The travesty of the American diet and the lies told by health officials and the government experts can be summed up by the increase of obesity over the last 30-40 yrs., which coincides with the low-fat, high-carb revolution. Obesity was a non-issue in native populations and virtually any other society prior to the introduction of processed white flour, sugar, and rice. In a metabolic sense, insulin is the mechanism by which fat is stored in our bodies; the lower your insulin in the blood, therefore, the less your body can hang onto that extra fat. Contrary to what most people know, there is no dietary need for a person to ingest carbohydrates. All energy and metabolic processes can be addressed through fat, protein, and low-carb veggies (leafy greens especially), while keeping insulin levels at a low key in the bloodstream. Evidence for low-carb is everywhere, but anti-low-carb is not something that has direct scientific proof. Many studies over the last 300 years have demonstrated the safety and efficacy of lowering carbohydrates to treat not only obesity but also its accompanying conditions: high blood pressure, cholesterol, triglycerides, and diabetes. As Taubes states in Good Calories, Bad Calories: why would a "cure" for such a debilitating condition be knowingly withheld from the public (and actually condemned in most circles as a crazy "fad diet")? It would be akin to discovering a cure for cancer, HIV/AIDS, alcoholism, cigarette addiction, etc. and keeping it a complete secret. The only reason I can think of is the root of all evil in our world today
...MONEY.
The sugar industry. Big Pharma. Most giant food producers. GMO makers like Monsanto. Soda companies.
These businesses not only direct a large part of our national economy but the political landscape as well. Even the natural foods industry is laden with extra grain, sugar, and other processed products; shopping the outer edge of the store and avoiding the inner aisles is the only course of action to avoid these potentially deadly foods. Even the big market of the diet industry would stand to lose billions of dollars if there was a simple dietary system to eliminate obesity. If no one is "sick", why do you need the "medicine" in the first place (the same goes to Big Pharma)? Openly acknowledging the existence of a "cure" for obesity would ruin most of the largest corporations in the United States AND change the growth and production of food forever!
Friday, June 28, 2013
Thursday, June 27, 2013
Good Calories, Bad Calories
I joined a low-carb dieters' forum this week. My decision to do this is because I am lacking a support base at home, and I am interested in seeing what other people are going through whose lives are so similar to mine. I connect to people more efficiently through an internet medium anyways, so a forum fits my personality style very well. I like that there are also resources I am not privy to as a single person in a forum setting. One such resource is the title of this particular blog entry, actually.
Gary Taubes is the author of a book that a lot of the forum members suggested or have already read, Good Calories, Bad Calories. As a preview to the book I found an article in an old issue of Mother Earth News magazine available online that gave me a good insight as to what Taubes' book might be like. I have an e-book copy now of the real deal, but I am very tempted to look on Amazon and see if I can get a copy of the paperback for cheap (since this book has been out a while). I like the feel and convenience of a hardcopy book, and I can read it easily in a three day span if I have it in my hands all the time and don't have to rely upon a computer.
Here's a link to the Mother Earth News article: Good Calories, Bad Calories
I am now 228.6 -- lost two pounds in 24 hrs -- so I think the hitch I had with losing might be overcome!
Gary Taubes is the author of a book that a lot of the forum members suggested or have already read, Good Calories, Bad Calories. As a preview to the book I found an article in an old issue of Mother Earth News magazine available online that gave me a good insight as to what Taubes' book might be like. I have an e-book copy now of the real deal, but I am very tempted to look on Amazon and see if I can get a copy of the paperback for cheap (since this book has been out a while). I like the feel and convenience of a hardcopy book, and I can read it easily in a three day span if I have it in my hands all the time and don't have to rely upon a computer.
Here's a link to the Mother Earth News article: Good Calories, Bad Calories
I am now 228.6 -- lost two pounds in 24 hrs -- so I think the hitch I had with losing might be overcome!
Tuesday, June 25, 2013
Busting Vices
I'd like to start out - briefly - by saying that I finished the Atkins book I had been reading (yes, all 300 pages in only 3 days). It really was a good review of things I already mostly knew, and it gave me an idea of why, at my current age and overall status, it is so hard for me to lose weight (I have a slight metabolic resistance). It gave me a bit more confidence in my choice of "diet." Eating like this is something I can easily stick with, between home and work, without putting myself under much undue stress in terms of coming up with some type of food choice. My workplace is a great place for a low-carb dieter; we have gourmet cheeses and olives (one of my favorite work meals), a great salad bar complete with full-fat dressings, cheese, and boiled eggs, and sometimes the chicken on the hot bar is simply roasted without a lot of added ingredients.
So...vices. We all have things in our life that we "can't live without" when it comes to food. For my boyfriend, this would be Coca-Colas (and, more recently, Monster Protein drinks). For me, previously, it was carbohydrates in general...and currently it is "grazing." I am a bored/emotional eater; I will, especially when at home, veer towards the fridge at random times whether I'm hungry or not and eat. It's a really terrible habit that is easy to avoid at work (I'm too busy to eat all the time like I can at home), but on my three days a week that I am off I seem to find the fridge in front of me more often than anything else. My FIRST WEEK'S vice that I want to bust (see next paragraph for explanation of this) is my grazing -- instead of EATING something when I peek in the fridge, I am going to pour myself a glass of water and drink it instead. :)
I am starting to read (well, re-read mostly since I've read a lot of it before) The Vice Busting Diet by Julia Havey. I do not like some of the messages she sends (extreme focus on cutting calories and fat being the major point of contention compared with what I personally feel is a more successful route of eating), but I do like the motivational and methodical points the book promotes. Julia is a very vivid writer and motivator, especially since she lost 130 lbs. herself over a few years' time. I personally do not have that much to lose - my immediate goal is about 30 lbs, with 65-70 lbs being a very long term goal. I think that, using what I've learned both from Ms. Havey and Dr. Atkins will serve me pretty well. The Atkins Diet is a good food plan for me, but I do need more discipline and direction in terms of a way to cut back positively, which Ms. Havey outlines very well in this book she has written. Each week you are to either eliminate a vice or add a positive routine (i.e., some type of working out session) to your schedule and continue adding on as time goes by. This gives a gradual increase to the "new" things, which helps you avoid being overwhelmed.
The main issue, beyond my "grazing" is my lack of physical exercise. My body adapts well to cardio, but in the past when I added jogging into my routine I found my right knee was not able to support it with my higher current weight (in high school I was very good at endurance running, but I also weighed between 165 - 180; my current weight is 230). When I can afford it, I really want to own some sort of exercise machine like a exercise bike or treadmill. Beyond the negative impact on my knee, the weather in the area in which I live is not very friendly in the summer months (100+ degrees with high humidity on a regular basis). I would be more than willing to give up 30 minutes a day to get some cardio in if it didn't involve hurting my knee and dying of heat stroke!
And, lastly, I am thinking of taking advantage of my job (I sell supplements in a natural foods market) and get samples of some of the diet products we sell. I am not talking about just "any" diet products, but I would prefer to get samples of things with multiple clinical studies done on them such as the Fucothin Green by Garden of Life and Super Citrimax in our own private label brand. They both contain popular ingredients (garcinia cambogia and green coffee bean extract), but they also both contain other ingredients that have had some serious science and years of success behind them (fucoxanthin in the first and chromium in the second). I figure, since I'm well into the changed lifestyle with little to no carbs daily, it's about time that I start putting more things into me that push my metabolism a little more in my weight-loss favor.
So...vices. We all have things in our life that we "can't live without" when it comes to food. For my boyfriend, this would be Coca-Colas (and, more recently, Monster Protein drinks). For me, previously, it was carbohydrates in general...and currently it is "grazing." I am a bored/emotional eater; I will, especially when at home, veer towards the fridge at random times whether I'm hungry or not and eat. It's a really terrible habit that is easy to avoid at work (I'm too busy to eat all the time like I can at home), but on my three days a week that I am off I seem to find the fridge in front of me more often than anything else. My FIRST WEEK'S vice that I want to bust (see next paragraph for explanation of this) is my grazing -- instead of EATING something when I peek in the fridge, I am going to pour myself a glass of water and drink it instead. :)
I am starting to read (well, re-read mostly since I've read a lot of it before) The Vice Busting Diet by Julia Havey. I do not like some of the messages she sends (extreme focus on cutting calories and fat being the major point of contention compared with what I personally feel is a more successful route of eating), but I do like the motivational and methodical points the book promotes. Julia is a very vivid writer and motivator, especially since she lost 130 lbs. herself over a few years' time. I personally do not have that much to lose - my immediate goal is about 30 lbs, with 65-70 lbs being a very long term goal. I think that, using what I've learned both from Ms. Havey and Dr. Atkins will serve me pretty well. The Atkins Diet is a good food plan for me, but I do need more discipline and direction in terms of a way to cut back positively, which Ms. Havey outlines very well in this book she has written. Each week you are to either eliminate a vice or add a positive routine (i.e., some type of working out session) to your schedule and continue adding on as time goes by. This gives a gradual increase to the "new" things, which helps you avoid being overwhelmed.
