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April 23, 2019

The Original Easy Paleo Fudge Recipe

Homemade chocolate is such a decadent treat! This easy paleo fudge recipe is rich and satisfying and so simple to make!

Easy Paleo Fudge Recipe | The Family That Heals Together

True story: I’ve been playing with various paleo fudge recipes for years. At Christmas I made one that tasted JUST like conventional fudge, but it was a gooey mess. One year I tried using cacao butter and it was too heavy and made me feel sick.

Lots of paleo fudge recipes have to stay refrigerated to hold up, and others call for large amounts of coconut ingredients, which have a strong flavor.

This paleo fudge recipe has none of the above problems! While we place it in the fridge to set up initially, it’ll hold up at room temperature all day long (or for as long as it lasts!). Keep in mind, it will melt in your hands if you try to savor it too long like my kids do, however.

I used just a small amount of coconut butter so as to impart just enough texture without changing the flavor. And believe me when I say, this fudge doesn’t make me feel sick, but I COULD make myself sick on it because it’s hard to stop eating it!

Easy Paleo Fudge Recipe | The Family That Heals Together

Easy Paleo Fudge Recipe | The Family That Heals Together

My easy paleo fudge recipe: ingredient notes

This recipe does have sugar in it because it calls for chocolate chips, so let’s just get that out of the way. You could always use my homemade chocolate chips to keep it totally refined sugar-free, but it probably will not set up quite as well. (Note to self: trying that next.)

Aside from that, it’s sweetened with a combo of maple syrup and raw honey, my favorite way to sweeten things (as noted in this vanilla soft serve recipe). You could also use just one or the other.

You’ll also find cashew butter, but you could theoretically use any nut or seed butter. Cashew butter has a creamy, fluffy texture and a nice, neutral flavor, so it’s what I went with. I can’t promise that another nut or seed butter would have the exact same results, but it’s worth trying if you have a different one on hand. (If you use something different and it works well, let us know in the comments!)

Finally, you can top this paleo fudge recipe with anything your heart desires. I really like chopped nuts in fudge, but my kids are partial to sprinkles, so I used these naturally-colored sugar crystal sprinkles and they thought the fudge was extra special and fancy (it kinda was!).

This fudge really does come together quickly and easily and is much less finicky than conventional fudge recipes. Find the full recipe below.

Easy Paleo Fudge Recipe | The Family That Heals Together

Easy Paleo Fudge Recipe
Print Recipe

Easy Paleo Fudge

Cook Time5 minutes mins
Total Time5 minutes mins
Course: Dessert
Servings: 12 servings
Author: Jaclyn

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips I use organic, soy- and dairy-free chips like this
  • 3/4 cup cashew butter
  • 1/4 cup coconut butter not oil, also sometimes called "coconut manna"
  • 1/4 cup ea maple syrup and raw honey or 1/2 cup of one or the other
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

  • Line an 8 X 8 glass dish with parchment paper.
  • Combine all ingredients in a large saucepan and place over medium-low heat on stove top.
  • Stir ingredients as they melt, and remove from heat once totally smooth and melted (this should only take a couple minutes).
  • Pour the fudge into your prepared dish and smooth top with a rubber spatula. It's ok if it doesn't reach the edges of the pan completely. It doesn't have to be perfect. 😉
  • Sprinkle nuts or sprinkles on top, if desired, and place in refrigerator for about an hour or so to set up.
  • Cut into small squares (this fudge is rich and a little goes a long way!) and serve. Store in an air-tight container or in the refrigerator if you prefer (though the texture will hold up at room temperature).

Easy Paleo Fudge Recipe | The Family That Heals Together

By: Jaclyn · Filed Under: Blog, Recipes · Tagged: dairy-free, dessert, fudge, gluten-free, grain-free, paleo, paleo fudge, recipes

April 15, 2019

Paleo White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookie Easy to Cook Recipe

You’ll find several versions of chocolate chip cookies here on the site, mainly because, no matter how strict I’m eating, I will always find a way to make my favorite treat. Below is an updated version of my best ever paleo chocolate chip cookies. Please enjoy my Paleo White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookie Recipe!

