How it began
In 2018 our founder, Dr Neil Bindemann, a neuroscientist and immunologist, received news that a brain tumour, which he had been diagnosed with in 2015, was continuing to grow at a rate that might require surgery, sooner rather than later. Given Neil also founded the Person-Centred Neurosciences Society, it was rather ironic for Neil to have been diagnosed with the tumour following life-saving brain surgery.
Around the time of that surgery Neil had been working on an epilepsy project; a project that had made home aware of the various quality of life and medical benefits of following a ketogenic diet. This was especially in managing epilepsy, and controlling the seizures, in children. He had also become familiar with some of research into the diet (which goes back over 100 years) and that included research to suggest the ketogenic diet could impact the growth of the brain tumour. So Neil began enjoying eating foods that would lead him to feel mentally and physically fitter, following a ketogenic lifestyle.
One of the fundamental foods, at that time, which he couldn’t find in the high street shops was a breakfast cereal; in Neil’s case, porridge. So he started experimenting with various raw ingredients, which lead him to a create a home made ‘porridge’, to start his day.
Two years on from that decision to eating predominantly ‘low carb’ foods, and following an annual MRI scan to monitor the growth of the tumour, Neil was received the encouraging news that the growth of the tumour had slowed, with no immediate need for further surgery.
As a result of that experience, and Neil’s passion for supporting lifestyle health services, he built Ketobakery.co.uk. He had recognised a need for a more affordable, and a relatively quick way, for people to continue to enjoy bread and deliciously sweet cakes, but with little to no sugar – a substance known to be associated with illness like diabetes and cancer.
The online shop opened at the end of 2022 selling our Qetomix, which a growing community of home bakers are using to enjoy bread and cakes that contain significantly fewer carbohydrates, than traditional flours.
Ketobakery.co.uk has also been built to enable people learn about the various health and wellbeing benefits of a keto style of living; a living that goes far beyond the weight loss that many people associate with the ketogenic diet (which Neil describes as a ‘side-effect’ of following a keto lifestyle). As Neil has discovered since 2018, and now explains when we meet people, eating foods that are low carb but high fat, with moderate protein, bring many benefits. As well as the benefits experienced by people with a neuro condition, including migraine and Parkinson’s, has been well established that a foods that a low in carbohydrate and sugar/glucose helps to keep blood glucose levels low and it contributes to preventing and reversing diabetes (Type2). Plus there is considerable evidence that it contributes to preventing illnesses associated with poor mental health.
All profits generated through the Ketobakery.co.uk will support the running of the different not-for-profit organisations and resources that Neil either stimulated or is supporting and they include:
The Lifestyle Health Foundation YouTube channel:
https://youtube.com/@lifestylehealthfoundation3865?si=oF2QGm4zaXTsupsn
Lifestyle Health Foundation – www.lifestylehealth.org.uk
Neurodigest – www.neurodigest.co.uk
Epilepsy Quality of Life – www.eqol.org.uk
The Person-Centred Neurosciences Society – www.p-cns.org.uk
The Community Therapists Network – www.communitytherapy.org.uk
Brainstrust – www.brainstrust.org.uk
Matthews Friends – www.matthewsfriends.org
The Society for Research in Rehabilitation – www.srr.org.uk
SmartTracker – www.smarttracker.org.uk
Neil, out and about this summer (2024) with is Cafe Neuro Kafe and will be attending Tonbridge and Tunbridge Wells Food and Drink shows, to meet and talk with the general public about person-centred lifestyle health solutions.
Tonbridge Teafest, April 2023: Neil organised the first ever charity fundraiser with cakes baked with little to no sugar, using Qetomix. This was a fun (d) raiser day filled with music around the town of Tonbridge in Kent, for Brainstrust, Matthews Friends and the Lifestyle Health Foundation.
