What Will You Achieve in 2018?

As we close out 2017, many people are starting to think more about self-improvement in the upcoming year. They are setting their fitness, relationship and financial goals for the new year. Some people, like I did in the past, was to skip over the New Years Resolutions and convince myself that I was already the best version of myself. Heck, I wasn’t as bad off as that other person and I didn’t have to lose that much weight.

This year is going to be different. I am going to set goals that I don’t know how I will achieve. I am going to stretch myself further than I ever have done before. I will be setting New Years Resolutions AND most importantly, I will achieve them!

Share Your Goals

For the longest time, I didn’t want to share my goals with other people in case I failed at them. I didn’t want people to know that I wasn’t achieving what I set out to achieve. I thought they would judge me regarding how high I was setting my goals. This couldn’t be further from the truth. Most people are self-centered and not really thinking about you. A good friend will support you in your goals. They will want to see you achieve your goals. Your friends are your biggest cheerleaders. Tap into that positivity. It will help you get where you want to be.

This year, I’m going to start sharing what I will be working on more. I am giving up the snacking habit as well as sugar for 365 days! Yikes! That

Track Your Progress

This is another area where I have massively failed at. I don’t like tracking what I’m doing all that much. It is lazy of me. I worked with a chiropractor on nutrition response therapy for my alopecia. She had me write down everything I ate. I did well for the first few days and then I started filling it in on a weekly basis. I tend to eat the same thing each week, so I just tried to remember if anything was different that week. It was sloppy on my part. My hair didn’t grow back with the nutrition response therapy as I had hoped, but I gave it a year and a half to work. It just didn’t.

This year, I plan on tracking my workouts more! I have set a goal to do 100 burpees and some pilates every day. So far, I am up to 80 burpees in one day. I’m hoping as the year goes on these will get easier. I have been breaking them up into sets of 10. I’m using the burpees as a high intensity interval training to break up my workout. [easyazon_image align=”right” height=”500″ identifier=”B01K9S24SI” locale=”US” src=”https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/41fAB5J2DmL.jpg” tag=”mcurle08-20″ width=”387″]

In 2018, I plan on tracking my workouts with my fitbit! I love that my brothers got me a fitbit, but I haven’t been using it much. I got tired of wearing it around my wrist. However, it does have a great feature of tracking your fitness progress and levels. I can’t wait to see what I’ll be able to accomplish in the upcoming year!

Positive Affirmations

I listen to positive affirmations everyday. I do find that they change my day to day thoughts and help me to have a more positive focus and attitude. They tend to work best for me when I’m consistent in listening to them. I have listened to [easyazon_link identifier=”B001NPF4NY” locale=”US” tag=”mcurle08-20″]Setting and Achieving Goals[/easyazon_link] almost daily since October 1, 2017.  I have noticed a big difference in the amount of time that I spend on my goals. I have a tendency to give up easily, but since listening to Setting and Achieving Goals  of the Think Right Now series by Mike Brescia, I have started focusing more attention and time on the goals that I want to achieve.

For example, in the past, I wasn’t able to keep a blog up for longer than a month or two, but now I am going on four months with this fitness website. Writing about my fitness has helped to keep me on track. It has also helped me to improve my skills as a writer.

Daily Motivation

[easyazon_image align=”left” cart=”n” height=”500″ identifier=”0981363903″ locale=”US” src=”https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/513lCRxn-tL.jpg” tag=”mcurle08-20″ width=”328″]For the year 2018, I am going to motivate myself with the book, Achieve Anything in Just One Year by Jason Harvey. This book has inspirational quotes for each day. It gives you small assignments to get you focused on setting and achieving your goal. One thing about this that may be difficult for me to do is to get in the habit of remembering to do it everyday. However, if you can remember to do something everyday for 60 days, it becomes a habit. I just need to stick it out for the first sixty days and then I should be in the clear.

Conclusion

When you put your mind to it, it is amazing what you can achieve. However, sometimes the thing that stands in our way of where we want to be versus where we are now is our own excuses. We get comfortable with our life and the adaptations that we make to accomodate for poor health or bad habits. Change can take us where we want to be, but at the beginning change will always feel a bit uncomfortable. It is up to us to push through that discomfort and learn to do things a different way.

Don’t make the New Year’s Resolution to quit making resolutions. Set some goals and share them with us! There may be some ways that I can support you in achieving your goals whether they be related to finances or fitness. I may be able to connect you to someone who is the key to your success.

