Keto Cheesecake

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My experience following the ketogenic (low carb/high fat) diet has been that it works better for me to be pretty strict. That is, I don't incorporate 'cheats' into it. I'll write and make videos about that topic in future, but suffice to say that once it became apparent to me that I am insulin resistant - that is, if I consume carbohydrates over the barest amount my body reacts with elevated blood sugar readings and more body fat - the course of action was clear and made sense: Don't eat carbs, dummy.

So sugars and starches (which are the same thing, by the way, but we've gotten ourselves into a rut of thinking that some carbs are really bad and some are little angels) were banished from my meals. No pasta, wheat, bread. Adios to tortilla chips, popcorn and arepas (a beloved Colombian breakfast item Lovely Mate is an expert at making). Rice? Nope. Potatoes? Are you kidding? No way! And, of course, sweets had to go.

This was not as hard for me as it might be for others. Probably because I was so miserable inside my skin - at 90+ pounds heavier, my skin was none too happy, either - and was on deck to become the next person in my large family to have Type 2 Diabetes, that I had hit the proverbial 'bottom'. My 'aha moment'. My 'something's gotta give' meltdown. And my research of this, inspired by this quiet little video, got me on a path to making carbs a part of my (very fat) past.

With that, I've decided that for me, trying to make low carb versions of the foods that got me to my previous sad state was not a good idea. Pretend bread, faux candy, etc., are not something I've gotten into. For one thing, I don't want to risk having the pretend foods triggering me wanting the real thing. Methadone may work when treating heroine addicts, but I'm not willing to hazard a slice of supposedly low carb bread made from almond flour and psyllium husk sending me into a spiral, ending with a face plant into a deep dish pizza and a giant chocolate chip cookie chaser. Consequently, I don't usually partake of the Saturday morning keto-friendly pancakes featured here.

Again, this is how I roll. Lovely Mate, on the other hand, can tolerate foods that are verboten for me and remain lean and in ketosis. Nuts, for instance. They're not on the list of allowed foods but he can grab a few out of the almond jar whilst passing through the kitchen most days and be fine. And his favorite, the almond cookies I made for this video, are obviously made of nuts.

This brings up to today's recipe. It's a low carb cheesecake. The base of ground almonds and butter for the crust is not the big culprit for me but rather the fact that it's really rich (ultimately calories matter and I simply need very few in a day) and each slice has about 7 grams of carbs which is about half my daily norm. Cream cheese is allowed, but not 'free'. And once I start, limiting myself is a challenge. So.... all that is to say that some folks can tolerate more carbs and/or calories and/or trigger foods and be fine. This is for you, you lucky souls.

Also, sometimes you just need cheesecake. Recipe and nutrition info below.

A basic low carb cheesecake recipe. Hope you like it!For more information on the ketogenic diet and links to products used in this video, see below. ☞ SEE MY WEIGHT CHANGE CHART: http://caseydurango.com/my-next-goal ☞ READ MORE AT MY BLOG: http://caseydurango.com ☞ FOLLOW MY FACEBOOK PAGE: https://www.facebook.com/ketocasey/ _______________________________________________________________ Product links: ☞ OXO FOOD SCALE: http://amzn.to/2d7wMvO ☞ CUISINART 11-CUP FOOD PROCESSOR: http://amzn.to/2dhokZ7 ☞ COOLING RACK: http://amzn.to/2d6PPI ☞ CUISINART 7-SPEED HANDHELD MIXER: http://amzn.to/2hmtaYj _______________________________________________________________ crust...

CRUST...
     •     almond meal               3/4cup (70g)
     •     butter                          1/4cup (2oz)
melt butter w/almond meal; spread out in bottom of 9" pie plate

FILLING...
     •     cream cheese              16oz
     •     eggs                            3
     •     sour cream                  1/4cup (2oz)
     •     Splenda®                      2/3cup (20g)
     •     vanilla extract              1tsp
pour into ~9" pie plate
bake at @ 350° ~45 minutes (or until golden)

Serves 8. Each slice has ~353 calories, 31g fat, 8g carbohydrate

Disclaimer: I’ve been fortunate to have had the time and resources to research the ketogenic diet, also known as LCHF (low carb/high fat). The information I share is based solely on my understanding of that research. We are all responsible for our own choices, including what we put in our mouths and there’s no substitute for each of us checking things out ourselves. And I’m not a medical professional in any way. Go Keto With Casey is not a medical site. “Duh,” you might say. But best to make it clear to all.  I welcome questions, comments and even civil criticism. I’m still learning. So, if you have something to add, go for it. Links in this post and all others may direct you to amazon.com, where I will receive a small amount of the purchase price of any items you buy through my affiliate links. Thanks!

