On August 2018, Quinn was on the Keto diet for about 6 months to see if it could improve her seizures. If restricting a little human from indulging in her favorite pasta and all things delicious and carbie sounds like a nightmare to you, your feelings are warranted. However, it is not as disastrous as I had imagined. Here are some tips and tricks we learned in that keto chapter. I’ve even included an easy-cleanup Keto whipped cream recipe at the end that my cubs LOVE to this day! If you have cubs you need to fatten up, don’t miss the recipe!
Background
The Keto diet consists of eating food that is high in fat and low in carbohydrates (carbs) or sugar. Your body is an efficient machine. It naturally burns carbs first to get energy because it’s quicker to do so. Burning fat takes a lot of energy, so those are usually reserved for last. By cutting out the carbs, you essentially force your body into ketosis. Ketosis is a metabolic state that means your body has switched to burning fat as its main source of energy.
A body in ketosis has been known to have many neurological, as well as weight loss benefits. There are a lot of conflicting ideas around the pros and cons of this diet. I highly recommend you do your own research and consult a medical professional before beginning. I am just sharing our own experience here in the hope that it can help others.
We had exhausted all the seizure medications the good doctor could think of and were waiting for a new drug (Epidiolex CBD oil) to become available. With time to kill, why not give this a try, especially if it could help with her seizures?
Quinn loved carbs. Pasta was our go-to move when she refused to eat!! So the decision to pull her favorite foods away from her was not something we made lightly. In fact, I was very much against it. From speaking with my epilepsy support group friends, why would I voluntarily make mealtimes harder than it already was? I was also very worried about the long term effects a high fat diet would have on a developing little cub. Still, Mike pursued.
Mike and I were never afraid of trying things or switching things up. We always tried any therapy or suggestion, but we had one rule: try one thing at a time. If we tried 2+ things at same time and something good happens, which of the two did it? I didn’t want to keep doing two things forever to keep the good thing going. That was how you build superstitious routines. We usually gave the new idea 3 months and then we would move on if we didn’t see benefits. With the Keto diet, Mike finally got me on board by shortening this trial period. We just had to stick it out for one month. If it was a terrible experience, at least we tried it. Ultimately, I was so glad we did it!
Our neurologist connected us with a nutritionalist, who put Quinn on a modified Keto diet. She reserved the strict Keto diets to kids who were on feeding tubes or had really severe seizures. Since Quinn’s seizures were somewhat mild and she still enjoyed food, so the nutritionalist didn’t want to tarnish Quinn’s relationship with food. We didn’t have to count grams or weigh anything. Instead, we were instructed to pay attention to the fat:carb ratio. For example, Quinn could have a few pieces of blueberries but we needed to pair it with a lot of fat like butter or heavy cream.
Quinn had to do blood work a few times along the way. We discovered that Quinn’s carnitine levels were pretty low. Carnitine was an enzyme that helps convert fat to energy. This was normal for people on the Keto diet. The carnitine levels she normally produced wasn’t enough to handle the sudden increase of fat in her system. She was prescribed an additional carnitine supplement to offset this.
Tricks & Tips
Invest in urine strips and a child potty.
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The easiest way to tell when she got into ketosis was to test her ketones level with the urine test strips. We never had a separate child’s potty because why would I want one more disgusting thing to clean? But with this new chapter, I didn’t have a choice. It was the easiest way to collect her urine and test her ketones levels. She was so small at the time that it didn’t take long to get her into ketosis (a few days??). It would probably take longer for adults.
Plan a Week-Long Transition Period
Just like potty training, we devoted a week to help her transition into the keto diet. We expected her to be angry and irritable, while her body slowly got into ketosis. Both Mike and I were home so we could take shifts if she became too much to handle. Mike had a week long break while transitioning between jobs, so it was a perfect time to try it.
Switch Syrup Medication to Pills
Luckily our nutritionalist flagged this concern for us so we had time to switch her meds. We only had to switch one from syrup to pills. This meant our medication delivery process had to change too. We did this a few weeks before the diet switch, just in case there were any complications. We did blood work to also make sure we were good. If her seizures got worse during this period, we wanted to make sure we knew it was from the diet and not the new meds. #tryonethingatatime
Test and Experiment Ahead of Time
We tested out her keto food before we pulled the trigger and went cold turkey. We had to find our new go-to foods if she refused to eat. It was peanuts!
