smoothies

Let me state clearly for the record that I'd really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really like to put bananas in the smoothies I make, but bananas are like keto's worst enemy, given how sugary and calorific they are. A shame: I love bananas, and the pairing of bananas and chocolate is nothing short of miraculous (Nutella + banana = bliss). So, alas, bananas are out. Except on cheat days.

Currently, the smoothies I make come in several varieties. Typically, the base of the smoothie will be two scoops of SlimFast or Soylent powder (both are meal-replacement powders with comparable calories, but SlimFast is arguably more sugary). The milk I use will be some combination of low-fat milk, almond milk, and a few spoonfuls of heavy cream. (Did you know that, from the Atkins/keto perspective, heavy cream is actually better for you than low-fat or whole milk because it's so much less carby?) Depending on my mood, I'll add frozen berries—strawberries and/or blueberries in 170-gram portions (not sure how I arrived at that particular weight, but there we are: 170 grams).

Once the Newcastle Diet is done, however, meal-replacement powders will have to become a thing of the past (again, except on cheat days). Once I increase my calorie limit for the day, I'll be able to add more heavy cream to my smoothies, but I won't be able to use SlimFast or Soylent (I'm almost out of Soylent, anyway). So I have unsweetened chocolate powder and a whole library of keto-approved sweeteners that I can use to blunt the bitterness of unsweetened chocolate. While I'll probably keep the berries, I'll be switching out the SlimFast for the unsweetened chocolate and keto sweetener. When consumed during my sanctioned mealtimes, such a shake ought to do little to spike my blood sugar (berries in moderation are OK on keto), and a cephalic reaction during a sanctioned mealtime isn't nearly the problem it would be were I to break my fast outside of mealtimes.

So once I go keto, the smoothies go keto, too.

A note about fasting: Dr. Sten Ekberg states that the body needs about 18 hours for autophagy to take place, so eating all your food for the day within a six-hour window is recommended. That's about what I'm doing now, although I do sometimes snack a bit (nuts, almond butter, sugarless Jell-O) in the evening. Once my new diet starts, though, all that snacking will have to go. I'm not sure, yet, which is more strict: what I'm doing now on Newcastle, or the T Diet I'll be embarking on in less than two weeks. Like it or not, though, that's the lifestyle I've chosen for myself, and barring certain exceptions (long walks, international travel once the pandemic is over), this is where I'll be for the rest of my life.