Hi! I’m Natasha Octon, Creator of Natasha’s Food Adventures!
About Me
I’m a Food Blogger, Photographer, Wife, and Mama living in Temecula, CA. I’ve had my food blog for about 7 years now and was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes after my son, Orion, was born almost 2 years ago. I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes at only 14 weeks during my pregnancy. At the time, I was hopeful that the early diagnosis was just a rare situation only to discover several months after he was born that I was indeed a type-2-diabetic.
This was a life-changing moment for me that made me learn to pivot to focusing on recipes that were low-carb and diabetic-friendly. You can imagine living a life as a food blogger already and not worrying about diabetic restrictions and then suddenly everything is different. I refused to give up on a life of delicious food but knew that I had to make a change to take better care of myself, and set a good example for my son.
I believe that food should be fun and flavorful, but that it can still be nutritious as well. My goal is to give people recipes that taste good and make them feel good too. I’ve poured my heart into reimaging healthy recipes that are fresh, easy, and fun for the whole family.
The term “healthy” means something different to everyone. I’ve learned that refined carbs and sugar don’t treat me and my blood sugar very well so I typically try to avoid them. However, I would like to note that I am not on a keto diet. This is a question I’m asked quite often because I mention that I try to eat low-carb. Just because something is low-carb does not mean it’s keto. They are two completely different diets.
Often on a keto diet, people will avoid things like fruit, vegetables, and of course whole grains or bread. This is because to stay in ketosis most people will only consume 20-50 grams of carbohydrates a day. To put that into perspective. One medium-sized apple has 15 grams of carbs. That doesn’t allow you to eat much else the rest of the day if you’re sticking to only 20 grams.
I have found that eating healthier carbs from whole foods, still helps me balance my blood sugars better than if I were to cut them out of my diet. On a low-carb diet, most people consume between 50-150 grams of carbohydrates in a day. This allows a lot less restriction on the foods and meals that you can eat. If you eat a keto diet, I’m not trying to tell you there is one right or wrong way, just that low-carb works better for me. Everyone has different nutritional needs and you should always discuss any major changes to your diet with your primary care provider.
Will you find recipes on this website that aren’t low-carb? Absolutely, but at this point, most of them will be older recipes from before my diagnosis. I leave them here so that you can still enjoy them if you’re looking for something a little different. Plus, it’s a reminder of the life I once lived and how far I’ve come on my food blogging journey.
Whether you have diabetes or not, I hope you enjoy the recipes I’ve included here. I’m not a nutritionist or doctor so please seek medical advice elsewhere.
Learn More About My Diabetes Diagnosis
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Please contact me via email at hello@natashasfoodadventures.com.