Paleo White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookie Recipe | The Family That Heals Together

The truth is, I’ve always preferred vanilla to chocolate. Whether we’re talking about ice cream, blondies vs. brownies, frosting, or white chocolate vs chocolate chocolate, I prefer the creaminess of vanilla and white chocolate flavors.

So it only made sense that I would update my favorite chocolate chip cookies as a white chocolate macadamia nut cookie recipe. They also happen to be Mr. Incredible’s favorite cookie as well.

Personally, I’m a fan of pecans, but the Mister really loves macadamia nuts. Let’s just say he was in hog heaven on our recent trip to Maui! 

Paleo White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookie Recipe | The Family That Heals Together

While the sites, hiking, and general adventure were so much fun, it was really all about the food for me. Stay tuned for a full post on eating gluten-free and paleo-style foods in (on?) Maui! In the meantime, enjoy a piece of island flavor with the white chocolate macadamia nut cookie recipe you’ll find below.

Paleo White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookie Recipe | The Family That Heals Together

Notes on how to source the healthiest ingredients

While I chose paleo-friendly sweeteners for these cookies, sourcing paleo-friendly white chocolate chips is a little more challenging. It’s fairly easy these days to find organic white chocolate chips, but they will typically contain milk powder.

If you want to source dairy-free white chocolate chips, it’s a little more challenging, but they do exist! You can try these rice milk organic white chocolate chips or try making your own.

Also, I had trouble finding organic macadamia nuts locally, so if that’s important to you, try these organic macadamia nuts. Macadamia nuts do tend to be pricier than other nuts, so I stash them away for these white chocolate macadamia nut cookies (along with the white chocolate chips).

Paleo White Chocolate Chip Macadamia Nut Cookies | The Family That Heals Together

Paleo White Chocolate Chip Macadamia Nut Cookies
Print Recipe

Paleo White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies

Prep Time15 minutes mins
Cook Time12 minutes mins
Total Time27 minutes mins
Course: Dessert
Servings: 36 cookies
Author: Jaclyn

Ingredients

  • 1/3 cup  salted butter softened (or replace with fat of choice for strict paleo)
  • 1/3 cup  palm shortening
  • 1/2 cup coconut sugar
  • 1/2 cup honey
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1/4 tsp baking soda
  • 1 1/3 cup tapioca flour
  • 2/3 cup  coconut flour
  • 1 cup white chocolate chips
  • 1/2 cup macadamia nuts

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350º.
  • Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
  • Using a hand mixer, put butter and shortening in a large mixing bowl and cream together.
  • Add coconut sugar and honey and mix once more.
  • Add the eggs, baking soda, and vanilla and mix on high until ingredients are combined well and smooth.
  • Carefully add tapioca flour a little at a time and mix as you go, then add coconut flour and finish combining with the hand mixer on high.
  • Add the chocolate chips and macadamia nuts and mix once more until distributed.
  • Let the dough rest for about 15 minutes.
  • Place tablespoon-sized balls of dough about two inches apart on the cookie sheets. I like to only bake one sheet at a time because the bottom rack always cooks a little differently, so I could in two batches.
  • Bake for approximately 10-12 minutes (ovens vary). They will begin to brown on the edges when they are done.
  • When you remove them from the oven, they will be a bit crumbly. Let them sit on the cookie sheet undisturbed for about ten minutes before transferring to a cooling rack, otherwise they will not hold up as well.

Paleo White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookie Recipe | The Family That Heals Together

Which do you prefer- regular chocolate chip cookies or white chocolate chip macadamia nut cookies?

By: Jaclyn · Filed Under: Recipes · Tagged: cookies, dessert, gluten-free, macadamia nuts, paleo, white chocolate

February 17, 2019

The Paleo Gluten Free Peach Cobbler Recipe (Healthy Peach Cobbler!)

