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 mouthful. As a writer, you want a title that's long enough to get your point across, and no longer. Readers will forgive a bit of exaggeration. The book Atkins for Life (affiliate link), by the late … [Read more ...]
Sardines: low-carb, high-fat lunch in a tin
A tin of sardines makes a quick, easy, nutritious and portable low-carb lunch or snack. It's another food item that I seldom, or never, ate before going low-carb, a hard-to-explain list that includes salmon, almonds, macadamia nuts, and fresh avocado. Lately, I've been buying Season Brand Sardines in five-tin packs at Costco. (For the record, I receive no consideration from either of those companies, but may from Amazon.com, which sells several brands of sardines, including the Season Skinless and Boneless Sardines in Olive Oil, 3.75-Ounce Tins.) Aside from reliable quality and a decent price … [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 ...]
Low-carb road-trip eating
When my wife was 11 years old, she was mesmerized by Peter Tork, a member of the Monkees. Depending on whom you ask, the Monkees were either actors in a TV comedy or musicians in a rock-band. Or both. My wife would say both, and more, but her focus was always on the blond, hazel-eyed Mr. Tork. It still is. All of this explains why she and I drove to Merrillville, Indiana, yesterday to watch the Monkees (three of the four, anyway) perform at the Star Plaza Theatre. It was a stop on the group's 45th anniversary tour. Since "the guys," as Anita calls them, were in their early to mid-twenties … [Read more ...]
Chowing down low-carb style at Red Robin
I try to be a food-snob, I really do, but it seldom works for long. Despite years of education, and my wife's best attempts to refine me, I remain a regular guy with regular guy tastes -- such as, for instance, the Bacon Cheeseburger at our local Red Robin. (For the record, I get nothing from that restaurant chain except the food I pay for.) Red Robin calls this a "Gourmet" burger. I'm not sure what criteria a gourmet burger has to meet, or even if I care. It's a good sandwich -- a hefty low-carb meal you can hold in your hand. However, I recommend the two-handed approach. It's safer that … [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 ...]
Avocado gadgets reviewed
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 … [Read more ...]
High-carb, low-fat diets associated with increased risk of early death
A major new study has found an association between low-fat diets and an increased risk of premature death. The large epidemiological cohort study, published in The Lancet, followed more than 135,000 people in 18 countries around the world to uncover the relationship between dietary macro-nutrients and cardiovascular disease and mortality. High, middle, and low-income groups were included. The researchers documented nearly 5,800 deaths and 4,800 major cardiovascular disease events in the cohort during the follow-up period. … [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 ...]
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 ...]
Low-carb snacks to keep the munchies at bay
Yes, there are great low-carb snacks -- quite a few of them, in fact -- but standard munchables such as potato chips and corn chips aren't among them. No, neither are little powdered donuts. Admittedly, anyone trying to lose weight, via a low-carb diet or otherwise, ought to avoid snacking as much as possible. The whole idea is to encourage your body to burn its fat, and constantly eating is poor strategy in that regard. However, if you're like me (that is, human), you like to eat and eat often. In my first year of eating a low-carb, high-fat diet, I snacked my way to a 50+ pound weight … [Read more ...]