 

 

 

Stopping the Snacking Habit

[easyazon_image align=”left” cart=”n” height=”500″ identifier=”151701963X” locale=”US” src=”https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51BY%2BH1YRFL.jpg” tag=”mcurle08-20″ width=”333″]I love snacking, but snacking is just habitual eating. It really doesn’t keep me fueled up. I do it more for the enjoyment and the taste of the food. I do it out of habit. When I was living off of carbohydrates, I did it out of hunger. My body would burn the carbohydrate fuel fast and then suddenly I would be hungry. It became a habit to eat every time I entered a room with food it in. The holidays are the worst. People bake cookies and leave them out as treats. It is tempting to taste someone else’s baked goods.

Make no mistake, I still indulge in the occasional snack. I will taste test a friend’s efforts now and then. However, this post is going to talk about how I psychologically battle the urge to eat all the time.

Set the Goal

Decide that eliminating you snacking habit is something that you want to do. Write this intention down. To stay on track, you can place reminders around you house where you will see them. Place them in prominent places such as the refrigerator, on you mirror, and on you computer.

These will be reminders during the day to stick with you goal. You want to drill it into you subconscious that this new habit is part of you as well! I use the Think Right Now subliminal software program on my computer as I’m working throughout the day. This lets positive affirmations flash and expose me to positive thoughts throughout the day. It isn’t very obtrusive and I notice that I start to think some thoughts that are flashed at me quickly.

Remind yourself of the benefits of sticking with your goal to quit snacking. You will reduce inflammation in your body, reduce your risk of disease, discover more time for other tasks. Eliminating your snacking habit allows  you to focus better on your work and your hobbies!

Positive Affirmations

Repeating positive affirmations regarding you eating habits can help you will power tremendously. There are lots of positive affirmation recordings that you can purchase online to help you with this. Another great thing that you can do is to record you own positive affirmations. If you are stuck on how to construct positive affirmations, then you can always use google to find out how other people are putting theirs together. Some of my favorite positive affirmations for eating healthy are:

  • “I only eat when I am hungry,” and
  • “I love to eat healthy food.”
  • “I avoid snacking whenever possible.”
  • “I love to eat healing foods when I am hungry.”[easyazon_image align=”right” cart=”n” height=”336″ identifier=”B007O98NMW” locale=”US” src=”https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/411sjjchJhL.jpg” tag=”mcurle08-20″ width=”448″]

Put the affirmation in the first person and remember to keep it positive and targeted towards you goal.

Plan For Temptations

As Christmas is just around the corner, there are going to be many, many times when you are tempted with holiday foods. One thing to do is to plan to avoid the social situations altogether, which isn’t that much fun, or you can plan ahead. One thing to do is to decide that you will only eat a limited amount of the sweet treats. One thing to do is to bring you own healthy alternative to munch on. One thing to do is to construct a polite response in advance to refuse the foods.

Here are some polite ways to refuse a sweet treat.

  • “No, thanks. It looks lovely, but I’m not hungry.”
  • “That looks delicious, but I’m watching my weight.”
  • “Thank you for the offer. I’m focusing on eating healthy for now.”

Planning ahead of time keeps you in the mindset of achieving you goal. It also gives you an out when you are being tempted with lots of sweet and decadent treats. This helps you to resist unhealthy baked goods and unnecessary snacks. The more you focus on eating only when you are hungry, the easier it becomes.

Have a Consequence

If you slip up and start snacking on terrible food, you may want to assign a consequence to you action. Your consequence could be doing 100 push-ups, or 200 jumping jacks. It could be intermittent fasting the next meal, or eating kale and mustard greens (these are my least favorite greens, but they are very healthy). Assigning a consequence that puts you back on track in a healthy way helps you to not feel so terrible about getting off track on you diet. It pushes you to adopt healthier habits. It can help you avoid snacking if the consequence of snacking is eating a vegetable that you dislike or pushing you limits with exercise.

