Life Archives - Sugar-Free Mom https://www.sugarfreemom.com/recipes/category/life/ Naturally Sweetened Sugar-Free, Keto, Low Carb Recipes for the whole family. Thu, 06 Feb 2025 14:38:22 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://www.sugarfreemom.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/favicon-110x110.png Life Archives - Sugar-Free Mom https://www.sugarfreemom.com/recipes/category/life/ 32 32 12 Tips for Low Carb Keto Eating on a Cruise 2024 https://www.sugarfreemom.com/recipes/5-tips-for-low-carb-eating-on-a-cruise/ https://www.sugarfreemom.com/recipes/5-tips-for-low-carb-eating-on-a-cruise/#comments Thu, 15 Aug 2024 12:26:59 +0000 https://www.sugarfreemom.com/?p=33752 Eating low carb is possible on a cruise!  Here are my 12 best tips to help you navigate the food options on a cruise! This post was first published in 2018 and now it’s updated for 2024! Low Carb Keto Cruising If you’re new to low carb eating or a keto lifestyle and taking a...

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]]> Eating low carb is possible on a cruise!  Here are my 12 best tips to help you navigate the food options on a cruise! This post was first published in 2018 and now it’s updated for 2024!

Low Carb Keto Cruising

If you’re new to low carb eating or a keto lifestyle and taking a vacation on any cruise line, it can certainly feel overwhelming wondering if you can really pull it off successfully.

I’ve tackled the cruise ship and won! You most certainly can enjoy yourself without blowing your low carb diet or keto diet! 

When you’re on a weight loss mission it can feel impossible to be able to stick to your goals when vacationing. I thought so too, but after having successfully managed staying within sugar free options and low carb and keto food choices, it wasn’t as difficult as I thought it would be.

In fact, I found lots of options for special low carb foods, I was astonished and grateful that so many cruises are offering better choices. 

My first cruise was back in 2017 with Royal Caribbean on the Anthem of the Seas roundtrip to 5 different islands for our 20th wedding anniversary. Then we took our kids on their first cruise in 2018 to Mexico, and Jamaica. 

In 2019 we went on a European cruise with Celebrity to take my parents back to Italy to see my dads nephew he hadn’t seen in 38 years! We also went to Malta, and France, it was more about the major attractions than the bells and whistles on that ship. 

Our recent last cruise was 2023 for my youngest son graduating high school. We went on the Norwegian cruise line to Bermuda. The beauty of that trip was that we didn’t have to fly since we got on the ship in New York.

Flying prices have increased and with a family of 5 we were happy we didn’t have that extra cost. We just paid for the car to be parked for the week, much less expensive. 

With each cruise we’ve been on, I’ve found making the best choices for my gluten free, keto lifestyle go easier and easier as I learned to pass on foods that I knew who make me sick and not feel well on the ship. I hope to take another cruise next year, just with my hubby with Norwegian for an Alaska cruise, which has been a dream of our for years!

Here are my tips and tricks to have a great time while staying the course of your sugar free, low carb life style or ketogenic diet!

Tip Number 1 Avoid the Buffet and Eat in Main Dining 

I know this is a tough one to swallow because you’re on vacation and most likely traveling with others. BUT if you are like me and have a really hard time with portion control, the buffets will be torture.

It’s not to say, you can’t make it work though because you can, it’s just all about your mindset going into it. 

On my first cruise I was quite prepared for the huge selection of food choices and it was so extremely hard for me to eat a small amount for breakfast when everyone had an enormous amount of food on their plate.

Typically at home I don’t even eat breakfast. But if you can handle it there are plenty of options, like eggs, poached, fried, hard boiled and a ton of meat options like bacon, sausage, and ham. 

So for me a great tip is to order from the main dining room at least for one meal a day, instead of tackle the buffet for every meal. I found on sea days, the lunch options weren’t as difficult to manage with lighter options. 

When in doubt I always choose a salad or look for the cheese plate and deli meats. 

Tip Number 2 Avoid the Dressings and Sauces

Be careful of all the sauces, dips and dressings offered, as many contain seed oils that are inflammatory and many contain a high amount of sugar using high fructose corn syrup.

When you spike your blood sugar, you can bet a craving for sweets, carbs and just wanting to eat more and more will come. 

Extra virgin olive oil and vinegar is your best bet for a salad. 

Tip Number 3 Fill up on Protein

For dinner in the buffet, your best bet for pure protein that isn’t coated in breading or tossed in a sauce is to head to the carving station. Often each cruise line has a carving station with roast beef, ham, chicken and prime rib. 

Best breakfast options would be to fill up on plenty of protein like eggs, sausage, or bacon.

The breakfast buffet is probably one of the easier buffets to eat low carb since they often include lots of egg options and fresh fruit. Avoid the pancakes, waffles, breads and you’ll be off to a great start.

Tip Number 4 Speak to the head waiter 

I found it was very easy to speak to the head waiter to share my needs with my diet and I just asked for what I didn’t want on my plate. They are so accommodating and truly want to meet your needs. 

Every meal in the dining room consisted of some starchy type side. I simply asked at dinner for them to remove the potato or pasta or rice and replace with more vegetables.

It worked fine, they had no issues doing that for me. I added butter to most things and was completely satisfied. And it was real dairy butter, no fake butter substitutes for me! 

On some cruise lines they even have a special low carb menu, since a low-carb diet is so popular now. 

Tip Number 5 AVOID the Sugary Drinks

Whether you enjoy alcohol or not, many of the fruity drinks are loaded with simple syrup and a high amount of sugar based drinks have more calories, carbs and sugar then a dessert. 

I avoided them like the plague as much as I was tempted to try a Pina Colada I avoided it. Why? Because I know for me, once the taste of sugar hits my lips, I’m never satisfied and always crave another and the next day and so on. It’s a cycle I don’t want to ever repeat. 

If you do want some alcoholic drinks, they aren’t out of the question. You could enjoy some diet coke and rum or I always choose Tito’s vodka with Sprite Zero. Be careful with Grey Goose vodka if you’re gluten free.

I learned the hard way and was very sick from just a small amount in my seltzer as I later found out it is 100% derived from wheat! I had no idea until after I was sick all night. I am very sensitive so being careful, especially on vacation is important to me. Not worth it to be sick you can’t enjoy yourself!

Tip Number 6 AVOID Sugar Free Sweet Treats

I found most of the sugar free desserts were still heavy on white flour as a base, things like cake and pie, and so being gluten free those were not options for me. The only sugar free dessert I felt comfortable indulging in was the custard and mousse type recipes.

Most likely they were using artificial sweetener to sweeten these but when you don’t want to feel deprived during the vacation a few sugar free desserts with artificial sweeteners like that were fine for me.

At home of course I use natural sweeteners like stevia, monk fruit and allulose. 

I’d rather fit into some pretty vacation clothes and forgo dessert! This pretty dress was picked out from my stylist from Stitchfix and it was so comfortable!

Below are the Caribbean colored pants and those were comfy too!

Tip Number 7 Find the Fitness Center on Sea days

Best thing not only for your body, but for your mental health is movement and exercise.  Especially helpful if you aren’t getting off the ship for a day or more before the next ports of call!

Take a walk on the track or around the cruise floors if it’s raining. I would actually also recommend weighing yourself on their scale at the start of your trip.

It will make you accountable to the food choices you are making during the week and plan to weight yourself on the last day. Being aware of your actions and holding yourself accountable is key to being happy not regretful when you get home from your trip. 

Tip Number 8 Get Some SUNSHINE

Wake up early for the sunrise and breath the fresh ocean air! 

Maybe you won’t make it for the sunrise, but if you can get some early morning light in your eyes to set your circadian rhythm, you will even sleep better.  

You will be less likely to indulge in a lot of sugar with a good nights sleep too. The first night of a cruise can be exciting and you may overdue it or just stay up later than you would at home. 

Tip Number 9 Bring Blue Light Blocking Glasses

Blocking the artificial lights after sunset helps you sleep better.

Since you most likely will be staying up late on your cruise and catching a show or hitting the bar, these glasses can help you regulate your circadian rhythm and not throw off your sleep to get the most of your vacation. 

Tip 10 Get Motion Sickness Bands

If you have time to order on Amazon before heading out, one of the best things I bought myself and my kids was to invest in some motion sickness bands.

They work on the pressure points on your wrist. They don’t hurt and they don’t make you tired since it’s not medicine like dramamine. 

Try a new food you’ve never had before! This is Burrata pic below and it’s a cheese kind of like mozzarella but a little bit looser in texture, less formed and it is fantastic!

Tip Number 11 Eating by the Pool

Low carb food options are few and far between by the pool. Things like pizza, ice cream and fries are not a good idea if you don’t want to crave all the things.

Your best option by the pool could be ordering a couple of hot dogs, no bun or a burger no bun. 

Tip #12 RELAX and ACCEPT

Obviously, eating away from home will increase the amount of food you typically eat in a day. This is normal, you just can’t control everything.

Some days you may eat a lot more than normal, but remember it is a vacation and you don’t have to cook or clean up so BONUS! 

Just do the best you can to stick to your low-carb lifestyle. You may certainly gain a few pounds, which mostly will be water weight.

But you know how to do this. You know to get back on track and you most certainly will lose those extra few pounds within 1-2 weeks of getting strict again.

Do something you’ve never done before! I went on a tubing excursion! I was so scared, but it ended up being wonderful to share these memories with my family!

I had hoped to not gain any weight while on this trip, but sadly I gained 4 pounds. It wasn’t that I ate anything I shouldn’t but I just ate more than my body needs.

In the first week home I lost 3 pounds and the second week home I was back to what I was when we had left for the trip. I don’t regret a minute of it, it was a wonderful vacation to remember with my family!

Get back on track after a vacation with these 12 tips! Try my 5 day Sugar Detox challenge for a quick start!

Hope my experience will help you feel more confident when it comes to low carb eating while on vacation! It’s not always easy but it is doable and you can do it when you set your mind to it!

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]]> https://www.sugarfreemom.com/recipes/5-tips-for-low-carb-eating-on-a-cruise/feed/ 14 Learn How to Sustain a Sugar-Free Life Free Masterclass https://www.sugarfreemom.com/recipes/learn-how-to-sustain-a-sugar-free-life-free-masterclass/ https://www.sugarfreemom.com/recipes/learn-how-to-sustain-a-sugar-free-life-free-masterclass/#comments Wed, 05 Apr 2023 10:00:00 +0000 https://www.sugarfreemom.com/?p=60938 If you have struggled with eating too much sugar, or have had a difficult time saying no to sugar cravings, this free masterclass will give you the tools to learn how to balance your blood sugar levels to reduce and/or eliminate your sugar consumption and learn how to sustain a sugar-free diet so you can...

The post Learn How to Sustain a Sugar-Free Life Free Masterclass appeared first on Sugar-Free Mom.

]]> If you have struggled with eating too much sugar, or have had a difficult time saying no to sugar cravings, this free masterclass will give you the tools to learn how to balance your blood sugar levels to reduce and/or eliminate your sugar consumption and learn how to sustain a sugar-free diet so you can reap the health benefits to reach your weight loss goals.

What’s the secret to kicking sugar cravings?

Have you ever wondered why some people can just stop eating sugar whenever they want, yet some people struggle and struggle, and keep trying to quit, but can’t seem to make it stick?

Why is it so hard for some to remove added sugar, refined sugar and even natural sugars, but it’s not a problem for others?

Why does the sweet stuff call your name, but your spouse doesn’t desire it and maintains a healthy weight, yet every year you have more weight gain?

Why do you keep turning back to old habits that you know don’t serve you, that you know causes a ton of adverse effects and health problems?

Is it even possible to live without sweet treats, table sugar, sugary foods, sugary drinks, energy drinks, brown sugar, maple syrup, high fructose corn syrup (which is literally in everything) or even artificial sweeteners?

Can I eat small amounts of white sugar on special occasions or will that derail my efforts?

Do I have to stop cold turkey?

Do I have to stop eating whole fruit or fruit juice?

Can I still enjoy soft drinks that are made with sugar substitutes?

Can I still eat white bread, white rice, white potatoes and sweet potatoes?

Will removing or reducing my sugar intake cause low blood sugar and mood swings?

What can I order at a coffee shop?

Are natural sources of sugar ok?

I will be answering all these questions and more in this New FREE masterclass on April 12th at 8pm eastern.

The 5 Simple Steps to Sustain a Sugar Free Lifestyle and be in the body you Love!

In this Free Masterclass you will learn:

The 5 steps needed for successfully living a sugar free life without feeling deprived.

The ways to avoid turning back to old eating habits and self-sabotage.

How to reach your weight loss goals and stay there.

Read Karie’s Weight Loss Success Story

Is Sugar Addiction Real? 

There comes a time in life that you have reached the bottom. The bottom of a pit that looks hopeless and miserable and you think you’ll never get out of it.

I’ve been there, I know the struggle to say, “Tomorrow will be better, tomorrow I will do everything right, tomorrow I will change my ways and won’t give in to the sweets that call my name, tomorrow things will be better.”

Then tomorrow comes, which of course is a Monday, and you are ready to take on the day. You made a nice breakfast and have all the stamina of a bull ready to be released and charge into the pit to fight. Lunch comes around and your feeling great; had a nice salad, enjoyed veggies, protein and a fruit. Feeling wonderful and happy.

Then 3 pm hits and you have some coffee to help with that sluggish feeling. 

