Are you ready to start the lchf/keto lifestyle?

How many times have you told yourself, “I’m going to start exercising and eating less starting on Monday”? What ends up happening is that you eat everything in sight the weekend before because, starting Monday, your entire life will be a boring starvation diet. I’ve done that more times than I can count.

When starting an LCHF lifestyle, it's beneficial to be strict, not only because you will more quickly learn the right way to eat, but you will lose weight faster. Once you've gotten to your goal weight, you can slowly introduce foods such as berries and dark chocolate and experiment to see how much and what you can eat before you start gaining again. Since LCHF is not diet, your journey to weight loss won't be boring and you won’t feel like you are being deprived.

So, are you ready to start the lchf/keto lifestyle?

Here you can learn everything about the lchf/keto lifestyle you need to know

Pepperoni chips

I've found a new great keto/lchf snack! Pepperoni chips. Super tasty, super quick, super crunchy...do I need to continue?!

Place the pepperoni on a piece of paper towel



Cook the pepperoni in the microwave. I had to try different times until I found the right consistency. I figured out that 40 seconds was the perfect time on my microwave. You might have to experiment a couple of times until the chips get the right crispiness.



Crispy tasty pepperoni chips! They are great with a garlic dip (full fat sourcream, chopped garlic and salt).

keto and lchf inspired school lunch

Yesterday school started so it's back to start packing school lunches again. My children (kindergarten and 6th grade) don't follow the LCHF/keto lifestyle, but they come pretty close. We save candy eating for Saturdays only and we stay away from processed food as much as we can.

Here are some keto and lchf inspired school lunch examples:

6th Grade lunch example: Snack - Babybell cheese and carrots Lunch - Turkey, raspberries and almonds

Kindergarten lunch example: Snack - Babybell and apple Lunch - yougurt, carrots and crackers

Since it's all about keeping a balance we splurge with popcorn, whole grain crackers or dark chocolate on Fridays. I want them to know that no food is forbidden, we just don't eat them all the time.

Questions and Answers

. Time for some Questions and Answers. Thanks to all for emailing me your questions! Here we go:

Hi! I’m stuck in my weight-loss and was wondering what I can do to start seeing a change on the scale again. Thanks, Laura

Hi Laura, It’s difficult to give advice without knowing more details about your current diet and exercise regime. But some things that always works is to change up your exercise a little. Our bodies adapt pretty quickly to a routine, so it's good to shake it up a bit every 4-6 weeks. Add heavier weights or more intensive cardio. Another thing that works is going back to basics; drink lots of water, look over your daily calorie count etc. If you are following the LCHF/keto lifestyle make sure you don't over eat diary products (it's easy to put too much cream in your coffee etc) or eat to many nuts and almonds (too many carbs). If you email me with more details, I would be happy to give more advice! ...........................

Hi Madlene! Thanks for a great blog! I love reading your advice and trying the recipe. I was wondering why you don’t post more photos of yourself. Would love to see more of you and your journey. Best, Maggie

Hi Maggie, I’m so happy you like the blog! I have to admit that I hate to be in photos, but I will try :)

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Hi Madlene, I've just fallen "off the LCHF wagon", and I'm wondering what do I do now. I've lost almost 14 pounds so far with a strict LCHF diet, but last weekend I went to a party and lost it completely. I ate every dessert in sight. I feel lost now and don't know what to do next. Help! Thanks, Kim

Hi Kim, We've all been in those situation, and probably will be again. Personally I think it's best to accept lifes ups and downs, and always look ahead. I used to be of the mindset that if I had eaten something "bad" I would just keep on eating. I had ruined the day, so why not continue? But someone once told me a saying which has helped me many times - if you fall down a stairs and get up half way. Would you through yourself the stairs and continue to tumble down? Of course not. The same with eating, why would you continue eating if you caught yourself half way. Also, try to see LCHF/keto as a lifestyle, and not a diet. Life will always be up and down, so go with the flow. So forgive yourself, celebrate your incredible success (you lost 14 pounds!) and keep on going!

Thanks for all emails! Keep on sending them :)

LCHF/Keto breakfast ideas

There are many breakfast recipes and dishes while following the LCHF/ketogenic lifestyle. No worries of getting bored. What I like about these recipes is that they are not only quick and easy, they are also very filling so I never go hungry.

Below are some LCHF/keto breakfast ideas. You can find the recipes in my book - Eat more Fat, Fatty - and lose weight.