Conclusion

The holidays are going to happen. We are going to be tempted with sweet treats that aren’t healthy for us. The last thing that you want to do is allow yourself to wallow in self-pity or get so far side tracked that you can’t get you healthy habits back on track. One thing to do is to create a healthier lifestyle for you and you family. Keep in mind, better health is a marathon and not a sprint. You will get to the finish line, but there will be many times along the way that you want to quit. Keep it up. Connect with other people who are striving for better health. There are lots of great facebook groups and meet up groups that will support you and be positive about the changes that you are making in you life. Tap into those resources. As other’s life you up to success, you’ll find that you are able to share you own tips and tricks with other people and help them out as well! stop snacking

 

 

 

Creating Simple Ketogenic Meals in Minutes

I love cooking. Actually, I love to cook ketogenic meals FAST. I don’t like to prepare a lot and I like the satisfaction of eating a healthy meal after about 15 minutes of work. That is one reason the ketogenic meals that I prepare are simple. I have a few tips and tricks to make them delicious, but first and foremost, they are simple! Keeping it simple helps you to stick with it.

 

Focus on Meats and Veggies

When preparing a ketogenic meal, your mainstays are going to be vegetables and meats. When you start trying to make that fathead pizza or the ketogenic dessert cake, you are likely going to be disappointed that it doesn’t taste like the real thing and you spent more than 15 minutes preparing the ingredients and baking the dang thing. Avoid the disappointment and stick to focusing on consuming meats and veggies. You’ll discover that they taste great and can look really impressive to your friends and family.

When you think about your meal, try to focus on a vegetable and a protein. You’ll add the healthy fats in as you cook with healthy oils or with a salad dressing. Avocados can help you meet your fat intake as well.

The main things that I make on the ketogenic diet are a variation of the following:

  • Stir Frys
  • Salads
  • Roasts
  • Hamburgers (without the bun)
  • Soups

 

Make Use of Your Steamer

Get a steamer! It is one of the best time saving tools in my book. You can quickly[easyazon_image align=”right” cart=”n” height=”500″ identifier=”B00MA34AB0″ locale=”US” src=”https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/41k8s6uJCSL.jpg” tag=”mcurle08-20″ width=”400″] toss spinach, broccoli or cauliflower into the steamer and turn the knob for 20 minutes. That gives you an easy side dish. While it isn’t the star of the show, you can now focus on frying up a hamburger or sauteeing a chicken breast. The set it and forget it feature of a steamer enables you to clean up or walk away from the kitchen and come back to eat your meal without worrying that you are burning down the house! Steaming food is simple and easy.

One time saving tip that I have discovered is that you can cook your eggs in the steamer and they will come out perfectly! Whenever I tried boiling eggs, I had a tendency to overcook them and they would have that ugly green ring around the edges. Once you figure out the cook time for your steamer, it is just a matter of set it and forget it. You can do a whole dozen eggs in the steamer and have a quick breakfast or snack handy.

 

Instant Pots and Electric Pressure Cookers are Great!

Pressure cookers are wonderful when it comes to cooking a roast. While most of the time, I think that a steamer will do the trick for low carbohydrate veggies, my power pressure cooker does a fantastic job on a roast. After my father bought it for me as a Christmas gift, I discovered that I can tenderize all kinds of cheap meats at the grocery store in it. They tend to come out perfectly and all I have to worry about it remembering it season it! (That has slipped my mind a time or two.)

The downside of the pressure cooker is that the meal will take up to an hour to cook, but like the steamer, it has a set it and forget it feature. You just have to plan in advance when you want to start your meal and when you want to eat it!

Another great thing that you can use your electric pressure cooker for is to create wonderful soups. I love butternut squash soup. However, I hate dealing with the butternut squash. You can’t really cut it easily unless it has been cooked. Often the butternut squashes are larger than the steamer will hold, but they will fit inside the power pressure cooker. A whole chicken fits inside the power pressure cooker as well, so making stock with it is a breeze.

I use my power pressure cooker about once a week to make one of the following meals:

  • Pot Roast
  • Butternut squash soup
  • Chicken soup
  • Chicken or beef stock

Make Use of the Frozen Foods Section

I used to think that frozen foods were gross and not as nutritious as fresh. However, after reading up on how fresh foods can lose their nutrients in the transportation from farm to grocery to table, I rethought that concept. Now, i regularly pull out frozen chopped broccoli (chopped cooks faster than the broccoli florets or the larger broccoli cuts), sautee it up with sliced mushrooms and extra virgin olive oil. This takes all of 5-7 minutes of my time and tastes delicious. I sprinkle some herbamare on it for seasoning and I’m done! Quick and easy.

