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federicaSeeker of the clear blue sky...Its better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak out and remove all doubtModerator
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JeroenLuminous beings are we, not this crude matterNetherlandsVeteran
edited June 2017
I thought I had found a way to be comfortably hungry... then I made the mistake of buying a pound of 'giechels' (liquorice) at the market... now they haunt me, those round, soft, black, tasty giechels, sitting in their bag below my television. I've lost all of 100 grams in the last week, ouch.
@Kerome I'm always curious about licorice, since it's so different everywhere. Being Finnish, I once tried Finnish licorice, and oh my. Theirs is ammonia-based and while the first chew is a typical pleasant black licorice, it is quickly followed by ammonia. So really it's like eating licorice soaked in cat urine, So awful.
Once I buy a treat, I'm doomed! We have a huge festival coming up here, and I always treat myself to an authentic Gyro. I am unsure what I will do. I might just do it anyways and deal with the consequences because they are unbelievably delicious.
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JeroenLuminous beings are we, not this crude matterNetherlandsVeteran
Here in Holland at the markets there are sweets stalls with a good 50 types of licorice, everything from chewy to hard and sweet to salty. My mother likes licorice with bay tree leaf flavours... something for everybody
Interesting! Our licorice selection is pretty bland. Most of it is just syrup-laced crap. You can find some real stuff that is imported, which is much better. Would be interesting to try different flavors. Were I able to eat it, of course
For 3 days I had awful cravings for molten lava cake due to a particularly horrible case of PMS. Thankfully they passed without my eating any cake!
Our licorice is called Twizzlers (brand) sugary probably same as karasti as I'm in Michigan two states away. Twizzlers does have black licorice which has that anise flavor or red licorice I guess like cherry flavor or something. I do like anise flavor though and sometimes drink anise flavored herbal tea without the sugar.
For sweets I discovered a place called Menchies but luckily it is far away and on my way back from tutoring so I can indulge only occasionally.
@Jeffrey since MI also has a fairly high Finnish population, you might be able to find some imported black licorice (look out for the ammonia-based, hehe) or even Panda which is also imported from Finland. We can find it at the local grocery store but it's in the "international foods" section rather than candy, and comes in a box. But unlike the syrupy candy that passes for licorice, the real stuff has a laxative effect if you aren't careful how much you eat
@karasti come to think of it I hadn't thought of the world section of the grocery store. We might have some Finnish candies in our grocery but there are more Finnish people in the upper peninsula of Michigan. Here in my city we have many people of Dutch ancestry and you can tell by the blond hair and I have seen some Dutch candies but I don't think I have tried them much but remember sending my brother a care package of some non-melting Dutch candies one time.
My husband works for our state government, and as part of their wellness programs, they occasionally have speakers and incentive programs, etc. Today, they had a dietician come in. Expected the typical lecture, especially after the AHA said how evil coconut oil was last week But nope, she confirmed what we already know. Eat more healthy butter, eat more eggs, sugar is what'll give you heart disease. Yay! Not that I needed more confirmation, but it was nice to see that info working into larger arenas finally. My husband said "I didn't learn anything new, but she confirmed we aren't crazy. She sounded JUST like you "More butter, more eggs, no sugar..." LOL
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federicaSeeker of the clear blue sky...Its better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak out and remove all doubtModerator
Be careful of eating too much liquorice if you or your family have a history of high blood pressure or heart problems.
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federicaSeeker of the clear blue sky...Its better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak out and remove all doubtModerator
edited July 2017
@josh, have you seen this?? It's the British NHS fer chrissakes! A Body which purports to put the health of the British public at the forefront, and to be of paramount priority! (That was a joke, btw...!)
I am utterly flabbergasted. So much so that I was prompted to actually write a response to their Choices Health desk!
Peeps - read the linked article first. If nothing comes of it, it would be good for a laugh - if it wasn't so tragic!
MY reponse:
I've rarely been prompted by articles on the internet to react or respond, but the advice given in the linked article above is both grossly inaccurate and arguably positively dangerous.
There is abundant evidence available to prove that not only do we eat far too many carbs, but that in fact they are superfluous to the point of redundancy.
What matters most is good intake of proteins and fats. Trans fats being at the low end of the amount consumed.
They do NOT give you 'bad' cholesterol - there is no such thing. Human beings makes between 2000 - 3000mg/day on their own.
You really, as a source of health information, truly need to get your facts right. I and countless others are testament to a correct and healthy regimen of high protein, fats and low - or no - carbohydrates.
The whole article is currently the running joke on a health and fitness forum dedicated to LCHP/F adherents.
