The Beef Edit

Someone said to me, “ You’re on the keto diet?! That’s hard, so you don’t get to enjoy food?!”  I felt pitied and a bit like a weirdo doing something insane.  They went on to ask, “So what do you eat?”  To be honest, I get this reaction often, different people ask the same question with varying degrees of incredulity.  On this occasion, stumbling on my words, I said, “ meat, ( lots of proteins) and vegetables”.  SIGH… 

I may have 'let the side down' with my response, because the low carb life is more exciting than meat and veg. I’m loving it and having fun with it. On a typical day my meals could either be grilled, stir fried, tossed or stewed. It’s not always glorious but it’s only as dull as I want it to be. The same goes for anyone - carnivore or not.  I’m no Keto-evangelist, but I do like to encourage people to give it a go and embrace a low-sugar, low-carb, natural (as possible) way of life.  

I’ve had time to reflect on my response to my curious companion and how I felt in that moment. I realized that in that (and most conversation about Keto) it’s important to me to state that I’m not on a Keto diet. I find myself explaining, I’m not really on a diet as such. I just don’t eat much carbs and I avoid sugar. I’ve told myself I’m allergic to them and it just seems like self-betrayal to go back on that now. 

Those two words ‘keto diet’ imply something short lived and for the sole purpose of loosing weight. That’s not me. I’m not counting calories, or trying to get into ketosis. To be honest, I’m not trying to loose weight, just determined to be healthy. But I know I get to say that because I was doing all of those things. As it happens, not everyone has the patience or appreciation for this paradox.  Interestingly, one thing that’s common in most conversations about Keto are the misconceptions and myths carbivores hold. 

I try not to get caught up in trying to convince them otherwise - all I have to go on is my personal experience. It’s a bit like sharing my faith in Jesus as the Son of God - my personal experience is undeniable to me as is my lived reality of what is True.  For those who dare to believe though, I thought it might be helpful to debunk some of the myths I’ve come across.

 First of all, when you can have cheese guilt-free, how can meals be boring?! One of my axioms is: ‘Put cheese on everything!’ (Almost always followed by raucous laughter 😂). Mealtimes are as exciting as life permits and that’s true for everyone - carbivore or not. 

I agree it may be a drag for some people, but that hasn’t been my experience. If anything, it’s been exciting discovering carb alternatives and exploring new recipes. I’m amazed by how much (sometimes little) I can eat and feel satiated! Sometimes it’s disappointing to have made a big meal only to eat only a little because it’s so filling.  

*Subscribe to this website and I’ll be sure to share a post of 7 days of Keto dinners soon. 

 Basically, for anyone who enjoys cooking - ditching carbs and sugar is the ultimate challenge that your heart and waistline will thank you for. I love it so much that given the choice I’d make my own meal over dining out…  But I do eat out… which brings me to ..

To be fair eating out requires some intentionality and premeditation. You have to ask yourself, ‘Will I actually be able to order something off the menu?"

 Basically Italian restaurants don’t get much love from me, no need to torture myself seeing pastas and pizza galore! The antipasto menu doesn’t always cut it either, sometimes the only thing keto-approved seems to be olives and shavings of ham - but you’re not going to book a table for olives and ham right?  

Other than that, I’ve find something to eat at most places. Caveat though is I’m that customer that goes - I’ll have the burger, without the bun and the salad without carrots, simple!

I’m paying for the food right- so, seems fair to be clear about what I want. Besides, most outlets enquire about allergies and food preferences these days, it’s not as frowned upon as it was about a decade ago.

  Most carbivores balk at the sight of cheese and all the other fatty foods that accompany Keto meals. After a life-time of being told to be wary of these things, to be told you can eat them liberally!? There’s got to be something wrong with this, right? Wrong. I should say, as with all things in life, we must enjoy good things in moderation - cheese and nuts included. 

 I’m not going to go into a lecture about good and bad fats, but they’re a thing. Keto permits - in fact encourages good fats (think, nuts, butter, oily fish etc) because your body does need some fat to burn and convert into energy. That’s the whole point.  Where there are myths, there are some trusts and harsh realities. Here are some I’ve discovered in my two years of living the low-carb life.

Keto Truth 1:  It’s an unforgiving diet 

Not gonna lie, If you’re all about getting into ketosis, yup, this is true. Keto doesn’t allow for “cheat days”. Once you’re out of ketosis you have to start over to get back into ketosis. On the bright side, you’ll develop self-control and self-discipline along the way 😉. Also, if you want to cheat your body into loosing weight in between Ketosis, ramp up on the physical activity and burn the fat the conventional way - put those running shoes on and pound the pavement, hit the gym, cycle, burn the fat!  *Perfect time to remind you that I’m no health expert and you should always consult your health care provider or physician.

Keto Truth 2: There’s a never-ending search for carb substitutes 

Yes folks! The struggle is real! There’ll be days when you want chips… but then you’ll discover swedes. You’ll get fed up of cauliflower but then you’ll discover keto rice (made with konjac flour) and sometimes you’ll want ice cream - thank God for clotted cream!  I’m always searching for healthy carb substitutes for traditional recipes. This has led to a series of kitchen fails (like the soya flour pancakes 😞 and soya akara 🤦‍♀️ i.e Nigerian fried bean fritters ) but there have been many wins and discoveries which keep me going and I hope to keep sharing with you.  

Keto Truth 3: Stock up on staples! 

The thing with diet flops is failure to plan and prepare. The number of doughnuts and croissants that have been purchased on a hunger-whim keep many proprietors in business. Here’s a life hack - plan for hunger and when it comes you’ll be ready. Have pre-made meals you can heat up, or ingredients to rustle up something quick, or healthy snacks you like within reach.  Take salads for instance - with keto you just need to toss and go. If you have ready grilled/baked proteins even better (just ditch the croutons!) 

 Below is a list of staple purchases I tend to keep in my fridge, cupboard or bag 

 -  Nuts 😊 (be careful not to eat too much)

- Physillum husk (useful for baking and serving as a binding agent in a range of recipes)

-  Almond flour (great for baking; flat breads, muffins, cakes) 

-  Cream cheese ( cooking, baking, topping - truly versatile) 

- Mozzarella cheese (the real MVP of low-carb recipes 😃) 

- Fresh salad (for evenings you’re too tired to cook, toss in some cheese, tomatoes, something grilled - or not - and voila! A meal) 

- Cauliflower (in staunch competition with cheese for MVP, you can bake, fry, broil, grill, blend.. another versatile ingredient) 

- Broccoli 

- Soya milk (I’m all about the lattes! ) 

- Coffee (thank God for coffee!!) 

- Eggs 

- No-grain cereals (if I’m honest I’ve gone off these, but for many months, these doubled up as desert when coupled with plain yoghurt) 

- Plain yoghurt / Greek yoghurt   

Go-to Proteins 

- Prawns/shrimp 

- Boneless chicken thighs 

- Beef 

- Lamb

- Salmon filets   

 I must say that I’m seriously rethinking my protein consumption especially when it comes to lamb and beef. A time will come when I’ll be ditching read meat… that time is soon - because we all have to do our bit to save the environment and reduce emissions. Also Betty the cow gets to find a new purpose in life and can live a long life. 😉