but the butternut squash looks like it might be very yummy! I just hate to buy anything pre-packed now, I am loving just making my own good natural food!
 
This morning I made waffles that were good enough that I will do them again...maybe thin them down and do pancakes next time. I found a pretty low carb sugar-free maple syrup too (I think 5 or 6 carbs for 1/4 cup, which I don't think I exceeded by much, if anything). The lower I went on the shelf at the grocery store, the lower the carbs were! A nice change from eggs. But it is a from-scratch thing, so won't be doing it often. I'll post it on the recipe thread. They are not crispy, and it takes some practice to get them out of the waffle-maker, but I'm glad I didn't donate my waffle-maker. :)
 
Sharron,

Thank you for answering, unfortunately for me, I've already checked several of the resources you list and have never found any info on them regarding what the saturated fats do to cholesterol numbers. I knew about the possible side effects of statins, and resisted taking them for years as my cholesterol numbers slowly crept up passing 200 and working their way towards 300. I opted to take the oldest statin on the market because it had been around long enough to be proven. I take "Lovastatin" which is the generic form of "Mevacor" the first approved statin. It was released for use in 1987, and most doctors recommend the newer statins, which are the ones most people have problems with.

I specifically asked for Lovastatin and have been taking it for over ten years with no side effects. My cholesterol is 178 and it stays there (I also watch my diet). I know that Keto isn't the only kind of low carbohydrate diet but I hear a lot about it and it seems to be effective for the users; however, as I said I'm between a rock and a hard place.

If you wouldn't mind, I would greatly appreciate it if you would share your cholesterol numbers when you get your blood work done. Meanwhile, I think I'll continue to keep away from bread, pasta and sugar, but also keep my intake of saturated fat down.

There is no easy answer to this is there?
 
My apologies, I was wrong. The Diet doctor site is new to me and he does have info regarding cholesterol numbers, so I guess I need to do more research.

I do want to add that I am finding all your experiences and some of the recipes very inspiring...thanks ladies. :)
 
Glad you found the saturated fat info. I knew it was there, but not sure where. I think Dr. Phinney and Gary Traube address it too. Not sure when my next blood work will be done, but if I remember, I'll share them with you.
 
You might also check out Fit Healthy Mama - they talk about fat and cholesterol. I'm pretty sure I read a lot about this on Mark's Daily Apple too. Maybe even some Robb Wolf, Chris Kresser and other Paleo folk thrown in there.
 
Elaina - many say that cholesterol numbers improve on a keto diet but there is a small subset of people whose cholesterol doesn't improve. I may or may not be one of those people. I had high numbers and the doctor wanted to put me on a statin but I said no. I was only a few weeks into my keto diet and wanted to give it six months to see how my numbers would be after I'd been keto for a longer period of time. We'll see what my numbers are like when I go back in October. Even if still high I am not going on a statin at this point.

As for fat intake, I eat moderate amounts of protein daily, I do eat some bacon and pepperoni but generally eat grass fed, organic meats, eat very little meats with nitrates, I eat organic eggs and eat a lot of greens, avocado, almonds, sunflower seeds, cheese, organic greek yogurt and whipping cream. I use coconut, avocado, red palm and olive oil, and grass-fed organic butter and ghee. That is the bulk of my diet although lately I've been using a bit of coconut or almond flour for a few recipes.

I'm down almost 40 lbs, BP has dropped 30 pts to normal, GERD is gone, painful back and knee joints are greatly improved and I no longer crave foods. So, for me, the high cholesterol won't be enough to make me want to give up keto, if still high in October. I will try to lessen the red meat and tweak my meal plan again if needed but I can't go back to carb burning, it just is way too unhealthy for me.

So that's my story. Thought you'd be interested in hearing from me, as my cholesterol is high too.
 
Elaina - another option for you to look into if you are concerned about the high fat on the keto diet, would be the paleo diet which is another low carb diet plan. You should research both and then can decide which works best for you.
 
Thanks ladies for the additional info. Evidently I have to do a lot more research. Whatever I choose will have to be livable for DH also because I'm not about to start preparing two different sets of meals.

On a positive note, in the past month I've cut out all extra sugars (desserts and such) have increased my daily activity a bit, and as of today have dropped 8 pounds.

For me, this is all about getting my A1C and glucose numbers down because I'm pre-diabetic and I don't want it to get any worse.
 
We had the Miracle Noodles "rice" tonight, and were underwhelmed. The texture was like tapioca pudding. Not buying that version again.
 
