What is Keto?
Saturday, March 3, 2018
There
are always new fad diets out there. What makes the ketogenic diet any
different? This is my story...
This
post contains my understanding of the Ketogenic diet, my experiences thus far,
and a quick view of what I eat on a weekly basis.
First I want to let
you know that while this diet is super powerful I have to use my internal power
to stick with it or else I will not lose weight! Over the last 15 months I have
lost 100 pounds, 80 pounds of which I lost in the last 9 months. I have also
been unable to exercise due to medical issues with my left knee. Nonetheless, I
was super determined to lose weight whether or not I was able to exercise. This
diet came highly recommended by my endocrinologist. My first thought was to let
it slip in one ear and out of the other but her words were you can basically
lose weight without exercising or taking weight loss pills and do so at an
incredible rate. This is when I became interested!
What is Keto?
Normal
Diet: Whether you are on the low carb diet, the paleo diet, the vegan diet, or
the junk food diet (not a real thing) your body is fueled by glucose. On the
Ketogenic Diet your body is fueled by Ketones.
Okay Google: What is Glucose:
Okay Google: What is Ketosis?
In order to get your
body into ketosis you have to adjust your diet so that you are eating the
proper macronutrient (aka Macro) ratio of fats, proteins, and carbohydrates.
Each person will be slightly different. You can purchase keto strips to test
the amount of ketones in your blood or urine but I have never done that. At
first I couldn't afford to spend the extra for the testing strips and now I
pretty much know when my body is in ketosis based on what I have eaten. I used to use the My Fitness Pal app by Underarmor daily, for the first 8 months. Now, because I eat the same things daily I will refer to the app when I have a question about the macro's in a particular food/recipe. Below
is a chart representing the daily macro's I strive for.
 |
| Kayla's daily macro goal. |
Perks of being in ketosis:
Rapid weight loss.
Faster, clearer
thinking.
Ability to focus.
Wake up and fall
asleep easier.
Feel like I have
abundant energy, most days.
The ONLY downside is:
Not eating all the
delicious carbohydrate laden foods. Seriously when walking down the bread aisle
at the store I can smell the carbs through the plastic. During those first five
months, sorry if this is TMI, and on the first two days of my period are the
only times that the sight or smell of carbs really bothers me. Usually I have
snacks prepped and special deserts that are totally keto friendly. As long as I
am prepared I can go to any get together and have friends over who *gasp* eat
pizza and cake right in front of me!!
My experience
If any, or all, of
this seems overwhelming don't worry. I totally feel you! When I first started
with this diet 15 months ago I thought: Oh I'll
just focus on eating less than 50 carbs per day. With that I lost some
weight, but I also felt super groggy and had a hard managing cravings.
 |
| Photo on the left taken just before PCOS diagnosis. Photo on the right taken around 80 lbs lost |
During that time I
also did research into cyclical keto, basically a medically recommended diet
where someone will go into ketosis for a few days and then out for a few days.
Each case of cyclical was different but I thought: hmm I'll cycle keto on the weekends.
Little did I know
that every time I went out of ketosis in order to get back into ketosis I had
to go through the keto-flu again. So every Monday when I got back to work and I
was back on my diet I felt terrible; Dizzy, fatigued, totally unable to focus,
and just out of it. After six months into the diet when I had managed to lose
about 20 pounds I felt like I had to really buckle down and stick to it.
Over the last nine
months I have lost 80 pounds. I stick to my diet, with one exception which I
will explain later, and can totally tell if I am the slightest bit out of
ketosis.
Learning when to eat
throughout the day, what to eat throughout the day, and which recipes kept me
from feeling like I was missing out on something was the only way I was able to
kick-start this diet.
The effect of
cheating on this diet, for me, is unlike cheating on any other diet. Because
the Keto diet helps me to regulate my anxiety cheating means anxiety attacks.
