4 Steps to Getting Started on Keto

Dear friend,

“The most powerful way to change your brain chemistry is through food, because that’s where brain chemicals come from in the first place.”

~ Dr. Georgia Ede ~

The ketogenic diet is one of the most powerful interventions I’ve ever come across in my 17 years as a Psych RN. It has 100+ years of scientific research behind it as a treatment for epilepsy with 50% remission rate and with only 1-5 years of adherence.

Now there is new research coming out with its’ application for treatment of psychiatric conditions including anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, schizoaffective disorder, schizophrenia, and Alzheimer’s disease.

Metabolic health and food have a huge impact on mental health.

Whether you’re just getting started on or have been dipping your toes or in the process of getting ready to fully implement keto for mental health. Here are some important steps that will help you stay the course.

1. Figure out Your Why

2. Restock Your Kitchen

3. Cravings are Normal

4. Track, track, track

#1 Figure out Your Why

This step is about having a strong vision that will pull you through the process of making a major change in an area of an ingrained habit and a way of being.

Unless you have a strong motivation to make change, it will be challenging to sustain a more restrictive diet such as the ketogenic diet. However, once you decide that you’re willing to do anything to achieve your goal, then the how becomes much easier to execute.

What is it that you want to accomplish? Is it weight loss, overall wellness, mental clarity, mood stability, more energy, reducing or tapering off of psychiatric medications?

All of the above?

On a scale of 1-10 (10 = very important), how do you rate the level of priority of accomplishing your goals?

#2. Restock Your Kitchen

Once you’re clear on your why and vision, the next step is make a fearless inventory! Go through your pantry, cupboards, and fridge and give away, donate, or throw out all the foods that no longer serve you.

There are just two principles of healthy eating. One is not putting harmful ingredients in to our bodies, and 2nd providing whole foods that nurture it. Implementing the ketogenic diet is not complicated. It’s actually quiet simple.

Avoid: sugar, carbs, seed oils, alcohol and illicit substances, sugary drinks, processed foods etc.

Incorporate: healthy fats, animal products (protein and fat)

That’s it!

#3. Cravings are Normal

Now, as they say, the hardest part is the beginning.

I never realized how much of a food addict I was until I went on the elimination diet (Meat, Salt, and Water) for a couple of months. The first few months, my cravings were completely out of control.

I would frequently find myself daydreaming and fantasizing about ice cream, bread, pasta, sweet potatoes - all the comfort foods. And sometimes I would actually go ahead and eat one of these foods only to find out my sugar would spike and I would need to lay down and crash and take a nap within the hour. Then for a day or two everything would be off kilter- mood, energy, sleep etc.

What I told myself is that I can eat anything I want but I choose not to. My brain was happy to know that if I wanted to I can eat whatever I choose. There was a sort of relief to knowing nothing was off limits. But overtime my palate changed.

What will happen with cravings is that the more you stick with the diet, the intensity will go down. As well, when you see the reaction of your body when you reinstate those comfort foods becomes so stark over time - almost like an aversion therapy. It just was not worth going there after awhile.

Question I ask myself often: Is this 20 minute mouth party really worth the bloating, heartburn, energy crash, sleep disturbance, and generally feeling like sh*t? The answer is no!

#4. Track, Track, Track

This is an essential step especially if you’re on psychiatric medications but also for everyone else. Ideally, you want to track lab work, weight, blood glucose, blood ketones, blood pressure, sleep, food, mood, and energy.

Tracking allows you to not only be mindful of patterns, but be in touch with your body’s real time measurable feedback.

It’s important to tack especially in the beginning when there are a lot of changes, in the keto-adaptation phase. Basically the keto-adaptation phase a period of 1-6 weeks where your body adjusts to having the change in diet. There maybe some mild unwanted effects that occur with these dietary changes. They’re mostly manageable.

I will discuss more on this phase and the effects of adaptation to keto in the future. For now, you definitely want to track as much as possible everything you’re noticing on the factors listed above including the keto adaptation signs an symptoms.

Tracking allows you be more connected with your body and understand the measurable effects of your choices in food and activity. Overtime you’ll become very in tune with your body’s signals and feedback. Tracking as closely as you do in the beginning may not be necessary long term. However, it is a crucial step now.

It will provide concrete and helpful information for your team of clinicians and or coach to guide your process in implementing keto.

Implementing Keto is not a sprint, it’s a marathon. You want to take your time and be very patient with yourself. It takes planning and commitment to make a major lifestyle change. Medical keto is a powerful intervention. It’s also a process and requires a certain level of preparation.

It’s not something you want to approach lightly but if you have the right attitude and take the steps needed, the reward will be a thousand fold. Your brain and body will love you for it.

It’s one of the greatest gifts you can do for yourself. Using food as medicine.

Until next time we continue in solidarity.

warm regards,

Neseret Bemient, BScN
Holistic Mental Health Advocate 
Website: Mental Health Reset
YouTube: www.youtube.com/@NeseretBemient
Twitter(X): Neseret Bemient (@JourneyofHope4U) / X (twitter.com)

BIG DREAMS

...start inside
...take courage
...involve effort
...include mistakes
...build character
...are achievable

"What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us." ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson ~