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The Right One Won’t Be Bothered By Your Flaws, Weirdness And Your Overthinking Mind

By
Stephanie Reeds

The one that is destined to spend their life next to you won’t mind your flaws.

Your soulmate, your kindred spirit, your twin flame, your lover, your one true love, whatever you want to call it, they won’t be bothered by your imperfections.

This person will accept you for who you are. They will fall in love with your wild, untamed side. They will find your silly little quirks cute. Your different opinions and ideas will not be something they’d wish to change. In fact, your differences will inspire them to question and change certain things in life.

The right one will not be bothered by your loud and overthinking mind. They will hush down your loudest insecurities and calm down your paranoias. They will not judge you. On the contrary, they will understand the reason why you always overanalyze everything. They will know that you do that because you deeply care for them.

The right person will not go running for the hills when you two have a small fight. They will not be afraid to confront you and openly talk to you about any kind of issues you two might have. They won’t mind your mini breakdowns. They are not going to leave you all alone when you feel the weakest. They will stand by you, hold your hand and let you know that the best is yet to come.

The right person isn’t going to judge you for being weird. They will enjoy your peculiar traits. In fact, your craziness will complement their craziness. They are going to make you laugh until you cry. They are going to make sure you feel comfortable to be yourself in front of them, without masks and without embarrassment.

The right person isn’t going to be afraid of the intensity of your love. They won’t feel overwhelmed by your affection. In fact, they will enjoy your small acts of love. They will love the way you spoil them, treat them and make them feel like the happiest person alive. They will never need a break from you or your love. Because this person will be thrilled to spend their life by your side.

Most importantly, the right person for you will never hurt you, leave you, lie to you or abandon you. They are going to take care of your heart and soul the way they take care of their own.

Tough And Self-Respecting Women Don’t Settle For Less Than They Deserve, Even When They Feel Lonely

By
Riley Cooper

Right, we get it – rolling solo means going to bed alone every night, having no one to caress you when you wake up in the morning, attending weddings alone, and blah blah blah.

But, now let me tell you something: Settling for crappy love is much lonelier than being alone.

Settling for immature, fickle, selfish people is much lonelier than rolling solo.

Unfortunately, what many people fail to understand is that being lonely is not as bad and scary as dating someone who makes you feel lonely when they’re around you. Every strong, smart, and self-respecting woman knows this. And what makes this kind of woman even more special and unique is that she doesn’t let her loneliness convince her to settle for less than she deserves.

Here’s why this is so:

1. We’re not afraid of being alone.

The thought of going to birthday parties, concerts, or weddings alone doesn’t scare us. Because we know that we are a lot more than our relationship status. We’re aware of our strength and we know that our loneliness is temporary.

We know that sooner or later we’ll find the right person for us and until that moment, we will just roll solo and live our lives to the fullest.

2. We don’t need a partner to feel complete.

If you don’t feel fulfilled, whole, and complete before you get into a relationship with someone, what makes you think that you’ll suddenly start feeling that way when you begin dating someone?

Of course, a relationship can make your life more fulfilling and exciting than it already is, but for you to feel whole and complete, well, my friend, it takes a lot more than just dating someone. Remember, wholeness is about being complete in yourself.

3. We know our worth.

No. We don’t think that we’re the prettiest, smartest, and most important women in the world. We don’t think that no one is worthy of our love and attention.

We just know how hard we have worked to get where we are in life now. We know how many times our hearts had to be broken so that we could understand that we should be very careful about who we let into them.

We know who we are, we are aware of our worth, and we’ll never let anyone or anything take that away from us.

4. We have no time to waste on crappy relationships.

We respect ourselves enough not to devote our time to some guy out there who is incapable of loving. We have no intention of wasting our energy on a guy who is irresponsible or manipulative. A guy who doesn’t deserve our attention, respect, and love.

It’s simple: We’d rather be alone than be in a one-sided, messy, toxic relationship.

5. We don’t let our relationship status determine our happiness.

We don’t search for happiness in others. Instead, we search for it in ourselves. In our qualities. In our strength. In our soul. In the depths of our being.

