But Why Ketogenic Lifestyle?

But Why Ketogenic Lifestyle?, is by no means to tell anyone what to do; I do not have the answer for a happy life (Thank God).

But I am confident in sharing personal experiences that made a positive influence in my life for the past 2 years.

The first time I knew about this lifestyle was from a friend (who I dearly care); she has been for quite some time in the fitness world and always had the latest tips to share.

Back in Buenos Aires, we were living our daily life when she came by to visit and started explaining what Keto lifestyle was and how it was making her and her husband feel good, energized.

However, what I do remember the most is when she said a few things here and there about the sacrifices that would be required before start looking at results.

Basically, it would take to build a new lifestyle, starting from scratch, rejecting almost everything that we were taught that was correct, delicious and special.

Say What; Again?

Needless to say, how scared the sh*t out of it I was when finding that I would have to cut almost all carbs out of my life.

Because not only I loved Carbohydrates, loved sweets, loved my fast food, pizza, cakes, huge amounts of sugar in my coffee every morning. You name it; the list was endless.

But, in general, I would say, when no one was there and by no one, I mean, myself. My toxic relationship with food always gave me temporary happiness and satisfaction “well deserved” (whatever that means).

And let’s not forget, I was insulin resistant which organically speaking, made me crave them even more.

The idea of restricting the only macro I used to reward my hard work with; made me tremble.

And that’s precisely why it caught my attention. I mean, why the attachment to it? I wondered.

Lets go back for a moment here…

I come from a country where the beauty field is seriously taken. In Venezuela, beauty pageants such as Miss Venezuela, Miss Universe are a huge part of our essence and culture.

All this beauty, fitness culture is added to our bones; so, as Venezuelan women, the pressure to be thin and beautiful is something I have come to realize; we have in common with… every other part of the world? perhaps?

Now, do not get me wrong, I love make up, I love getting my hair done and basically, I do believe that if that is what women truly want, they should go from diets to plastic surgeries, make up, spa treatments, all the way. No regrets. Go for it.

The biggest problem I encounter with beauty business as a huge part of our essence and culture, is that it’s all about what I like to call “the shell beautification”.

Shell beautification: be like a shell, be there and say nothing, be there and do nothing; constantly trying to fit In, ever having the need to find that the pearl truly is inside.

but what is beautiful?

I still don’t have a concrete answer for that; but anyways, just wanted to point this previous matter before making my point of But Why Keto lifestyle?.

So yes,

Coming from a country like Venezuela, where beauty business as lifestyle is part of our culture.

For those who didn’t truly fit into this culture, where more so left out, feeling insufficient or damaged somehow. Piling this enormous amount of anger, sadness and nonconformity for a reality as empty and flat as the most expensive beauty pageant ever existed.

So, thanks to our culture basically telling us since little, that the basic goal was to be thin and perfect regardless of the healthy or unhealthy ways to get there; the types of diets that I remembered did when younger, always left me hungry, anxious, depressed and again, feeling insufficient or damaged for not being able to pursue this crazy goals and standards.

Needless to say yo-yo effect was inevitable, causing even more painful emotions of inadequacy and low self-esteem, making the recurrency of new weight loss products and fast-burn fat diets. (Talking about toxic cycles)

Years passed by and by now in Buenos Aires, I had enough extra pounds, dieting failures, and accumulated emotions to say.

I need something radical and different and when I find it, I will know because nothing can be fucking worse than this.

I will always say this; those of us who are disconnected are the most vulnerable. We are fresh meat for huge companies that wants to sell everything they make, with the label of true happiness on. Especially Food companies.

It is so unfair to be played like this.

It is our food we are talking about and every day it is manipulated for money.

Every day, we get sicker, and it is all for profits. (this blows my mind every time, for real)

And as I have previously discussed, the slogan, the message marketing companies sell to us day and night is:

Even though you are not sufficient, even though you are not Enough and will never be. Here is the solution that might solve your problem, that might let you fit in. So come, eat this, buy this, take this; clutter this; online shop this. Because as long as you get addicted to it, everything is the way it should be.

In the end and thanks to my marvelous friend and my piles and piles of anger, unresolved inner shit, and my willingness to pursue change. I started to dig about Keto.

After a year and a half, 5 books later (and going) in the matter, and almost 67 pounds less. I feel like it was worth it, I am feeling more energized, focused and connected to life and myself than I’ve ever been in my entire life.

Emotions are being processed now, such as good food, and just in general and even with covid involved, life has never been so beautiful and awaken, as in now.

