Low Carb Letter to my Mom.
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mrsfancyab
Posts: 64 Member
For the past 3 years, my mom has suffered from seizures. She has be diagnosed with Epilepsy but we don't know what is triggering her seizures just yet. A few weeks back she had a petit mal seizure, followed by a grand mal which made her heart not function correctly. The fluids her heart couldn't pump went to her lungs. If it wouldn't have been for my dad coming home when he did, she would most likely been dead. Thank God for looking out for her...
On top of seizures she has high blood pressure & diabetes. I cannot remember what type of diabetes, but I know that before when she dropped weight she no longer had to take medication for it...
So I'm trying to get her to do a low carb lifestyle... Which research shows, doing ketosis has been known to help with epilepsy.
This has also given me a HUGE WAKE UP CALL! And I am back on low-carb & don't intend on ever going off. There are too many negative factors in my family's history working against me. I want to live the healthiest life I can.
I wrote a letter to her. I would like to share with you all, and if you can think of anymore basics to share with her that won't scare her off, lol... please let me know!
Mom this is the basics to a low carb diet. You will like it because you don't feel hungry. You don't feel like you're on a diet. The weight will fall off if you eat like this...
I've gave you a list of things to eat, and things to avoid. And a few recipes I've done & LOVE.
"Stay away from all "diet", "fat free", "low fat" foods. PERIOD! It is all added chemicals that are not good for our bodies. It is better for you to eat something with full fat than fat free.
I know you will want to treat yourself SOMETIMES. That's fine. But if you get like me, you'll start to see carbs are evil, and if you go on a carb binge you will feel sluggish & bloated.
You have to make sure you drink a lot of water doing this too, very important!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
OK so here you go. When I can I'll help you more. but if you start this you will see a big difference in how you feel. There are a lot of websites that discuss this too. It is going to feel very odd at first, cause you're basically eating things you've been told to stay away from. But it's not bad.
When you want sugar, eat fruit. After a couple of weeks of this you won't even want sugar at all. And when you taste something with a lot of sugar you'll be like OH WOW THIS IS SO SWEET. lol It really works.
There are so many stories online of people with diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol being able to come off their meds by doing this diet, and just feeling better overall. All the high levels of BP, Cholesterol etc... dropped too. It's amazing. Well here you go.
NO MORE BREADS, RICE, PASTA, OR POTATOES. NO MORE SUGAR, NO MORE STARCH!! NO GRAINS, OR OATS!!!! AVOID FAST FOOD LIKE THE PLAGUE!
The low carb wraps I got you are FABULOUS! and Different flavors. you can make pizza with them too. and it is delicious. they get crispy. I eat every day for breakfast. You can put any low carb toppings you want on it too.
FOODS TO EAT:
•Salad Greens (lettuce, spinach, cabbage) I EAT A TON OF CABBAGE AND SPINACH!
•Other Leafy Greens (Swiss chard or other chard, collard greens, kale, bok choy)
•Herbs (basil, parsley, cilantro)
•Other salad vegetables (radishes, sprouts, cucumbers, tomatoes)
•Other green vegetables (avocado, asparagus, broccoli, green beans, Brussels sprouts, okra, also cauliflower)
•Other non-starchy vegetables (summer squashes, peppers, green onions, eggplant, artichokes, mushrooms)
•If fruit allowed on your plan, servings of berries and melons and small peaches are good choices I EAT FRUIT NOW BUT I EAT MAYBE 1 or 2 PIECES A WEEK. BANANAS ARE HIGH SUGAR. YOU CAN GET MORE POTASSIUM FROM AVOCADO! ALL BERRIES ARE LOW CARB! IF YOU EAT A FRUIT EAT A PROTEIN WITH IT LIKE NUTS OR PEANUT BUTTER!
All Meat is ok!!! Fish, Chicken, WHATEVER! Meat is GOOD!
EGGS!
ALL DAIRY IS GOOD!
Cheese!
There is a low carb ice cream by breyers that is good! they even have fudge bars. but you eat 1 not the whole box. If you eat it, sprinkle some nuts on it, I like to get the chocolate ice cream it says carb smart, and eat with a lil peanut butter.
You can cook with butter, but since you have cholesterol issues now, don't do as much. use olive oil Food Lion sells & is not that expensive I cook my eggs in butter. Olive oil is good for you as you know. NO PARTIALLY HYDROGENATED OILS! Try not to use vegetable or canola oil either. If you cook with butter, make sure it is REAL butter, margarine is horrible for you.
ALL NUTS ARE OK! I think Cashew is the highest carb, but still good to eat!!!!!!!
That's pretty much it! You can do this!!
On top of seizures she has high blood pressure & diabetes. I cannot remember what type of diabetes, but I know that before when she dropped weight she no longer had to take medication for it...
So I'm trying to get her to do a low carb lifestyle... Which research shows, doing ketosis has been known to help with epilepsy.
This has also given me a HUGE WAKE UP CALL! And I am back on low-carb & don't intend on ever going off. There are too many negative factors in my family's history working against me. I want to live the healthiest life I can.
I wrote a letter to her. I would like to share with you all, and if you can think of anymore basics to share with her that won't scare her off, lol... please let me know!
Mom this is the basics to a low carb diet. You will like it because you don't feel hungry. You don't feel like you're on a diet. The weight will fall off if you eat like this...
I've gave you a list of things to eat, and things to avoid. And a few recipes I've done & LOVE.
"Stay away from all "diet", "fat free", "low fat" foods. PERIOD! It is all added chemicals that are not good for our bodies. It is better for you to eat something with full fat than fat free.