On Christmas of 2017 I decided to eat an apple fritter and pizza. Less than an
hour later I was slathering on calming essential oils and trying not to go
into full force panic attack. It took going through the keto flu for several
days to get my anxious feelings under control again.
When my cabinets are
stocked with keto friendly options and I use essential oils to help manage
cravings I am able to make it through any day that I would rather have a donut
than cheese cubes.
My routine
I use my keto
snacks, recipes, and essential oils in combination to succeed on this diet.
Essential oils:
Grounding blend: I
use this daily, as soon as I wake up on the bottom of my feet and throughout
the day when I feel frazzled. The right state of being is super important to
help manage cravings.
Citrus blend:
I add one drop of
citrus blend to the bottom of a glass or stainless steel canister then fill
with water. While I drink a lot of water anyways the citrus blend makes the
water taste like an orange-vanilla ice-cream pop and is a great way to kick
sweet cravings.
Frankincense:
I apply one drop of
this under my tongue each morning for general overall health.
Cellular vitality
blend:
I apply this to the
small of my back and behind my knees to support cellular repair. I have noticed
a huge decrease in muscle/bone pain since I began using this daily. Damaged
cells are the most common source of pain.
Soothing rub:
I use this blend on
achy muscles. Being unable to exercise leaves my muscles feeling tense. This
rub is also helpful for those of you who are able to exercise when you feel the
burn! I am excited to be in that group again!
Favorite recipes:
I plan to share some
of my favorite recipes on ApotheKayla.
 |
| Keto Frappe |
Sweets: Keto Frappe,
Keto Freezer Fudge, tic-tacs (.5 carbs per tic tac great for strong sweet
craving control on the go), whipped cream ice cream (higher in carbs but eaten
in moderation its fine).
 |
| Keto Freezer Fudge |
Snacks:
Nights/weekends. Beef snack bites, turkey snack bites, pecans, sunflower seeds,
pickles, cheese.
 |
| Bacon wrapped chicken |
Dinners: Most of my
carb intake happens at dinner. Some of my favorites are: Bacon wrapped chicken,
stir fry (without the rice), tacos, zoodles with spaghetti sauce and meatballs,
breakfast, pork chops and green beans, stuffed peppers (without the rice),
carne asada taco salad (wihout the tortilla bowl), and chicken salad.
Again I plan to share some of these recipes on the blog and will add links to the name of the recipe here when I do!
Again I plan to share some of these recipes on the blog and will add links to the name of the recipe here when I do!
Daily meals: This
may not work for everyone but Monday through Friday I eat the exact same things
for breakfast, snacks, and lunch. I space out my eating by about three hours to
make sure I am never feeling hungry. I have two Jack-link beef sticks for breakfast,
then pepper jack cheese cubes for a snack, lunch consists of turkey, cheese,
and olive oil mayo rolled/cut into bite sized pieces - without the bread. This
combo satisfies my hunger and with it I have only had around 4 carbs by the
time I leave work.
For me taking the
complication out of the daily meal prep helps me to focus on other things. It
makes my grocery list super simple and I always know that what I take in my
lunch bag will keep me feeling satisfied. To be completely honest with you all
I would totally rather have a mostly plant based diet, however plants have a
lot of carbs and my main health priority right now is to loose as much weight
as possible.
Closing thoughts:
If you are thinking
about starting this diet I say go for it. It is recommended by doctors for
several conditions such at PCOS, Epilepsy, and diabetes. I offer keto coaching
where we can phone/video chat about setting up your daily routine, shopping
list, and finding recipes, and I will be there to help you set goals, message
with you on days that you’re feeling a little weak, and cheer you on during
days of success!
My goals:
I have another 100
pounds to loose. I am ready to get back to yoga, hiking, bicycle riding, and
strength training.
I am also building a
community around this diet so that we may all support each other. Join my
Facebook group Keto with ApotheKayla to
take part in this community!
