#ketocraft

[ketocraft]

ONE MONTH KETO

starting weight: 210 pounds Current weight: 190 pounds Goal weight: 120 pounds Today, March 26 marks a full month that I have been on a ketogenic diet. On my YouTube channel I talk a lot about how I felt before starting this journey and I can honestly say in a lot of ways it has been a drastic change for me. I have more energy throughout my days, i’m still not a morning person, but I find it’s easier for me to get out of bed in the morning and I don’t feel so tired every day. I’m still not a fan of watching my macros even though I do so practically religiously, but it has really helped me to lose weight. Now I am in the 180s rather than the 200s which is amazing and awesome!! I have actually felt the need to go and work-out! That was a huge change. I don’t think I have ever wanted to work out. Thing is, I had so much energy lately that it just felt natural to start doing so every other day. I like the changes that this diet has helped me make and I don’t see a time that I will ever be off of this diet. I can see my goal weight on the distant horizon, but unlike other times, it does not seem so unachievable. What has really floored me about this diet is that usually on diets I lose little to no weight due to the fact that I have hypothyroidism, but on this diet even without Synthroid, I seem to be losing weight like people with a normal thyroid would (or close to it I think). It takes a huge leap of faith for somebody who is already considered fat, obese, or heavy, to rely on fat to make them skinnier and healthier, but if you’re somebody who is considering this diet I can honestly say it’s a good move to make. Before starting this diet, I considered myself somebody who listens to their body pretty frequently. What I realize however, is that there’s more than just mental analysis and basic physical analysis that one should do to maintain their health. What I mean is, since I’ve been on the ketogenic diet it has made me stop and really listen to the cues my body is giving me. This has made a drastic change to the way that I eat. I would say that if you don’t or have not yet started intermittent fasting and you have been ketogenic for a while, just take a day and really listen to what your body is saying. You might find that you’re eating more often then you need to. I was totally surprised to find out that I was, and how little my body actually needed per day. Again, as I’ve said before, I am nowhere near starving myself. I am however allowing my body to tell me when it is time to eat. I have also learned the importance of keeping hydrated because if you don’t, you will be hungry all the time! Keeping my hydration, electrolytes, and other necessities in check is really paramount on this diet and I find that I’m learning this very quickly. Now I think I can expect more from my body, and my life can expect more from me and that is awesome to feel. One thing I hear a lot of people talk about is mental clarity and after about a month of this diet I wouldn’t say that I have extreme cognizance or mental clarity, but what I will say is that going from feeling sleepy and walking in a dream like state every day to feeling awake and productive every day is definitely a start. If you’re somebody who has never succeeded on a diet, try being ketogenic for a month and I mean really do the diet, don’t half ass it and you will see results, so much so that you will want to keep on going!

[spinpixy]

Out of the oven and looks so yummy! #ketopizza🍕 #fatheadpizza #keto_craft #instagram #ketosis #keto #ketowin #ketogirl #fitnesslifestyle #Fitness #myfitnessjourney #ketosis #ketodiet #healthy #ketocraft #ketofit #lchf #lowcarbdiet #myfitnesspal #kickassketo #ketolife #lowcarb

[ketocraft]

Here’s another one to add to the Keto Craft collection. Absolutely enjoying this sweet reward for 26 pounds lost in two months! Hope you guys will enjoy this recipe as well! Celebrate your victories both off scale and on!

Dark chocolate peanut butter cookies Ingredients: 1 1/4cup no sugar peanut butter 2 large eggs 2/3cup unsweetened cocoa powder 1/3 cup powdered erythritol 10 drops of liquid Stevia 1/4tsp Salt 1/4tsp baking powder 1/2tsp flaxseed (optional) 1/2tsp chia seed (optional) Directions: Line cookie sheet with parchment paper and preheat oven to 350°F. Combined ingredients into mixing bowl and incorporate well. Very lightly grease hands with coconut oil as it makes the dough easier to handle without sticking to your hands, and form the cookie dough into a big ball. Begin making silver dollar sized balls of dough and placing them on the cookie sheet. Be sure and flatten the cookies to about ¼ of an inch thin as they will not spread out. Bake on 350° for 8 to 10 minutes. Depending on the size of cookies you make you could get 2 to 3 dozen.

[ketocraft]

FROM FAT BOMBS TO F BOMBS: The story of my first keto failure.

When you are doing keto on a budget, it’s really important to make sure that you’re always prepared for things because you can’t always run out and buy a #ketokrate or some sort of service such as those. So many times, those of us on a tight budget have to resort to making our own snacks. Of course, I realize that many people make their own ketogenic snack foods. For someone on a budget however, it’s very important that the snacks come out good, because many of us don’t have the resources to waste. This is pretty much my situation. So this week I’m going to be spending a few days out of town with my family who are not ketogenic. I decided that to keep myself composed I’d implement a back up system should I need something sweet, I decided to make my own fat bombs. This is only my second week of being ketogenic, but the recipe seemed easy to make and I have had pretty good success so far, so I couldn’t see any reason this couldn’t work… I should’ve looked a little harder.

I don’t really have any big mixing bowls, so I decided to mix everything in a sauce pan with the spout thinking it would be easier to pour everything into the molds. I started with a low heat while everything softened and everything started to blend together nicely. Then I started to add the cocoa powder and well, that’s where everything went haywire. I started noticing my mixture getting lumpy and unsettled. I took it off of the very low heat, and just started to mix and mix and mix by hand (by which I mean a spoon not a mixer). When I thought it had started to smooth, I begin the process of putting the recipe into my molds. As soon as I poured the first row I noticed to my horror that the ingredients were separated completely. Some cups had cream cheese some did not. Some were just butter somewhere just coconut oil. How in the blue hell did this happen! I realize that baking is not my forte, but seriously! What the ever loving shit! So now I have 7.2 molds filled with Ahhhhh hardening in my refrigerator because I just don’t know what to do with them now. The only thing I can think to do is to soften them and remix them, but I don’t see that turning out any better. Oy! Apparently the keto snack gods were not with me.

