Women In Low Carb Series: Miriam Bair

From Family Kitchen to Community Impact: A Low-Carb Journey of Healing, Empowerment, and Entrepreneurship

"My life has been so different since finding keto and low carb in so many more ways than weight loss." - Miriam Bair

For many women, the journey into metabolic health starts with weight, but for this mother of six and co-founder of Keto Chow, it became something much deeper. It was about identity, confidence, healing, and the ripple effect of choosing better; for Miriam, her family, and eventually, for thousands of others.

When Miriam’s husband Chris Bair set out to create a low-carb shake that didn’t exist, he wasn’t thinking of building a company. He just wanted a better tool to support his health. There wasn’t a shake that met his standards, so he made one. That small step became the spark that would change their family’s life forever.

But for Miriam, the first time she heard about keto wasn’t in the context of weight loss. It was while facing one of the most difficult situations a parent can endure.

"The first time I heard of Keto was when my son was having seizures and the doctors could not get them under control with medication."

Her son was prescribed twelve different medications. As the options dwindled, the doctors mentioned the ketogenic diet, but only as a last resort. Though the final medication worked, she now looks back with some frustration.

"It is hard not to be frustrated now that the doctors didn’t give us the option of dietary changes rather than medication for my son at the time. Now we know different so we can act different."

Years later, when Chris found keto again in his research, she joined in, somewhat out of convenience.

"I had been doing Paleo at the time… I mostly went keto for convenience." Cooking three different meals—one for herself, one for Chris, and another for the kids—was exhausting. She stopped buying high-carb foods altogether and shifted the whole family’s approach.

But that change wasn’t just about food, it was about mindset.

"Even after going keto it took me probably a year to stop sneaking carbs. I had to change my mindset and believe that what I was doing was best for me."

And once that shift happened, everything else began to fall into place. Physically, mentally, emotionally. Keto brought her back to herself. Miriam shared, “I do best if I have some good meals and just eat the same thing over and over again. I have the same breakfast every day for a while, and then I just change one thing, eggs with sausage instead of eggs with ground beef. I feel best if I stay fairly close to carnivore. I would say ketovore is what I feel best at. I have some health challenges where I have pain with inflammation, so if I keep the inflammatory foods out, I do my best.”

For Miriam, the benefits of keto weren’t just physical. “Because of keto and Keto Chow, I learned to feel comfortable on camera and learned how to talk to people with confidence in person. Because I do keto, I have pushed myself out of my comfort zone way more often. Keto has helped me be brave enough to face my fear of water and learn to scuba dive. It’s partly because my brain is not as foggy, so I can emotionally handle more things. It’s partly because, as different challenges or opportunities come up, I see what I’ve already accomplished in changing my mindset around food and realize I can do hard things.”

"I have seen improvements in my mental health, confidence, body image and empathy towards myself and others… I’ve learned to be curious about foods, about my body and what is best for it."

It also allowed her to show up differently for her family. As a mother of six, shifting her kids' diets brought its own set of challenges, but also powerful lessons.

"A few of my children really wanted all in and they themselves learned and have benefited from staying keto all of the time… My daughter with clinical depression has had considerable improvement in her mental health. She did keto strictly through high school."

Miriam’s son who had epilepsy tried keto and saw improvements in his concentration and grades. Her other daughter became an advocate for better food at school. And even the kids who didn’t fully embrace the lifestyle learned important lessons about how food affects their bodies, moods, and clarity.

"During the summer they mostly eat what I buy… they have less acne, less stress, clearer heads and better attitudes. But when school is in session they eat a lot more carbs, they have more acne, more stress and are grouchy more often." 

Chris had been posting about his shake experiments online when people began asking if they could buy it. Initially Miriam was a hard sell proclaiming, “no way shakes are the worst.” Soon, they were mixing Keto Chow in their home, turning their craft room into an inventory space, and inviting family and friends for weekend "mixing parties." She quit her side job, and they shipped orders while the kids were at school.

They grew slowly, organically—by listening, learning, and never compromising on quality.

"We made so many calls to manufacturers… we didn’t hit the minimum order quantities. But they gave us a chance and we have been able to grow together."

Now, with multiple warehouses, full teams, and a sister company called SALTT—a clean-ingredient electrolyte drink mix—their impact has grown exponentially. But the heart behind it hasn’t changed.

"I remember close to the beginning of our company, we got a letter from an epileptic customer… he was better able to manage his seizures and have a better quality of life. My son would have a grand mal seizure and then sleep for 5 hours. So to hear that our product helped someone have a better life just touched our hearts."

Balancing family life with business has never been easy. But she’s made it work by setting boundaries and honoring both roles with presence.

"I have joked that Keto Chow was baby number 7… I work during school hours and still get off work at 3 to be home for family dinner. "

All of her children have worked for Keto Chow at some point, and they’ve grown up witnessing what it takes to build something meaningful.

To women who are navigating their own dreams, she offers this advice:

"Make work time work time and home time home time… Set some boundaries for yourself. You will get burned out if you don’t."

And to those in the health space?

"Don’t compare yourself to anyone. As women we are often putting ourselves down and thinking we are not good enough… There is competition, but that’s no reason we can’t all work together to help people improve their lives." 

The future of Keto Chow is still unfolding, but her vision is clear:

"I would love to see Keto Chow as an option in hospitals and nursing homes… just something better than a sugary shake. We have seen so many people reverse type 2 diabetes and other health problems."

Because for Miriam, keto isn’t just a diet. It’s a path back to clarity, confidence, and compassion. It’s how she learned to show up for herself, and how she’s helping others do the same.