Keto - Tips

A coworker started Keto with his wife a few days ago.  Since I have had success with Keto with I/F, I shared some of my tips.  Here they go.

• Start with low-carb first.  It's easier if your target is 100 grams per day than 50 or 20 but you'll get there.
• Next add some 16/8 intermittent fasting (IF).  Skipping breakfast isn't that hard.  Have some coffee.  Work. Light exercise like walking.
• At night, even on a 16/8 IF, bone broth can get you over the hump.  1/2 scoop of bone broth is about 20 calories of protein.  It might or might not break the metabolic pathway that you're on but it will get you past hunger for about 2 hours and into sleep.   Don't forget to add some salt.
• Pink Himalayan salt crystals are supposed to be high in minerals.  At least they're high in salt.  When you're nearing the time for your next meal, a crystal on the tongue can take away the hunger feelings at least for a few minutes. 
• Keep the snacking down to reduce the number of insulin spikes.  It's the insulin that's going to break the positive effects of not eating.  Between lunch and dinner I sometimes add heavy cream to my coffee as a lunch extender.  I find it keeps hunger at bay for 2 hours.
• Some foods that work, even if they're not 100% keto
• Stouffer's spinach souffle.  20 grams of carbs but pretty good for a low-carb start
• I make spinach souffle using a modified Martha Stewart recipe with flax meal instead of the flour.  It's even lower in carbs.
  
• Frozen oven baked rolled chicken. 250-400 calories each, depending on which flavor you get.  You have to read the labels carefully.  Some have as few as  8 gram of carbs for each chicken breast.
• Cauliflower pizza crust.   The ones with no carbs. I get them on Amazon. Then add tomato sauce, cheese, and anchovies to taste.  Whole Foods is now selling a frozen low-carb crust.  Don't forget the anchovies.
  
• Fat bombs. Make them or get on Amazon.  Not the best idea but tastes good.
• Shiratake Mushroom Rice or spaghetti.  Add to a meal as a filler.  It works pretty well and, as best as I can tell, it really doesn't have carbs.  I sometimes mix with eggs and shredded cheese for breakfast, usually at noon.  I avoid the ones with soy.  There are at least two companies to get them from Miricle Noodle and Skinny.
  
• Bacon and eggs.  No sugar used to cure the bacon.  It's not that hard to find.
• Lamb.  I usually get a New Zealand rack from Trader Joe's
• Cheese. Stick with the high fat versions
• Nuts.  Pecans, walnuts, Brazil nuts, and macadamia's.  I stay away from the rest as much as possible but almonds are the next best nut that is easy to find.
• Keto Chow has worked for me with either heavy cream or avocado oil.  
• "Best Fats" from InsulinIQ worled very well while traveling because it has the fat in the mix. I put my scoop into a empty water bottle while traveling in Japan in 2019 and at lunch time I found some water to mix it up. 
  
• I try to get two meals a week as "Salad meals".  Don't forget to add avocado, bacon, walnuts, cheese, olives and ... oh yea, vegetables.  Stay away from carrots and beans.
• You will needs some snacks for when the going gets tough.  I like "Just the cheese bars" and Chomps meat sticks.  Chomps you can get at Trader Joe's but Amazon has both.
• Olive bar. An easy way to add taste.
• Indian restaurants work.  Go for the tandoori.  Chinese and Mexican restaurants do not work well. 
• I make a batch of Jambalaya from Carl Franklin's Keto site 2KetoDudes.  The key here is to use Shiratake Mushroom Rice instead of real rice.
• I make chili by the batch using my own recipe.  No beans, Meat, vegetables including cauliflower and bok choy