The avocado is tops among foods that I've come to love on my LCHF diet. As I wrote in an earlier post, I never even ate guacamole until I was in my twenties, let alone a whole ripe avocado. Now I can't get enough of the berry. (That's what Wikipedia says it is.) Apparently, I'm not the only avocado-lover out there. In the United States, per capita consumption of fresh avocados climbed from just over two pounds in 2000 to seven pounds in 2015. Fresh avocado has become so popular that some emergency rooms have reported an epidemic of serious hand-cuts from improperly slicing through the pebbly green skin. "Avocado hand," they call it. The best way to avoid injury is to put the big berry down on a flat surface to cut it open. Of course, it also helps to use the right tool. A number of … [Read more ...]
Super simple low-carb pancakes
The need for super simple low-carb pancakes People new to the LCHF diet and life-style often miss their customary carb-laden comfort food. Personally, I think the best approach is to move on, embrace your new way of eating, and not try to recreate in low-carb form all the breads, pastas, and baked goods you used to enjoy. But a few exceptions may be good for your morale, and not hurt your carb count much or at all. … [Read more ...]
Fiber makes Brussels sprouts low-carb
Brussels sprouts, those cute little mini-cabbages named after a Belgium city, are one of the higher carb vegetables that I regularly eat. One cup of plain cooked Brussels sprouts will set you back about 11 grams of carbohydrates, and 4 grams of protein. All that, and you only get 55 or 56 calories of energy. That means a lot of us will be inclined to eat more than a cup. I probably eat between a cup-and-a-half and two cups at a time. As with other green vegetables, there is little fat naturally present in Brussels sprouts, just eight-tenths of a gram of fat in the one-cup portion. … [Read more ...]
What about dietary fat and fatty liver disease?
A while ago, I published my annual blood test results for the last seven years. In terms of cardiovascular indicators, the tests were good. I did a little victory lap, celebrating (1) that I was still alive and (2) that the test results showed my LCHF diet seems to be doing me more good than harm. Then I heard something that gave me pause. It wasn't about heart health or clogged arteries. It was about fatty livers. I heard the claim in a podcast, the Tim Ferriss Show for May 12, 2017. Ferriss was interviewing Art De Vany. De Vany is well-known figure in Paleo Diet circles, and he published … [Read more ...]
Low-carb brunch on a summer Sunday
I took a walk this morning, swinging around the city cemetery (always inspirational), and came loping home with an appetite. That, of course, is the rub for all those who think they can work-out to lose weight. The more you work, the hungrier you get. Having eaten a modest breakfast four-and-a-half hours earlier, I figured a low-carb brunch was in order. Here's what I made myself: Pictured are two eggs scrambled in coconut oil, a salmon patty, and five halved fresh strawberries. The salmon is wild-caught Alaskan, full of protein and omega-3 oil, and reputed to be an excellent food for … [Read more ...]
Coffee = Life = Coffee
Early on in my low-carb adventure, I ran across the advice to stop drinking coffee. That nearly ended my low-carb adventure right then. There are some things you can't give up. Coffee's at the top of my list. Repeat after me, friends: "Coffee is life, life is coffee." That is all ye know on earth, and all ye need to know. Coffee is low-carb -- right? There are carbs in black coffee -- about a tenth of a gram in a cup. S0 coffee is low-carb, though not quite as low-carb as plain water. In fact, black coffee has very little in terms of macro-nutrients of any kind. So why would low-carb … [Read more ...]
Intermittent feasting for weight loss (LCN 63)
Feast, fast, or something else? Low Carb Nugget 63 A study out of Australia suggests that breaking up a calorie-restricted diet with periods of increased eating (relative feasts) could produce better results for weight loss. Researchers at the University of Tasmania reported their findings in the International Journal of Obesity. What exactly were the findings and what might they mean for those of us on a low carb, high fat diet? … [Read more ...]
Keto vs. paleo infographic
Eating keto, eating paleo Both diets feature quality meats, wild-caught fish, and healthy fats. What else do they have in common? What are the important differences? Which diet should you eat? Attribution: https://zerocater.com … [Read more ...]
Keto targets for fat, protein & carbs (LCN 60)
Keto-safe targets for fat, protein & carbs Low Carb Nugget 60 To start or restart a ketogenic diet, you need to think about your macro-nutrient targets. Both carbs and protein need to be strictly limited, but dietary fat will be your friend. What are specific macro-nutrient targets? [Update] … [Read more ...]
Mice live longer, healthier on ketogenic diet, studies claim
A couple new studies find that a ketogenic diet promotes a longer, healthier lifespan. That's great, but the results have only been confirmed for lab mice. I've written about mouse-based dietary studies a few times over the years. None have impressed me much. Some have seemed quite odd. For instance, way back in 2011, I wrote a post entitled "Eating fish makes mice fat, study claims." Scientists fed some little rodents farmed raised salmon, and some the same diet without salmon, and found the fish-eating mice suffered more insulin resistance, visceral obesity, and glucose intolerance. As the … [Read more ...]
Chia: yet another low-carb seed
The stereotypical low-carb diet is heavy on meat, eggs, butter and cream. To be sure, I've eaten my share of such animal-based fare, but the most notable newcomers to my diet have been plant-based foods such as nuts and seeds. I've always eaten peanuts (which technically are not a nut), pistachios and the occasional cashew. But on my low-carb diet, I've become a big fan of almonds, walnuts, sunflower kernels and flax seed meal. Now I have added chia seeds, the Aztec staple. … [Read more ...]