Here’s information about it, hope you find it interesting enough to maybe considering, giving Keto Lifestyle a try.

But Why Ketogenic Lifestyle?: What is Keto Anyways? (healthline)

The ketogenic diet (or keto diet, for short) is a low carb, high fat diet that offers many health benefits.

It involves drastically reducing carbohydrate intake and replacing it with fat. This reduction in carbs puts your body into a metabolic state called ketosis.

When this happens, your body becomes incredibly efficient at burning fat for energy.

It also turns fat into ketones in the liver, which can supply energy for the brain (6Trusted Source).

 

 

 

There are several versions of the ketogenic diet, including:

• Standard ketogenic diet (SKD): This is a very low carb, moderate protein and high fat diet. It typically contains 70% fat, 20% protein, and only 10% carbs (9Trusted Source).
• Cyclical ketogenic diet (CKD): This diet involves periods of higher carb refeeds, such as 5 ketogenic days followed by 2 high carb days.
• Targeted ketogenic diet (TKD): This diet allows you to add carbs around workouts.
• High protein ketogenic diet: This is similar to a standard ketogenic diet, but includes more protein. The ratio is often 60% fat, 35% protein, and 5% carbs.

For more information in relation to Keto diet, I suggest you to come to this website: www.healthline.com

Dear reader, now you know among other things, what is Ketogenic Diet and what would be the reason of me taking this path, however, for the purpose of this post, I will not be detailing the multiple scientific health benefits and statistics ketogenic lifestyle has to offer; I will leave this information for later, as time and life goes by.

Life as we know, is not easy. It is a daily attempt to balance. All we can do, is our best to try to remain brave and have the courage to face the vicissitudes of life.

I believe it is our duty to go after our best potential, to try out new ways, especially the ones we are afraid to try.

To me Ketogenic Lifestyle, provided a window of wisdom related to food and how it influences our body.

One day at the time, you start learning about real food, about how your psychology is influenced by what you eat, not only in long term but in short term also.

Learning how to eat, according to your own needs is an art itself.

I see nowadays so many people talking so much about self-care, yet they still fight against the idea of surrender the “well deserved” afternoon piece of cake, not knowing (or maybe avoiding) the damage sugar and high processed carbohydrates does to their body and psyche.

By the way we eat, I’ve encounter, we show ourselves one of the primary ways to take care of our mental health and basic wellbeing.

It is the primary cycle we need to fix in order to reach out for a new level of awareness. A new healthy reality.

A Well Deserved One.

I know at the time, I urgently needed a new reality and even though Ketogenic Lifestyle at first felt, like a thousand needles going through. (Everywhere I turned, I remembered, was a temptation at the time).

And even thought, with Ketogenic Lifestyle, I was not being able to fill my void with carbohydrates and sugar and unbalanced processed shitty foods; subsequently producing an uncomfortable withdrawal syndrome with deep internal confrontations.

In return, after some time and lots of do’s and dont’s, I have come to find something much greater.

 A better Mental Health. Low levels of anxiety, improvement in attention, memory and focus,  better psychical state. No more insulin resistance or sugar issues (which is the cause for emotional disbalance for many of us). No more void. Newly found, Inner Peace and Internal Calmness. Unadulterated tastes, and a beautiful sensation of connection between who I am, and who I would like to become.

Although it might look radical, it is truthful. It invites you to love what is already there, unmodified and if you feel like doing something different, (and this is the best part); it invites you to cook, to have you as the main character of this process.

No food have to be processed if you don’t want it to be and if you do want to purchase something, this Ketogenic Lifestyle makes you to really read into the back labels of what you are going to buy; it invites to really see what you are getting for yourself.

But Why Ketogenic Lifestyle?, because It invites you to really get in charge of your wellbeing since day one.

Keto has existed for more than 100 years now, but its quite interesting to see how we need it now more than ever.

In another words, we need to erase from humanity the “losing weight, wanna be thin culture” once a for all. Stupid goal; still destroying lives nowadays.

I truly hope someday that this will stop be used as marketing. It implies the “shell beautification” is still very much alive.

Losing weight comes subsequently to changing your life for the better, by finally feeling good within. Not the other way around.

And learning what you need and going for it, to take it in your own hands and actually achieving it, from the inside out, is something worth while trying it out.

Ketogenic Lifestyle shows you a path where through work, persistance and no taking processed shortcuts but actually looking for the real taste of things,  lets you by first hand, achieve greater things for you and those around you.

Till Next time,

Sending you love Always,

Eugenia R