Camilla Björklund

Interview

Hello Camilla, it’s great meeting you! How are you?
Hello! It’s great to be here. And I’m feeling great, too, thank you.

Tell us a little bit about yourself – who are you?
My name is Camilla Björklund. I am 31 years old, I live in Gothenburg with my husband Mikael and our two children Isabella and Alice. I work as a marketing assistant/support.

And you have a popular Instagram account?
That’s correct, it’s called @lchfmedcamilla.

We like the name! How long have you been interested in cooking?
In high school I studied hotel and restaurant management – but I wasn’t particularly interested in cooking at that time. My interest in cooking started when I went low carb. I didn’t want to make things difficult for my husband, who previously cooked all the food in our household, so I started to cook myself.

I see. When did you start eating low carb?
I’m celebrating my 5-year anniversary soon, on the 30th of September 2019.

Wow, then you have a reason to celebrate! How come you started low carb?
I had two small children at home, and at the time I didn’t have enough energy to play with them. I wasn’t a happy and fun mother, so I felt that I had to do something about my weight. I started exercising several times each week, but since I was still eating the same food as before the scale didn’t move at all. I started excluding certain foods (completely unaware that it was low carb). Then I started reading about low carb and thought “this would suit me.”

Lovely story! Tell us what a typical day of breakfast, lunch and dinner looks like for you.
On working days I have butter-fried cheese and ham rolls with some salad, seed crackers or a fatty yogurt with granola for breakfast. And coffee, of course. During weekends I tend to have eggs in different forms, a couple of slices of bacon and tomato.

My lunch always consists of yesterday’s dinner – I always make extra portions for lunch the next day.

Smart! We always recommend that. And for dinner?
I love dinner! I try to cook as many different dishes as possible during the week. Partially so I don’t get bored, but also because I want my kids to try new dishes.

I’ve seen on your Instagram that you work out quite a lot! How’s that working out on low carb?
I think the combination of low carb and exercise is great. On working days I work out around 5 AM and I feel energetic already at that time, which was definitely not the case before I went low carb. My mood is very stable now – and I feel amazing! Working out is not a necessity on low carb but I personally believe that it is very beneficial. And no – you don’t need carbs to build muscle, it works out just as well on low carb.

Impressive! What’s the best thing about low carb, in your opinion?
The best thing is definitely the mood! You can go hours without eating, without becoming grumpy. My stomach is also much calmer. I personally haven’t encountered any disadvantages yet. I feel great and that’s the most important thing.

You’re great at creating new recipes – from where to you get your inspiration?
Hard question… I tend to think about what I like, what I want to eat. I never use anything in my cooking that I only like a little bit. Since you have to eat, you can just as well eat delicious food – every day! Life is too short to eat boring, mediocre food.

Totally agree! What’s your favorite dish?
When I eat out at a restaurant, I prefer tasty tapas or fish. At home my favorite is a great stew or nice cut of meat with bearnaise sauce. It beats anything!

What would you say to someone who is considering starting low carb?
Research! I get several questions per week about what you can and can’t eat. Low carb is very simple once you know what’s OK and what to avoid. Take it easy, take one day at a time and throw out the scale. The scale doesn’t say anything about how you’re feeling, it’s only a stressor. My tip is to buy measuring tape instead. Enjoy tasty food and increased well-being.

Tips from Camilla

When eating at a restaurant

Ask if they can exchange the carbs (potato, pasta, rice etc.) for a salad or fried veggies. It’s usually not a problem. If the restaurant won’t do that or if you don’t feel like asking, then I’d order a Caesar salad without the croutons. That’s always a safe card.

When people invite you over for dinner

If it’s to a close friend’s house, then they know what I eat and what I don’t. Otherwise I’ll eat beforehand, or what suits me at the dinner table, it’s easy to just skip the rice or potatoes. If there’s absolutely nothing to eat, then it’s easy to fast for a couple of hours. I would never eat something just to “be nice”.

When travelling

I don’t find it particularly hard to travel low carb. There is always something you can eat, whether that’s a salad, some nuts or “beer sausage”. It doesn’t have to be more difficult than that – low carb is very simple!

Thank you so much Camilla, it’s been a pleasure meeting you! Now we’re going to enjoy your amazing recipes.
Thank you! It’s been a pleasure sharing my recipes with Diet Doctor’s followers.