Fuzzy brain is a real thing, and I have been suffering from the condition for a while. Currently, I’m fighting this battle with a new weapon, a Ketogenic Diet lifestyle. Yes, that is right. I’m now one of the millions of crazy people who are trying one of the many non-American Standard Diet plans. I selected the Keto plan over Whole 30, Paleo, South Beach, Atkins, Vegan, Low-Fat, Mediterranean, DASH, and an assortment of other meal plans. After doing my research, I felt like it was going to be the most natural plan to transition to with only one of us in the family (me) participating, and I liked what I heard during my research. Butter, cheese, whipping cream, crab legs, avocados, steak, and vegetables are included in this high-fat, low-carb, moderate protein plan. Keto had me at butter, cheese, and cream. Let’s face it. The hardest part of any lifestyle change is being able to follow through and allow the system to become a part of your daily habits. Today marks five weeks of success, including time on vacation and eating on the road.

Why did I decide to take such a leap into a significant lifestyle change when I’ve already got a plate full of responsibility? Because I have a plate full of responsibility and I want to be able to use all of my capacity to take care of my wards with a mind and body that is functioning at a high level. I won’t scoff if there is a side effect of a leaner body and stronger muscles as a result of my new meal choices.

It is a scary thing at 52 years old to not be able to recall the name of an everyday object or familiar person’s name.  While this wasn’t interfering in my daily life or my ability to take care of my family,  it was happening enough to cause me concern.  This fuzziness was going beyond the stereotypical “what did I come into this room to get?” At my age, I wondered, if this could be a result of a dozen possible conditions or even pre-cursors for Dementia or Alzeheimers. The internet has some scary information out there about your health and wellness. My doctor chalks it up to extremely high levels of stress due to the caregiving responsibilities involved with my flock. Let’s face the facts; my duties are not going to lessen anytime soon. In fact, there is a higher chance of them increasing over decreasing.

With all of this on my mind and searching for a way to clear the clutter from my brain, I chose to do the brave thing and make a lifestyle change by going on the Ketogenic Lifestyle Diet Plan. I don’t know how you measure fuzzy brain, but I can say that overall I’m feeling less scattered and foggy. My jeans are also sitting a little looser around my waist.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I found that nurturing this brave lifestyle is easier for me because I do love to cook and prepare meals. Food is one of my love languages and sharing it with others is something that brings me joy. On this journey, I found a newly released cookbook by Suzanne Ryan. She is the author of the blog Keto Karma, and now her first cookbook is “Simply Keto.”

I have several Keto focused cookbooks, and this one is by far my favorite. It has excellent information without being overly technical. Every recipe I have tried has “worked,” and several have been easy to tweak to my personal flavor palette. Suzanne’s travel tips section helped me survive the twelve-hour car ride between Houston, Texas and Port St. Joe, Florida this summer. My entire family is eating recipes from her book and loving them. Her book is inspiring, thoughtful, and beautifully executed. If you’ve thought about trying a Keto lifestyle, get Suzanne’s cookbook. It has made a difference in my success for my beginning stage of modifying my entire food world.

I’ll try not to be one of those zealots who insists that you get on board with a particularly healthy lifestyle train of their choice. Food is an outlet for creativity and love for me, so I am glad to have an opportunity to share a little bit of that part of me with my friends. It is a love I passed on to my oldest daughter, Brianna, you can check out her blog www.bookandbutter.com.  I also hope that with sharing my future successes and failures (of all kinds) it will help you feel less alone when you decide to make some life change, whether it be food, health, home, relationships, or venture.

Want to join me on this adventure?  I am using Carb Manager to record my daily macros (food log) and exercise.  I created a group named Cluck Howl Crow and if you use Carb Manager and want to swap stories, favorite recipes, or tips then send me a request to join the group.