Convenience of Canned Meats

Canned meats sound disgusting to me. I am not a fan of spam, but I will admit that once I discovered that Costco has wild caught canned salmon, I started adding some canned meats into my diet. Wild caught fish is always going to be a better choice than farmed fish, so even though the canned salmon wasn’t fresh, it was a step above some of the fish in the market. [easyazon_image align=”right” cart=”n” height=”287″ identifier=”B005YQ1RO8″ locale=”US” src=”https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51XlwEQJS2L.jpg” tag=”mcurle08-20″ width=”500″]

I tend to use canned salmon to add a protein to my salads. I use canned tuna and mix it with mayonnaise to make a tuna salad that I can enjoy in a lettuce wrap, on top of a salad or on its own. It takes all of five minutes to mix it together and there is no cooking involved! It is easy, simple and inexpensive! Gotta love that!

 

Enjoy Fresh Sliced Veggies In Season

During the summertime in Virginia, there is nothing better than a sliced tomato. This year, the farmer’s market was my friend for snacks and side dishes. I bought up the large, beefsteak tomatoes and regularly sliced one and paired it with mozzarella cheese, olive oil and basil for a fun Italian side dish.

I also discovered that cucumbers and cream cheese dip is a fast ketogenic snack or side dish. Celery boats can be made with cream cheese and olive. It requires no cooking and just a bit of knife skills to get it right!

<<Click Here for a FREE Keto Cookbook for more recipes>>

 

 

 

Herbamare Seasoning Salt – My go to seasoning!

Herbamare seasoning salt  Review[easyazon_image align=”right” cart=”n” height=”500″ identifier=”B0002DU87K” locale=”US” src=”https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51tlO4stqrL.jpg” tag=”mcurle08-20″ width=”255″]

Name: Herbamare seasoning salt
Website: [easyazon_link identifier=”B0002DU87K” locale=”US” tag=”mcurle08-20″]amazon.com[/easyazon_link]
Price: $13.90 per bottle
Overall Rank: 90 out of 100

Herbamare seasoning salt, Product Overview

Herbamare is a seasoning salt that meets the autoimmune paleo guidelines! This is wonderful because the autoimmune paleo diet excludes nightshades, so there is no chili or pepper allowed. Sometimes I want more than just sea salt on my food and herbamare adds a touch more flavor than simple sea salt. It is a tasty blend of sea salt and celery salt, which adds a nice mellow flavor to it.

It contains organically grown sea salt, celery, leek, watercress, onion, chives, parsley, lovage, garlic, basil, marjoram, rosemary, thyme, and kelp.

Herbamare is a unique and original forumula by Alfred Vogel, which perks up your recipes in a very healthy way. The raw ingredients in this seasoning are used immediately following harvesting. Vegetables are brought in from the fields and finely chopped, mixed with real sea salt and allowed to markeate. After that, the mixture is dried with a vacuum. This processing brings out the fine flavor of the fresh vegetables. It yields a truly fresh condiment with a great flavor.

The Good & the Bad

The Good: Can be used on the autoimmune paleo diet, the Gut and Psychology Syndrome Diet, the Paleo diet, a vegan diet and the ketogenic diet.

PRO #1: Very versatile. Lots of different veggies to add a variety of nutrients to your diet.
PRO #2: Comes in a large shaker bottle. No need to put it in its own shaker.
PRO #3: Uses organically grown vegetables.

The Bad: Not available at my grocery store.

CON #1: It is not readily available at my local grocer’s anymore.
CON #2: I don’t like to wait two days for Amazon’s shipping to get my seasoning salt.

Who is Herbamare Seasoning Salt For?

I believe that herbamare was created for those who were looking to limit their salt intake. While herbamare does have salt in it, you would end up using less salt and replacing it with other seasonings.

Herbamare is great for people who are following the ketogenic diet and the autoimmune paleo diet. The seasoning salt meets the criteria and can help make your food more tasty! I use it on salads with a bit of olive oil and apple cider vinegar.

Herbamare Seasoning Salt Price

Herbamare costs $.78/ounce. It comes in a bottle that is 17.86 ounces or 500 grams.

When compared to other seasoning salts, Herbamare’s price is very competitive. Simply Organic’s all season salt comes in at $1.64 per ounce, which is double. However, all of the ingredients are organic. Kirkland’s signature no salt seasoning costs $.93 per ounce.

