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Episode 266:
Show Notes
In this episode, Dr. Mary Barson interviews Danielle and Corey, founders of Keep It Keto, as they share their personal journey with the ketogenic lifestyle and how it led to the creation of their home-based keto meal business.
Background & Motivation
- Danielle’s Health Journey: Previously struggled with fatigue, depression, anxiety, and unhealthy eating patterns before discovering keto. She found traditional diets unsustainable and was inspired by the transformative effects of low-carb, real food.
- Corey’s Experience: Initially skeptical about the need to lose weight, Corey also experienced benefits beyond weight loss, such as improved energy, mental clarity, and overall well-being.
The Keep It Keto Mission
- Founded to combat what they describe as a “corrupt and broken food system” that promotes convenience over health.
- Focus on ready-to-heat and eat keto meals to make healthy eating as convenient as junk food.
- Aim to inspire a movement toward “real food, real health, real hope,” not just be a meal prep business.
Challenges & Insights
- Difficulty finding healthy, convenient options at local markets; most options were high in sugar and carbs.
- Navigating the high cost of fresh, healthy ingredients versus cheap processed foods.
- The importance of mindset over pure discipline; choosing health motivated by personal and family wellbeing.
Busting Myths About Keto
- Common misconception that keto is just “meat and cheese.” In reality, their meals can be diverse and include a variety of fresh foods.
- Frustration with widespread, outdated nutrition advice and lack of education around the ketogenic/low-carb approach.
Advice for Starters
- “Fresh is best”—shop the perimeter of the grocery store and focus on foods that “grow or walk.”
- Avoid packaged and ultra-processed foods with long ingredient lists.
- Take small, manageable steps and understand that slip-ups are part of the process.
Business Beginnings & Motivation
- Initially validated the business idea through a simple Facebook post, which garnered strong community interest.
- Emphasis on home-cooked, wholesome meals over factory or mass-produced food.
- Motivation is sustained by customer feedback, personal health, family, and the desire to help others escape unhealthy cycles.
Where to Find Keep It Keto
- Website: keepitketo.au
- Facebook and Instagram: Keep It Keto
- Email: [email protected]
Final Thoughts
- The conversation highlights the power of real food to change lives and the importance of convenient, healthy options.
- Danielle and Corey hope to grow their business and continue spreading the message of wellness through real food.
Episode 266:
Transcript
Dr Mary Barson (0:04) Hello, my lovely friends. I am Dr Mary Barson.
Dr Lucy Burns (0:09) And I'm Dr Lucy Burns. We are doctors and weight management and metabolic health experts.
Both (0:16) And this is the Real Health and Weight Loss podcast!
Dr Mary Barson (0:21) Welcome, lovely friend, welcome to this episode of The Real Health and Weight Loss Podcast. I am super excited — I've got a couple of fabulous guests today. I've got Danielle and Corey from the fabulous business Keep It Keto, and they've got a really interesting story to tell about their journey, about their business, and I'm very excited to chat to these fabulous people today. So, welcome, lovely people! Please tell our fabulous audience a bit about yourselves. I haven't done much of an introduction because I would like you to do the introduction, if that is alright.
Danielle & Corey Thomas (00:59) Beautiful — my pleasure. All right, well I'm Danielle. Hello, everyone. I am the owner of Keep It Keto, and this is my glorious husband who has joined the team recently to Keep It Keto. We are running a business from home, providing ready-to-heat-and-eat keto meals. Now, we have been doing this for about four years—well, four years myself, and then as of two months ago, we finally brought you in, and we have been working together to combat the corrupt, broken food systems that we are all experiencing in this world at the moment. We are wanting to spread the word, the message, the meals—one handmade meal at a time—in hopes that we can get people to be happier and healthier, as we both now have experienced what it's like to be in ketosis, or eating just low-carb—not even just low-carb, just better, eating better, making better choices. There's so much convenience food out there, but it's the wrong food. I think that's it—just bringing convenience to healthy food, because we all know how convenient a McDonald's drive-thru is…
Dr Mary Barson (02:21) Indeed.
Danielle & Corey Thomas (02:24) We all know that it's poison, we know we shouldn't eat it, we know it's garbage, we know that doesn't have real food in it but when you've worked all day and your kids are hungry it's convenient and easy. Yeah it's convenient and easy just to grab a meal box or whatever but the mission is to just try and make better meals as convenient if not more convenient delivered to your door.
Dr Mary Barson (02:45) Love it, I love it.
Danielle & Corey Thomas (02:49) Exactly, so what I want to get out there is my why with Keep It Keto. So we started this business because we believe the food industry is broken, feeding toxic, addictive products that destroy our health and shorten our lives. So I know this firsthand because I was once caught in that cycle myself of binge eating, the food, feeling sick, sluggish, mentally unwell, so mentally unwell. I didn't realise that until I had my own children where my children needed me and I just couldn't be there because I was just so lazy, like I couldn't get out of bed because I was lethargic the way I was eating. So Keto, when I finally did come across it, like I tried all those fad diets, shakes, pills, the low-fat diets, everything like that, it just didn't work and I would find myself in that vicious cycle of once I do that diet I would just binge because I missed out on all that food so I'm just yum, yum, yum, yum, yum. It wasn't sustainable. It wasn't sustainable and so that's when I did come across Keto and I was just so overwhelmed with like the macros and all the, what's carbs, fats, proteins? Remember how we were watching it on YouTube? Yes. And I was just like, oh my god, this is too overwhelming, turn it off. I'll just go back to it another day and then which six months later I was just like, nah, I really need to give this a crack because my algorithm on my social media has just turned into Keto, Keto, Keto and the foods looked so good, like bright, healthy food compared to the nasty junk food, the just the greasy, oily, just not real food. So finally opened that up and then once I experienced the benefits of Ketosis and Keto, I became so passionate with helping, wanting to help others feel the way I did and that was when it hit me that I was just like, I want people who were in my situation where I feel sick and unwell and it just takes that one person to just change and that's what I wanted to do. So hence why we are where we are now and we really want to just get it out there to the world and let everyone know that we're unfortunately, we're in that negative cycle, like we all work too hard now, we come home and the easiest thing, we've been caught in that cycle a few times because we have been busy where a Macca's four burger box is easier and cheaper than going down the street and getting steak and veggies. Yeah, so that's why we just really want to really get out there and just spread the word that it can happen, we can go back to this way of eating and feeling great about ourselves.
Dr Mary Barson (05:53) Yeah, I love it, it's like your message to me. It's beautiful, and it's clear, you know — it's this real food, real health, real hope.
Danielle & Corey Thomas (06:02) Yeah, it's so simple and obvious, yet just distorted in the current living climate that we're all in.
Exactly. Like I said, we all know we need to eat better, we all know Macca's is not good for us, we know all these things. We haven't started a movement that's like unheard of or is revolutionary in any manner—we all know these answers. It's just trying to make them more convenient for people to choose. And we don't want to be just like a meal prep business—we want to be a movement for real food, real health, and real hope. And we want people to feel amazing in their own bodies, because it does. Like keto, there's just something about keto or low-carb that just makes you feel invincible, and that's what I loved about it. Like, you just felt superhuman, and I finally got Corey to experience ketosis a few weeks ago. And since then, his goal—everyone thinks of it as just weight loss—it's not just weight loss. It's feeling great, you know, the energy to run around after your children, you're not fatigued by the end of midday. It's been all the energy all day long, feeling great mentally, physically, and emotionally, and that's what we want to do. So we're onto something. I think so. We need other people to be on board and just to really just go, oh! What's the thing? Once somebody experiences ketosis or low-carb, you don't even need to convince them anymore. I've got a few of my mates on now, and you don't convince them. At the start, they're just like, oh, I love pasta and I love this and that, and you're just like, okay, well then you're not ready. And then the moment they try it, you just can't go back. They're just like, oh! That was the same with you—like, when you were in ketosis, we had to go away for the long weekend. We didn't prepare in advance, so unfortunately, Corey had to—we went to a pub where they didn't offer the meals that we were eating. And so unfortunately, you had to have—what did you have? The chicken schnitzel. Like, just a big carb-loaded meal with your mashed potatoes and stuff. That night, he was very unwell. He was so unwell. And then the next day, he woke up really sick, sluggish, groggy, little bit grumpy. I vowed never to go back. Exactly. So since then, he's just been eating this lifestyle that we are doing, and it just goes to show that it works.
Dr Mary Barson (08:30) Could I take you back to the time when you first discovered real food, low carb, ketogenic way of eating? Could you elaborate a little bit more about what was going on for you, how you were feeling, and the changes that you noticed? Let's flesh out your story there.
