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
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Having tried the Atkins Diet, which is somewhat similar, I remember how agitated and jumpy I would become. It has something to do with the adrenal gland being overactivated (the fight or flight response) so this may explain somewhat the frustrating behaviors spoken of in an earlier blog. When we are agitated, many of us turn to carbs to asuage the jumpiness and these make us sleepy/lethargic. The opposite occurs when carbs are removed from the diet. As the diet allows introducion of more carbs, this reaction hopefully will lesson. When Chalice is eating well, of course, these behaviors are for the most part, non-existent, but since fats tend to sate the appetite, keeping the ratio at the perfect level is difficult when she refuses to eat, which often happens when she is not feeling well. It is a conundrum as we all should be able to allow the body's natural urges for food to dictate when and how much we eat, so I think your concerns about food/eating disorders down to line could be well founded but, at this point, why borrow from tomorrow when today's challenges sufice.
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