My Final Opinion of Herbamare Seasoning Salt

I love this product! As I am transitioning to the autoimmune pale/ketogenic diet, I’m discovering that this seasoning can spruce up boring veggies. I put it on salads when the dressing is simply oil and viengar and it perks the salads up. I love this seasoning salt!

Herbamare at a Glance…

Name: Herbamare seasoning salt

Website: [easyazon_link identifier=”B0002DU87K” locale=”US” tag=”mcurle08-20″ cart=”n”]Amazon.com[/easyazon_link]
Price: $13.90
Overall Scam Rank: 90 out of 100

VERDICT: LEGIT! I love this and it can easily be used as a salt replacement if you are watching your salt intake.

How to Increase Energy Levels Naturally

Around the holidays, many people are stressed out and tired! Lots of my friends don’t feel like they want to exert the extra energy required to complete their work and the holiday traditions. I can completely understand! Before I went all holistic on my doctors and ditched the medication, I would regularly spend nine or even ten hours sleeping. Part of that was a side effect of the seizure medications (yes, I was on two at once!) and another part of that was eating unhealthy foods.

Now, I have boundless energy and can muster it whenever I want! I know how to refresh myself after an exhausting day. I have learned certain tips and tricks that will take me from feeling run down to running around! This actually took me years to learn and master, but anyone can do it!

1. Learn to Breathe Correctly

When I was scouring the internet to discover natural ways to prevent seizures, I discovered the Buteyko breathing method. It is actually very simple to get started doing. Buteyko breathing exercises focus on increasing the body’s oxygen content in order to utilize it more effectively. Every organ in our body relies on oxygen and when we get depleted of our energy, it is an indication that our oxygen sources have lowered.

Breathing through the nose is essential not only to eliminating and cleaning the air that enters our body, but also to the proper gaseous exchange that happens in our lungs. Focus on breathing through your nose 24/7 and you will be well on your way to an increased level of energy and better health!

2. Drink Plenty of Water

In addition to lowered oxygen levels, we have started to consume more and more processed foods. This has a dehydrating effect on the body. Dehydration means that the body has to conserve water for the most essential organs. Therefore, you will start to feel run down, you may experience more colds when you are getting dehydrated.

3. Lower Your Carbohydrate Intake

I have experimented with a lot of diets over the years. One of the best diets for increasing your energy levels is the ketogenic diet. It is prescribed for people who have epilepsy, but is now being recommended to people who are also trying to lose weight as well as diabetics and those suffering from Alzheimer’s. While I hate being on a diet, I love the way that the ketogenic diet keeps me feeling full and feeling well fueled.

Carbohydrates will provide your body with energy, however foods that are heavy in carbohydrates create an inflammatory response in the body. Simple carbohydrates, such as those which are in sugary drinks, cookies and processed foods, burn through your system quickly. They spike the insulin levels as they provide a fast boost of energy.

The ketogenic diet focuses on reducing the carbohydrate intake to less than 20 net carbohydrates per day. The ketogenic diet focuses on getting your body to burn fat for fuel instead of carbohydrates. Ideally, you will be eating 75% of your diet will be healthy fats, such as grassfed butter, avocados, olive oil and coconut oils.

The great thing about the ketogenic diet is that once your body becomes fat burning, you don’t feel the need to snack on foods throughout the day, which frees up some of the time that you may have spent grazing on foods that were creating a sluggish feeling in your body.

4. Exercise!

It definitely sounds couter productive to exercise wehn you lack energy, but it i s one of the biggest boosts to my energy levels when I do exercise. It gets the cardiovascular system working, the blood flowing and delivering oxygen throughout my body. If I am feeling run down, but I still have plenty of things to do, I incrase my walking speed to a brisk pace. If I have some flexibility in my day, I take the dog outside for a breath of fresh air. It invigorates me. Exercising can increase your vO2 max, it can iimprove your stamina, it helps you to fall asleep and get more restorative sleep. Exercise will improve your energy levels. Make it a consitent practic and you will see your excess weight drop as well.

5. Essential Oils

Essential oils smell really nice. Honestly, I haven’t used this method to increase my energy that much. I am fascinated by them, but tend to forget about them. I learned about the seizure preventing effects of Frankincense and I purchased a bottle a year ago. It does seem to sharpen my focus when I smell it. That can lead to getting things done and improving energy levels as well.

My cousin recently gave me some DoTerra oils. The lemon essential oil smells bright and cheery. It is a quick pick-me-up!

