Keto anyone?

[Runswithdogs]

Usally if its the de-oderized type it will say so on the package. I think its more comonly used for cosmetics where the scent might interfere with other fragrances or foods where it could change the taste. If your melting into a coffee you can just cut into a couple chunks and give it a minute to melt/soften befor zapping it with the hand blender (but probably wont work so well if your using a frother instead)
The one I got actully came as lil disk, kinda like chocolate chips but bigger. So I just count out whatever amount I want.
Glass containers works fine for storing, thats what I keep mine in.

Its a Saturated fat like coconut oil so thats maybe partially why its working well for you.
Most the therapy benifits I found on a “quicky” search had to do with inproving skin, hair etc but also evidence of it being good for heart and immune system.
Plus... tasty

 

[~Anastasia~]

I saw some disc-shaped ones I'm thinking of getting when I reorder. I still measure everything, so big chunks are unwieldy and they soften in my hands.

I just put the cocoa butter in a large container with my coconut oil and HWC to brew coffee over it - it all melts. Quick hit with an immersion blender, then high speed near the top to make froth (I like the froth lol). Pour in a cup and I'm good to go.

Still very glad you mentioned it.

 

[Runswithdogs]

Yeah, the disk type is a lot easier to work with... well unless you need it grated... then, umm not so much.
Funny how it just dosent taste the same without the froth.
Think I might have mentioned before but if not.. try adding a small pinch of good salt to, you wouldent think it would be good but it actully is, really brings out the flavours.

 

[~Anastasia~]

Yeah, the disk type is a lot easier to work with... well unless you need it grated... then, umm not so much.
Funny how it just dosent taste the same without the froth.
Think I might have mentioned before but if not.. try adding a small pinch of good salt to, you wouldent think it would be good but it actully is, really brings out the flavours.

Tried the salt this morning ... but I reverted to some older coffee that's not quite as nice so hard to compare. It was still a good cup of coffee.

Funny, I never really cared overmuch for coffee before - when I drank it, it was because of all the stuff I put in it. I use HWC now, but no sweeteners. I never would have thought I'd develop a taste for it this way. But I've grown to quite like it.

Thanks for the suggestions. I'm still wondering why I'm doing better and curious if it has anything to do with the addition of cocoa butter. I can't really see why it would though. And too early to know if it's an actual ongoing effect.

 

[Runswithdogs]

Could just be that changing things around a bit is keeping your body from getting “bored” for lack of a better word. Ie shaking things up a bit
Funny Ive never been a coffee drinker either, its just recently ive started drinking it at all and usally its only a couple times a week, a lot of times ill make a chai tea version. I make it from scratch so can go for lots of spices and then just add butter, hwc, cocoa butter , coconut oil or whatever Im feeling like that day. Course now I have to stealth add the coconut oil as my mastiff has now discovered thats his new favorite thing and he can hear me pick up the container from the other end of the house.....

 

[~Anastasia~]

I think changing things up does help. I'm not sure exactly why. But I've tracked my weight, the foods I eat in minute detail, and other effects on my health for enough months that I know it now.

And the coconut oil itself has a profound effect such that it's the one necessary constant.

I did try to put it in tea once - I had a hard time finishing it. I'll just stick with coffee lol.

That's funny about your mastiff. My cat has taken to begging when I take out the cream (it's next to a tin of tuna and she wants a bit) or begs every time I peel an egg. Even though she can be insistent, I'm sure a mastiff is much more forceful!

I LOVE big dogs. I haven't had a dog in several years now and really miss it. German shepherds are my favorite, though I have a soft spot for my daughter's Rottweiler that I ended up raising for her. (All the puppy annoyances and none of the adult dog benefits lol.)

Could just be that changing things around a bit is keeping your body from getting “bored” for lack of a better word. Ie shaking things up a bit
Funny Ive never been a coffee drinker either, its just recently ive started drinking it at all and usally its only a couple times a week, a lot of times ill make a chai tea version. I make it from scratch so can go for lots of spices and then just add butter, hwc, cocoa butter , coconut oil or whatever Im feeling like that day. Course now I have to stealth add the coconut oil as my mastiff has now discovered thats his new favorite thing and he can hear me pick up the container from the other end of the house.....