I know you will want to treat yourself SOMETIMES. That's fine. But if you get like me, you'll start to see carbs are evil, and if you go on a carb binge you will feel sluggish & bloated.
You have to make sure you drink a lot of water doing this too, very important!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
OK so here you go. When I can I'll help you more. but if you start this you will see a big difference in how you feel. There are a lot of websites that discuss this too. It is going to feel very odd at first, cause you're basically eating things you've been told to stay away from. But it's not bad.
When you want sugar, eat fruit. After a couple of weeks of this you won't even want sugar at all. And when you taste something with a lot of sugar you'll be like OH WOW THIS IS SO SWEET. lol It really works.
There are so many stories online of people with diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol being able to come off their meds by doing this diet, and just feeling better overall. All the high levels of BP, Cholesterol etc... dropped too. It's amazing. Well here you go.
NO MORE BREADS, RICE, PASTA, OR POTATOES. NO MORE SUGAR, NO MORE STARCH!! NO GRAINS, OR OATS!!!! AVOID FAST FOOD LIKE THE PLAGUE!
The low carb wraps I got you are FABULOUS! and Different flavors. you can make pizza with them too. and it is delicious. they get crispy. I eat every day for breakfast. You can put any low carb toppings you want on it too.
FOODS TO EAT:
•Salad Greens (lettuce, spinach, cabbage) I EAT A TON OF CABBAGE AND SPINACH!
•Other Leafy Greens (Swiss chard or other chard, collard greens, kale, bok choy)
•Herbs (basil, parsley, cilantro)
•Other salad vegetables (radishes, sprouts, cucumbers, tomatoes)
•Other green vegetables (avocado, asparagus, broccoli, green beans, Brussels sprouts, okra, also cauliflower)
•Other non-starchy vegetables (summer squashes, peppers, green onions, eggplant, artichokes, mushrooms)
•If fruit allowed on your plan, servings of berries and melons and small peaches are good choices I EAT FRUIT NOW BUT I EAT MAYBE 1 or 2 PIECES A WEEK. BANANAS ARE HIGH SUGAR. YOU CAN GET MORE POTASSIUM FROM AVOCADO! ALL BERRIES ARE LOW CARB! IF YOU EAT A FRUIT EAT A PROTEIN WITH IT LIKE NUTS OR PEANUT BUTTER!
All Meat is ok!!! Fish, Chicken, WHATEVER! Meat is GOOD!
EGGS!
ALL DAIRY IS GOOD!
Cheese!
There is a low carb ice cream by breyers that is good! they even have fudge bars. but you eat 1 not the whole box. If you eat it, sprinkle some nuts on it, I like to get the chocolate ice cream it says carb smart, and eat with a lil peanut butter.
You can cook with butter, but since you have cholesterol issues now, don't do as much. use olive oil Food Lion sells & is not that expensive I cook my eggs in butter. Olive oil is good for you as you know. NO PARTIALLY HYDROGENATED OILS! Try not to use vegetable or canola oil either. If you cook with butter, make sure it is REAL butter, margarine is horrible for you.
ALL NUTS ARE OK! I think Cashew is the highest carb, but still good to eat!!!!!!!
That's pretty much it! You can do this!!
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Replies
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Sorry so long!! I just wanted to share.0
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mrsfancyab wrote: »For the past 3 years, my mom has suffered from seizures. She has be diagnosed with Epilepsy but we don't know what is triggering her seizures just yet. A few weeks back she had a petit mal seizure, followed by a grand mal which made her heart not function correctly. The fluids her heart couldn't pump went to her lungs. If it wouldn't have been for my dad coming home when he did, she would most likely been dead. Thank God for looking out for her...
On top of seizures she has high blood pressure & diabetes. I cannot remember what type of diabetes, but I know that before when she dropped weight she no longer had to take medication for it...
So I'm trying to get her to do a low carb lifestyle... Which research shows, doing ketosis has been known to help with epilepsy.
This has also given me a HUGE WAKE UP CALL! And I am back on low-carb & don't intend on ever going off. There are too many negative factors in my family's history working against me. I want to live the healthiest life I can.
I wrote a letter to her. I would like to share with you all, and if you can think of anymore basics to share with her that won't scare her off, lol... please let me know!
Mom this is the basics to a low carb diet. You will like it because you don't feel hungry. You don't feel like you're on a diet. The weight will fall off if you eat like this...
I've gave you a list of things to eat, and things to avoid. And a few recipes I've done & LOVE.
"Stay away from all "diet", "fat free", "low fat" foods. PERIOD! It is all added chemicals that are not good for our bodies. It is better for you to eat something with full fat than fat free.
I know you will want to treat yourself SOMETIMES. That's fine. But if you get like me, you'll start to see carbs are evil, and if you go on a carb binge you will feel sluggish & bloated.
You have to make sure you drink a lot of water doing this too, very important!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
OK so here you go. When I can I'll help you more. but if you start this you will see a big difference in how you feel. There are a lot of websites that discuss this too. It is going to feel very odd at first, cause you're basically eating things you've been told to stay away from. But it's not bad.
When you want sugar, eat fruit. After a couple of weeks of this you won't even want sugar at all. And when you taste something with a lot of sugar you'll be like OH WOW THIS IS SO SWEET. lol It really works.
There are so many stories online of people with diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol being able to come off their meds by doing this diet, and just feeling better overall. All the high levels of BP, Cholesterol etc... dropped too. It's amazing. Well here you go.
NO MORE BREADS, RICE, PASTA, OR POTATOES. NO MORE SUGAR, NO MORE STARCH!! NO GRAINS, OR OATS!!!! AVOID FAST FOOD LIKE THE PLAGUE!