We're having our monthly potluck after church tomorrow, and I'm bringing the BaconCheeseburgerCasserole we tried last week. We just LOVED it, and I am not at all afraid to bring it to a non-Keto function.
 
It looks awesome! I'm going to try it! It's not the protein in a single meal that counts. It's what you eat total each day. And it's a percentage, not a specific number. I'm away from my books and computer now, so I can't give you the suggested percentages, but as I recall, protein is about 25% or less. But for the DAY not per meal. Rae will know, so I hope she pops in to share the suggested percentages.
 
It should be fine. I frequently eat a whole chicken breast at a meal. In fact, I sometimes struggle to get enough protein in.

On the other hand, I have zero issues getting enough carbs in LMAO (because that's what I'm trying to limit :) )
 
Different keto boards will give you different percentages for fat/protein/carb macros but the general rule of thumb is to eat until satiated. It's pretty hard to overeat protein and fat so listen to your body/mind. If you feel full, stop eating. I usually eat about 4-8 ounces of protein for each meal but not all protein comes from meat (fish, eggs, cheese, nuts, yogurt). Carbs are another story, they don't tell your body/mind you are full so its very easy to overeat those. Here is a general guideline of my macros but it's not steadfast, some days I eat more protein and some days I eat less fat. I find if I don't eat enough fat I feel hungry and start craving a bit so I need to keep my fat high. I eat two meals a day (lunch and dinner) and rarely want to eat in the evening but sometimes will have a snack if I've not eaten much during the day. My daily calories range from 950-1300 but generally are around 1100-1200, rarely hitting 1500. I've only got another 10 lbs to lose so will have to consume a few more calories to maintain and not lose anymore. After the first 25 lbs or so (since mid Feb) I am now losing about 1-2 lbs a week. My sodium macro is my minimum but generally consume higher than that b/c I load up my electrolyte drinks and often consume a cup of chicken broth which is high in sodium.
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Rae, you are an inspiration!

I'm really struggling the last week or two. I think I need to do some serious recipe hunting and find some fun stuff to eat.
 
We have a rough time when we need a quick snack. I came up with a winner today (although I ate it for lunch while Dave was out golfing): Fry up pepperoni rounds in a hot skillet. When they puff up into little mountains, flip them over and scatter your favorite grated cheese on them and keep cooking until the cheese is melted. Crisp pepperoni is YUMMY. It doesn't take that much cheese either. Before sprinkling the cheese, make sure all the little peeps are close together so you don't lose as much overboard!

We used to melt squares of cheddar on Ritz crackers for a snack. These are WAY better!
 
I sometimes fry up some sausage rounds cut up into smaller pieces for breakfast with my eggs and avocado, but this sounds like a wonderful treat!! Thanks Sharon!!
 
I'll let you all know how it turns out but I'm going to saute fry some halibut, shrimp and cauliflower in spices and butter. I never cook fish although I like to order it in a restaurant. But I'm going to try to find a few recipes to try out at home. I'll come back later and let you all know if I liked it.
 
Found a low carb recipe for "Potato Salad" using Cauliflower instead of potatoes. Will let you know how it turns out.
 
The only time I ever have Halibut is at the Rock Cod Cafe and it is cooked in an awesome batter, not very Keto friendly. I do not do fish too often not a big fan, but I love the Rock Cod's halibut. Looking forward to how your dinner turns out Rae!!
 
I really liked it and will definitely be making this a few times a month. Here's the pinterest recipe I based mine on.
https://www.pinterest.comhttps://www.pinterest.com/pin/Af5p3q7AqSNSTDW0chg_QYg1JDX6JWSXMx2HJb2bFMX2850hZxs72s4/

I had halibut instead of cod and used parsley, garlic, trader joe's chili lime spice and smoked paprika with a liberal amount of salt & pepper. At the end I put in a few splashes of organic lemon juice as I had no fresh lemon. I steamed chopped up cauliflower til just soft and then put it into the pan with the halibut/shrimp, lemon and butter, stirring to well coat the little cauli chunks. It was ready in about 8 minutes. So good!
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Looks wonderful, Rae.

We had Kristie Sullivan's Mashed "Potatoes" made with cauliflower tonight, and they were awesome. So full of cheeses and garlic powder, if you did a blind test with someone, they might think there was something different about these potatoes, but I don't think they'd guess it was cauliflower. DH loved them too. We had them with pork tenderloin, and I made a buttery, creamy "gravy" with the drippings from the meat. YUUUUUM.
 
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