Schedule an Energy Booster

These are all very simple thing that will increase the quality of your life. They will improve your energy levels and help you to accomplish more throughout your day, so why is it that we all struggle so much to squeeze in exercise when we know it will help so much? It is often because we don’t amke it a priority. We are trying to squeeze it in instead of ensuring that it is an integral and essential part of our day. I’m guilty of it as well. If you truly want to increase your energy, plan one of these activities into your day tomorrow and see how you feel after you do it. You’ll discover that it becomes easier and easier to do when it becomes a habit that is planned into your day. increase energy levels naturally

 

 

 

 

Free Keto Cookbook – Bacon and Butter

Bacon and Butter Review

Name: Bacon and Butter Ketogenic Cookbook
Website: Bacon and Butter
Price: FREE
Owners: Ketoresources.org
Overall Rank: 90 out of 100

Bacon and Butter Cookbook, Overview

This is an awesome resource for someone who is just starting out doing the ketogenic diet. It is an introduction to the ketoresources.org. The Bacon and Butter Cookbook is 249 pages full of recipes, photos and tips for implementing the ketogenic diet. It includes the following:

18 BREAKFAST RECIPES Do you need more variety than bacon and eggs on your diet? With this cookbook, you’ll receive 18 delicious ketogenic recipes, including Cream Cheese Pancakes, Eggs Benedict, Raspberry Scones, and Cheesy Avocado Baked Eggs.

  • 14 SCRUMPTIOUS SMOOTHIE RECIPES Enjoy delicious smoothies and shakes such as the Coconut Berry Smoothie, the Green Tea Smoothie, Double Chocolate Shake, the Avocado Blueberry Smoothie and many more!
  • 20 SUPER SNACK RECIPES As you adjust to the ketogenic diet, it can be tough to get through the afternoon without munching on something. These 20 ketogenic snacks can help you curb those cravings! This free keto cookbook includes recipes like Bacon Guacamole and Bacon-Wrapped Mozzarella Sticks. These recipes will help you stick with your ketogenic diet and reap the benefits of being in ketosis!
  • 15 KETO CLASSICS Are you worried that you’ll miss eating carbohydrate heavy dishes, such as macaroni and cheese and pizza? These classic recipes mimic some of your favorite dishes, such as cauliflower pizza, cheesy taco shells and zucchini lasagna! The keto classics will make it easier to stick with the ketogenic diet!
  • 15 SEAFOOD RECIPES Fish and seafood fits well into the ketogenic diet. You’ll love these delicious ketogenic seafood recipes: Coconut Shrimp, Crab Cakes, Salmon Avocado Sushi Roll and more!

 

  • 20 CHICKEN RECIPES You’ll receive 20 savory chicken recipes to satisfy a wide range of tastes. Recipes include Chicken Picatta, Chicken Parmesan, and Buffalo Chicken Wings.
  • 20 BEEF, PORK & LAMB RECIPES Get ready for some flavorful “Meaty Mains” with recipes like Bacon-Wrapped Pork Loin, Beef Brisket, Grilled Hanger Steak, Double Bacon Cheeseburger, and Herb-Crusted Lamb Chops.
  • 12 SATISFYING DESSERT RECIPES You will receive 12 sweet after-dinner treats to satisfy your sweet tooth — without  the carbohydrates. There are recipes for Lemon Cheesecake Bars, Coconut Truffles, and Double Chocolate Brownies.
  • THE #1 ENEMY OF THE KETO DIET – The hardest part of the ketogenic diet isn’t calculating the macros or the carbohydrates. It is the social pressure to eat carbohydrates. This cookbook gives you a positive way to respond to social pressure and stay committed to your goals!

The Good & the Bad

The Good:

PRO #1: It’s free! The digital version is completely free. The paperback copy requires you to pay for shipping.
PRO #2: You will discover fun, new recipes that are keto friendly!
PRO #3: Delicious recipes! There are a wide variety of flavorful recipes that you can choose from!

The Bad:

CON #1: They will try to upsell you on some products. It is a promotional.
CON #2: There is a stamp in the background of the cookbook that says that it is the a promotional cookbook. This is to discourage you from reselling it on your own for profit. The background stamp is not very distracting though. You can easily read the recipes and see the pictures.

Who is Butter and Bacon For?