The low carb wraps I got you are FABULOUS! and Different flavors. you can make pizza with them too. and it is delicious. they get crispy. I eat every day for breakfast. You can put any low carb toppings you want on it too.
FOODS TO EAT:
•Salad Greens (lettuce, spinach, cabbage) I EAT A TON OF CABBAGE AND SPINACH!
•Other Leafy Greens (Swiss chard or other chard, collard greens, kale, bok choy)
•Herbs (basil, parsley, cilantro)
•Other salad vegetables (radishes, sprouts, cucumbers, tomatoes)
•Other green vegetables (avocado, asparagus, broccoli, green beans, Brussels sprouts, okra, also cauliflower)
•Other non-starchy vegetables (summer squashes, peppers, green onions, eggplant, artichokes, mushrooms)
•If fruit allowed on your plan, servings of berries and melons and small peaches are good choices I EAT FRUIT NOW BUT I EAT MAYBE 1 or 2 PIECES A WEEK. BANANAS ARE HIGH SUGAR. YOU CAN GET MORE POTASSIUM FROM AVOCADO! ALL BERRIES ARE LOW CARB! IF YOU EAT A FRUIT EAT A PROTEIN WITH IT LIKE NUTS OR PEANUT BUTTER!
All Meat is ok!!! Fish, Chicken, WHATEVER! Meat is GOOD!
EGGS!
ALL DAIRY IS GOOD!
Cheese!
There is a low carb ice cream by breyers that is good! they even have fudge bars. but you eat 1 not the whole box. If you eat it, sprinkle some nuts on it, I like to get the chocolate ice cream it says carb smart, and eat with a lil peanut butter.
You can cook with butter, but since you have cholesterol issues now, don't do as much. use olive oil Food Lion sells & is not that expensive I cook my eggs in butter. Olive oil is good for you as you know. NO PARTIALLY HYDROGENATED OILS! Try not to use vegetable or canola oil either. If you cook with butter, make sure it is REAL butter, margarine is horrible for you.
ALL NUTS ARE OK! I think Cashew is the highest carb, but still good to eat!!!!!!!
That's pretty much it! You can do this!!
I'll forward to you my recent writings to my own mother and aunt facing related issues later, but here are the few things that caught my attention.
Fast food does not have to be avoid. Just more selective. I can always get a burger without a bun or taco salad or sides pretty much anywhere...
All dairy is NOT good. Milk is horrible. Cream cheese, butter, heavy cream, sour cream, regular cheese - all FULL FAT versions, are okay in moderation.
Ketosis does not generally allow for any kind of fruit. Ketosis is medically considered to be 20 grams of carbs or less a day. You can use fruit in stuff with full fat, but not generally in quantity by itself.
Telling her she won't want sugar, then telling her to eat FAUX ice cream desserts and such is a bad idea. Especially if she binge eats as most uncontrolled diabetics due to the conflicting signals in their bodies...
Also, with cholesterol issues, the BEST thing to lower it is adding in all the fats while drastically cutting carbs. If you want to look back a week or two, I posted bloodwork with my own labs.
And above all else, I'll warn you, that if she isn't ready, nothing you can do will force this on her. All your caps and exclamation points will bring the stubborn out in her if she's anything like my family. My best suggestion is that if you live close, cook for and with her. Don't tell her, show her.
I'd focus on what she doesn't have to give up - like coffee and cream and such. I am not sure what things she might consider impossible to give up, but don't just focus on what she has to give up, focus on getting to eat things like bacon and sausage and everything she loved at one point...
Anything with carbs, like nuts, MUST BE LIMITED IN QUANTITY. Put butter on EVERYTHING. Cook with leftover bacon drippings, etc., etc., etc. Cook how our grandparents used to cook.
Anywho, I will write more tomorrow!0 -
Another thing is, the first 3 or 4 days on low carb I felt like I was starving. No amount of fat or protein was going to fill that empty carb spot in my tummy so maybe just tell her she may gave strong cravings for the first few days but just to stick to it.0
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Let me start by wishing your mother a healthy future.
The 'letter' sounds like a long list of 'things to do' and, to me, makes the change sound like something quite difficult. I am sure your mother knows you care but do emphasise this in the letter. I don't know the personalities involved but she needs to know that you are suggesting this because you are worried about her and want her in your life for as long as possible - and with a smile on her face. Maybe you could suggest a phased approach whereby she gives up all sugar first, then grains, then starchy vegetables - this worked really well when I mentored a friend into this WOE.
I agree with KnitorMiss that all of the caps and exclamations makes it a bit 'shouty'. Place more emphasis on all of the things she does not have to give up and any favorite things (that meet LCHF) she has denied herself in life. If you have a good relationship then it may be good to suggest you spend time together and have a cooking afternoon once a week and have an amazing LC lunch then fill up the freezer. This will provide her with support, ensure she has enough food, and strengthen your relationship even. It is hard to do this alone, especially when you already have health issues to deal with. Make it as easy as humanly possible. Show her how to do this then provide a checklist for the fridge door - help her with menu planning. Can you get your father on board also?
Sorry if I sound like a dictator or overly critical - I want this to work for you but I do not know the people. Only you know the best way to get the message through - the buttons to press and how. I believe in this WOE 100%, and from what you have said, your mother is a prime candidate to gain all of the benefits.
Good luck
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Hi. Sorry for your mom having these issues...you obviously love her very much and are trying very hard to help her get well! Since she has diabetes also, does she see an endocrinologist? Just curious. Do you know her doc, or how her relationship is with him/her, or how supportive Doc might be of a low-carb lifestyle change? Many are not, because they tow the party-line with regard to the SAD, but if you think that doc might help support such a change, given her medical issues, that may be another front for you to pursue. Sometimes, hearing it from 'someone else' rings it home.
