I question everything.
I’m not sure if it’s a good thing or a bad thing. I’m pretty sure it drives my friends and family nuts. But for me, it satisfies an innate thirst for knowledge.
From a young age I was interested in the vast field of science. Just like LIFE Apps blogger Shannon Loelius, I too wanted to be a veterinarian. I attended the University of Nevada, Las Vegas and received a Bachelor’s in Biology degree with the hopes of attending vet school. I lived and breathed veterinary medicine and even worked full-time at a busy practice. Later, I attended Colorado State University and received my Master’s degree in Microbiology and Immunology. It was this program that opened my eyes to all the possible avenues that science and research can take a person.
The Journey
What truly changed my life was that during this time, I was also suffering from a host of health issues that doctors were having a difficult time diagnosing. In 2009 I was diagnosed with Celiac Disease, an autoimmune disorder that affects the lining of the small intestine when gluten is ingested and therefore leads to severe inflammation. I went on a strict gluten-free diet and never looked back. My health issues got better but were still there. I turned to immunology, genetics and nutrition research to help me answer some of the unanswered questions that I had. I found and read research on a slew of different diets and tried them all. Some would work for a short time and then, somehow, I would find myself back in the same place I had started. But I felt that if I could just find a way to nourish my gut, I could regain my health and my life.
Finding the Ketogenic Diet
In 2015, a former colleague of mine suggested that I try the ketogenic diet. I honestly thought it sounded terrible. But I was curious and started looking into the research. Although the research was limited, I was finding a lot of promising data on its effects on the brain, athletic performance, overall body composition and more. I’ve linked a few that I will touch on in the future. I started the diet thinking that it would not last for more than a few months, as nothing before had really worked well for me. Almost three years later and here I am, still living the ketogenic lifestyle. I found support through Instagram and started my own account (@NourishMyGut) to not only learn more but to help other people as well.
I’ve always had a fascination with nutrition and diets as they relate to healing, but for me, keto is different. It is about overall health and wellness. I’ve experimented with many variations of the ketogenic diet and have found that a nutrient-dense approach works well for the goals I have set for myself. I feel that my approach to keto has evolved over time and will continue to evolve. This is, after all, a journey.
Nourish My Gut
Through learning and researching about the diet, I found a lot of great science-based information, but I also found a lot of misinformation. I’ve also found that a lot of people know HOW to do the diet but they don’t understand the WHY behind it. The goal of this blog, Nourish My Gut, is to bring you the science behind the ketogenic diet and explanations about what the latest research says. I will also share and feature my favorite science-based podcasts, attempt to debunk popular myths and more. In addition to the ketogenic diet, I hope to bring news and information about other topics that I am passionate about such as fasting, autoimmune disease, hormonal health and gut health!
It has been a journey so far and I am excited to continue to navigate through the waters with you and with the LIFE Apps! If there are any questions or specific topics that you would like covered, please let me know! Comment below or message LifeOmic (@LifeOmicIF on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter; Email: learn@lifeomic.com)!
– Kristie