Everyone fails, I realize that we try things and sometimes we fail. That’s not what’s bothering me. I think I’m more hung up over wasting the resources such as a weeks worth of butter and possibly more of cream cheese. I know I will somehow find a way to use everything I destroyed, but it’s just the principle of the thing that’s got me annoyed.

[ketocraft]

ONE FULL WEEK

Good day keto kin!! Today is Sunday, March 5 and this marks one full week that I have been ketogenic. In this past week I have enjoyed my life for the most part more than I have in at least 2 1/2 years. I've had more energy, more fun in the kitchen, and have been more happy than I have been in a very long time. I recently found out that my total weight loss so far has been 13.8 pounds. I don't believe that all of this was from the diet, but I believe at least 10.8 pounds may have been. I find I have more motivation to do things, and most days I wake up fairly early. I think it's still new, so I still have to get used to this change. My macros have been pretty on point, though it's been hard getting my protein in check. I find that I must not be drinking enough water because all of the sudden my lips got really really chap, and my skin feels very dry. I wonder how much water one is supposed to consume while on a ketogenic diet? Perhaps maybe I'm not getting enough electrolytes? Also, yesterday was a bit strange because it was a very emotional day. I do not suffer from any sort of clinical depression or anything like that, but it was a very sad day. The only thing that I could fathom, was that I know a few people who are not having such a good time right now, and I was hurting for them. But it begin to bring me down I think. I knew it wasn't anything to do specifically with me, but it was a hard day nonetheless. I did however have a very nice evening as I attended astronomy night in the park, and my grandmother won a telescope! Everything pretty much stayed in good shape macros wise, I didn't crave anything I shouldn't be eating, so that was good I guess, right? So now I have quite a few questions, and I need to go searching for their answers. I am really enjoying documenting this journey, because not only does it keep me accountable, it's a video and written diary of my life from fat to thin. And just so you know, I mean fat as in not being clinically skinny. I am loving this Ketogenic lifestyle, and really enjoying this journey. So far I have had no cravings for things I shouldn't eat, because I have had ideas to stop them before they start. Creating the keto friendly chocolate mousse was amazing! That is such an easy go to dish! I had a craving for sweets kick up, and when it did, I beat it down with that chocolate mousse and was so satisfied! I am really loving this! Until next time keto kin...

[ketocraft]

FINALLY! FATHEAD!!

So I went to make a fathead pizza crust this afternoon for a movie night I was having with a friend this evening and I found out that my mozzarella cheese had gone moldy. So, with a little advice from my friend, I learned I could use another type of cheese besides mozzarella. So this is my modified fathead crust recipe: 3cups extra sharp cheddar 1 ½ cups almond flour 4tbs Cream cheese (Basically half the block) ½ kind of heaping tsp baking powder 2 eggs

Start by microwaving your cheeses together for about a minute or so until they are nicely melted. Then mix them well together. Add your eggs. Incorporate all these ingredients well. Then add them into your Allman flour and mix mix mix. Finally add your baking powder and you are ready to go. Make sure everything is really mixed well. It should have the consistency of pizza dough just a little bit less firm. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper slightly wet your hands and begin to flatten out your dough. Poke holes in the dough so that it can rise. You’re going to bake this at 425° for about eight minutes your first run. After eight minutes, take it out and add your toppings. You can use any toppings you want, but I used bacon, Gouda cheese, and pepperoni with some low-carb marinara sauce. Pop it back in the oven for about five minutes, (you just basically want the cheese to melt) but careful you don’t want the crust to burn. Then just take it out and enjoy! I think this tasted great! Let me know what you think.

[ketocraft]