You start looking in the cupboards for a healthy snack and choose some fresh fruit. But you’re not satisfied; you can’t concentrate you need something else because certainly fruit isn’t going to hold you over until dinner right?

So you go back into the cupboard and find some whole grains like crackers; “ok cheese and crackers that will work, but those cookies in there for the kids look really good!

“I can do this, I can have one and be done, I just need a little something sweet, one won’t ruin my healthy eating day!!”

And you take that one bite and if you can relate to this you know how it ends, don’t you?

This is Sugar Addiction and it is Real!

Studies show that in some people, sugar triggers a high dopamine response just like a drug addict. Some people can moderate sugar and some can’t. I am an abstainer because moderation never worked for me.

Read Kristi’s Weight Loss Success Story

Sugar Cravings are Intense

Let’s face it, stress happens to all of us. No one is immune to external or internal stress and how we think about stress, what we feel about stress, how we deal with stress is different for everyone. Some turn to alcohol or drugs, but some turn to food to soothe ourselves.

At some point in your life, you chose to deal with stress by eating a lot of sugar to cope to make yourself feel better. It just became a habit for your brain to deal with stress and it’s often a really hard habit to break.

But I’ve got some good news, you can break free from a high-sugar diet that feeds chronic diseases while balancing your blood glucose levels and changing your taste buds to desire whole foods!

Read Angie’s Weight Loss Success Story

Coping with Stress through Emotional Eating

If it’s beens years and years and you’ve dealt with whatever life throws at you by eating over it, then you know this is an ingrained habit in your brain.

But there are simple ways to rewire our brains to stop the stress eating. Simple strategies that really work to retrain your brain to stop eating over your emotions.

I said simple, but I didn’t say they’d be easy. Simple and easy are two very different things, but with support it can be done and I’m going to share with you, not only how to stop the stress eating, but how to rewire your brain into using other strategies to reduce your stress, so you don’t continue this destructive pattern. 

If you’ve had a sweet tooth all your life and/or struggled with kicking sugar to the curb for good to reach your weight loss goals, join me in this New Free Sugar Freedom Masterclass! Register Here.

Brenda Bennett is a Nutritional Therapy Practitioner, Certified Keto coach, Sugar Detox Coach and has been living a sugar-free life since 2006. Brenda Bennett is the writer and photographer behind www.sugarfreemom.com and allergy-friendly low carb food blog that focuses on fresh whole-food recipes that are free of grains, gluten, and of course sugar.

She launched the blog in 2011 as a place for her family and friends to find her recipes easily, and it quickly because a leading resource for low-carb versions of high-carb favorites.

She has written 2 cookbooks, Sugar-Free Mom, and Naturally Keto and her 3rd book The 30-Day Sugar Elimination Diet, is a four part program to help you detox from sugar, eliminate cravings, balance blood sugar and lose weight all while eating a delicious, nutrient dense whole food meal plan that offers two tracks to follow, low carb or keto. 

She is the CEO and owner of the Sugar Free Tribe Membership which provides weekly live coaching classes, courses and weight loss support for living a sugar free lifestyle to reach your health goals.

Register Here for the Free Masterclass

The post Learn How to Sustain a Sugar-Free Life Free Masterclass appeared first on Sugar-Free Mom.

]]> https://www.sugarfreemom.com/recipes/learn-how-to-sustain-a-sugar-free-life-free-masterclass/feed/ 2 Best Low Carb Keto Pantry List https://www.sugarfreemom.com/recipes/ketogenic-pantry-essentials/ https://www.sugarfreemom.com/recipes/ketogenic-pantry-essentials/#comments Mon, 09 Jan 2023 10:30:57 +0000 https://www.sugarfreemom.com/?p=35947 All the Low Carb Ketogenic Pantry Essentials to start your low carb diet or keto diet. The staples you need to begin, sustain and flourish on your health journey! Photo Credit Dana Miller, www.houzz.com How to Stock a Keto Pantry Stocking a pantry with low carb and keto pantry essentials may take a little bit...

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]]> All the Low Carb Ketogenic Pantry Essentials to start your low carb diet or keto diet. The staples you need to begin, sustain and flourish on your health journey!

Photo Credit Dana Miller, www.houzz.com

How to Stock a Keto Pantry

Stocking a pantry with low carb and keto pantry essentials may take a little bit of time to acquire all the items you need, but with a few great items you will be well on your way.

Keep in mind you can add a little more over time or add one new thing each week you shop. Stocking a keto pantry doesn’t have to be as hard as you think and in fact you may already have a bunch of the items you need.

Most important to remember is you need three things to be successful on a keto diet. You need good quality protein, good quality fats and keto snacks for when you are on the go and really don’t have time for a meal at home.

Obviously if you’re ready to take control of your health and new keto lifestyle, making keto recipes at home is key.

While having these ready to go packaged keto snacks are great, if you have time it’s better to make your own great keto snack at home where you can control what’s in your food.

I’ve broken down my keto food list into 4 categories. Portable Protein, Healthy Fats, Keto-Friendly Snacks On-The-Go and Baking Keto Essentials for the ultimate guide for your Ketogenic Pantry.

This keto shopping list won’t include fresh produce, or refrigerated items which are easier to find while grocery shopping.

When looking for fresh keto foods, stick to whole foods like meats, fish, eggs, leafy greens, low carb veggies and fruits like berries and dairy products like cream cheese, heavy cream, sour cream, cheddar cheese.

Dairy-free alternatives like unsweetened almond milk, coconut milk are a great way to swap dairy in many recipes.

Also, now it’s quite easy to find dairy free alternatives for cream cheese, sour cream, yogurt and even dairy free mozzarella or cheddar cheeses. If you don’t have an allergy to dairy but only to lactose that is found in most dairy, I have found lactose free sour cream, cream cheese and cottage cheese at Market Basket.

This post today is a guide for a well stocked keto pantry with items that are shelf-stable for a low carb diet and those following a ketogenic lifestyle.

I’ve linked my list of keto pantry staples buying on Amazon, but other online stores like Thrive market and iherb.com offer competitive prices and some even free shipping. Many items may be found at your local grocery store but specialty ingredients are often harder to find at your local store.

On-the-Go Portable Keto Protein Sources

When you’re busy and on the go, having portable protein sources is key to keeping you full of energy and satiated.

Quality is important so be sure to look at the ingredient list of any packaged product, even those that may have the name “keto” on the front. Some include ingredients like potato starch, rice flour, agave, and other ingredients that would not be considered sugar free, low carb or keto friendly.

My rule of thumb is that if sugar or any of the names of sugar are listed in the first 5 ingredients on the label, I tell my clients and those in my courses to avoid it. This method has served me well for many years and is helping many of my members to see great results in their weight loss journey.

Healthy Keto Fat & Oils

Staying away from oils like vegetable oil, sunflower oil, soybean oil, safflower oil, canola oil, corn oil, peanut oil, flax oil, grapeseed oil and margarine is important because they are very refined, processed and highly inflammatory to the body.

Using these healthier oils listed below;

Keto Snacks

Low Carb Nuts and seeds are a great quick snack to grab on the go, but there are calorie dense so you need to be cautious of portion control.

An easy way to keep your snack to just a serving is to portion them out and have ready in your pantry to grab-n-go.

Sugar Free Low Carb Nut Butters and Seed butters

Nut butters and nut free butters are wonderful as a healthy snack and for keto desserts!

One of the most common questions I get often is if coconut butter is the same and dairy butter that you can cook with. It’s not at all like dairy butter but more like peanut butter in texture. Here’s a great post about the differences between coconut butter, coconut oil and coconut milk to explain when and how to use each of them.

Unsweetened coconut butter

Unsweetened peanut butter

Unsweetened almond butter

Unsweetened Macadamia nut butter

Unsweetened sunflower seed butter

Tahini, which is sesame seed butter

Keto Baking Essentials

Low Carb Flours are one of the most needed products in your low-carb pantry and a keto baking essential in my opinion.

Almond flour is one of the most popular because of how versatile it is in baking. Many times you can simply swap the same amount of white refined flour with almond flour and the recipe will still turn out well.

Unfortunately many people including my own child has tree nut and peanut allergies so I limit recipes using almond flour since he can’t have it. I often choose nut free low carb flours like coconut flour, sunflower seed flour or sesame flour.

I’ve found that the best nut free flour to equally swap with almond flour in recipes is sunflower seed flour. You can make your own almond flour from almond meal and your own sunflower seed flour from raw, unsalted sunflower seeds, but you run the risk in a food processor that it could process too much and you end up with butter.

Keto Sweeteners

We are all different as far as our sweet tooth and taste buds and what one person thinks is a fabulous low carb sweetener with no aftertaste but have a terrible aftertaste to someone else.

It’s really about trial and error for your personal preferences when it comes to making sweet treats without added sugar.

Also, some people think that because honey, coconut sugar and maple syrup are natural, they are better to use than low carb sweeteners with funny names. This is a big misconception because those are all still sugar and will raise blood sugar and cause cravings for more.

I don’t use any artificial sweeteners in my recipes because studies show how they spike blood sugar. When your blood glucose is spiked it leads to cravings. Here’s my sweetener guide and conversion chart to give you the most information on all the best low carb sweeteners.

Vanilla stevia

Clear stevia

Swerve brown sugar

Swerve confectioners

Swerve granulaner

Monk fruit sweetener

Sugar Free Chocolate chips

85% dark chocolate

Protein Powders

Whey protein powder

Egg white protein powder

Strawberry Whey Protein Powder

Vanilla egg white protein powder

Vanilla whey protein powder

Recipes that include protein powders; Strawberry Angel Food Cake, Dairy Free Cloud Bread, New & Improved Cloud Bread Loaf, Hoagie Rolls, Cloud Bread Bagels

Keto Pantry Condiments

While I love making my own condiments, I don’t always have the time so having some trust worthy condiments from companies that use pure ingredients and great healthy oils, is a great option to have on hand in the pantry.

Seasonings & Spices

I pretty much use salt, pepper and garlic in every savory recipe with the exception to some recipes. But here are the most important ones to spice up your meals and take them from bland to fantastic!

Italian Seasoning

Dried Basil

Garlic Powder

Dried Parsley

Dried oregano

Cayenne powder

Chili powder

Cumin

Onion Powder

Ground ginger

Ground cinnamon

Sea Salt

Black Pepper

If you’re a little overwhelmed, don’t be. You can build a well-stocked keto pantry over over time, a little by little as you start making recipes in your keto kitchen.

Finding seasonings and spices at Aldi’s, Walmart, Price Right can help cut costs as well as buying in bulk at Whole Foods or larger quantities like at Costco or Sam’s Club.

You can find all my favorite kitchen gadgets, appliances and products I use in my Amazon Shop!

HUGE BAKING GIVEAWAY!!!

If you have my new book, The 30-Day Sugar Elimination Diet, one of the most popular recipes is my Dairy Free Cloud bread and you need liquid Allulose as well as egg white protein powder which many people have difficulty finding.

So to help you out this new year I am offering two people, (one in the USA and one not located in the USA) a keto baking products giveaway!

I want to support your weight loss low-carb diet or keto journey! This keto baking giveaway includes some amazing products to help you have a well-stocked pantry!

Many of my readers want to make my popular Dairy Free Cloud Bread as well as other popular recipes that include some hard to find products so this will help you be ready to make all the low carb keto recipes.

There will be two winners!

One USA reader will win the following. The Winner is Sandy from MA!!!

Coconut Flour

Whey Protein Powder

Egg White Protein Powder

Allulose, liquid

Swerve granular sweetener

Monk fruit liquid, chocolate flavor

If you are outside the USA, you will win a $75 Amazon gift card so you can purchase your products of choice! The WINNER IS FIONA from South Africa!

How to Enter the Baking Giveaway

Here’s the contest guidelines:

  1. You must be an active email subscriber to my free newsletter, active means you open emails. Not a subscriber? Sign up here for my free email newsletter!
  2. Follow me on Facebook and Instagram.
  3. Bonus entry if you have my new book, The 30-Day Sugar Elimination Diet.
  4. Extra entry if you’ve given an Amazon review of the new book.

Comment below if you have done any of the above and you’ll be entered for the baking giveaway!

All entries need to be completed by January 31st at midnight.

Winners will randomly be selected using a random comment picker and be notified via email. Winners will be selected on February 1st and have 48 hours to email me back or a new winner will be selected.

I truly thank you for following my blog, making my recipes and sharing my website with your friends and family. If you’ve purchased my new book or my previous cookbook, Naturally Keto, thank you so much for your support!

The post Best Low Carb Keto Pantry List appeared first on Sugar-Free Mom.

]]> https://www.sugarfreemom.com/recipes/ketogenic-pantry-essentials/feed/ 526 Everything But the Turkey Keto eCookBook https://www.sugarfreemom.com/recipes/everything-but-the-turkey-keto-ecookbook/ https://www.sugarfreemom.com/recipes/everything-but-the-turkey-keto-ecookbook/#comments Tue, 15 Nov 2022 13:30:25 +0000 https://www.sugarfreemom.com/?p=35394 If you’re looking for a way to stay keto and low carb through Thanksgiving, this eBook for purchase will be just what you need! Tried and true family favorites made low carb and keto!  Low Carb Keto Thanksgiving Recipes Are you just starting on a low carb diet and not sure how to navigate the...

