#feedyourmission with Ashley from @easy_lc_living

Good Morning Keto fam!

We are excited to announce our very first #feedyourmission profile! Today we are introducing Ashley: a mom, keto community builder, and relentless advocate for self-help and of course, self-care.

Read below for a deeper dive into Ashley's personal journey towards what has ultimately led her to become a "heavy hitter" in the keto world.

Q: How long have you been on a keto diet?

A: Over 4 years. I started on 4/1/14.

Q: What first sparked your interest in Keto, and how long did it take you to fully make the diet switch?

A: I heard about Atkins/low carb diet but I didn’t know much about it. I wanted to do something different since Weight Watchers no longer worked for me. So I went to the Atkins website, read everything on there and started the very next day (a Tuesday!). I never left the induction phase of 20g of carbs. I actually found the word “keto” “ketosis” through Pinterest and Instagram, so I googled it and that’s how I found actual keto, which wasn’t much different than what I was doing.

Q: How has switching to Keto made you feel: Physically? Mentally?

A: I feel so much better, I am no longer pre-diabetic, I don’t get constant muscle cramps, my thyroid levels are leveled, I’m not constantly bloated, I no longer have non alcoholic fatty liver. The list goes on! The main mental progress I have gotten from keto is I’m not constantly thinking about food, and having to eat every few hours to avoid hypoglycemia. I’ve also been able to make this a lifestyle change, not just a quick lose weight type of diet, I even stayed keto through my last pregnancy.

Q: How do you push through the plateaus?

A: In the beginning when I’d hit a plateau, I’d reevaluate what I was eating, cut any processed keto “junk” and cut dairy down to 1-2 servings a day. I currently am in a stall and have been for about 2 years. So I guess you can say I’m maintaining even tho I have about 20lbs to lose. My stall is actually due to high cortisol, so I’m trying to work on managing stress and sleep more.

Q: Tips for staying on diet while traveling: do you avoid restaurants? Do you bring your own snacks everywhere you go? Other useful tips?

A: I like to stay keto while I’m traveling, I do bring my own snacks. I always have options for myself, even though I tend to find I never eat the snacks I bring. If I go to a restaurant I order keto friendly options. Like steak and veggies (loaded broccoli is awesome!) or a burger with no bun or even a simple salad works!

Q: What made you decide to build your own keto community?

A: To be honest the main reason I started my instagram was to be able to post my low carb foods and show people eating healthy can be delicious. I made it separate from my personal Instagram and Facebook so people could choose to follow if this is what they were interested in.

Q: Tips for Keto moms: Snacks you love? A family crowd-pleaser recipe?

A: Tip for mom: it may be hard at first if your family isn’t keto with you, but it gets easier. Do it for yourself, and you will thank yourself later.

Most of my family isn’t keto, but they absolutely love when I make “breaded” chicken. I brine it in pickle juice for 4+ hrs, then dip in an egg wash then in a mixture of seasonings, Parmesan cheese (the kind in a jar) and crushed pork rinds. I either fry it in avocado oil or bake them. Another crowd pleaser is faux-tato salad! I won’t make this too long, so you’ll have to check my page for my recipe.

Thanks for reading, folks! You can find more on Ashley here. And of course, questions are always appreciated!

Cass Cleave
Mission Meats