This is for the ketogenic dieters who are looking to try new and exciting recipes. People with diabetes, epilepsy, alzheimer’s and obese individuals who are following the ketogenic diet.

Butter and Bacon Cookbook Price

This is a promotional offer. You will receive the digital version of the cookbook in exchange for your email address. Ketoresources.org is giving this away in order to upsell you on other products.

My Final Opinion of Bacon and Butter Cookbook

I actually found a lot of value in the Bacon and Butter cookbook. It was very thorough and provided a lot of information that is great for keto diet followers and those who are new to the ketogenic diet. The recipes were delicious and simple enough that even I could make them!

Bacon and Butter Cookbook at a Glance…

Name: Bacon and Butter Cookbook

Website: Bacon and Butter
Owners: Ketoresources.org
Price: FREE
Overall Scam Rank: 90 out of 100

VERDICT: LEGIT! This is a great way to get introduced to some new recipes. You can get the digital version or you can pay shipping and receive the paperback version.

Best Low Carb Sweetener for the Ketogenic Diet

[easyazon_image align=”right” cart=”n” height=”500″ identifier=”B01LLMUG22″ locale=”US” src=”https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/41RbbVj86WL.jpg” tag=”mcurle08-20″ width=”333″]Many people will disagree about whether you should use a zero carbohydrate sweetener when you are doing the ketogenic diet. I tend to avoid the low carb sweeteners and use them only for seasonal or special occasions. The best low carb sweetener in my opinion is Swerve.

Swerve Review

Name: Swerve

Website: [easyazon_link identifier=”B00AMPEPVS” locale=”US” tag=”mcurle08-20″ cart=”n”]Swerve Sweetener, Bakers Bundle, 12Oz Granular and Confectioners pack of 2[/easyazon_link]

Price: 9.99

Overall Rank: 95 out of 100

Swerve, Product Overview

Swerve is a low carbohydrate sweetener that is low in the glycemic index. It is great for people following the ketogenic diet as well as diabetics who are concerned about their glycemic index.

Swerve comes in a granulated form and a confectioners form just like sugar. Swerve measures out in the same ratio as sugar, so you can use it in recipes that call for sugar without making adjustments!

Swerve combines a mixture of erythritol and oligosaccharides to produce its sweetness. This reduces the aftertaste that you may find from erythritol alone.

Erythritol is a sugar alcohol, which is made by fermenting glucose with Moniliella pollinis, a natural microorganism. Erythritol is also naturally occurring in many fruits and vegetables, such as melons, asparagus and grapes. Erythritol is classified by the Food and Drug Administration as a zero calorie, four carbon sugar alcohol which will not impact blood glucose levels. This is great news for diabetics!

Oligosaccharides are the sweet, non-digestible carbohydrates, which are sourced from certain fruits and starchy root veggies. Oligosaccharides are prebiotic fibers. They are not only tasty, but they stimulate the beneficial bacteria in your gut as well!

 

The Good & the Bad

The Good:

PRO #1: Measures out the same as regular sugar.

PRO #2: Tastes similar to regular sugar. There is no bitter aftertaste.

PRO #3: Comes in granular and confectioners forms.

PRO #4: Non GMO!

The Bad:

CON #1: The price! It is more expensive than regular sugar.

CON #2: It does taste slightly different from sugar.

Who is Swerve For?

This sweetener is for people who are watching their carbohydrate count. It is ideal for diabetics who still want a sweet treat at the end of the day and people on the ketogenic diet, who are trying to keep their carbohydrate count below 20 per day.

Swerve Price

This is not cheap in my opinion. This is the biggest downside to zero carbohydrate sweeteners. They are more expensive than regular sugar. The great thing is that I rarely use it, so I am not buying it very often. It is about $.83 per ounce if you purchase the 12 ounce bag on Amazon. The price per ounce decreases with a larger size, so if you know you’ll be baking a lot of ketogenic dessert recipes around the holidays, you may want to buy the bigger size.

Swerve is available at many local grocery stores, however, I have found that the price tends to be better on Amazon and have included the link to Amazon on here. This may be due to the fact that the Washington, D.C. suburbs are expensive when it comes to food costs. It pays to comparison shop!

My Final Opinion of Swerve

I do enjoy using Swerve when I want a tasty treat. I use it in my panna cotta recipe, mug cakes and sometimes my smoothies if the berries seem a bit tart. I don’t want to develop a sweet tooth and crave sweets, so I only use the zero carbohydrate sweeteners on special occasions.