WHAT WAS, WHAT IS, & WHAT WILL BE

Six weeks ago I barely even wanted to get out of bed, and working out? You couldn't stop me from laughing if you proposed the notion. I felt like I was sleepwalking through time in through my life. I've been out of work for two years, and even though I really tried, and even though there were flashes or sparks of hope that the situation could change, I had pretty much given up on myself and my life. I was happy in my complacency, because choosing it just seemed a better idea than fighting it and being sad every time something else went wrong. As a matter of fact, I chose a lot of the crap that I allowed myself to succumb to because it was just easier than being angry, depressed, or sad that things were the way that they were. At my feet were a lot of failed goals, and never happened opportunities. On each shoulder was the weight of rent, bills, and daily adult crap. I wanted none of that! I figured as long as the roof was over my head and bills were paid, everything else could go to hell. I would like to tell you that being ketogenic changed all of that, that everything is roses and smiles now, but unfortunately I can't. What I can tell you is that being ketogenic has changed something very important and this something will hopefully be the catalyst through which everything else is transformed. Being ketogenic has changed ME, and slowly but surely is turning me into a fighter once more. My situation is still what it is, my goal situation is still again what it is, but the thing that is changing is my will, drive, and determination to see these goals come to fruition. As more and more time goes by on this diet, I see these undeniable changes within myself. Workingout was something you couldn't force me to do six weeks ago. Would. Not. Do. It. Now I find myself waking up in the morning and tackling my daily tasks, and doing afternoon workouts, all before even thinking about a first meal. I used to think I couldn't function if I didn't eat, now I know I can do more than function, I can kick some serious ass. My routine literally used to be wake up, sit down, eat whatever junk I had in my kitchen, wait until bedtime. Now I feel like I do so much more with my day it's unbelievable. I still don't have a job, and it sucks. To be perfectly honest with you it absolutely fucking sucks. However, because this diet has just given me so much positivity and determination through the progress I see that I am making, I know that when the time is right I will change my situation. I feel like as my scale decreases, my energy increases. With that energy comes more drive, more will, and more determination to claim the life I want. Honestly, if I could, I would write an open letter to the business owners of Portland Oregon explaining my situation and asking for interviews because this is where I want to make my life. Maybe one day I will go into why this is so important to me, but for now what I will say is that being able to make my life in my chosen state and city would mean more to me than anybody could know. I have been on countless interviews and though everyone says it was a good interview and I do very good interviews, I can't get hired and I don't understand why. Perhaps it's because I'm still interviewing for jobs in California and here is not where I want to live. Anyway, I am just working on me and the more I work on me the more I care to work on my life. The more I work on my life the bigger the changes I know I can make. For this, I am grateful to this ketogenic diet. I know to some people out there who have tried the diet and it hasn't worked for them, or are thinking about trying the diet, it may seem like i'm one of those cult followers who drank the Kool-Aid, but I seriously do believe that this diet works if you work it and don't half ass it. Last week, the cravings for sweets and my old junk food habits were real. And I mean if I had any less willpower than I did, I would have bought a bag of chips and chowed down. Last week and the week before, it was just very difficult to keep my mind from wandering to my favorite junk food crap. I honestly believe it was my cravings trying one more time to win. After fighting them off, I realize this week I don't even have any cravings when I think about or see the old brands I used to purchase. So it seems the tests are getting easier and easier to pass. Part of breaking a habit is not only choosing not to perform the action, but finally allowing your mind to change toward old habits. That is even harder than not performing the action sometimes. However, I feel craving free, and I usually don't even have to do first meal until about between 4 and 6 o'clock. To be perfectly fair, I think a true test of how far I have come will be to visit my parents again and see what the experience is this time. Even though I said no to pretty much everything that was thrown in front of me, it was hard and miserable. This time, I would like to see how well I do now that I'm farther along in my journey and a little more resistant to cravings. So a visit may be in order and I will have to let you guys know how it turns out. Until then, I am just going to stick to my KetoDiet and build that willpower. Hope you are all having a wonderful day or relaxing evening, and thank you to any new followers! That's all for now, I think I will start preparing for tonight's omelette. Love to all!

[ketocraft]

NATURAL PROGRESSION

So I'm in my third week of keto now, and I'm just reflecting on this diet/lifestyle change and how things have progressed. I find that ever since I started really listening to my body, I've started to allow things to naturally happen. It's funny because I'm both not noticing the changes and noticing the changes at the same time. What I mean is, something will happen and I will notice that it's happening, but I won't really get the impact that it has happened until it has already happened. I'm sure that confused the hell out of most of you, so if you're still reading, I will clarify. So the first thing that I did was get the different types of distinctions as I spoke about in "OF WANTINGS, CRAVINGS, WILL, & DESIRE". All of these little distinctions that you never really noticed because you're so busy cramming things into your mouth and not paying attention at all to what you're eating. So the first thing that I did was notice whether or not I was mouth hungry or tummy hungry or any other kinds of hungry a person could be. Yes, I have decided there are multiple types of hungry. So once I started playing with that notion, I started seeing how far I can push myself before eating. First it was a couple of hours longer in between meal times, then I started using bulletproof coffee to push it back even more, and now I can go a whole day eating one meal, and one bullet proof coffee, or only one meal at all that day. Then today I noticed that the last thing I ate was at 9 PM last night and it is 9:20 PM and I still have not eaten nor am I very hungry. So now I guess I'm naturally 24 hour fasting. It has taken a lot of slowing down, and really listening to my body. I think listening to your body for some people like me, took a little bit of practice and a little bit of patience, but it happened pretty rapidly and now apparently I am capable of a 24 hour fast. Which to me, is crazy! Not so much that I've never fasted before, but that I don't even notice that I'm doing it and I'm not hungry I still feel satisfied from the meal the night before. This, is new. The next thing where I have naturally progressed onto in this ketogenic lifestyle is workingout. While doing a workout is nothing new to me, I haven't done anything in regard to exercise in about two years. I would test myself every once in a while with a long walk or something, but I haven't really tried to see if I'm in shape or anything like that. On Tuesday, I went to run some errands, and when I came home I found I had a lot of energy still. Probably the bulletproof coffee to be honest, but nonetheless I had the energy. Next thing you know I'm outside in my front yard music blasting in my headphones and spinning poi dancing around in my field like nobody's business which is something I haven't done in years. Today, which is Wednesday, I worked out again! I wasn't going to but I just found myself in my living room with my mini Hula hoop having fun and apparently getting some exercise in. I've never developed a workout regiment, nor do I plan on starting a workout regiment per se, but if naturally my body decides to go there then there I will be. So all of these newfangled changes have me thinking about the way that I have naturally progressed on this diet. It seems like I'm just letting things happen and they all seem to be positive things. Working out yesterday finally made the scale move and it hadn't moved for about a week. So I guess this diet really works well with my body, and I'm really happy about that. I haven't been recording much on YouTube lately because I've been too busy not eating! I need to get back to making videos though, those awesome 17 people might wonder what happened to me. :-) The best thing I can tell people who are just coming to this diet is to slow down. Slow down and listen to your body, because when you start to do that you'll find out how little you actually need. I know that for some people it's really hard to feel any kind of growling in their stomach, but if you just have some patience with yourself you'll see that your body is capable of some amazing things! Now let me be clear about something, I am not by any means starving myself. Just look at my Instagram (shameless plug: Keto Craft (or you can search) CultOfSpin) same thing). What I am doing is testing my stomach. So let me explain that a little bit, I don't want to get to in-depth I'll probably write a blog on this at some point, but in short what I'm doing is the equivalent to asking a child if they really don't have to go to the bathroom before you leave the house. So initially I hear a slight growl in my stomach and I wait about five minutes and if it gets worse I eat and if it goes away I don't. I'm in an experimental phase with this diet right now, but it's not a dangerous one by any means. I'm not a crash dieting type. My body is affording me the ability to really get to know it so I am taking that time. Kind of like getting to know yourself all over again not from a mental standpoint but from a physical one. Like, this is what hungry feels like, this is what digesting feels like, this is what happens when XY&Z happens. You clear out all the crap so the new things can begin. I hope that makes sense anyway. Well my phone is about to die, so that is it for now. TTYL!

[ketocraft]

SPOT ON MACROS!

[ketocraft]

Simple Keto Chocolate Mousse

Sorry guys, I’ve promised this to you days ago, but here it is. Here is the video where I actually make the chocolate mousse. The instructions are wildly simple! 1 Cup of heavy whipping cream 1Tbs natural unsweetened Hershey’s cocoa 5-8 drops of Stevia, vanilla cremee

I did this in a magic bullet in roughly 8 seconds. You however can use anything that has a flat blade. Or a vita mix. Start with heavy cream and then add the remaining ingredients. Whip until cream is nice and thick. Once your moose is created, spoon in to serving bowls, and place in the refrigerator for an hour to chill. This is great to prepare before dinner for an after dinner dessert! You can play with the sizes as you see fit. That’s why I love this recipe because it is so versatile! Want to make more moose? Add more cream. Want to make it a less dark chocolate taste? At approximately a half a tablespoon of the Coco. I love this recipe, and I hope you guys will too. Enjoy!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6yS0_fDj4C0&feature=share

[ketocraft]

At the end of my video I show you the macros for this recipe, but I don’t think that MFP does the macros properly in regards to the chicken. Everything else is correct though, the serving size is 4 ounces and so three breasts of chicken would make roughly about six servings. I hope you guys enjoy this recipe if you try it out, please let me know in the comments. Keto fried chicken Crust ingredients: 1 ½ ounce pork rinds 1cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese 1tsp turmeric 1tbs Red chili pepper Salt and pepper to taste

Marinade ingredients: 1tbs Heavy cream 1 egg 11/2tbs cream cheese 1tbs lemon juice 1tbs butter 1tsp turmeric Salt, pepper to taste 1/2cups Parmesan cheese

Marinade directions: In a large mixing bowl, mix one egg, cream, cream cheese, lemon juice, and butter until fully incorporated.

Crust directions: Finely crush 1 ½ ounces pork rinds until roughly the consistency of flour. Place in medium size mixing bowl and add remaining ingredients. Stir until fully incorporated.

Cooking Directions: Approximately a half an hour before cooking, remove chicken from refrigerator and place in marinade. Allowed chicken to rest until it acclimates to room temperature. Preheat skillet on medium heat with bacon fat. When skillet begins to sizzle, remove from marinade, roll in the crest, and apply to iron skillet. Cook on medium heat for 10 minutes, and then on the other side for 13 minutes and enjoy! Note: If you are cooking on a electric stove: Cook on side one for 5 minutes at medium then reduce heat to medium low. After 10 minutes is over, flip chicken and cook for the remaining 13 minutes on medium.

[ketocraft]

Before I started to go keto I asked a lot of people where were some good places to get deals because I knew I would be doing this on a budget and I needed to get the best for my money. Many people recommended Aldie, so after much anticipation I finally have gone on my first ALDI trip and here is my keto grocery haul. There is also a nifty little keto cartoon in the beginning.😊

[ketocraft]

Of Ketones & Headphones

Today is high energy day number two for me. I’m three days into keto and I am starting to feel that energy. Went to bed on time last night and even though I woke up like five times (afraid I’d miss my alarm) I am still awake and not groggy. Made a BPC out of yesterday’s"F. Bombs" and it was great!! Shocking!! Though music is usually my fuel, I feel like fat is starting to be, but music is definitely the chaser. I love Trance on the train. I believe that is the story of my life in summation. 😊 Hope you are all having (or had) a wonderful day!

[ketocraft]

This is my first week being keto, and so far so good. Round about Tuesday, I started getting some crazy amounts of energy. I decided to document my days and show you guys more of the items I thought were essential for going ketogenic.

[ketocraft]

MY FIRST BONE BROTH RECIPE

So I finally decided to do all of the baking that I have been wanting to do for quite some time now. So yesterday I got into my kitchen and I made some keto bread, keto breakfast bars, and a ridiculously amazing protein style cheeseburger with a Low Carb thousand Island dressing. It was to die for! There are many different recipes that I need to post here now, so they will be soon to follow. The one I’m concentrating on today is my first bone broth. I know that many people use vegetables, seasonings, and spices in their bone broth, but I opted to go with herbs because herbs are great medicine for the body. So I will tell you the herbs that are used in the way in which they help heal the body in this blog post. For those of you who have never made a bone broth, the basic recipe is simple go to your budget and grab approximately six beef marrow bones. Your butcher will usually have them already prepackaged. Where I live they run roughly about eight dollars a pack and you really only need one pack per broth recipe. In my broth however I also opted to use the carcass from a rotisserie chicken from Costco. This particular carcass was dry Normas so I knew it would have a ton of good marrow on it for my broth. Another factor to the common recipe is apple cider vinegar approximately 2 tablespoons. This is the formula pretty much everyone uses what you do after that point is up to you. Well really, it’s all up to you, but these are just the basics. Some people use filtered water, in this instance are used well water. Personally I don’t believe the type of water you use has any bearing because you’re cooking this along eventually the water will purify. Now what are you going to do is list for you the herbs that are used and their health benefits. Because there are so many wonderful benefits of herbs, in this post I’m only going to cover the health benefits of eating these herbs. If you want to know more about using these herbs in other facets, please let me know and I will post more on herbs here.

