My Keto Life

Writer’s Note: This website is not designed to, and should not be construed to, provide medical advice, professional diagnosis, opinion or treatment to you or any other individual, and is not intended as a substitute for medical or professional care and treatment. Always consult a health professional before changing your diet.

So I have had quite a journey these past few years.  I am very much into fitness and nutrition. I almost became a nutritionist, but decided on Speech/Language Pathology- but took a ton of nutrition coursework and loved the science about our physiology, hormones and how macros interact with our body.

I want to add a little history of my own personal experience to get a reference of where I came from.

I did a version of the keto diet (low carb) in the past with a lot of success (for 12 years) and 3 pregnancies….and went vegan for digestion issues (not due to the keto diet, but due to my dependency of years of laxative use that my intestinal track could not work on its own- sorry for all this gross info).

In an effort to address systemic inflammation from a chronic IBS condition, my doctor suggested a vegan plant-based diet, which I have loved don’t get me wrong. At first I felt better, but after some time- all my previous issues/symptoms returned.

I began losing a lot of hair, my nails got brittle, my skin was aging so much (this is due to glycolysis- glycogen end products, which is due to a high sugar/carb diet and lower fats), my weight fluctuated, I had to reduce calories to see results (for cutting in the gym) and exercise more!, I had mood fluctuations, ups/downs, and energy swings and I lost muscle mass, and would even get depressed (due to low fat diet), I would gain weight, and had to calorie restrict to see very minimal changes! 😞 So I did not like how I was feeling or looking and had to do something about it!

You can also view my YouTube video where I explain my journey- click HERE

People always tell me- “but Mariela, you’ve always been thin!” And I want to clarify that I had moments in my life when I was not (aside from 3 pregnancies), I came from a dieting background and unfortunately, I had moments that despite my efforts- I became heavier!

The “first” picture is an embarrassing picture! But have to put it out there, and share in case others may experience the same.
This is my personal experience-  The “before” picture is when I discovered I had a leaky gut, and can’t tolerate gluten, high sugar foods, raw foods, etc. The bloating and constant inflammation was torturous, not to mention, I was not happy with my appearance and could last for months! I used the ItWorks “Cleanse” which helped me detox, and get my digestion back on track. Not to mention to lose a few inches and reduced inflammation!
The “middle” one is after a few days of the cleanse….getting back into the bad cycle of calorie restriction and extreme exercising.
The “last” one is after a few weeks of the Ketogenic diet, removing all sugars/carbohydrates from my diet, including nourishing fats and muscle building proteins and necessary supplementation…I exercised less and lo and behold…magic happened!! 🌟

It hasn’t always been easy for me, I have tried so many things! giving them 100% but something would always fall short. My goal was to FEEL good and regain my health, not just look healthy! Because health starts from within 💗 .

So, I went back to the Keto diet to experiment on myself. I got the proper supplements, got the ratios correct and got ready to embark on this journey and behold– my body transformed!!! 😊 I have lost fat (not just random weight), the stubborn fat around my hips, legs, abs and even arms- and it’s crazy how I am still preserving muscle and becoming leaner.

Your satiated, I’m in control and sometimes not even hungry! The foods are delicious and are easy to stick to and tons of yummy recipes (keto cheesecake, etc!).

I recommend you watch the “Magic Pill” on Netflix. This diet has been used to treat/cure seizures, diabetes, Alzheimer’s, many neurological disorders, cancers, autism, and ADHD! This is what struck me the most and have now put my family on it to help my daughter Sienna who has ADHD (my hubby Adam is already on board).

This website provides over 70+ research articles on the Ketogenic diets effectiveness on areas such as- neurology, sports medicine, nutrition, mood, sleep, health and diet:

Keto Diet Studies: Scientific Research on Low Carb High Fat Diet

Here is a recent study review that talks about the benefits of keto Neurology:https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/diagnosis-diet/201706/ketogenic-diets-psychiatric-disorders-new-2017-review

Halle Berry has been using it for years to treat her diabetes and Alícia Vikander, who plays the role of the new Lara Croft in the Tomb Raider movie. Here is a link of famous people on Keto: https://www.everydayhealth.com/ketogenic-diet/diet/celebrities-cant-get-enough-ketogenic-diet/

Dr. Ede is a psychiatrist also on board with Keto- her articles and resources are very useful and research-based.

http://www.diagnosisdiet.com/about-dr-ede/

http://www.diagnosisdiet.com/diet/vegan-diets/ (this one is why vegan diets fail and are deficient)  (this one is why vegan diets fail and are deficient)

This is Dr. Andreas Eenfeldt has a great website on Keto for Beginners- check it out- it’s very useful!:

https://www.dietdoctor.com/

This is Dr. Lara- who has written “The Pharmacy in your KItchen” and treats patients from ADHD, autism, etc, by putting them on ketogenic diets to treat their neurological disorders:

https://www.drmikelara.com/

This article is written by another pediatrician who also treats neurological disorders with keto diet- she also talks about Dr. Lara’s work and research:

http://natural-alternative-adhd-treatment.com/ketogenic-diet-helps-adhd-brain/

This guy is awesome! – Jason Wittrock, who is a trainer and bodybuilder- helps his client build muscle and lose fat. He has a ton of videos that are really helpful!

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=jason+wittrock

This guy Keto Savage is a bodybuilder/athlete who also provudes great information:

http://ketosavage.com/

This gal is Ruth May, who is a registered nurse and getting her Masters in Nutrition, has great videos and what to eat and to keep your macros correct on Keto:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mBwtfDbsYCI&t=23s

Maria Emmerich is a nutritionist who helps her clients with regaining their health. She has wonderful research-based books:

https://www.dietdoctor.com/low-carb/recipes/maria-emmerich (recipes)

I felt hesitant about switching my diet at first, once I started on the Keto plan, I noticed many unexpected positive health changes.

The first few days, I didn’t feel good. I went through the dreaded “Keto Flu”, you feel lethargic, foggy, fatigued and weak, this was due to your own body/metabolism switching over from burning carbs/sugars to burning fat as fuel.. my body was adapting to using ketones rather than glucose for energy! You might also get diarrhea, constipation, leg cramps, palpitations, headaches…I know…sounds glorious! But this subsides and I have a few tricks to diminish these symptoms below!

I ended up transitioning away from Veganism…I had to restore my body/mind and had to heal my body with whole-foods. So what do I eat? I get asked all the time.

So in a gist- this is what I eat…I make my meals simple! I make a bullet-free coffee for breakfast- with coffee and KetoCream. I don’t get hungry till around 1:00, so I have a meal or protein/fat- like a deli wrap with some bacon, protein bread or tuna with a little mayo and salad, or avocado stuffed with tuna, I also make a protein pancake which is pretty good…nuts, cheeses, olives, pork rinds are also great as snacks, you can add some veggie sticks and guac as well, or coffee with the KetoCream (I love this too, simple and fast)… For dinner I usually have a protein (salmon/chicken/steak/ribs/pork) with veggies sauteed in coconut oil and a salad with avocado and olive oil dressing..,then if I want something sweet I can make a fat bomb or keto brownie (usually only have a little bit because I am so satiated and happy with the yummy food selection).

You can always message me anytime if you have questions/doubts. I love helping people learn more about this lifestyle and getting healthy, strong and fit!

Please let me know if you have any questions, we can chat anytime.