We share plenty of healthy treats around here, and you can always bet they’ll be gluten- and grain-free, refined sugar-free, and, of course, guilt-free! This gluten free peach cobbler is all of those, and paleo to boot! Find my favorite healthy peach cobbler recipe below.

It’s amazing that it’s taken me this long to create a delectable, paleo-friendly, gluten free peach cobbler, seeing as how it’s my all-time favorite dessert. This healthy peach cobbler is surprisingly similar to the gluten and sugar-filled one I remember from childhood (if it doesn’t taste the same, don’t tell me. Healthy, grown-up me is convinced it does, ok?).

The truth is, it’s taken me years to nail a recipe I feel warrants sharing. For starters, paleo pie crust can be tricky. They always taste too egg-y or too almond-y or they are too thick or fall totally apart. I worked some finesse on this one, and with a little extra magic (see my tips below), I can confidently say this is the best paleo pie crust I’ve ever made. (Though the GAPS-friendly crust in my holiday cookbook is a close second!)

What is real cobbler?

In addition, I really wanted to make the type of peach cobbler my mama made when I was a kid. ↓

Paleo Gluten Free Peach Cobbler Recipe (Healthy Peach Cobbler!) | The Family That Heals Together

I’m gonna say something that might upset you. And you can feel free to debate me, but this is my truth: those crustless, biscuit-topped cobblers are blasphemy. They just don’t cut it, and they are NOT what I think of when I think of cobbler.

The cobbler I grew up eating has a crust on bottom, and one on top, pie-style. And if a cobbler doesn’t have two crusts, I don’t want it.

Here’s the thing, every paleo or gluten free peach cobbler recipe I come across seems to be the biscuit kind. So, as with most of my recipes, necessity is the mother of invention. And trust me, a legit, paleo-friendly, healthy peach cobbler is very, very necessary.

But… after a debate in my Facebook group, it turns out there are a good number of you who like the biscuit-style cobbler. To each their own I guess. I’m thinking this must be a regional thing, so you’ll have to chime in in the comments and let us know what a real cobbler is to you, and where you grew up.

I suspect you’ll love my healthy peach cobbler recipe below either way.

Paleo Gluten Free Peach Cobbler Recipe (Healthy Peach Cobbler!) | The Family That Heals Together

How to make a crispy paleo pie crust

Let’s be honest, nothing ever quite measures up to the same taste and flavor as white flour, especially when it comes to pie crust. BUT- with the right ingredients and technique, you can get darn close.

As I was rolling this dough out, I remembered a tutorial for a puff pastry I watched a long time ago. I’ve never made a puff pastry, but I know that the key is folding it many times in many layers and rolling it and re-rolling it in order to get it flaky. That type of dough requires placing chunks of butter over and over into the layers, which will eventually result in the layers separating slightly as they bake in order to create that desirable, flaky pastry.

This pie crust is not a puff pastry, but I did borrow the technique in order to get a nice, crispy, slightly flaky crust for my gluten free peach cobbler. Rather than place butter between layers, I sprinkled a bit of arrowroot starch on the dough before each roll in order to keep the dough from becoming too sticky. If you know anything about working with paleo ingredients, you know they can be a bit finicky.

Read the instructions below for a detailed description of how to work the dough.

Paleo Gluten Free Peach Cobbler Recipe (Healthy Peach Cobbler!) | The Family That Heals Together

Be sure to serve this gluten free peach cobbler with the best, most creamy, super healthy homemade soft-serve style vanilla ice cream. P.S. my brother who used to refuse to eat any of my honey-sweetened goodies told me today that my ice cream was legit. It really, really is.