Swerve at a Glance…

Name: Swerve Zero Carbohydrate Sweetener

Website: [easyazon_link identifier=”B01LLMUG22″ locale=”US” tag=”mcurle08-20″ cart=”n”]Swerve Sweetener, Granular, 12 Ounce[/easyazon_link]

Price: 9.99/ 12 ounces

Overall Scam Rank: 95 out of 100

VERDICT: LEGIT! This is a great product for someone who is adjusting to a low carbohydrate lifestyle and still wants to enjoy the occasional sweet treat without ruining their diet!

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Should You Use Ketogenic Diet Test Strips?

[easyazon_image align=”right” cart=”n” height=”137″ identifier=”B01MCU8NJ6″ locale=”US” src=”https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51wMV1ED-PL._SL160_.jpg” tag=”mcurle08-20″ width=”160″]The ketogenic diet is gaining in popularity as it heals people from epilepsy, autism, Alzheimer’s and diabetes. Many people are using the ketogenic diet for weight loss and having excellent results. So, what are the ketogenic diet test strips that are discussed on Facebook and in support groups and how should you use them?

Ketone Test Strips

The ketogenic diet test strips are a way to measure the ketones in your urine. This is to determine if you are producing more ketones. The ketone test strips are simple enough to use. You simply urinate on the end of one of the strips and wait for it to change color.

Some people on the ketogenic diet use ketone test strips to test if they are sensitive to certain foods that may be ketogenic diet friendly but still have a negative impact on their weight loss. One of the common culprits that people discover during their keto diet is dairy.

Once the ketone test strip has changed color, you can compare the color of your test strip to the color chart on the bottle and get an idea of roughly how many ketones have been excreted in your urine. This will give you a better idea of if your body is producing ketones.

Cost of Ketone Strips

Ketone strips are a relatively inexpensive item to purchase and can easily be purchased from Amazon.com or your local grocery or drug store. They cost between $5-10 for a bottle of 100 strips. If you use the strips daily, you will have 3 months worth of urine analysis. That is very affordable for most people.

Effectiveness of Ketone Strips

Ketostix, Uriscan and other urine detection strips are not as accurate and may not work for some people. They only show excess ketone bodies excreted via urine (acetoacetate) but tell you nothing about the level of ketones in your bloodstream (BHB) which is most probably higher.
Once your body becomes fat adapted, ketone test strips will only show the excess ketone bodies that are excreted through your urine. These excess ketones are wasted calories. However, there are many different reasons for different levels of ketone bodies in your blood and urine.

One of the downsides of ketone test strips is that they don’t measure all of the different types of ketones your body produces. There are three types of ketones, acetone, acetoacetate and beta-hydroxubutyrate. Ketostix only measure acetoacetate. Based on your duration in ketosis, your body produces different types and amounts of ketones and you may not be able to detect actoactate once you become fat adapted.

It is important to keep in mind that after three to four weeks on a ketogenic diet, you may show high blood ketones and low or no urine ketones.

Fluctuations in your state of hydration will impact the concentration of ketones. A high water intake may dilute the concentration of ketones in the urine. It is very important to stay hydrated while you are measuring your readings. Make sure that you are also measuring and recording your fluid intake.

You ketone levels can fluctuate throughout the day based on your activity level and whether you have just eaten or not. When you are measuring your ketones, make sure that you are doing it consistently at a certain time each day.

Should You Use the Ketone Strips with the Ketogenic Diet?[easyazon_image align=”right” cart=”n” height=”500″ identifier=”B01MUB7BUV” locale=”US” src=”https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51Woq3VPp7L.jpg” tag=”mcurle08-20″ width=”417″]

My recommendation is to skip it unless you have a more serious medical condition, such as epilepsy or diabetes. I personally don’t track ketones because I am fairly close to my ideal weight. I do not want to stress out about the fluctuation in ketone levels. A day with erratic ketones won’t break your results on the ketogenic diet. I view the ketogenic diet more or less as a marathon rather than a sprint. You will develop healthier eating habits over time. For me, this would be the equivalent of stepping on a scale everyday and stressing out over the water weight fluctuation.

However, if you have hit a stalling point in your weight loss or can’t seem to get the improvement that you were seeking for your health, ketone test strips can be a helpful tool to give you a better idea of how the different foods that you are eating are affecting you.