The IdeaA couple days ago, the lovely ERIN left a comment on this very blog, saying a vegan keto book club would be a great idea... and I just so happened to VERY MUCH AGREE with this! Though I don't know if the vegan keto in me, or the English teacher in me was more excited by this prospect LOL. I asked around in both Facebook groups (Vegan Keto Made Simple and Vegan Keto) and there were AMPLE people who were just as excited about this prospect as I was! THUS, the Vegan Keto Blook Club was born! The BookI put a poll out there (The Obesity Code, Eating Animals, Keto Clarity [and someone added Grain Brain]) and THE OBESITY CODE won, so that will be our VERY FIRST Vegan Keto Book Club Book (Please note that I said FIRST, because I DEFINITELY believe this book club will continue on beyond book 1!!!! A little bit about the book... Everything you believe about how to lose weight is wrong. Weight gain and obesity are driven by hormones—in everyone—and only by understanding the effects of insulin and insulin resistance can we achieve lasting weight loss. In this highly readable and provocative book, Dr. Jason Fung sets out an original, robust theory of obesity that provides startling insights into proper nutrition. In addition to his five basic steps, a set of lifelong habits that will improve your health and control your insulin levels, Dr. Fung explains how to use intermittent fasting to break the cycle of insulin resistance and reach a healthy weight—for good. What Others Have Said... "Fung zeroes in on why insulin resistance has become so prevalent and offers specific outside-the-box solutions that have emerged as the key to maximizing health." —Jimmy Moore, author, Keto Clarity and Cholesterol Clarity "Not only full of insights but also surprisingly funny. Read it to understand why the world became fat, how to reverse the epidemic—and how to stay thin yourself." —Andreas Eenfeldt, MD, Founder of Dietdoctor.com “Dr. Jason Fung’s explanation of insulin resistance and the accompanying insulin model of obesity is original, brilliant and game changing.” —Zoë Harcombe, Obesity researcher, author of The Harcrombe Diet “A fantastic book that exposes some of the world's most pervasive myths about obesity and weight management. A must read for anyone interested in the science of diet.” —Kris Gunnars, nutrition researcher "In The Obesity Code, Dr. Jason Fung triumphs in explaining the core underlying causes of obesity and manages to simplify it in a way that anybody can understand. If more doctors and people were able to understand these causes and implement Dr. Fung's actionable advice then we would be able to start reversing the obesity epidemic tomorrow." —Sam Feltham, USA Today World Fitness Elite Trainer of the Year Amazon currently has The Obesity Code ready to ship on July 31st, but you can also get the AUDIOBOOK or KINDLE copy, if you like those formats! https://www.amazon.com/Obesity-Code-Unlocking-Secrets-Weight/dp/1771641258 www.amazon.com/Obesity-Code-Unlocking-Secrets-Weight/dp/1771641258 Google looks like it might also have quite a bit of the ebook as well...... https://books.google.com/books?id=FAf6rQEACAAJ&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q&f=false The CalendarHere is our proposed reading calendar (the numbers represent the chapters!). Every SATURDAY I will be writing my own blog entry on that chapter; every SUNDAY the post will go up in our group to discuss! Feel Free to continue the discussion as long as needed!!! There's no grade for this class HAHA!
And we will finish just in time for the holidays, then we can start a new book in January! YAY! I know it seems daunting to start something now and commit to it for 5 months, but I didn't want people to feel overloaded with information, so I tried to keep it one chapter per week (since we all have busy lives!!!!!) You can always read ahead, then just pop into the group on discussion day/week! AND HOW CONVENIENT IS IT THAT THE BOOK CLUB STARTS THE LAST DAY OF THE CHALLENGE?! :D :D :D The Facebook GroupFind the group on Facebook at "Vegan Keto Book Club"! Again, I will post my own thoughts on each chapter here, then link you over to that page for the discussion! If you aren't on facebook, you can always feel free to contribute to the discussion here and I will transfer your comments to the group! Join us!I look forward to the next awesome 20 weeks learning with all of you! (because truth be told, I've only gotten through the first half of The Obesity Code! I needed accountability (and a kick in the pants!!!) to finish the book, so this is the PERFECT OPPORTUNITY (without seeming too daunting!) Until next time! Vegan Keto Madi
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The ChallengeVERY QUICKLY! If you weren't around for the challenge, it has 3 components!