My mom generally thinks I'm bonkers, but has over time, adopted using more coconut oil and butter...baby steps i guess.
Much luck to you!!!0 -
Hi. Sorry for your mom having these issues...you obviously love her very much and are trying very hard to help her get well! Since she has diabetes also, does she see an endocrinologist? Just curious. Do you know her doc, or how her relationship is with him/her, or how supportive Doc might be of a low-carb lifestyle change? Many are not, because they tow the party-line with regard to the SAD, but if you think that doc might help support such a change, given her medical issues, that may be another front for you to pursue. Sometimes, hearing it from 'someone else' rings it home.
My mom generally thinks I'm bonkers, but has over time, adopted using more coconut oil and butter...baby steps i guess.
Much luck to you!!!
The problem is with insurance issues and recently being approved for disability & Medicaid... She is just not able to get a regular doctor & see a, supposedly great highly recommended, neurologist for the first time this month. She doesn't see an endocrinologist. I live an hour and a half from my mom, so getting to be at every appointment is impossible. But I'll be at neurologist this month at least. I have no idea how they would respond to this WOL.0 -
Let me start by wishing your mother a healthy future.
The 'letter' sounds like a long list of 'things to do' and, to me, makes the change sound like something quite difficult. I am sure your mother knows you care but do emphasise this in the letter. I don't know the personalities involved but she needs to know that you are suggesting this because you are worried about her and want her in your life for as long as possible - and with a smile on her face. Maybe you could suggest a phased approach whereby she gives up all sugar first, then grains, then starchy vegetables - this worked really well when I mentored a friend into this WOE.
I agree with KnitorMiss that all of the caps and exclamations makes it a bit 'shouty'. Place more emphasis on all of the things she does not have to give up and any favorite things (that meet LCHF) she has denied herself in life. If you have a good relationship then it may be good to suggest you spend time together and have a cooking afternoon once a week and have an amazing LC lunch then fill up the freezer. This will provide her with support, ensure she has enough food, and strengthen your relationship even. It is hard to do this alone, especially when you already have health issues to deal with. Make it as easy as humanly possible. Show her how to do this then provide a checklist for the fridge door - help her with menu planning. Can you get your father on board also?
Sorry if I sound like a dictator or overly critical - I want this to work for you but I do not know the people. Only you know the best way to get the message through - the buttons to press and how. I believe in this WOE 100%, and from what you have said, your mother is a prime candidate to gain all of the benefits.
Good luck
Guess I needed to say that I've had plenty of convos with my mother about low carb and things I eat, and don't eat, and recipes before this letter. I unfortunately don't live close enough to cook with her and do the things you suggested. I'm making a trip there this month and plan on taking a bpx of my fave low carb essentials. With my mom's personality the letter was good for her. And I didn't add here the recipes and suggestions for meals I told her since it was already super long. I agree your. phased approach sounds good. And that's. what I've suggested in conversation with her. My mom doesn't take the all caps as seriously as others. Lol.0 -
Just to let everyone know... I live an hour and a half away from my mom :-( So being able to cook with or for her isn't going to happen as much as I'd like it to.
I plan on my visits to load her up with low carb foods.
This letter was wrote a few weeks back. Prior to the letter, and now we have a lot of conversations about low carb and keto. She is starting to understand it more, but hasn't started to take the step to eat yet. And that's fine, at least she is getting it into her head!
Baby Steps!0 -
AngInCanada wrote: »Another thing is, the first 3 or 4 days on low carb I felt like I was starving. No amount of fat or protein was going to fill that empty carb spot in my tummy so maybe just tell her she may gave strong cravings for the first few days but just to stick to it.
Yea I told her to stick to it and her body will adjust. I go through mood swings the first few days, cravings, and other side effects, face breaks out, lips chap up... It's rough at first but worth it.
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KnitOrMiss wrote: »mrsfancyab wrote: »For the past 3 years, my mom has suffered from seizures. She has be diagnosed with Epilepsy but we don't know what is triggering her seizures just yet. A few weeks back she had a petit mal seizure, followed by a grand mal which made her heart not function correctly. The fluids her heart couldn't pump went to her lungs. If it wouldn't have been for my dad coming home when he did, she would most likely been dead. Thank God for looking out for her...
On top of seizures she has high blood pressure & diabetes. I cannot remember what type of diabetes, but I know that before when she dropped weight she no longer had to take medication for it...
So I'm trying to get her to do a low carb lifestyle... Which research shows, doing ketosis has been known to help with epilepsy.
This has also given me a HUGE WAKE UP CALL! And I am back on low-carb & don't intend on ever going off. There are too many negative factors in my family's history working against me. I want to live the healthiest life I can.
I wrote a letter to her. I would like to share with you all, and if you can think of anymore basics to share with her that won't scare her off, lol... please let me know!
Mom this is the basics to a low carb diet. You will like it because you don't feel hungry. You don't feel like you're on a diet. The weight will fall off if you eat like this...
I've gave you a list of things to eat, and things to avoid. And a few recipes I've done & LOVE.
"Stay away from all "diet", "fat free", "low fat" foods. PERIOD! It is all added chemicals that are not good for our bodies. It is better for you to eat something with full fat than fat free.
I know you will want to treat yourself SOMETIMES. That's fine. But if you get like me, you'll start to see carbs are evil, and if you go on a carb binge you will feel sluggish & bloated.
You have to make sure you drink a lot of water doing this too, very important!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
OK so here you go. When I can I'll help you more. but if you start this you will see a big difference in how you feel. There are a lot of websites that discuss this too. It is going to feel very odd at first, cause you're basically eating things you've been told to stay away from. But it's not bad.
When you want sugar, eat fruit. After a couple of weeks of this you won't even want sugar at all. And when you taste something with a lot of sugar you'll be like OH WOW THIS IS SO SWEET. lol It really works.
There are so many stories online of people with diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol being able to come off their meds by doing this diet, and just feeling better overall. All the high levels of BP, Cholesterol etc... dropped too. It's amazing. Well here you go.
NO MORE BREADS, RICE, PASTA, OR POTATOES. NO MORE SUGAR, NO MORE STARCH!! NO GRAINS, OR OATS!!!! AVOID FAST FOOD LIKE THE PLAGUE!
The low carb wraps I got you are FABULOUS! and Different flavors. you can make pizza with them too. and it is delicious. they get crispy. I eat every day for breakfast. You can put any low carb toppings you want on it too.
FOODS TO EAT:
•Salad Greens (lettuce, spinach, cabbage) I EAT A TON OF CABBAGE AND SPINACH!
•Other Leafy Greens (Swiss chard or other chard, collard greens, kale, bok choy)
•Herbs (basil, parsley, cilantro)
•Other salad vegetables (radishes, sprouts, cucumbers, tomatoes)
•Other green vegetables (avocado, asparagus, broccoli, green beans, Brussels sprouts, okra, also cauliflower)
•Other non-starchy vegetables (summer squashes, peppers, green onions, eggplant, artichokes, mushrooms)
•If fruit allowed on your plan, servings of berries and melons and small peaches are good choices I EAT FRUIT NOW BUT I EAT MAYBE 1 or 2 PIECES A WEEK. BANANAS ARE HIGH SUGAR. YOU CAN GET MORE POTASSIUM FROM AVOCADO! ALL BERRIES ARE LOW CARB! IF YOU EAT A FRUIT EAT A PROTEIN WITH IT LIKE NUTS OR PEANUT BUTTER!
All Meat is ok!!! Fish, Chicken, WHATEVER! Meat is GOOD!
EGGS!
ALL DAIRY IS GOOD!
Cheese!
There is a low carb ice cream by breyers that is good! they even have fudge bars. but you eat 1 not the whole box. If you eat it, sprinkle some nuts on it, I like to get the chocolate ice cream it says carb smart, and eat with a lil peanut butter.
You can cook with butter, but since you have cholesterol issues now, don't do as much. use olive oil Food Lion sells & is not that expensive I cook my eggs in butter. Olive oil is good for you as you know. NO PARTIALLY HYDROGENATED OILS! Try not to use vegetable or canola oil either. If you cook with butter, make sure it is REAL butter, margarine is horrible for you.
ALL NUTS ARE OK! I think Cashew is the highest carb, but still good to eat!!!!!!!
That's pretty much it! You can do this!!
I'll forward to you my recent writings to my own mother and aunt facing related issues later, but here are the few things that caught my attention.
Fast food does not have to be avoid. Just more selective. I can always get a burger without a bun or taco salad or sides pretty much anywhere...
All dairy is NOT good. Milk is horrible. Cream cheese, butter, heavy cream, sour cream, regular cheese - all FULL FAT versions, are okay in moderation.
Ketosis does not generally allow for any kind of fruit. Ketosis is medically considered to be 20 grams of carbs or less a day. You can use fruit in stuff with full fat, but not generally in quantity by itself.
Telling her she won't want sugar, then telling her to eat FAUX ice cream desserts and such is a bad idea. Especially if she binge eats as most uncontrolled diabetics due to the conflicting signals in their bodies...
Also, with cholesterol issues, the BEST thing to lower it is adding in all the fats while drastically cutting carbs. If you want to look back a week or two, I posted bloodwork with my own labs.
And above all else, I'll warn you, that if she isn't ready, nothing you can do will force this on her. All your caps and exclamation points will bring the stubborn out in her if she's anything like my family. My best suggestion is that if you live close, cook for and with her. Don't tell her, show her.
I'd focus on what she doesn't have to give up - like coffee and cream and such. I am not sure what things she might consider impossible to give up, but don't just focus on what she has to give up, focus on getting to eat things like bacon and sausage and everything she loved at one point...
Anything with carbs, like nuts, MUST BE LIMITED IN QUANTITY. Put butter on EVERYTHING. Cook with leftover bacon drippings, etc., etc., etc. Cook how our grandparents used to cook.
Anywho, I will write more tomorrow!
I would love to read your letter! I have had a lot of convos outside of this letter with my mother about low carb & ketosis. I apparently should've wrote a disclaimer that said. I know her personality and she liked the letter. I'm not worried about her at first jumping into keto, just getting her off sweets would be a huge start. I did not include here that I gave her recipes and told her a lot of the meals I eat & things I love for snacks etc... Because it was already so long for everyone to read. But I gave her a few things she'll love. Unfortunately I live an hour & half away from my mom & am not able to cook with her etc. Oh how I wish I could! I know that would help tremendously! I'll let her know about the Milk! I didn't know that, I don't drink milk at all, other than almond so I never researched it. I want her to eventually end up in ketosis. But with her it's baby steps, as with a lot of folks. Low Carb goes against everything society says so at first it's so weird stuffing your face with bacon and butter, while fruit is the devil. I told her to eat fruit once in a while. Not an everyday thing. And of course, yes, moderation with nuts etc. I know that from counting carbs. I love how you said to tell her to cook like grandparents did!!!! That's funny, will do! Mom doesn't take the CAPS as harsh as we do ;-) She didn't and it wouldn't make her stand-offish or stubborn about it. I told her she won't want sugar, because for me it gets that way where I don't crave it... but when I do I'll have the ice cream. Like I said I've had plenty of convos with my mom outside the letter. So more was covered the letter was just a reminder for her to go by outside of the texts and phone calls. You're right about the binge eating, lol!0 -
The only thing that really stands out to me is that emphasizing that she is to be eating very low carb, moderate protein, and HIGH fat is the way to ketosis and reaping all the benefits. Since she has diabetes and high blood pressure, if she focuses solely on low carbs and meat, without eating way more fats, she may put extra strain on her kidneys, and I'm sure her doctor(s) would not want her to do that. Otherwise, I think you just about covered it all, except maybe mentioning that she will need to increase sodium intake.0
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mrsfancyab wrote: »KnitOrMiss wrote: »mrsfancyab wrote: »For the past 3 years, my mom has suffered from seizures. She has be diagnosed with Epilepsy but we don't know what is triggering her seizures just yet. A few weeks back she had a petit mal seizure, followed by a grand mal which made her heart not function correctly. The fluids her heart couldn't pump went to her lungs. If it wouldn't have been for my dad coming home when he did, she would most likely been dead. Thank God for looking out for her...