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]]> If you’re looking for a way to stay keto and low carb through Thanksgiving, this eBook for purchase will be just what you need! Tried and true family favorites made low carb and keto! 

Low Carb Keto Thanksgiving Recipes

Are you just starting on a low carb diet and not sure how to navigate the holidays? If Thanksgiving has you concerned, I’m here to share, you can most certainly maintain a low carb diet even through the holidays.

Being prepared with fabulous recipes that are equally as delicious as traditional gluten and sugar counterparts and no guilt!

This Thanksgiving eBook has all you need to create a wonderful meal for yourself and your family.

If you’re not hosting one of these recipe will surely be wonderful to take to your host as an option to help with their meal planning, allowing you to still enjoy yourself without feeling tempted to eat something higher carb.

The 30 Day Sugar Elimination Diet

The 30 Day Sugar Elimination Diet

My new book is due to release in just a few weeks! Preordering is the best way to guarantee you get a copy when it releases on December 6th!

My new book, The 30-Day Sugar Elimination Diet, includes everything you need to go sugar-free for one full month. It’s a program to help you detox from sugar, eliminate cravings for sugar and carbs, balance your blood sugar to feel better and lose weight.

I tell you how to prepare for the plan, stock your kitchen and cook tasty meals that will leave you 100% satisfied all while weaning yourself off of sugar and without the nasty withdrawal symptoms!

Inside, you’ll find recipes for breakfasts, lunches and dinners, along with suggestions for snacks and sugar-free treats if you want them. Detailed shopping lists tell you everything you to buy. Detoxing from sugar couldn’t be simpler!

You can choose the diet track that suits your needs, keto or low-carb, both are interchangeable and easy to follow.

PREORDER THE 30 DAY SUGAR ELIMINATION DIET HERE

Everything But the Turkey eBook for $7.99.

The entire shopping list is provided along with all the recipes except the turkey to have an incredible low carb Thanksgiving! Enjoy! 
 

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]]> https://www.sugarfreemom.com/recipes/everything-but-the-turkey-keto-ecookbook/feed/ 11 How to End Mindless Eating with my Hunger or Habit Tool https://www.sugarfreemom.com/recipes/how-to-end-mindless-eating-with-my-hunger-or-habit-tool/ https://www.sugarfreemom.com/recipes/how-to-end-mindless-eating-with-my-hunger-or-habit-tool/#respond Mon, 19 Sep 2022 12:56:34 +0000 https://www.sugarfreemom.com/?p=57790 Mindless eating can get in the way of reaching your weight loss goals, but my Hunger or Habit tool can help you put a stop to it so eating when you aren’t hungry ends for good. What is mindless eating? Have you ever grabbed a snack while working on the computer only to find you...

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]]> Mindless eating can get in the way of reaching your weight loss goals, but my Hunger or Habit tool can help you put a stop to it so eating when you aren’t hungry ends for good.

What is mindless eating?

Have you ever grabbed a snack while working on the computer only to find you ate the entire bag of potato chips without even realizing it? Have you found yourself in front of the tv, with even healthy snacks, and the next thing you noticed it was gone and you barely remember eating it or understanding how you could have “finished it off”?

Eating when you are not hungry or overeating and consuming too much food, past the point of fullness, is mindless eating.

The most common situations for mindless eating tend to happen more often when someone is in front of the television, in a social activity with others, eating while driving, or in some cases, isolated or alone at home. Usually the food choices when mindlessly eating are typical quick comfort foods with sugar and refined carbohydrates.

When you are attempting a weight loss program, mindless eating behavior can add extra calories and gets in the way of losing the weight you desire.

Can you overcome mindless eating?

Yes, one of the most effective ways to reduce mindless eating is becoming aware of this habit before it even starts. When you start becoming more attune to you daily food decisions and begin seeing a typical habit pattern in your day, this recognition is key to creating new habits that propel you toward your goals instead of hinder you.

A person’s hunger is controlled by the hormone, Grehlin. Constantly eating hyperpalatable foods that are highly refined, unhealthy foods with high amounts of sugar and carbs and very little protein can increase this hormone, which then leads to overeating.

Removing sugar and refined carbs and balancing blood sugar is an effective way to regulate your hunger hormone, Grehlin.

Eating nutrient dense whole foods is helpful to change your palate to desiring savory over sweet foods and help regulate your Leptin hormone, which is your satiety hormone that signals to your brain you are satisfied and have eaten enough.

Simple Strategies for Mindful Eating

  1. Recognize and become aware of your reasons for wanting to eat. Are you bored or lonely and just wanting to distract yourself? Are you procrastinating a work deadline or project? Consider if you haven’t eaten enough whole foods and protein.
  2. Don’t indulge and give in to the eating. Wait it out about 15 minutes then come back to your question if you think you are truly hunger.
  3. Portion out the snack. If you are really hunger instead of grabbing the bag, portion out a serving into a bowl or use smaller plates and give yourself a serving of that amount of food you want. Visual cues like this will make you aware quicker once the bowl or small plate is empty, and you finished one serving, then going back for more is not in your best interest if you are tracking your calories, carbs, fat and protein to lose weight.
  4. If it’s the end of the day, you enjoyed a nice meal with your family at the dinner table, then an hour later you are searching for something to eat, reevaluate your food for the day. Did it include and prioritize protein? Did you include a variety of foods into your day? Did you drink enough water today? Protein is satiating and dehydration can often make you think you are hungry when in fact you might be dehydrated.
  5. Slow down when eating your next meal. When you start paying much attention to the actual food in front of you rather than the tv or scrolling on your phone, you will notice your actual food consumption and may in fact get fuller quicker when you don’t distract yourself with other things.
  6. Use a food journal to plan your foods ahead of time, preferably 24 hours in advance. When you plan your food choices beforehand, you will be less likely to cave to the bag of chips or fast food since you’ve already made a food plan for healthy choices. Your brain likes routines and plans and getting into the habit of planning your food uses the part of your brain that has your best interest at heart rather than giving into impulse food-related decisions when your daily life struggles and circumstances happen.

Is emotional eating the same as mindless eating?

No, emotional eating is not the same as being a mindless eater. It certainly can be a form of overeating when you are not hungry because you are seeking comfort to push down those emotions, but often mindless eaters have formed habits that happen when they are multitasking.

When I coach my clients who are in my 6 week Sugar Detox Course, on how to tell the difference between eating over emotions and simply having some mindless eating habits, the best way to understand the difference is noticing your emotional state.

Are you angry over an email you received or a fight with your spouse? Are you anxious over a work deadline and looking for something to distract yourself? Are you feeling sad over some bad news you received and want comfort with junk food? This instances are emotional eating.

What is the Hunger or Habit Tool?

The Hunger or Habit Tool is a self-assessment quiz I created to bring awareness even before you grab that snack and think you might be hungry. It’s an 8 question quiz that you answer and add up your points to help you determine whether you might be truly hungry or it might be just a habit.

The tool has been a great way I’ve helped thousands of women in my online 5 Day Sugar Detox Challenge and 6 week Sugar Detox course to end mindless eating and become a more mindful eater. Bringing awareness to your habits that are hindering your weight loss efforts is the first step in unconscious decisions that would derail your efforts.

The next time you “think” you might need a snack, use my Hunger or Habit Tool to quiz yourself and then decide if you really are hungry or it’s just habit.

You can get that tool here by subscribing to my free email newsletter.

Who is Sugar Free Mom?

Brenda Bennett is a Nutritional Therapy Practitioner, Sugar Detox Coach, Certified Keto Coach and author of The 30-Day Sugar Elimination Diet and Naturally Keto. She has coached thousands of women to successfully lose weight and keep it off in her online detox course since 2012. Her website sugarfreemom.com shares sugar-free, low-carb and keto recipes for the whole family since 2011. She holds a Master’s Degree in Special Education with an expertise in Behavior Modification.

Medical Review by Dr. Ken Berry

References:

From Mindless Eating to Mindlessly Eating Better (2010) Physiology & Behavior

Distraction, the desire to eat and food intake. Towards an expanded model of mindless eating (2013) Appetite.

What does it mean to overeat? (2020) Eating Behaviors.

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]]> https://www.sugarfreemom.com/recipes/how-to-end-mindless-eating-with-my-hunger-or-habit-tool/feed/ 0 LIVE 6 week Sugar Detox Course starts May 25th https://www.sugarfreemom.com/recipes/live-6-week-sugar-detox-course-starts-may-25th/ https://www.sugarfreemom.com/recipes/live-6-week-sugar-detox-course-starts-may-25th/#respond Mon, 09 May 2022 10:00:37 +0000 https://www.sugarfreemom.com/?p=55028 This is the last program you will ever need to lose the weight you want to lose, balance your blood sugar, stop the cravings for sugar and carbs, and live your best life!  When you join the 6 Week Sugar detox Course and membership, you will be fully supported through live weekly Zoom meetings to...

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]]> This is the last program you will ever need to lose the weight you want to lose, balance your blood sugar, stop the cravings for sugar and carbs, and live your best life!  When you join the 6 Week Sugar detox Course and membership, you will be fully supported through live weekly Zoom meetings to coach you, help you tweak your program and answer all your questions. $50 discount until May 23, 2022.

Sugar Detox Course Testimonials

Tracy says, Week 1 Results. Weight loss 10.2 lbs , 8 1/8 inches, AM sugar # down 20 pts. Best part is that I am one day closer to being healthy !! Sugar-Free Mom for President so she can get the FDA fixed!

Angela says, “I’m down 4.6 pounds and more motivated than ever”! Just one week on Sugar Detox course!

Susan says, “I stepped on the scale this morning, after just one week on plan I’m down 4.8 pounds! So excited!”

Trish says, “ (Just catching up on week 4 because I had surgery last week- watching the meeting now). Brenda this has been a very positive experience! Before surgery I had lost 5 lbs. and was feeling better than I had in a long time. Learning a new way to think, cook, and eat has been great and I will be able to stick with this and make it a lifestyle. I have really enjoyed this course and would definitely recommend it to others!”

Carol, Hi everyone! After 6 weeks I am happy to report I’ve lost 13 lbs! I kept forgetting to measure myself which I’m disappointed I didn’t. BUT I put on a shirt today I haven’t been able to wear for months.

Michele says, “Amazing class!! I loved all of the information and learned so much. Things that I can continue without feeling deprived. I lost 9 pounds, 10” and 2% body fat!!”

Sugar Detox Course with Support Membership

Sarah says, 4 months sugar free today and 45 pounds down, but what is more important is how free I am from sugar and emotional eating .

REGISTER FOR THE 6 Week SUGAR DETOX COURSE $50 OFF ends May 23rd!

How to Achieve Sugar Freedom

Why would I ever say this is the best sugar detox course you could ever join? Because I’m not going to tell you that you need to be following a keto diet. I’m not going to be telling you, you need to go dairy free. I’m not going to even tell you how many carbs you need to eat each day! I am going to help you figure out what is right for YOUR body!

You will discover how many carbs to eat by taking this course. You will discover what carbs are a good fit for your body and what are not. You will finally find a way to remove sugar and carb cravings once and for all so you will reach a healthy weight for your body.

It’s about bio-individuality and no one should ever be telling you what vegetables are off limits for your body because every body is different and is effected differently by certain foods. Some can eat sweet potatoes without any raise in blood sugar while others can not. This sugar detox course is the only one that will meet you where you are at, to help you find what works for you to balance your blood sugar and have food freedom! 

Karen says,  “I wanted to thank you again for the terrific 6 week class. I’m so happy with my results (-17lbs and -16 inches)and learned so much.”

And it’s NOT just about detoxing from sugar and losing weight, DIABETICS are seeing amazing results with my program!

Christa says, “Amazing results I’m over the moon thank you so much Brenda! Went to see my endocrinologist and he took me off my fast acting insulin and drastically reduced my long actin insulin. I lost a total of 11.9 pounds and 6.5 inches and I feel great!”

Darlene says, “So awesome. I am type 2 diabetic . Have lost 13 lbs. Stopped 1 pill and cut insulin and metformin in half.”

Leslie says, “As we come to the end of our 6 week course, I have to share this truly remarkable success story – my partner was diagnosed as a Type 2 diabetic in February and ended up in ICU. So scary and I didn’t have any idea how to handle – he ended up on 105 units of short term insulin and 60 units long term per day . So hard to control & now thanks to “our” Sugar Free Mom -Brenda Bennett,…..he is on ZERO insulin and just metformin…..he’s lost 10 lbs too! We saw the endocrinologist yesterday and she said she had never seen a Type 2 Diabetic go from that much insulin to ZERO AND his glucose is in range 99% of the time !!! I can’t thank you enough for being such a REAL person and teaching me how to cook healthy and enjoy it too!”

What you get in the 6 Week Detox Course

Week 1: You’ll learn exactly what to eat and what not to eat to detox from sugar. You’ll have the option to choose the low-carb plan, keto plan or auto-immune diet plan. You’ll receive handouts on what to drink, snack on, healthy fats & oils and optional supplements.

Week 2: You’ll learn if your snacking is habit or true hunger, abstinence between meals and how to fill-the-gap instead of snacking.

Week 3 : You’ll learn about the right macronutrients for your body, food sensitivities, blood testing, and using the pulse record. 

Week 4:  You’ll learn the triggers and cues that lead to temptation and how to combat it. We’ll learn about how grains and gluten impact your health and intermittent fasting, and how to follow a Protein Sparing Modified Fast.