The main issue, beyond my "grazing" is my lack of physical exercise. My body adapts well to cardio, but in the past when I added jogging into my routine I found my right knee was not able to support it with my higher current weight (in high school I was very good at endurance running, but I also weighed between 165 - 180; my current weight is 230). When I can afford it, I really want to own some sort of exercise machine like a exercise bike or treadmill. Beyond the negative impact on my knee, the weather in the area in which I live is not very friendly in the summer months (100+ degrees with high humidity on a regular basis). I would be more than willing to give up 30 minutes a day to get some cardio in if it didn't involve hurting my knee and dying of heat stroke!
And, lastly, I am thinking of taking advantage of my job (I sell supplements in a natural foods market) and get samples of some of the diet products we sell. I am not talking about just "any" diet products, but I would prefer to get samples of things with multiple clinical studies done on them such as the Fucothin Green by Garden of Life and Super Citrimax in our own private label brand. They both contain popular ingredients (garcinia cambogia and green coffee bean extract), but they also both contain other ingredients that have had some serious science and years of success behind them (fucoxanthin in the first and chromium in the second). I figure, since I'm well into the changed lifestyle with little to no carbs daily, it's about time that I start putting more things into me that push my metabolism a little more in my weight-loss favor.
Monday, June 24, 2013
Psychological Benefits, Too?
So, as I mentioned yesterday, I am reading Dr. Atkins' New Diet Revolution. In the beginning of Chapter 12 he mentions a facet of the low-carbohydrate/ketogenic lifestyle that I really didn't think about so much before: psychological. I have, especially at work, noticed that I have a much more positive outlook most of the time. As someone that is prone to bouts of depression from time to time, I feel that there have been a bit less of these episodes (this is no direct cure, mind you, but I've felt just better in general). I never had even thought of it as something that could be related to diet, but the book definitely makes mention of that being a possibility. Dr. Atkins specifically says a lot of patients with dietary problems also display with emotional / mental problems as well; there are quite a few of these people who eventually, through changing their life starting with their diet, can wean off of their psychotropics to the point where they are taking very little or possibly none at all.
What's funny is, as I've mentioned before, a lot of foods that are higher in carbohydrates also are more likely to be genetically modified, processed, and/or filled with other chemical additives for a variety of reasons. I would be interested to find out if, through a nearly non-GMO, unprocessed (or very low processed), low-carb diet perhaps many people can cure a lot of the digestive, mental, emotional, and other physical problems that they usually present to doctors and have to be medicated for? This lifestyle, according to cardiologist Dr. Atkins, was originally created for his patients not as a weight loss mechanism but to help with their heart, cholesterol, and triglyceride issues. These big three are a huge reason that America is a society of illness -- and obesity is a huge common denominator in these people.
I would like, as a mother of three and partner to a soda addict (he is blessed with a crazy high metabolism, however), to eventually convince the entire family to eat as I do. With our low income it is difficult enough, however, for me to feel justified to spend the extra money I do on foods only for myself. I feel guilty often because I am spending so much on things like whipping cream (admittedly I have found THE BEST deal possible on it and stick with it), cheeses I love, olives, fresh meats, all natural & uncured salami, etc. I find, though, that my food stores do last a pretty long time. I am satisfied with eating only a little bit at a time -- but I still find that I am a "bored" eater and snack often throughout the day. I am not sure how to combat this, or if I am possibly in the category of "metabolically resistant." I definitely feel that wheat and excess starch was what had made my digestive system, at times, rebel against me in fits of irritable bowel flares and diarrhea. I have followed the "induction" style regiment pretty closely for a lot longer than I should (with little weight loss in terms of pounds)...so I am going to have to research this information from the book more closely.