This challenge was from Monday, July 17th and will run until Sunday, August 6th! This means we are officially done with A FULL WEEK! If you're doing the challenge, let me know how you feel!!! I just wanted to pop in and give you MY first week of meal plans if you are sitting there asking yourself "What the heck does this chick eat if she doesn't eat fruit, root vegetables, grains, soy, sugar, sweeteners, gluten, meat, eggs, dairy, pasta, bread, rice....?" Well, let me show you! (Please notice that my macros are SPOT ON this week, despite not having any of the above listed food!) I was really worried how I would get enough protein, but really I was surprised how quickly it added up, even without tofu, beefy crumbles, etc. (Side note: I also downloaded Chronometer this week, and my B vitamins are INCREDIBLY PERFECT! NUTRITIONAL YEAST IS AN AMAZING FOOD! EAT IT! And if you're wondering how to use it, check out my last post where I gave you an unbelievably simple AND DELICIOUS bok choy zoodle dish with tahini and nutritional yeast sauce. BOMB.COM FOLKS!!! Ok, here's what you clicked for: Well, they posted backwards (note to self, first one clicked is last one posted) but I think you get the idea even if Day 7 is before Day 1... AND I gave you a little bonus recipe in there, too! Literally dump all the ingredients listed into the pan, top with more cilantro, and add hot sauce/salsa and avocado. (Simplicity is my middle name. I really LOVE to cook, but I like to keep my recipes simple... I more prefer the act of chopping than I do the act of a million steps that must be followed in a particular order...) Join us!Even if you're joining this party late, late is better than never! Feel free to hop onto our 21 day challenge as we enter Week 2! Review the *STEVIA podcast* post if you're wondering why we're doing this at all (OR, if you need a kick in the butt to go sweetener free!!!) Until Next Time...Thanks to a comment from the brilliant ERIN, I am going to be hosting a VEGAN KETO BOOK CLUB on Facebook (search that exact name to find us, haha). I will post more once we decide which book to read (it's between Keto Clarity and The Obesity Code), but I am super excited about this venture! Thank you, Erin! Okay, I am off to paint for real now!!! (well, after I finish today's log and post this link everywhere LOL) Vegan Keto MadiY'all...Y'all. Sometimes I make food and I'm like, hmm that was pretty good! I might have to put that recipe on my blog someday (lookin' at you, cauliflower/hemp tabbouleh...) but tonight... tonight I made a recipe, put my dish in the sink, and immediately grabbed my computer to write this blog and share this recipe with you all. It's THAT STINKING GOOD! It is warm, and creamy, and cheesy, and nutty... MMMMM!!! PLUS, it has NO SOY & NO OIL!!! (If you avoid those!) So without further ado, let's check it out! (This recipe is SO SIMPLE AND DELICIOUS!!) Recipe: Bok Choy Zoodles with Tahini SauceIngredients:
Process:
(AND ENJOY YOU WILL!!!!) And that's it! Another one of my favorite type of recipes! Easy, quick, and foolproof! Chop your veggies and stir in your sauce! AND THIS WAS ABSOLUTELY AMAZINGLY DELICIOUS! It was warm and creamy and just what I have been craving (and missing, eating a vegan keto diet). Though I have done bok choy and mushrooms with tahini before, I think the zoodles combine better here, and the veggie broth makes the sauce perfectly creamy and cheesy and amazing (and I am SO FULL from this dish!!!) If you're feeling in a bit of a rut (like, let's be honest, I was!) this will pull you right out! I could eat this for dinner every night for a month and not get sick of it (I might test that theory, actually, haha!) And let's look at those macros, for a second... 22g fat, almost 17g protein and 9g net carbs. WITHOUT SOY/OIL! It doesn't get better than that, folks!!! Ding Dong!I was interrupted writing this post by the doorbell! I forgot I ordered a package from Amazon!!! I got 2 jars of coconut butter (which, whoops, I still had a jar and a half in the cupboard!), greens powder (ON SALE NOW $5 OFF!!!) and KELP AND DULSE FLAKES (suggested by Rikki!). Keep an eye out for more on those! I've never tried them before, so I am going to have to experiment a little bit! I SHOULD have gotten Natural Calm instead of the coconut butter. This is what happens when you shop Amazon on the go! BUT, since I found coconut butter already in the cupboard, I was able to make my lemon walnut fat bombs yesterday! (I already posted the recipe, but as a reminder, 10 tablespoons coconut butter, 1/4 cup coconut oil, 1/3 cup chopped walnuts, and some lemon extract). I made 18 this time (in cute little flower molds!) instead of 12, so it dropped them to 10g fat for less than 1 net carb. SO PERFECT AND DELICIOUS AND CUTE AND LITTLE AND YUM! GO MAKE THEM! HEAT, MOLD, FREEZE! Until Next time...Next time is actually going to be VERY shortly, as I am going to add a new week of meal plans for my first week on no sweetener (and still no soy!) challenge! AND I STILL HAVEN'T WEIGHED MYSELF THANK YOU VERY MUCH!!! I have to hurry because I am going to PAINT NITE tonight! This is my 3rd one, and I quite enjoy them, even though I'm not what you would call talented... Tonight is "Heart Tree in the Mountains"... should be fun! Vegan Keto MadiHi!Hi there, readers! Have I told you lately how much I appreciate each and every one of you?! Few things bring me more joy than seeing lots of "unique" visitors rise on my stats page! You like me! You really like me! (Or, at least you like what I have to say enough to click into my blog... hopefully you like it enough to keep coming back, too!) And hopefully you like me enough to keep me in your reading rotation after all the great links I'm about to give you in this blog! Because this entry... this is a good one! Buckle up and prepare to read! Because today... I am going to link you to a few of my favorite things (AKA people!) Meg: Clean Keto Blog (Blog/IG)Meg is my clean keto soul mate/sister! I met her on IG (@cleanketoblog) and now she admins my "Vegan Keto Made Simple" Facebook group with me! We share a lot of the same beliefs about vegan keto, so if you find yourself agreeing with a lot of what I say, you will definitely like her! She just recently launched her blog, but not only is it a hundred times prettier than my blog, it includes some amazing recipes I've already stolen and devoured! So check her out! www.cleanketoblog.com Renee: Herbivore Post (Blog/IG) Renee is definitely another member of my keto fam (and a mod in Vegan Keto Made Simple!) and someone who I GREATLY respect and admire! Not only is she an AMAZING chef (Check out her drool-worthy photos at @plantpoweredketo) but she is BRILLIANT! There's a reason I tag her 87 million times a day on Facebook to answer questions! In addition to the VEGAN FOOD LIST/SHOPPING LIST you see above, she has an AWESOME FAQ section on her blog (see the right --> Hopefully it stays on the right when I press post... ) You can also watch Renee on her YouTube channel at "This Avocado Life" (she is definitely inspiring me to make a channel! Exceptttt I know little to nothing about making videos so maybeeee not haha!) www.herbivorepost.com and @herbivore_post Kali: The Wholesome Holistic (Blog/IG)Renee just shared this link with me tonight, so I haven't had much time to browse through it, but any keto fam of my fam is a fam of mine (something like that?) Besides, her food on IG is gorgeous enough to make me an instant fan (I mean LOOK AT IT!!!)! I can't wait to read her blog! www.thewholesomeholistic.com (Make sure you get the THE in there, or it's a very different site!) Liz: Meat Free Keto and Healthy Gamer Girl (Blog/IG)I link to Liz's website ALL THE TIME!!! Though I don't believe that she/this website is 100% vegan anymore (DISCLAIMER!) she has enough to browse through that you won't feel deprived! I mean... look at those red velvet fat bombs up there... I'm gonna need to click into that recipe when I'm done here... IG: @Meatfreeketo www.meatfreeketo.com Liz also has a blog at: www.healthygamergirl.com And a secondary IG at @healthygamergirl Instagram Fam!I have THE BEST IG Keto Family EVER! Check them out if you're on Instagram!
