Interview with Daniela di Mangiachetoama and her relationship with the Keto diet

Today we decided to interview Daniela, founder of the Mangiachetoama blog, a digital space dedicated to female keto nutrition and lifestyle 100%.

Hi Daniela, nice to meet you! But who is Daniela? Tell us a little about who you are and what you do

My name is Daniela Defendi founder of Mangiachetoama, I live near Bergamo with my husband Paolo and Luna, my hairy daughter.

With a past as a foreign salesman and project manager and excellent command of the English language, he opened many doors for me and above all stimulated my curiosity for nutrition, personal growth, wellness and all-round female beauty.

Thanks to this I approached the keto diet towards the end of 2017. Following the greatest American exponents who have already been talking about keto as a lifestyle for many years. Inquiring more and more about this style, I understood and it seemed like the solution for me. So I started studying, putting it into practice on myself and sharing what I was discovering on the MangiaChetoAma blog.

How did you feel before embarking on your journey on the keto diet? 

Before coming to the ketogenic I spent at least 15 years of my life from one diet to another, really trying everything. I was the classic girl who "didn't accept herself, who never saw herself thin and beautiful enough". I was shy and very insecure. I was chasing the classic modern model of perfection, a model that wasn't natural and I couldn't sustain without being on a perpetual diet. 

And since you can't be restricted for long periods, I eventually drifted into emotional hunger making it even more difficult to maintain a balance with my weight and food.

I hated my body and used food as emotional filler.

However, despite my insecurities, I've always been very curious. I never gave up on "defeats”, I was always looking for different ways to try again. I've always had a passion for nutrition, wellness, psychology and a "call" to help other women.

Before keto, in addition to weight fluctuations and emotional hunger, I had low energy, was often lethargic, and had had irritable bowel syndrome for 5 years. 

I mean… I wasn't well and my body tried to tell me in every way.

How is your relationship with food?

The relationship with food for me was a inner journey, a trigger that led me to look inside and get to know myself.

The relationship with food hides many things about our emotional experience, family heritage and the influence that culture and society have had on us while we were growing up.

Before keto, food for me was nothing more than a mechanical and automatic activity, I ate according to what I was told (from dieticians, from parents, from advice read here and there) and when I was told. Food was simply “plugging a hole in the stomach, mind, throat and heart”.

With ketogenic, that all started to change as I began to realize that food was so much more than just a few calories and good flavor. It was my energy, my daily nourishment. I began to get to know him closely, to understand him, to "feel" him. I understood that I have to eat if and when I'm hungry, not based on other people's rules. I realized that there is a difference between one food and another and that that difference can have a huge impact on my energy levels, mood and health.

In a nutshell: food and I are now allies and in constant work in progress.

What was it like for you to try the keto diet for the first time?

I started ketogenic after the Christmas holidays, at the beginning of January 2018, after a few weeks of full immersion in videos and books.

It struck me right away because it was "against the tide", it was different and since, up to that moment, the classic diets hadn't worked much in the long run, I thought "why not try something new?".

My luck was that, knowing English well, I immediately approached the keto lifestyle they had been talking about for some time outside Italy, bypassing the knowledge of the therapeutic ketogenic diet or the short protocols that the Italians talked about .

Right from the start I embraced the "purest" philosophy, i.e. the one aimed at improving the quality of one's well-being even before losing weight.

It wasn't easy at first, like everyone else, I too lived for years with a phobia of fats and it took me a while to trust them. 

After the first week of difficulty, however, everything became easier and I was so enthusiastic that I could no longer do without ketones! There is a meme in the Keto Community comparing the body on ketones to the unicorn… it really is. 

What advice would you give to those who are thinking of starting this journey for the first time?

As I always say, rule number #1 is : “before, during and after informed correctly and completely from sources who know it well”. Unfortunately many things are said about ketogenic, they are often wrong or inaccurate or you know it "in books" but not in practice.

Whether you choose to follow it independently or with a medical figure, it's important to understand it and approach it in the best way to avoid its side effects, mentally embrace the lifestyle and make it sustainable in the long run.

How many pounds can you lose on a keto diet?

The ones your body needs to reach its natural weight and be able to function at its best. There is no universally valid number for everyone. 

What are the benefits of following this diet that you have found on your body / skin?

The most obvious benefits were: weight loss, increased energy and mental clarity, reduction of sugar cravings and constant hunger, disappearance of irritable bowel, less emotional hunger, more balance at the table, more listening of hunger and body, the improvement of the skin (never had pimples again).

Of course it all depends on the approach you follow. Unfortunately. 

And, how do you feel now? 

Very good! Years have passed and many things have happened. Now my goal is to stay connected to my body, value food and cultivate my psychophysical well-being every day.

Is it difficult to follow the keto diet?

Depends. It is definitely not for everyone, both physically and psycho-emotionally. Those who take it as a slimming diet only certainly find it very difficult to sustain in the long term because it encounters all the limits that slimming diets have.

What pays off in the long run is definitely a change in eating habits and lifestyle.

What are some contraindications?

The ketogenic diet is the only one capable of changing the metabolic state of our body, so it shouldn't be taken lightly as if it were a "newspaper fad diet".

There are cases in which it is not recommended or should be followed under strict medical supervision.

Tell me 2 of the top keto diet myths to bust

1. The ketogenic diet is protein → the ketogenic diet is hyperlipidic, normoproteinic and low in carbohydrates.
2. The ketogenic diet is dangerous, for ketoacidosis → Ketoacidosis and nutritional ketosis are not the same thing. In ketoacidosis the blood sugar level and the value of ketones are extremely high, in nutritional ketosis instead the blood sugar remains low while the ketones rise (without ever reaching very high levels except for medical needs).

If I'm not mistaken you also have a course on the mangiachetoama website, what is it about?

Yes exactly. Specifically, I created both a "guide" menu with recipes from breakfast to dinner to be able to start eating keto in a healthy and correct way from day 1 (Keto Kickstart) and the KETO PRO video course with which I explain the whole keto lifestyle for women with an intuitive and holistic approach.
As I was telling you, to really feel good in body and at the table it's not enough to change your diet but you also need a change of mindset and habits. My intent with Keto PRO is just that.

PS. using the code DORG10 in the checkout and you will have the 10% discount on all Daniela's courses and guides.

Why do you think you need to take a keto class?

As I told you, the correct knowledge of ketogenic is essential to avoid sometimes very heavy side effects that are often underestimated.

You don't need a degree in nutrition to understand its mechanisms and the language I use in the KETO PRO video course is deliberately simple, clear and practical. It is not a scientific essay, but more a manual for anyone or as the English would say "for dummies".

The tool with which you inform yourself is not important, as long as you do it.

You can invest your time reading books, listening to videos and podcasts, following live on social media or investing in Keto PRO to learn about all the functioning and practice of ketogenic explained in a complete way and in order of need.

Furthermore, being an online video course, there is the possibility of listening to it several times and from wherever you want (on your smartphone or PC) or to go back to some topics when in doubt.

Another advantage of Keto PRO is that it is practical and helps you train your mindset for the keto lifestyle.

Last question, tell us two truths and a lie about you that no one knows

Hahaha this is beautiful!

Wow I don't know! I tend to be overly transparent, both in my strengths and my vulnerabilities. 😂