Thank you all for
reading - join the Facebook group or post your comments below if you have
questions or inspiration to share.
For Keto coaching: Click here
For information on where I get my essential oils: kayla@healing-salve.com
For Keto coaching: Click here
For information on where I get my essential oils: kayla@healing-salve.com
Be well,
Kayla
Those who
know me know I have a love of history. From my fascination with 70's pop
culture to the first cave drawings created by the earliest of men; Anything
that acts as a window in time is of interest of me.
In all those windows I have opened, throughout time spanning back before writing and in all corners of the earth, we see a connection with man and plants. I have read of cultures who do not engage in war. I have seen those who will not eat meat. Some without writing and others without anything we would recognize as society.
All humans - from
those who first stood upright to those who stood on the moon have all been
connected with plants. We eat them, we build with them, and we heal with them.
No matter how hard we seem to try as a species to separate ourselves from
nature none of us could live without our life giving symbiosis with plants.
I
have taken a particular interest in seeing how they were used in healing and
ritual over the years. Some you may know by name like Frankincense and can think
of examples from history. Others are more obscure like silphium who's use was
so popular they drove it to extinction.
We can also find other uses for popular
plants and oils. Take, for example, our old friend Myrrh. Today we may use it
commonly for a cut or get rid of unwanted bacteria, Tiberius though used it as an aphrodisiac.
Who knows what forgotten uses we may find for our favorite plants as we look
back. Like how quickly we have forgotten that the settlers brought dandelions
over to the Americas as medicine and a food.
The Did you know series will be my attempt to share interesting and useful information I have found while poking around in the
past that I hope you find as interesting as I do.
Keep an eye out on our Facebook page for cool did you know facts and check back on the blog next weekend for the 1st installment of the series.
Be well!
Robert
What is a carrier oil?
Tuesday, February 27, 2018
Carrier Oils 101
- Grape Seed oil
- Hemp oil
- Almond oil
- Avocado oil
- Sunflower oil
- Sesame oil
- Coconut oil
 |
| Dandelion Oil, AKA Dandy Oil. Recipe Here: Dandy Oil |
My favorite carrier oils are:
- Fractionated coconut oil
- Rosehip oil
- Dandelion Oil
Quick Tip: Have friends or children who like to browse through and use your oils? Have a few roller bottles specifically prepared and labeled for their consumption. This way you never have to worry about them using too much of your favorite essential oil or spilling them during the mixing process. If they ask you for an oil to use, direct them to the sharable stash! ;)
I so hope this post was helpful. Still have questions about carrier oils? Send me an email: kayla@healing-salve.com
Thanks for reading and be well!
What is PCOS?
Sunday, February 18, 2018
Warning: Personal story ahead.
This was me, two years ago after trusting my instinct and getting a second opinion. I was in constant pain because I had a pinched nerve in my back and the doctors refused to believe that the pain I had was being caused by anything other than my weight.
My new doctor treated my back for a pinched nerve but felt something was going on that was more serious than a pinched nerve. During that second opinion visit I shared my daily food log with my physician. I was only eating 1,200 calories a day and still gaining weight. She immediately referred me to an Endochronologist. Based on my medical history of endometriosis, irregular or no menstraul cycle, an inability to loose weight, super high testosterone levels, terrible anxiety, and growth of hair on my chin- the Endocrinologist diagnosed me with PCOS. Poly-Cystic Ovarian Syndrome was the root cause of all of my biggest health concerns.
The doctor wanted to prescribe me diabetic medication because part of PCOS is an issue with your insulin receptors. Basically from my non-Physichian interpretation of insulin receptor issues combined with high testosterone levels: My body would not process sugar normally and stored almost 100% of the sugar because the elevated testosterone put my body into survival / scarcity mode.
I asked my primary care physician to monitor my testosterone levels because I wanted to try a holistic supplement before taking medication. I did an immense amount of research and found Asana by: Ladies Balance. The customer reviews sold me on the product with SO many stories just like mine. I have now been on a daily regimine of Asana for two years. My blood-work has been great.