I know I have a TON more, but my stomach is begging for dinner, so I am going to cut it off here! And I was going to do Podcasts on this post, too, but I'll make it another post! Until Next Time...I hope I gave you enough to read until my next blog post (LOL). But you have to promise to keep coming back to my blog, even with all these to read! And I'm working on the subscription thing, but Weebly doesn't make it very easy!!!! I am also trying to split up the website into categories, but I haven't figured that out, yet, either (if it's even possible!) Gonna go stuff my face with veggies now!!! (It's a total myth you can't have veggies on vegan keto!!!) Vegan Keto MadiP.s. One more great resource I used before going vegan keto! Vegan Keto Reddit!
Kite Hill Plain Unsweetened Yogurt My mom and I went up to Lake Merritt (in Oakland) the other day, and on the way back we stopped at Whole Foods to grab a bite to eat, seeing as traffic was showing 90 minutes to go 40 miles... Yuck! If you ever wonder why I was so DESPERATE to get out of the bay area, there's a pretty good reason! Anyway, while my mom was picking out some vegan yogurt to have as a snack, I glanced through the vegan options, not really expecting to find anything keto-worthy. I've found a couple of "plain/unsweetened" yogurts before, but for whatever reason they were pretty high in carbs. But this day, it was as if there was a keto halo around the Kite Hill yogurt saying PICK ME! PICK ME! And lo and behold! THE ILLUSIVE VEGAN KETO YOGURT I'D HEARD SO MUCH ABOUT! The ingredients were: Almond Milk (Water, Almonds), Locust Bean Gum, Xanthan Gum, Agar, Live Active Cultures: S.Thermophilus, L.Bulgaricus, L.Acidophilus and Bifidobacteria. It had 13 grams fat, 6 grams protein for only 1 gram net carb! I instantly tossed it into my cart, a happy little vegan keto camper! Butttttt when I got home, I realized I had no idea what to do with plain, unsweetened vegan yogurt. I knew from my previous experience with similar yogurts that it was going to be TART. I debated tossing it into my smoothies, but I was going to a pool party the next day, so I thought it might be nice to make something I could take there and be able to eat something (let's not talk about all the foods I actually DID eat while I was there....) So I begged my keto fam to give me suggestions and Meg (from cleanketoblog.com! holla!) said "Why not make Tzatziki?!" Anddddd the rest is history! DISCLAIMER!I feel like I have to add the disclaimer RIGHT UP FRONT that I have never had Tzatziki, vegan or otherwise. So, I had to depend on the tastebuds of my non-vegan, non-keto friends for this one! BUT they taste tested it and said it tasted pretty close to traditional tzatziki! So, with that approval under ,y belt, I feel confident bringing this recipe to all of you! Vegan Keto TzatzikiThis was a REALLY easy recipe to vegan/ketoize because the only thing I needed to change was the yogurt! Instead of using the traditional (I think Greek?) yogurt the original recipe calls for, I used my Kite Hill. The rest I kept the same to the recipes I Googled! If you don't know, the way I cook is to Google a variety of recipes for whatever I have in mind, and then modify and alter them the way I want them to come up with a recipe of my own! So here's what I came up with for Vegan Keto Tzatziki that was approved by non-vegan/ketoers! Ingredients:
Recipe:
I served this with bell peppers, cucumber, and cucumber (which was a little weird to dip cucumber into cucumber, but whatever). I would also... umm... hypothetically think it would be good with pita chips for non-ketoers that might be at a gathering where you'd serve this. I definitely didn't test it with the pita chips that were sitting right next to the bowl... Anyway, I hope you enjoyed that very simple recipe! My very first taste of Tzatziki was pretty tasty and I would definitely make this for a future get-together (after making the trek back to Whole Foods!) Until next time...I downloaded Chron-o-meter today, so I'm off to go play with that! I need to figure out why my vega essentials doesn't have any sub-proteins broken down and listed... I'm going to see if I can track that down somewhere on the internet! Enjoy your weekends! It's my last one of summer! Vegan Keto Madi
Challenge Day 3Why helllloooooooooo again! I am SO excited for the positive feedback regarding the 21 day challenge I pulled from the stevia podcast! I think there are about 25-30 people between here and my FB group (vegan keto made simple!) who are participating in the "ALL THE WAY TO AUGUST" challenge! As a recap, we are doing NO ARTIFICIAL SWEETENERS* (*stevia in protein powder is ONLY exception for me), NO WEIGHING, and one goal of choice (for me, that's NOTHING FAKE/REPLACEMENT- mayo, butter, beef, etc.). The challenge is running from July 17th-August 6th! That second goal was DEFINITELY put to the test for me today... I woke up and felt pretty good, especially following the disaster that was my eating for the last few weeks (I learned my lesson to NOT track... tracking is my friend!) Anyway, so I woke up and was like heyyy I feel good! I am bloated less! And what was the first thing I wanted to do...? WEIGH MYSELF. WHY?!?! Why is my natural response to "I FEEL GREAT!" be... "I WANT TO WEIGH MYSELF!" One of 2 things would happen:
THIS IS HORRID!!! I feel good! That's all that should matter! Not a number on a scale! This is EXACTLY why I wanted to do this 21 day challenge. My worth for each day became dependent on the scale. I should be focusing on how I feel! How are my clothes fitting? How's my IBS? My CFS? My digestion? This morning was such a wake up call to me that I am not doing this challenge so much to break myself of the sweeteners (I've been mostly doing that since my Soyfree challenge on April 24th). That was just the leaping off point for me. For me, Goal #2 and 3 are the most crucial. STOP LETTING YOUR FEELINGS BE CONTROLLED BY A SCALE!!! (confession, I actually have TWO scales now... Let's not talk about that, though... I hope someday I might be able to have ZERO scales, but I'm not ready to take that step YET...) I do think there are some valuable reasons to have a scale... Since I don't test my ketones regularly (just enough to prove to my haters who hate hate hate that I am in ketosis as a vegan ketoer...) I think a scale helps me see if I am gaining or losing and if my macros need to be adjusted or not... (BUT could that also be decided based on how I feel and I might just be making more excuses to keep my scale around for my own selfish desires....) Anyway, I am super digressing! I just wanted to say that this challenge has definitely given me some things to think about regarding the scale. That some number should not make a difference in how I feel