 

[Runswithdogs]

“bulletproofing” regular tea dosent work so well, just taste weird. so far the ones I like to do it to are coffee, hot chocolate and chai tea. I get coco mass & make my own “chocolate” so its still low carbs although a few more just because coco has a few. But I find hazelnut coffee with the cocoa butter makes a perfect hot chocolate

Yeah Kheilan the Mastiff is over 200lbs, kinda hard to ignore when hes resting his chin on the kitchen counter doing the “starving puppy” face
Thats him in my avatar although he was still a puppy then. Robbie, our other dog is a LH German shepherd, (yes, he is laying down in the burn lol)

 

[~Anastasia~]

They are both gorgeous! Though I'm especially partial to Robbie. I had a LH GSD once.

Hazelnut coffee with cocoa butter? Oh I'm going to have to try that. I've missed hot cocoa, though I seldom drank it.

Yeah the tea was really just gross. I like chai tea so I might try that, but I'm pretty satisfied to go with bulletproof coffee.

I am SO glad for your suggestions. Thank you! I've really got to find some hazelnut coffee.

 

[Runswithdogs]

Figured youd like Robbie, hes a big sook to.

You can use the cocoa butter for a mild/white hot choc coffee or get some cocoa mass (or 100% chocolate)
And use a small amount added to the coffee for a hot chocolate. If your really strict on carbs, just remember coco has a few carbs compared to cocoa butter which should have 0. Not sure the ezact numbers.
I actully find I like the coffee/chocolate better than hot chocolate now though. Hot chocolate just seems to heavy now. Which is kinda weird seeing as im adding loads of straight fat to the coffee

 

[~Anastasia~]

Yeah mine is pretty strict on carbs (typically 7-15g/day ... sometimes as much as 20 - not counting fiber). I have cocoa of various kinds. Probably I'll try a bit of cocoa (mine is unsweetened) with something - stevia or erithrytotol, etc.

It would have to be a nighttime treat though. I tried that combo before and completely stalled. Maybe because of sweeteners early in the day?

I actually used to drink coffee-cocoa before Keto. That was my treat-way of drinking coffee - about once a week. Loved it. This will be less sweet of course but much heavier with fats as you say. And I normally use heavy whipping cream.

Just had a "pizza" that turned out better than I expected. I've got some little low-carb pitas - stuffed them with some low-carb sauce and put a little on top. The pocket was full so I put mozzarella on top, then pepperoni. Baked, and added some parm. The crust had a much better texture than Atkins frozen pizzas and about half the carbs. Cheaper too.

And yeah, Robbie is an especially handsome fellow.

 

[Runswithdogs]

I dont strict count carbs, I did low carb (50-100carbs) paleo/primal for the last 5+ years before tweaking to keto so am pretty aware of where carbs are so I just avoid stuff with carbs, generally aim to keep it under 20 net.
I do a lot of OMAD though and 1-2 days fasting some weeks, so some days are really low or even no carbs (mostly because I only eat if im hungry and sometimes...im just not)

I hadent considered if having buttered coffee with sweetner in the morning makes any difrence to me, I dont think it does but I dont really track that much detail. But Ive heard some people have issues with sweetners even the no carb stuff. I know theve done test that found your body can register the sweet taste on the tounge and produce insulin in response even if theres no carbs/food involved so it could certainly have a detrimental effect on some people.

Have you tried making fathead pizza crust? I used the recipe on headbangers kitchen the other day and it makes a really really good thin crust for pizza. I usally used the califlour pizza crust recipe but after trying this we’re switching. I preffer thin crust anyways and this was good!

 

[~Anastasia~]

I dont strict count carbs, I did low carb (50-100carbs) paleo/primal for the last 5+ years before tweaking to keto so am pretty aware of where carbs are so I just avoid stuff with carbs, generally aim to keep it under 20 net.
I do a lot of OMAD though and 1-2 days fasting some weeks, so some days are really low or even no carbs (mostly because I only eat if im hungry and sometimes...im just not)

I hadent considered if having buttered coffee with sweetner in the morning makes any difrence to me, I dont think it does but I dont really track that much detail. But Ive heard some people have issues with sweetners even the no carb stuff. I know theve done test that found your body can register the sweet taste on the tounge and produce insulin in response even if theres no carbs/food involved so it could certainly have a detrimental effect on some people.