The Endocrinologist also recommended a diet I had never heard of called the Ketogenic Diet. I felt like it was pretty extreme and figured I would just cut back on my Carbohydrates to 100g per day. Before the PCOS diagnosis I had gained so much weight, even when eating a 1200 calorie/organic/Non-GMO diet that the doctor's scale wouldn't weigh me. This meant I weighed more than 450 pounds.
After a about five months of 100 carbs per day I was able to weigh in. Each of the three months before trying the Keto Diet I was losing around 2lbs. per month. Because the pinched nerve, and dealing with a crazy knee issue (will write more on that later) I was unable to exercise. My doctor was pleased with my progress but told me simply: "Your blood pressure and blood tests are amazingly normal. If you want them to stay that way you either need to take weight loss medication or choose a more aggressive diet".
This is when I sat down and really researched the diet. I found that it is recommended by many physicians and nutritionalists for patients with PCOS. On the Keto diet your body transitions from burning glucose as fuel to burning ketones.
This diet has not been easy but it has helped me to loose an average of 8-9 lbs per month without exercising. I should be able to exercise again within the next month when I have my knee attended to. It has also helped with my anxiety issues. When I have suffered from moments of weakness and had a carbohydrate heavy day, the carbs are always accompanied by heightened anxiety-in some cases I would have severe panic attacks on those days as well. My last cheat day was on Christmas.
PCOS cannot be cured. However, with positive daily action it can be managed.
Thanks for hanging in here with me during this long personal story. I will be sharing info on Apothekayla and hosting a Q & A session on Keto via Facebook live tomorrow @ 2 PM PST. Hopefully we can chat then!
Thanks and be well.
-Kayla
doTERRA Frankincense Touch
Monday, January 1, 2018
dōTERRA Frankincense Touch
Enjoy all the amazing topical benefits of Frankincense with this easy to use roll-on.
Deodorant Recipe #2 (stick version)
Friday, March 31, 2017
This recipe is straight from the pages of my book: ApotheKayla Year One and I have decided to share it with you here because it is such an awesome recipe and one that I know you all will love!
Lurking in the ingredient list of the average deodorant are harmful substances such as aluminum, parabens, propylene glycol, phthalates, & triclosan. Read more about why I quit using regular deodorant on my scoop-able deodorant recipe by clicking here.
On to the good stuff!! The recipe:
Ingredients:
I made three batches at one time (note the three Tablespoons of beeswax).
-1 Tablespoon beeswax-2 Tablespoons Shea butter
-2 Tablespoons coconut oil
-2 Table spoons baking soda
-2 teaspoons vitamin E oil
-10 drops of essential oils
Directions:
1.On a double boiler or small crockpot melt down beeswax, shea butter, and coconut oil. Stirring occasionally.2.Remove from heat and stir in baking soda a little at a time, then add essential oils, and vitamin E oil.
3.Place into the container of your choice (I found mine at a thrift store and they are actually reuseable twist up push-pop containers, but you can also order deodorant containers online), let cool, and enjoy!
Notes:
You may choose any essential oils you prefer. Lime is a natural odor eliminator, or wild orange would smell nice.
Want to know more about where I purchase my essential oils? Send me an email.
Let me know what you think about this recipe, I love it because even in the summer when I'm busy & sweaty it keeps me smelling fresh all day long!
Thanks for reading & remember "sharing is caring". ;)
Benefits of hemp oil
Monday, March 21, 2016
Hemp Oil Is Amazing! There are so many nutritional and medicinal qualities of this oil! Hemp seems to be a controversial subject at the moment so I felt this page was necessary! On this page I wanted to give you a few facts about hemp oil, and show you which recipes I use it in! -For those of you who love hemp oil as much as I do you already know the amazing healing benefits of it, but for those of you who are skeptic let me share some insights:
- Hemp is cannabis, but it does not include the THC that you find in marijuana. It is illegal to grow your own hemp (in most states), and process it for the oils. You can legally purchase processed hemp foods; such as hemp oil, or shelled hemp hearts.