IF I ALREADY FEEL GOOD! If I feel good, my first instinct shouldn't be to run to the scale! Bad Madi!! The other pieces of the challenge are going well, too! No fake butter, fake meat, fake cheese, fake mayo... (I don't consider non-dairy milk a "fake" product; does this make me a hypocrite? I'm willing to give up a lot, but I don't think there's a reason to give up my Ripple. I am swapping my toasted coconut milk for unsweetened vanilla, though, as the coconut has monkfruit. The unsweetened vanilla has a carb tho :( WAHHHH!!!! It's like a constant tug-of-war give and take battle to balance! Whew! I will keep ya'll updated and post my daily meal plans weekly (though they are largely the same from day to day... Shake for breakfast and salad for dinner with sacha seeds or chia pudding for lunch. Not entirely exciting and innovative... I DID start to add frozen spinach and frozen riced cauliflower to my shakes in the morning, though, and really like the added nutrients, even though it DOES add some carbs to my morning. If I keep lunch low to no carbs, I can split my 18 or so carbs between breakfast and dinner and be good to go! On a similar note, I have found that my sweet spot for macros really is around 16-18 net carbs, 60g protein and 100g fat. That's where I feel my best! Not extra hungry, not uncomfortably full. Perfect! Upcoming on the blog!I am trying to make it a goal to write on here more often! (OH and for those of you who asked how to SUBSCRIBE, first of all THANK YOU FOR WANTING TO SUBSCRIBE, and second of all I will figure that one out for you! I'm not entirely sure!) I keep reminding myself that not EVERY post needs to be this BIG GRAND post. They can just be smaller, check-in sort of posts (like this one!) Though while I keep SAYING that, I have not yet DONE it. So I was thinking of having some running themes of posts that will FORCE me to keep them smaller... I wanted your opinion on this, though! What would YOU rather read?
HELP ME DECIDE!!!! I REALLY want to get the Obesity Code info out, but I REALLY want to get the Eating Animals info out, but I REALLY want to keep bringing interesting Podcasts to you, but I REALLY want to keep sharing recipes with you, but I REALLY want to keep you updated on my journey with vegan keto... Should I just balance out ALL of these...? Or something else entirely? I really need to figure out if I can separate my blogs by TYPE so I can separate the books from teh recipes from the podcasts... any WEEBLY EXPERTS that can help me out with that?! I've also been tossing around the idea of doing YOUTUBE or a PODCAST, as well.... anybody interested in either of those...? PLEASE HELP ME FIND MY PATH! I NEED GUIDANCE.... HELPPPPPP!!! LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU WOULD LIKE THE MOST!!!! If I know people are WAITING for something, it will motivate me more to write! If I am not sure if my writing is just falling on deaf ears and nobody cares what I am writing and ya'll are just clicking on my blog and nobody has actually made it all the way to the bottom of this yet and I am just babbling just to babble... Hellooooooo.... anybody out there......? Okay, I need to get back to my writing workshop now, haha. My wonderful work wife has been talking about amazing things, but our FINAL DAY is about to come to a close so I have to spout some teacher wisdom before we close! (HA!) Vegan Keto Madi*THE* Stevia PodcastHello again guys and gals! Long time no write! Sorry about that! I've been going through a few keto bumps in the road, so I've been trying to *find* myself again, as cliche as that sounds. THANKFULLY I have a wonderful keto-fam at Vegan Keto and Vegan Keto Made Simple (on FB) and on Instagram who have been pushing me to get back up on the horse and be the very best version of myself. So if y'all are reading this, know you really do have a huge impact on my life and I am a better person (and keto-er!) for knowing you! But enough of the sap (I'll get back to my wagon-falling another time)! Today I want to talk to you about *THE* Stevia Podcast that's been sweeping the Internet! Day before yesterday, I heard a casual mention of a podcast discussing stevia and it caught my attention. If you've kept up with my ramblings, you might recall that I have been trying to eliminate fake sugars from my diet. I've recapped a shorter podcast against artificial sweeteners before, but many people are reluctant to lump stevia (a "natural" sweetener) together with "artificial" sweeteners like aspartame, etc. So I downloaded the podcast and listened to it on a short drive I had yesterday. And y'all. I have never CLAPPED in my car for a podcast before. But I clapped for this one! SO MUCH of it made so much sense to me! Now, since hearing this podcast, I've realized it's not just a small something that someone mentioned in passing... it's like ALL OVER THE PLACE BECAUSE PEOPLE'S MINDS ARE BEING BLOWN. Well, okay, some people have blown minds. Some are skeptical. Some are offering their own anecdotes about how they've maintained keto just fine (thank-you-very-much) while eating stevia daily, if not multiple times a day. But as someone in a keto group pointed out... we can't keep ostrich burying our heads in the sand when we hear anti-stevia sentiments because (LA-LA-LA) what would we DO without our stevia?! So, I am not saying DEFINITIVELY that this podcast has all the 100% accurate stevia information... butttt I'm definitely not saying it DOESN'T have some valuable information.... Or, at the VERY LEAST, some things to consider!! And what kind of blogger would I be if I didn't share that information with YOU? So, without further ado, I am going to highlight some of the moments from the podcast that I found myself saying "YAS!" and applauding as I drove (actions I'm sure made me appear quite sane as I drove down the highway... Although, as a side note, I don't know if THIS was more dangerous, or when I was laughing until I was crying trying to drive while listening to the podcast "My Dad Wrote a Porno"... it's a toss up...) Ketovangelist Podcast- Episode 114First, before I forget, here is the link to the podcast, for your listening pleasure! (www.ketovangelist.com/episode-114-dr-bruce-fife-makes-the-case-against-stevia/) I will include a time stamp for all my quotes if you want to follow along at home! Here we go! 11:00-12:45
16:20-18:30
19:50-21:00
27:40-28:45
33:30-34:45
35:10-36:35
39:35-40:25
40:35-41:55
47:30-48:30
CHALLENGE:
21 Day ChallengeSo that, folks, is where my 21 day "ALL THE WAY TO AUGUST" challenge is coming from. STARTING TOMORROW, anybody who wants to join me is welcomed to do 21 days with NO SWEETENERS*** *** There's one item that I am going to be completely honest that I am still going to consume. And that's my protein powder, which does include some stevia. And my reasons for it are twofold.... #1, I add so much OTHER stuff into that shake that it no longer is sweet AT ALL. So it's not going to go down tasting sweet. (I AM going to cut my calfia farms milk, though, as that has Monk Fruit in it.) The #2 reason is that it's so hard to find a quality, low carb, vegan protein powder that works for my stomach, (and for that reason I currently have 3 tubs of this stuff!) So, I am being 100% honest that I AM going to include my powder as a part of this challenge. If you have a similar powder, join me! If you want to go all the way, go all the way! Additionally, in the Vegan Keto Made Simple FB group, we are also challenging ourselves to NOT WEIGH FOR 21 DAYS! We are going to focus on listening to our bodies for both sweeteners and non-scale victories. We are becoming ADDICTED to BOTH and we are all about breaking addictions these next three weeks!!! I also challenged anybody who wants to join to pick ONE OTHER GOAL to set for themselves for the next 21 days (keto or otherwise!) That could be going full blown vegan keto, if you aren't already... it could be to read 3 books in the next 3 weeks... it could be to only drink coffee before 9am... to go on a daily walk... WHATEVER you want!! For me, I am going to try to do IF a little more structured, get back to tracking (WHICH WAS THE BIGGEST REASON I FELL OFF THE DARN WAGON. If I don't have to track, then I can tell myself, One ____ won't hurt... one more bite of ____ won't hurt.... You can have ____ just this once... and then the next thing you know I have a corn bloated belly the size of a pufferfish and I'm doubled over in pain.... 10/10 would NOT recommend...), AND cut out any fake meat, fake mayo, fake butter... tossing it all! I am going to focus on being CLEAN and GREEN and HEALTHY these next 21 days. And hopefully I won't drive myself mad not weighing myself for 3 weeks! EEK!!!!! SO, if you'd like to join, comment below, or hop onto Vegan Keto Made Simple and comment on our daily challenge posts. We'd love to hear from you!!! I do want to point out, that a lot of the anecdotes I've been hearing since this podcast came out are like.... "I ate stevia and I got into ketosis..." "I lost weight and I had stevia every day..." "Stevia never made me hungry..." and I think that's kind of where they were going at the end... maybe you CAN have stevia and artificial sweeteners and be okay... But WHAT IF you quit artificial sweeteners and you feel SO MUCH BETTER? What if (like me!) your world opens up... brain fog clears even more... energy levels skyrocket... what if you feel the feeling of being in ketosis just MORE of it... isn't that possibility ALONE worth giving up sweets for 21 days? If you don't feel any different, AT THE VERY LEAST you will have your sugar addiction broken, and then you can decide what you want to do. Like they said, you might have to have a very difficult conversation with yourself and decide that the way you feel OFF sweeteners is worth way more than the taste of sweeteners! Maybe you feel the exact same... who knows! But don't you owe it to yourself to find out? Until next time...I'll check in along the way, but for the next 21 days (MONDAY, July 17- SUNDAY, August 6) I will be sweetener, scale, and fake foods FREE! (and of course, still soy/gluten/wheat/etc. free!)
If you, too, decide to join this 21 day challenge, comment below or in the VKMS group to let me know how it's going for YOU! As always, THANK YOU FOR READING AND YOUR SUPPORT!!!! Vegan Keto Madi Oh hi there!So, funny story. Remember that time I wanted to do no soy for a work week...? And then that work week stretched into 2 weeks... and then a month... and then I have still only had soy less than half-a-dozen times in the last two months (I just realized it's been EXACTLY 2 months today!!!)...? For those of you just joining me, I gave up soy to prove the naysayers wrong, and then actually ended up really liking no soy, so I've stayed off it haha. That'll show... me? HOWEVER I also gave up sweeteners and gluten at the same time as the soy, so it really could be any of the three variables. But I'm not really having that much trouble avoiding soy and still meeting my protein goals, so I'm just going to keep doing no soy until I feel it necessary to include soy again (Or right before the tempeh I have in the fridge goes bad...) But in the last 2 months of no soy/gluten/sweeteners I have dropped from 119, where I'd been for a good few months- down to 110! That was not a healthy feeling for me, so I tried to crank up the fat, and now I'm resting between 112 and 113, so that feels a little bit better! So, if you're using my meal plans/logs as inspiration, maybe cut out a little bit of fat as I am following maintenance macros, not weight loss macros (but, of course, if you're hungry, eat more fat!) Even when I was losing weight, I was still eating like 100-110g of fat, so you don't need to deprive yourself to lose! And for the love of all things fatty, MAKE SURE YOUR FAT IS HIGHER THAN YOUR PROTEIN. Please. This is lcHF! Eat fat to lose fat! Anyway, I'm back again today to give you 25 more days of meal plans! Requests for daily logs is my most common request, so I try to log every day for y'all! (and, you know, to keep me accountable!). All except ONE or maybe TWO days are soy free. When I went out to breakfast one day I did have tofu in a hollandaise sauce, and then my mom requested vegan BLTs when I was visiting, so I obliged. Those are noted on the logs, though, so if you're a soy-avoider, just skip those days! I've noticed my appetite has definitely been going down lately, even after 14 months on keto. Maybe it's because I've (finally) started noshing on fat bombs, so even though I don't feel like I'm eating a lot of FOOD, I'm still eating a lot of FAT? Also, I started adding avocado into my morning smoothie making it even MORE BOMB.COM! (Also, apparently I'm like the only one who still uses that phrase?) See my smoothie recipe grid (maybe to the right? Or above? Or below? I'm not sure what happens to these photos when it actually publishes, especially if you're viewing on a phone haha. But I swear that smoothie is the key to my success! It makes about 6 cups of delicious protein, coffee, fat-filled drink. I blend everything listed there, plus turmeric, with LOTS OF ICE and drink two giant servings of this every morning. It's REALLY good. I've tried it with other protein powder, and it's just not as good. So humor me and try the vega essentials and let me know what you think! Alright, lady, get to the meal plans...Alright, alright, you came here for meal plans, so here are the meal plans! Days 1-30, can be found here, and here, and here. And now here are 25 more days for your