I have lost 2 stone. My Husband, who WAS a diabetes type 2 sufferer, has lost three, and no longer HAS diabetes. We have both undergone blood tests and health checks, and we are both advised our health - across the board - is excellent and commendable.
Please.
Check your facts.
The above article is total and utter rubbish and needs serious review. If not total deletion.
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federicaSeeker of the clear blue sky...Its better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak out and remove all doubtModerator
edited July 2017
Couple of (lengthy but EXTREMELY worthwhile) videos to get your LCHF teeth into....
Dr. Stephen Phinney - 'Recent Developments in LCHF and Nutritional Ketosis' (Part 2) (1 hour 25 minutes 26) I did say they were long.
But this guy is probably one of the most respected, sensible, knowledgeable and informative pioneers of LCHF living today.
(He also explains why Cholesterol seems to give such a high reading after giving up carbs and losing the weight.... But I will have to find that video....)
I love Phinney and Volek's stuff. So fascinating and so well written and scientific yet easy to understand for anyone who wants to. I love learning the ins and outs of everything. It's not enough for something to work for me, I have to know why, and what it's doing in my body to be satisfied, Thanks for the links!
I read somewhere (I'll see if I can find it, it might actually have been in Phinney and Volek's "Art of Low Carb Living" book) that one of the worst things you can do is eat carbs and bad fats together, which of course is what most people tend to do. Processed carbs and things like fake butter products and vegetable oil type things are a horrible combination. The medical complex has equated that to "saturated fats are bad for you" without looking where people are getting their fats. It's not that it's bad for you, it's that marjarine is bad for you but they don't make the distinction at all. Your body deals with saturated fats different when it doesn't also have an overload of carbs to deal with. Butter might appear worse for you with more saturated fat than marjarine, but it's totally not true. Unless you are eating your butter with a giant stack of pancakes. Then we determine the butter is the issue when it's the pancakes and the syrup that are the problem. I'll see if I can find their info, it made so much sense to me.
In recipe news, I was looking for ways to spice up eggs for me, and found that scrambled eggs with smoked salmon and cream cheese and chives is to die for.
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federicaSeeker of the clear blue sky...Its better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak out and remove all doubtModerator
I feel bad now.
I've known that about salmon and eggs like, for ever.....
My family growing up was very...steak and potatoes. They still are. I love all sorts of food and love trying new things, but creativity in the kitchen on my own is not my strong suit. So yay for buzzfeed's '12 new days to do scrambled eggs' heh. I also learned that while I love blue cheese (not dressing) in my salads, I do not like it warmed with my eggs. Blech. Plus it smelled awful cooking. I figured I'd try it anyways, because hing/asofoetida smells awful, too, but tastes divine.
@federica said: Be careful of eating too much liquorice if you or your family have a history of high blood pressure or heart problems.
I love licorice tea.
Have been drinking like mad the past couple of years.
I guess I know how my blood pressure shot so high in the same time span...
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federicaSeeker of the clear blue sky...Its better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak out and remove all doubtModerator
Just came across an article talking about Blood Group diets.... Anybody have any opinions, or know about it...? Am doing some research myself.....
I'm O+, and as such have the most common blood group. Here's what I - and other O+'s - am/are supposedly permitted to eat and discouraged from eating..
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silverIn the beginning there was nothing, and then it exploded.USA, Left coast.Veteran
edited July 2017
Speaking of licorice, we have 2 main brands, and to me Twizzlers looks and tastes like plastic. Red Vines (even though it comes in black too) is the brand name of my go-to - BUT I haven't had an interest in licorice for a long time because of the sugar.
I recently loosened the reins on Cheetos - I had to go cold turkey years ago because I couldn't walk by a display without shaking and caving in. So, a month ago, I had 2 of the large bags 1X a week. Then last week, had a medium sized bag - then I happened to read a reminder of what the ingredients are, and I threw the rest out, which amounted to 1/3rd of the bag. Proud of myself for that!
I'm about to go back to tuna and eggs and cutting back, portion-wise on everything.
I just worry about buying the best tuna because of the mercury etc.
