mchlrne's Journal, 15 August 2019

Maybe do some research? Have you talked to the doctor? I do not know much expect that the diet was quite strict keto with very high fat and very low carb. Good luck! 

I suggest you see a dietician and READ. Kids have special needs. Please keep your pediatrician in the loop. 

Listen to Kenna. At the age of 13, nutritional needs are critical. Compound that with epilepsy and you definitely need professional advice. 

Excellent Nutritionist at Rush University, Chicago, Masters-prepared Registered Dietician, who specifically works with this exact diet for this exact age range. DIY tricky with this aggressive a diet in young children despite "Dr. Goggle's " comments to the contrary. 

I suggest you read "The Art and Science of Low Carbohydrate Living". It has lots of background on how and why the keto diet works; plus lots of practical tips. Also check out VirtaHealth.com - shorter articles by the same authors, plus tips and FAQs. Virta's focus is on reversing Type 2 Diabetes, but the ketogenic diet principles are the same. 

Hi Fighter Aguilera, can you share the name of the dietitian or a link so I can get in touch with them? I have a good friend who has a daughter with epilepsy and she is looking for anything to make it better 

Agreeing with Erquiaga and Kenna Morton. Please speak with a registered dietician before starting any special diets for your child. If there is a children’s hospital in your area seek a referral to one of their clinicians. 

I agree speak to a nutritionist and her physician. If anything, just follow the food pyramid and DASH. Any good balanced meal. Grains, veggies, proteins especially chicken, lamb, turkey. Try grass fed. Fruits, and dairy. Less processed food. You can also get organic hemp powder to mix in while cooking. 

Thank you so much everyone for the wonderful advice. She is willing to stick to a strict diet if it will help so when the neurologist brought it up we started considering it. I will definitely get her to her gp before we start. I've heard some scary stuff about people feeling really ill when they begin. I would hate to make her feel worse. I really hope we can get a referral to a nutritionist or a dietitian. I will follow up and read as much as I can. The little I do know is really interesting. I won't be changing her normal healthy diet until we know it is right for her. She takes 2 meds already and seizures are still happening so it would be wonderful if it helped. Thanks again! 

Also, Google Keto diet and epileptic children. See what it says so that when you talk to a professional you are armed with some information. 

Mchirne— can’t sleep so did a GOOGLE on the subject of kids and Keto. Yep— tons of information and recommendations from the Epilepsy Society and neurologists as well as info on other potential treatments. Good luck. 

mchlrne, people "feeling bad" when they start keto is called "keto flu", and is often due to low electrolytes (sodium and potassium), because with a very low carb diet, the kidneys shed salt. The symptoms are headaches, dizziness, constipation and fuzzy thinking. To prevent / cure, have salty broth or bouillon a couple of times per day. I have been eating keto for 18 months, I track my Na and K also use NoSalt and LiteSalt, to supplement both. 

@jcmama Keto has been used as an epilepsy treatment for 100 years. It can be very effective and sometimes is the only thing that works. It does not use the food pyramid, avoiding most carbs very strictly. It is also therapeutic for diabetes, heart disease, and some mental disorders. For many people it is a life-saver. Carbs are not essential to life and for many trigger neurological or metabolic issues. 

I figured there must have been something about the Keto that it was mentioned 😊 I honestly didn’t know that it helped with seizures. I do know there are a lot of other health benefits from it. I was just saying to discuss it with PCP or her specialist. Until then a healthy diet and cutting out processed foods is a good thing until she has a plan😊 

I see now where the neurologist brought it up😊😊 so cool. Go for it🤗 you have soooooo many people who can help you with this here on fs💕 I missed all the comments after. Erika, I agree with the health benefits for sure. I have always been like cavemen didn’t eat cake😂😂😂 

I was so stunned when I learned that keto has been around for almost 100 years. She is at a healthy weight, 5'5" 133 lbs bmi 21. Not sure if they will recommend weighing portions still to calculate percentages. School lunches will definitley be a challenge. Thanks again everyone.  

Jc - we''re all learning here! 

@gz9gjg thank you for the "keto flu" details and tips.  

mchlrne, you are welcome. The key to keto is restricting carbs, which takes planning, measuring and weighing. Then not eating too much protein; and the rest fats. When you eat a lot of fats, the quality matters: avoid soybean, safflower, sunflower, peanut and canola oils; which are all high in omega 6 fatty acids. Use dairy and meat fats, and olive, avocado and coconut oils. Fish oil is rich in omega 3.