Print Recipe

Paleo Gluten Free Peach Cobbler

Prep Time30 minutes mins
Cook Time35 minutes mins
Total Time1 hour hr 5 minutes mins
Servings: 8 servings
Author: Jaclyn

Ingredients

For the crust:

  • 1 1/2 cups blanched finely ground almond flour
  • 1 1/2 cups arrowroot starch plus more for working pastry dough
  • 1/4 cup maple sugar or coconut sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/4 cup palm shortening
  • 2 tbsp water

For the filling:

  • 3- 15 oz cans organic peaches no added sugar, liquid drained like this
  • 1/4 cup ghee
  • 1/4 cup light raw honey
  • 1/4 cup maple sugar or coconut sugar
  • 2 tbsp arrowroot starch
  • 1/4 tsp cinnamon
  • + extra melted ghee, maple sugar, and cinnamon for top

Tools needed:

  • parchment paper
  • rolling pin
  • 8 " X 8" baking dish
  • suggested non-stick spray: avocado oil spray

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 375*.
  • In a large saucepan, combine the filling ingredients, stir, and turn heat to med-low.
  • In a large mixing bowl, combine almond flour, arrowroot starch, maple sugar, eggs, and water and combine using a fork or a pastry cutter. Dough will be dry and crumbly.
  • Add palm shortening and combine using a fork or pastry cutter, until a ball forms. Knead then with your hands until well combined.
  • Divide dough into two balls and prepare 8" X 8" baking dish by coating with non-stick cooking spray (see suggestion under tools above). Meanwhile, check on the filling mixture, which should be reaching a gentle boil. Allow to boil gently for a few minutes before turning to low to simmer while you finish preparing the dough.
  • Place first ball onto a piece of parchment paper, sprinkle a little arrowroot on top, then press it under a second piece of parchment paper. Use a rolling pin to roll it between the two pieces of parchment paper until quite thin. 
  • Carefully remove the top piece of parchment and fold the dough over on itself twice, in thirds, then again the opposite direction, twice, until you have a square.
  • Sprinkle about 1/2 tsp arrowroot on top of the dough, cover it again with the top piece of parchment, and roll it out once more until thin. Again, fold it over on itself in both directions until you have a square.
  • Sprinkle with arrowroot once more, place the top parchment on top, and roll out until thin, about 1/8" thickness.
  • Remove top parchment, then gently place dough into prepared dish. An easy way to do this is to place the dish upside down on top of the dough, then flip them over together, gently pressing dough into dish and slowly removing the parchment. Carefully press together any cracks. Dough should reach up the sides of the dish to the top, outer edges, where it will meet up with the top layer of dough in step 11.
  • Once the filling has simmered for 5-10 minutes, remove it from the heat while you prepare the second layer of dough. Repeat steps 5-8 on the second dough ball.
  • Pour the filling into the prepared crust, then carefully wrap the second crust around the rolling pin and transfer it to the top of the dish. Press it to the edges of the bottom crust, and remove any excess crust hanging over the edge of the dish.
  • Cut a few slits in the top crust and brush it with about 1/2-1 tsp of melted ghee, then sprinkle about 1/8 tsp each cinnamon and maple or coconut sugar over the top.
  • Place in the oven to bake for 30-40 minutes, until slightly brown on edges. Allow to cool completely before serving, preferably with the world's best ice cream. 😉

Paleo Gluten Free Peach Cobbler Recipe (Healthy Peach Cobbler!) | The Family That Heals Together

By: Jaclyn · Filed Under: Easter Dinner, Recipes · Tagged: dessert, Easter, gluten-free, ice cream, naturally sweetened, paleo, peaches, recipes

December 10, 2018

Paleo Gingerbread House Recipe

I absolutely love baking holiday treats with my kids, and even though we avoid grains, dairy, and artificial ingredients, we get creative to make some pretty fun treats, like these paleo gingerbread houses!

Paleo Gingerbread House Recipe | The Family That Heals Together

When I wrote my healthy holiday cookbook Nourishing Holiday a couple of years ago, I knew it had to include a gingerbread man cookie recipe. I started off by creating these fun gingerdoodles cookies, then adapted them to create gingerbread men, which is the finished recipe you’ll find in my cookbook.

