© ShutterstockThe keto diet reorganizes the building blocks of the food pyramid.
It was 2 o'clock on a Tuesday, and I felt surprisingly awake. Attentive. Even productive.
I love my job, but on a normal afternoon, I find myself searching for distractions in the depths of my inbox and on Facebook.
That Tuesday in June was different. I knocked out one to-do list item after the next. I felt not just focused, but genuinely happy and relieved to be making so much progress.
It was the moment I realized how effective the ketogenic diet could be.
The "keto" diet is
experiencing a surge in popularity thanks to Silicon Valley tech workers who evangelize its ability to
promote weight loss, boost energy, and possibly
prolong life itself.
The low-carb, high-fat diet - which first became popular in the 1920s as a treatment for
epilepsy and
diabetes - limits carbohydrates to no more than 50 grams a day, the rough equivalent of a plain bagel or a cup of white rice. Dietary guidelines
laid out by the US Department of Agriculture recommend between 225 and 325 grams of carbs a day.
Adherents of the keto diet fill up on healthy fats - like cheese, nuts, avocado, eggs, and butter - as well as leafy greens and animal protein. The body switches from burning carbs to burning fat as its primary fuel source, a process known as ketosis, which gives the diet its name.
Like the keto diet, the Atkins diet
restricts carb consumption to 20 to 25 grams a day during an introductory phase, then ramps up to 80 to 100 grams a day. So it's less strict than the keto diet - some have
called it "Atkins on steroids."
For two months last spring,
I tried the keto diet to see why it was so popular with techies. The first few weeks challenged me more than Weight Watchers or the
"Fed Up" diet ever had.
I regularly experienced headaches and painful urges to eat every sugary substance in sight.
© Melia Robinson/Business InsiderI scoured keto blogs for high-fat snacks — called "fat bombs" — to power me through the sugar cravings. Loaded cauliflower made with butter, sour cream, cheddar cheese, and bacon became my go-to treat.
But after being diligent for three weeks, I felt the difference. Even on days when I ate bunless cheeseburgers for lunch, my energy was sky-high. I drank less coffee and felt more alert. And because protein and fat send signals to the brain when you've had enough to eat, my snacking became less frequent and I was more focused on work as a result. I felt invincible.
When I lost 30 pounds on Weight Watchers in college, I celebrated the numbers on the scale and how my clothes fit. But because I continued to eat carbs in smaller portions, I was still prone to sugar crashes and afternoon "brain fog." The transformation was incomplete.
The keto diet made over my mind and my body. The sense of mental clarity and energy that came on about one month into eating keto was unlike anything I've experienced. I woke up feeling strong, confident, and capable of taking on whatever the day threw at me.
Sadly, I've struggled to maintain the keto diet since challenging myself to make it two months.
The keto diet is beyond strict. Cheating with carb-heavy foods has the potential to reverse a state of ketosis and its pleasant side effects. After the dieter returns to keto eating, it takes an average of five days for the body to use up the carbohydrates stored as glycogen in the body.
Eating at restaurants was the hardest part. I ate taco fillings out of tortillas and scraped the breading off fried chicken. Every menu had just one or two things I could order guilt-free.
I want to return to the keto diet. I hope to find the willpower in a plate of bacon.
(Total Time: 20 MIN| Serves: 4)
Ingredients:
1 lb mussels, cleaned
2 cups fish stock
5 garlic cloves, crushed
2 tbsp lemon juice, freshly squeezed
3 tbsp butter
¼ cup Parmesan cheese, gratedSpices:
1 tsp dried thyme
½ tsp chili flakes
2 tbsp fresh parsley, finely choppedDirections:Rinse well the mussels under running water and remove any dirt. Drain and set aside.Plug in the instant pot and press the ‘’Sauté’’ button. Grease the inner pot with butter and add garlic. Sauté for 2-3 minutes and then pour in the stock. Drizzle with lemon juice and season with thyme, chili flakes, and parsley.Place mussels in a steam basket and transfer to the pot. Seal the lid and set the steam release handle to the ‘’Sealing’’ position.Press the ‘’Manual’’ button and set the timer for 5 minutes on high pressure.When done, perform a quick release and open the lid. Remove any mussels that didn’t open and transfer to serving bowls. Drizzle with the sauce from the pot and serve immediately.
Per Serving(Calories 207| Total Fats17.1g | Net Carbs: 5.6g | Protein: 17.1g |Fiber: 0.1g)SHARE: RATE:PREVIOUSDiet meal planABOUT THE AUTHORKeto DietRELATED POSTSKeto foodNovember 2, 2019Keto diet foodsNovember 21, 2019Best diet planNovember 28, 2019Keto diet weight lossDecember 18, 2019RECENT POSTSBest diet planDiet meal planKeto diet weight lossKeto diet results
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