My Favorite Keto Recipes So Far

 I was talking with my friend the other day and she told me that during the pandemic she gained a lot of weight.  She used to eat low carb or keto, but fell off that wagon evidently.  I also fell off that wagon numerous times, so I can definitely relate.

We discussed ways to get back on the wagon and decided that we would be each other's accountability partner.  Having someone to hold you accountable is really a great way to keep your commitment to yourself to lose weight and get healthy. 

One of the things we discussed is recipes.  She wants my keto bread recipe and my keto wrap recipe, so I will send those to her.  She will send me a few of her favorite ones, too.  I love when you exchange recipes because it helps to vary what you are eating week in and week out.

So, today I want to tell you about 3 of my favorite recipes.

Homemade Keto Bread

The first one is my Keto Bread recipe.  I make this in my bread machine (who remembers them?).  I was so glad I had not given mine to Goodwill way back when.

 The only thing I don't like about using it is the little crank in the bottom makes your bread loaf have a big hole in the center after baking.  I fixed this issue by letting the machine do everything up to baking. 

When it is time to bake, I remove the dough ball and put it into a regular 9x5 bread pan that I prepared earlier.  Then I bake it in the oven just like usual.  I really love this bread.  I can set it up to start first thing in the morning and have a fresh loaf of bread by lunchtime.  Yummy!

Recipe:

1. 1 cup warm water
2. 2 eggs at room temperature
3. 1/2 cup Oat Fiber
4. 2/3 cup Flaxseed Meal
5. 2/3 cup Almond Flour
6. 1 1/4 cups Vital Wheat Gluten
7. 1 teaspoon Salt
8. 4 tablespoons Erythritol
9. 1 teaspoon Honey
10. 1/2 teaspoon Xanthan Gum
11. 2 tablespoons Butter
12. 1 tablespoon Active Dry Yeast

Layer in order into bread machine and turn it on.  When it shows that it is about to bake the bread, remove the dough to a pre-greased bread pan and let rise again for about 30 minutes.  Bake in oven at 375 degrees until brown on the outside and sounds hollow when tapped.

Slice with electric knife (this makes it so much easier) into about 10-12 slices.

This bread will keep in the refrigerator, since there is no preservative, but usually it is all gone pretty quickly.  About 120 calories per slice and only 3 net carbs.  Each slice will give your about 3 grams of protein which is great for your diet.  The protein will help you stay full longer.

Two Ingredient Tortilla or wrap

My next favorite recipe is the two Ingredient Tortilla from Low Carb Love.

Recipe:

1. 1 cup coconut flour
2. 4 tablespoons whole psyllium husks
3. 1/4 cup water

In a large mixing bowl, add psyllium husk into water and let sit for 2-3 minutes until it forms a gel-like consistency. Then add your coconut flour and knead until a dough forms.  Roll into a ball and wrap in plastic wrap.  Place in the refrigerator to set for about 30 minutes.

Next, remove from refrigerator and wrapper, then cut the ball into 6-8 sections.  Place one section at a time in your tortilla press with the dough sandwiched between parchment paper to prevent sticking. You can also just roll them out using a rolling pin and I sometimes prefer this because I have more control over the thickness.  You want each one to be about 1/4 inch thick.

Spray your pan with oil and heat over a medium heat setting until the oil is hot. Cook each tortilla for 2-3 minutes until brown spots appear on both sides.

These are really not so much tortillas, but they serve the same purpose and taste really good.  Also, they keep well in the refrigerator for up to a week.  I make this and usually end up with about 12 street taco sized tortillas (this suits me better to have smaller tortillas).

Crispy and Crunchy Chaffle

This recipe is the chaffle recipe that I have discovered recently. 

It is basically from the Keto Twins original recipe but I do mine a bit different.  I love these because they turn out CRUNCHY which is what I love.  Some people prefer softer chaffles and there recipes for that.  As a matter of fact, I posted one here.

Recipe:

1. 2 Eggs at room temperature
2. 1/8 cup Almond Flour
3. 1/8 teaspoon Baking Powder
4. 2 tablespoons water
5. 1/2 cup shredded Mozzarella Cheese

Here is how I make them but feel free to do it the way the Keto Twins do. I put the cheese on my Dash Waffle maker and let it start to melt.  While that happens, I put the eggs, almond flour, baking powder and water in a bowl and whisk it up until mixed well.  I pour this liquid over the Dash maker until it is covered (be careful because this makes more than just one). I then cover this with another layer of the cheese and close the lid. When the light goes out, I remove it to cool and make another.  This recipe usually makes me 4 chaffles(so I finally got a Dash Waffle maker that makes 4 at a time).  After they cool for a few minutes they are very, very crunchy in texture.  I find that helps my mouth to be satisfied and I can eat a sandwich using these and be extremely full.

