Fat Fueled Female is NOT just a ketogenic diet!

I've always hated dietary labels. I find them restrictive and judgemental. It's like picking a political side...you're either 'this' or 'that'. Unfortunately people are not so simple when it comes to nutrition. And Women? We are even more complicated. Nutritional studies are rarely done using women because our hormones (menstrual cycles) affect the 'consistency' of the factors being studied and therefore affect results. Many women try to follow specific diets only to be frustrated with their results and how their body is responding. Keto included.

When my patients started flocking to the ketogenic diet I was concerned. What did they mean when they told me they were 'keto'? Were they eating massive amounts of cheese and bacon? Were they considering their overall nutrient requirements or just fixating on macronutrient ratios and keeping their carbs low?

These concerns were the reason I wanted to put together a plan that would not only take them down a more balanced path, but would TEACH them about their bodies along the way. There's nothing better than an EMPOWERED patient!

Why Fat Fueled Female is NOT a ketogenic diet.

I mentioned I hate labels, but how do you tell someone you're eating a 'low-carb, fat-fueled diet with Intermittent Fasting and eating carbohydrates when and where they are appropriate'? That's a mouthful.  
Fat Fueled Female is not JUST a ketogenic diet. By definition, ketosis is a 'state' where your body is burning fat as a fuel source. There are different ways to achieve a state of ketosis including calorie restriction, low carb eating and Intermittent Fasting. For years before the keto craze I was using Intermittent Fasting as a powerful tool for weightloss and overall health, and I wanted to share my love of fasting with the Fat Fueled community. The use of fasting in the program is something that seems to get the greatest response from our participants in terms of a learning tool. It teaches them about 'true' hunger, takes away fear of hunger, changes their need for constant snacking and leaves them feeling empowered. 

And what about carbohydrates? YES they are included (but strategically). We learn how to incorporate carbohydrates based on our own needs, timed in a way that helps our hormones, thyroid  and sleep, and in a way that doesn't send us down the blood sugar rollercoaster (which causes sweet cravings all day long). This will look different for each participant and is what helps individualize the program, but also creates freedom in this lifestyle moving forward (making this more sustainable for the average person). I am not dogmatic in my approach - I don't expect that you'll never eat pizza or cake again (and I certainly don't want to live in a world where ice cream is forever off limits!). 

What about VEGETABLES?
Have you seen my instagram feed? You'll notice a recurring theme when I share my favorite meals: big-ass salad with protein and home-made dressing (full of heart-healthy fats). As a woman you CAN'T be scared of veggies. We need them for supplying a variety of micro-nutrients, helping our liver detoxify our estrogens, maintaining a diversity of healthy gut flora and as a great source of antioxidants (and if you're a carnivore that eats animals from tip to tail then disregard my statements about 'needing' vegetables, otherwise keep reading!). 

I personally am a 'volume' eater...meaning I need to feel like I got to eat LOTS of food -  otherwise i'm not satisfied. Greeny leafy veggies provide that satisfaction for me without having to go overboard on consuming too much of the other stuff!
Have you seen the new Canada Food Guide? Yup, they are now recommending that HALF your plate comes from veggies (hooray!). So I would say that I'm also in favor of a 'plant-centric' low carb eating style. 

Is it ALL about the FATS?
Hardly. We're not here to eat as much fat as we can from whatever sources we can get our hands on. We use fat strategically in just the right amounts to create satisfaction and replace the satiety from removing starchy carbs. Fat is a lever and the amount we need will differ from person to person. 
And we definitely care about the TYPES of fats we focus on. It's not about the numbers, but about the quality for our foods. Some fats raise inflammation in our bodies, while others promote healing. Some fats plateau our weightloss goals, while others support our metabolism. Knowing which fats to choose and in which amounts is key!

My goal was to teach the most powerful tools for achieving healthy body composition, understand the hormonal impact of foods and help women feel confident in their CHOICES. I think we can check off all those boxes in the Fat Fueled Female program. I'm not here to put women on a diet. I'm here to teach a lifestyle. Each session brings new insight, new learning tools and more efficient ways of achieving health. I've had women with me since the very beginning who have participated in EVERY session! That speaks volumes to me and there's no greater compliment. It's for those women that I continue to research and share new information as it becomes available. 

So am I keto? No. I'm a Fat Fueled Female:)