The Ketogenic Diet through the Eyes of a 7 Year Old

Featuring Super Star: Jonah and Daisy Argudin 

Interviewer: Laura Dority MS RD LD 

We had the privilege of interviewing one of my favorite patients - Jonah recently. Our goal was to dive in and really get an understanding of what the ketogenic diet means for a 7 year old.  We did provide him with the questions ahead of time so he could prepare his answers and not be so nervous but ultimately these are uncoached answers that were not altered by an adult! The innocence and honesty of a child is truly amazing! His mom, Daisy, also joined us on the interview to answer a few of the more technical questions.  We would love for you to  watch, it’s a short 20 minutes but if you do not have that option I have also included Jonah’s answers to our questions below.  

Meet Jonah

Jonah is a 7 year old with absence epilepsy. He was diagnosed at age 4 and has since found incredible seizure benefit by following a ketogenic diet – specifically a modified Atkins approach. To make a restrictive diet even more complicated, Jonah is also allergic to dairy and eggs.  Despite these challenges, Jonah and his family slay the diet and are an inspiration.   

Why are you on the keto diet and how does it feel to have a seizure?  

Jonah: It helps my epilepsy. When I have a seizure sometimes my brain turns off. When I’m having a seizure I feel like I am standing there doing nothing but I can still hear. Everything is blurry which lasts until I hear something or until I get out of the seizure. I cannot see during the seizure so I’m unaware of what is going on around me. After the seizure I’m not tired and I just go back to doing what I was doing before the seizure. Sometimes I lose focus though.  

Can you describe how often Jonah was having seizure before the diet compared to now?   

Daisy: When we first started the diet he would probably have 10-12 seizures/hour. When they did his EEG it showed he was having hundreds daily. Now he can go a couple of hours and not have any and we also go some days without any seizure activity which is fantastic.   

Is Jonah on any medications to control his seizure?  

Daisy: No he is not- he is controlled strictly with diet and has never been on any seizure medications.  Ketogenic diet was our first choice.  

Did you get any pushback from your medial team about doing diet as a first-line therapy? 

Daisy: We came into the appointment pretty sure that we wanted to do the keto diet so the pushback that we did receive we pushed back just as hard. Given that he could not have dairy or eggs it was already restrictive so doing the keto diet didn’t seem any more restrictive to us. I think when the doctors realized we were willing to put in the work with the diet we didn’t get as much pushback.   

What non keto food(s) do you miss the most and what substitutes for these foods has your mom made?  

Jonah: I miss Red Robin and I used to get a burger with pickles and fries. Now my mom makes a burger with low carb bread from Aldi with mustard and ketchup as well as cucumbers and oranges (small amount) and oil (which he drinks out of a medicine cup and claims it taste like coconut).  

How do you and your brother help your mom in preparing your special diet?  

Jonah: My brother will get the food out for me and I can measure on the scale and make some of my meals. I also make sure to eat all my food.  

What do you wish that I knew about you as you dietitian?  

Jonah: There is a superhero kid named Kid Keto. He fights the cells that makes the seizures so that he can help everyone from not getting sick. I made a comic book with this character. He looks like me but with a mask and I gave him a cape and a little logo – a K.  The building he lives in is purple to support epilepsy.  

As your dietitian how can I support you and your mom better?   

Jonah: You can look for more dairy and egg free products so my mom doesn’t have to read the label every time.   

Let’s talk about special events.  What special foods or ideas can you share regarding parties on a keto diet?  

Jonah: My mom makes and packs muffins for me as a treat and at the store there is gum that I can have.  The muffins are really sweet but at the same time really soft.   

Daisy: I use almond flour, coconut flour, coconut oil, chia seeds, a little almond milk and then bake them.  They tend to be a little dense so we cook them in silicone molds so none of the oil bakes out – once they cool off the oil goes back in the muffin so we don’t lose any. I pack them in a to-go- box and then the gum is used like a candy.   

What is the hardest part about following the ketogenic diet?  

Jonah: The hardest part is sometimes not eating foods that I like and missing the foods I used to be able to have. My mom tries to substitute a lot of things.  

What are some of your favorite keto foods?  

Jonah: Dang bars which I love and also pepperoni which I really like. The Dang Bars I eat are the chocolate (Crazy Rich Chocolate), coconut (Toasted Coconut), and lemon (Lemon Matcha). My favorite fruit is plums and my favorite vegetable is cucumber with spicy red pepper. A favorite meal (photo below) is shredded up zoodles (zucchini) with tomato sauce, oregano, and meat.  

Here are a few of your other keto meals – can you describe them?

The first one is a pizza roll-up which is a low carb tortilla with pepperoni rolled up. We combine it with pork rinds and oil.

The second one is my vitamins which I only have at breakfast, toast using low carb bread from Aldi with butter. Lots of butter because I really like butter. It also has some pork rinds, raspberries (small amount) and a plain tea finished off with some oil.   

What piece of advice would you give to other kids on a keto diet that are just getting started?  

Jonah: Well first I would say you are doing a good job and then I would say that you have seizures now but one day you won’t have seizures.   

Do you have any last words of wisdom to share with us today?  

Jonah: All I can say is I had a really good time.    

Daisy: I would say if you are even considering the diet – try it or at least look into it. Investigate and find out if it will work for your family. Don’t be afraid. It is hard! It’s not easy - especially at first because it’s learning a whole new language but it is worth it. Being able to avoid medication especially with all the side effects which is always the number one fear of parents. You hear your son or daughter has to start taking this medication and you immediately go look at the side effect list. Try the diet! If it works for your family, then great. If it doesn’t, then you have lost nothing but gained knowledge.   

Final Thoughts:  

The Keto Hope Foundation has the Keto Friends initiative so if you are new to the keto journey go to http://ketohope.org/ and go to the Family Support page. We can match you with a family like Daisy and Jonah who are awesome at the diet. They can offer you guidance and support. On the other hand, if you are a family that is experienced with the diet we are always looking for more support parents. So either way newbies or oldies, we are looking for you – we are ready to support you.