Danielle & Corey Thomas (08:46) So I was overweight, I had a little girl named Ivy, and the moment she started running around, I'd try and run around after her. I just couldn't keep up, and I was just like, something's got to give. Here I am, just a stay-at-home mum, eating my feelings, and sugar's very addictive and it was cheap, so I'd just eat pasta, rice, the nasty foods, and I was just so unwell. I was depressed, I had anxiety, I didn't want to leave the house, I was moody. Mine and Corey's relationship was on—we were not doing great because I was just constantly grumpy and angry at myself. I was just always angry at myself and just fatigued, couldn't think, the brain fog—it was just horrible. And then something in me clicked. When I did give keto a go, I followed this meal plan for a week on YouTube, and it wasn't just about the weight loss. Within the next day—and still to this day, I'm not 100% perfect, I have my slip-ups and a lot of our customers, listeners do—and it's okay, you're human. You just move forward and you make it better than yesterday. In that moment, I just felt so much better. The next day, even just one day of clean eating changes so much, and it's not until you do it yourself, you won't be able to understand that. You can try and explain it like we are doing now, but you have to just do it in order to feel it. You were the same, you were saying, oh, I don't need to lose weight because Corey's pretty slim, but it's not about losing weight, it's about the mental clarity, the energy, feeling your best. Just within the two days, your skin was so much clearer, and even with mine, I had the pimples, the breaking out, the oily skin—it's like magic. In that instance, I was just down in the dumps, feeling terrible, and then started keto, and everything just flourished. It was just one benefit after the other.
Dr Mary Barson (11:00) Why was it important to you to then start this business from home? What was your motivation and inspiration?
Danielle & Corey Thomas (11:07) A lot of markets, we as a family, every Sunday, go to a market. When I was doing strict keto, I'd be walking around and you'd see all these food trailers—donuts and kebabs and everything—and there was never any option for you. Yes. It was all just sugar, sugar, sugar, carbs, carbs, carbs, processed foods, things that are just so quick to put together, and you and the girls would buy your donuts and stuff, and I would sit there without a meal because there was nothing there to cater for my keto lifestyle. And that's when I got a little bit, you know, what's the point of me telling you? That's right. I wouldn't dare to break ketosis because I knew what it was like. I didn't want to go back to that old way. I didn't want to feel sluggish again. People say to me, oh, it's discipline. It's not discipline. It's mindset. I would sit there and be like, no, it's okay. I don't want a donut. But it's discipline. But no, donut is going to make me feel terrible. It's not worth eating that donut knowing that I'm going to be feeling crappy tomorrow. I'm going to be grumpy at the children because I ate the donut—or at myself, the guilt. I do remember one of my mates, Alex, he'd come over and you had all of your meals ready for the week, and he wanted to—it wasn't even keto—he just wanted, he couldn't be bothered cooking. He was a bachelor, and he said, you should cook all of my meals for me for the week. And a light bulb just went boom in both of us. And then your mum was the same. She was all the way down in Shepparton and, you know, fighting some health issues there. And then it was just like, hold on, maybe there's—surely there's a business that's already doing it. And four years ago, a lot's changed in four years. Well, that's right. Three years ago, there was like nothing. No, but that's the thing. I lost my job during COVID. And then going back to the work field, having my kids move into kinder and primary school, I wasn't going to have the time to cook my keto meals because I know keto meals can be very time-consuming, yet intimidating with the macros, the tracking and all that sort of stuff. But I remember I couldn't find anything online that delivered fresh keto meals the way we do it. That wasn't garbage. There is a lot of keto meals out in the market, but it's still made—like the carbs are still too high. The ingredients list is still too long or expensive. So that moment of looking for those meals for my work, I was just like, why is it not out there? Like, it's missing. And then I've always had friends come over and I'd cook them keto meals, and they'd be like, this is so delicious. Like, you should start selling these. And I'm just like, bang, that was that moment where I'm like, yes, I have people around me, I have customers that just absolutely love the food, and it just—that's what strives and makes me want to push to get more out there. So going back to the markets, like we have been trying so hard to get into the markets, but because we have been busy Monday to Friday, and it has just been me up until the last few months, like we do want to go to the markets and have our meals or desserts or treats—something there for someone to enjoy as well. And that's the thing—like four years in, we haven't even started yet. We haven't even started with what we want to do.
Dr Mary Barson (14:36) That might be what's next. What's next for Keep It Keto.
Danielle & Corey Thomas (14:41) Yep. Fingers crossed.