Week 5: You’ll learn how to bust through plateaus, when to get further testing and what to test for hormones, adrenals, and thyroid.

Week 6: You’ll learn how your body reacts to certain carbs by taking a 7 day carb testing protocol. (optional)

Whether you’re struggling to lose weight or you are in maintenance, you are encouraged to reap the benefits of the support of others who are doing the same thing.

I’ll  teach you  the steps to tackle cravings on a daily basis, one day at a time.

Suzanne says, “Ok. My results. To be honest (like I am).I did 4 weeks on the program and lost 14 pounds, 10 inches. For week 5 I bailed on candy, wine, and pizza. I felt horrible and gained back 2 pounds. Week 6 I still was off but I cooked healthy meals and maintained my weight. I realized by week 4 I needed more carbs for my body and for my work. I felt incredible weak and blood pressure was dropping really low. I tried more salt and just couldn’t get comfortable so for week 5 and 6 I ate more carbs and the wrong carbs. Potatoes and wheat get me every time. I bloated and felt awful on them. So I won’t eat them any more! Today I did my final pictures and measurements. In 6 weeks I have lost 12 pounds and a total of 11.5 inches!!!!! Thank you Brenda this course was amazing and today I am off to catch up and make some meals out of your cook book!”

REGISTER FOR SUGAR DETOX COURSE $50 OFF ends May 23rd!

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]]> https://www.sugarfreemom.com/recipes/live-6-week-sugar-detox-course-starts-may-25th/feed/ 0 5 Day Sugar Detox Challenge starts May 16, 2022 https://www.sugarfreemom.com/recipes/5-day-sugar-detox-challenge-starts-may-16-2022/ https://www.sugarfreemom.com/recipes/5-day-sugar-detox-challenge-starts-may-16-2022/#comments Thu, 28 Apr 2022 10:00:56 +0000 https://www.sugarfreemom.com/?p=54850 The next 5 Day Sugar Detox Challenge starts 5/16/22! Break up with sugar for 5 days and learn all my tips and tricks to detox easily and without withdrawal effects and lose weight! Read all the testimonies below of others who have successfully completed this 5 Day Sugar Detox Challenge! How to Stop Sugar Cravings...

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]]> The next 5 Day Sugar Detox Challenge starts 5/16/22! Break up with sugar for 5 days and learn all my tips and tricks to detox easily and without withdrawal effects and lose weight! Read all the testimonies below of others who have successfully completed this 5 Day Sugar Detox Challenge!

How to Stop Sugar Cravings

Learning to remove sugar from your life isn’t that hard to understand. You stop all forms of sugar and you check labels for prepared and packaged foods that might contain it.

Stopping the sugar cravings from occurring when removing sugar is a bit more challenging. Cravings for sugar and refined carbs and withdrawal symptoms from sugar are going to be different for everyone, but I help make it easier with my tried and true coaching methods.

I’m a nutritional therapy practitioner and sugar detox coach and I’m also a former sugar addict. But I broke free and today and complete food freedom.

I’ve been sugar free since 2006 and have been teaching my methods for successfully detoxing from sugar, eliminate sugar cravings, and help woman and men loose weight through my 6 week Sugar Detox Course.

But I also understand that making an investment in a 6 week course can be scary, so I’ve created a 5 day sugar detox challenge to provide a way for you to experience what it’s like in the first week of the 6 week course. Less expensive and you’ve have quick success in just 5 days!

SUGAR DETOX TESTIMONIALS

Tammy says, I am down 7 lbs since Day 1! This week has been a great experience. Thank you Brenda for giving me the tools to get started. I have 50lbs to lose to get to my goal weight and look forward to learning more in your 6 week course. Registering today! Good luck to everyone. I wish you all success!!!

Cindy says, As of this morning, I’ve lost 7.6 pounds and three inches from my belly (measuring at my belly button) during this challenge. I can button a coat I could not button before the challenge. I’m truly flabbergasted by the results!So thankful I went for it! See y’all in the course!

Ann says,I  nervously stepped on my scale this morning – down 5 lbs! My 5:30am blood sugar was 119, that number is great for me! Thanks so much Brenda for all the wonderful information and also everyone in the group for all the support and food ideas! Can’t wait to continue on with the 6 week course! Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!!

Rebecca says, Hooray! 6.4 lbs down since the start of the 5 day challenge!

Stella says, I’m down 5lbs and it’s given me to willpower to carry on, thank you Brenda.

Sandy says, I lost 3.6 pounds but what is more important the 5 days has motivated me to do something about my weight and eating healthier. I look forward to joining  the 6 week course.

Teresa says, Thank you Brenda for a great week! As of this morning, I am down 8.6lbs! I just ordered your cookbook on Amazon this morning. Thank you!

SUGAR DETOX LIVE COACHING

Each Day of the 5 Day Sugar Detox Challenge I WILL BE LIVE IN OUR PRIVATE FACEBOOK GROUP and it will be recorded if you are unable to make it.

  • Introduction video: What to Eat on this Challenge
  • Day 1: How to Overcome Sugar Cravings on 5/16
  • Day 2: How to avoid Carb withdrawals on 5/17
  • Day 3: Hunger or Habit? 5/18
  • Day 4: How to Quickly Recover after overindulging 5/19
  • Day 5: How to Sustain Sugar Freedom 5/20
 

REGISTER HERE FOR THE 5 DAY SUGAR DETOX CHALLENGE 

Once you’re registered, you will receive an email confirmation with a link to download the 5 Day Sugar Detox Workbook and you will receive a wordpress email with password to get the course videos on the website.

Seriously, what do you have to lose by joining the 5 day Sugar Detox challenge which costs just $5??!!

The weight of course and freedom from the hold sugar has on your life!! I am confident you will feel amazing and hope to see you in our challenge or in the 6 week sugar detox course!

Let me know if you have any questions! I look forward to helping you reach your goals!

REGISTER HERE FOR THE 5 DAY SUGAR DETOX CHALLENGE 

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]]> https://www.sugarfreemom.com/recipes/5-day-sugar-detox-challenge-starts-may-16-2022/feed/ 1 5 Day Sugar Detox Challenge https://www.sugarfreemom.com/recipes/5-day-sugar-detox-challenge-2/ https://www.sugarfreemom.com/recipes/5-day-sugar-detox-challenge-2/#comments Thu, 23 Dec 2021 11:00:18 +0000 https://www.sugarfreemom.com/?p=48663 The 5 Day Sugar Detox Challenge! Break up with sugar for 5 days and learn all my tips and tricks to detox easily and without withdrawal effects and of course, lose weight! Read all the testimonies below of others who have successfully completed this 5 Day Sugar Detox Challenge! 5 DAY SUGAR DETOX CHALLENGE If...

The post 5 Day Sugar Detox Challenge appeared first on Sugar-Free Mom.

]]> The 5 Day Sugar Detox Challenge! Break up with sugar for 5 days and learn all my tips and tricks to detox easily and without withdrawal effects and of course, lose weight! Read all the testimonies below of others who have successfully completed this 5 Day Sugar Detox Challenge!

5 DAY SUGAR DETOX CHALLENGE

If you’ve been a follower of my blog for some time now, you may have seen my announcements of my past Sugar Detox Course.

If you hadn’t heard about it, it is a 5 module course that truly gives you all the steps, information and support needed to successfully break free from sugar addiction and lose weight.

Here are just a few testimonials for my sugar detox course:

Karen says, “I wanted to thank you again for the terrific 6 week class. I’m so happy with my results (-17lbs and -16 inches)and learned so much.”

Darlene says, “I lost 15 pounds and 3.5% body fat! Thanks Brenda”

Michele says, “Amazing class!! I loved all of the information and learned so much. Things that I can continue without feeling deprived. I lost 9 pounds, 10” and 2% body fat!!”

Christa says, “Amazing results I’m over the moon thank you so much Brenda! Went to see my endocrinologist and he took me off my fast acting insulin and drastically reduced my long actin insulin. I lost a total of 11.9 pounds and 6.5 inches and I feel great!”

6 Week Sugar Detox Course with Live Weekly Support
6 Week Sugar Detox Course with Live Weekly Support

SUGAR DETOX COURSE

BUT if you are truly unsure the Sugar Detox Course is right for you, then join our 5 Day Sugar Detox Challenge so you can get a little taste of what I teach in my course. In 5 days of detoxing from sugar you will feel amazing and lose weight! 

Just read these testimonials of just one week in my course:

“Great to have week 1 under our belts.  I’m down 1% body fat, 7.2 lbs, and reduction in waist, hips & thighs.  Excited to keep the momentum going.  See ya tonight in Zoom.” -Angie

Angela says, “I’m down 4.6 pounds and more motivated than ever”! Just one week on Sugar Detox course!

Susan says, “I stepped on the scale this morning, after just one week on plan I’m down 4.8 pounds! So excited!”

So there you have it folks! You can join the 5 Day Sugar detox Challenge and if you love how it made you feel and you have success with losing a few pounds then you can decide if the6 Week Sugar Detox Course is right for you! 

Each Day of the 5 Day Sugar Detox Challenge I WILL BE LIVE IN OUR PRIVATE FACEBOOK GROUP and it will be recorded if you are unable to make it.

  • Introduction video: What to Eat on this Challenge

  • Day 1: How to Overcome Sugar Cravings

  • Day 2: How to avoid Carb withdrawals

  • Day 3: Hunger or Habit?

  • Day 4: How to Quickly Recover after overindulging

  • Day 5: How to Sustain Sugar Freedom

TESTIMONIALS from 5 DAY SUGAR DETOX CHALLENGE

Tammy says, I am down 7 lbs since Day 1! This week has been a great experience. Thank you Brenda for giving me the tools to get started. I have 50lbs to lose to get to my goal weight and look forward to learning more in your 6 week course. Registering today! Good luck to everyone. I wish you all success!!!

Cindy says, As of this morning, I’ve lost 7.6 pounds and three inches from my belly (measuring at my belly button) during this challenge. I can button a coat I could not button before the challenge. I’m truly flabbergasted by the results!So thankful I went for it! See y’all in the course!

Ann says,I  nervously stepped on my scale this morning – down 5 lbs! My 5:30am blood sugar was 119, that number is great for me! Thanks so much Brenda for all the wonderful information and also everyone in the group for all the support and food ideas! Can’t wait to continue on with the 6 week course! Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!!

Rebecca says, Hooray! 6.4 lbs down since the start of the 5 day challenge!

Stella says, I’m down 5lbs and it’s given me to willpower to carry on, thank you Brenda.

Sandy says, I lost 3.6 pounds but what is more important the 5 days has motivated me to do something about my weight and eating healthier. I look forward to joining  the 6 week course.

Teresa says, Thank you Brenda for a great week! As of this morning, I am down 8.6lbs! 🤗 I just ordered your cookbook on Amazon this morning. Thank you!

Register Here for the 5 Day Sugar Detox Challenge 

Once you’re registered, you will receive an email confirmation with a link to download the 5 Day Sugar Detox Workbook and you will receive a wordpress email with password to get the course videos on the website.

Seriously, what do you have to lose by joining the 5 day Sugar Detox challenge which costs just $10??!!

The weight of course and freedom from the hold sugar has on your life!! I am confident you will feel amazing and hope to see you in our challenge or in the sugar detox course!

Let me know if you have any questions! I look forward to helping you reach your goals!

Brenda/Sugar Free Mom

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]]> https://www.sugarfreemom.com/recipes/5-day-sugar-detox-challenge-2/feed/ 12 Low Carb vs. Keto vs. Carnivore and My 3 Year Update https://www.sugarfreemom.com/recipes/low-carb-vs-keto-vs-carnivore-and-my-3-year-update/ https://www.sugarfreemom.com/recipes/low-carb-vs-keto-vs-carnivore-and-my-3-year-update/#comments Tue, 08 Jun 2021 10:00:00 +0000 https://www.sugarfreemom.com/?p=46782 Have you wondered what the big difference is between low carb vs. keto? How about between keto vs. carnivore? Are you wondering what all the fuss is about and if it’s best for your weight loss and how low in carbs you really need to go? What about the high fat that is typical on...

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]]> Have you wondered what the big difference is between low carb vs. keto? How about between keto vs. carnivore? Are you wondering what all the fuss is about and if it’s best for your weight loss and how low in carbs you really need to go? What about the high fat that is typical on a keto diet, is it necessary? I’m sharing all these answers to your questions as well as my 3 year update on being on a ketogenic diet. 

WHAT’S THE MAIN DIFFERENCE BETWEEN LOW-CARB VERSUS KETO?

Both the keto diet and a low carb diet are forms of living a low carb lifestyle to balance blood sugar, lose weight and reduce inflammation. The biggest difference between the two is in the macronutrient amount ratios between protein, fats and carbs. 

When you are following a ketogenic diet you reduce your carbohydrates typically to 20 grams a day in order to get your body into nutritional ketosis. When you are in ketosis, you are burning fat for fuel instead of glucose. There are many benefits to being in ketosis, and I’ve shared them all in this post, Low Carb vs. Keto and my 6 week results after following a strict keto diet. 

When I went to nutritional therapy school to become a practitioner, I learned the most important thing is that everyone is an individual and no two people will react to the same foods, specifically carbohydrates, the same way.  Everyone will be able to get into ketosis with different macronutrient amounts. Some people might be able to get into ketosis eating 50 grams of carb a day, while others need less, maybe 35 grams or some need to go as low as 20 or less. 