Have you tried making fathead pizza crust? I used the recipe on headbangers kitchen the other day and it makes a really really good thin crust for pizza. I usally used the califlour pizza crust recipe but after trying this we’re switching. I preffer thin crust anyways and this was good!

Yeah I think maybe I'm just one of the "lucky" ones wrt insulin response. But at least I know and I do ok with a small amount of sugar alcohols or similar late on the day. I'm glad I'm so obsessive about recording everything, so I have been able to see the effects of all kinds of things.

I HAVE made fathead pizza dough and it's awesome. I don't usually spread it very thin though - I'll have to try that. I've even wondered if it would make a good "base dough" recipe for other breads, but so far I choose a different recipe to try instead of adapting it. I can be lazy about trying new recipes though - partly because I chart so closely. It's tedious to figure out the exact macros for anything with lots of ingredients. But I do like fathead pizza dough.

I put a dash of cinnamon in my coffee this morning just for kicks. I'm not huge on cinnamon but it's ok. It was pretty good in the coffee.

 

[Runswithdogs]

Its good that you are able to track what effects you, makes it easier to adjust things to work for you.
I dont have the patience to track things that closely but since im happy with just knowing im feeling better and i can see positive changes. So I lost about 2.5 stone within the first 2 months but scales havent really moved much since then (actully they flux about 6-8lbs which seems a bit odd) but havent seen much weight loss since then, maybe a lb here and there. But even though the scales arnt showing it I can see im loosing fat/adding muscle, toning up so im not bothered by what the numbers says. More energy, skins great. None of my clothes fit...

Ive made a simular recipe to the fathead pizza crust you might want to look at. Its the stromboli recipe off of alldayidreamaboutfood and its awwwwsome plus she list macros on her site so it shouldent be to hard to suss.

I like adding spices and stuff to my coffee and mochas etc. Plus cinnamon has blood sugar control powers! Chilies can be good to. Im a bit of a spice collector lol. Last time I counted I had well over 40 different spices and ive gotten more since then.

 

[FireDragon76]

Another interesting thing to put in coffee is collagen. This is a fad in Asia, apparently it's supposed to be good for your skin. It's sort of like the bone broth fad in the US.

 

[~Anastasia~]

I had been thinking of checking this thread again to be sure I hadn't forgotten to reply.

I tried MCT oil about a month ago instead of coconut oil. From reading about it, it should have been even more effective. It wasn't, for me. Gained a couple of pounds in a week, no other changes. Went back to coconut oil, and they came off.

I've read a recent development where they suggest the body is primed for protein on awakening and suggest protein with as little fat/carbs as possible, then the smallest window possible for the day's intake (so the rest of the time is intermittent fasting) with suggested macros decreasing protein and increasing fat. I did it as an experiment for one day, but it just involves too much change or eating in weird ways to fit my work schedule, so I'm adapting to just a lesser version. It has to fit my life and I'm not about to find all NEW recipes almost a year in. It took a long time to get here.

But I'm going to look too into some muscle-building exercise as soon as I feel better. (Last week was an intense activity at Church for several days - a near-miss hurricane before that with lots of work and stress, plus many hours work this week - my body isn't ready for all this stress/work and I've got a nasty cold moving now into my lungs complete with a flare of several other health issues so right now I just need a few days rest - I'm scheduled to work tomorrow then I'm taking a couple days off to recuperate.)

But I'm looking forward to trying that. I used to build muscle very easily when I was young, especially for a female. I could have considered going into bodybuilding except that physique on a woman (as a woman) didn't appeal to me. Now I'd like just a little of that.

 

[~Anastasia~]

Another interesting thing to put in coffee is collagen. This is a fad in Asia, apparently it's supposed to be good for your skin. It's sort of like the bone broth fad in the US.

Collagen has some interesting benefits. I'm more interested in it for the joints. I'm not sure I could add it to coffee though - but maybe.

