Well, my story might be a little different. I actually went on the ketogenic diet because I have stage 4B Hodgkin’s lymphoma. I did 6 months of chemotherapy in the winter of 2014 which didn’t end up working. The next step was a bone marrow transplant, but since it was summer I wanted to wait a few months and enjoy myself. I ended up seeing a naturopath who highly recommended the keto diet since cancer cells feed on glucose. I immediately got on it and had to search really hard for all the info. Ruledme helped me tremendously and made eating a lot easier and DELICIOUS. When I finally went in for scans a few months later before the bone marrow transplant I found out my tumours had barely grown (big surprise to doctors!) and I think it was all due to the diet. I may not have done it for weight loss reasons (I’m not a very big girl to begin with) but I did end up shedding around 15 pounds. The website was also great for friends and family who got interested but didn’t quite understand it all.
Thanks ruled me!!!
What is your favorite recipe from Ruled.me?
Now that’s a hard question… I’ve tried so many different recipes from ruled.me over the last year and I guess it would depend on which mood I’m in. I’d have to say that right now the chicken enchilada soup is a top favorite since the cold autumn weather’s been back. I eat soups almost every day in the winter and this one in particular is so beautifully rich & creamy, a little spicy and oh so delicious. I’ve had many (non-keto) friends ask me for this recipe and it did not deceive!
What is your favorite ingredient to use when making ketogenic recipes?
This is a bit boring but I find a way to include nuts and seeds in many meals. They’re nice and crunchy, full of healthy fat, protein and fiber. What more could you want?
What is/was your motivation to keep on track?
I think my main motivation is my general well being. I know cutting out the sugars and carbs have done wonders for me in terms of health, fitness and even with my mood. I just have to focus on that and it’s been easier knowing there’s actually a lot more variety of meals out there than you’d think.
Did you ever encounter a stall? If so, how did you get over it?
Of course I’ve had trouble staying on the ketogenic diet especially when it comes to the social aspect of it. It can be pretty hard to eat out, snack and travelling is not easy. I got through it by always packing healthy snacks and by introducing my friends to new foods and explaining how great eating this way really is. They are so understanding and even encourage me. I just didn’t give myself the option to fail!
How did you hear about keto, and why did you start?
I was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma in November 2013 and proceeded to do 6 months of chemotherapy. I found out I didn’t get rid of the cancer when I got scan results back in June 2014. The oncology team wanted me to move on to a bone marrow transplant but I just wanted to enjoy my summer months first… I decided to see a naturopath in the meanwhile who told me all about the ketogenic diet and decided it would be a good alternative for the time being. I did it very strictly for a few months and when I was ready for the transplant, my scan (surprisingly) showed that my tumors hadn’t grown; I’m sure that not feeding the cancerous cells glucose had a huge part in that!
In what aspects have your life changed since going keto?
Well for one, I think it’s somewhat kept the cancerous cells under control, which was my main goal. But I got much more than that as a result… I lost some weight, I stopped being “hangry”, I really got into cooking, I didn’t have mood swings caused by blood sugar dropping, I became aware of the added sugars in all the products out there and I am now fully in control of what I put into my body! It’s truly been life changing.
What piece of advice would you offer to people that are just starting out on keto?
It will be hard – but oh so worth it! Just tough it out through the first few weeks and then you’ll realize how much greater you feel once in ketosis. Even your tastebuds will adjust and you’ll find some foods sweeter than they’ve ever been! More concretely, I’d say pack some snacks, track what you eat and explore new recipes!
What did you personally do in your first 2 weeks of keto? (i.e. Drink broth, go for a walk, throw food away.)
The first two to three weeks are the hardest. I was able to get through it by researching, doing major grocery runs and getting excited about recipes. I stocked up on ingredients I’d never even heard of. It’s so much easier when you love what you eat! Don’t settle with boring salads and bun less burgers – there is so much more out there. And ruled.me is a great place to start!