On top of seizures she has high blood pressure & diabetes. I cannot remember what type of diabetes, but I know that before when she dropped weight she no longer had to take medication for it...
So I'm trying to get her to do a low carb lifestyle... Which research shows, doing ketosis has been known to help with epilepsy.
This has also given me a HUGE WAKE UP CALL! And I am back on low-carb & don't intend on ever going off. There are too many negative factors in my family's history working against me. I want to live the healthiest life I can.
I wrote a letter to her. I would like to share with you all, and if you can think of anymore basics to share with her that won't scare her off, lol... please let me know!
Mom this is the basics to a low carb diet. You will like it because you don't feel hungry. You don't feel like you're on a diet. The weight will fall off if you eat like this...
I've gave you a list of things to eat, and things to avoid. And a few recipes I've done & LOVE.
"Stay away from all "diet", "fat free", "low fat" foods. PERIOD! It is all added chemicals that are not good for our bodies. It is better for you to eat something with full fat than fat free.
I know you will want to treat yourself SOMETIMES. That's fine. But if you get like me, you'll start to see carbs are evil, and if you go on a carb binge you will feel sluggish & bloated.
You have to make sure you drink a lot of water doing this too, very important!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
OK so here you go. When I can I'll help you more. but if you start this you will see a big difference in how you feel. There are a lot of websites that discuss this too. It is going to feel very odd at first, cause you're basically eating things you've been told to stay away from. But it's not bad.
When you want sugar, eat fruit. After a couple of weeks of this you won't even want sugar at all. And when you taste something with a lot of sugar you'll be like OH WOW THIS IS SO SWEET. lol It really works.
There are so many stories online of people with diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol being able to come off their meds by doing this diet, and just feeling better overall. All the high levels of BP, Cholesterol etc... dropped too. It's amazing. Well here you go.
NO MORE BREADS, RICE, PASTA, OR POTATOES. NO MORE SUGAR, NO MORE STARCH!! NO GRAINS, OR OATS!!!! AVOID FAST FOOD LIKE THE PLAGUE!
The low carb wraps I got you are FABULOUS! and Different flavors. you can make pizza with them too. and it is delicious. they get crispy. I eat every day for breakfast. You can put any low carb toppings you want on it too.
FOODS TO EAT:
•Salad Greens (lettuce, spinach, cabbage) I EAT A TON OF CABBAGE AND SPINACH!
•Other Leafy Greens (Swiss chard or other chard, collard greens, kale, bok choy)
•Herbs (basil, parsley, cilantro)
•Other salad vegetables (radishes, sprouts, cucumbers, tomatoes)
•Other green vegetables (avocado, asparagus, broccoli, green beans, Brussels sprouts, okra, also cauliflower)
•Other non-starchy vegetables (summer squashes, peppers, green onions, eggplant, artichokes, mushrooms)
•If fruit allowed on your plan, servings of berries and melons and small peaches are good choices I EAT FRUIT NOW BUT I EAT MAYBE 1 or 2 PIECES A WEEK. BANANAS ARE HIGH SUGAR. YOU CAN GET MORE POTASSIUM FROM AVOCADO! ALL BERRIES ARE LOW CARB! IF YOU EAT A FRUIT EAT A PROTEIN WITH IT LIKE NUTS OR PEANUT BUTTER!
All Meat is ok!!! Fish, Chicken, WHATEVER! Meat is GOOD!
EGGS!
ALL DAIRY IS GOOD!
Cheese!
There is a low carb ice cream by breyers that is good! they even have fudge bars. but you eat 1 not the whole box. If you eat it, sprinkle some nuts on it, I like to get the chocolate ice cream it says carb smart, and eat with a lil peanut butter.
You can cook with butter, but since you have cholesterol issues now, don't do as much. use olive oil Food Lion sells & is not that expensive I cook my eggs in butter. Olive oil is good for you as you know. NO PARTIALLY HYDROGENATED OILS! Try not to use vegetable or canola oil either. If you cook with butter, make sure it is REAL butter, margarine is horrible for you.
ALL NUTS ARE OK! I think Cashew is the highest carb, but still good to eat!!!!!!!
That's pretty much it! You can do this!!
I'll forward to you my recent writings to my own mother and aunt facing related issues later, but here are the few things that caught my attention.
Fast food does not have to be avoid. Just more selective. I can always get a burger without a bun or taco salad or sides pretty much anywhere...
All dairy is NOT good. Milk is horrible. Cream cheese, butter, heavy cream, sour cream, regular cheese - all FULL FAT versions, are okay in moderation.
