description of the ketogenic diet and sample food menus

I have been asked what can't Chalice eat? I always tell people that list of things she can eat is shorter although that is not completely true either. From my experience with the ketogenic diet, here is the best way to describe the diet. High fats and protein and little to no carbs and no sugar (except for whatever is in fruit). Only water to drink with meals. The main staples of the diet are: heavy whipping cream, butter, mayonnaise, macadamia nuts, and canola or olive oil. All of the fats are the base of the diet and the most important thing for Chalice to eat. When she is not eating well we often times just have her drink whipping cream or eat spoonfuls of mayonnaise or butter just so she gets the fats.

Every meal is a "menu" that is weighed out by grams and given to us by a trained dietician. All menus are based on the fat ratio and by calculated by calories. Chalice is currently on a 1300 calories a day diet with a 2.75:1 ratio. For perspective, the highest ratio is 4:1 and goes in quarter steps down. The ratio is only adjusted when Chalice's ketone level is not high enough. We monitor her ketone level with ketosticks every day. It rarely dips below high (which is where it is supposed to be). We are supposed to stick with the same brand of foods every time as well which can make things challenging when we travel. Chalice also takes a multi-vitamin and a calcium supplement every day. With this explanation, here is a sample menu of what Chalice would eat for a meal and a snack:

Meal menu:
13 g fruit
7 g goldfish crackers
22 g turkey breast
24 g black olives
20 g butter
24 g mayonnaise

Snack menu:
6 g fruit
10 g pepperoni
7 g macadamia nuts

sickness, stuffiness, and growing

I don't know why Chalice goes through these vicious cycles of sickness, stuffiness (which I think might be allergies), and then a growth spurt. During these times, it is extremely difficult to deal with Chalice. She is emotional, aggressive, and goes between extreme energy and fatigue. It is also difficult to feed her. Tough love has come in handy with these situations but it makes me question if we are using it for the right reasons. I have often thought that if Chalice ever goes off the ketogenic diet that she is going to have a lot of emotional issues and problems eating in general. Food and emotions are tied together. If you try an elimination diet (eliminating any products containing wheat/gluten, corn, yeast, meat, dairy, or citrius) for a week you will see what I mean.

So, I have been thinking that we should probably take Chalice in to get tested for allergies. I have been hesitant because if she is allergic to any foods it would make the ketogenic diet more difficult. I will have to think more on this.