I don’t know why I’ve never thought to make gingerbread houses out of the dough, but this year, we were determined to find a way to make paleo gingerbread houses. It worked perfectly, and I found some better/healthier choices for frosting and candy decorations. Basically, this is probably the most fun my kids have had with food since we overhauled our diet, so I’m feeling like a million bucks.

Paleo gingerbread houses: worth the mess!

Paleo Gingerbread House Recipe | The Family That Heals Together

I know I’m not the only mom who typically avoids messes and big projects. I don’t consider myself a super fun mom. But I want to be, and I want to be more joyful in general, so I’m ending this year with a bang by letting my kids get covered in frosting and put together these cute little houses. We might even make them again before Christmas.

After recently learning that laughter actually boosts your immune system, I’ve determined to laugh more this next year. It doesn’t come naturally, to be honest. Having a child with complex medical and behavioral problems, and just being stretched thin in general as a mom, I think it’s easy to move through the every day hustle and bustle, some days without even so much as smiling.

I really like what one of my favorite companies, The Crowning Jewels, has to say about laughter here: “Laughter unlocks the seeds of purpose. Laughter is good for us. The Bible tells us that a joyful heart is good medicine (Proverbs 17:22).”

I want my kids to remember me being joyful, laughing, and not being too uptight.

I want to say yes more.

So when my kids started asking last week if we could make gingerbread houses, I said “Yes!” I quickly and easily found cookie cutters on Amazon, and you know I Prime-shipped those babies to get them here pronto. 😉

These Paleo Gingerbread Houses are not only paleo-friendly because they’re grain, gluten, dairy, and sugar-free, but they’re also GAPS diet-friendly if you omit the molasses. I actually prefer to make them with butter, but if you’re strictly dairy-free, you can make them with palm shortening. (Note: the cookie part is paleo and GAPS-friendly, read more about the frosting below.)

I’ve sweetened them with dates for optimal digestibility and to add health benefits like vitamins and minerals and fiber. They blend up easily in a high-powered blender like a Vitamix, or a food processor and give the dough some stickiness. You might be able to get away with an egg replacement in this recipe thanks to the stickiness of the dates, though I haven’t tried it yet.

Paleo Gingerbread House Recipe | The Family That Heals Together

A note on gingerbread house cookie cutters & more

I used this set of cookie cutters because they were very simple. After some trial and error, it seems the smaller pieces go on the sides and the bigger pieces are the roof. This recipe will make 2-3 houses with this set of cutters. There are also templates online that you can print out and trace onto the dough, but having the cutters sure made for tidy lines and quick, easy cutting.

We used organic frosting from the store. It has some powdered sugar in it, so it’s not 100% paleo-friendly, but I’m ok with that. You could also try making your own frosting with homemade coconut or maple powdered sugar, but I was all about keeping things easy this time.

I found naturally-colored holiday candies that don’t contain artificial ingredients, and I felt pretty good about using them, especially for how festive they look! We used these and these.

Paleo Gingerbread House Recipe | The Family That Heals Together

Really, you could use anything to decorate them, like nuts, seeds, dried fruit, or chocolate chips, but to be honest, getting a stiff enough frosting will be tricky unless you’re willing to keep it refrigerated. Either way, make these paleo gingerbread houses your own and have fun and laugh with your kids!

Paleo Gingerbread House Recipe
Print Recipe

Paleo Gingerbread House Recipe

Prep Time30 minutes mins
Cook Time15 minutes mins
Total Time1 hour hr 15 minutes mins
Servings: 2 Houses
Author: Jaclyn

Ingredients

  • 2 cups blanched finely ground almond flour
  • 1 cup pecans or walnuts
  • 1/2 cup pitted dates
  • 1/3 cup coconut flour
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/4 cup butter or palm shortening room temp
  • 1 tsbp molasses omit for GAPS diet
  • 1 tbsp ground ginger
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1/4 tsp baking soda
  • 1/4 tsp salt

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350*.
  • In the container of a high-powered blender or food processor, combine nuts, dates, molasses, eggs, butter, vanilla, ginger, and cinnamon. Blend on high until smooth, using the tamper or scraping the sides as you go.
  • Pour the mixture into a large bowl and add almond flour, coconut flour, baking soda, and salt, and stir until a thick, sticky dough forms.
  • Chill in the refrigerator for about 15 minutes.
  • Turn dough out onto large piece of parchment paper or floured surface (tapioca/arrowroot starches are paleo-friendly choices). Place another piece of parchment paper on top, or lightly dust with starch before using a rolling pin to roll dough to 1/4" thickness. (You can divide dough in 2-3 balls to do this in order to have less dough to work with.)
  • Use gingerbread house cutters like this to cut out two of each shape: two walls, two roof pieces, and two pointed front and back pieces. 
  • Transfer to a lined cookie sheet, then ball up remaining dough and repeat. 
  • Bake 15-18 minutes, until cookies begin to brown on edges.
  • Remove from oven and allow to cool completely before assembling and decorating.

To put houses together and decorate:

  • Fill a piping bag, fixed with a small/medium tip or with a small hole cut in the tip, with frosting. We used this organic frosting and it worked well, though it will not get stiff like conventional frosting. It was thick enough to hold things together though. You could try a buttercream made with honey and keep it refrigerated in order to avoid sugar, but it will be hard to get a stiff enough frosting without starch or sugar.
  • Use frosting to attach the smaller rectangle pieces on the sides of each of the tall, pointed front and back pieces. Place the larger rectangle pieces on either upper side as the roof. Fill in any gaps with frosting.
  • Use the frosting to decorate the houses and affix dye-free candies to them. We used these and these. You could also use nuts, seeds, dried fruit, and chocolate chips to be more GAPS- or paleo-friendly, as candy still contains sugar, even if it's dye-free and organic!

Paleo Gingerbread House Recipe | The Family That Heals Together

Paleo Gingerbread House Recipe | The Family That Heals Together

By: Jaclyn · Filed Under: Blog, Recipes · Tagged: candy, cookies, dairy-free, gluten-free, grain-free, kid food, paleo, primal, sweets, treats

September 29, 2018

Genuine Keto Diet Tips: Resources, Recipes, & More

Keto is all the rage, but there is a lot of misinformation out there, and keto can be done in a number of ways, both healthy and unhealthy. These keto diet tips will help you sift through the information to help you determine if keto is right for you.

Keto Diet Tips: Resources, Recipes, & More | The Family That Heals Together

What is “keto?”

In a nutshell, the keto diet is a low carb, high fat diet with moderate protein. Proponents boast the benefits experienced by eating bacon, butter, and avocados while avoiding bread and sugar.

While green veggies are a staple in a healthy keto diet, gone are potatoes (both white and sweet) and other starches.

A ketogenic diet is based on the practice of eating in such a way to cause your body to create ketones for energy, vs. running on glucose, as the standard American diet, full of refined carbs and sugars, primes us to do.

What are ketones? Ketones are produced when you don’t have enough insulin in your body to turn sugar (or glucose) into energy. Your body then turns to fat instead.

Your liver turns this fat into ketones and sends them into your bloodstream, where your muscles and other tissues can use them for fuel.

Is a ketogenic diet anti inflammatory?

While there have not been extensive studies done on humans, studies on animals have found a ketogenic diet to reduce inflammation.

Particular attention has been paid, however, to the anti-inflammatory affects of a ketogenic diet on the brain, especially for those with seizure disorders.

According to an article from Psychology Today, ketosis “means a lower seizure risk and a better environment for neuronal recovery and repair.”