Ketosis does not generally allow for any kind of fruit. Ketosis is medically considered to be 20 grams of carbs or less a day. You can use fruit in stuff with full fat, but not generally in quantity by itself.
Telling her she won't want sugar, then telling her to eat FAUX ice cream desserts and such is a bad idea. Especially if she binge eats as most uncontrolled diabetics due to the conflicting signals in their bodies...
Also, with cholesterol issues, the BEST thing to lower it is adding in all the fats while drastically cutting carbs. If you want to look back a week or two, I posted bloodwork with my own labs.
And above all else, I'll warn you, that if she isn't ready, nothing you can do will force this on her. All your caps and exclamation points will bring the stubborn out in her if she's anything like my family. My best suggestion is that if you live close, cook for and with her. Don't tell her, show her.
I'd focus on what she doesn't have to give up - like coffee and cream and such. I am not sure what things she might consider impossible to give up, but don't just focus on what she has to give up, focus on getting to eat things like bacon and sausage and everything she loved at one point...
Anything with carbs, like nuts, MUST BE LIMITED IN QUANTITY. Put butter on EVERYTHING. Cook with leftover bacon drippings, etc., etc., etc. Cook how our grandparents used to cook.
Anywho, I will write more tomorrow!
I would love to read your letter! I have had a lot of convos outside of this letter with my mother about low carb & ketosis. I apparently should've wrote a disclaimer that said. I know her personality and she liked the letter. I'm not worried about her at first jumping into keto, just getting her off sweets would be a huge start. I did not include here that I gave her recipes and told her a lot of the meals I eat & things I love for snacks etc... Because it was already so long for everyone to read. But I gave her a few things she'll love. Unfortunately I live an hour & half away from my mom & am not able to cook with her etc. Oh how I wish I could! I know that would help tremendously! I'll let her know about the Milk! I didn't know that, I don't drink milk at all, other than almond so I never researched it. I want her to eventually end up in ketosis. But with her it's baby steps, as with a lot of folks. Low Carb goes against everything society says so at first it's so weird stuffing your face with bacon and butter, while fruit is the devil. I told her to eat fruit once in a while. Not an everyday thing. And of course, yes, moderation with nuts etc. I know that from counting carbs. I love how you said to tell her to cook like grandparents did!!!! That's funny, will do! Mom doesn't take the CAPS as harsh as we do ;-) She didn't and it wouldn't make her stand-offish or stubborn about it. I told her she won't want sugar, because for me it gets that way where I don't crave it... but when I do I'll have the ice cream. Like I said I've had plenty of convos with my mom outside the letter. So more was covered the letter was just a reminder for her to go by outside of the texts and phone calls. You're right about the binge eating, lol!
Since a lot of the stuff I wrote has personal details, I'll shoot it to you in messages. I started out with just telling her (my mom) my progress. Then that branched to my research, and to articles. Then to blood work and panels and all that. She still isn't biting.
My aunt is positively convinced that she'll get her cholesterol under control FIRST, then work on fats, then work on sugar, and I told her she has it all backwards. I finally wrote a really intense letter to her, and it's been two weeks since I heard from her, so I know she's angry...
Anywho, it's kind of a summary of letters...0 -
sljohnson1207 wrote: »The only thing that really stands out to me is that emphasizing that she is to be eating very low carb, moderate protein, and HIGH fat is the way to ketosis and reaping all the benefits. Since she has diabetes and high blood pressure, if she focuses solely on low carbs and meat, without eating way more fats, she may put extra strain on her kidneys, and I'm sure her doctor(s) would not want her to do that. Otherwise, I think you just about covered it all, except maybe mentioning that she will need to increase sodium intake.
Noted. She thinks it's weird with all the butter and fats I eat. But I'm gonna get her there gradually. First thing 4 my mom is to cut her sweets. Thanks
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mrsfancyab wrote: »sljohnson1207 wrote: »The only thing that really stands out to me is that emphasizing that she is to be eating very low carb, moderate protein, and HIGH fat is the way to ketosis and reaping all the benefits. Since she has diabetes and high blood pressure, if she focuses solely on low carbs and meat, without eating way more fats, she may put extra strain on her kidneys, and I'm sure her doctor(s) would not want her to do that. Otherwise, I think you just about covered it all, except maybe mentioning that she will need to increase sodium intake.
Noted. She thinks it's weird with all the butter and fats I eat. But I'm gonna get her there gradually. First thing 4 my mom is to cut her sweets. Thanks
Yes, most people do think it's weird because they've been indoctrinated to avoid fats. If she eats fats, she will all but forget about the sugars. By the way, I think it's great that you are trying to help your Mother be healthier and avoid the unpleasantness of seizures and diabetes.
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sljohnson1207 wrote: »mrsfancyab wrote: »sljohnson1207 wrote: »The only thing that really stands out to me is that emphasizing that she is to be eating very low carb, moderate protein, and HIGH fat is the way to ketosis and reaping all the benefits. Since she has diabetes and high blood pressure, if she focuses solely on low carbs and meat, without eating way more fats, she may put extra strain on her kidneys, and I'm sure her doctor(s) would not want her to do that. Otherwise, I think you just about covered it all, except maybe mentioning that she will need to increase sodium intake.
Noted. She thinks it's weird with all the butter and fats I eat. But I'm gonna get her there gradually. First thing 4 my mom is to cut her sweets. Thanks
Yes, most people do think it's weird because they've been indoctrinated to avoid fats. If she eats fats, she will all but forget about the sugars. By the way, I think it's great that you are trying to help your Mother be healthier and avoid the unpleasantness of seizures and diabetes.