I am happy with how I feel, however, and would not change THAT for the world!
What's funny is, as I've mentioned before, a lot of foods that are higher in carbohydrates also are more likely to be genetically modified, processed, and/or filled with other chemical additives for a variety of reasons. I would be interested to find out if, through a nearly non-GMO, unprocessed (or very low processed), low-carb diet perhaps many people can cure a lot of the digestive, mental, emotional, and other physical problems that they usually present to doctors and have to be medicated for? This lifestyle, according to cardiologist Dr. Atkins, was originally created for his patients not as a weight loss mechanism but to help with their heart, cholesterol, and triglyceride issues. These big three are a huge reason that America is a society of illness -- and obesity is a huge common denominator in these people.
I would like, as a mother of three and partner to a soda addict (he is blessed with a crazy high metabolism, however), to eventually convince the entire family to eat as I do. With our low income it is difficult enough, however, for me to feel justified to spend the extra money I do on foods only for myself. I feel guilty often because I am spending so much on things like whipping cream (admittedly I have found THE BEST deal possible on it and stick with it), cheeses I love, olives, fresh meats, all natural & uncured salami, etc. I find, though, that my food stores do last a pretty long time. I am satisfied with eating only a little bit at a time -- but I still find that I am a "bored" eater and snack often throughout the day. I am not sure how to combat this, or if I am possibly in the category of "metabolically resistant." I definitely feel that wheat and excess starch was what had made my digestive system, at times, rebel against me in fits of irritable bowel flares and diarrhea. I have followed the "induction" style regiment pretty closely for a lot longer than I should (with little weight loss in terms of pounds)...so I am going to have to research this information from the book more closely.
I am happy with how I feel, however, and would not change THAT for the world!
Sunday, June 23, 2013
Keep It Fresh
In terms of diet, the main pitfall that people of our modern world seem to have are overprocessed, unnatural foods. For the sake of money, the majority of the grocery store is filled with items that are made to live longer than most of our electronic devices we own do by adding a variety of chemicals and other additives to avoid loss. Even our own government, in all of their "wisdom", encourages an intake of a variety of "whole grains" and other carbohydrates daily. Why are Americans so unwilling to see that they are being misled by big business and politicos?
The greatest piece of wisdom I like to pass on is "keep it fresh." I am not perfect, no one is nor will ever be, but I do feel as if I have gotten a lot better with avoiding processed foods. Most of my grocery shopping is done in the "outer ring" -- I avoid the aisles in the middle of the store for my personal diet and eat almost exclusively from produce, meats, and dairy. I limit my dairy items to cheeses, butter, and heavy cream; I do not eat fruit nor starchy, sugary vegetables such as potatoes, corn, peas, beets, or carrots. It really is a pretty simple guideline to use as a compass towards better health. I tell customers at my job all the time the same thing (I work in the vitamins aisle of a natural foods co-op). Yesterday is a fair example of a typical day of eating:
Protein shake for breakfast
Lunch of salad with chicken salad, ranch dressing/vinagrette, some fresh cherry tomatoes (only a few)
Dinner of browned ground chuck with some caesar dressing (I usually add veggies to this like a salad but was too tired to bother)
I just finished re-reading George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire series and decided to read (for the first time!) Dr. Atkins' New Diet Revolution. Within a couple of pages I find that things I already knew and liked to impress upon people have been, once again, confirmed and vindicated. I am not good at reading non-fiction, but I must admit I am more than a little obsessed lately with the hoax of health that is being impressed upon our nation. Obsession with a subject tends to make it a little more interesting in a non-fiction book like this, hah. I like adding resources to my arsenal of knowledge when I have to use it to help people (and myself).
I'm still feeling as amazing as I have been. My eating habits are a bright point of life (weird to think of it as such I guess) when compared to the other chaos I deal with on a daily basis (children, partner, lack of help in terms of keeping my house or children clean and tidy). Work and food are the least of my worries; home is a harder life situation, but I still manage not to stuff my face with the junk that surrounds me in my pantry or fridge. Not having episodes of stomach cramps and running to the bathroom is great, and I can eat things that I love without feeling guilty. I try to keep the fat intake above the rest, and the protein moderate...with as little carb as possible...and KEEP IT FRESH. That's the TRUE key!
