Obesity and food-related illnesses have become a modern health crisis. It is a driving force for author and blogger Martina Slajerova, whose primary goal is to help people get healthier. If writing ten cookbooks about the ketogenic diet isn’t impressive enough, Slajerova also developed the flagship KetoDiet App. Realizing that this style of eating controlled her Hashimoto’s Disease, she also noticed that her energy went up as her weight went down by following the keto lifestyle. Here, Martina Slajerova offers a few simple changes to make to your everyday food consumption habits that can lead you to a healthier tomorrow.
Martina Slajerova Martina Slajerova
Watch the carbs.
“For those who adopt the keto diet, only 5-10% of their daily calorie intake can come from carbohydrates,” notes Martina Slajerova. “Even those not on this dietary style should keep an eye on their carb consumption for significant health benefits. Modern diets are based around high-carb foods which are highly addictive and contributing to several metabolic health issues. Obesity, diabetes, heart disease, metabolic syndrome, and Alzheimer’s disease are on the rise and our diet is to blame. While not all of us need to follow a strict keto diet, almost everybody would benefit from a certain level of carbohydrate restriction.”
Get in potassium.
“Do not underestimate the importance of electrolytes, especially potassium,” says Martina Slajerova. “High-carb fruits like bananas and dried apricots are relatively high in potassium but have equally high levels of sugar and carbs. Vegetables such as spinach, zucchini, mushrooms, and eggplant have the right balance of both. Not to mention, eggplant and zucchini can even make for great pasta substitutes. And let’s not forget meat – salmon and beef are some of the best sources of potassium!”
You don’t need grains to get fibre.
Martina notes, “Contrary to common beliefs, the keto diet is not deficient in fibre. Avocados, leafy greens, nuts and seeds are all excellent sources of fibre. This doesn’t mean you need to eat more fibre. Bioindividuality always needs to be considered.”
Learn how to substitute.
“You do not have to deprive yourself to eat healthy; you just need to learn how to substitute,” explains Martina Slajerova. This is one of the reasons she developed the KetoDiet App, as she could see the challenges of finding low-carb substitutes and alternatives to common foods. “For example, if you’re craving a ham and cheese sandwich, you could make an unwich instead and
use lettuce, collards or Swiss chard to wrap all the fillings instead of using a bun,” she says.
Plan your meals.
“Meal planning takes the guesswork out of eating healthy,” says Slajerova. “By knowing what you are going to have for dinner and keeping food on hand when travelling, you are taking big steps.” Martina Slajerova knows all too well the temptation of needing a snack and visiting a drive-through, but she keeps nuts and dark chocolate handy to overcome this temptation. “Another solution is to make your meals for the entire week ahead and store them in the freezer. Put snacks in pre-measured containers so that you also have something on short notice that won’t sabotage your hard work,” she explains.
Martina Slajerova has seen these small changes make big differences. She realizes that the keto lifestyle isn’t for everyone, but eating healthy is much easier than we have been led to believe. That’s why Slajerova has set out to provide knowledge and information to make a difference by helping people make better food choices.