We have this regional brand of licorice called Kenny's which are different fruit flavored licorices (not really licorice at all, just shaped the same) that are really good. But again, I'll eat half the package so I just don't buy it. Toffifay are probably my favorite candy. Evil things,
@federica I have heard of it but never looked into it. I was reading up on a page (dadamo.com) and it had some interesting bits. I find a lot of it doesn't fit me (but found it interesting lentils should be avoided, and I ate a lot of lentils on my vegan diet where I gained 8 pounds in a month). I found the history of my blood type interesting, because it is strong in east Asia and India, but my ancestry isn't remotely close to any of those. Very nordic here, lol. The exercise recommendations for meditative activities was right, but I actually prefer vigorous exercise otherwise. It recommended tennis, golf, and cycling and exercising with others. No thank you! I can't stand exercising with others, not even my husband. I hate golf. I do like biking, but more mountain bike style than cycling. I'll have to read up more on it, and I'm sure personality still comes into play.
Yes Toffifay are really delicious. I buy the small pack in the check out lane. 4 of the little gems per pack. So good with coffee.
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federicaSeeker of the clear blue sky...Its better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak out and remove all doubtModerator
I am aiming for a high-protein low-to- zero carb intake (which is, of course, impossible! virtually everything has carbs in it!) but am increasing my cardio. Now, given that I have one over-worked leg, with a partner that's basically half-useless, I've found some great cardio work-outs for those who to be honest, are "worse off" than I. In wheelchairs or the elderly.
In order to 'workout' harder, I'm incorporating weights.
I'm more or less at target weight, but still have a little jelly-belly, so rather than decrease calories (which may see me reducing muscle) I'm actually maintaining and increasing toning and cardio exercises.
My H has, incidentally, moved 'further down' the weight-scale and is now nearly 4 stone lighter, having reached 12st. 10lbs, which he last saw in his late teens. That means he's lost around 50lbs, give or take, and in American money, he's now at 178lbs. He was originally on, or around 230lbs....
Can't believe what a convert he is.
Let's be honest: He still misses his 'old stuff'. But he's looking so lean and lovely now, I think he's seen the light and is off them for good.
Yeah, when you see such good results it's a lot easier to say no to the stuff you previously couldn't live without. Feeling good (in all ways) is worth so much more than the momentary pleasure of junk.
When I don't eat enough, I crave junk. My kids got about 8 pounds of candy from the 4th of July parade, I had to put it out of sight. I won't go retrieve it, but if I'm hungry and it's on the counter, I'll steal their candy
I usually have BPC when I get up and do my reading, but even at half amounts of fats, it keeps me full so long I'm not hungry until 11am or so, which means I am then eating brunch and dinner, but it's not enough calories, so I am craving snacks in the evening. Decided I needed to get up earlier and do coffee, so I have time for all 3 meals.
I added in body weight exercise (on top of yoga that I do daily) to help with some muscle and get some cardio. They are pretty effective for only 20 mins a day, most of it is HIIT.
I follow Dr Greger, a physician who was inspired to become one through his Grandma's recovery from heart disease - she was given weeks to live, after three triple heart bypasses, and went on to live 30 years by going on a whole foods plant based diet (it's the only diet documented in a study to reverse heart disease). He reads EVERY SINGLE medical paper published to a medical journal each year and posts the info online for people to read - he is not for profit. As such, I find him the most trustworthy source of info on nutrition - it's all evidence based and he makes no money from it, so has no reason to push a certain style of eating - more extreme eating habits tend to have money to be made from them. He wrote an amazing book called How Not to Die - how to prevent and sometimes reverse our top causes of death (cancer, alzhimers, depression/suicide/heart disease etc). Amazing book and best thing I've read on nutrition and I've always been very interested in it. Basically whole food, plant based diet - limited sugar, salt and oil is the best diet for human beings - https://nutritionfacts.org. I tend to follow this in the week and the eat what I want on the weekend. Makes me shudder that I followed the Paleo thing for a bit!!
@Kaydeekay Except when someone's body doesn't process things normally, then even healthy plant food aren't processed normally. There is no one exact ideal diet for every human on the plant because we all originate from areas where our many eras of ancestors thrived on different things. I promise you an Inuit who has been living for eras on a oily fish diet isn't going to thrive on a plant-based diet. Yet they are some of the healthiest people on the planet. Our processed food is a major issue, but once it causes major changes in our bodies, what works to put us back to normal is very different for everyone. I was on a vegan diet for many weeks. Gained weight. My body simply doesn't process carbs anymore, whether they are really healthy or not. The carbs I do eat are almost entirely vegetables with a bit of fruit. But being on a plant-based diet meant way too many carbs for what my body could process healthily.
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federicaSeeker of the clear blue sky...Its better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak out and remove all doubtModerator
edited July 2017
I eat bucketloads of salt. And no, contrary to popular belief, it's not bad for you. In fact the reverse is true. We all don't eat enough salt.