The greatest piece of wisdom I like to pass on is "keep it fresh." I am not perfect, no one is nor will ever be, but I do feel as if I have gotten a lot better with avoiding processed foods. Most of my grocery shopping is done in the "outer ring" -- I avoid the aisles in the middle of the store for my personal diet and eat almost exclusively from produce, meats, and dairy. I limit my dairy items to cheeses, butter, and heavy cream; I do not eat fruit nor starchy, sugary vegetables such as potatoes, corn, peas, beets, or carrots. It really is a pretty simple guideline to use as a compass towards better health. I tell customers at my job all the time the same thing (I work in the vitamins aisle of a natural foods co-op). Yesterday is a fair example of a typical day of eating:
Protein shake for breakfast
Lunch of salad with chicken salad, ranch dressing/vinagrette, some fresh cherry tomatoes (only a few)
Dinner of browned ground chuck with some caesar dressing (I usually add veggies to this like a salad but was too tired to bother)
I just finished re-reading George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire series and decided to read (for the first time!) Dr. Atkins' New Diet Revolution. Within a couple of pages I find that things I already knew and liked to impress upon people have been, once again, confirmed and vindicated. I am not good at reading non-fiction, but I must admit I am more than a little obsessed lately with the hoax of health that is being impressed upon our nation. Obsession with a subject tends to make it a little more interesting in a non-fiction book like this, hah. I like adding resources to my arsenal of knowledge when I have to use it to help people (and myself).
I'm still feeling as amazing as I have been. My eating habits are a bright point of life (weird to think of it as such I guess) when compared to the other chaos I deal with on a daily basis (children, partner, lack of help in terms of keeping my house or children clean and tidy). Work and food are the least of my worries; home is a harder life situation, but I still manage not to stuff my face with the junk that surrounds me in my pantry or fridge. Not having episodes of stomach cramps and running to the bathroom is great, and I can eat things that I love without feeling guilty. I try to keep the fat intake above the rest, and the protein moderate...with as little carb as possible...and KEEP IT FRESH. That's the TRUE key!
Friday, June 21, 2013
Nothing Lost, Nothing Gained
When I had my daughter exactly eight weeks ago, I weighed about 232 lbs (I lost 13 lbs during my pregnancy without changing my old eating habits at all). Throughout these past eight weeks I have not really lost any weight, nor have I gained anything. I have transitioned to a low carbohydrate lifestyle for about five weeks, and even though I have not necessarily seen the results I want I have a very positive outlook and have ideas as to why not much is happening.
1 - I have not implemented any type of workout routine, and my regular job already entails standing on my feet and walking for full ten hour days.
2 - I am not truly counting my food intake very closely, especially fats and protein. I think I am most likely getting TOO much of both on certain days (mostly my days off where I am bored and more prone to eat). The carbs are very low and I watch for those like a hawk.
That really sums up the nothing lost/nothing gained situation for me, at least. I would imagine if I adhered more directly to a ketogenic regimen - especially focusing on less snacking and keeping the fats > proteins in the foods I eat - I would see better results. I also know that some people have varying needs in terms of calories, fats, proteins, carbs, etc...it's possible that I am simply overdoing something (I think the calorie intake is no bueno). No more sipping whipping cream here and there for me haha!
Speaking of whipping cream...oh man, for a carb free, healthy fats snack/dessert...whipping up whipping cream with stevia is so fabulous. I usually use about 1/2c. to 2/3c. of cream and one packet of NuNaturals NuStevia (https://nunaturals.com/product/121)...and it tastes as good as any canned whipped cream product with 1 net carb (depending on the whipping cream of choice, I actually like WalMart's Great Value because it's the cheapest AND it actually tastes the best of the brands I've tried with 0 carbs in it). The NuStevia does have 1 carb per packet, but the taste is so much better than any other brand of stevia I've ever tried...so I can accept that one carb for the perfect sweetener. :) Even my picky, sugar addicted boyfriend couldn't tell the difference and loved how it tasted.