viewing pleasure!!! (I swear I counted 25, but apparently there are 24! This is why I teach English, not math... At least it makes the columns nice and even LOL. and FYI if you click on the images it should blow them up bigger for you!) Again, my macros are for maintaining my weight, not losing any more, so you might need to adjust some of the fat! Usually that will probably mean just not eating a fat bomb here or there, or less MCT oil or whatever. I have to try to add a lot of fat, so it shouldn't be that hard to just take it away! But my protein goal is pretty standard at 65g and, of course, under 20 net carbs! I tried so hard to go over 20 when I was trying to gain a few pounds back and it was so hard for me! I got sick feeling, and my cravings skyrocketed. Under 20 and my body is just so much happier. So more fat, it is!!! So, what's next?So, if you follow me anywhere else but here, you might have noticed that I had a minor freak out about some products that were less than ideal keto (Earth Balance soy-free butter, soy-free vegenaise, beyond beef soy-free beefy crumbles... Even Ripple milk has some sort of oil I don't love in it...) I fully acknowledge that these are not the BEST/IDEAL keto foods. But I also had to realize that I was running a Facebook group called "Vegan Keto MADE SIMPLE" and I, myself, was complicating everything! The beefy crumbles have maltodextrin... The butter and vegenaise have some sort of less-than-keto oil...) SO HERE IS MY OFFICIAL DECLARATION/STANCE on that!!!! If it bothers you, don't eat it. If it doesn't bother you, eat up! Yep, it took me a good 2 weeks to come up with that stance. You're welcome. I have been consuming those products for over a year and I lost all my weight, regardless. They are all 0 carb. They are all soy-free. They are all vegan. I can't fight every battle at once. Sometimes you have to give a little to get a lot. WITH THAT BEING SAID, my next step is going to be to try to cut those products out as much as I can (EXCEPT RIPPLE. RIPPLE IS MY LIFE RN K THX). My meal plan for next year doesn't include any of them, so I am going to see if I feel any sort of difference without them. I am going to guess I'll feel a big fat nothing difference. BUT if I am going to do things like avoid fake sugar because it's not that great for your body, I don't want to preach that in one regard and then turn around and practice the opposite in another regard. SO, am I declaring those products demonic and preforming an exorcism to cleanse my fridge of all trace? Of course not (that's just weird, don't be silly.) BUT I AM going to try to phase them out and not depend on them so much. My prediction is that the butter and the vegenaise will be easier to give up than the beefy crumbles, so maybe I will start there (although next week I won't have any of the three). But I do get asked all the time if it's possible to do vegan keto in states/countries that don't have any of these fancy products, so it's also a good opportunity for me to make some alternative meal plans that don't involve any specialty products. I think next week my meals are... BPC Protein milkshake, chia seed pudding with blueberries and nut butter, and a CAULIFLOWER HEMP TABBOULEH THAT I AM SO EXCITED ABOUT!!!! I will post that recipe after I make it and can confirm if it is as delicious as it sounds! I used to LOVE tabbouleh so I am excited to recreate those flavors! Mmm! That's all for now!Thank you for reading! And thank you for those of you who have been leaving comments! I can always check the stats to see how many visitors I have, but it means so much more when I see the comments of those of you who are stopping by and even more so those of you who are VALUING my info! I know I am always learning and by no means am I an EXPERT, but I try to research as much as possible to give you the most well informed info I can!!!
Speaking of which, after laying out all my research about vegan ketoism to my doctor, SHE IS ON BOARD WITH THE DIET!!!! Her husband just started keto, so that helped! She doesn't love the fact that I don't eat meat, but I explained to her that I researched essential amino acids, electrolytes, healthy fats, anti-inflammatory foods, etc. and make sure my meal plans include as many of those as possible, and she gave me the green light! Well, the green light so long as my labs come back good! So keep your fingers crossed for those! I will share them when I get them! And also my arm ultrasound, which I won't get into, but can't decide if I want it to come back that I DO have Thoracic Outlet Syndrome, because then at least I will have a diagnosis, or if I want it to come back that I DON'T have it, because then I don't have to decide on surgery or not (WHERE THEY REMOVE YOUR RIB UH NO THANKS!) But, if I DON'T have it, I'm also right back at square one, just waiting for my UCSF referral and twiddling my thumbs... ANYWAY, that's all and thanks again! I appreciate each and every one of you!!! Vegan Keto Madi Oh, Trader Joe's! I love thee!Let me start by saying: I love Trader Joe's. I live in the middle of nowhere, so my grocery store options are pretty limited. But every so often I make the trek to the next town over and get my TJ fix! Now, I know some people say Trader Joe's is expensive. With my alternative options being Safeway and Raleys... I've always found it to be the cheapest! (And a recent comparison found it $30 cheaper than Whole Foods for a cart of groceries!) Price aside, I love Trader Joe's PRODUCTS. Even before going vegan keto, there was just something about wandering the aisles of Trader Joe's and looking at all the TJ products. So, when I found myself in the next town over today, I decided to pop into Trader Joe's with a Vegan Keto eye, so I could share my findings with you all! On my shopping trip today, I was able to find 3 "Trader Joe's" products that are sold JUST at Trader Joe's (or they're labeled Trader Joe's and I haven't seen them in other stores!) and a few "Honorable mentions" that are sold elsewhere, but you might as well throw them in your cart while you're there. My Product CriteriaOf course, all the products must be vegan! No animal products!! None. Zero. Zilch! One reason I love Trader Joe's is because they label so much with a big fat V for vegan!! Not everything is labeled, but it helps cut down on my shopping time when it's one less thing for which I have to look out! Additionally, obviously, the products needed to be keto and fit my personal vegan keto WOE. For me, that means a couple of things:
And, I think that's about it! Vegan, low carb and free of any ingredients I avoid. So, let's begin! Product #1: Sacha Inchi SeedsIn this case, I am NOT going to save the best for last, because I want you all to know about this product RIGHT NOW. It is my MOST recommended vegan keto product. Before I get to the macros, let me tell you about this product! The best way to describe it, is like a corn nut and a peanut had a BIG OL' BABY. It's kinda nutty, but kinda soft. I've read the after taste described as both "buttery" and "fishy", but I just think it's plain old nutty... Actually, now that I think about it, the Trader Joe's brand has a distinctly different aftertaste as the old brand I used to order offline (that was since discontinued, hence my extreme JOY AND EXCITEMENT when I found out Trader Joe's started carrying these right around the time they ran out of stock online! Meant to be? I think so...) Anyway, so if you have read about these before, but were turned off by the "fishy" taste... I'd still give them a try! But... other than being a flavor-hybrid, why Sacha seeds? In short, they are really, really, ridiculously good for you! They contain fatty acids, protein and amino acids! They are said to be good for your cholesterol, increase well-being, serve as an anti-inflammatory, AND promote brain, heart, bone and joint health! Like I said, there's a reason this is my most recommended vegan keto product! Oh, and wait... I haven't even gotten to the best part... They're 0 net carbs. And high in fat. And fiber. And Protein. You're welcome! Don't believe me? Check out this label, courtesy of Fooducate! Seriously 5g carbs - 5g fiber = 0 net! And 13g of fat! And 8 grams of protein!!! If I'm on the go, I like to do a half cup of these babies for 26g fat and 16g protein (and 10g fiber for 0 net carbs!) for lunch. They are GREAT to keep in my desk at work, too! Or for road trips... or on the go... Or at home... Or, you know, all the time always... You can find their bright green bag on the BOTTOM shelf with all the nuts (at least that's where it always seems to be in the stores I've been to!). For only a few bucks a bag, and 8 servings per bag (!!), I stock up! Trader Joe's says it best: "Trader Joe’s Sacha Inchi Seeds, scientifically known as plukenetia volubilis, come to us from the Southeast Asian rainforest regions, where they grow inside beautiful, myriad-shaped geometric pods. Some have taken to calling these nut-like seeds superfoods due to their impressive nutritional profile – they are among the best sources of plant-based Omega-3 Fatty Acids, with a single serving providing 300% of the daily allowance of ALA (Alpha Lineoleic Acid). A one ounce serving also packs eight grams of protein, making them a better source of protein than almonds, cashews, or walnuts. Their flavor is unique – savory and salty, similar to a pistachios or almonds, but really unlike any other nuts we’ve tasted. They’re incredibly crunchy, with a subtly buttery finish." So, go out and try some and let me know what you think! Product #2: Coconut Oil PacketsAs Trader Joe's describes: "This is the newest coconut oil product to hit our shelves, and perhaps the most specialized in nature. In its purest form, this is the same oil found in our Organic Virgin Coconut Oil; it’s the packaging that’s different. Here, we’ve packaged the oil in single-serve packets... Glass jars aren’t known for their ease of transport – they can get heavy after a while... We’re selling Trader Joe’s Organic Virgin Coconut Oil Packets in a 7.1 fluid ounce box of 14 packets (.51 fluid ounces each) for $3.99. " Okay, so I know that these are not a "Trader Joe's Exclusive" BUT these are BY FAR the cheapest version of this product that I've seen! I ordered something similar off Amazon last summer (though for MUCH more!) when I went to a conference in Vegas and they SAVED me! I knew I wanted to keep drinking my BPC, but I did NOT want to try to bring a bottle of coconut oil in my suitcase (and then carry it around the hotel with me until I found coffee...) No thank you! These were super easy to add to my coffee, whenever or wherever I eventually found it in the hotel! (Spoiler alert, though... do NOT try to add these to iced coffee... yep....... they solidify the second they turn cold... I was new to Keto when I went to Vegas! I definitely know better now!) Obviously, when I am at home I don't need packets of coconut oil, but you never know when you'll be on the go and need a fat boost! I'm going to keep a few in my desk at work and a few in my purse! I found these in the oil section! (They've only been out for 2 months, so if you've shopped at Trader Joe's at the past and didn't see these, check again!) Product #3: SeasoningsThe one thing I never want anyone to feel on vegan keto is DEPRIVED or overly RESTRICTED. I am a total food lover at heart, so I want you to know that Vegan Keto does NOT mean "boring food" by any means!!! And lucky for us, Trader Joe's sells some pretty amazing seasonings that help take food to the next level! There are so many more than these, but here's what's in my kitchen! 21 Seasoning Salute As per Trader Joe's: "Trader Joe’s 21 Seasoning Salute is a smooth blend of onion, black pepper, celery seed, cayenne pepper, parsley, basil, marjoram, bay leaf, oregano, thyme, savory, rosemary, cumin, mustard, coriander, garlic, carrot, orange peel, tomato, lemon juice and lemon oil. You can amp up the flavor even more if you sprinkle the blend into your palm first, and then break up the spices with your fingertips to release their essential oils... We’re selling each 2.2 ounce jar for $1.99, every day. This seasoning definitely earns a salute! Everyday Seasoning You'll definitely want to use this versatile seasoning EVERY. SINGLE. DAY! It includes: Sea salt, mustard seeds, black peppercorns, coriander, onion, garlic, paprika, chili pepper. Has a nutritional label ever looked so pretty?! I love that this one has a grinder, so I know everything is fresh! Yum! Everything but the Bagel I kept reading about this one, so I picked it up today! If you like everything bagels (which I definitely do!) then this seasoning will perk up your tastebuds! (I did pour some into my hand and lick it today, which definitely reminded me of an everything bagel! I think I might mix it into some vegan keto cream cheese with some flax crackers, perhaps...? Stay tuned for some recipes on that one! Although It would be more like "mix and eat with crackers"... maybe more of a review than a recipe... Ingredients: Sesame Seeds, Sea Salt Flakes, Dried Minced Garlic, Dried Minced Onion, Black Sesame Seeds, Poppy Seeds. (0 net carbs as per the label). Honorable MentionsThere are SO MANY products at Trader Joe's that I LOVE, so it was hard to narrow it down to this list! But everybody always asks "What vegan keto stuff should I get at Trader Joe's that I can't get elsewhere?" so, hopefully this gives you an answer! BUT, while you're AT trader Joe's, you might as well toss these into your cart, as well!