Prep the House!
We cleared out any pasta, bread, rice, etc in the pantry/fridge/anywhere so we couldn’t cave into her demands.
We also stocked up on keto friendly options:
- Mayo
- Guacamole/avocados
- Parmesan crisps (crackers)
- Pork rinds (snack)
- Cheese
- Deli meats (specifically Salami and pepperoni)
- Meats (bacon, sausage, frozen meatballs, hamburgers, chicken, )
- Hard boiled eggs
- Whipping cream
- Keto granola (coconut based)
- Coconut chips
- Peanuts
- Peanut butter
As long as the nutrition label didn’t record double digits for carbs, we could give it to Quinn. We were instructed to also subtract dietary fiber from the total too. Fiber didn’t count.
Eat Separately
Unless the whole family was on the same diet, it was too hard to eat together. Mike was willing to be in keto diet but I wasn’t. So to start, we had the kids eat separately. Mike ate with Quinn and I ate with the boys. Only when we discovered food substitutions, did we start eating together as a family again.
Find Your Substitutions
When we ate as a family again, it was all about finding replacements. If the boys were eating rice, Quinn got cauliflower rice so she couldn’t tell the difference. If she liked the cauliflower rice, it was a win. If she didn’t, she no longer asked for the rice. Still a win.
In the morning the boys would have yogurt and granola. Quinn had keto granola with sugar-free whipped cream (still a favorite). She acted as if her normal food started tasting differently and carried on per usual.
| Carbohydrate-rich foods | Keto replacement/modification |
| Rice | Cauliflower rice (in frozen aisle). |
| Ice cream/ Yogurt | Homemade whipped cream (see recipe below) |
| Bread | Keto bread |
| Crackers/snacks | Parmesan crisps (near cheese section at store) |
| Honey roasted peanut butter | Plain roasted peanut butter |
| Spaghetti | Spiral cut zucchini noodles |
| Pancakes | Egg crepes (minus sugar) |
| Pizza crust | Cauliflower Pizza crust (frozen section) |
The boys also really enjoyed Quinn’s keto snacks too. They were a lot healthier so I didn’t bother getting the boys any of their usual snacks.
Make Adjustments
Eventually, we ate meals like a family and Quinn only got the protein and vegetable part of it. It wasn’t a big deal where we had to pack her own food wherever we went. When we went to family dinners at my in laws, she would eat the burger part without the bun or whatever meat was served. Luckily, she loved salad so we would just give her that with oil or whatever seasoning we could find. When we had Vietnamese Pho, we would order extra meatballs for her and save the noodles for us.
The big trick was at kids birthday parties. Pizza was almost always served there. Mike solved that issue by peeling the cheese and toppings part for her and saved the crust part for us. When they sang the birthday song, We kept her away in the play area so she didn’t have to hear or watch anyone eat cake.
Distractions
When all else failed, we had to distract her or wait out her meltdowns. Honestly, though, she didn’t have very many meltdowns. I remembered her sleeping a lot during this transition too so we didn’t have to take trips in the car or increase screen time. With all the extra fat in her system, it took a lot of energy to process it. So she was very tired in the beginning, more so than usual. Lethargy was also another side effect of one of her meds so it’s a double whammy.
There was only one time her keto diet became socially difficult. It was at school during a holiday party. By that time we were 3 months into this, so semi-pros. The teacher had different activity stations set up for the kids. Parents would go from station to station and do an activity with their child. One of the stations was cookie decorating. We avoided that station as best as we could but eventually, other kids would be walking around eating their cookie. I ended up leaving the party early to walk the halls with Quinn until the party was over. The teachers felt bad but in the grand scheme, if this was as bad as it got, we could handle it.
Easy-Cleanup Keto Whipped Cream
Here is what I use. At the end, I just have to wash the whisk attachment and nothing else. So easy!
