Episode 88: Interview with Fat Fueled Family's Danny & Maura Vega - We talk Carnivore, Fat Fueled Kids and MORE - Part 1

Part One of my interview with Maura and Danny Vega!  

Danny Vega: 

I grew up in Miami, Florida and I have always been interested in nutrition and fitness. Ever since I was a young kid, I wanted to be a “strong man”. 

In high school, I was the starting runningback for my football team, and led the county in rushing yards. I then went on to receive my bachelor’s degree from Columbia University in 2004, where I was a member of the football team and a three-time Dean’s List recipient. After college, I pursued my Master’s of Science in Human Performance from the University of Florida, where I worked with the national championship men’s basketball team, along with women’s basketball, tennis, and golf programs. I then went on to become the Strength & Conditioning coordinator for VCU basketball, helping the Rams win the 2007 conference championship and making it to the second round of the NCAA tournament. To read a Richmond Times Dispatch article on my approach, click here. 

I have been out of collegiate Strength & Conditioning for almost a decade, but I have continued to compete in sports such as crossfit, powerlifting, half marathons, and now rowing. In June of 2016 I discovered the ketogenic lifestyle and I never looked back. I found so many benefits within a week of switching, that I knew this would be my new way of life. Inflammation and injuries from years of playing on turf and beating myself up with heavy lifting were gone. I regained control over my hunger and found a mental clarity and increase in productivity that I had never experienced before. In August of 2017, after over a year of dipping their toes in the water, our two boys joined us. Desmond, our eldest, felt an immediate increase in energy and improvement in his allergies and asthma. Dean, our youngest, has had astounding improvements in his eczema and mood. Our children are immune to cravings. It has been an amazing thing to see. We thought our kids were “picky” just like most kids supposedly are; keto changed their taste buds and now they crave real, nourishing food like the recipes you will find on this PDF. Best of all, they do not feel restricted in any way!

We understand that transitioning the family can be challenging, so we hope this blog helps you conveniently transition your entire family to a low carb lifestyle so that you, too, can experience all of the profound benefits we have!

Maura Vega: 

I’m Maura Vega, or as many of you know me, Fat Fueled Mom. I grew up in Miami, Florida, and was a dancer for most of my life until I graduated high school. I was classically trained in ballet, jazz, and contemporary. I competed throughout high school winning multiple team and individual awards. I found my love for fitness once I graduated high school and started college. Unfortunately for me (a curvy latin girl), the body type that was in style back then was tall and thin. Being a dancer, there was always focus around the way I looked and I always longed to have that tall and thin figure. I’ve been dieting since high school and it has been quite the battle over the years. Eating disorders and body dysmorphia have plagued me for as long as I can remember. I’ve experimented with vegetarian, paleo, and IIFYM. It wasn’t until I found the ketogenic lifestyle that I was finally able to heal my body and repair my metabolism, as well as my mind and my relationship with food.

I started Keto in June of 2016. After a 2 year battle with Postpartum Depression after the birth of my youngest, I knew I had to make a change. I was eager to get off medications and I knew that the ketogenic lifestyle was my only hope. I have now been keto for almost 2 years and I’m happy to say that not only have my depression symptoms been drastically reduced, my anxiety has also improved, I feel the best I’ve ever felt and it continues to get better. Seeing how impactful this lifestyle can be on our bodies, I decided to help transition my children to this healthy way of life in hopes that it would relieve them of some of the ailments they had. I now eat for health and performance, and I never feel deprived. I haven’t binged or restricted food since I started back in June of 2016.

Our boys have now been keto for a little over 8 months and I’m happy to report that not only has my oldest found relief from his asthma and allergies, but we’ve also witnessed a major improvement in our little one’s mood and eczema. They are still kids, so they have treats at birthday parties and special occasions; we don’t want them to feel left out. However, we have seen how powerful keto is at fixing broken relationships with food. Our oldest rarely is phased by treats he passes by; he truly does not crave them. My little one spit out half of his Halloween candy last year because he didn’t like it. It is absolutely amazing to see these changes in my children, knowing that I’m setting them up for a lifetime of success. 

I’m so happy that my family and I have found this amazing way of life. With our Fat Fueled Family blog, we hope to spread our love for keto to other families who have the same goals for their family by making it fun and easy! 

We hope you enjoy our content, and we look forward to sharing our family’s journey with all of you!