Heath Segeberg

What is your name and where do you live?

My name is Heath Segeberg, I live in a small town about 45 minutes outside of Portland. We love the small town living, wouldn't have it any other way.

How would you describe your dietary lifestyle?

Low-Carb, Low-Carb/High-Fat, Ketogenic, Paleo, a mix of these, or something else entirely? I did Paleo for nearly a year and a half. I have recently switched to Ketogenic eating. A lot of my Paleo thinking carries over and is a perfect match. My wife and I are enjoying the changes that we have made and have certainly noticed the health advantages. We're still learning a lot about it and just got some testing equipment to help us gauge our ketosis levels.

What got you involved in that lifestyle?

My wife got us into both Paleo and Keto. Over the years, we had both tried several different methods for attempting to lose weight and keep it off. After baby #2 she wanted to find something that would help her lose weight and get, overall, more healthy. One day she says to me, "would you want to try this Paleo thing?" It was all over from there. I dug in and started researching and finding recipes and everything I could on the lifestyle. We both found some success and overall felt much better in our own bodies and with the food choices we were making.

About two months ago, we were talking about how we both hadn't been as dedicated to the healthy habits we had established. We certainly weren't going off the deep end, but we had allowed some carbs to creep back into what we were eating. We decided then that we needed a reset, she then asked about ketogenics. Being that we had been into the Paleo lifestyle, Keto was something that we were familiar with... but hadn't followed. We dove in and here we are again, both having noticeable changes and enjoying how we feel.

What is your favorite book for info on that?

The book that really got to me was "Good Calories, Bad Calories" by Gary Taubes. It's not a small book, and it gets pretty technical, but it was literally life-changing for us. It made me question all that I had "known" previously about nutrition. I grew up in an "if there was a low-fat version of something it was in my home" background. This was driven by my well-intentioned mother, she was only following what she had been taught.

I'm looking forward to getting my hands on "Keto Clarity" by Jimmy Moore. His podcast has been a huge influence on what I know and the choices that we make right now. It is also how I first found out about the FBomb products and I've been in love with them ever since.

What is your go-to, or favorite meal?

There are so many meals I enjoy and so many more I need to try. Cooking has always been a passion of mine. One of my current favorites is a Sloppy Joe recipe that we put on top of zucchini "noodles". Just yesterday I revamped it to be more Keto friendly than the original Paleo version. Every time I make it I have to do a double batch, it's just that good. We love the leftovers, they go great in omelets or mixed in with scrambled eggs. Sometimes I think that might be the best part, love it!

What is the best thing about that lifestyle?

Both Paleo and Keto have improved my physical and mental health in ways that I hadn't imagined when I began this journey. First and foremost, I have learned more about nutrition and how to properly fuel my body over the last year and a half than I did in all my years previously. I developed an unquenchable thirst for knowledge about food, the body, my body, and the impact of proper nutrition.

Since I made the life changes I lost 70 pounds and gained life back in return. I am able to live more than I had done in years. I am much more active than I ever could have been prior to my life changes. I went on a 4 day bike ride from Mt. Hood to Bend Oregon, with only what we could carry on our bikes. This past month I have been fulfilling a long time dream of bowhunting. Sure, there are a lot of overweight, out of shape people who bowhunt every season, but there is no way that I would survive the hunting that I'm doing the way I was before. I love the way this lifestyle makes me feel. I love the energy and mental sharpness that I feel every day.

What is the biggest challenge you have with eating this way?

Initially my biggest challenge was eating fats. I had been hit with the low-fat thinking for so long that it was hard to make the switch to seeking out fats and not avoiding them. Once I overcame that it was liberating. I mean really, I'm supposed to eat fat and I can watch myself lose weight? How does it get better than that?! My current challenge is the best way to fuel myself while in the backcounty while hunting. It's a lot of physical work hiking 8 to 10 miles a day up and down mountains. I end up increasing my carbs more than I would like. That is partially due to the availability of products that I can take with me and have on hand. As much as I love to have bacon and eggs in the morning, it's not feasible to pack that in with me. Maybe pre-cooked bacon and hard boiled eggs? There's a thought..

What tip would you give others just starting out?

The absolute #1 tip, make the best food choices with the budget you have available. The Paleo community is very focused on not only what you are eating, but where that food came from. If you can afford the organically grown, most humanely raised products that are coming much more readily available, absolutely go for it. If you can't, don't let that dissuade you from getting into the principles of Keto or Paleo. If you can't afford the $6.00 a dozen eggs from the chickens at the 5-star Ritz Carlton Farm Resort for Super Smiley Chickens then pick up the $0.99 ones and be happy with your choice. That's certainly better than eating the sugar-laden cereals that have an entire aisle of the grocery store dedicated to them. Choose your battles and do the best you can with what you have to work with and don't feel like you aren't doing it right.