Keto Flour for everything else

The last recipe today is the one for Keto flour that you can substitute into any recipe you have now that calls for flour. It is from Victoria's Keto Kitchen and she states that it is better to make this recipe by weight to be accurate, so you need a kitchen scale for this.  Here is a link to the one I use and it is very accurate.

Recipe:

1. 336 grams Almond Flour (approx. 3 cups)
2. 76 grams Oat Fiber (approx. 1 cup)
3. 50 grams Egg White Protein Powder (approx. 1/2 cup + 2 tbs.)
4. 18 grams Xanthan Gum 

Weigh all ingredients by grams for ultimate success.  Combine in a bowl and whisk until well mixed. Store in a large container in the refrigerator or in your pantry.  This mix can substitute 1:1 for flour in any recipe you have that calls for regular flour.

I hope that you try these out and let me know if you like them or not.  People on Keto usually complain about missing bread and bread products, so to insure success on your Keto journey, I wanted you to know about these recipes that I have tried myself and know that they turn out well and taste good.  Good luck on your Keto diet!

Disclaimer:

Just so you know, the Amazon links are for my affiliate links.  By using them, I will get a small amount of money from Amazon, but you will not pay anything extra.  Thank you for helping me make a little extra if you use my links.

Staying the Course: How to help yourself stay on Keto

 If you have ever tried to stay on a diet long term, you know how difficult it is to maintain your focus and motivation.  Most of us just quit dieting slowly over time and then suddenly realize that we are no longer following our diet!

Staying motivated requires some effort on your part and that may be the problem. We live in a fast-paced, busy world and we are forced to move at the speed of light with it.  We have to multi-task just to keep up.  We suffer from stress and anxiety because we fear falling behind all the time.  This situation makes it difficult to stay the course with any diet, let alone one that requires a complete change in food preparation.

On that note, let's explore ways to help us stay on our keto adventure for the long-haul. Here are some tips that can help you stay on track with your Keto diet goals:

Motivational Tips for your goals:

Set realistic goals: 

Be sure to set achievable goals for yourself and break them down into smaller, more manageable steps. This will help you stay motivated and focused on your progress. I have talked about the importance of goal setting and how to do it on my other blog.  You can read about it here.

Find support: 

Building a support system of family, friends, or other Keto dieters can help you stay motivated and accountable. Online communities or local groups can provide encouragement and tips for sticking to the diet. There are several groups on Facebook that are for Keto dieters and you can get support, new recipes to try, motivation from other dieters, and learn about staying on keto for the long term. You should check some of them out; try several until you find the one that fits for you. 

Keep a food diary: 

Tracking what you eat can help you stay aware of your food choices and portion sizes, and can also help you identify triggers or patterns in your eating habits. Keeping a food diary is always the first thing you should do when starting a new diet.  It keeps you focused on your diet and helps you see the areas where you struggle.  Maintaining your diet is a hard challenge and by keeping a food diary you can ensure that you stay the course for your goals.

Celebrate successes: 

You need to celebrate your accomplishments, no matter how small. Celebrating milestones, such as losing a few pounds or sticking to the diet for a month, can help you stay motivated and focused on your progress. Sometimes it feels silly to celebrate the small stuff, but success in life comes in the small, almost overlooked successes you have.  They add up over time, so celebrate each one as it occurs to help you see that small progress is still progress.

Focus on non-scale victories: 

Remind yourself that there are many benefits to the Keto diet beyond weight loss, such as improved energy levels, clearer skin, and better digestion. Your focus on these non-scale victories can help you stay motivated even when the scale isn't moving. We all know the frustrations of hitting a plateau in our weight loss.  That scale just isn't moving and we think our diet isn't working.  The actual fact is that when you hit a plateau, your body is making adjustments because of weight loss and your diet.  This diet changes so many things in your body and some time is needed to allow your body to reach homeostasis again. Once that happens, the weight starts to fall off again. So be patient with your body.  

Plan ahead: 

You should plan for situations where you may be tempted to cheat on the diet, such as parties or eating out. Maybe you will need to bring your own Keto-friendly snacks or research restaurants in advance to find low-carb options. Eating out is one of the biggest challenges for those who follow Keto.  Fortunately, many restaurants are now understanding that eating keto is not a fad and is not going away; so they are including some keto-friendly options on their menus.  Be sure to ask before you go to a restaurant if they provide keto items on their menus.

Get creative with recipes: 

You should also plan to experiment with new recipes and ingredients to keep your meals interesting and prevent boredom. This can help you stay motivated and committed to the Keto diet over the long term. When you start keto, you will have the best results by eating just basic meat, vegetable, and maybe salad.  You will find that your weight loss will be faster and your body will adjust better.  After you have been on the diet for a while, you need to start adding keto recipes to your meal planning to prevent boredom which causes you to fall off the diet.  There are so many great keto recipes around.  I find them on YouTube and on Pinterest all the time.  I will warn you that not all of these recipes will make you happy or turn out like you want them to.  I talked a bit about this here when I tried a spinach wrap recipe.

