Amanda C. Hughes - The Wicked Good Ketogenic Diet Cookbook: Easy, Whole Food Keto Recipes for Any Budget

How could anyone survive without spaghetti or macaroni and cheese? What about cake? When he said he was going to try it, I begged him not to and told him that Id never forgive him if he dropped dead from a heart attack from this crazy bacon and butter diet. Thankfully for both of us, he was patient with my clear overreaction and, instead, started sending me articles on the benefits of a ketogenic diet for a variety of health issues. When I read the parts about reduced anxiety, I was intrigued. But when I learned how the reduction of sugar in your body could starve cancer, I willingly did my own research. Fast-forward to today, and Ive lost almost a hundred pounds (most of it in the first few years, with more still to go), and my vertigo is virtually nonexistent. I sleep great at night, wake up early, have energy throughout the day, am mentally clear instead of in a constant brain fog, and feel like a new person.

My cholesterol levels are as good as theyve ever been, and my triglycerides are cut in half. The ketogenic diet was and still is the only diet Ive been on. I like to think of it as more of a lifestyle change because it truly does touch all parts of my lifeand changed the way I live. Ive spent the last several years developing a whole foodfocused approach to the ketogenic diet for myself. If youre putting all this work into losing weight and getting healthy, why not use the healthiest ingredients you can? Its for this reason youll find that my recipes are less likely to use typical low-carb products, even sweeteners like erythritol and stevia, unless necessary, and why I often recommend organic vegetables and grass-fed beef. By all means substitute conventional ingredients to stay within your budget, but, when you have the option, go for organic veggies that dont use pesticides, and grass-fed beef, which has abundant healthy, anti-inflammatory omega-3s.

Organic isnt a marketing word; it distinguishes high-quality ingredients. (All-natural and artisan, on the other hand, arent regulated designations and are purely marketing terms.) For many years Ive shared my whole food recipes with other ketoers on my blog, WickedStuffed.com, and together weve come up with new and creative ways to approach meals that dont include bread, sugar, and other additives. In this book, youll find the results of years of experimenting with new flavors and ingredients. My recipes are usually simple and include pantry staples, but Ill also introduce you to some of my favorite keto ingredients like ghee, burrata, and pink Himalayan salt. I hope you have as much fun preparingand eatingthe recipes in this book as I did creating them.