National Keto Day 2025

Happy National Keto Day! I’ve been on the Keto Diet for more than seven years now, and it’s been life-changing in ways I never expected.

My Nurse Practitioner put me on the Keto Diet when I was prediabetic, even though I was already eating healthy and practicing two martial art styles at the same time.

“I can’t tell you to clean up your diet,” he said, “because you already eat healthy. I can’t tell you to exercise more because you’re already exercising all the time. So we need to pull the trigger. You have two choices: meds or Keto Diet.”

“I can’t do Keto because I own and operate an Italian restaurant,” I replied. “And it’s really good!”

“I suggest you find a way,” he said. “Keto is better than meds, and you’ll finally be able to lose all that weight you’ve been working so hard to lose.”

At the time, I was losing weight at a frustrating rate of only four pounds per year—despite doing everything right. His confidence gave me hope. “I’ll see you in three months,” he said. “Your A1c will be normal, and you’ll be down 30 pounds.”

I explained the situation to our culinary team, and they said they would have no problem meeting my new dietary needs. We had plenty of meat dishes, our sauces didn’t use flour as thickeners, and they could substitute vegetables for the pasta. Three months later, my A1c was normal, I had lost 30 pounds, and—almost more importantly—it lifted me out of long-term depression. Seven years later, I’m still on Keto.

Initially, I lost 80 pounds and kept it off for six years. Last year, I developed a stomach/GI illness and gained back 30 pounds. Fortunately, the diet to heal my illness was extremely Keto-friendly. I made a few adjustments, like omitting red meat, increasing aromatic spices (more yummy flavors, yay!), and taking supplements. Now I’m almost completely healed and ready to lose the weight again.

I don’t push the Keto Diet onto my clients, but I do share recipes when requested. And my recipes? They’re good!

If you’re curious about Keto, have questions, or just want to swap recipes, let’s chat! Let’s make 2025 our healthiest and happiest year yet.