Besides, we’re grateful for everything we have in life. We’re grateful for the unswerving support and unconditional love our family and friends have given us. We’re grateful for every difficult challenge, problem, and pain life has thrown our way.

And last but not least, we’ve had many sh*tty relationships which have taught us that we are the only ones who are responsible for our own happiness.

6. We enjoy our own company.

Strong, confident, and self-respecting women enjoy spending time alone. When we are on our own, we explore our deepest feelings and thoughts. We reflect on our needs, priorities, goals, and desires. We reexamine our decisions. We connect with our true selves. We enjoy the silence.  And we don’t need anyone to share it with.

7. Last but not least, we don’t give a damn about what other people think of our relationship status.

“When are you going to find yourself a partner?” “All your friends are married, what are you waiting for?” SO, WHAT?

We respect ourselves enough not to care about what others think of us and our relationship status. We know there will always be someone who will judge and criticize us for the way we live our lives. But, let them think and say whatever they want to think and say.

We’ll get into a relationship when we know he’s the right person for us. When we’re sure he’s the one we deserve to be with!

Children Won’t Tell You They Have Anxiety, They’ll Say “I Don’t Feel Well”

By
Riley Cooper

During early childhood, kids experience different negative feelings and emotional reactions. But, they don’t have the self-awareness and experience to understand what’s happening to them.

However, they’ll let their parents know that something is wrong even when they don’t know what they’re dealing with or what its name is.

While kids perceive things in a different way from adults and they have a totally different perception of the world around them from adults, they are not as self-aware or educated as a grown-up is.

Therefore, to a child, his/her feelings can be quite confusing. So, making an accurate prognosis of their health is not likely at all. Instead, they’ll tell their parents the symptoms they experience and then wait for their help.

Up until recently, the majority of adults were unaware of the regularity of mental disorders children suffer from. And when it comes to anxiety, it appears that grown-ups don’t take this condition as seriously as they should, since most adults still think that anxiety is just a fear which takes hold of us.

But, the truth is that anxiety is much more than feeling fear, and only the person suffering from it knows how overwhelming, draining, and all-consuming it can be.

Unfortunately, children, too, can develop an anxiety disorder. If a child’s anxiety is left untreated, it can be detrimental to them since it may turn into serious sleep disorders, difficulty creating and maintaining relationships with other people, and substance dependency.

Additionally, untreated anxiety can also undermine your child’s confidence and self-esteem, and in turn, prevent them from fulfilling their true potential.

And last but not least, untreated anxiety can cause your child to develop depression.

So, the question is: How can you recognize your child’s cry for help?

Since more often than not, your child won’t tell you, “I have anxiety,” you have to be able to recognize the symptoms of it yourself.

Here they are:

– Restlessness

– Continuous stomach aches

– Agitation

–  Avoiding situations or people that could stress them out

–  Becoming extremely upset over the smallest problems

–  Being an extreme perfectionist

– Unusual coping mechanisms that can even be regarded as self-harm, such as scratching, pulling their hair out, pinching, biting, and etc.

If you notice that your child is showing these behaviors, and they’re interfering with his/her day-to-day activities, make sure you seek help from a professional therapist.

Don’t Settle For An Almost Relationship. Wait For A Person Who Seeks The Same Things In Life As You

By
Stephanie Reeds

I know that you are feeling left behind and I know exactly why. Everyone around you is either in a loving relationship, happily married or about to tie the knot. Your friends are all engaged, some of them are expecting their baby, people are falling madly in love, but for some reason, none of this happens to you. You are convinced that there is something terribly wrong with you. But there is not.

Still, when you are feeling lonely and left behind like this while everyone you know is having the best time of their life, it is pretty easy to settle down for just about anything.

In those moments, your brain doesn’t work as rational as it should. You are desperate for some kind of affection and someone’s touch on your skin that you forget about your real feelings.  And you enter a relationship. You know, the kind of that looks like the real thing but lacks intimacy and sense of security. You settle for an almost connection because the only thing you need more than anything in this world is to be loved by someone. But that person you’ve chosen is not capable of giving you what you want. And you know that.

That is why I feel obligated to say a few things to you and hopefully talk some sense into you.