• Scrambled Eggs with Bacon
• Boiled Eggs with Butter
• Bacon Pancakes
• Omelets
• Mushroom, Ham, and Peppers
• Spinach, Tomato, and Onion
• Scrambled Pancakes
• Coconut Waffles
• Magic Bullet Coffee
• Turkey, Ham, and Roast Beef Roll-ups
• Muffin Omelets

This is my favorite Sunday breakfast. Coconut Waffles. What is your favorite breakfast?

Health magazine article

Interesting Health magazine article questioning if butter is really back. The article states that it is wrong to think all fat is good for you, and promotes the low-fat diet. What the article doesn't clarify is how to consume the fat to see full benefit of the lifestyle. Disappointing. This article just confuses people more.

As I always say, make your own opinion. Seek out information and research, use your commonsense and find out what works for you. I follow the LCHF/keto lifestyle

The Health magazine article

Myths and answers about LCHF/Keto

There are a lot of myths and beliefs about the LCHF/Keto lifestyle, and unfortunately you will be met with comments or critiques when you start with this new lifestyle. The best way to prove them wrong is to show them your own results. Here are some myths with answers to prepare you even more to stand up to criticism.

Myth #1 - "When you follow an LCHF lifestyle you are not allowed to eat any carbs” Answer: Not true. You can and should eat vegetables, nuts, and dairy products. You can also eat some berries. You are just eating healthy carbs in a limited amount.

Myth #2 - "You are going to have to eat unnatural amounts of fat" Answer: No. You can eat a lot of fat if you want to since you won't gain weight from it, but it's not something you will do since you are only supposed to eat until you are full. Add lots of healthy fats such as olive oil, an avocado, etc., but don't eat them if you are full. Try to eat loads of mayo on your grilled chicken and salad. After a few minutes you are so stuffed that you can't continue eating.

Myth #3 - "You turn stupid when you eat LCHF because the brain needs carbohydrates” (This is my personal favorite and I hear it all the time. Where do people get these ideas from?) Answer: That is a wrong statement. You will get plenty of carbs (not that they are needed anyway) from the vegetables and nuts that you are eating.

Myth #4 - "Your body is not going to get all the vitamins and nutrients it needs with an LCHF lifestyle" Answer: Actually, your body will probably get more vitamins than it's ever gotten. You are replacing all the junk food and processed carbohydrates with wholesome food: vegetables, berries, nuts, meats, seafood, etc. Remember, an egg has all the vitamins you need in one day. Add a couple of slices of lemon to your water and you are all set.

Myth #5 - ”LCHF is extremely dangerous for the arteries because all that butter is going to clog them up" Answer: Last time I checked I'm warm blooded, so no, all that butter is not going to harden and clog my arteries. LCHF could actually increase your HDL and decrease your risk for heart disease.

Myth #6 - ”Your cholesterol is going to sky rocket now that you are eating eggs and bacon daily" Answer: Well, first of all I don't eat eggs and bacon every day. But I do love eggs so I eat them a couple times a week. I can't resist when I think of all the vitamins and nutrients they give me. My cholesterol has never been better since I started with LCHF.

Myth #7 - "People on LCHF must be feeling like crap since they’re not eating any carbs" Answer: Yes, if you have been living on bread, pasta, and cookies, you might feel a little bit lousy during the first week or two as your body adjusts to your new healthy lifestyle. But after the transition you will feel better than ever.

Find more information in my book - Eat More Fat, Fatty - and lose weight

Oscar Mayer's P3 - so close yet so far away

.I was so happy to see Oscar Mayer's new product P3, until I looked closer and saw that the cheese is reduced fat. So close yet so far away...Yes, it's a better snack than chips or cookies, but I would have loved to see them at least creating one of the packets with full fat cheese. Oscar Mayer had a great opportunity to help people to better health and to continue educating everyone of the right food to eat, but unfortunate they missed it.

Oscar Mayer's P3

LCHF/ketogenic recipe - Broccoli Salad

This week's Summer salad - Broccoli Salad. A filling salad full of nutrition and taste.

Prep time: 5 mins Cook time: 15 mins Total time: 20 mins

4 servings

Ingredients • 1/2 pound bacon • 1 red onion • 2 heads fresh broccoli • 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar • 1 cup mayonnaise • 3/4 cup sliced almonds

Directions 1. Place bacon in a deep skillet and cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Cool and crumble. 2. Cut the broccoli into bite-size pieces and cut the onion into thin bite-size slices. Place in a large bowl. 3. Add the bacon and almonds and mix well. 3. To prepare the dressing, mix the mayonnaise and vinegar together until smooth. Stir into the salad, let chill and serve.

