Life After Carbs

A real person eating (mostly) real food

Fat governors, fat taxes, and me

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I've had trouble deciding on the topic for this blog post. This is a sure sign that someone is taking his blogging too seriously. When I started out, any post with the words "low carb" in it was good enough. Good enough for me, anyway, if not my readers. But in the early days, I didn't have any readers. (The way this post is going, that could come to pass again.) Enough stalling. Let's get down to picking a topic. What has been the big food, diet, weight or nutrition news of the last few … [Read more...]

Chia: yet another low-carb seed

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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...]

My low-carb breakfasts

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Often after I've told a friend or acquaintance about my low-carb way of eating, and explained that I no longer wheat, corn, rice or potatoes, one of the first questions I get is, "But what do you eat for breakfast?" Breakfast seems to be the carb-lover's favorite meal. I know my own breakfasts used to be carborific. My standard morning meal was cereal, milk, orange juice and coffee. I frequently added a slice or two whole-wheat toast with jam. Some mornings, I skipped the cereal and … [Read more...]

Reduced carb diet is the best for your genes

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What is the healthiest diet? A study at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (Feed your genes - NTNU) examined molecular evidence to try to answer the question. The result, according to the Norwegian biologists, is that the best diet for your genes is one-third protein, one-third fat and one-third carbohydrates. It's not exactly a low-carb diet, but it is reduced carb. Indeed, such an evenly balanced diet would represent a 50% or greater reduction in carb intake for the average … [Read more...]

Progress Report 9-5-11: Six months on a low-carb diet

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After half-a-year eating the low-carb way, I have good news to report on my weight and other health factors.  Last Friday I had my annual physical exam. The doctor's scale confirmed that I was 44 pounds lighter than at my physical a year ago, and 47 pounds lighter than my all-time highest recorded weight.  My doctor characterized my blood lipid numbers as "the best ever." "I'd prescribe a lot fewer meds if my patients just lost weight like this," he said. He noted that my Body-Mass Index a … [Read more...]

Helping the President raise awareness about childhood obesity

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Happy National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month! That's right, September 2011 has been so proclaimed by President Obama. The President notes that a third of American children are obese or over-weight and urges "all Americans to take action by learning about and engaging in activities that promote healthy eating and greater physical activity by all our Nation's children." I can't find a place on the proclamation to leave a comment, so I'll do it here. Mr. President, I'm with you on the … [Read more...]

Low-carb omnivores of the world, unite!

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Over the months that I've been eating a low-carb diet, my views on what that diet is have evolved considerably. First, at the start, I thought my goal was simply to lose weight, and that any improvements in my health would be the result of eliminating the beach ball of blubber that was my middle. Second, I thought that eating a low-carbohydrate diet meant eating lots of meat relative to other kinds of foods. In other words, being more carnivore than omnivore. Now I see better health as my … [Read more...]

Italian Green Bean Salad

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For years, Anita has been putting together a summer salad with green beans, tomatoes and red onion. It's an old family recipe. She calls it "Italian Green Bean Salad" in honor of her father, who's an old Italian. It's a delicious, nutritious summer treat, and reasonably low-carb. This summer, with a bumper crop of beans, cucumbers, hot peppers and tomatoes growing in our backyard garden, we were looking forward to making salads with the freshest, most organic of ingredients. Then blossom-end … [Read more...]

The bean that ate America

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Those Americans like me with reservations about eating soy are apparently a small minority of the populace.  According to a recent survey, 81% of Americans view soy as healthy. OK, the Consumer Attitudes about Nutrition survey (PDF file) was conducted by the United Soy Board (USB), so there is reason to be suspicious of its findings. Oddly, I'm not that suspicious. I think the average American doesn't know beans about soy, but is willing to give it the benefit of the doubt. Just a short … [Read more...]

Another typical day in my life after carbs: 8-15-11

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The first time I wrote about a typical day of eating low-carb, it turned out not to be completely typical. But it was a real day. The truth is, I don't have a set routine, a rigid plan, but just some general guidelines. Mostly, I aim to keep my total net carbs per day under 45 and my total calories under 2,100. (Net carbs are total carbohydrates minus fiber.) I pay little direct attention to calories. If I only eat when I'm hungry and avoid grains, starchy vegetables, sugary treats and … [Read more...]