Do we eat more because we eat more often? Yes, says a study that claims Americans eat 570 more calories per day now than they did 30 years ago because they are eating all of the time. The study's lead author, Professor Barry Popkin of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, told CNN Health that "the real reason we seem to be eating more (calories) is we're eating often." But is eating frequency all there is to it, or does what a person eats make a difference? To say we are eating more because we eat more often simply raises the question of why we indulge between meals. Is it just that we need to be doing something with our hands and mouths? (There are other possibilites!) Or is it that we are experiencing more hunger between meals than we used to? The key question is, why are … [Read more ...]
Presenting The Best of Life after Carbs
Available across the Web! My ebook, The Best of Life after Carbs, is now in wider release. You can find it at multiple online stores: Amazon, Apple, Barnes & Noble, and Kobo. Just click this Universal Book Link, and then select your favorite store. The book is part memoir, part how-to. The 30+ chapters in the book are based on posts from this blog. Yes, you could read them all here for free, in some form. But if you enjoy ebooks, and want to support my efforts, here's your chance to do us both a favor. I'll take it as a sign I'm doing something right! A few of the questions addressed … [Read more ...]
Baked, broiled or deep-fried: how do you like your variables?
Study: Baked, Broiled — But Not Fried — Fish Is Good for the Heart – TIME Healthland, May 26, 2011. Want a healthier heart? Try adding fish to your diet. But be careful how it's cooked, a new study warns: baked or broiled fish will boost heart health, but fried fish is probably better left uneaten. Heart failure risk lower in women who often eat baked/broiled fish--American Heart Association, Press Release, May 24, 2011. This study showed that the type of fish and cooking method may affect heart failure risk. The researchers found that dark fish (salmon, mackerel and bluefish) were … [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 ...]
A low-carb dieter’s blood test results (updated)
When I first began eating my low-carb, high-fat (LCHF) diet, and losing pounds and inches around the middle, I encountered the occasional nay-sayer -- someone who was sure all that fat in my food was going to clog up my arteries and kill me dead, sooner rather than later. I've escaped that fate for six years. Indeed, within a few months of starting my low-carb diet, I had significantly reduced my belly-fat, and my blood-pressure. Those were powerful indicators that I was improving my odds of avoiding cardio-vascular disease and a heart-attack. But a skeptic might say, "What about the … [Read more ...]
Easy Eggs Florentine
In my low-carb, high-fat reincarnation, I find myself cooking more and trying new dishes. No longer can I slap ham and cheese between whole-wheat bread, garnish with potato chips, and call it lunch. A bit of creativity is in order. But only a bit. I am a simple man. My method as both a cook and a writer is the same: I simplify. As a writer, I compose a sentence, and then go over it to remove words. I’m hell on adjectives and adverbs. Call it the “blue pencil” approach (or maybe the "Twitter Technique"). I take the same blue pencil to recipes. An example is this recipe for Easy Eggs … [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 ...]
A real person eating (mostly) real food
One day, in a fit of flexibility, I changed the tag-line of my blog from whatever it used to be to "a real person eating (mostly) real food." I feel I ought to explain -- to define my terms, or at least try to. First, what do I mean by a "real person"? I mean me, of course, good ol' Jim Anderson -- as ordinary a guy as you will ever meet, with an ordinary name, the son of a factory-working man and a home-making woman. A guy born in a city whose name denotes a hard, sharp, slivered rock -- the ideal material for sparking fires or shaping arrow-heads. I don't think any of that makes me … [Read more ...]
Another look at protein (LCN 61)
Reconsidering my protein target Low Carb Nugget 61 Dietary protein intake is an important number to get right. If you eat too little protein over a long stretch, your body will suffer. If you eat too much protein, you could be at greater risk for kidney problems, and your blood glucose may rise, requiring a release of insulin. Exactly how much protein you should eat depends on several factors. Your size and activity level are two. Show Links "How Much Protein Should You Eat Per Day?" Kris Gunnars. HealthLine. June 8, 2017. "Keto targets for fat, protein & carbs (LCN 60)." The Art … [Read more ...]
What is a low carb diet?
When I say that I follow a low carbohydrate way of eating, what do I mean? When you say it, what do you mean? I suspect we might all mean something a little different -- or even a lot different -- if we were to get down to specific foods we include or avoid, or to the number of grams of carbs we consume per day. The title of my blog -- "Life After Carbs" -- implies that I don't eat any carbs at all, but of course that's not true. The title ought to be interpreted as meaning, "Life after over-coming my craving for carbohydrates and eliminating most carbs from my diet." However, that's a … [Read more ...]
Cooking top sirloin on the grill
Summer is a great time to be low-carbing. Nothing says low-carb like a big hunk of red meat on an open grill. That's what we ate for dinner last night, and here's how I prepared it. 1. Get yourself a good fire going. The one pictured here was started 15 minutes before; it wouldn't hurt to wait another ten minutes, but I rarely have that much patience. 2. Plunk down a couple juicy steaks. This is top sirloin, about a pound and a half, nicely marbled. The cow it came from wasn't grass-fed, though, which is something to consider when eating large amounts of meat. … [Read more ...]