There is no definition for what a typical low-carb diet should look like. The most popular low-carb diet has been Atkins. But even with any low-carb program, the amount of carbohydrates could vary with anything between 0 and 150 carbs a day.  

The key factor though for each diet, the keto and low carb diet, is that we remove processed sugar and refined carbs like pasta, breads, pastries, candies, grains, and high carb veggies like potatoes. Using whole nutrient dense foods, like healthy proteins, and low carb veggies like zucchini, cauliflower, squash, and nuts and seeds, seem to be the best approach no matter if you are following a low-carb or keto diet.

 

ARE YOU IN KETOSIS?

Besides having the benefits mentioned above, if you really want to make sure you are in ketosis I would suggest buying a glucometer which is a blood test. A simple prick on your finger using ketone strips to measure. Anywhere from 0.5 and up means you are most likely in ketosis. It’s definitely not cheap, but it is the most accurate measurement.

There are other methods as well, like using urine ketone strips but those will work well for a couple months and then may not register ketones since your body should be using the ketones. There is also a breath ketone meter if you hate the blood pricking idea.

DO YOU NEED TO EAT HIGH FAT TO FOLLOW A KETO DIET? 

The biggest controversy with a ketogenic diet has always been in the dietary fat amount one should consume for weight loss. Some experts believe high fat is best, anywhere from 70-80% daily. Others believe it’s best to use fat as a lever and adjust to anywhere from 50-70% depending on your goals and if you have any underlying conditions or autoimmune disease. 

In my experience before I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism, I was gaining weight on a keto diet of 70% fat. I was not able to lose weight until I lowered my dietary fat intake and increased my protein intake. Again, everyone is different and changing things that are not working for you is the key.

In order to see weight loss, I  reduced to 60% dietary fat and started incorporating intermittent fasting as well as getting properly diagnosed and on medication to treat my low functioning thyroid. How much fat you should eat to lose weight on a ketogenic diet is one that will have to be determined as you follow the basic keto macros and see what works for you.

I was so encouraged that I wasn’t broken when it came to weight loss and inspired to share this with others that I created a 4 week Stall Buster Keto course for those struggling to lose weight on the traditional keto macros or those just stuck in their weight loss. 

KETO VERSUS CARNIVORE

The carnivore diet is a zero carb diet which is one of the best elimination diets out there. If you are struggling with any kind of skin conditions, GI issues or any other conditions that are just not going away with a keto diet, this is the diet for you. 

Not only did I have hypothyroidism, but I was breaking out in crazy, itchy hives! It was the worst time of my life and the hives were chronic. I was reacting to anything I was eating. I later learned I have a high histamine intolerance.

I decided to follow a carnivore diet for two months to see if the hives would decrease. It definitely helped calm down the inflammation in my body, though for me it was not a lifestyle I could or would want to sustain.

I am a foodie at heart and recipe development is my love! Creating keto, family-friendly recipes is a blessing and a gift I love to share with others on my blog. 

WHICH DIET IS BETTER FOR WEIGHT LOSS?

Both the low-carb diet and the ketogenic diet will help you lose weight. If you have a lot of weight to lose, over 50, you might easily be able to lose weight with a low-carb diet. If you have less than 30 pounds to lose, you might do better and see quicker results if you follow a ketogenic diet limiting your carbs to 20 a day. 

Every time you put food in your mouth, the hormone insulin will raise to bring glucose into your cells for energy. Depending on the food you choose, determines the effect it will have on your insulin and how high insulin will raise. Highly processed, sugary foods will increase insulin the most. Foods with fat and minimal carbs will minimally effect insulin. 

When you maintain balanced blood glucose levels and limit insulin from spiking, you will see fat loss. When insulin is high or constantly high from constant snacking, no fat loss will be happening. 

The take away then is figuring out what carbohydrates  and how many will you be able to enjoy to keep your blood sugar balanced and which ones will you need to avoid in order to reduce the frequency of insulin being raised. Once you have that figured out you can certainly adjust your carb intake to what works for you. 

HOW TO BEAT SUGAR AND CARB CRAVINGS

I tell all my ladies during their first week starting out on my 6 week Sugar Detox course and also in my 5 day Sugar Detox challenge that the very best way to beat sugar and carb cravings is to increase protein intake.

Some listen and are astounded at how great they feel in the first few days, many are just shocked at how greatly it made a huge difference in their hunger. Others take some time to listen, thinking they already eat enough protein, but inevitably they fall culprit to wanting to eat all the things by dinner time.

Using a keto calculator can help you determine the right amount of protein for your body and weight loss. Most women I’ve worked with are under-eating protein and once they increase it, they see amazing results, cravings gone, more satiety and lose weight! Do not underestimate the power of protein!

MY 3 YEAR KETO UPDATE

I held off on writing this post since March because of the simple fact, I don’t have 6 pack abs and I don’t have my body fat down to 20%! Don’t get me wrong, I’m grateful I am about the same weight as I was back in March of 2018 when I wrote my 6 week results, but I do look the same in the photos and that really bothers me.

I’ve had lots of struggles in the 3 years since I wrote that post of my 6 week results.  By September of 2018, I was finally diagnosed with Chronic Epstein Bar, which became active again and Hypothyroidism. It was a blessing to finally have a diagnosis, but in the process I gained about 10-15 pounds, bringing me up to about 145  and on my short 5 feet 2 .5 inches, that was really depressing.

The thyroid medication was not correct for about 6 months and has had to be adjusted over the course of 2019 as well as 2020. I’ve also been working with Dr. Will Cole, a functional doctor who has been treating me for Candida and what we believe was exposure to mold in our home and which has been corrected. 

Recently though, even more upsetting, has been the fact that in the spring of 2021, we discovered high estrogen in my body. With high estrogen has come extreme hair loss. Clumps of hair in my hands after brushing and washing it. 

I’m certainly not writing this to share my pity party story, nor to use any of these issues as an excuse as to why I look exactly the same as I did in 2018. 

I’m working on my body fat through daily intermittent fasting and keto with no more than 20 total carbs a day. I work out with a trainer 3 times a week and walk my dog daily for about 3-4 miles. Considering all I’ve been through in the last 3 years and now trying to detox from high estrogen too, I feel grateful I’ve at least gotten back to the weight I was when I first experimented with a keto diet after having been low carb for so many years. 

I hope one day soon to write a post about getting my body fat down to what I would consider perfect for my height, but until then I give you the truth. This is where I’m currently at and I’m not ashamed about it. I feel good in the bathing suit I picked and honestly that just makes me happy. 

This year I will be turning 50 in November and I hope to be in the best shape of my life! I’m doing all I can to fix the issues and I will always be an advocate for keto helping me control cravings and feel my best. 

EASY LOW CARB KETO RECIPES

Making meals that are low-carb and keto for you, does not have to be hard at all, even if the rest of the family is not eating this way. I’ve been doing this for years without my hubby on board and have found a way to make one meal for everyone and that all will happily eat!

Here are some of my very best, fool-proof, family-friendly low carb keto recipes:

LOW CARB VS KETO: THE BOTTOM LINE

A low-carb diet and a keto diet can both be effective for weight loss, depending on your goals. If you are looking to simply lose a few pounds, a low carb diet under 100 grams of carbs a day may be all you need to get results.

But to get lean and build muscle, a ketogenic diet is the better option. If you’re looking to heal any kind of inflammation, a ketogenic diet would provide immediate results. 

Ultimately the best diet is one you will follow through on and works for your body. Following either diet as a way of life as opposed to a “diet” to simply lose weight, is the key to lasting weight loss and maintaining that weight loss. 

Medical Review by Dr. Ken Berry

Sources:

The post Low Carb vs. Keto vs. Carnivore and My 3 Year Update appeared first on Sugar-Free Mom.

]]> https://www.sugarfreemom.com/recipes/low-carb-vs-keto-vs-carnivore-and-my-3-year-update/feed/ 16 Do Calories Matter On a Keto Diet? https://www.sugarfreemom.com/recipes/do-calories-matter-on-a-keto-diet/ https://www.sugarfreemom.com/recipes/do-calories-matter-on-a-keto-diet/#comments Tue, 11 May 2021 10:00:00 +0000 https://www.sugarfreemom.com/?p=46015 Do calories matter when you are on a ketogenic diet to lose weight? There is quite a bit of debate on this controversial topic and we discuss calories, the thermic effect of food, oxidative priority and much more in this post about calories on a keto diet.  ISN’T WEIGHT LOSS JUST CALORIES IN AND CALORIES...

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]]> Do calories matter when you are on a ketogenic diet to lose weight? There is quite a bit of debate on this controversial topic and we discuss calories, the thermic effect of food, oxidative priority and much more in this post about calories on a keto diet. 

ISN’T WEIGHT LOSS JUST CALORIES IN AND CALORIES OUT?

If you’re ever been on a diet to lose weight, you’ve most often been told or heard that it’s just about the calories you’re consuming and the calories you are expending that matters for weight loss. But if you’ve been on a ketogenic diet, you most likely have heard that counting calories isn’t needed at all on a keto diet and just keeping your daily carb intake to 20, with moderate protein and high fat will be enough to lose weight. This can be confusing and is often debatable among keto experts. 

While there are many different approaches to following a keto diet, one thing is constant across the board for all the research I found and that is, that the most effective ketogenic diet is one that is a nutrient dense, whole food diet.  Focusing on fresh, single ingredient low carbohydrate foods and eliminating packaged, refined, processed foods, even keto products, is the best for overall health and longevity. 

Many factors besides just calories are involved in weight loss. Hormones like insulin, ghrelin and leptin play a critical role in fat loss, hunger and satiety levels. The nutrient density of your food, your genetics, your sensitivity to insulin, your ability to keep your blood sugar balanced when eating a ketogenic diet, your muscle mass, your exercise level, all effect your weight loss or lack there of. 

THE THERMIC EFFECT OF FOOD

The thermic effect of food (TEF) is the amount of energy needed to consume and digest different macro nutrients. Some nutrients like protein, require much more energy to be digested than others, like carbs and fat. This means that the total calories consumed will result in different amount of effective calories in the body depending on what macro nutrients were consumed.

The TEF for protein is 25%, meaning 25% of the calories you eat from a protein source actually goes into breaking down the food, but for carbohydrates, that number is only 8%.

So if you eat 100 calories of protein, 75 calories are left after digestion. If you eat 100 calories of carbohydrates, 92 calories are left after digestion. It makes sense to prioritize protein when trying to loose weight since your body will use more energy to digest it, therefore consuming 25% less calories. 

 

OXIDATIVE PRIORITY

Oxidative Priority is the order in which our body processes and stores fuels from the diet. Fuels with higher priority have to be processed first before fuels of lower priority as seen above in the graphic from Mariamindbodyhealth.com and their book, Keto; The Complete Guide to Success on the Ketogenic Diet. Not all macronutrients can be stored at the same level. For example, alcohol has no long-term storage capacity, while fat has a relatively unlimited capacity.

ALL CALORIES ARE NOT CREATED EQUAL

Imagine you have two meals with the same thermic effect, as well as oxidative priority, yet one is nutrient dense with vitamins, minerals, enzymes and the other is void of these. While your body may digest it the same, you may be left feeling less than completely satisfied after your meal, hunger for more, which is often what can lead to overeating and cravings. 

For example, eating a  bun-less, fast food burger with cheese, onions, pickles, and condiments is not going to give you the same satiety as a meal of a grass-fed ground beef burger, with organic broccoli and cauliflower, tossed in grass-fed butter, ghee or avocado oil. 

SATIETY LEVEL MAKES A DIFFERENCE FOR WEIGHT LOSS

While many on the ketogenic diet encourage eating fat for increasing ketones and satiety levels, there are more studies indicating the protein is more satiating than fat. Higher protein diets shown in this study have been shown to decrease food cravings for sweet or savory foods. 

A common advantage and benefit from eating a ketogenic diet is that you will feel fuller on more nutrient dense food, therefore eating less and you will feel fully for longer between your meals, which will help your body burn stored fat for fuel and lose weight.

The caveat here though is that each person will feel satiety differently. Some may not feel as satiated by eating higher protein, and others will not feel as satiated eating more fat. The key is to try different macronutrient amount of protein and fat to learn when you feel best and most satiated so that you can reduce your snacking and eat less for weight loss. 

SHOULD YOU COUNT CALORIES TO LOSE WEIGHT ON KETO?

Those against counting calories:

Dietdoctor.com does not recommend counting calories because they believe that it’s more about the kind of food you are putting into your body that matters. They state that staying away from high carb, processed foods, and leaning toward nutrient dense, whole foods is better, as well as reducing or eliminating even low carb, high-reward type foods like nuts and cheese that are easy to overeat. 

The True Health Center for Functional Medicine advises against counting calories, stating that while they believe calorie counting does have some benefits, in general it is unnecessary. They state that as you become more keto adapted, you will burn calories at a higher rate and that it is more about the type of calories than the amount consumed. 

Those for counting calories:

While a ketogenic diet can help you decrease cravings and feel more satisfied with less food, at PerfectKeto.com they believe that you still do need to be aware of the total calories you’re eating daily. If you end up eating more calories then your body needs, you will store it as fat, even if you are in ketosis. 