Thyme: Thyme is a culinary staple in many countries around the world including Italy, France, and throughout the Mediterranean. There are many great health benefits to this herb, and here are just a few: Thyme can help lower blood pressure, boost you immunity, lift your mood, aid in aromatherapy, and helps keep your heart healthy.

Cilantro or coriander: According to nutrition-and-you.com, Cilantro is one of the traditional Mediterranean herbs which commonly recognized as leaf-coriander in Asia. It is widely employed in savory dishes in almost all parts of the world. It carries many important plant-derived chemical compounds that are known to have disease preventing and health promoting properties. Plant coriander is quite similar to dillregarding utility where both its leaves as well as seeds can be used in cuisine. However, its deep-green leaves possess good amounts of antioxidants, essential oils, vitamins, and dietary fiber, which may help reduce LDL or “bad cholesterol” levels in the blood. The herb is a good source of minerals like potassium, calcium, manganese, iron, and magnesium. Potassium is an important component of cell and body fluids that help regulate heart rate and blood pressure. Iron is essential for red blood cell production. The human body uses manganese as a co-factor for the antioxidant enzyme, superoxide dismutase. It is also rich in many vital vitamins, including folic acid, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin-A, beta carotene, vitamin-C, which are essential for optimum health. Vitamin-C is a powerful natural antioxidant. 100 g of cilantro leaves provide 30% of daily recommended levels of vitamin-C. It provides 6,748 IU of vitamin-A per 100 g, about 225% of recommended daily intake. Vitamin-A, an important fat-soluble vitamin, and antioxidant, is also required for maintaining healthy mucosa and skin and is also essential for vision. Consumption of natural foods rich in vitamin-A and flavonoids (carotenes) may help protect from lung and oral cavity cancers. This humble backyard herb provides (% of RDA/100g): * 15% of folates, * 11% of vitamin B-6 (pyridoxine), * 45% of vitamin C, * 225% of vitamin A, * 258% of vitamin K, * 22% of iron and * 18% of manganese. (Note: RDA-Recommended daily allowance).

The herb parts (leaves, root, and stem) of the cilantro (coriander) plant have been found to have antiseptic and carminative properties.

Turmeric: This is one of my favorite herbs to use not only for myself but for my dog as well. Since it is an anti-inflammatory herbs, it helps with her cough and my asthma. Turmeric is a natural liver detoxifier. Due to its natural anti-inflammatory properties, Tumerick is also great for anyone with rheumatoid arthritis. Turmeric is a natural painkiller and Cox-2 inhibitor, turmeric is also a natural antioxidant.

