Everyone knows it is NOT easy to change your lifestyle. I say lifestyle, as I do not want to refer to what I do as a change in diet. With not only eating healthier, more nutritiously but also a ketogenic “diet” or way, I am a new person. Going Keto, has not only been the easiest transition I have ever made but the right one for me to finally loose those unwanted pounds.

I honestly got tired of saying to myself over and over again, “I gotta loose weight!” I was exhausted with trying on clothing that was tight and didn’t fit the way it should. I was done with it. Ask your self, do you listen to your inner “self”? Are you tired of arguing and debating with those voices if you should eat that, and then feeling guilty when you make a bad food choice? Stop listening to those voices! Start to say to yourself, “I can do this!”, “I am success and can be with this too!”
I have had to turn down donuts, freshly baked sourdough, incredible pasta dishes and there is no question it was very hard to do. The benefit in the end has been, I fit into my clothing better and had to purchase new smaller sizes, and overall feel like I have more energy.

What I eat in a day? Three to four days a week I fast in the morning, with a Bullet Proof Coffee.

I am premenopausal... there I said it! In a very short time I am going to hit the BIG 5-0! I have already started with the occasional hot flash and spotty cycles. It's annoying to say the least. 
Recently I came across an article on the website, PrettySustainableMillenial. This being said, I am far from a Millenial! However, this article talked about Seed Cycling. This is something that has been known to work for all hormone imbalances. Seeds are a great tool you can use for not only fertility, but also menopausal hormones. By using this 2 cycle rotation you can help raise your estrogen levels when its most needed, then for the second half of the month, produce more progesterone. All with the change of seeds. 

Starting at the beginning of your cycle pumpkin seeds and flax seeds are estrogen boosters. Then on Day 15 switching to sesame seeds, sunflower seeds and evening primrose oil can aid with progesterone boosting. As the website suggests, you can add this to smoothies, salads, yogurt or even energy balls. If you get creative, you can make your own seed crackers as well! PrettySustainableMillenial suggests 1 Tbsp of each seed daily, ground fresh. 

I am going to give this a try and start. I will let you know how this works! It can never hurt to eat some great seeds on a regular basis. 

My fave is mushroom pizza, but you can add virtually anything your creativity can think of. Other combinations I have done: Brussels sprouts and gorgonzola with walnuts, straight pepperoni, vegetarian and olive, feta, spinach and artichoke. It’s limitless.
I usually add a salad to it for a nice balance. This evening we did a kale salad.

This was a super quick and easy weeknight dinner for us. It would be easy to make vegetarian or with some bacon! I used turkey bacon for a change. The whole process for a meal that feels more like an exploded Mac & Cheese takes about 40 minutes before your eating. Easy meals during the week much more convenient to get other things done or maybe get a quick workout in. Which is great and what I was able to do after this dinner,

You will want to do this recipe many times!

Keto Loaded Cauliflower

Preheat oven to 350F
1 Medium to large cauliflower
1 cup shredded cheddar
1/2 c cream cheese
1/4 to 1/2 sour cream
1/4 cut green onion
2 slices turkey or regular bacon
1 cup mushrooms
1/2 onion
Fresh or powdered garlic (1 tsp)
Add in roasted red pepper, if desired

To get started, cut and boil or steam the cauliflower till tender. I used a whole head as it was medium size. While this is happening sauté the mushroom and onions, add in fresh garlic or use some powdered garlic. This is what I did.

Drain cauliflower, place back in the large pot used to cook. Add in the cream cheese, sour cream, cheddar, cooked mushrooms and onions, and cooked bacon (if desired) and any remaining ingredients. Place in oven preheated to 350F. Cook till cheese melted.

Do you need an easy dinner? After the holiday time all that turkey and turkey, turkey, it’s nice for a little change! These are very easy and will take a total of 20 minutes to place on the table.
Over the past year I have mastered the cheese and egg chaffle. When I first heard this term, I needed to look it up! It seemed so odd to me. I bought my mini dash waffle maker and I’ve never looked back. Chaffle’s are a low carb alternative to bread. Easy and quick. Chaffles are 120 calories and less than 1 gram of carbs.



Low Carb Keto Chaffles
Ingredients:

1 lb ground beef
Taco seasoning mix
Salsa
Homemade guacamole (This only takes 2 avocados and Aji Guacamole Mix)
Cheese for taco
Lettuce or spinach for taco
For chaffle shell:
1 egg
1/4 cheese
Sour cream, if desired

To make the chaffle “taco” shell:

1 egg
1/4 cup cheese (I use cheddar)
Beat egg with fork, add in cheddar. Place half mixture in a hot mini dash. Cook, take out when complete and cool on wire rack. Do this again with the rest of the mixture. You are done!

Once this is done, complete the rest:

Fry the ground beef in pan, drain liquid once cooked. Add in taco seasoning with 3/4 water. Simmer till thickened.
Once the Chaffles are made, place together tacos in this order: Chaffle, guacamole, spinach/lettuce,  seasoned ground taco meat, cheese and salsa. Add sour cream if desired.