Hvmn.com (Health via Modern Nutrition), 

“Despite what many people say, it is possible to overdo your protein and fat intake. If you’ve ever found it tempting to throw down an entire jar of peanut butter, you understand our sentiment. Overdoing it on oils, nuts, butter, even the “healthy fat” sources like olive oil and avocado—this could lead to an increased calorie consumption. “

According to Ruledme.com, use calorie counting and tracking as a short-term tool for weight loss. It may not be needed for the rest of your life, but it can help with learning what macros work best for your body to lose weight. 

THE TAKE AWAY

Whether you’re on team calorie counting or not, one thing to take away here is that everyone is different. What works for one person to lose weight may not be effective for you to lose weight. Learning how many carbs and how much fat to eat on your ketogenic diet for your body to lose weight is the key. 

Not counting calories and tracking macros may work for some time for you to lose weight. But when your current method on your keto diet has stalled you and you are plateaued, it may be time to start counting calories and tracking. 

For me with hypothyroidism, not counting calories never worked for me to lose weight and body fat. I had to know the total carbs, calories, fat and protein I was taking in so that when I stalled, I could easily change one variable to see if that made a difference for my weight loss. 

It may not have to be for a lifetime, but calorie counting and tracking can be an effective, temporary tool for getting the most benefit from your ketogenic diet. Once you reach your goal weight and are in maintenance you can probably relax a bit on the rigidity of tracking. 

 

Medical Review by Dr. Ken Berry, MD.

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]]> https://www.sugarfreemom.com/recipes/do-calories-matter-on-a-keto-diet/feed/ 1 5 Day Sugar Detox Challenge https://www.sugarfreemom.com/recipes/5-day-sugar-detox-challenge/ https://www.sugarfreemom.com/recipes/5-day-sugar-detox-challenge/#comments Thu, 06 May 2021 10:00:00 +0000 https://www.sugarfreemom.com/?p=46275 The 5 Day Sugar Detox Challenge costs just $5 to join! Break up with sugar for 5 days and learn all my tips and tricks to detox easily and without withdrawal effects and of course lose weight! Read all the testimonies below of others who have successfully completed this 5 Day Sugar Detox Challenge! 5...

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]]> The 5 Day Sugar Detox Challenge costs just $5 to join! Break up with sugar for 5 days and learn all my tips and tricks to detox easily and without withdrawal effects and of course lose weight! Read all the testimonies below of others who have successfully completed this 5 Day Sugar Detox Challenge!

5 DAY SUGAR DETOX CHALLENGE

We are so excited to announce our 5 Day Sugar Detox Challenge ! If you’ve been a follower of my blog for some time now, you may have seen my announcements of my past 6 week Sugar Detox Course. If you hadn’t heard about it, it is an Intensive, 6 week course that truly gives you all the steps, information and support needed to successfully break free from sugar addiction and lose weight.

Here are just a few testimonials for my 6 week course:

Karen says, “I wanted to thank you again for the terrific 6 week class. I’m so happy with my results (-17lbs and -16 inches)and learned so much.”

Darlene says, “I lost 15 pounds and 3.5% body fat! Thanks Brenda”

Michele says, “Amazing class!! I loved all of the information and learned so much. Things that I can continue without feeling deprived. I lost 9 pounds, 10” and 2% body fat!!”

Christa says, “Amazing results I’m over the moon thank you so much Brenda! Went to see my endocrinologist and he took me off my fast acting insulin and drastically reduced my long actin insulin. I lost a total of 11.9 pounds and 6.5 inches and I feel great!”

6 Week Sugar Detox Course with Live Weekly Support
6 Week Sugar Detox Course with Live Weekly Support

6 WEEK SUGAR DETOX COURSE

BUT if you are truly unsure the 6 Week Sugar Detox Course is right for you, then join our 5 Day Sugar Detox Challenge so you can get a little taste of what I teach in my course. In 5 days of detoxing from sugar you will feel amazing and lose weight! 

Just read these testimonials of just one week in my course:

“Great to have week 1 under our belts.  I’m down 1% body fat, 7.2 lbs, and reduction in waist, hips & thighs.  Excited to keep the momentum going.  See ya tonight in Zoom.” -Angie

Angela says, “I’m down 4.6 pounds and more motivated than ever”! Just one week on Sugar Detox course!

Susan says, “I stepped on the scale this morning, after just one week on plan I’m down 4.8 pounds! So excited!”

So there you have it folks! You can join the 5 Day Sugar detox Challenge and if you love how it made you feel and you have success with losing a few pounds then you can decide if the6 Week Sugar Detox Course is right for you! 

Each Day of the 5 Day Sugar Detox Challenge you will have a video and this is NOT on Facebook so if you don’t have it you can still watch all the videos:

  • Introduction video: What to Eat on this Challenge

  • Day 1: How to Overcome Sugar Cravings

  • Day 2: How to avoid Carb withdrawals

  • Day 3: Hunger or Habit?

  • Day 4: How to Quickly Recover after overindulging

  • Day 5: How to Sustain Sugar Freedom

TESTIMONIALS from 5 DAY SUGAR DETOX CHALLENGE

Tammy says, I am down 7 lbs since Day 1! This week has been a great experience. Thank you Brenda for giving me the tools to get started. I have 50lbs to lose to get to my goal weight and look forward to learning more in your 6 week course. Registering today! Good luck to everyone. I wish you all success!!!

Cindy says, As of this morning, I’ve lost 7.6 pounds and three inches from my belly (measuring at my belly button) during this challenge. I can button a coat I could not button before the challenge. I’m truly flabbergasted by the results!So thankful I went for it! See y’all in the course!

Ann says,I  nervously stepped on my scale this morning – down 5 lbs! My 5:30am blood sugar was 119, that number is great for me! Thanks so much Brenda for all the wonderful information and also everyone in the group for all the support and food ideas! Can’t wait to continue on with the 6 week course! Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!!

Rebecca says, Hooray! 6.4 lbs down since the start of the 5 day challenge!

Stella says, I’m down 5lbs and it’s given me to willpower to carry on, thank you Brenda.

Sandy says, I lost 3.6 pounds but what is more important the 5 days has motivated me to do something about my weight and eating healthier. I look forward to joining  the 6 week course.

Teresa says, Thank you Brenda for a great week! As of this morning, I am down 8.6lbs! 🤗 I just ordered your cookbook on Amazon this morning. Thank you!

Register Here for the 5 Day Sugar Detox Challenge 

Once you’re registered, you will receive an email confirmation with a link to download the 5 Day Sugar Detox Workbook and you will receive a wordpress email with password to get the course videos on the website.

Seriously, what do you have to lose by joining the 5 day Sugar Detox challenge which costs just $5??!! The weight of course and freedom from the hold sugar has on your life!! I am confident you will feel amazing and hope to see you in our challenge or in the 6 week sugar detox course!

Let me know if you have any questions! I look forward to helping you reach your goals for 2021!

Brenda/Sugar Free Mom

The post 5 Day Sugar Detox Challenge appeared first on Sugar-Free Mom.

]]> https://www.sugarfreemom.com/recipes/5-day-sugar-detox-challenge/feed/ 14 How Many Carbs Should You Eat on Keto (Total Carb versus Net Carbs) https://www.sugarfreemom.com/recipes/how-many-carbs-should-you-eat-on-keto-total-carb-versus-net-carbs/ https://www.sugarfreemom.com/recipes/how-many-carbs-should-you-eat-on-keto-total-carb-versus-net-carbs/#comments Tue, 27 Apr 2021 10:00:03 +0000 https://www.sugarfreemom.com/?p=46009 How many carbs should you eat on a ketogenic diet to lose weight? What’s the difference between total carbs versus net carbs and why does it matter? This article will explain all you need to know about carbs on keto for weight loss and how to find the right amount for your body and health...

The post How Many Carbs Should You Eat on Keto (Total Carb versus Net Carbs) appeared first on Sugar-Free Mom.

]]> How many carbs should you eat on a ketogenic diet to lose weight? What’s the difference between total carbs versus net carbs and why does it matter? This article will explain all you need to know about carbs on keto for weight loss and how to find the right amount for your body and health goals. 

HOW MANY CARBS SHOULD YOU EAT ON A KETO DIET TO LOSE WEIGHT?

Ketosis is a metabolic state that causes your body to use ketones for fuel instead of glucose. When your body is using ketones, it is burning fat for fuel. For weight loss on a ketogenic diet, limiting your daily carb intake will get your body into ketosis helping you to lose weight without feeling hungry all the time.

The controversy among most experts is the daily intake of carbohydrates that will allow your body to get into this metabolic state to produce ketones. The daily amount of carbs for effectively getting into ketosis greatly varies among different people and can range anywhere from, less than 20, to as much as 100 carbs per day.

The other controversial topic is whether net carbs or total carbs are better for weight loss and again this varies among individuals depending on many other factors like your daily activity level, health issues, genetics and lifestyle. 

Some argue that women need more carbs than men in order to keep their hormones balanced. Ketogenic expert Maria Emmerich, from mariamindbodyhealth.com,  shares her expert knowledge as to why you don’t need carb ups to keep your hormones balanced.

Using a keto calculator can take the guess work out of finding your personal macros for weight loss. I love Maria Emmerich’s Keto Calculator . She also takes into account using a Protein Sparing Modified Fast some days of the week.  Ketogains Keto Calculator is great as well,  and they both prioritize protein for weight loss. 

 20-30 net carbs a day is a good start to learning if this amount will work for your body to get into ketosis. Once there and successfully burning fat for fuel, losing weight and enjoying all the benefits of a ketogenic diet, you could begin increasing your daily carb intake to see where your threshold might be. 

HOW TO TEST YOUR CARB LIMIT

There are a number of ways to determine what is the right amount of carbohydrates that will work for you and keep you in ketosis so you can burn your own body fat stores. The first step is to make sure you are in ketosis by the most accurate testing available to test blood ketone levels with a ketone meter mentioned below.

Once you know you are in ketosis, make note of how you feel physically, and mentally. Do you have lots of energy, and mental clarity? Can you go many hours between meals without hunger? Read all about my 6 week results and all the benefits I felt when I went from a Low Carb Diet to a Keto Diet. 

If you are feeling great and you’re in ketosis, a gradual increase of carbs per day is recommended. You could increase your carb intake by 5 grams for one or more days.Test your blood and check in on how you feel. If you’re still registering ketones and feeling good, continue the next day by increasing 5 more grams.

If weight loss is still your goal, and you continue to show ketones, then you should also be losing fat when measuring for inches lost around different areas of your body or by the scale. Stalling can happen during this testing of your carb limit, but if you are stalled longer than 2 weeks, it would be best to reduce your daily carb intake back down to the place where you were still seeing results. 

HOW TO KNOW IF YOU’RE IN KETOSIS

There are a number of ways to test if you are in ketosis. You could also just go by how you feel and not test with any measuring tools if you are feeling great and seeing results with what you are doing. Most people do like some form of confirmation when it comes to knowing if what you are doing is working. 

  1. Urine testing is the lest expensive. You simply pee on a ketone strip and the color will determine if your urine is registering ketones. While this is a very simple and less expensive way to test, after 1-2 months your urine won’t show as much as it did when you started. This is because your body will be using those ketones you are making rather than showing up on the urine strips. 
  2. Breath Testing is effective and less expensive than blood testing. The beauty of this tool is that no strips are needed to check your breath. Once you purchase the breath meter that is all you need. It is more accurate than the urine strips but not as accurate as blood testing. 
  3. Blood Testing is the most accurate ketone testing, but is the most expensive due to purchasing the strips needed. If you’re someone who enjoy numbers, this blood testing is for you! Testing after eating certain foods is a wonderful way to determine which carbs work better for your body and don’t produce a glucose spike. 

TOTAL CARBS VERSUS NET CARBS

Total carbs mean exactly that. It is the total sum of all your carbs for the day. You would use some form of tracking to calculate what you eat in a day and look up the nutritional information for each of those foods eaten. 

Net carbs are not the same as total carbs because in order to calculate net carbs you must first know the dietary fiber in a given food. Once you know both the fiber and total carbs, you then subtract. Here’s a great example given from Ketomojo.com;

1 cup of cauliflower rice contains 4.8 grams of total carbs and 3.2 grams of fiber. So, to get its net carbs, you subtract the fiber (3.2 grams) from the total carbs (4.8 grams), which leaves you with 1.6 grams of net carbs (i.e., 4.8 grams carbs – 3.2 grams fiber = 1.6 grams net carbs for 1 cup cauliflower rice)

Dr. Stephen Finney and the Virta Team recommend no more than 30 total carbs per day to get in and stay in nutritional ketosis. 

The recommended carb limit from Ruled.com, is 35 total grams a day, which they believe should be enough to get you into ketosis. They mention other factors that could also be contributing or hindering you from getting your body to produce ketones, like exercise and stress. 

At Trifectanutrition.com, they state that the more active you are, for example how regularly you do high intensity workouts, the more carbs you can effectively use. They recommend keeping your carbs to under 50 grams per day, which they believe will be enough to promote ketosis in most people. 

Ketodietapp.com shares a wonderful graphic for the dietary fiber in many keto-friendly foods. Their ketodiet app calculates net carbs. I’ve used this app for years and find it to be very accurate. 

If you’re curious about the best low carb vegetables for a keto diet, dietdoctor.com has a handy graphic providing the top 10 most useful low starch veggies for keto cooking, along with their net carb counts. 

KETO IS NOT A ONE-SIZE-FITS-ALL APPROACH

Tracking net carbs might work fine for most people looking to lose weight with a keto diet. For those who have health issues or looking to a ketogenic diet to manage a disease like cancer, Alzheimers or epilepsy, tracking total carbs might be more beneficial. 

