I would love to promote the paleo ketogenic diet. I started it with Dr. Zsofia Clemens and was strict about following the guidelines. I was a bit skeptical, but I followed them. I warned Natalie Daniels, her assistant, that my seizures are not that frequent. In fact, I didn’t think I would have a seizure during the two-week follow-up. I was right. I had one seven weeks into the diet and then again at nine weeks. Was this an improvement in my seizure pattern? Not really.
So, I took a break during the holidays. I indulged and then had a difficult time getting back on the diet. In the end, when my cousin announced he was doing whole30, I jumped on board. It was a great way to ease my way back to the Paleo Ketogenic diet. Dr. Zsofia Clemens speculated that I needed more time on the diet. That could be, but it was extremely difficult to get through the social pressures of the holidays when the diet hadn’t prevented any seizures.
So, now I’m kind of back on it. Did it prevent my last seizure? No. But I’m in peri-menopause. My seizures are showing up at regular intervals around the time of my menstrual cycle or the mid-point of my menstrual cycle when the progesterone drops and the estrogen increases. I can tell because I get gas and it can’t be from eating any beans. All I eat is meat.
Staying Positive
It is difficult for me to read about the successes of carnivore or paleo ketogenic diet sometimes. I didn’t feel terrible going into the diet and after almost two months this go-round, I haven’t really seen any health improvements so to speak. I know that Kelly Hogan got rid of her boils on a carnivore diet, but I had one appear on my gum this month.
I am doing all that I can to stay positive and stick with it. I think that if I can get a full six months into the diet, I may be able to achieve some results. I’m just hoping that I don’t thin out too much in the process.
Supporting Local Farms
One of the great things about doing this diet is supporting the local farms. I have started buying high-quality meats from a local farmer. She gave me some free fatback because I had raved about it and it wasn’t a big seller for them. It has been really fun to get to know local farmers and to support their operations. I don’t like to buy things from Amazon so much now that they are becoming this giant behemoth.
Eating More Fat
Part of the paleo ketogenic diet is eating more fat. This is incredibly satiating and delicious. It does take some getting used to at first especially when you aren’t using butter and dairy to increase your fat intake. For me, I buy pastured pork fatback and slice it into pieces to add to my meals. I sautee it until it starts to turn a little translucent around the edges. It tastes better than bacon and complements the random low-carb veggie very well!
I tend to eat the same foods each day, so I find it a bit challenging to think of things that I can write for my website. The same foods every day do get a bit mundane, but they are oh-so-delicious! I will try to keep this website update with how my health is improving. Peri-menopause really changed my hormones and gave me more seizures, which was disappointing. They do seem to be milder and easier to recover from on this paleo ketogenic diet. I’m hoping that they go away and the hair regrows in the next four months. I’ll keep you posted!