Does your culture make it difficult to give up your favorite foods?

(Stephanie ) #21

I’m Hispanic so for me eating Mexican food is a given. At first giving up tortillas and beans was hard as I still cook the norm for my family. I have been able to get a bit creative with my Mexican meals. So I still eat enchiladas, tacos, green chili and what not I just make mine keto friendly :blush:

(Bunny) #22

No reason to give them up (ethnic foods) just don’t eat them all the time!

Don’t give them up just because you gone keto, enjoy time with your family, don’t let keto be some kind of a anchor around your neck?

You have enough of a health reserve built up for it not to have any impact other than maybe a temporary reduction in ketones/bhb…

#23

Whaa? Must go Google this …

(Paul H) #24

Love the shirataki noodles! I just ordered zero carb bread from thinslimfoods and it looks good. The ingredients didn’t look real bad…they have alot of low carb breads and treats… of course the keto treats had alcohol sugars which will spike insulin so I just tried the bread and pizza crust for starters… Of course our cultures have all evolved with negatives in the modern fast cheap world…

(traci simpson) #25

It is sad! Every time I or my sister try to suggest a different menu, we get push back.

(traci simpson) #26

That to me that is like saying
“everything in moderation” besides I’m not sure I want to even taste them as they may be a trigger for other stuff.

(Bunny) #27

Some thoughts:

Another way to look at the science of this, is you burn sugar from higher carbs more efficiently than eating them all the time, for me science outweighs what somebody else says or what somebody told me about this imaginary “trigger.” Imaginary, meaning “I really do not understand what I’m doing so maybe I will just lose my own discipline and self control?” Self-control? Meaning your gut bugs are starving to death and are telling your brain they need to eat? Discipline? Really investigating the science behind what your doing?

Some people mistakenly believe that every time they spike or trigger insulin that they are storing fat, NOT TRUE! After some time when your keto adapted your burning sugars\carbs directly for energy as soon as you eat it!

“Moderation” implies continuous; it is not the same thing as occasionally eating what ever you want with family?

(Khara) #28

Yep. It’s tough. I’ve tried for 3 years in a row now to ketofy Thanksgiving. So far I’ve not succeeded. Everyone wants their old favorites. Old favorites that make them feel like crap by the way. My mindset is usually I just want a nice meat and veggie and maybe a keto dessert like berries or no carb pumpkin pie. It could be so simple and NOT require an entire day of exhausting cooking. I have had small successes in that I don’t help anymore if it’s a dish that I really don’t want. I’m not going to peel a 5 pound sack of potatoes for example. If someone else wants them, they can make them. Where I struggle is the kitchen is tied up with all the other non keto dishes being prepared which doesn’t really leave time or room for me to make a keto something. Last year, although I really tried to stay keto, after several days of living on leftovers and the keto options running out and the carby options still being plentiful, I caved and it set me off on an entire holiday season of crap. That’s my biggest frustration. One holiday actually has the ability to damage my life for months because I can’t convince my family of the importance to me. Doesn’t have any negative impact on them. I will give another go this year. Hopefully I will be stronger willed when it gets here.

(traci simpson) #29

For me, triggers are real! lol If I get a taste of something scrumptious, I’ll want more which leads to a cycle that takes great effort for me to control. I’m not talking spikes in insulin or fat storage. None of that even crosses my mind. I just have to eat it! LOL

#30

Could you do something in advance that either only needs heating up or just putting in a serving dish?
I don’t know what you make, but something like a bacon and egg salad of some sort, or berries with cream. You know the sort of thing you want to eat, see if theres a way that doesn’t take much kitchen time to finish it off.
Another way to do it might be to save your keto dish for when the keto leftovers are about gone. Then produce something that will be more tempting than the carbage leftovers, and that might help the others to cut you some slack, if its something that they enjoy too.
Good luck for this year!

(traci simpson) #31

Exactly!!!

#32

I had to give up Southern food pretty much entirely when I moved to the Pacific Northwest, since they can’t make them well out here, so I was used to that. Apart from losing bread, I can’t complain too much about any food tied to my culture being left by the wayside.

(traci simpson) #33

I was in heaven!!! lol…just make sure you make them thin and not too thick.

(squirrel-kissing paper tamer) #34

My great grandmother immigrated from Italy as a girl so we have some delicious family marinara and pasta recipes. The women created this delicious eggless cake during the depression that we just call “grandma” cake and nobody but our family likes it but that’s okay. Two things I really miss, but I ate some mostaccioli for Easter dinner and really appreciated it because I don’t do it often.

I’ve come to the conclusion that for me those occasions where my family food is being cooked happen so few and far in between that I’m going to have a bit of it and I’ll plan my regular eating around it. It’s not that I necessarily can’t live without it, but I enjoy sharing it with them. Now if it was an every Sunday dinner situation, then I couldn’t do it.

(Carl Keller) #35

I get the impression that my family is offended by my food choices because it demonizes theirs. Nearly all of them are overweight and diabetic or pre-diabetic. I don’t preach at them but I feel like nothing would make them happier than if i went back to eating like they do because it would help validate their addictions. How I look and feel and what I choose to eat seems to make them uncomfortably self-conscious.

I keep hoping some of them will ask me for advice or at least ask me questions about LCHF but I suppose I should be happy that they’ve stopped badgering me about how unhealthy my WOE is.

(Lazy, Dirty Keto 😝) #36

I’m African American and Puerto Rican but I grew up mostly with my PR side of the family (mom’s side)

So yes, rice and beans, tropical fruits, all of that was hard to give up. But I still get to eat the delicious meats like roast pork shoulder (pernil), a cod stew that I love, a beef stew called bistec minus the potatoes :yum: my mom doesn’t live where I do, but when she’s around she’s supportive and doesn’t question it at all. In fact I’ve inspired her to go Keto to help control her IBS :grin:

(Khara) #37

Yep. I will try and be even more intentional this year. Last year I thought I had it handled and then it just snowballed. Part of the problem was that our family visitors were originally only going to stay for two days and then that got extended to four I think. So it was just too many meals of trying to make them happy. I actually did fine for the originally scheduled length of time and then went sideways when they stayed longer. So, this year I’ll do even more pre-planning and maybe some planning for if plans change or what to do in emergencies. I’m not going to future trip this far out but I do know I need to be much more firm in my plans.

#38

I’ve dedicated a blog to my experience going Keto as an Italian. I’ve got a few recipes (lasagna, breaded cutlets) but it’s mostly about the family and social pressures faced by someone raised Italian rejecting pasta pizza bread etc… Not easy but if you make health your priority, the family comes around.

(Katie) #39
(Jennifer) #40

Living in the South, there are lots of carby things at holidays. At Thanksgiving, there are always yeast rolls, mashed potatoes, cornbread dressing (or stuffing, as the northerners say :grin: ), mac and cheese, and pies. Same for Christmas, except change out the pies for cookies.

I mean, one of my husband’s favorite dishes is Rice, Gravy, and Tomatoes, which is literally what it is. White Rice, topped with Cream Gravy, and diced tomatoes. I grew up on things like SOS (Shit on a Shingle - Cream Gravy with Ground beef on top of Toast). WTH?!!?!