Whether you decide to count total carbs or net carbs, the most important thing is to do what works for you and your goals. If net carbs aren’t helping you to lose the weight you want, switch to total carbs to see if that will make a difference. Another factor that could be hindering your weight loss is eating  too much fat. Learning how to leverage your fat intake to determine how much fat is right for your body, can help with weight loss stalls. 

I started a ketogenic diet in 2015 without any tracking and did not lose any weight. I did however grow my hair back when I was undiagnosed with hypothyroidism. After going strict keto in 2018 and using net carbs, I did see fat loss, but after my diagnosis with hypothyroid in 2018, net carbs stopped working for me.

Switching to total carbs started the weight loss again and that is what I currently follow today. I enjoy one day a week where I have a higher calorie and higher total carb day, but the rest of the week my total carbs remain about 20 or less. I am losing the fat I want and I feel fantastic!

There is no shame in changing your approach to the keto diet. If the classic keto macros aren’t working for you, change it to reach your goals!

Because of all the issues I’ve dealt with I decided to get my Nutritional Therapy Certification to become a practitioner and then also became a keto coach and life coach.

I created my first Sugar Detox course in 2012 and revamped it in 2020. It’s now one of the best most effective sugar free courses available that has helped thousands of women and some men lose the weight and keep it off!

After helping so many others with weight loss, many asked to have some continued support ongoing to not slip back to old habits.

The Sugar Free Mom Tribe Membership was created as a place for continued ongoing coaching by me on a weekly basis and access to all my course as part of your membership.

Keeping yourself involved in a supportive community is the key to keeping weight off and maintaining it even through difficult times and seasons of life!

Best wishes to you as you continue on your health journey!

Brand new to the keto diet? Want to learn more about keto to get started? You can take my FREE Keto Basics Course which takes under 15 minutes and once complete you will receive a FREE 7 Day Keto Meal Plan. Register Here! 

Medical Review by Dr.Ken Berry, MD.

The post How Many Carbs Should You Eat on Keto (Total Carb versus Net Carbs) appeared first on Sugar-Free Mom.

]]> https://www.sugarfreemom.com/recipes/how-many-carbs-should-you-eat-on-keto-total-carb-versus-net-carbs/feed/ 9 How Much Fat Should You Eat to Lose Weight on a Keto Diet? https://www.sugarfreemom.com/recipes/how-much-fat-should-you-eat-to-lose-weight-on-a-keto-diet/ https://www.sugarfreemom.com/recipes/how-much-fat-should-you-eat-to-lose-weight-on-a-keto-diet/#comments Wed, 21 Apr 2021 10:00:37 +0000 https://www.sugarfreemom.com/?p=40553 Whether you’re just starting the ketogenic diet or you’ve been on it, but stalled, this post will clear up any confusion on how much fat your body really needs for weight loss on a keto diet.  HOW MUCH FAT FOR WEIGHT LOSS ON KETO? Fat is a controversial topic in the keto world space. If...

The post How Much Fat Should You Eat to Lose Weight on a Keto Diet? appeared first on Sugar-Free Mom.

]]> Whether you’re just starting the ketogenic diet or you’ve been on it, but stalled, this post will clear up any confusion on how much fat your body really needs for weight loss on a keto diet. 

HOW MUCH FAT FOR WEIGHT LOSS ON KETO?

Fat is a controversial topic in the keto world space. If you’ve been on a ketogenic diet and have had success, you may be in the camp of high fat, close to 75% in your day, as being the best way to get your body into ketosis and lose weight.

Or you may be in the camp that the classic high fat ketogenic macros didn’t help you to lose weight at all. Wherever you fall, the ketogenic diet is not a one-size-fits-all approach. Not everyone will feel best eating high fat and many will not lose their body fat eating that much on a daily basis.

Your activity level, lifestyle, age, and genetics, are all factors in what will help you achieve weight loss. We are all bio-individual and have different needs in regards to daily macros.

But one thing remains the same, for a well-balanced, ketogenic diet that promotes health and fat loss, eating whole, single ingredient, nutrient dense foods is the best way to achieve your health goals.  Packaged, processed and refined so-called “keto” foods are not the best way to achieve success on a ketogenic diet if your searching for the long term health benefits. 

If you’re over 40 like me, have any kind of health issues, like hypothyroidism, like me, then the classic ketogenic macros might not work for you. I tried unsuccessfully to make those high fat macros work for me for a whole year without any weight loss back in 2015.

Through these years of trials and errors, numerous testing, bio-hacking, and learning what works best for my own body to lose body fat, I can confidently say, you can and should adjust your fat intake to discover the right amount for you to achieve your weight loss goals. 

CLASSIC KETO MACROS

The classic keto macros have been 75% fat, 5 % carbs and 25% protein. Many people have seen weight loss using this macro amount. But there are just as many people who have tried this classic keto approach, eating a lot of dietary fat and NOT seeing weight loss like others. 

I was one of those people who in 2015 tried eating all the fat and thought I’d lose weight just like I saw so many other people losing weight. It didn’t work for me and I wondered what I was doing wrong. I decided to go very strict keto in 2018 and you can read about my 6 week results here.

I did lose some body fat, but not nearly has much as I had hoped for being strict keto for 6 weeks. I knew something had to change if I wanted to see the weight  and fat loss I desired.

Read below about how I busted through my plateau and adjusted my fat and swapped net carbs for total carbs, to help me lose weight.

CALCULATING YOUR PERSONAL MACROS

The ketogenic diet is not a one size fits all and not everyone needs to eat 75% dietary fat. Most women, especially over 40, will see better weight loss results when they eat less dietary fat, prioritize protein and keep carbs to 20 grams a day.

Before I discovered I was hypothyroid, I was able to lose weight using the net carb approach but after being severely hypothyroid that no longer worked for me and total carbs was best for me to lose weight. 

In order to figure out the right amount of macros for your body, use this keto calculator from Maria Emmerich which I think is one of the best out there! In order or figure out your macros, you either have to have a body fat scan done by a professional or you can guess your body far using the graphic above looking for a  similar body image of yourself. 

PRIOTIZE PROTEIN FOR SATIATION

I don’t know about you but Butter Coffee’s, like Bulletproof coffee, while they were delicious, they never gave me much satiation. I was still always hungry within an hour after having one. Of course they certainly gave me energy, and I enjoyed the taste, but I did still have hunger. 

What made all the difference for me, was swapping out the extra fat, like the butter and the MCT oil, and adding protein! Using collagen peptides in my coffee with just a small amount of cream was what finally worked to increase my satiation and keep me fuller for longer so I could easily fast until lunch. Be sure to use this little frother to mix it well and get some nice foam on top, otherwise all the peptides will be in the bottom of your coffee cup. 

Many women that have taken my6 Week Sugar Detox Course,  are not eating enough protein. Increasing your protein at your meals can make all the difference in fighting off sugar cravings and decrease snacking later in the day.

Your body will constantly be searching for the nutrients it needs if you don’t give it enough protein and that’s why many women say they eat great all day, but after dinner they can’t stop snacking. 

DIETARY FAT IS A LIMIT NOT A GOAL

If you want to lose body fat, use the fat macros that you’ve calculated from the keto calculator as your LIMIT not as a goal to reach. This is very important to understand. You want to use your own body fat stores for energy, therefore eating too much dietary fat will only help you use that fat for energy and not your own stored fat.

If you have fat to lose, then eating say, 50- 60% dietary fat on a daily basis will allow your own body to use your own fat stores for energy as opposed to just burning the dietary fat you ingest. 

HEALTHY FATS AND OILS FOR KETO

Here is a list of the best options for cooking and frying. You want oils that are low in PUFA (Poly Unsaturated Fatty Acids) and high in SFA (saturated fatty acids) because SFA are more stable and are less likely to get oxidized and cause inflammation.

  • Coconut oil: 1.9% PUFA (92% saturated fatty acids (SFA)
  • Palm kernel oil: 2% PUFA, (82% SFA)
  • Cocoa Butter: 3% PUFA (60% SFA)
  • Beef Tallow: 3.1% PUFA (49.8% SFA)
  • Ghee: 4% PUFA (48% SFA)
  • Butter: 3.4% PUFA (50% SFA)
  • Lard: 12% PUFA (with 41% SFA)
  • Duck fat: 13% PUFA (with 25% SFA)
  • Macadamia oil: 10% PUFA (15% SFA)
  • Avocado oil: 10% PUFA (11% SFA)
  • Hazelnut Oil: 14% PUFA (with 10% SFA)                                                
  • Almond oil: 17% PUFA (with 8.2% SFA)
  • Olive oil: 9.9% PUFA (with 14% saturated fat)

AVOID THESE FATS

Make sure to avoid these fats and oils. In general, you want to avoid most vegetable and seed oils especially those high in omega-6 which can cause inflammation in the body.

  • Margarine
  • Vegetable Shortening
  • Grape seed oil
  • Sunflower oil
  • Flax oil
  • Safflower oil
  • Soybean Oil
  • Corn oil
  • Walnut oil
  • Cottonseed oil
  • Vegetable oil (soybean oil)
  • Sesame oil
  • Peanut oil
  • Canola oil
4 Week Self-Paced Stall Buster Course
4 Week Self-Paced Stall Buster Course

BUSTING THROUGH STALLS ON KETO

Leveraging the fat is one of the hardest macros to figure out on a keto diet and too many of us believed we could eat all the fat like everyone else, but the weight didn’t budge. Everyone is different and has a different fat threshold. Figuring out how much you need is where I can help you.

The classic keto diet can work for some people, but for many of us older than 30, the higher fat of 75% is just too much on a daily basis to burn the fat on our body. The fat you’re consuming could be stalling you from losing the fat on your body and it can be frustrating when you feel like you are doing everything right.

Fat can still be enjoyed, but just needs a few tweaks to customize it for your body to lose weight.  That’s why our Stall Buster program works! Our weekly quiz will determine if you need the 50%, 60% or 70% fat meal plan!

Learn more Here about our 4 Week Self-Paced Stall Buster Course!

HEALTHY FAT KETO RECIPES

A balanced ketogenic diet includes healthy fat, but prioritizes protein for satiation. Here are some of the most popular, family -friendly keto meals on my website:

FREE KETO COURSE & 7 DAY KETO MEAL PLAN

If you’re still feeling a little unsure how to go about starting a balanced ketogenic diet for weight loss, my FREE Keto Basics Course will help you learn all you need to know. After the quick 15 minute course, you will receive a free 7 day keto diet meal plan to get you started! Register Here for the FREE KETO BASICS COURSE.

Because of all the issues I’ve dealt with I decided to get my Nutritional Therapy Certification to become a practitioner and then also became a keto coach and life coach.

I created my first Sugar Detox course in 2012 and revamped it in 2020. It’s now one of the best most effective sugar free courses available that has helped thousands of women and some men lose the weight and keep it off!

After helping so many others with weight loss, many asked to have some continued support ongoing to not slip back to old habits.

The Sugar Free Mom Tribe Membership was created as a place for continued ongoing coaching by me on a weekly basis and access to all my course as part of your membership.

Keeping yourself involved in a supportive community is the key to keeping weight off and maintaining it even through difficult times and seasons of life!

Best wishes to you as you continue on your health journey!

Sources:

Medical Review by Dr. Ken Berry, MD.

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]]> https://www.sugarfreemom.com/recipes/how-much-fat-should-you-eat-to-lose-weight-on-a-keto-diet/feed/ 10 Natural Sugar-Free Low Carb Sweeteners Guide & Conversion Chart https://www.sugarfreemom.com/recipes/natural-sugar-free-low-carb-sweeteners-guide-conversion-chart/ https://www.sugarfreemom.com/recipes/natural-sugar-free-low-carb-sweeteners-guide-conversion-chart/#comments Wed, 14 Apr 2021 10:00:27 +0000 https://www.sugarfreemom.com/?p=45780 The Most Comprehensive Guide to Natural Sugar-Free Low Carb Keto Sweeteners! You will learn all about natural sugar free sweeteners, which sweeteners to use for your baking needs, how to replace the different sweeteners, best sweeteners conversion chart including Stevia, Erythritol, Monk Fruit & Allulose as well as sugar substitutes to avoid.  NATURAL SUGAR FREE...

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]]> The Most Comprehensive Guide to Natural Sugar-Free Low Carb Keto Sweeteners! You will learn all about natural sugar free sweeteners, which sweeteners to use for your baking needs, how to replace the different sweeteners, best sweeteners conversion chart including Stevia, Erythritol, Monk Fruit & Allulose as well as sugar substitutes to avoid. 

NATURAL SUGAR FREE SWEETENERS

There are many sugar-free sweeteners on the market today: figuring out which is the best to use for one purpose or another can be quite confusing. Unfortunately, the product labels can be misleading, and not all sugar-free sweeteners are created equal. 

When I first went sugar-free in 2004, I didn’t know any sugar-free sweeteners beyond aspartame, Splenda and stevia. I tried several artificial sweeteners, and after two years sugar-free, my sugar cravings were still just as bad, if not worse. 

That was when I decided to start creating recipes with natural sugar-free sweeteners and nothing artificial. The most natural sugar free sweeteners are stevia, Monk fruit, erythritol, xylitol and Allulose, but there are some big differences when it comes to using these in your recipes. Please be sure to read below all about the low carb sweeteners for all your baking needs. 