- 1 pint of heavy cream
- Hand blender with whisk attachment – any mixer with a whisk attachment will do but this hand blender makes cleanup so much easier
- Container – I use a standard quart size take-out container for soups (it’s just the right size for a pint of cream)
- Towel – see pic below
- (Optional) Toppings – Cereal, granola, fruit
A good friend of mine taught me this towel trick. She always threw a towel over the whole bowl whenever she used the mixer. What a great idea! So I did the same but with my own container. I just wrapped the towel around my blender but left a tiny opening where I could grip the container. I held the container at the top like a splash guard.
Next, I turn on the hand blender at low speed, then eventually high. I also bounce my whisk a tiny bit up and down the sides in order to get more air in there. I don’t know if it really speeds this up but it feels like it does. 🤓 The whole process takes about 2 minutes of whipping. You want the consistency to be like stiff frosting or slightly soften butter! The stiffer it is, the longer it stays “whipped” in the fridge.
A pint of cream fills a little more than half the container. Once it’s whipped, it expands up to the top, with room for the lid. It’s perfect! If this makes you nervous, fill the container with less cream. Once it is near the end, you can always add the the remaining cream and keep whipping. I feel like the splatter happens more when the cream is more liquid as opposed to solid (whipped).
After 5 days in the fridge, the cream is still whipped!
This is a household favorite even today, with none of us on keto. This whipped cream is so simple to make, I would even whip a batch in the morning if we run out. You just need heavy cream, a good blender, and cereal.
Any shredded wheat or fiber rich cereal works great with whipped cream. 
Not keto friendly
I’m still pleasantly surprised that Quinn and Ty eat the whipped cream without sugar. Eli won’t eat it, though. I think he’s going through a preference phase. 😁 He’s got enough weight on him, anyway, so I don’t push it. It’s the other two I worry about. They love the whipped cream paired with Kashi’s shredded wheat cereal or Cascadian multigrain squares. They eat with their hands, which is a good fine motor activity.
Unexpected Keto Benefits
Ultimately, the diet did not seem to have any effect on Quinn’s seizures. However, she gained other benefits. It stabilized her mood and she gained weight! Additionally, she had significantly less meltdowns while she was on it. With so much sugar cut out of her diet, we assumed she was experiencing less sugar crashes during the day, if any at all.
The unexpected weight gain was another reason I’m thankful we tried this. Her doctor was very surprised she gained weight too. Quinn had already lost so much weight from a previous side effect of her meds (loss of appetite). The Keto diet just brought her weight back up to a normal range. With her waistline filling out, her core got stronger! Her trembling (another side effect from meds) had decreased as well. Everyone commented to us about how much healthier and stronger she got.
Before Keto, Quinn didn’t eat very often. Some days she would even skip lunch, which always worried me. We always served her lunch everyday but she would just sit and play with her food. With Keto, her eating pattern didn’t change but she was now ingesting much more fat. She essentially ate the same volume of food per day but they were now higher in calories. I felt so much better about her missing lunch with keto. I had spoken to adults on the keto diet and they had reported the same thing. They ate less frequently because didn’t feel hungry very often.
Life After Keto
We stuck with the Keto diet for a little more than 5 months (the last month included Thanksgiving and Christmas). We probably would have lasted longer if she didn’t get the stomach bug in January. When she caught the stomach bug, she refused to eat anything but cheese, which wasn’t helping. Her body really needed the starchy foods to combat the diarrhea. Once we started feeding her carbs again, it was like a big weight had lifted from our shoulders. It was like getting a new prescription of eye glasses. All of a sudden, we had clarity. It was so much easier to not have to restrict food. Her birthday was coming up so we said we’d wait until after her birthday to get her back on the diet. And then we waited a little longer… And longer… And longer… Thankfully, her weight stayed the same and her eating patterns had gotten better. She was eating 3 solid meals now and really enjoying the carbs.
Without keto, though, her meltdowns have increased. That is why keto is still an option in the near future for us. We have since started some behavioral therapy and want to see how that plays out first before getting back into Keto. #tryonethingatatime
If I’m being honest, I’m really afraid it will be harder to pull the same tricks on her now than it was then. She’s been more cognitively present. Like I said earlier, I am so glad we went through it. We now have the lessons to hopefully make the 2nd try better. Knowing her, though, she is going to throw us new curve balls and teach us new lessons.
Got a tip for parents introducing keto to their young ones? Let me know in the comments below! I’d love to hear it!