I just wish we could give them our motivation and determination while we were at it! My mom gets excited by the idea of a LCHF diet, but she is convinced she can't achieve or maintain it. My aunt is convinced that if she figures out how to get her cholesterol (all of them) down first, drops sugars second, and then worries about carbs and fats that she'll be successful. I want to cry in frustration for her every time she tells me that. It's so backwards, but admittedly, if she achieves it this way, she'll be a rock star. I just wish she'd knock down the dominoes from the other side - one choice would help each one that comes after!!! Screams/Laughs/Hugs/Cries...0 -
sljohnson1207 wrote: »mrsfancyab wrote: »sljohnson1207 wrote: »The only thing that really stands out to me is that emphasizing that she is to be eating very low carb, moderate protein, and HIGH fat is the way to ketosis and reaping all the benefits. Since she has diabetes and high blood pressure, if she focuses solely on low carbs and meat, without eating way more fats, she may put extra strain on her kidneys, and I'm sure her doctor(s) would not want her to do that. Otherwise, I think you just about covered it all, except maybe mentioning that she will need to increase sodium intake.
Noted. She thinks it's weird with all the butter and fats I eat. But I'm gonna get her there gradually. First thing 4 my mom is to cut her sweets. Thanks
Yes, most people do think it's weird because they've been indoctrinated to avoid fats. If she eats fats, she will all but forget about the sugars. By the way, I think it's great that you are trying to help your Mother be healthier and avoid the unpleasantness of seizures and diabetes.
Thank you! Idk what I'd do without my mom around so I definitely want her to get herself together. If epilepsy won't go away, we can at least work on the other factors with LCHF0 -
I think the letter is a great idea- it'll give her something to go back to and read when she has questions. One thing I have done with my mom, is emphasize the importance of planning. Maybe when you go visit, you can have a prep day with her- make food she can freeze and/or keep in the fridge, for those moments when she is super hungry and needs something right away. Some great prep ideas are boiled eggs, fat bombs, make ahead meatballs she can freeze and package and then just pop in the micro or over for a quick meal. I also pre-cook chicken, bag up nuts so they are portion controlled, that kind of thing. Make ahead deli rolls with meat and cheese are also a good thing to have on hand in baggies, they make a good take away snack. I have some meal ideas here if you want to take a look- and I'll be thinking good thoughts for you and your momma.
https://www.pinterest.com/melismusing/paleoprimalketo/0 -
BetterBalancedMe2015 wrote: »I think the letter is a great idea- it'll give her something to go back to and read when she has questions. One thing I have done with my mom, is emphasize the importance of planning. Maybe when you go visit, you can have a prep day with her- make food she can freeze and/or keep in the fridge, for those moments when she is super hungry and needs something right away. Some great prep ideas are boiled eggs, fat bombs, make ahead meatballs she can freeze and package and then just pop in the micro or over for a quick meal. I also pre-cook chicken, bag up nuts so they are portion controlled, that kind of thing. Make ahead deli rolls with meat and cheese are also a good thing to have on hand in baggies, they make a good take away snack. I have some meal ideas here if you want to take a look- and I'll be thinking good thoughts for you and your momma.
https://www.pinterest.com/melismusing/paleoprimalketo/
Thanks! these are great ideas!0 -
I'm about 11-12 hours away from my mom. She came to visit me RIGHT as I started this diet, so I was lucky enough to be able to "show her" some of the basics. I have a good food scale. Maybe get your mom one, too. My mom didn't really understand portion control until I showed her. "Yes, that's all the protein I can have." "This is one serving of broccoli." "No, I can't have that peach. Here, let me show you the number of carbs in it..."
After all the "can't haves" that she saw, I had to show her the awesome and delicious things I COULD have. She was pretty interested, and by the end of her visit, she was happily roasting me a whole chicken and then making chicken salad with me with the lefties.
When I visited her a few months later, she got an even bigger surprise. I took off my heavy coat and showed her what all that hard work has done. Boy, was she amazed! Then I sat down and munched out on a Caesar salad (no croutons) and a pork porterhouse steak at Outback, with a side of grilled asparagus. "DIET FOOD", I proudly proclaimed to the table full of family members I hadn't seen in ages who, btw, also hadn't seen me eat meat in 26 years.
My mom hasn't embraced this way of eating herself, but she's much more open to it now, and has been MUCH more mindful of her carb and calorie intake. Like others have said, baby steps.
Showing and doing is much better than telling, when possible.
-T.
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I'm about 11-12 hours away from my mom. She came to visit me RIGHT as I started this diet, so I was lucky enough to be able to "show her" some of the basics. I have a good food scale. Maybe get your mom one, too. My mom didn't really understand portion control until I showed her. "Yes, that's all the protein I can have." "This is one serving of broccoli." "No, I can't have that peach. Here, let me show you the number of carbs in it..."
After all the "can't haves" that she saw, I had to show her the awesome and delicious things I COULD have. She was pretty interested, and by the end of her visit, she was happily roasting me a whole chicken and then making chicken salad with me with the lefties.
When I visited her a few months later, she got an even bigger surprise. I took off my heavy coat and showed her what all that hard work has done. Boy, was she amazed! Then I sat down and munched out on a Caesar salad (no croutons) and a pork porterhouse steak at Outback, with a side of grilled asparagus. "DIET FOOD", I proudly proclaimed to the table full of family members I hadn't seen in ages who, btw, also hadn't seen me eat meat in 26 years.
My mom hasn't embraced this way of eating herself, but she's much more open to it now, and has been MUCH more mindful of her carb and calorie intake. Like others have said, baby steps.
Showing and doing is much better than telling, when possible.
-T.
Awesome! I am going to spend a week with my mom & show her how I do it!
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