Frankly, in my opinion, if you read 100 articles and 90 of them are incorrect, you're still going to base your actions on doing the wrong thing, simply because it's the majority information. You're going to disregard the minority (that happens to be more accurate and correct), because you're going to be under the impression that because there is less information, it must therefore be wrong.
I wouldn't trust anything in a Medical Journal as far as I could throw it as a paper plane, based on its own evidence alone.
It's the Medical journals which are telling us that fats are bad and carbs are good. Ha ha.
Something about pharmaceuticals, profit margins, scaremongering, misinforming.... I dunno, something along those lines....
Indeed @federica . regardless of what any doctor, any journal, any study says, the only proof I need is in my own health. I had a checkup last month, and every marker has improved since going low carb in March. I feel good. I have tons of energy. I sleep well. This is truly the best I have felt in the past 8 years. My doctor knows me well, and thankfully he is supportive of my minimal medical intervention ways, and said "whatever you're doing, keep doing, because it's working for you. And in the end, that is the only thing that counts. I know lots of people who have experienced the same on a plant-based diet, so that's great for them! But our bodies are very individual, which is why there is always a study to refute what another study says.
For high blood pressure people have different reactions to salt was what they taught in pharmacy school. Salt sensitive and salt insensitive. And generally people sensitive to salt benefited from 'volume effect' drugs like diuretics whereas salt insensitive benefited more from drugs that relax blood vessels (if I recall correctly). And the salt sensitive/insensitive had a genetic component and more African Americans were salt sensitive. So this is people who have high blood pressure and are not likely eating a whole plant diet (not common in America and even less common among high blood pressure population). Another thing to get from that is that what works for one person might not for another due to different bodies and genetics.
Paleolithic era was roughly 3 million years, and if by thrive you mean survive, that is what people did. IE People of that era ate what they could get their hands on, gathering and hunting via stone tools (Translation of paleolithic is old stone age, right?). Life span was mid thirties average; no intensive factory farming or processing, or no ethical considerations that people in 21st century face.
In terms of ethics the grains and water fed to livestock would arguably prevent human starvation. For most of us here, the point of contention is carbs via starches/ grains etc not plant based, per se (You thrive, they survive etc). The auto-immune response from glutens is a no-brainer for anyone without any food at all. Again, thrive vs survive- you're bound to do better than your ancestors no matter what.
@ownerof1000oddsocks I'm not remotely talking about paleo eras. I am talking about my great grandparents and other much closer relations ate prior to coming to the US. As they were in a Nordic country and my entire ancestral line had been up until 1916. Even then, my family ate cultural foods almost exclusively until the 70s.
We are well aware of everything you bring up. Please don't come here and destroy what has been a helpful and decent thread. We are far from uneducated on the matters. Low carb is not paleo. I don't recall asking to hear anything.
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federicaSeeker of the clear blue sky...Its better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak out and remove all doubtModerator
edited July 2017
@ownerof1000oddsocks, I would suggest that before you blast off at a tangent, and embarrass yourself by discussing something we haven't really touched on, and base your contributions on the merits and reputation on the blog of one single source of information (which, by the way is somewhat flawed) I would recommend you peruse this thread and read it thoroughly because you risk shooting yourself in the foot.
I look forward to hearing more from you when having studied this thread, and having watched the numerous videos posted, and having read the associated articles, you can engage in conversation in a more informed and intelligent manner.
One population mentioned was the Inuits as an example of a good health.
This can sometimes be mentioned as a reason to follow the same lifestyle- Look at them doing well, I will also do this.
I pointed out the difference between living within your means and living healthily. This isn't too far off the mark or so I believe.
Another thing mentioned was a level of education regarding ancestry, so perhaps there is some information or links that I have missed that would support the claim (in this case, health of Inuit people).
I gather that this is not the case. Of course there's no obligation to prove or disprove on your end, but I must show some information as to why I think this isn't the case.
federicaSeeker of the clear blue sky...Its better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak out and remove all doubtModerator
edited July 2017
You're not getting it. This whole thread has nothing to do with ancestry or paleo dieting.
We don't really care to discuss it.
Ancestry was mentioned once, on this page.
I suggest you read the other 6 pages to get the gist of what we're really interested in.
Low Carbs.
High Fat/Proteins.
Just a clue: Start at page 1 and work your way forward, ok?
Oh and btw: Your Lancet link doesn't actually take us anywhere.