Dr Mary Barson (14:43) Yes. Good, good. I mean, you've got a real wealth of information and knowledge—wealth of knowledge, sorry—on, you know, formulating a good low-carb diet. So I bet you've got a few here. I'd love to ask, what are some myths about, you know, ketogenic diets or low-carb diets that you would like to bust?
Danielle & Corey Thomas (15:01) The meat and cheese myth. Our sister-in-law—my sister-in-law—always just said, it's just meat and cheese, meat and cheese. Everything's just meat and cheese, meat and cheese. And then it's gross because it's meat and cheese. High cholesterol. I used to think it was that too. And then it was like, you can do brownies. You've done yellow slice. You can do hamburgers. Literally any meal—garlic prawns on cauliflower rice. And you're just like, any meal can just be recreated without carbs or sugar—anything, anything. It's like head-butting a brick wall when you hear people say, eggs are high cholesterol. They give you high cholesterol. You can have a heart attack if you eat too much cheese. And you're just constantly—but that's the thing—it's the lack of knowledge. And that's—they should be teaching these things in school, but they don't. I've done my nutrition course. I'm a qualified nutritionist. And you would know too, Dr Mary, that when I studied this course, I was just rolling my eyes thinking, this is what they're teaching in school, in home economics or those classes about food. And it's the complete opposite. And it shouldn't be like that. Not just full meat and cheese. I think the egg one—“gives you high cholesterol”—is what I think triggers me just a little bit where it's just like, it's the lack of knowledge, unfortunately, but it's not that person's fault. No.
Dr Mary Barson (16:23) No. If you got taught things in a nutrition course degree that you feel really wasn't the best science, it just goes to show that our dietary guidelines are really not necessarily informed with the best science. And I do think Australia deserves better.
Danielle & Corey Thomas (16:38) That's the whole movement behind it is the world. Yes. But Australia—what we see every single day—you go down the street and there's, you just see unhealthy people that would definitely benefit from not having six Maccas on one street. This is the thing: these people that do have all these opinions on these diets, whether it's keto or not, will gladly sit there and uneducatedly say things like "high cholesterol," "meat and cheese," but then they will just go to McDonald's and KFC and that's like, it's a better choice. And that's what I mean, like, that's what in fear—like I tend to stay off social media as well, personally. Like I, obviously I have to be on social media for the business, but when I'm on TikTok and I see these qualified personal trainers, nutritionists, and they're like bagging out low carb and keto—it's really sad. And it sort of makes me a little bit angry because it's sort of like, well, obviously you don't understand the science behind keto. So once again, lack of knowledge is a really big thing. Or biased opinion. Exactly. So I think that's why we're so motivated to really try and get the word out—well, not the word, the lifestyle—out there. Because yeah, a lot of people just look at it the wrong way and it's quite upsetting because we know firsthand what it can do to your life. Like it's saved my life. Saved my life.
Dr Mary Barson (18:10) For somebody out there who's feeling overwhelmed and they're thinking, yeah, I want to eat better, but I just don't know where to start. What would be your advice?
Danielle & Corey Thomas (18:20) My advice, because I understand how overwhelming it can be. My advice would be: fresh is best. When you walk into the grocery store, do not go into the aisles. Go out and work your way around, and they're the best things to get. That's where you should start. That's where you should start. If it grows and walks, you can have it.
Dr Mary Barson (18:42) Grows or walks. I love that.
Danielle & Corey Thomas (18:44) Yes. Grows or walks, have it. But if it doesn't, don't put it in your body. If it's in a box and has an ingredients list of something that looks like it's in another language—no. Fresh is best. Walking around that grocery store, filling your trolley with the bright, beautiful colors. Like every week when I go do the food prepping for the business, everyone behind the counter always comments how beautiful and bright and healthy my trolley is. And that's when we get talking, and I'm like, well, this is how it's meant to be. It's not meant to be full of boxes and all that. You shouldn't be able to stack your trolley. Exactly. Wrapped in plastic or anything like that. You shouldn't be able to Tetris your trolley of food for the week. That's ridiculous.
Dr Mary Barson (19:29) It should roll around.
Danielle & Corey Thomas (19:30) It should roll around and smell and have an actual aura. I love jumping in my car, and I've got like 50 cauliflowers in the back and the pong. You know, it's meant to be like that. You don't get—when you're putting all your processed foods in the back—you don't smell anything. When you put your cauliflowers, your broccolis, your spring onions, all that sort of stuff… I love it.
Dr Mary Barson (20:54) I just love that. And I also just love that beautiful, succinct description of real food. If it grows or walks, you can eat it. That's also brilliant. Oh, it's very good. Would you like to tell us a bit more about—you started a business from home. What was it like in the early days?
Danielle & Corey Thomas (20:11) Well, what was it like? It was chaos. It still is. I really just jumped in deep because I was just so excited to get it out there. And I had such—like, I remember I posted it on Facebook just to get the feels out there about what does everyone on the public pages of the community—what do you all reckon about me doing a meal prep business for keto, low carb? Because I honestly felt like I was the only one in the world doing it around here. So as soon as I posted that post on Facebook, I reckon I got like 500 comments in five minutes, with everyone putting their hand up saying, please, please do this. I don't have the time. I'm working too much. I'm too busy. If I'm a mum, I just don't have time for myself. Yes, yes, yes. So I'm like, okay, cool. Let's get the ball rolling. So I did some research, did all my food handling certificates. There was so much stuff. We love the homemade feel that the meals bring. I just love that homey taste. You just—you get that homey taste with my meals rather than a machine or a factory or, you know, big, large warehouse pro-like meals.
Dr Mary Barson (21:26) What keeps you motivated? Like, on hard days—both in business and in health—what motivates, keeps you motivated?
Danielle & Corey Thomas (21:32) I think a lot of my customers keep me motivated. As a business, you have your hard—you have your hard days, you have your good days. And then with family instances, you have your good days and your hard days. Everyone does, but you've got to choose your hard. I think as well, like there's times where I want to cave. I want to cave as in, like, I want to eat bad food because, you know, I get that dopamine hit off eating the sugar-filled foods. But the motivation is my kids as well. I want to be here when—like we had kids young and stuff—and, like, I want to be their motivation to eat well and feel well and be healthy. I want to be the motivation for Corey, which we have—well, I have been. I see photos of me back in the day where I was sad. Like, I wouldn't smile in photos. I was just so miserable. Looking back, looking back, looking back, keeps you going. Absolutely. And just seeing how the world—like how broken the food system is—is what keeps me going. Like seeing a takeaway store with all the processed foods, just shaking my head every time, because we don't need these take—every, every like five kilometers. 'Cause I've been doing—I do deliveries as well. Like every five, three, five kilometers is a takeaway store. You don't need that. So I think there's so much motivation around me that just wants me to strive to keep going. Like healthy food is expensive. It is so expensive compared to junk food. And with my business, there's been months where just like—like we've paid $8 a cauliflower. That's the size of a baby's head. And I've needed 50. The expenses behind it all, like, is what sort of brings me down a little bit because, you know, we've got to survive. It also shows you—that's why the customers and other—and everybody else goes for those convenient takeaway garbage. Just eat scraps. Well, look at a bag of sugar compared to a bag of monk fruit sweetener. You've got your 500 gram of normal sugar for a dollar, and your monk fruit sweetener for $16 for 500 gram. Of course, someone's going to go for the dollar. But I understand that it's hard at the moment with the economy and the prices of healthy food. You do try and keep it as cheap as possible. Exactly. Lots of challenges, but at the same time, the motivation's there and will always be there. Whether it's the support—like I've got beautiful customers, got the girls, I've got Corey, I've got family and friends who really do believe in my story and Keep It Keto's why. So that's what just keeps me going.
Dr Mary Barson (24:10) I love that. I love it. So lovely Danielle, lovely Corey, where can people find you if they want to learn more about Keep It Keto?
Danielle & Corey Thomas (24:18) You can find us at keepitketo.au, or you can find us on our Facebook page. And we are slowly Instagramming because I'm a bit of a nanny when it comes to technology and a little bit time-poor when it comes to social media. But we do try our best. Or if you need us, email us at [email protected].
Dr Mary Barson (24:28) Fantastic. I want to thank you both for coming on and sharing your story and the highs, the lows, the goods, the bads, and just sharing your transformation. It's been really wonderful to listen to and I'm sure lots of people can relate to it. So thank you both very much.
Danielle & Corey Thomas (24:57) No, thank you so much for letting us come onto your platform. It's an honour. It is.
Dr Mary Barson (25:02) You're most welcome.
Danielle & Corey Thomas (25:04) Much appreciated.
Dr Lucy Burns (25:08) The information shared on the Real Health and Weight Loss Podcast, including show notes and links, provides general information only. It is not a substitute, nor is it intended to provide individualised medical advice, diagnosis or treatment, nor can it be construed as such. Please consult your doctor for any medical concerns.
