Celebrating the low-carb life at a keto diet event

The keto-friendly products filled up bags of many who attended the Etobicoke Low-Carb Keto Living Fair at the Assembly Hall on Saturday, Jan. 18.

The event gathered many vendors that sell keto, keto-friendly and keto-related products. Among them, there were bakery products like cakes, cupcakes, biscuits, and bread. Other products include mineral supplements and even makeup. 

The keto diet is an alternative diet that substitutes carbs and sugar to trick the body in burning fats. 

One big characteristic of this lifestyle is to make alternative food with alternative ingredients. Greg Gardner is the co-founder of Sugar Daddies Bakery. All his products are sugar-free and gluten-free. 

On Sugar Daddies’ website, a seemingly normal chocolate chip cookie has a special ingredient: Erythritol, a low glycemic natural sweetener. 

The idea of assembling vendors at the event came from Gloria Palcich, the founder of London- based company Ketolibriyum. 

“I started and run Ketolibriyum to help people discover the health benefits of a ketogenic lifestyle. It really helped me with my weight loss and helped my dad get off of diabetes medication,” Palcich said.  

“Lots of energy, mental clarity, and lots of other health benefits for people following this lifestyle,” Palcich said. “When I was doing the diet, I found it difficult to find food. After a while, I got frustrated and thought ‘I have to help others and start making it’.” 

For Palcich, the event shows people the many available keto products.  

“There are thousands of testimonials online about people who improved their lives through a ketogenic lifestyle, whether it is reversing their metabolic diseases, insulin resistance, diabetes, or losing weight,” Palcich said.

Justice Van Drunen is another keto advocate. By adopting a completely new lifestyle, routine of exercises and implementing the keto diet, she lost 141 lbs in 15 months. 

She now manages a successful Instagram page, @lean.justine, where she shares recipes and exercises to her 137,000 followers. 

“Most of my life I’ve been overweight, I’ve tried multiple ways to lose weight, but nothing ever stuck,” Van Drunen said. “Once I found keto, I found that it was a very easy adjustment for me. I really enjoyed eating that way so I never felt I was depriving myself.” 

Van Drunen was invited by Ketolirliyuem to talk to attendees of the event and answer questions about the diet and lifestyle, “and show people that it is possible to achieve [their] goals.” 

The event proved especially useful for low-carb enthusiast Sandra Couto, who tries to balance her dietary restrictions and being a mother of three. She was very excited to find out about the low-carb pasta from nuPasta for her family. 

“I’m doing the whole low-carb diet. I just wanted to check out different vendors and see what people are making, and what the market is like. I’m leaving [the event] with two bags, and I’m leaving so I don’t spend more money,” said Couto as she laughs. 

Before starting any diet, it is recommended to check with a doctor.

“It’s a personal choice for everyone,” Gardner pointed out. “There are pros and cons to every diet you’re going to eat. I think that if you’re changing your diet, you should talk to your doctor about it.”

If you’re interested in buying keto products or to simply find out more about the lifestyle, check the Ketolibriyum event page here. There you will find a full list of the vendors.

Photo gallery of The Etobicoke Low-Carb Keto Living Fair: