Today seems like an appropriate day to begin talking about what I’ve been putting INTO my body rather than doing with my body along this journey. As of this week, I’ve officially made it back into ketosis after backsliding a little bit due to travel, cheating and general laziness when it comes to meal prep.
My ketone levels are ranging between roughly 15-40 mg on the dip stick this week. Ever since the hair loss issue began in June, I’ve been eating a few more carbs as well as taking a hefty amount of supplements. This has also helped me improve my energy levels during and post workouts. I’m still playing with different pre- and post-workout mixes. I was SPENT after my workout with Eric Monday morning, but by Wednesday and Friday mornings I believe my body re-adjusted because I’ve been supplementing with instant ketones before I train. I’m going to fine tune this a bit more as I increase my training program next month. So, I’ll go into more detail in an upcoming post.
The hair loss has begun to normalize and after a trip to my hair stylist, I’m feeling more assured and beginning to see some regrowth. My friend, Jamie Shupp, of Daily Bag of Goodness was very helpful through this process. She’s an engineer by career and loves research and data tracking. So, she’s my go-to if/when I run into questions or concerns as I continue exploring this low carb lifestyle. If you’re not already following her blog or Instagram page, I highly recommend you do. She’s been living the keto lifestyle for nearly a year and has been doing it dairy-free! Not me, I’m a cheese and heavy whipping cream fanatic, but know I need to be supplementing with other high-fat alternatives so her blog is perfect place to find them.
90-second keto bread with avocado
Lately, a typical day of food and snacks looks something like this:
- 7am, coffee with heavy whipping cream and collagen powder
- 8:30am, preworkout powder/water prep for my 9am workouts
- 10:30am, post workout snack that may include almonds/walnuts, a protein snack bar, a smoothie or post workout shake
- Lunch time varies but will include things like a chef salad, turkey and cheese wrap or sandwich made with 90-second keto bread mentioned in a previous post, meat and cheese slices or hard boiled eggs. I’ll also mix canned tuna with mayo, cherry tomatoes, red onions, hard boiled egg and a little mustard for flavor. That is good with pork rinds for scooping. I’ll also use leftovers from dinner the night before when available.
- Dinner is hit or miss for me because I generally work until 7pm. So, my dinner often looks like my lunches or things like a beef patty with roasted brussel sprouts/mushroom/onion and cauliflower mash. I also really enjoy making chicken and cheese quesadillas out of low carb tortillas. The most simple plan I fall back on is a quality protein and low-sugar veggie, usually anything but a root veggie.
- Snacks are usually nuts, hard boiled eggs, protein bar or shake, cheese or Lilly’s stevia-sweetened chocolates. Sometimes I’ll eat Halo Top ice cream when I get a craving for frozen desert.
Farmers Gastropub. Keto-friendly eggs, bacon, zoodles and mushrooms. Bottomless Bloody Mary.
When I go out to eat, I can generally find something that works on any menu. I gravitate toward the salads. Lately, since I’ve not been as strict, I allow a little bit of breading on things like mushrooms, zucchini and avocados from Civil Kitchen last weekend. Some places like Farmers Gastropub will substitute steamed vegetables for hash browns or bread. They did this for me for brunch a few weeks ago with zoodles and mushrooms; it was delicious. Unsweet tea or water is my go-to unless I’m adulting and may order a vodka and club soda with extra lime. Sometimes, I’ll splurge with a bloody Mary. 🙂
Though not as consistent as necessary, I have been supplementing through vitamins and powders. I’m currently taking:
- Juice Plus because I’m not eating a lot of fruits and vegetables and believe the nutrients in JP+ is good for my cellular reproduction
- Extra vitamin C for collagen synthesis and for my bones
- BioSil (which I won’t buy again because it wasn’t really what I needed when I bought it), biotin and collagen supplements for my hair repair and regrowth
- DHEA to support my hormones
- Turmeric is a natural anti-inflammatory
It seems like a lot, but I’m still playing with things and may determine I can remove or find a combo product to help eliminate multiple bottles. I’m always open to learning more about proper supplementation so if you have anything you recommend based on your experience with this, please feel free to comment and let me know. Locally, Mama Jean’s Natural Market and Supplement Superstore are my go-to. I’ve also picked up a few things at Ruby’s and Lucky’s Markets. If you’re interested in checking out Juice Plus, we order this through my mother-in-law.
Speaking of my mother-in-law, I think it’s time I share a little bit about the spiritual side of my journey in my next post. Stay tuned as I prepare to dive into a story that kicked off with a dream I had roughly 14 years ago that literally and figuratively came true.
Until next time, friends! And remember…we always have the option for a fresh start with each new day. This is an imperfect journey we’re on, which as my business partner reminded me this month, makes it perfect. 🙂
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