I am brand new here. I have not started keto yet; just learning. I have cut down on carbs dramatically after ‘backsliding’ for 3 or 4 months. I have had 46 TIAs and 6 strokes since June 2011. They are caused by migraines and an extremely weird configuration of tiny arteries in the right side of my brain. My PCP, my cardiologist and my neurologist all agree that I need to be on a low carb diet. I am allergic to 9 different classes of antibiotics, plus Flexiril, Atarax & Lisinopril. My Type 2 diabetes started after I was treated with three rounds of Prednisone to stop Stevens-Johnsons Syndrome that I got as a complication to kidney failure as a reaction to IV Vancomycin in November 2010.
Low carb has been hard to maintain, because I am on disability. There are lots of carbs at the food bank, but not so much protein and fat. I got depressed and gave up after the tiny house we were renting exploded with toxic black mold in November. In September, my A1C had gone down to 7. My cholesterol numbers were great. All my numbers were great. Two weeks ago, when I was in the hospital for stroke symptoms, my A1C was 10, and my cholesterol was high. My right carotid was 90% blocked. This was unrelated to the TIAs that I experienced as it was on the opposite side.
My visiting nurse, Frank, told me about this site. So here I am.
I am an "interesting" patient whose just had my 44th thru 46th TIAs in the last 3 weeks
Hi and welcome. You sure have a lot going on but you’re still trying and that says a lot about a person. Check out these threads, they might help with one thing, ideas for cheap food:
I really do wish you well and I know you will find tremendous support on this site.
Thanks for the pointers. There is a lot to take in on this site. I am going to start listening to the podcasts while I am painting tomorrow.
Welcome, Cranford! I hope keto helps you with your problems.
You might be able to get eggs and ground pork for a good price. Canned mackerel too (in brine or tomato sauce), although not everyone likes it, especially if you don’t know what to do with it. I’ve made good curries and “Jamaican rundown” with it. Both are simple to do. Jamaican rundown is supposed to be made with salt fish, but I just use the canned mackerel, and it turns out nice.
Are you able to get to a store that has low prices? Are there any foods you can’t eat (or just don’t like to eat)?
We get free range eggs from a local farm for an excellent price. Every few months we try to make a trip to Amish country (Lancaster County) and stock up on chicken, bacon and ham. We haven’t been able to swing that due to expenses of our move and higher medical costs. We had to move because of the black mold. It becomes a Catch-22.
I need to sell more of my art.
I have never heard of Jamaican Rundown. I like just about everything, as long as it is not too hot. I will look that up.
Thanks!
The initial stage of a ketogenic diet can be pricey, because of the quantity of high-quality food (meat, fresh vegetables, etc.), but I found that after a few weeks, my appetite dropped enough that the cost of my keto diet works out to less than my carbohydrate-rich diet cost.
But I hear you about the food banks—carbohydrate-rich processed food is a lot more shelf-stable than fresh food, so that’s what people donate and what they have to hand out. I was fortunate that the food bank near me often got leftovers from a local restaurant, so we did get some healthier foods from time to time. (My circumstances have changed, and things are now much easier.)
Last night, at the food bank, we received 2 lbs. of smoked sausage, 1 lb. kielbasi, 1 lb. of ground venison and some canned tuna and chicken. So that is a big help. 
That’s good to know. We give to food banks periodically through our church and we usually give some canned meats, but we’re mainly heavy on the carbs. They usually want non-perishable goods, but if so, I’ll have to go to Costco and load up on some serious canned protein.
I read a thing about food banks, and they said
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They wished people would donate more protein foods (e.g., canned fish and meat).
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It’s really better to donate money, because food banks have bulk buying power, as well as expert shoppers who can get what is needed at the best price. I imagine it also makes sorting, storing, and distribution simpler. You know, what are they going to do with that one can or box of _____?
I realize that it’s somehow more satisfying to put a can of food in a donation box, but it’s something to think about.
Yes.
I started and led a ministry among the poor and homeless for 27 years, in center city Phila. and elsewhere. Donating items is really to demonstrate to children the idea of giving to poor people. Once we are adults, money is a much better option. We received so much useless and inappropriate stuff that we had to just toss. I mean, one can of cranberry sauce jelly is more than enough for 200 homeless people. Nobody eats that stuff.
Our local food bank has a couple of wonderful gardeners who intentionally plant lots more than they need, in order to share with the patrons of the food bank. They grow heirloom vegetables. That is nice.
So, if one is going to donate items, it is best to ask the organization what they need or want.
First, welcome. Going back to your original post, stir fries without a starch can be a good option. A bit of cabbage sauteed up and then add in a few spices and ground pork or sausage meat is a delicious meal, and easy and inexpensive. Ignore all the posts about steaks and roasts, and read through the budget recipes. Stay simple, you can do this.
And thank you for opening my eyes about food banks. I won’t be gardening this year, but I like the idea of growing extra, to make fresh vegetables available. I wonder about seeds that are suitable for container growing?
I guess I did not fully introduce myself. I am 63 years old, 6’1" tall, 253 lbs. I have had 6 strokes and 46 TIAs, all caused by migraines and a strange configuration of undersized arteries with missing hemisphere connector in the right side of my brain. I have severe depressive disorder, cPTSD and (mild) bipolar disorder. I am an artist. I worked in prison and homeless ministry for 30 years full time, while also working at dozens of other jobs to support myself.
Eight days into Keto and I have lost 5 pounds. I started out having spent three weeks low carb, so had already lost 10 pounds of mostly “water weight”. It has been a bumpy ride since I started right after a couple of hospitalizations for TIAs. Friday, Saturday and Sunday, I had a horrific migraine, which may have included another TIA on Sunday.
My blood glucose numbers have been coming down, but my BP was erratic all last week. I am going into hospital to have an endarterectomy on my right carotid on Wednesday, and will be in ICU for a couple of days after that. I am smuggling in my own butter for that.
good luck with the procedure!!Thanks!
People keep asking me if I am nervous, which is making me nervous.
I came through OK. I was able to maintain low carb and limited protein in the hospital, but didn’t eat much fat. I didn’t eat much of anything. The surgery was on Wednesday, so nothing all day until beef broth and coffee for dinner; chicken broth, coffee and unsweetened iced tea for breakfast on Thursday. When they finally let me have solid food again for lunch on Thursday, I got a tiny piece of cod, broccoli, butter, and coffee. In the middle of eating it I started to pass out. It was the first time I had sat up after the surgery. That got me another night in the hospital.
My BP is not so crazy. It is a bit more even side to side. My blood sugar readings are coming down. We cut my Levemir to less than half what it was, and I still am using only about 2 units of Novolog insulin a day.
I have continued to slowly lose weight. I am now 246 lbs.
Now, I am a month into Keto. I started in a tumultuous time. I had two more TIAs and an endarterectomy on my right carotid (unrelated to my TIAs and strokes). I was put on a second BP med, Losartan, on the occasion of my 47th TIA, when my BP was 178/108 and Frank, my visiting nurse, was required to send me to the ER. I take my BG and BP 4 times per day. I have lost 9 lbs., so am now 244#. I have reduced my jeans size by a little more than two inches to a comfortable 40.
My BP this morning was a shockingly low 87/67. I did NOT take my Losartan. My PCP had instructed me to keep a close watch on my BP. She said that if I lost just another 10# I would probably reach the tipping point on my metabolic syndrome and I needed to be vigilant. That was 1# ago on Thursday.
I am doing this mostly on food bank food, along with low cost, free-range, local farm eggs, and some Amish flax seed.
I’m finding it remarkably easy.
Now I’m going to go out for my two mile walk around town.