Julie's Lifestyle - The road to better business runs through your stomach.

Julie: “I started to study the vegan and raw food kitchen 15 years ago, because as a student I developed health problems for which they couldn't immediately find a cause or solution. In the end it turned out to be mononucleosis. I researched how I could get more energy from food, that's when my passion for the influence of food on your energy and mental health started to grow. I was trained as a vegan and raw food chef in America, courses just didn't exist here at the time, because I was so enthusiastic about the effect that cuisine had on my body. Julie’s Lifestyle started as a blog to share inspiration and recipes, followed by a pop-up restaurant in Ghent and my first two vegan books. But after 8 years of eating mostly vegan, my body sent signals that it was no longer enough for me. My hormone balance was lost and I had digestive problems. My homeopath and doctor indicated that I should give the keto kitchen a chance, because it is very rich in healthy fats and is known to be beneficial for digestion as well as for your energy and also for your hormone balance. As a journalist by training, it is still in me to deeply dive into a topic if it interests me and so I did with the keto kitchen. That was 6 years ago, when keto was still completely unknown in Flanders. At first I was skeptical about the multitude of fats, I was prejudiced and was surprised when the opposite turned out to be true: when you eat healthy fats, you get more energy and you feel satisfied for much longer. You give your body all the building blocks it needs, your blood sugar level remains more stable and you have a lot more physical and mental energy left for your work and the fun things in life. The plant-powered kitchen and keto now go hand in hand for me. I no longer view it as a black and white story, I combine elements from both kitchens. ”

Julie: “I find it fascinating to stay updated on the science of nutrition and energy. Research shows that in the morning your body is quite capable of burning fats and converting them into energy. That may sound contradictory, because we often like to eat sweet things in the morning, such as bread with a chocolate paste or a fruit breakfast. But the morning is actually the ideal time to start the day with good fats and proteins. For example, a smoothie with avocado and protein powder, eggs with a seed cracker and smoked salmon, chia pudding with a spoonful of MCT oil, berries and ALL GOOD keto granola ... It is very important that you add those good fats and proteins to keep your blood sugar level balanced and help your brain to concentrate and stay stable all day long.
Actually, the same applies in the afternoon. If you eat bread, pasta or fries, you feel tired in the afternoon or you feel like a snack after a few hours. But if you also choose, for example, leftover vegetables from the previous evening with chicken or fish and a dressing of olive oil and lemon juice, you will make sure that you get through the afternoon without craving for snacks. You can also combine soup with something extra such as avocado and a seed cracker. If you still feel like a snack, dark chocolate is a good option, or a sweet snack from one of our cookbooks, like the mini bounty for example. It's also important that you continue to enjoy food, but in a healthy way. If you want to eat yogurt with fruit for example, take the pure full version or the vegan version based on coconut, with some red fruit. Vegetables with tapenade or pesto as a dip are also a good snack, just like a handful of nuts, plain or with sea salt on top.
In the evening you can also put slow carbohydrates on the menu, such as sweet potato, pumpkin or other sweet vegetables such as parsnip and parsley root. They prepare you for sleep, because they stimulate sleep hormone, they make you calmer. ”

Julie: “What I often do myself is already prepare some things during the weekend: a salad dressing, bake some crackers myself, make zucchini noodles and cauliflower rice ... Or, for example, I prepare bolognaise sauce in large quantities in advance and freeze portions, ideal to go with the zucchini noodles. I also make liters of soup at once to put in the freezer. Once you start, it'll become a habit before you know it.
If I have to quickly look for lunch in the supermarket, I combine an avocado with lettuce, cucumber or smoked salmon, for example. Fish such as mackerel or sardines can also easily be combined with a bag of pre-cooked beetroot or other vegetables that you like. ”

Julie: “You don't necessarily have to solve everything with nutrition. If you need a break or an energy boost, I would rather give the tip to go outside and take a walk. You move, you take in oxygen and it clears your mind so that you can focus on your work again.

Julie: “If you have to work in the evening it's best to keep your meal simple and easily digestible, such as warm vegetables with some extra virgin olive oil and fish, poultry, tofu or eggs. Also try to drink plenty of water and herbal tea to keep you hydrated, which helps you to concentrate. In order to sleep well, it is important that you take an hour off between work and bedtime, so your brain can relax. It's crucial to have that moment of transition before you go to bed. ”

Julie: “It's not about one ingredient or magic pill, it's about the total package. The big difference between a sugar burner and a fat burner is not only about weight, but also about how your body digests food and converts it into energy. If you try keto you will notice that your energy remains much more stable and you no longer have dips. There is one ingredient that works very well in terms of direct energy boost and that is MCT oil. The purest version is obtained from coconut and is also widely used in the sports world to improve performance. MCT oil has a neutral taste and it takes away sweet cravings. You can use it in smoothies, breakfast porridge, sauces and dressings ... ”

Julie: “Well, there is such a thing as a bullet proof of brain fuel coffee, instead of milk or coffee cream you add a spoonful of that MCT oil or real butter to your coffee. If you mix those you get a creamy coffee that ensures on the one hand that you can go longer without a snack or sweet and on the other hand that you can concentrate longer and the effect of the coffee lasts longer and you therefore have to drink less. You will find a recipe on our blog. You can also make it with matcha, which is a good alternative if you don't drink coffee. Use coffee in moderation and drink plenty of water with it, because it is dehydrating, so your body needs extra water to digest coffee. It is also best not to drink coffee after 3 pm, so it doesn't affect your sleep. "

Julie: “Good salt (no table salt) such as sea salt or Himalayan salt and good olive oil, you can cover a lot with that for seasoning dishes. In the ideal situation, as an alternative for the well-known candy machine, I would provide some fruit and vegetables: carrot, celery, cucumber, cherry tomatoes… Also nuts, possibly some seed crackers and good dark chocolate. These are simple snacks as an alternative to cake, cookies etc. ”

Julie: “My latest book has just been launched: Keto in 15 minutes, Mediterranean. According to science, the newest super lifestyle is the Mediterranean low carb diet. The cuisine of people living around the Mediterranean sea has been voted the healthiest diet in the world for years and I found it very interesting to combine the best of it, the healthy fats such as lots of fish, olive oil, vegetables, with the principle of slow carbohydrates and little sugar. That's what the book is about, for more energy, but also to bring the feeling of the south into our kitchens in these times when we all long for travelling. We are also working on the renewal of our All Good food line: keto granola, crackers, truffles ... All snacks without refined sugars. We started All Good because there is little choice in the supermarkets today that offer an alternative for those who want to avoid fast sugars but still want to enjoy a snack.
For those who want to try the keto kitchen, you can download a free keto e-book with recipes and a menu plan at the bottom of our website, so you can get started on a trial right away. ”