 

[Runswithdogs]

Bone Broth.... Hmmm, not sure something that's been made/used for hundreds of years qualifies as a fad LOL.
It just used to be part of everyday life, you don't waste anything when you have to raise/hunt it yourself. food was food... it just happens that bone broth/stock actually has a lot of nutritional value/health benefits that are being rediscovered.

MCT Oil. Ive seen kinda mixed review,, some people swear by it, have great results.. others ... not so much. Ive never tried it, id rather just use coconut oil which is naturally part MCT already. always worth trying things to see what works for you but if it dosent then no point trying to make a round peg fit in a square hole.

But I'm going to look too into some muscle-building exercise as soon as I feel better.

Have you looked into body weight exercises?.. you don't even need any equipment (well except maybe a pull up bar would come in handy) and it helps build functional muscle and flexibility, strength etc..
I need to get back into doing that, Im the same way, naturally quite strong & muscular. very easy to put on muscle but Ill take being strong over just looking buff (although both is fine LOL)

 

[~Anastasia~]

MCT Oil. Ive seen kinda mixed review,, some people swear by it, have great results.. others ... not so much. Ive never tried it, id rather just use coconut oil which is naturally part MCT already. always worth trying things to see what works for you but if it dosent then no point trying to make a round peg fit in a square hole.

Very true!

Have you looked into body weight exercises?.. you don't even need any equipment (well except maybe a pull up bar would come in handy) and it helps build functional muscle and flexibility, strength etc..
I need to get back into doing that, Im the same way, naturally quite strong & muscular. very easy to put on muscle but Ill take being strong over just looking buff (although both is fine LOL)

I've got to sort out the muscle stuff ...

That sounds like a good place to start. I'm not looking to join a gym right away and not looking for anything more complicated than the very basic equipment I already have.

I've been encouraged to work on my core as part of my voice work.

My arms - ugh, due to surgery and much else need work yet are supposed to be restricted in both weight and repetition (the tricky part).

Lower body was always easiest for me, and I'm naturally more muscular there. I suppose for Keto result it makes sense to concentrate there, as it can carry more muscle mass anyway. As long as I don't get lumpy lol.

 

[FireDragon76]

I'm currently on a keto diet because I need to lose 20lbs and keto is the only thing I've found that worked in the past. I've even ordered some keto sticks to use this time.

The first day was OK but by the second day I started getting lightheaded. I tried increasing the carbs a bit and taking some mineral drops in water and that seems to help. I'm at the end of my third day and so far I've lost about 2 pounds.

The keto diet can be very restrictive for me, both because of the cost of green vegetables (I'm on SSI and food stamps are about $90 a month) and also because my digestion hasn't tolerated alot of greens and fiber in the past.

 

[Runswithdogs]

Very true!



I've got to sort out the muscle stuff ...

That sounds like a good place to start. I'm not looking to join a gym right away and not looking for anything more complicated than the very basic equipment I already have.

I've been encouraged to work on my core as part of my voice work.

My arms - ugh, due to surgery and much else need work yet are supposed to be restricted in both weight and repetition (the tricky part).

Lower body was always easiest for me, and I'm naturally more muscular there. I suppose for Keto result it makes sense to concentrate there, as it can carry more muscle mass anyway. As long as I don't get lumpy lol.

Head stands are fun & freak out the hubbys and Planks would be really good for core building.
Women dont tend to get "lumpy" unless they really work at it (and take steroids). I used to kick-box, reg box and weight-lift and never looked lumpy although I certainly looked muscly.. but I look that anyways.

The first day was OK but by the second day I started getting lightheaded. I tried increasing the carbs a bit and taking some mineral drops in water and that seems to help. I'm at the end of my third day and so far I've lost about 2 pounds.

The keto diet can be very restrictive for me, both because of the cost of green vegetables (I'm on SSI and food stamps are about $90 a month) and also because my digestion hasn't tolerated alot of greens and fiber in the past.

Guessing if you've done Keto before you know about Keto-flu...
Possibly an electrolyte issue? If you hunt up dr. ken berry's youtube channel he has a video on making Ketoaid that you might find helpful.