Enjoy!

Lack of energy

Have you found yourself with a lack of energy this Summer? The most common reason for not having energy in the Summer is dehydration since it's not easy to keep up with drinking enough water. Dehydration can cause many different issues in our bodies, including fatigue, headaches, and general lethargy.

Another reason for lack of energy can be not moving enough. It may sound counter-intuitive, but one thing that could be slowing you down is actually a lack of movement and exercise. Keeping your blood pumping could make all the difference in your energy levels and general mood. Even doing something as simple as a ten-minute walk every day is great.

Overeating or undereating can also be a reason for feeling sluggish. Overeating can make us feel groggy and fatigued because our body expends more energy when it has a lot of food to digest. This can leave our brains and body deprived of the fuel it needs. Undereating will make your blood sugar drop, dragging your daily energy down. Skipping meals or letting too much time pass between meals are recipes for low-energy. Eating according to the LCHF/Ketogenic lifestyle help keep the blood sugar even and the energy steady.

One of our biggest energy thief is of course sleep deprivation. Most people do not get enough sleep on a nightly basis, and it’s doing more than just making them yawn throughout the day. Habitual sleep deprivation can lead to chronic fatigue, as well as a lot of other mental and physical health issues. We have all heard that 8 hours a night the ideal amount of sleep, but a study at UCSD shows that as far as health benefits are concerned, 8 hours isn’t the ideal; it’s 6.5 hours. The study looked at 1.1 million people’s sleep over the course of 6 years, and looked at the relationship between amount of sleep and patients’ longevity. The study found that sleeping as little as 5 hours per night is better for you than sleeping 8, and it even determined that insomnia is better for you, long-term health wise, than taking sleeping pills. According to the study, 6.5 hours is the sweet spot for lowering your risk of cancer.

So to stay energized; drink water, keep your blood sugar level balanced, keep on moving and sleep 6.5 hours a night. How do you keep your energy levels up?

Having a water bottle handy makes it easier to stay hydrated

I can't give up bananas!

I don't know how many times I've heard - I can't give up bananas! I won't get my potassium if I do - as an argument why people can't give up fruits and follow the LCHF/ketogenic lifestyle. But there are many other foods that will give you potassium, and in even higher quantities than bananas.

All these provide more potassium than bananas. And they are all LCHF/keto approved with their low carbs and low sugar contents.

Dark leafy greens

Fish

Avocado

Mushrooms

If you are craving fruits, go for raspberries, strawberries or blueberries. No need to feel deprived!

LCHF and Ketogenic recipe - Asparagus and tomato salad

.This week's Summer salad - asparagus and tomato salad. A refreshing vegetarian salad.

Prep time: 10 mins Cook time: 0 mins Total time: 10 mins

4 servings

Ingredients • 1/2 cup chopped asparagus • 2 cups baby spinach • 1 cup arugula • 16 black olives, pitted and cut in half • 4 ripe tomatoes • 1/4 cup toasted pine nuts

Dressing • 2 tbsp olive oil • 2 tsp lemon oil • 1 tsp whole-grain mustard • 4 tbsp balsamic vinegar • Salt and pepper to taste

Directions 1. Steam the asparagus until al dente. Cut them into 2-inch pieces. 2. Rinse and chop the tomatoes into large chunks. 3. Cut the olive in half. 4. Place all ingredients in a serving bowl. 5. Make the dressing; mix all ingredients in a small bowl and whisk it together. 6. Pour it over the salad and mix well. 7. Serve it.

Enjoy!

Swedish Nutrition Is an Alternate Reality

.The Swedish Council On Health have made a meta study of 16000 studies and found that Swedish doctors are giving their patients the advice to follow a LCHF/ketogenic lifestyle. Will this start spreading to the UK, and perhaps the US, soon? I hope so.

Read more in this article: Huffington post

Fatburger Hates Gluten, Launches the Double Down of Burgers

.Great to see Fatburger's new burger! One more restaurant stepping in the right direction and serving the right food.