Practice self-compassion: 

Slip-ups and mistakes are normal, and you should to be kind to yourself when they happen. Encouraging self-compassion can help you stay motivated and committed to the Keto diet, even when you face setbacks. Be sure to be gentle with yourself.  You are learning a totally new way to eat and it is much like learning a new language only with foods.  If you have a setback or you slip up and go off the diet, just acknowledge that this has happened, make a note in your food diary about when and why it happened for future reference, and forgive yourself.  Just get back on the diet again and forget about the lapse.

Practice self-love:

My last tip would have to be to be sure you are taking good care of yourself in every way.  So many things are happening inside your body on this diet, and you may even be experiencing the "keto flu" if this is new to you.  Learn to listen to your body and give it what it needs.  In the flu example, be sure to drink plenty of water to flush toxins from your system.  Make sure to drink an electrolyte drink at least once daily. Don't forget to take care of your mental health, too.  This diet is also working inside your brain and nervous system and you may feel the difference without understanding what is going on.  Slow down, relax, take care of yourself.

By incorporating these tips into their daily routines, you can stay motivated and committed to your Keto diet goals over the long term. I wish you good luck and good fortune!  

10 Potential Reasons Why Someone May Want to Start a Ketogenic Diet

You may wonder why on earth anyone would even want to be on Keto.  You know about weight loss from the keto diet, but you may not know about any of the other benefits you gain by being on Keto.  So, let's go through them one by one. Before you start watch this video:

https://youtu.be/ZbghVpdMG-0

Reason One:

Weight loss: One of the most popular reasons people start a keto diet is to lose weight. By reducing carbohydrate intake and increasing fat intake, the body enters a state of ketosis, where it burns fat for fuel instead of glucose. 

This may take a few days for your body to acclimate to the new food source, so that is where the "Keto Flu" originates.  To offset this, be sure you drink plenty of water and try to replace electrolytes you may be losing due to loss of water from your body.  When you use ketones for fuel, your body does not need to hold onto water for removing toxins left over from digesting carbohydrates.  Also, simply in the digestion process, you gain water as a result.

Reason Two:

Improved energy levels: Many people report feeling more energetic and alert when they follow a keto diet. This is because the body has a constant source of fuel from fat, which is a more stable energy source than glucose.

You get more bang for your buck with using fat for energy, too.  Carbs only produce 4 grams of energy while fats produce 9 grams during the digestion process. 

There is, however, a period during the initial stage of starting this diet that you may find it hard to sleep. You may find yourself tossing and turning and getting up more frequently to urinate.  This is normal and will pass.  Just stay on your diet and your body will finally adjust to using a new fuel.

Reason Three:

Better mental clarity: Some people report improved mental clarity and focus on a keto diet. This is thought to be due to the brain's ability to use ketones (produced during ketosis) as a more efficient source of energy than glucose.

Your brain loves, loves, loves ketones.  When you give your brain ketones, it kicks into high gear.  So you feel less foggy and you have more focus.  This effect will last as long as you remain on the diet.

Reason Four:

Reduced inflammation: High-carbohydrate diets can cause inflammation in the body, which can contribute to a range of health issues. A ketogenic diet may help reduce inflammation levels and improve overall health.

Inflammation is not something you want to have in your body.  You need to reduce the amount of inflammation you may have already and keep it from coming back.  Luckily for you, the keto diet will take care of this for you; inflammation uses glucose to live, so by removing that energy source, it slowly goes away.  

It is not unusual to have a health professional suggest keto if you have been shown to carry around lots of inflamed tissues.  There are numerous health conditions that can actually be improved just by being on this diet.

Reason Five:

Improved blood sugar control: By cutting out carbohydrates, a keto diet can help stabilize blood sugar levels, which is beneficial for people with type 2 diabetes or insulin resistance.

So many of us have developed insulin resistance from our carb-heavy diets that changing over to a keto diet will almost instantly stabilize your blood sugar levels.  Blood sugar levels measure glucose, so by changing to ketones your blood sugar levels will drop automatically.  

Many people with diabetes are on the keto diet, but if that is your reason for starting this diet, please consult your physician first.  Make sure he/she knows about your diet change and is agreeable to a more careful monitoring of your condition for a while initially.

Reason Six:

Reduced risk of heart disease: A keto diet can help lower triglyceride levels, which is a risk factor for heart disease. It may also help increase levels of HDL cholesterol (the "good" cholesterol).

This seems counter to what you think about when you consider your levels of cholesterol in your blood.  You think that if you eat so much fat, your levels will go up, but in actuality, your levels go down with this diet.  