- “Hemp oil is high in essential fatty acids. Omega 6 and Omega 3 are two main families of essential fatty acids that have therapeutic effects. Some use hemp oil to increase immune system strength, counteract aging, skin, and diseases such as cardiovascular disease. The essential fatty acids help correct oxygenation and skin hydration. Several studies indicate that the linoleic acid present in hemp oil can slow down the aging process of skin and fight psoriasis, a skin disease associated with dietary deficiency of fatty acids” (resource).
- “Moisturizing, regenerating and revitalizing, hemp oil is especially useful for dry, tired or dehydrated skin. Skin regeneration and hydration of dry mature skin are enhanced through the use of hemp oil. It increases the skin elasticity and water retention capacity in tissues” (resource).
In addition to all of these positive health benefits associated with the use of hemp oil, there seems to be a complete lack of negative effects from its consumption. To date, there has been no reported cases of toxicity from the ingestion of hemp seed oil. (resource)How do I use hemp oil? Good question!
- Healing Salve
- Hemp Lippie
- Rejuvenating Lotion
- Paul-Screen
- Oil Pulling/ Swishing*
- In the kitchen**
The art of blending essential oils
Monday, January 19, 2015
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Part of the reason I took so long to perfect this blend was stubbornness, it was never perfect enough. The other things that factored in were the life events that took place during the last year of my life. It's wild to think about while I'm writing this post, but the photos were taken in our homestead.
When we moved out of our homestead it all happened so quickly that I misplaced my lovely blend. Instead of making a new bottle, I created an alternative version, a mist. I will share both versions with you in this post. The blend and the spray.
The amazing thing is the way I love them both, they are similar but vastly different. A good friend told me once to listen to my body. That I would know when I need something, and usually what it was. I didn't do a lot of research about the effect the oils in this blend have on the mind until after I perfected it.
There have been times when I feel my body craving this blend. I know, it sounds silly but I'm serious. Once I realized the physical, mental, and emotional aspects this blend helped to heal it made perfect sense. So I will share those with you as well.
At one point I thought I would bottle this blend and sell it as ApotheKayla Signature Blend. Instead my friends, I will share the recipe.
Oil Blend
.png) |
| Find a fancy atomizer bottle here. |
11 drops of patchouli essential oil
7 drops of wild orange essential oil
4 drops of ylang ylang essential oil
Spray/ Mist
In a 4 oz glass bottle with fine mist atomizer spray attachment fill with witch-hazel.
15 drops of patchouli essential oil
10 drops of wild orange essential oil
6 drops of ylang ylang essential oil
*with the spray version you will need to shake the mixture before you use it each time.
Based on the book Emotions & Essential Oils, which a dear friend sent me, this blend was also developed on a deep level of intuition that I didn't realize I had tapped into. The oils used in this blend are healing for the mind and spirit on an aromatic level. The oils ylang ylang, patchouli, and wild orange all center around self awareness, spiritual healing, and clearing out negative emotions/ energies so you can be the dream version of yourself with new empowering emotions/ energies.
On a physical level the oil is revitalizing for your skin and your energy levels. It is healing for women, with essential oils that heal many known problems that women come across throughout life. It also balances the part of our brains that are known for chemical imbalance, so it is a mood stabilizer.
This blend is very dear to me. Not only do I enjoy the scent all day long, I enjoy the way I feel when I wear it. I love having friends and family say "what are you wearing... that scent is amazing". I also think that some people don't quite understand how excited I get to share a sample with them. I love sharing it with friends so I figured now would be a great time to add it to my blog!
Thanks for reading, don't forget to check out the giveaway I'm hosting at the end of the month!
Until next time, be well!
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