Cumin: The health benefits of cumin include its ability to aid in digestion, improve immunity and treat piles, insomnia, respiratory disorders, asthma, bronchitis, common cold, lactation, anemia, skin disorders, boils and cancer. Digestion: Cumin is extremely good for digestion and related problems. The very aroma of cumin, which comes from an aromatic organic compound called Cuminaldehyde, the main component of its essential oil, activates our salivary glands in our mouth, which facilitates the primary digestion of food. Next is thymol, a compound present in cumin, which stimulates the glands that secrete acids, bile and enzymes responsible for complete digestion of the food in the stomach and the intestines. Cumin is also Carminative, which means that it relieves from you from gastroubles and thereby improves digestion and appetite. Due to its essential oils, magnesium and sodium content, cumin promotes digestion and also gives relief for stomach-aches when taken with hot water. Piles: The main cause behind piles (hemorrhoids) is constipation added with infections in the wound in the anal tract, which are also caused by constipation. Cumin, because of its dietary fiber content and carminative, stimulating, antifungal and antimicrobial properties, acts as a natural laxative in powdered form. These characteristics are due to the presence of essential oils comprised mainly of Cuminaldehyde and certain pyrazines. Adding cumin to your diet also helps in healing up of infections or wounds in the digestive and excretory system and speeds up digestion as well. That pretty much means that it clears up all of the symptoms and causes of hemorrhoids, so keep that it mind when you start itching! Diabetes: Although research is still ongoing, early studies report that cumin, among a number of other spices, can have a powerful effect in preventing diabetes by reducing the chances of hypoglycemia. The animals that were tested showed a sharp decline in hypoglycemia when fed cumin seeds in their diet, and they also showed a decrease in glucosuria, which is a condition where the urine contains too much glucose, also resulting in hypoglycemia and diabetes. Human testing is ongoing, but early reports show that cumin can be a very powerful tool in the battle against diabetes! Insomnia: This is a very peculiar property of cumin. It is a stimulant as well as a relaxant at the same time. This property cannot be attributed to a single component alone, just as causes of insomnia cannot be attributed to a single cause. However, studies show that the proper intake of vitamins(particularly B-complex) and good digestion help to induce a sound sleep. It helps in both of these factors. Some of the components of cumin essential oil are hypnotic in nature and have tranquilizing effects, which also help to relieve stress and anxiety that commonly causes insomnia. Respiratory Disorders, Asthma, Bronchitis: The presence of caffeine (the stimulating agent), and the richly aromatic essential oils (the disinfectants) make cumin an ideal anticongestive combination for those suffering from respiratory disorders such as asthma and bronchitis. It acts as an expectorant, meaning that it loosens up the accumulated phlegm and mucus in the respiratory tracts and makes it easier to eliminate them from the system via sneezing or coughing up and spitting. By eliminating as much of the mucus and phlegm as possible, it can inhibit the formation of additional material and help to heal the initial condition that led to its formation in the first place. Common Cold: The common cold is a viral infection which affects our body frequently when our immune system becomes weakened or vulnerable. Again, the essential oils present in cumin act as disinfectants and help fight viral infections which can cause the common cold. Cumin also suppresses the development of coughing in the respiratory system since it dries up the excess mucus. Cumin is rich in iron and has considerable amount of vitamin-C, which are essential for a healthy immune system and keeps infections from forming or becoming worse. Vitamin-C is also a natural antioxidant, so it defends against other infections and toxins as well, further boosting the immune system. Lactation: Cumin is rich in iron and thus very good for lactating mothers as well as for women who are undergoing menses or who are pregnant, since they are more in need of iron than others. Moreover, cumin is said to help ease and increase secretion of milk in lactating women due to the presence of thymol, which tends to increase secretions from our glands, including milk, which is a secretion from the mammary glands. Also, cumin is more beneficial if taken with honey. Cumin has remarkable amount of calcium (more than 900 mg per 100 grams) which accounts for over 90% of our daily requirement of calcium. This calcium is an important constituent of milk and hence cumin is very good for lactating mothers. Anemia: As stated above, cumin is very richin iron (more than 66 mg. in every 100 grams) which is more than 5 times the daily requirement of iron for an adult. This iron is the main constituent of hemoglobin in the red blood corpuscles of blood. It is hemoglobin which transfers oxygen (as the oxide of iron) to the body’s cells and whose deficiency causes anemia. So, cumin can be a nutritious additive to daily diet for anemic people and avoid the symptoms of anemia like fatigue, anxiety, cognitive malfunction, and digestive issues. Concentration and Cognitive Malfunction: The amount of iron in cumin leads to increased hemoglobin production and subsequent prevention of anemia, but that increased blood flow has other benefits as well. When your blood circulation is in top form, adequate amounts of oxygen are able to reach the organs and the brain, leading to optimal performance of those bodily systems. Proper amounts of oxygen and iron in the brain lead to increased cognitive performance and a decrease in cognitive disorders like Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. For other organs, increased oxygenation increases efficiency and speeds up the metabolism, which can boost your overall health, increase strength, and prevent signs of aging. Boils: Boils are outlets for the removal of toxic substances and foreign matters such as microbes from the body. This means that they are symptoms which show that a high amount of toxic substances have accumulated in the body. In this way, cumin can help you a great deal. Those who regularly use cumin in food have a significant reduction in the occurrence of boils, rashes, pimples, and other signs of excess toxin content. Components such as cuminaldehyde, thymol, and phosphorusare good detoxifying agents which help in the regular removal of toxins from the body. The healthy way of removing toxins is through the excretory system, not through boils. Immunity: As discussed above, an abundance of iron, the presence of essential oils, vitamin-C, and vitamin-A in cumin boosts our immune system in a number of ways. Vitamin C is one of the most powerful antioxidants that we have in our body, and it also stimulates the function and activity of white blood cells. As an antioxidant, vitamin C fights the detrimental effects of free radicals, which are the dangerous byproducts of cellular metabolism. They are constantly being created in the body, and therefore, must be constantly eliminated. Antioxidants neutralize free radicals that lead to many diseases, including, but not limited to, cardiovascular diseases and cancer. Credit: https://www.organicfacts.net/health-benefits/seed-and-nut/health-benefits-of-cumin.html

Goldenseal: American Indians used goldenseal as a medication for inflammatory internal conditions such as respiratory, digestive and genito-urinary tract inflammation induced by allergy or infection. The Cherokee used the roots as a wash for local inflammations, a decoction for general debility, dyspepsia, and to improve appetite. The Iroquois used a decoction of the root for whooping cough, diarrhea, liver disease, fever, sour stomach, flatulence, pneumonia, and with whiskey for heart trouble. They also prepared a compound infusion with other roots for use as drops in the treatment of earache and as a wash for sore eyes. It was popularly used as a bitter stomach digestive (to help stimulate digestion and improve appetite), to treat skin inflammations, and those of the eyes such as conjunctivitis. It was also used for inflammation of the mucous membranes of the throat and digestive system. It?s traditional uses also include the treatment of peptic ulcers, gastritis, dyspepsia and colitis. It is said to stimulate appetite and generally have a toning effect on the whole body has also been used for anorexia nervosa. It is also said to be effective for treatment of catarrhal conditions of the upper respiratory tract and inflammations of the urinary tract. Goldenseal has numerous uses that are attributed to its antibiotic, anti-inflammatory and astringent properties. It soothes irritated mucus membranes aiding the eyes, ears, nose and throat. Taken at the first signs of respiratory problems, colds or flu, Goldenseal helps can help to prevent further symptoms from developing. It has also been used to help reduce fevers, and relieve congestion and excess mucous. Goldenseal cleanses and promotes healthy glandular functions by increasing bile flow and digestive enzymes, therefore regulating healthy liver and spleen functions. It can relieve constipation and may also be used to treat infections of the bladder and intestines as well. Goldenseal contains calcium, iron, manganese, vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin E, B-complex, and other nutrients and minerals. The roots and rhizomes of goldenseal contain many isoquinoline alkaloids, including hydrastine, berberine, canadine, canadaline, and l-hydrastine as well as traces of essential oil, fatty oil and resin. It is believed that the high content of these alkaloids gives its antibiotic, anti-infective and immune stimulating qualities. It is Alterative, anti-biotic, anti-catarrhal, anti-infective, anti-inflammatory, anti-malarial, anti-pyretic, anti-septic, astringent, bitter, hemostatic, immune-stimulating, laxative (mild), muscular stimulant, oxytocic, strong digestive stimulant, tonic to the digestive tract. Credit: Herbwisdom.com

Possible Side Effects of Goldenseal Goldenseal is considered safe for short-term use in adults at recommended dosages. Rare side effects may include nausea and/or vomiting. Discontinue use of goldenseal if any negative reactions like these occur. Goldenseal is not meant for long-term use. If you are currently taking any prescription or over-the-counter medications or have any health issues, check with your doctor before taking goldenseal. People with high blood pressure, liver disease, or heart disease should consult their healthcare provider before taking goldenseal. Goldenseal is not suggested for use in children or infants. Pregnant or breastfeeding women should also avoid using goldenseal.

