Interview with the Author of "Keto Diet (Reload): How do I start a ketogenic diet?"
"Pros and cons of keto Diet" and "Keto Diet results". In her interview, Katy Mariposa shares her personal results with the keto diet, delving into the outcomes, long-term effects.
D8C Books: Hello, we’re here with Katy Mariposa, author of "Keto Diet (Reload)." Thank you for joining us today. "Katy Mariposa" is a pseudonym, correct? What inspired you to choose it?
Katy: Yes, that’s correct. As I discuss in my book, 'Mariposa' translates to 'butterfly' in English, which harks back to 'Katy Caterpillar.' This was a story my mother read to me as a child, always telling me that I would blossom into a beautiful butterfly just like Katy. However, growing up, I felt like I never quite made that transformation and remained a caterpillar.
D8C Books: Until…
Katy: Until I embraced a keto diet.
D8C Books: What changed in you to finally feel like the butterfly you had always imagined?
Katy: Well, as I also mention in the ebook, I’ve been active from a young age, even intensely so at times, but I always struggled with a rather broad waist. I now realize that was due to persistent visceral fat—the kind that wraps around your organs and can remain even in slim individuals. It was only after adopting the keto diet that my true feminine figure, curves and all, finally emerged.
D8C Books: Katy, how old were you when you first tried the Keto diet? I believe you don’t mention that in the ebook.
Katy: I was around 33-34 years old. It was around 2015 when the diet was starting to gain more widespread attention.
D8C Books: And what motivated you to start this way of eating?
Katy: Well, I was coming out of a really tough period; I had just lost my baby at eight months of pregnancy, so I was feeling very sad, and my hormones were all over the place. I felt terrible and looked it too. In the ebook, I share an anecdote about how a police officer even thought I was on drugs because of the physical state I was in. I had a lot of inflammation.
D8C Books: So you started looking for a solution…
Katy: Exactly, I had previously counted calories, and at 19, I went through a tough phase of swimming, going to the gym, doing aerobics, and eating just vegetables, but I began to look for another alternative. I tried a few other diets, as I mention in the ebook, but it was when I came across the Keto diet that it struck me as it did many others.
D8C Books: Katy, there's a lot of controversy surrounding the keto diet. I recently heard an interview where two men said they were very disciplined with the keto diet, until their medical tests showed non-positive hormonal changes; one of them even ended up with fatty liver. Do you believe your ebook is still relevant, considering the results of many people who think this diet is not sustainable?
Katy: In the ebook, I discuss my experience, and one aspect I think this diet significantly influenced was my fertility. After following this regimen, I became pregnant again and my baby was born healthy. Of course, I took other medical precautions like certain vitamins and aspirin 100, which was necessary in my case. I didn’t implement the diet during breastfeeding but resumed it later with a different approach, alternating between keto and non-keto cycles. This is a point I emphasize in the ebook. In fact, I provide both a keto and a non-keto menu because, as it’s now understood, high-quality carbohydrates are necessary for many physiological functions, which doesn’t mean there can’t be phases of keto alternated with non-keto.
D8C Books: What would you attribute to the fact that there are people, like the ones mentioned, who argue they've experienced negative health outcomes?
Katy: As I discuss in the ebook, I'm not a medical professional or a nutritionist, just an informed individual sharing my experience. The suitability of a keto diet can vary by individual and depends on whether one follows a 'dirty keto'—consuming low-quality fats and fried foods—or a 'clean keto,' which focuses on nuts, olive oils, avocados, and salmon. Personally, I haven’t experienced any issues.
D8C Books: In your ebook, you claim that an empress became notably beautiful by following this diet. Is this historically verified?
Katy: Yes, that's Empress Sissi of Austria. She's still a controversial figure because of her dietary habits and fasting routines, which directly relate to our discussion. She also engaged in what would now be considered an exemplary exercise routine, famously walking over 10,000 steps daily—something we track today with smartwatches. While not officially recognized as such, her lifestyle is documented in various biographies.
D8C Books: That’s fascinating, Katy. How did her life end? Did she remain healthy throughout?
Katy: According to my research, Sissi was assassinated at 60, not succumbing to illness but to murder. She reportedly suffered from joint pain due to her rigorous exercise regimen and had some respiratory issues. Some sources mention gastric problems, though these aren’t prominently featured in her most detailed biographies.
D8C Books: So, if I understand correctly, you recommend a cyclic dietary approach in your ebook, alternating between keto phases and non-keto phases, exclusively using high-quality carbohydrates like whole grain bread, oats, and vegetables such as potatoes and rice.
Katy: Absolutely, recognizing when to switch is crucial. In the ebook, I outline key indicators. Importantly, we must avoid mixing fats with carbohydrates. Often, in an attempt to embrace 'good' fats, we combine them with carbs, leading to significant weight gain. These two should be used inversely: more carbs mean less fat, and more fat means fewer to no carbs.
D8C Books: Katy, thanks so much! Are you considering writing another ebook soon?
Katy: Thanks to you too! I might. I'm going back to the dietary fundamentals of the 80s, a non-keto era when obesity was less prevalent. I’ve started incorporating some old practices, like having a reasonable amount of simple carbs—say, a teaspoon of brown sugar in my coffee or tea, or an oat pancake before 10 a.m.—all without adverse effects. This exploration might just lead to another ebook.
Keto Diet Results