The same article goes on to point out that a ketogenic diet also boasts:

  1. Increased GABA (a calming, inhibitory neurotransmitter) in the brain, and decreased aspartate (an excitatory neurotransmitter which can be neurotoxic).
  2. More efficient production of ATP (Adenosine Triphosphate), the main source of energy for most cellular processes.
  3. More efficient energy usage in the brain with less toxic waste that is likely to result in brain inflammation.

How long does it take to get your body into ketosis?

So ketosis sounds pretty good, but you’re worried about “keto flu” and how long it will take your body to adjust?

For most people, staying under the optimal carb limit (we’ll talk more about that below), you should be able to get into ketosis in a few days, but for others, the process can take up to a week.

As with any kind of diet change or detox, you may go through some uncomfortable symptoms as your body transitions. Many people experience what has been dubbed the “keto flu,” which includes fatigue, achiness, headaches, and even feeling weak or faint. Keep reading for keto tips to help you make the transition more easily.

How do you know when your body is in ketosis?

Besides the above symptoms as you begin to transition into using fat for fuel, there are a few ways to know you are in ketosis.

Your breath or urine may change smell. There can be a sweet or even acidic/acetone smell in your breath or urine once you’ve hit ketosis. This should go away after your body gets well-adjusted.

You can test your blood or urine. You can use ketone test strips to test your urine or a ketone meter to test your blood. However, these may not actually measure whether your body is efficiently using ketones.

You drop weight like it’s hot. Ok, not everyone drops huge amounts of weight straight away, but rapid weight loss may be a sign that you’re hitting #ketogoals.

Can a ketogenic diet help you lose weight?

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve watched shows like The Biggest Loser and cringed as well-intentioned coaches demanded their wards eat low-fat diets full of skinless chicken breasts, steamed vegetables, and whole grains. I cringe because, while restricting calories will eventually lead to weight loss, the process may be slower and less efficient than simply cutting carbs.

The answer is, yes, the ketogenic diet can help you lose weight. A long-term study of a ketogenic diet for weight loss found “The weight and body mass index of the patients decreased significantly.”

While other studies have questioned the safety of long-term ketogenic dieting (whilst demonstrating the benefits of a short-term keto diet), the study demonstrated the beneficial effects of a long-term ketogenic diet:

[Keto] significantly reduced the body weight and body mass index of the patients. Furthermore, it decreased the level of triglycerides, LDL cholesterol and blood glucose, and increased the level of HDL cholesterol. Administering a ketogenic diet for a relatively longer period of time did not produce any significant side effects in the patients. Therefore, the present study confirms that it is safe to use a ketogenic diet for a longer period of time than previously demonstrated.

So how many carbs can I eat?

Everyone wants to know- how many carbs can you eat per day on a keto diet?

Here’s where we get to the nitty gritty, and the answer will depend largely on what your goals for doing keto are.

Brain inflammation or autoimmune disorder? Probably want to stay very low carb.

Trying to lose weight or support hormones (especially for women)? You may benefit from carb cycling.

Struggling with your relationship with food and worried about falling back into bad habits like binging or behaviors that may look like an eating disorder? You may benefit from having a “cheat day.” (Though I don’t really like the connotation of the word “cheat.”

Zero/no carb- also known as a “carnivore diet,” which literally does not include carbs, so therefore no vegetables or fruits. While I’ve heard of good results on weight loss and autoimmune conditions, and have heard of children on the spectrum doing well with only meats and animal fats for a short period of time, this may not be a good choice long-term, particularly for women whose hormones depend on carbohydrates for proper functioning.

Low/moderate carb- this is where most keto diets fall. To stay low carb and encourage ketosis, you need to eat less than 50 grams of net carbs per day, meaning you subtract the grams of fiber from the grams of carbs in foods.

Carb cycling- most days, total carb intake will be below 50 grams, but on days when you cycle up, carb intake may reach up to 150 grams, but should come from healthy foods like fruits and veggies.

Cheat days- while I don’t like to use the word “cheat,” because I think we should make a plan and not feel guilt or other negative emotions related to what we eat, for the sake of explanation, a “cheat” day simply means you allow yourself a day each week to have food freedom and not count carbs.