I hope that I can keep up the good work on avoiding my food pitfalls. I feel good, and my digestive system ESPECIALLY is thanking me for what I have been giving it instead of what I was giving it before. As a person that has been prone to bouts of irritable bowel-like flare ups, eliminating all of the starches, grains, and sugars from my diet has worked wonders. I have not had any stomach cramping or loose stools in four or five weeks! For someone like me, that's unheard of. I have had days where I've been to the bathroom four or five times. Now, with my new diet, I typically go once a day like most normal people. I also, indirectly, have eliminated most sources of GMOs since I no longer eat processed foods and things such as soy, corn, and sugar. I love it!!!
1 - I have not implemented any type of workout routine, and my regular job already entails standing on my feet and walking for full ten hour days.
2 - I am not truly counting my food intake very closely, especially fats and protein. I think I am most likely getting TOO much of both on certain days (mostly my days off where I am bored and more prone to eat). The carbs are very low and I watch for those like a hawk.
That really sums up the nothing lost/nothing gained situation for me, at least. I would imagine if I adhered more directly to a ketogenic regimen - especially focusing on less snacking and keeping the fats > proteins in the foods I eat - I would see better results. I also know that some people have varying needs in terms of calories, fats, proteins, carbs, etc...it's possible that I am simply overdoing something (I think the calorie intake is no bueno). No more sipping whipping cream here and there for me haha!
Speaking of whipping cream...oh man, for a carb free, healthy fats snack/dessert...whipping up whipping cream with stevia is so fabulous. I usually use about 1/2c. to 2/3c. of cream and one packet of NuNaturals NuStevia (https://nunaturals.com/product/121)...and it tastes as good as any canned whipped cream product with 1 net carb (depending on the whipping cream of choice, I actually like WalMart's Great Value because it's the cheapest AND it actually tastes the best of the brands I've tried with 0 carbs in it). The NuStevia does have 1 carb per packet, but the taste is so much better than any other brand of stevia I've ever tried...so I can accept that one carb for the perfect sweetener. :) Even my picky, sugar addicted boyfriend couldn't tell the difference and loved how it tasted.
I hope that I can keep up the good work on avoiding my food pitfalls. I feel good, and my digestive system ESPECIALLY is thanking me for what I have been giving it instead of what I was giving it before. As a person that has been prone to bouts of irritable bowel-like flare ups, eliminating all of the starches, grains, and sugars from my diet has worked wonders. I have not had any stomach cramping or loose stools in four or five weeks! For someone like me, that's unheard of. I have had days where I've been to the bathroom four or five times. Now, with my new diet, I typically go once a day like most normal people. I also, indirectly, have eliminated most sources of GMOs since I no longer eat processed foods and things such as soy, corn, and sugar. I love it!!!
Wednesday, June 19, 2013
This Is Not A "Diet."
It's a huge step in anyone's life journey, if they are an overweight person like myself, to sit back and realize that permanent weight loss can only be attained by realizing that your eating habits must also permanently change. To be able to tell yourself and anyone else that "this is not a diet" is a monumental realization. In the past I have tried any number of diets, usually with some sort of success that never lasted long beyond the diet itself. Fast food, pastas, ice cream (my ultimate favorite), and ridiculously oversized portions always would rear their ugly head eventually no matter the will-power I would begin any regiment with...because all "diets" tend to end at some point. After having my third child I fully embraced that I would have to permanently, with no exceptions, cut certain things out of my life...namely carbohydrates and sugar...if I wanted to ever reach the weight loss goals I wanted to see (getting below 200 lbs).
My infant daughter is eight weeks old today, and about four or five weeks ago I began abstaining from eating all of the foods I knew I shouldn't. I have not had a single piece of any type of grain, starchy vegetables, sugary products, fruit (except a few wild blackberries off of my property), or anything else in terms of excess carbohydrates. My staples are meats, cheeses, and fresh vegetables (excepting potatoes, corn, peas, or other starchy/sugary veggies). I also love healthy fats such as butter, heavy whipping cream (oh God I love this stuff, so I have to try to keep myself away from it!), and coconut oil. Full-fat salad dressings such as really good caesar or blue cheese are high on my favorites list as well. I have, without fail, not bent in terms of what I have eaten; at two family gatherings I ate only meat and did not have beans, cake, ice cream, or garlic bread.