Any decrease of cholesterol in your bloodstream is a very good thing for your heart health, but if you have a heart condition already, be sure to check with your doctor before starting this diet.  You may require closer monitoring and medication management by your physician as you progress on your diet.

Reason Seven:

Better skin health: Some people report clearer, brighter skin on a keto diet. This may be due to the reduction of inflammation and the increase in healthy fats. Whatever the reason, having better skin and looking better is always a good thing. 

Reason Eight:

Reduced appetite: A high-fat, low-carb diet can help reduce appetite, which can make it easier to stick to a calorie deficit and lose weight. Because you are eating more fat (which takes longer to digest so it uses more energy) and because it is more filling to you, you will discover that you are not craving food all day long.

Gone will be the daydreams about food and that is a good thing.  You can now focus on your tasks at hand and with more focus, you can accomplish more in your day.

Reason Nine:

Improved digestive health: A keto diet can help reduce bloating and other digestive issues by eliminating high-carb foods that can be difficult to digest. Bloating may come from the increase of water produced during digestion, but it is not ever pleasant to feel like your gut may explode.  

People with other digestive issues will see an improvement in their symptoms on this diet.  IBS is caused by excess inflammation, so you will see your symptoms calming down over time.  Be sure your doctor is aware that you are on this diet and will monitor you closely to ensure you experience no adverse response.

Reason Ten:

Increased longevity: Some studies suggest that a ketogenic diet may help increase lifespan and improve overall health, possibly due to its effects on inflammation, blood sugar control, and other factors.

So if that sounds good to you, start Keto and see if you feel better, have more focus, have clarity in your thinking, and live longer.  Sounds like a win-win situation to me.  What do you think?

So if you still aren't convinced, here are a couple of articles I found that cover this and more:

https://www.chefabod.com/post/5-reasons-why-you-should-try-a-keto-diet

https://www.naturallynourishedrd.com/10-reasons-to-go-keto/

Keto Cupcakes Anyone?

 I sometimes get emails from a couple called "Team Terry Keto" because I like their YouTube videos, so I signed up for recipes from them.  This time, I got a recipe for a two ingredient cupcake and I was excited.  I have been craving sweet something for a bit now and my preference is cake or cookie textured sweets.  This recipe was right up my alley!

The first ingredient calls for a Keto cake mix.  Never heard of such a thing, but I was taking them on faith, so I went to my local grocers and looked for such a thing.  Nothing.  All I could find was sugar-free cake mixes that had something like 36 carbs a serving!!!! 

My next source to check was Amazon.  I found the perfect Keto cake mix there.

https://amzn.to/3zpchoU  which cost $7.00!!! Yikes!!!

But I was determined to try out this recipe, so I ordered it in chocolate and waited for it to arrive.

It came the next day so I was all ready since I had purchased the second ingredient during my search for the cake mix.

The second ingredient is Greek Yogurt.  Seems strange to me, but I was going for it.

To the cake mix you add 2 cups of the yogurt, mix well, fill prepared cupcake pan (only filling each well 1/2 way) and bake for 23 minutes at 350 degrees.

I was so excited.  I stood by the stove and watched my lovely cupcakes cook.  When the timer went off, I carefully took them out to cool.  About 2-3 minutes later, they all fell and I had wells in the tops of each cupcake.  Oh, well.  I wasn't going for beauty, I was going for taste. No picture because they were really ugly!

Once they were all cool, I eagerly peeled the paper off the cupcake and took my first bite.  It was good!  It was really good!  I was so happy, but it was a very expensive sweet treat.  It made 16 cupcakes, so when I divided that into the cost, it was around $.82 for each cupcake.  

I knew I would not nor should not eat all of them at once, so I carefully wrapped them up in paper towel and placed the extras in a plastic bag.  Careful to remove the air, I then put them in the refrigerator for future snacking.

So far, it has been 1 week since I baked them.  I have doled them out at 1 per day after lunch.  They are still delicious and moist and tender.  I am so excited about this recipe.  But, I feel there still has to be a better way than a $7.00 cake mix.

I found a YouTube video from "Victoria's Keto Kitchen" and she shares her recipe for making Keto flour that you can use for any recipe that calls for white flour. She bakes with it, uses it to bread meat, and cooks with it all the time.  I was really excited to check it out, but as of now I have not.  I still need to get some of her ingredients; I have everything except Egg Protein Powder (which I have never heard of). Here is the video: https://youtu.be/iiPerJqEZ_c

So now I am off to Amazon again to see if they have it.  If so, I will get some and try out her recipe.  I can then make my own cake that is a keto cake!  I am so excited.  I will let you know how this turns out.

But, in the meantime, the cupcakes were to die for so I recommend you try them out.  Maybe find a Keto icing for them.  I did not bother with icing, but maybe I will try that when I make them again.

Please let me know if you make these and tell me what you think of this quick sweet recipe.