Keto sweeteners

There are lots of low carb sweeteners that can be used on a keto diet, most notably stevia, xylitol, and erythritol. A newer sweetener is becoming popular, called monk fruit, though most contain erythritol as well.

I’ve never been a huge fan of zero calorie sweeteners, though I think they can be ok in moderation. I’ve personally found that I can stay in ketosis and still enjoy small amounts of raw honey in fat bombs. Many low carb sweeteners are corn-based, so our family avoids those for this reason.

One mistake some people make is by switching over to artificial sweeteners. Some people call this “dirty keto,” which means that technically you can be in ketosis, but it’s not a “clean” or healthy way of eating.

Keto Diet Tips: Resources, Recipes, & More | The Family That Heals Together

Our favorite keto diet resources

Ready to give it a try? Here are some keto diet tips to get you started!

Keto diet tips from the pros

From The Castaway Kitchen:

My Healing Story: AIP and Keto and Self Love

Keto Vs. Paleo

AIP Keto Reset (shopping list and meal plan)

From Flab to Fitness:

A Sane Guide to the Keto Diet

From Keto Summit:

The Ultimate Guide to the Ketogenic Diet

What Are The Optimal Ketone Levels For A Ketogenic Diet?

From Beauty and the Foodie:

Low Carb Keto Diet Help

Keto cookbooks you’ll love

Made Whole: More than 145 anti-inflammatory keto-paleo recipes to nourish you from the inside out. Our family especially loves the Prosciutto-Wrapped Chicken Tenders on page 210, but there are tons of tempting recipes, including plenty of desserts and treats! Get the book here.

Keto: The Complete Guide to Success on the Keto Diet. The simplified science behind a ketogenic diet, complete with no-cook meal plans. Grab it here.

Keto Made Easy: 100+ Easy Keto Dishes Made Fast to Fit Your Life. Classic recipes, remade keto-style. Grab the book here.

Keto recipes

We have a few keto-friendly recipes here on the site, but you can find just about any keto recipe these days by searching “keto ________” in your favorite search engine.

Try these:

Keto Fat Bomb Ice Cream

Fudgesicles with Keto Option

Homemade GAPS Chocolate Chips

Dairy-Free Queso Dip

Grain-Free Chicken Enchilada Casserole

Keto products we love

Embarking on a keto diet is really a lifestyle change, so here are a few things to help you along and to consider stocking your kitchen with.

Not sure where to start or which products or supplements are safe? Try the Onnit Keto Box. It’s filled with keto-friendly products and arrives month after month with fresh ideas, yummy snacks, and supplements to help you get and stay in ketosis. Check it out here.

In addition, you’ll find that Onnit has a whole array of supplements and foods to support a keto lifestyle. I especially love their Trilogy Nut Butter, Krill Oil, and Total Gut Health (essential for helping break down all those fats you’ll be consuming!).

Mr. Incredible really loves receiving his monthly box of keto goodies and has enjoyed the Powerfood Active to get him going in the mornings. He also never misses his Total Human supplement pack, which comes in convenient day and night packets so he’s able to get his brain moving in the mornings and calm it down at night for restful sleep. Check it out here.

You already know I’m a huge fan of MCT oil, and there are lots of great ones to choose from. Onnit has a quality MCT oil, as well as flavored Emulsified MCT oils to make your morning cuppa extra yummy, and even a savory MCT oil for soups and salads.

Be prepared and go for it using these keto diet tips

Using these keto diet tips, you can be prepared for a new keto lifestyle. Figure out what carb level works best for you, what your goals are, and what to expect as you make the transition and you’ll be a keto pro in no time.

 

By: Jaclyn · Filed Under: Blog · Tagged: adhd, autism, brain inflammation, eating fats, gluten-free, good fats, keto, low carb, low carb high fat, paleo, seizures, weight loss

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