The main thing that I try to focus on, rather than counting exact numbers like I should to really have a 100% "ketogenic" diet, is to keep my fat intake higher than my protein intake and keep my carbohydrate intake at a very low level (net carbs are usually about 20g or less per day I would estimate, with some fluctuations here and there but never above 30g). The fats, once again, are easy for me to intake: most of my favorite low carb items are higher in fat than they are in protein, and even with some items having a lot of protein I usually balance it out throughout the day by consuming fats like whipping cream or coconut oil. I make a low carb, high protein - high fat shake almost every morning for breakfast, usually consisting of protein powder (sugar free, stevia sweetened), unsweetened vanilla almond milk (zero net carbs), maca powder (this most likely has carbs, but the amount I use is a teaspoon which can only have five grams or less of carbs), and heavy whipping cream (to increase the fat content since none of the other items have much fat). This is a great on the run shake you can whip together in no time. The nutrition breakdown is as follows:
Fats -- ~25g (this can be increased by using more whipping cream and less almond milk than I do)
Protein -- 28g
Net Carbs -- 2g (or, with maca powder, around 6 or 7g total).
With something quick and easy like this instead of a cereal bar or some fast-food biscuit, I can easily stick to my goals and dietary needs without being tempted to consume something else. It is fully embracing my mantra that "this is not a diet." I love shakes, and adding this to my every day routine was simply logical. Sometimes, on the weekend, I will cook eggs with veggies instead, or some other more time consuming breakfast item...but I must admit that my one shake a day is so tasty that I am tempted to make another later :)
I am hoping that finding joy in what I can eat and avoiding what I shouldn't will keep my motivation high.
My infant daughter is eight weeks old today, and about four or five weeks ago I began abstaining from eating all of the foods I knew I shouldn't. I have not had a single piece of any type of grain, starchy vegetables, sugary products, fruit (except a few wild blackberries off of my property), or anything else in terms of excess carbohydrates. My staples are meats, cheeses, and fresh vegetables (excepting potatoes, corn, peas, or other starchy/sugary veggies). I also love healthy fats such as butter, heavy whipping cream (oh God I love this stuff, so I have to try to keep myself away from it!), and coconut oil. Full-fat salad dressings such as really good caesar or blue cheese are high on my favorites list as well. I have, without fail, not bent in terms of what I have eaten; at two family gatherings I ate only meat and did not have beans, cake, ice cream, or garlic bread.
The main thing that I try to focus on, rather than counting exact numbers like I should to really have a 100% "ketogenic" diet, is to keep my fat intake higher than my protein intake and keep my carbohydrate intake at a very low level (net carbs are usually about 20g or less per day I would estimate, with some fluctuations here and there but never above 30g). The fats, once again, are easy for me to intake: most of my favorite low carb items are higher in fat than they are in protein, and even with some items having a lot of protein I usually balance it out throughout the day by consuming fats like whipping cream or coconut oil. I make a low carb, high protein - high fat shake almost every morning for breakfast, usually consisting of protein powder (sugar free, stevia sweetened), unsweetened vanilla almond milk (zero net carbs), maca powder (this most likely has carbs, but the amount I use is a teaspoon which can only have five grams or less of carbs), and heavy whipping cream (to increase the fat content since none of the other items have much fat). This is a great on the run shake you can whip together in no time. The nutrition breakdown is as follows:
Fats -- ~25g (this can be increased by using more whipping cream and less almond milk than I do)
Protein -- 28g
Net Carbs -- 2g (or, with maca powder, around 6 or 7g total).
With something quick and easy like this instead of a cereal bar or some fast-food biscuit, I can easily stick to my goals and dietary needs without being tempted to consume something else. It is fully embracing my mantra that "this is not a diet." I love shakes, and adding this to my every day routine was simply logical. Sometimes, on the weekend, I will cook eggs with veggies instead, or some other more time consuming breakfast item...but I must admit that my one shake a day is so tasty that I am tempted to make another later :)
I am hoping that finding joy in what I can eat and avoiding what I shouldn't will keep my motivation high.
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