Everything in life is pretty much mediocre. That doesn’t mean that love should be. If you ask me, love should be the most intense, the most passionate and the most beautiful part of your life. You deserve to feel that way. You deserve to dive deep inside the realms of true, unconditional love and feel every emotion on the spectrum of love. You deserve to experience intimacy with another person.

Here’s the thing… If you want to find a serious partner and commit to them for real, then stop wasting your time on casual flings. Recognize your desires, create boundaries around the ones who don’t align with your dreams and start searching for what you truly desire. If someone is stringing you along, cut them off and focus on the purpose of your journey. Finding true love.

Stop settling for crumbles when deep down you desire the whole load. If that person next to you isn’t capable of giving you what you need, someone else will. You may not believe it, but someone would be happy to be your today, tomorrow and forever. You just have to remind yourself that you are worthy of true, long-lasting love. Once you do that, it will be easier for you to know when to say NO and when to say YES.

People may have forgotten about the real values of life, but that doesn’t mean that true love doesn’t exist. It does. And it is up to you whether you will give yourself the time to grow and find it or you will give up and settle for just about anything.

Please, please, please… don’t ever allow your fear of being alone to sabotage your opportunities of finding something real. Wait for someone who will seek the same things of life as you. Wait for someone that will love you for real.

Here’s What You Need To Know About Dating An Introvert

By
Riley Cooper

When you hear someone mentions the word ‘introvert,’ the first thought that pops into your mind is probably of someone who is quiet, shy, reserved, and antisocial. Someone who is very complicated when it comes to relationships and expressing their feelings. Someone who is difficult to understand and handle. But, let me tell you something:

We, the introverts, are not complicated at all. We are not difficult to understand and handle at all. We just don’t crave the things that the rest in this extroverted world crave.

And in our relationships, we don’t look for superficial things. Instead, we look for depth – depth in our partner. And yes, we look for genuine, raw, deep, intense love – the kind of love that not many people are able to offer.

If you ever have the privilege of dating an introvert, here’s what you should know about them:

1. We don’t like to rush things.

We tend to open up and talk about our feelings to new people more slowly than our extroverted fellows.

Therefore, we crave your understanding and patience. We need to know that you’re not going to rush us and put pressure on us. We need to know you understand that it’s going to take us some time before we start feeling comfortable wearing our heart on our sleeve and undressing our soul in front of you.

2. We need to know that you accept us just the way we are.

We need to know that you’re not going to call us “overly sensitive” or “dramatic” when we get emotional and start crying at a sad movie. We need to know that you’re not going to call us “paranoid” or “clingy” when we get jealous.

We need to know that our insecurities and fears don’t repel you. We need to know that our overthinking and need for space will never scare you away. We need to know that you accept and cherish us for who we are, with all our weaknesses. We need to know that we’re perfect to you with all of our imperfections.

3. We flirt differently.

Think a warm, loving gaze. A gentle, enigmatic smile. Listening attentively and asking deep questions. Revealing every layer of our personality to you. Telling good funny jokes. And we may even come up with a dirty joke when you expect it the least, but we won’t hit on you aggressively for sure.

4. We need you to know that we’re not afraid to leave our comfort zone for you.

Yes, we don’t like being surrounded by a lot of people. Crowded, loud places drain our energy. They make us feel exhausted, confused, and overwhelmed.

That’s why we prefer spending Saturday nights at home, eating pizza and watching movies on Netflix together with you to spending Saturday nights in some crowded bar with you, and, of course, a bunch of strangers.

But, when we’re genuinely in love, our love forces us out of our comfort zone. When we’re deeply in love with you, suddenly doing extroverted things is no longer difficult for us. We come out with you for a drink at bars, we dance with you, we laugh with you until our stomach hurts. Because we love seeing you happy. We love seeing you content and fulfilled around us.

5. We need alone time.

We often need to spend time on our own. When spending time alone, we reflect on our needs, our priorities, our desires. We reexamine our decisions. We explore the depths of our soul. We connect with our true self. We recharge our batteries. We heal old wounds.

We need to know that when we tell you we need to spend some time alone, you won’t think that’s because you said or did something wrong.

6. And most of all, we crave your love.

We crave your genuine, profound, intense, unconditional love. We need to know you feel about us the way we feel about you. That you love us from the bottom of your heart. That you can feel the connection between us. That you will always be there for us.

We need to know that you’re invested in the relationship as much as we are. That what we have means the most to you. That we mean the world to you.

Here’s Why We Are Attracted To Someone Who Is Wrong For Us

By
Riley Cooper

Attraction is the principal reason a romantic relationship is created. Regardless of whether it’s an emotional attraction or physical one, it’s the factor that causes two individuals to feel magnetically drawn to each other.

When the attraction is not genuine, once the honeymoon phase ends, couples usually break up. But, when a genuine attraction is established between two individuals, love takes over and feelings such as loyalty and commitment begin to develop.

So, the question is: What causes us to feel attraction for someone who is not right for us in the first place?

In what follows, we presented five possible reasons why you might get attracted to someone who is wrong for you and who is likely to break your heart:

1. You think they need your help to change.

This is probably the primary reason why a lot of people decide to stay in troubled, toxic relationships. They care about the other person and if they notice that they have some personal problems, let’s say they are emotionally unstable, they wrongly believe that they can help them deal with their issues and in turn change.

If you too happen to be in this kind of relationship, please know that it’s not your responsibility to ‘fix’ or change anyone. If your partner truly loves you, they, themselves, will make an effort to solve their problems, get out of their bad habits, and change.

Moreover, you need to know that some people simply don’t want to change.

2. You think you can see yourself in them.

You feel you’re connected to them on a deep emotional, mental, and spiritual level. You think that they understand you completely. You think they understand your feelings, your insecurities, your fears. You think they know your story. There is simply something about them which makes you think that you can see yourself in them.

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but this is not true. That intense infatuation and that strong connection have nothing to do with mutual understanding. Because no one can completely understand your issues nor you can understand theirs.

What you need to understand is that when someone has problems, they are not in a state to develop a healthy, harmonious, meaningful relationship. So, the best thing you can do to help them is to be there for them but as their friend, not as their partner. And if this hurts you, them, or both of you, then you should just leave them.

3. You think you’re the one to blame for your relationship problems.

When a relationship breaks down, couples generally take into consideration all the factors which may have caused the breakup, such as different time schedules, disagreements, or commitment issues.

But, when you’re in a toxic relationship, you change the way you perceive everything that happens between you and your partner. You begin thinking that you’re the one to blame for everything that goes wrong in your relationship. Even when you didn’t say or do anything wrong, the toxic person may easily convince you that some relationship problem is your fault.

But, what you need to know is that you can’t be the only person that’s responsible for your relationship problems. So, don’t blame yourself and don’t let your partner blame you for things that are not your fault.

After all, relationships should be based on mutual trust and respect and both partners should take personal responsibility for their actions. And if your partner doesn’t behave in accordance with these principles, then know that you’re definitely not in a healthy, happy relationship.

4. Others advise you to get back together with your partner.

It takes two to tango and it takes two to form a relationship as well. Add one more person to this, and it’ll all turn into a mess.

The thing is that your close friends and family don’t want to see you hurt. That’s why when you break up with someone, they usually advise you to get back together with your ex and give them another chance.

But, here’s the truth: A toxic person is a toxic person and  you can’t do anything to change that. By giving them another chance and hoping that they will change, you’ll hurt yourself even more.

5. You think that what you and your partner have is genuine love.

People often confuse love with infatuation, attraction, or longing. But, love in its truest and purest form has nothing to do with these three feelings or states.

Relationships are supposed to bring happiness, joy, and a sense of fulfillment into your life. But, if you are in a relationship which drains your energy, brings you stress and disappointment, and takes your happiness away, then what you and your partner have is certainly not genuine love.

Fall In Love With A Person Who Makes You Laugh Until You Cry

By
Stephanie Reeds

People fall in love for many reasons. Sometimes they fall in love because they feel understood and accepted. Sometimes they fall in love because they’ve found someone who makes them feel like they know them their whole life. Sometimes they fall in love because they feel that their hearts are synchronized. And sometimes because they feel free to be exactly who they are in front of that other person.

All of these things are rare and extraordinary, but if you ask me, I believe that the most important reason why people fall in love is that they find someone who makes them laugh.

