It's rather strange how things happen, isn't it? In the Summer of 2019, I realised that having soared past that certain age most women deny to themselves (let alone anyone else), I had also gained more middle-age weight than I was happy with.
I have in the past, tried a number of diets and managed to lose the weight I had wanted at that time, but found that the moment I stopped the diet, the weight quickly returned. I can't even remember where I was, or when I first heard of the Keto Diet, or what it meant, but I remembered reading how it had been successful for many people and thought I'd give it a try.
I am the sort of person that, if I decide to do something, then I have to do it at 100% and nothing less. So, the gauntlet was thrown down for the Keto challenge that has subsequently transformed my life and health in a very positive way. I say Keto was a challenge, at least initially, because to make it really work, you have to be committed and to be committed, you have to change the way you shop and cook.
Keto cooking requires quite a change to the regular ingredients you might currently find in your kitchen cupboards and it requires slightly different skills for making everyday things; like bread or pastry. As I am also wheat intolerant, I hoped the Keto Diet would be a good opportunity to cut the dreaded wheat out of my diet for good.
With Keto, there are very few convenience products to make life easier. One has to cook from scratch with good quality, fresh and generally unprocessed, healthy ingredients. Keto cooking is, therefore, more time consuming than one might initially prefer, but I found that I quickly adapted to the new way of cooking and within two months I was well into the swing of all things Keto.
I can hear you all sighing and asking why is it worth the bother?
Well, I'll tell you why. I lost 10kg of weight within 4 months, almost effortlessly. I ate fantastic food for those four months, I was never hungry during those four months, and I never experienced the usual diet cravings during those four months and I have not looked back.
I have renewed energy, which allows me to regularly walk 5 miles per day and participate in up to six Zumba classes per week. I have a new clarity of thought that has been cloudy for many years, and I have, even after 14 months (and eight of those during the Covid-19 lockdown & restrictions) stuck to my Keto Diet and kept the weight off.
In addition to all the above, what I have been making is simply delicious, fresh, home-made food. It will certainly help with a Keto and Low-Carb Diet, but the recipes I will share can be made as part of your regular healthy, fresh-food offering. You don't have to follow a Keto Diet, to make some of this wonderful food. As part of a balanced diet, these recipes can play their part, too.
I love cooking and I love food. My mother was a chef, so I grew up in a household where I was never afraid to experiment with food and cooking. I have adapted many of my family's own recipes into a Keto format and I have adapted many of the keto recipes I have found online to cater to my own family's particular tastes and to accommodate ingredients that I prefer. I have completed this particular lifestyle change and Keto is my way of life now.
Since I started my Keto journey, I have been posting pictures of the food I have made into an album on my private Facebook account. Because of this and my clear enthusiasm for the positive results I have experienced since taking on a Keto Diet lifestyle, many of my friends and family have been intrigued and asked for my recipes. Many have asked why I don't write a book, start a Keto Café or create a Keto Blog........ So here we are!
I am certainly not a Keto expert, but I am a committed enthusiast and I am happy to share here, in this blog, my experiences and the recipes that now form part of the positive lifestyle change in my home. I have made all the recipes within this blog and have taken all the photographs with my iPhone, so you can see what it can (or should) look like!
I'd love to hear from you if you've tried one of my recipes (love it or hate it) and if you have any ideas for adaptations that you have tried.
Best wishes and good luck!
Nicki x
Disclaimer: Although I understand the basics of the Keto Diet principles, which aim to eliminate most carbohydrate for the diet and condition the body to use fat as it's primary source of energy, I am in no way a medical expert. I can only say how the diet has helped me with my weight and health aims. I strongly advise anyone wanting to try this diet and method of cooking to conduct their own research and if necessary, take advice from a qualified medical practitioner.
Any carbohydrate count on this blog is based on my own estimate, calculated from the individual ingredients I use in my recipes. Variations may occur for various reasons, including products used and actual quantities used in food preparation. I make no representation or warranty of the accuracy of this information.