How can you possibly think of going to the theatre to watch the latest and greatest blockbuster with no movie popcorn! It’s almost unheard of. I never thought I could go without that delicious buttery salty treat they always overcharge you for at the movies. However, when you are trying to maintain and watch you calorie and carb intake, popcorn sadly does not make the “good” list of snacks. From a small at about 41 grams of carbs up to a large refillable can be 148 grams. There can be a large fat intake with the added butter, however the carb count and the calories outweighs this. Be aware that not all theatres allow you to bring outside snacks or drinks. Please check ahead of time before your go.

There are alternatives! Lots. It is all about your mindset. If you are determined to make the choices you know will be beneficial to your ultimate goal, you can do anything! The best approach for you is to plan ahead and pack your own snacks. A few of my goto’s for the movies, along with my bottles sparkling water, are pecans, kale chips, seaweed snacks (always and acquired taste) beef jerky, parm crisps or pork rinds. These are are very low in carbohydrates and calorie counts. Of course, everything in moderation! So the next time you are thinking of that heavy carb movie popcorn, try an alternative to get your munch on!

With the holidays cruising through to an end, I am already thinking about January and my nutrition plans! We all fall off track, it is allowed and expected through holiday time. I have had an amazing year with weight loss, stress level and a newfound happiness. Although it started way back in 2016 when I made the education leap to “go back to school” for the Registered Holistic Nutritionist program. I learned along the way and realized, I had a lot to learn, I changed my eating habits. But January 2018, I was activity conscious and serious about an eating plan. In January 2019 I switched my diet to a ketogenic way of eating and my transformation took a new turn.

Since embracing the keto, low carb lifestyle, I am no longer bloated, I have more energy and am feeling in control of my choices, I love the way I feel and have never fit my clothing better! I had to purchase some new clothes as most of my wardrobe was starting to be overly loose.

With Holistic Nutrition however, is is not all about your eating plan or choices. It is also important to consider your exercise routine, supplementation, stress deflating techniques and your sleep. There was a time in which my job was very stressful, I was not getting enough sleep and exercise was non-existent. With some changes to my career, buying earplugs and practicing relaxation methods, as well as a regular exercise routine, my weight greatly reflected to the changes I was making.

Losing weight or making any changes to your regular routines, is not easy. It is hard, I’m not going to sugar coat it! But the rewards of everyday changes are overwhelmingly wonderful! When your friends and family notice the differences, you know at that point that everything you have been working hard for is paying off. The key at that point is to maintain and do not give it up! So embrace the holidays and look forward to January! It is a new year, 2020! This can truly be the year for you!

For the first year being Keto it was hard for me to fathom not having.rum and and eggnog. Then I read the back of an eggnog carton at the store and was overwhelmed by the carb and sugar count. 21g of sugar which equals 21g of carbs, a lot. Too much for my new keto lifestyle.  I needed my eggnog! So, I researched and blended several recipes I came up with the perfect thick nog. When its paired with ice and rum, the perfect holiday cocktail.

This is a very easy recipe. Be prepared to take a few hours to have it ready for entertaining. There are two parts. The first part involves cooking until the temp 160F. Cooling this mixture, once cooled the second part is to whip the heavy cream, fold and whisk in. About two to three hours from the start of this process, you are adding in rum and adding a sprinkle of nutmeg.

First, separate the 8 eggs, I saved the egg whites for an omelette.


The huge difference in a “keto” eggnog is the lack of sugar. I use the Swerve Icing sugar as this give a smoothness. But any erythritol or sugar free substitute will work. 




Add in the spices... 
I love the Trader Joe’s Pumpkin Pie Spice!

 My favourite part of the holiday season is visiting with friends and family. With my family, grazing on great food on Christmas Eve, laughing and catching up! Finding the time to create great and delectable food can be challenging So, looking for easy and appealing to all is the key. The ultimate board can work for vegetarians, keto, non-keto and regular folk as there is choices for everyone. My vegetarian son avoided the meat areas!

One of the easiest appetizers to make is the charcuterie board. This is a board of meats, cheeses, olives, crackers ( I have some low carb options), spreads, marinated veggies, nuts, berries and herbs for filler and a rustic look. It is super easy, creative and fast! Of course it’s easy to overindulge, so moderation is the key. A times like Christmas, entertaining and special occasions completely allowed!

Some low carb options for crackers is cut cucumbers or parmesan whisps. The other delight about making an ultimate board, is you rarely use all ingredients at once! We did
the first board on Christmas Eve and the second on Christmas Day. You can stretch it out! I bought most of the ingredients at Granville Island Market. A local market, that is over the top with their shops and merchants. Fresh, fresh and more fresh is what you will find!

So, the next time you are trying to impress, or not, and just want to be easy and look like you know what you’re doing, try the ultimate charcuterie board.

Happy Holidays!