Think about it. Life is short. It’s imperfect and sometimes really difficult. We go through a lot of pain, betrayal, heartbreaks, disappointments, doubts, sleepless nights, failures, ups, and downs. We get knocked down. We lose the ones we love. We are forced to lose faith. We are forced to lose hope. But eventually, the only thing that helps us stand up and find a way to the exit is love. True, genuine, unconditional, warm love.

We feel lost and then all of a sudden comes a person who understands our soul and knows the way our heart beats. We find a partner who makes it all easier and believes in us. We find a person whose smile makes us feel those beautiful butterflies in our stomach and whose humor makes us laugh until we cry.

They look into our eyes and immediately bring a smile to our face. Their existence brings joy into our life. Their touch makes us feel loved. And their kiss makes us feel things that we’ve never felt.

We realize that this human being was the one that we’ve been waiting for our whole life. That we’ve always known this person. Maybe from a previous life or some parallel universe. That our paths crossed right on time. And that they’ve found us and chose us out of 7 billion people in the world.

The reason why I am saying this is because I don’t ever want to see you settle for something average.

Having someone whose laughter and a smile can make your day and fill your life with joy is one of the most priceless things in life. Being in love with someone who makes you feel the happiest person alive is the biggest blessing. Life is incredibly hard, that is why love shouldn’t be. Love should help up grow, thrive and experience every joy while we exist here on earth. Love should make us flourish.

So please, don’t give yourself to people who take everything for granted. Fall in love with a person who will never stop reminding you what a joy it is to be alive.

4 Ways Digital Printing is Spicing Up the Fashion Game

By
Elizabeth Williams

Digital printing technology is revolutionizing the fashion industry at an amazingly fast rate. Whether traversing the line between high fashion and streetwear, or even a common custom T-shirt, digital printing technology is offering designers new ways to produce and beautify fabrics locally. Here, we show you four significant ways the digital printing technology is spicing up the fashion game.

Creating Trends: 

With time, the advent of digital printing has helped designers catch up and even stay in trend, creating their own designs. Until recently, custom-designed fabrics have been of low expression on the American cloth design and fashion. Designers and embroiders are scarce and it takes a long time to review a work sample and style before the final product is delivered. But with today’s printing technology, high-quality printers like the Prestige XL2 DTF printer, designers can now print patterns on the spot. This gives designers the power to experiment, explore and create collections faster and more efficiently than ever. With the current wave of digital printing on custom shirts or clothes, designers become the creators of trends – instead of chasing them.

Freedom to express and explore creativity:

Digital printing has created a conducive atmosphere for designers, creating freedom for designers to be able to fully express their creative styles without being boxed in. This has ensured that designers can let their creativity flow freely, allowing independent brands to flourish. Fabric sublimation allows for a diversity of textures and materials, and ensures that designers don’t have to limit themselves in the design process.

Consistent quality with short turnover time:

Thirdly, in terms of quantity of prints, digital printing technologies enable limitless design possibilities, with the result being original prints of the highest quality unique to each designer, on fabrics that convey their signature style. With digital printing, fashion designers can promptly get into full production after prototypes, in just hours or a few days, with no limit to how small or large their production goals are. Previously, it took designers very long times to complete bulky orders. However, the new type of digital fabric printing machines let emerging brands produce only what they need, therefore, saving cost and optimizing their inventory by ensuring that only the styles and sizes that sell are on the racks at any given time.

A new face for custom designs:

Digital printing has spiced up the fashion industry in the line of customization. The digital imaging industry is changing the business of fashion and it is no longer news that the future of fashion is customization of clothes. From the colors and prints to the size and shapes of the garment, fabrics are constantly being customized to suit specific client needs. The implication of this is that designers can now create more unique and impressionable designs on demand in a very short time frame.  

The design potential and impact of digital printing technology in the fashion industry is limitless. Right now, designers are simply still scratching on the surface of technology, and it only gets better from here. Improved and more efficient print technologies are anticipated, and soon, who knows, printing might just be achieved with the snap of a finger!

How to Correctly Practice Japa Meditation

By
Elizabeth Williams
Meditation

Japa, which means “muttering” in Sanskrit, is the name for meditation that involves mantra recitations. Learn how to correctly practice japa meditation here.

Have you ever wondered why so many ancient rituals use chanting words and sounds in repetition? 

It is no coincidence that pronouncing phrases in repetition is a successful form of meditation in religions like Buddhism and Hinduism.

But, you do not need to follow a certain faith to gain the benefits of chanting. You can use mantras from the Indian meditative practice of Japa. 

Read on to learn how to properly practice Japa to achieve a higher state of consciousness.

What is Japa Meditation?

The practice of Japa meditation dates back to the mantras of one of the oldest languages of Sanskrit and has been used by Hindus to invoke a state of peace for thousands of years.

Japa or muttering of specific mantras (either sounds or phrases) focuses the mind and removes negative thoughts. 

If practiced ritualistically, the mind can easily filter the negative and give you power over your thoughts. You can begin to regulate your energy flow or shakti to alleviate physical suffering of the mind and body while elevating the spirit.

Choosing and Using a Mantra

Japa meditation mantras are extremely personal and should be chosen wisely. You will want to know the true meaning behind your mantra and focus on this meaning while chanting.

You should use the same mantra every time you meditate and not share it with anyone. It should be precious and personal to you.

Many beginners will find a quiet place to say their mantra out loud since the audio helps you focus and remove inner thoughts. As you progress and become accustomed to Japa, you can whisper or say your mantra in your head. 

How to Use the Sacred Mala Beads?

Wearing mala beads during Japa is part of the ancient practice. These Japa malas are usually blessed by your guru and given to you before use. 

They can be made of organic materials like seeds, wood, stone, or even bone beads.  Most malas have 108 beads on them including a larger guru bead in the center with a marker like a tassel. 

During meditation, mala prayer beads should be kept at heart level to avoid touching the ground. You will use your middle finger to hold the beads as you move from bead to bead with your thumb after each repetition. 

A full mantra includes once around the mala and can be repeated up to 10 times.

Malas are sacred and should be kept in a clean cloth or bag out of sight when not in use. Others should not use or touch them. 

Benefits of Japa Practice

By wearing a mala and practicing Japa, meditation can be much easier. Focusing on the words and movement through the mala can place the mind in a state of relaxation. 

Daily practice can also increase your mind’s ability to concentrate while performing other tasks. 

It can also cleanse the mind of past regrets and eliminate worries of the future. The mind can stay centered on the present to truly live in the moment. 

Growing Spiritually

Practicing Japa is just one of the ways that you can increase your level of intuition and consciousness. Continue reading the spirituality section of our blog to find out more ways that elevate your soul.

Keto 101: The Ultimate Beginner’s Guide to the Ketogenic Diet

By
Elizabeth Williams

The keto diet is a low-carb, high-fat diet that can help you burn more fat. Welcome to Keto 101! Check out our ultimate beginner’s guide to the ketogenic diet.

Did you know that obesity affects more than 35% of American adults while more than 34% are overweight? With statistics like this, it’s no surprise that more and more people are looking for ways to lose weight. If you’re one of them, you may have heard of the ketogenic diet.

Among other diet plans, it’s one of the most effective. But what does ketogenic mean and how does this diet work? What are the benefits and risks?

Read our keto 101 guide for everybody and anybody ready to make a lifestyle change. 

  1. Keto 101: What Is the Keto Diet?

The keto diet or ketogenic diet involves the intake of proteins from a low-carb, high-fat diet. It has similarities with the Atkins diet and the low-carb diet. This diet promotes ketogenesis, which is a natural occurrence in the human body. 

Your body needs organic protein and carbs to function well. When your diet changes into a fat-heavy kind, your body will start looking for a new calorie source. This survival mode is what we call ketogenesis or ketosis.

Ketogenesis happens when you eat a very low amount of carbohydrates. Your blood sugar will drop and your brain will look for a glucose source. From the stored fats in your body, your liver creates ketones, which are a reserve energy source.

The keto diet is somewhat of a contrast to the Atkins diet. The typical Atkins diet involves getting 75% of calories from protein, 25% from fat, and less than 5% from carbs. Meanwhile, in the keto diet, you get 75% of your calories from fat, 25% from protein and less than 5% from carbs.

  1. What Must You Eat on the Keto Diet?

For the keto diet to work, 60-80% of your calories should come from fat. Protein could provide around 20% of calories. For your carb intake, it should be 20-30 grams per day only. 

The keto diet has very strict control over carb intake and moderate control over proteins. Water is the best drink to have while on this diet but you can also have plain coffee and black tea. However, be careful about the fibers you eat and be sure to look for more info about it here.

You don’t have to follow the Atkins-opposite ratio above for this diet. Only remember this rule: very low carb intake, moderate protein intake, and high fat intake.

Of course, this isn’t keto 101 if we didn’t include an example meal plan for a day.

For your first breakfast, eat eggs scrambled in butter on a bed of lettuce and topped with avocado. Grab salmon baked in olive oil and asparagus with butter for lunch. Prepare a pork chop with cauliflower mash and red cabbage slaw for dinner. 

Whenever you feel hungry, snack on low-carb cheese and sunflower seeds between meals. If you need a new snack, try celery and pepper strips dipped in guacamole.

  1. Who Should Take the Keto Diet?

This diet will work for certain kinds of people but not all. For starters, people who can’t stick to the diet won’t see any results from it.

Although it’s one of the most effective diets out there, you should be careful when trying it. 

There are other groups of people who should ask their doctors first if they’re considering this diet. The first group is people who take medication for diabetes like insulin. You’re still allowed to get the keto diet but you may need to lower your insulin doses by a lot.

The next group is breastfeeding mothers. It’s understandable that you want to get rid of the post-pregnancy fat as soon as possible. However, a low-carb diet may be dangerous for you and your child.

The last group is people who are taking blood pressure medication. The diet change can normalize your blood pressure but your meds can be too strong for your condition. Talk to your doctor about your plans as well as getting extra salt and bouillon. 

  1. Benefits of the Keto Diet

Many doctors recommend the keto diet because it’s far more superior to the typical low-fat diet. Also, this diet is not only a quick weight loss solution. It’s also a treatment for epilepsy. 

If you have type-2 diabetes, a ketogenic diet can help you lose the excess weight well. It can even reverse your type-2 diabetes until you don’t have to medicate anymore. If you have type-1 diabetes, you can control your blood sugar levels with it.

The diet also helps treat several types of cancer and tumor growth. Avoid heart disease by reducing risk factors like HDL cholesterol levels and blood pressure. Researches show that the keto diet also has benefits for people with Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, brain injury, and polycystic ovary syndrome.

  1. Does the Keto Diet Have Any Side Effects?

Now, you may think that the ketogenic diet is pretty solid. However, you might also think about any cons this diet has in store. As with most diet, your body will take some time to adjust to using much fewer carbs.

In the beginning, you may experience the “keto flu.” Symptoms include headaches, nausea, fogginess, muscle cramps, and fatigue. Stay hydrated and rested and you should be alright within the week.

Cutting down on carbs may affect your defecation as well. Note that your breath may stink too due to the acetone compound in ketones. To be safe, see your doctor for any recommendations or advice.

  1. What Not to Do (and Eat) on a Keto Diet

Since ketosis happens when the majority of your diet involves fats, how do you know when you’re in ketosis? One thing’s for sure: maintaining it isn’t easy.  For one, you should have the self-discipline to avoid too much protein or too many carbs. 

Avoid sugary foods and almost all fruits. Reduce the intake of beans, legumes, root vegetables, and tubers. Grains, starches, and processed low-fat diet products have to go too.

Supplements are not enough to jumpstart your body into ketosis so don’t rely on them. Also, drinking alcohol can put you out of ketosis and back to square one, even on a cheat day. If you want, you can use an over-the-counter ketosis test to see if you’re in ketosis. 

Take the Keto Diet

That is Keto 101 for beginners. Remember that everyone’s regimen is as unique as their metabolism and body. The keto diet may work for you or it may not but it wouldn’t hurt to give it a go. Fasting schedule is the best option during the keto diet plan for maximum benefits. 

It doesn’t end here! There are other details to learn and more diets to discover. Don’t hesitate to explore our other posts for more guides like this one.

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