- Casey

How To Start the Ketogenic Diet

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Taking the first step in most of the changes in which we embark in life is often the most difficult - and scariest - part. And when that change involves something as fundamental as the way we eat, wrapped up in tradition, sentiment, comfort and, sadly, bad advice, it can be truly daunting.

Some are fortunate that a few tweaks of their lifelong habits suffice to achieve health and or weight goals. Others of us need to make more comprehensive changes. I certainly did. For me, the single most important change was eliminating carbohydrates from my diet. When I write eliminate, I mean no rice, wheat, soy. No crackers, chips, bread. No starchy vegetables, sweets or pasta. That sounds extreme to some. And it may be too far for some to go. But it has made all the difference in my life. Health, weight, lifting of depression. No more sore joints. And my brain returned. The fog lifted.

The inner changes for me have been as important as the exterior ones. But it's those changes visible to others that generate the most conversation.

"How have you lost so much weight?"
"By eating a whole lot of fat and almost no carbohydrates."

Once I'm asked how much exercise I've done to lose weight (almost none) and aren't I concerned that eating a high fat diet will give me a heart attack (no) questions will come about how to start the program.

The easiest answer is that the next meal you eat, leave off the carbs. Sounds simple. And it is. This is not say simple and easy are the same thing. At least, not a first. But it really is that straight forward. Then comes the question of what a carb is. That can be a bit trickier. This video is my attempt to explain. Being me, I ramble into other topics as well....

How To Get Started on the Ketogenic Diet. For more information on the ketogenic diet and link to the blog post mentioned, see below.

Disclaimer: I’ve been fortunate to have had the time and resources to research the ketogenic diet, also known as LCHF (low carb/high fat). The information I share is based solely on my understanding of that research. We are all responsible for our own choices, including what we put in our mouths and there’s no substitute for each of us checking things out ourselves. And I’m not a medical professional in any way. Go Keto With Casey is not a medical site. “Duh,” you might say. But best to make it clear to all.  I welcome questions, comments and even civil criticism. I’m still learning. So, if you have something to add, go for it. Links in this post and all others may direct you to amazon.com, where I will receive a small amount of the purchase price of any items you buy through my affiliate links. Thanks!

- Casey

Thanksgiving Can Be Challenging on the Ketogenic Diet

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Homemade Yogurt!

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Yogurt is an ancient food that is all the rage today. It's one of the exceptions to the rules of the ketogenic diet because whereas milk is verboten, yogurt made from milk can be okay. The fermentation process eats the lactose (sugar) in the milk. How cool is that? It's easy enough to buy commercially prepared yogurt - just watch the labels and don't buy yogurt with added fruit or sugar - but it's pretty easy to make as well. Here's a quick look at the process we use around here. It's not comprehensive but might be a good jumping off place if you want to try it yourself. While we incorporate the yogurt incubating feature on our Excalibur Dehydrator, you really need almost no equipment for make yogurt. Again, folks have been doing for centuries. Even without Amazon!

How to Make Yogurt. At least, this is how we do it around here. For more information on the ketogenic diet and links to products used in this video, see below.

I’ve been fortunate to have exposure to leading researchers, physicians and journalists regarding the ketogenic diet, also known as LCHF (low carb/high fat). We are all responsible for our own choices, including what we put in our mouths. I welcome questions, comments and even civil criticism. I’m still learning. So, if you have something to add, go for it. Thanks!  - Casey

The Latest New Low and Thoughts on Why

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Consider this a bit of a drive-by post. Not a great deal of new info but I wanted to share that every day that passes feels like validation of a kind of reboot I experienced whilst my Lovely Mate was out of the country, leaving me to solely my own food needs. (You can read about that here and here). When he returned I wondered if the changes - and weight loss - would stick.

The answer is yes, and yes.

Once having stripped away the daily 'food as habit' for a few weeks, it became clear I had been eating food I simply didn't need. Now it's pretty easy to maintain this reduced-food regimen. And today's weigh-in bore out the benefit. Or one of them. There are many, unseen benefits to gaining control over food. For many of us, we've felt controlled by meals and snacks and recipes. By food, of all things. The opposite of anything that should be the boss of anyone. But here we've been, subordinates to whatever has compelled us to stuff our faces,

Not me. Not ever again.

Even I'm surprised by the continued weight loss. For more information on the ketogenic diet, see below. ☞ SEE MY WEIGHT CHANGE CHART: http://caseydurango.com/my-next-goal ☞ READ MORE AT MY BLOG: http://caseydurango.com ☞ FOLLOW MY FACEBOOK PAGE: https://www.facebook.com/ketocasey/

I’ve been fortunate to have exposure to leading researchers, physicians and journalists regarding the ketogenic diet, also known as LCHF (low carb/high fat). We are all responsible for our own choices, including what we put in our mouths. I welcome questions, comments and even civil criticism. I’m still learning. So, if you have something to add, go for it. Thanks!  - Casey