Natasha Newton - Southern Keto: Beyond the Basics

First Published in 2021 by Victory Belt Publishing Inc. Copyright 2021 Natasha Newton All rights reserved No part of this publication may be reproduced or distributed in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without prior written permission from the publisher. ISBN-13: 978-1-628603-95-8 The author is not a licensed practitioner, physician, or medical professional and offers no medical diagnoses, treatments, suggestions, or counseling. The information presented herein has not been evaluated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and it is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Full medical clearance from a licensed physician should be obtained before beginning or modifying any diet, exercise, or lifestyle program, and physicians should be informed of all nutritional changes.

The author/owner claims no responsibility to any person or entity for any liability, loss, or damage caused or alleged to be caused directly or indirectly as a result of the use, application, or interpretation of the information presented herein. Author photos by Lisa Presnell Cover photo and photos on by Justin-Aaron Velasco and Kat Lannom Food styling for cover photo and photos on pages by Marcella Capasso Interior design and illustrations by Justin-Aaron Velasco and Kat Lannom Printed in Canada TC 0121 d_r0 To all the fans of Southern Keto, this is for you. Without your continued support and encouragement to write another book, this wouldnt have been possible. Thank you!

Yay, yall! Welcome back! Im so glad you came. Come on in and have a seat at my table. Id never dreamed that Southern Keto would make the impact that it has; I just hoped to write a good cookbook that would help a few people on the journey.

Its been so exciting to see that the book has reached so many of you around the world and to hear the many different ways it has touched your lives. Some of you loved the new and easy recipes; some of you were thrilled that your picky kids or other non-keto family members enjoyed the food; some of you were just happy to see that the recipes use everyday ingredients that can be found at the grocery store. And then there were some of you who connected with my story as if it were your own. Since many of you have asked for and encouraged me to write another book, I am beyond grateful for this opportunity to present to you Southern Keto: Beyond the Basics. It is filled with more easy recipes for the Southern comfort foods you love. Its my hope that youll find in this book many new favorites that you and your family will enjoy for years to come! Even though Southern food is most often equated with comfort food and soul food, we know that all regional cuisines have their forms of comfort food and that we all share the same feeling of comfort that comes from making and sharing meals.

In my case, when I think of comfort food, Im transported back in time to my grandma Ida Maes kitchen. Ida Mae was a fabulous cook, and I loved watching her cook and spending time with her. However, as wonderful as her food was, I now know it is the love and care she put into cooking for her family and the time we spent sharing meals together that bring back the warm memories. Its the same kind of love and care that I hope my family and friends feel when I cook for them; its the same Southern hospitality that I hope you experience as you make the recipes from both Southern Keto books. Comfort food transcends our regions and backgrounds; it brings us together. This book includes comfort food recipes beyond the basic, classic Southern dishes for this reason.

The Journey Goes On Its been almost two years since the release of Southern Keto. These years have been amazing, challenging, and filled with many emotions that cant be put into words. As I am finishing up this book in the autumn of 2020, we are in a pandemic. These are unprecedented times. None of us could have foreseen the events that have unfolded around the world over the last several months. And as secure as I feel in my way of eating, which has become a lifestyle for me these past few years, I have been tested. I have dealt with emotions that blindsided me.

As someone with a history of emotional eating, Ive found myself struggling in ways I never thought I would again. Im fighting this just like everyone else. All of this has reminded me once again that life is an ongoing journey, that we must not give up or give in amidst hard times or setbacks, and that things wont always be like thistheyll get better! Im sharing this because sometimes you look around and think everyone else is handling things better than you. These thoughts can bring you down. The truth is that you are not alone; its been a hard year for everyone. No matter how far you feel like youve been set back, you can make a comeback.

There are ups and downs along this journey, and this is why building a solid foundation is so important. Ive always loved the quote: Its hard to beat a person who never gives up. And over the past six years, my motto has been to never give up. I know it sounds clichits the kind of quote you see on T-shirtsbut theres power in this mindset. Yes, the journey gets hard at times. Yes, there are days when I feel defeated.

But I dont stop trying. It only took me forty-six years to figure these things out! Its important also to realize that theres so much more to this journey than weight loss (although you couldnt have convinced me of this years ago!). I used to think that if I could just be a certain size or achieve a certain level of success, then I would be happy. Boy, was I wrong! These things are great, but there are many layers to our journey. Emotions are more complex than we may realize, and we need to keep in mind that mental health is just as crucial to our overall well-being as physical health. Where It All Started You see, some days I still feel like that little girl I used to be who was a yo-yo dieter and binge eater.

Food obsession and unhealthy thinking and eating patterns started at a very young age for me. I was just a kid; I didnt care about losing weight. And even though my parents tried to keep our kitchen stocked with what they believed was healthy food, when they werent looking, I would eat everything I could get my hands on. At nine years old, I was placed on my first medically supervised diet. This was back in the eighties when FAT WAS THE ENEMY. The food was, of course, boring.