And, of course, to refresh yourself after your long shopping trip, make sure to grab a HUGE bottle of electrolyte Water for only $1.49 on your way out! And that sounded like an advertisement, so let me take this moment to clarify: I DID NOT RECEIVE ANY PRODUCTS OR COMPENSATION FOR TODAY'S BLOG! If Trader Joe's wants to send me some free stuff, awesome (you reading this, TJ?), but I paid real monies for this stuff today! I just love Trader Joe's and food and wanted to share some awesome products with y'all! Until Next Time... Upcoming blogs include...
AND, to share some favorites of members of the FB group "Vegan Keto Made Simple" (uh, the BEST group on FB!). Thank you ladies for your suggestions!!!
And, a blog I haven't fully organized my thoughts on yet, but what I feel must be followed "tightly" and what can be more "loose" on keto... Anyway, THANK YOU, as always, for reading!!! Keep on ketoing on, friends!!! Vegan Keto Madi Did you miss me?My dad used to sing the song "how can I miss you if you won't go away?" to us, but I AM SURE that's not how you feel about ANOTHER blog entry from me tonight, right...? RIGHT??? So, I know I JUST left, but I went downstairs to cook dinner and ended up adding some ingredients to what I had planned and HOLY MOLY it was good! So I wanted to come back here and talk to ya'll about swapping out/adding ingredients. I sort of mentioned this at the end of the recipe dump, but my recipes by no means are one-size-fits-all! My mom gags half the time when I tell her what combo of foods I am putting together LOL. My recipes are ideas of what works for ME and maybe you like the same flavors and maybe you don't, but you don't have to follow my, or ANY recipes perfectly (though you certainly CAN!) As long as you do your research and know the macros of what is in the swapped/added ingredient, get crazy! I have been doing this for over a year and let me tell you I would be SO BORED if I always had the EXACT SAME MEALS EVERY SINGLE TIME. Sometimes the swaps fail... (Blueberries win over raspberries in chia pudding ANY DAY) But sometimes... they are AMAZING... Tonight... they were AMAZING!!!So, the original bok choy recipe (posted earlier) was bok choy, some bell pepper, and mushrooms in a lemon tahini sauce... Well, I realized the bok choy I bought this time was nowhere near as big as last time, so if i wanted it to last for 6 meals (today through Friday), I needed to ration it! But I didn't want to end up being TOO hungry at dinner. (And a side note: I've talked about this before on Facebook, but I don't know how much here. I keep losing weight. "AWESOME!" you might say. Well, at first. But I'd like to STOP losing weight at some point haha. I am current;y 5ft 6 and was 111.5 this morning. And that's not a weight I think looks good on me, HA. So, I am trying my hardest to hit all my macros and/or even go up to 25g net carbs. So, depending on where you are in your journey, you might be confused why I am so determined to get to my carb/fat "goals" every day when you often hear them as a "max" or a "lever"... well, there's why! If I STOP at 112 or 113, I will be okay, but I'd like to get back to 114-116. And today I was working on recipes, so I skipped lunch, so I had a LOT of ground to make up for if I wanted to stick to my macros for today... So anyway....) So... here I am... under my macros... under bok choyed... but I was also over-vegetabled since I did skip lunch and I also had a left over zucchini from my curry soup last week.... So I looked at my recipe... looked at the fridge... looked at my Lose it! tracker... back at fridge... You get the picture. I ended up changing the recipe to be...
AND WOW! YUM!!! I love being able to fit so many vegetables in (and so many DIFFERENT ONES!) because so many people think you can't do veggies on keto! You SO CAN! You just have to plan for them! And I was able to do all these (mushrooms, zucchini, bell pepper, bok choy AND spinach!) and I was STILL only at 19g net carbs for the day!!! Now, had I eaten lunch, I would have had the spinach with lunch, and gone over 20 carbs with the broccoli, but maybe I wouldn't have added in the zucchini that way... Or done less bell pepper... who knows...? My point is, don't be afraid to try new things. Have a low carb veggie left over from an old recipe? Toss it into a new one! Didn't like the mushrooms I suggested in the bok choy (you know who you are haha!), don't add them! The zucchini here would be a great swap for that! Just have fun with your food! I LOVE cooking, so if I couldn't have fun and experiment with ingredients.... then I would NEVER last on vegan keto! This needs to be a lifelong thing, because keto is for so much more than weight loss (I mean, I am exhibit A... I'm 5 pounds below my goal weight and I could easily CARB UP and gain that 5 pounds back [ I can think of at least a dozen foods I'd love to do that with LOL] but all my inflammation would come back, and with it, all my symptoms. And, quite frankly, I am enjoying life pain free! Bloat free! CFS free (well... mostly haha). Someone asked me where I was going to go on my first cheat meal/meal after keto... I was like... these are foreign words to me... "cheat"... "after keto"... What do you mean? But seriously, keto isn't a fad diet for me any more than veganism was... I will always be vegan, and now I will always be keto. My body needs me to! So, hopefully I didn't ramble too much! I just wanted ya'll to know that this diet SHOULDN'T feel restrictive. It SHOULDN'T be frustrating... You should have all your same joys of cooking, and eating, and trying new things! There's just a... shift in what those new things might be. But if it's going to be sustainable, it can't be boring! Now I'm really done for tonight!!!Until next time.
Keto on! Vegan Keto Madi |
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About MeI have been carb-loving vegan for over a decade, but carbs stopped loving me as I approached 30... Archives |