OK, so I think I have covered everything. If I forgot something, I will come back and at it. So as you can see, this bone broth will be chock full of vitamins, minerals, and health benefits for anyone who uses it. So, let’s get to the recipe: Ingredients: 6- beef marrow bones 1- rotisserie chicken carcass 2tbs- apple cider vinegar 1tbs- Thyme 1tbs- cilantro 1tbs- Red chili flakes 1tbs- Turmeric 1tbs- Cumin Goldenseal (optional, use what is right for you). 1-21tbs- Sea/Himalayan salt

Directions: Start by roasting your beef bones in the oven at 350°F for 15 to 20 minutes. Place bones into crockpot and cover with water. Make sure the water covers all of the bones. Place crockpot on low and begin adding your ingredients. Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours, strain bones from the broth, pour broth in mason jar. Depending on the remaining narrow in your bones, you may be able to do a second batch. Enjoy! and happy healthy eating!





 
 


[ketocraft]

OF WANTINGS, CRAVINGS, WILL, AND DESIRE

Warning: If you are triggered by reading about non-ketogenic foods, please do not read this post as I do describe some non-keto foods.

On Wednesday, March 8, I made my way to my parents’ house where I would be staying for two nights and going home on Friday the 10th… Today March 11th. Unfortunately, that is not how things worked out. I don’t say unfortunately because I don’t like being here or anything, I only say unfortunately because it really has been an unfortunate experience. My first week being ketogenic went swimmingly. No cravings no wantings nothing. I didn’t really eat much, and didn’t have anything pulling me to “cheat” at all. I felt I was doing great! Along with this greatness apparently came the hubris that I could not be tempted and I would be just fine at my parents house. All I can say is that I should have known better and I should’ve planned better for this experience. When I set off, in my Keto arsenal I had the following: F bombs, protein powder, um… yeah that’s it. I didn’t think that I would need anything else but bulletproof coffee and protein shakes to get me through my day. I was going to bring some pork rinds but thought better of it because I didn’t want them to get smashed on the way there and I figured I wasn’t really hungry most days. I love my family, but I absolutely have hated this experience.

Day 1: I arrived on Wednesday and that was a pretty easy day. I had my protein shake, my dad made me chorizo spam, I explained to him a little bit about my ketogenic diet, and for dinner he made chicken with deliciously seasoned skin. So when I got to the house and I put my protein shake in the freezer to cool, I immediately saw the Baskin-Robbins ice cream cake that they had purchased for him for his birthday. “We saved you a slice from my birthday party.” Great. Just flipping great. These are my favorite types of cake. That’s OK, I had already prepared for this, I put my shake in the freezer and didn’t even give the damn thing a second look. I had already decided that I was not going to break my budding ketosis over ice cream cake. I politely thanked my dad and never thought of it again. So I scraped by day One with my ketogenic diet firmly intact. Even though I knew there were old temptations there (The fruit I always ate, Hawaiian sweet rolls, ice cream, chips, soda, etc.) I was doing fine and I felt like just maybe I had prepared myself mentally enough to go into this war zone. I was greatly mistaken.

Day2: Every other morning that I have been at my parents house at some point in the early morning my mom will tell me that there’s coffee. Usually 15 to 20 minutes later I’ll stumble into the kitchen get my favorite coffee mug… “My” (as in I bought it for their house) coffee mug… pour myself a cup and go about my day. This morning was not the case. This was the beginning of every goddamn thing that could go wrong, did. I got up fairly early when people were still getting ready for school and work and walked into the kitchen. My dad said there was coffee but then kind of shook the coffee pot like well, there’s not much coffee sorry. So there went my first meal. I was already kind of feeling beaten down by all the things I had turned away from, so having a bulletproof coffee really would have helped that morning. As the house begin to clear I begin the first bout of the hangrys. I was acting like a child inside. Whining about all the stuff I couldn’t have, angry that there was no coffee left for me, angry that my mother threw out my coffee mug for no reason! I just had had it, but I couldn’t be angry at my family because it’s not their fault or their problem. Usually making another pot of coffee is no big deal, but I could not for the life of me figure out how to use their coffee maker. So after even more kicking screaming and tantruming in my head, I finally asked my dad just to make me some coffee. After a bulletproof coffee I was back on my game again. I hid out in my parents room most of the day watching movies while my dad and his friends hung out in the livingroom. That night, I heard my dad say something to somebody about making lasagna and I flipped out. I thought fast and called my mom and told her that Dad was going to make lasagna but I can’t eat lasagna. I told her not to tell my dad, because I didn’t want to hurt his feelings. I had explained keto to my dad already, but I don’t think he quite understood. My mom called my dad and told my dad that instead of making dinner we would go out to dinner. Music to my ears let me tell you! Went to a local place called Johnny’s Shrimpboat. It’s been a restaurant we have gone to for years, and I always get the same thing… A hamburger. This time however, I would keep it Quito and get it with out the bun wrapped in lettuce which I only ate some of. The burger was delicious and I had been wanting a burger for a while, so this was good. I thought I was going to go home at some point on Friday because either my mom would take the day off to take me to the station or home, or I would just Uber to the station and take the train home. I however found out that that was not to be the case because my train had been discontinued (this is a common Metrolink practice and I wish they would stop).

Day 3 Day three just seem like one folly after another. So let’s be perfectly honest here, so I have been dodging temptations left right and center and I live in California and occasionally, especially around my boys, get high. So I’ve been dodging all of this crap completely stoned sometimes and rather than eating I’ll just go to sleep because really there’s nothing else to do there. So most of the day I spent hanging out on my parents couch with my family (those who indulge in such activities) hanging out watching movies kicking back. Unfortunately, this was to be the day that I would be the most tested. Early in the morning I made my bulletproof coffee getting through my first meal. Well I was sitting on the couch, my dad came into the living room and asked me something about how to make cornbread. In the old days, I used to make it for him a lot for special occasions. It’s one of his favorite things to eat. This time, I think it was his first time making it. I didn’t make it, but I advised him where he needed advising, and went back to my happy little stoner land. Then, I found out that there would be lasagna for dinner. The expletives that ran through my head had to be made up because there weren’t enough to say all of the ones I thought. So here I am completely mellowed and sitting on the couch and my dad comes up to me with a napkin and what I knew was piping hot cornbread off of the oven pan. Without even hesitating I looked up at my dad and politely said “no thank you I’m good” kind of proud of myself, and kind a wondering how the hell I had just done that. We all set around and I worked on some of my sudoku for a while and then dinner time came around. For the past couple days I really haven’t had much to eat except for the occasional piece of turkey bologna which had no carbs. Mind you, I really hate bologna, but it was acceptable to my diet so I went with it. So even though I’m hungry most of the time, it wasn’t enough to throw me into a spiral… Until dinner. So there was a big pan of lasagna on top of the stove along with the cornbread and I think my dad had even made garlic bread to go with dinner. I thought it would be fine as long as I stay out of the kitchen so I relegated myself to the dining room because my parents were eating in the livingroom. By this point I was cranky, hungry, and really not handling things well. I was sick of being tested, sick of being tempted, sick of not being able to cook for myself and give myself a proper meal plan. I took full responsibility for my lack of preparedness and swore not to let it happen again (just for context, I started writing this at their house and I’m just finishing it now). I was hungry and I had to do something so I went into the kitchen, cut up a lemon, and decided I would eat that. Got three pieces into my lemon and then I decided to log it on MFP. I didn’t expect that a lemon would be any carbs, because the lemon juice that I use is zero carbs. Somehow however, a lemon is five carbs and that just really took a baseball bat to what was left of my resolve. I told myself if I went into the kitchen as long as I didn’t look at the stove I was fine just fine. At this point my hangry must’ve been showing like a battle flag because my mom pointed it out to me that I apparently had a problem. So as to not argue with my family and try to enjoy the last remaining hours there, I decided I would take a shower and go to bed. So I took a shower, and came out pretty relaxed, but still hungry. I had already had my protein shake for the day and couldn’t afford another. I went to throw my towels in the laundry room and I looked at the goddamn stove. I felt like I had turned to stone as I said fuck it and grabbed the piece of cornbread that have been offered to me earlier. It was a 2 inch piece of cornbread which I logged into MFP and it said 18 carbs, but I don’t know if that takes into account the fact that it was made with sucralose. I ate it, somehow felt vindicated, and went to sleep. I think I had had it and I was done. I woke up the next morning to my mom tapping me on the shoulder and telling me they were taking me home. I guess my hangry episode the night before gave them the hint that I needed to be out of there because when I open my eyes and looked around, they were both already showered and dressed and ready to go. I love my parents, I love going to their house. Being around my family gives me a sense of balance especially when I feel off kilter. I don’t think I’ve ever had such a horrible experience there, and I know that it was due to me being ill prepared. I don’t cook at my parents house because frankly I don’t feel comfortable. I didn’t really spend much time in that home and it doesn’t feel like home to me. I kind of feel like an out of town guest when I’m there and it’s not anything they’ve ever said to me, but more the fact that I’ve never felt that place was home. I take full responsibility for the hell that I had to go through there, and I know that next time I will be better prepared. I’m still a keto rookie, and I’m still going to make mistakes. I refuse to give myself hell for that piece of cornbread because it’s over and done with and it’s not like I make a lifetime habit out of cheating. I think the fact that I made it through as long as I did with as many old habits as there were laying at my feet is still something I am proud of. It has long been my motto that failing to prepare is preparing to fail and I should have heated that warning a little more closely. Since this incident, I have not had any extra cravings or anything, I just kept on with business as usual. Now, in the middle of my third week of keto, I still don’t have cravings for the things I used to eat, but I know now that when they are around me in droves I need to have something to combat them. I’m fortunate enough that I live in a home where I buy my groceries and so if I don’t wanted in my mouth it’s not in my house. I can’t control the food in other peoples homes, so I need to control myself in other people’s houses. It was a learning experience and I’m glad for it, I know more about myself now, and I know more about my will to stay on this diet. This experience was also full of distinctions: wantings versus cravings, between will versus desire, between mouth hungry and stomach hungry. There were so many lessons and distinctions rolled into this experience I really just needed some time to sort them all through. This is my first mistake, but it won’t be my last. I will write about another (totally keto friendly) mistake I made later. I hope this blog post can be a help to somebody somehow, because then maybe it’ll make this experience worthwhile. Thank you to everybody who has followed me thus far and thank you to everybody who is taking the time to read my blog posts. I really appreciate everyone of you!