SUGAR FREE SWEETENERS VERSUS UNREFINED SUGARS

When I first started in my sugar free journey, I believed I could still include unrefined sugars like honey and maple syrup because they weren’t as refined as white table sugar. 

There are more differences that I wasn’t aware of when I was just starting sugar free life, and was not low carb. Once I learned the difference between sugar free and low carb, it made sense to stay the course of a low carb lifestyle, to keep my sugar cravings from attacking. I did have my sugar cravings under control but cravings continued for potato chips. I knew I had to try something else, so in 2015 I went keto. Switching from low carb to keto, did the trick for me and I never have cravings for anything with sugar or refined carbs. 

Anything that is a true form of sugar, like coconut sugar, honey, dates, maple syrup, is still sugar. It doesn’t really matter if it is less refined than white table sugar, it can and will spike your blood glucose. When glucose is spiked from eating high carb foods, especially sugar, your insulin spikes. When insulin is high, fat is not going to be lost. Insulin causes you to store and hold on to your body fat.  Those looking to balance blood sugar and lose weight, should avoid anything that spikes your blood sugar which is recommended to lose body fat. 

ALL NATURAL SUGAR FREE KETO SWEETENERS

All these natural sweeteners are wonderful whether you are just looking to be sugar free or eat low carb or keto. None of these will spike your blood sugar. There are some differences though in their sweetness levels and applications in baking. Some below are plant based sweeteners and some are sugar alcohol sweeteners. 

  • Stevia
  • Monk Fruit
  • Allulose
  • Erythritol
  • Xylitol
  • Yacon syrup

SUGAR ALCOHOL SWEETENERS

  • Erythritol 
  • Xylitol

WHAT IS ERYTHRITOL?

  • It’s pronounced, (a-rith-ri-tall).
  • Erythritol is a sugar alcohol that occurs naturally in small quantities in fruits and fungi like grapes, melons and mushrooms. It is only partially absorbed and digested by the intestinal tract.
  • It is NOT an artificial sweetener like aspartame or Splenda. It is naturally occurring in plants and fruits and vegetables like grapes, melons and mushrooms.
  • It is a sugar alcohol most often used in chewing gums, mouthwash, cough drops and mints.
  • It has no calories and does not spike blood sugar. Zero on glycemic index. It is Non- GMO.
  • Not to be confused with xylitol, sorbitol, maltitol which can cause gas, bloating and laxative effects.
  • It measures cup for cup for sugar, but is only about 70% as sweet as table sugar. ( This is why combining it with stevia which is 300 times sweeter than sugar is a great choice).

WHAT IS XYLITOL?

Xylitol is a sugar alcohol that occurs naturally in some plants. Though it looks and tastes like sugar, it has 40% fewer calories. It can slightly raise blood sugar or insulin, but not nearly as much as white sugar would do. It can cause digestive issues in some people. Dog owners beware, that if your dog were to accidentally ingest xylitol, it could be fatal. It measures cup for cup like sugar and is fairly easy to bake with. I have a dog so you won’t see any recipes of mine using xylitol.

Sugar Free Plant Sweetners

  • Monk fruit
  • Stevia
  • Yacon syrup

What is Monk Fruit?

Monk fruit extract comes from the monk fruit, luo han guo, a cousin of the cucumber and melon that’s native to China and Thailand. Monk fruit is rarely used fresh but more often is dried and used as a sweetener. It is 300% sweeter than sugar, but is calorie-free and does not raise blood sugar levels. It is sold as a pure liquid concentrate and also can be found combined with erythritol to swap cup for cup with sugar. I love the Lakanto brand Monk fruit. 

What is Stevia?

I wrote my first post about the different kinds of stevia, powdered, liquid, blends and even created a conversion chart back in 2014. I also wrote my favorite Top 3 Best Stevia I liked. These posts needed some updates since so many new products for stevia and other sweeteners have developed over the years. 

Stevia comes from the stevia plant, typically grown in Paraguay. Its leaves are boiled down to produce the liquid form on the market today. Stevia leaves are also dried and sold as pure concentrated extract with no added fillers. A calorie-free option, it is 300 times sweeter than sugar and does not cause digestive issues, does not raise blood sugar or spike insulin. 

The type of stevia I use the most in my recipes is the liquid form from the brand Sweetleaf. depending on the extraction process used, some brands may be sweeter or more bitter than others. 

Liquid Monk Fruit can be equally swapped with Liquid Stevia as they have the same level of sweetness. 

What is Stevia Glycerite? 

Stevia glycerite is a plant based sweetener just like liquid stevia. The difference is in the extraction process. Dried stevia leaves are extracted and processed using glycerin instead of alcohol. Many people prefer this over regular liquid stevias saying it has no after taste. I’ve tried it and like it just as much as my flavored liquid stevias. It is much thicker and you don’t need as much as standard liquid stevia. My favorite brand is Now Foods Stevia Glycerite. 

What is Yacon Syrup?

Yacon syrup is extracted from the yacon plant found in Peru and Brazil. It looks and taste much like molasses. It does contain some fructose, but when used in very small amounts, it should not raise blood sugar levels. Perfect for adding a molasses flavor for recipes like caramel sauce or BBQ sauce. 

What is Allulose?

 Allulose occurs naturally in only a few foods, such as wheat, raisins, and figs. The body isn’t able to metabolize allulose. Instead, nearly all of it passes into the urine without being absorbed, thereby contributing negligible carbs and calories.  It works wonderfully in ice creams to keep the texture smooth and soft rather than hard after freezing.

Artificial Sweeteners to avoid

I wrote a post back in 2014 all about 3 Splenda Myths Busted. I got a lot of complaints for those who truly have no issues with artificial sweeteners, but I stand by that post and still believe they are just as addictive as sugar in my opinion and experience. 

Artificial sweeteners and brands like Aspartame, Splenda, Sweet-n-Low, Equal, Saccharine, Dextrose, Sucralose, etc contain carbs even if they say they are calorie free. They cause your blood sugar to spike and raise your insulin. Steer clear and don’t be fooled by these misleading sweeteners. 

Sweetness levels in Sugar Free Sweeteners

  • Stevia is 300 times sweeter than white sugar
  • Monk fruit is 300 times sweeter than white sugar
  • Erythritol is 70% as sweet as white sugar.
  • Allulose is 70% as sweet as white sugar.
  • Xylitol is just as sweet as white sugar. 

How to Reduce Aftertaste

I’ve learned over all these years of perfecting my sweet sugar free recipes, that in order to reduce an aftertaste effect, using two kinds of sugar free sweeteners helps balance each other better avoiding any aftertastes. Often in my recipes you will find the bulk  I use to replace sugar, is using erythritol and to avoid that cooling effect, I only use a small amount, but to bring up the sweetness I add liquid stevia. 

It works well to cancel out any aftertaste of either sweetener and get the right sweetness level for my low carb and keto desserts. 

Favorite New Low Carb Sweetener by Sweetleaf

Better than Sugar is a new product created by the brand Sweetleaf which makes all the flavored liquid stevias that I love. I’ve been doing it for years in my recipes combining both erythritol and stevia to make the perfect combination and they’ve created it as well. They have a confectioners as well as a granulated. The reason I like it is that it balances the bulk needed as well as the perfect amount of sweetness. It’s a good match one to one for white sugar.

Best Sugar Free Sweetener for making:

Cookies- Granulated Sweeteners work best to give a nice crunch in the cookie.

Muffins, Cupcakes or Cakes- Confectioners sweeteners with liquid sweeteners to mask any aftertastes.

No Bake Recipes, Mousse or cheesecakes- Liquid sweeteners so there won’t be any grainy texture.

Breads- A small amount of granulated sweetener to balance the savory flavors. 

Drinks- Always use liquid sweeteners to easily dissolve in your beverage. 

The Best Sugar Free Keto Sweetener Conversion Chart

I’ve been creating sugar free recipes for the last 15 years using many different sweeteners. My conversion chart below is written from my vast experience with experimenting with all these sweeteners. You may see many of these conversion charts online, but they are not all the same and some I’ve seen I greatly disagree with. You can trust my keto sweetener conversion chart as the most accurate and precise sugar free sweetener conversion chart and the last one you will ever need for all your keto baking. 

If you would like this Conversion Chart as a pdf document, I send it to all my subscribers who join my email list.

 

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]]> https://www.sugarfreemom.com/recipes/natural-sugar-free-low-carb-sweeteners-guide-conversion-chart/feed/ 67 How to Start a Keto Diet Free Course & Free 7 Day Meal Plan https://www.sugarfreemom.com/recipes/how-to-start-a-keto-diet-free-course-free-7-day-meal-plan/ https://www.sugarfreemom.com/recipes/how-to-start-a-keto-diet-free-course-free-7-day-meal-plan/#respond Mon, 12 Apr 2021 10:00:00 +0000 https://www.sugarfreemom.com/?p=45681 Everything you need to know to start a keto diet with my free course and free 7 day meal plan! WHAT DOES KETO MEAN? Keto is short for ketosis. Ketosis is a metabolic state your body can get into when you restrict carbs. It is not a starvation diet or a low calorie diet.  When...

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]]> Everything you need to know to start a keto diet with my free course and free 7 day meal plan!

WHAT DOES KETO MEAN?

Keto is short for ketosis. Ketosis is a metabolic state your body can get into when you restrict carbs. It is not a starvation diet or a low calorie diet.  When you eat a very low amount of carbs daily, you can easily get your body into ketosis. Being in ketosis means you will switch what your body uses for fuel and energy. You will become a ketone burner instead of a glucose burner.

On the typical Standard American Diet, you are a glucose burner, using glucose for energy that comes from high carbs in your diet. Insulin is produced to process and use the glucose in your body for energy. But when insulin is high, which usually happens after a high carb meal, it will halt your body from using any other source of fuel. When insulin is chronically high, your body will not be able to lose weight. Insulin causes you to hold onto body fat.

When you burn ketones for fuel and balance your blood sugar, you won’t spike insulin. You will start using your own body fat stores, which helps you lose weight. The traditional macros for keto have been 5% carbs, 75% fat and 20% protein, but these macros can and should change for your individual needs. Not everyone needs high fat. In fact, I never lost weight eating that much fat. Once I reduced my fat intake and prioritized protein, I lost weight. In fact, I created a 4 week self-paced stall buster keto course that focuses on fat leveraging to break stalls and lose weight. 

KETO FOR WEIGHT LOSS

Depending on your age, your activity level, your own personal history with dieting and any chronic conditions you might be dealing with, a keto diet can help you lose weight despite these factors. You will lose weight without being starving. You will balance your blood sugar, reduce your sugar and carb cravings and you will notice more satiation at your meals. You will not need snacks every two-three hours because when your body uses ketones, it’s sustains you longer than using glucose from carbs. Learning how many carbs to eat a day to get into ketosis can be a bit challenging, but once you figure out what is right for your body, you will be well on your way to reaching your health goals! 

LOW CARB VERSUS KETO

The biggest difference between a low carb diet versus a keto diet is the amount of carbs you eat on a daily basis. In order to get your body into ketosis, most people need to limit carbs to 20 per day, but there are some people who can get in to ketosis eating 50 carbs or less. A low carb diet could be 150 carbs a day or less. When I tested myself with strict keto in 2018, you can see I did not lose many pounds but from my pictures, you can definitely see fat loss. More info and pictures here in my Low Carb Versus Keto and My 6 Week Results post. 

When I found out I was hypothyroid, net carbs no longer worked for me so I switched to total carbs pre day and that helped. But not until I figured out how to leverage my dietary fat intake, did the weight start really coming off! 

FOOD TO AVOID ON KETO

  • All packaged, processed, refined carbs
  • Anything with sugar added. Be careful of condiments!
  • All grains, wheat, pastas, breads, cookies, cakes, etc. 
  • All high carbs like potato, yams, sweet potatoes.
  • All inflammatory fats and oils, like canola, soybean, corn, margarine, etc.

FOODS TO INCLUDE ON KETO

A keto diet should be one that includes whole, nutrient dense foods. Single ingredient foods, like beef, chicken, fish, eggs, nuts, seeds, dairy.  Low starch vegetables like leafy greens, broccoli, kale, Romaine, cabbage, cauliflower, Brussels, asparagus. Include healthy fats and oils like butter, lard, avocado oil, olive oil, etc. 

HOW TO KNOW IF YOU’RE IN KETOSIS

If you really want to make sure you are in ketosis I would suggest buying a glucometer which is a blood test. A simple prick on your finger using ketone strips to measure. Anywhere from 0.5 and up means you are most likely keto adapted. It’s definitely not cheap but it is the most accurate measurement. There are other methods as well, like using urine ketone strips but not as accurate I don’t feel. There is also a breath ketone meter if you hate the blood pricking idea.

FREE KETO BASICS COURSE & FREE 7 DAY KETO MEAL PLAN

I’ve created a very quick and easy, 15 minute Free Keto Basics Course that explains all this and more! Register here to watch the video course and once you complete it, you will receive my Free 7 Day Keto Diet Meal plan to get you started! Once you register, you will be redirected to the keto basics course.  REGISTER HERE FOR THE FREE KETO BASICS COURSE!

If you’d prefer a Sugar Detox course rather than doing keto, you might prefer my 6 week Self-Paced Sugar Detox course that you can purchase with live weekly support meetings on Zoom for a more personal coaching program. 

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