"Fatburger is debuting a "protein style burger" which features hamburgers for buns. According to the press release, it's comprised of lettuce, pickled, relish, onion, and mustard sandwiched between two lean burger patties. The gluten-averse burger will debut at the chain's Beverly Hills location today before making its way to menus nationwide"

Article: Fatburger Hates Gluten, Launches the Double Down of Burgers.

Parsley butter

.Parsley butter is one of my favorite condiments and an easy way to add your fat to your diet. I eat it with both meat and seafood. I included a recipe for parsley butter in my book, but this week I created another recipe which doesn't include as many ingredients:

Ingredients • 2 sticks of butter • 1/2 cup of parsley • A pinch of salt • A pinch of garlic powder • 1 garlic clove, crushed

Directions • Leave the sticks of butter in room temperature until soft. • Add all the ingredients to the butter and mix well using your hands. • Place the butter in a roll on a piece of parchment paper and roll it up. • Place the roll in the fridge until it hardens. Slice it up and serve with meat and seafood.

Enjoy!

Entertaining with LCHF/Ketogenic foods

.I get a lot of questions regarding entertaining with LCHF/Ketogenic foods. We had friends over this weekend and I was able to adjust every recipe easily so that both keto and non-keto eaters were happy. The key is to serve a Clean Eating menu with keto condiments, so that everyone can pick and adjust their plate to what they want to eat.

I changed our favorite potato salad to a keto dish by swapping the potatoes with cucumber. It was great to see all non-keto eaters choosing the cucumber salad over the potato salad.

Ingredients • 1 cucumber • 1 cup of cherry tomatoes, halved • 1/4 cup of red onion (less if it's strong), chopped • I 8.05 oz bottle of California sun-dried tomatoes, keep the oil • 1 garlic clove • 1/4 cup olive oil • 1 cap red wine vinegar • I box of feta cheese cubes

Directions • Rinse and chop the cucumber in big chunks and place them in a large bowl • Rinse the cherry tomatoes and cut them in half. Add them to the cucumbers. • Chop the red onion. Add them to the cucumber and tomatoes. • Pour the oil from the

Enjoy!

.

Clean eating and ketogenic recipe - tomato, salmon and shrimp salad

.Summer is the time to enjoy fresh salads so I'm going to share my favorite salad recipes once a week for the entire Summer. Send me your favorite salad and I will share them with everyone!

Tomato, salmon and shrimp salad

Prep time: 10 mins Cook time: 0 mins Total time: 10 mins

1 serving

Ingredients • 1 cup cherry tomatoes • 5 salads leaves • 1/2 cup of salmon • 1 cup of large cooked shrimp • 1/4 cup olive oil • 2 tbsp lemon juice • A couple of fresh dill sprigs • Pinch of salt and pepper

Directions 1. Rinse the tomatoes and cut them in half. 2. Rinse the lettuce and pat dry. Place around the edges in a bowl. 3. Place tomatoes in the middle of the bowl. 4. Using scissors, snip the salmon in strips and add to the salad. 5. Add the shrimp to the salad. 6. In a small bowl, mix the oil, lemon and spices 7. Chop the dill and add to the dressing. Stir and pour over the salad.

Enjoy!

Eating out healthy

.Even though we have a kitchen in our vacation house we end up eating out a lot. It's not always easy to find healthy options. Here are some helpful advice on eating out healthy:

1. Don't be afraid of asking Most restaurants don't mind if you change the meal. Ask them to hold the french fries and give you more vegetable/salad.

2. Try to find a buffet That way you can pick plenty of veggies and protein. Stay away from veggies which grow in the ground and corn. Use olive oil as dressing.

3. Think clean eating Go to a restaurant which offer a menu where you can find grilled chicken/beef with veggies vs. stews etc.

4. Dessert A cheese platter is a great dessert, or berries with whip cream. That way you don't need to say no to dessert!

A ketogenic dessert - berries and cream

.Following a ketogenic lifestyle is never boring. I whipped up a quick dessert after dinner last night - berries and cream. Super easy and delish!

Unlikely Source of Healthy Fat: Coconuts

.Doctors (not experts...) are starting to question the health benefits of coconut oil. Since I've started eating coconut oil I've seen a difference in my hair and skin. I also use it as lip balm. As always, if it works for you and make you feel good then go for it. Everything is about balance and listening to your body. Also, do your own research instead of listening to the latest news. In two months they are going to tell us coconut oil is the best thing on earth... Wall Street Journal article: Unlikely Source of Healthy Fat: Coconuts.