@ownerof1000oddsocks The point is, you have an opinion and you've decided that if we have a different opinion, then obviously no one has told us the same information you have otherwise we'd agree with you. That's not the case. Like I said, I don't care about studies so much (though I read plenty of them) as I care about how I feel and how my doctor checkups come out. I mentioned ancestry because my ancestors (again, great grandparents and others who I actually knew in my life) lived nordic lifestyles that were quite low carb because of their climate. It's not so different from how I eat now, and is what works best for my body. I'm not suggesting that's the only reason. Nor am I saying everyone should eat like I do because it works for me or because it worked for my Finnish ancestors. The point is, we aren't here to argue you for our chosen way of eating because you assume we arrived at this conclusion without having the "proper" information and you couldn't be more wrong.
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federicaSeeker of the clear blue sky...Its better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak out and remove all doubtModerator
edited July 2017
Conclusion from the Inuit link:
"The life style of the Inuit is rapidly changing towards an increased cardiovascular risk factor profile [52]. Physical activity declines, obesity is widespread, the reliance on imported food increases, and the smoking rates are alarmingly high."
What therefore exactly, is your point, in relation to the whole of our 7-page discussion?
As somebody who has read all of this thread very carefully, received advice and tips on LCHF and now seen the direct results of putting the LCHF into action, I have to say both @federica and @karasti are very well informed and researched on this topic as well as generous in sharing their tips and advice.
Ultimately just like any theory including Buddhism, the proof is in the pudding ( no pun intended..ok maybe a little pun...).
The results and gp tests speak for themselves.
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federicaSeeker of the clear blue sky...Its better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak out and remove all doubtModerator
I honestly had no idea at the outset, once @josh had begun this thread, just how very fully I would be a confirmed LCHF/P-er! I began with a mild degree of cynicism. But the more I read, researched, investigated and probed, the more and more convinced by the overwhelming and thoroughly factual and well-founded evidence, I became.
So I didn't walk into this a willing and naive enthusiast. I did a lot of homework, and spoke to others on a forum, many others, all of whom could vouch for themselves just how totally reliable and safe this WoE is. So I am a convert - but a thoroughly informed and well-read one, for all that.
By the way, @Hozan, what's happening about your MFP membership....?
We've not done a whole crust, but have made garlic "bread" with cauliflower! Here, we cannot get it pre-riced, which is kind of a pain. It makes a dinner like pizza very time intensive when you have to cut and rice it yourself. I have been meaning to look if you can do it ahead of time and use it throughout the week, but haven't gotten to it yet. Anyone know? We have limited time to make dinner because my husband gets home at 4:45 and my oldest son generally leaves for work at 5:20. So doing stuff ahead of time, or faster dinners is where we are at.
Did chicken thighs and breasts in a lemon/cream/garlic sauce tonight. Quite yummy. I am way behind on my calories and everything else today. Had to go to the doctor, not my favorite thing so I get anxious and have no appetite! I had to get stitches, so now I can't workout (my main options, i can do other things) for a week either. Poo. I'm at 804 calories for today. Not going to be getting close to the 1500 I normally eat, but I find it balances out through the week most of the time.
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silverIn the beginning there was nothing, and then it exploded.USA, Left coast.Veteran
The guy who makes the pizza crust in the above video seems to have an impressive way of putting the recipe together - he cuts the florets off and uses a simple grater to 'rice' the cauliflower. Then he puts it in a frying pan to dry out the excess moisture. You should watch the video, maybe give his method a try.
We just use the food processor but the drying took a while. I'll have to ask my husband how he did that, I don't even know, lol. My son is a slow eater due to sensory issues, so we basically have 15-20 mins to have dinner finished.
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federicaSeeker of the clear blue sky...Its better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak out and remove all doubtModerator
edited July 2017
You can prepare the cauli rice ahead of time and just dump it in batches in the freezer. I currently have about 4 bags in there.
When I do cauli rice, I just put it in a non-stick frying pan, and let it heat through, then once thawed, add my fat of choice, and finish sautéeing.
Drying can be done in a really, really low oven.... Don't add salt.
@federica great! that will help a lot. Maybe that'll be my project for our rainy day tomorrow. Need to busy myself until my armpit heals since I can't do yoga or my other exercises.
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silverIn the beginning there was nothing, and then it exploded.USA, Left coast.Veteran
Leave it to Aunty @federica to have it all down to a science!
(and me wanting to have the last word!)
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federicaSeeker of the clear blue sky...Its better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak out and remove all doubtModerator
edited July 2017
@silver said:
Leave it to Aunty @federica to have it all down to a science!
(and me wanting to have the last word!)
Good luck with that....
(Don't even try it. Remember, I can delete... )
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federicaSeeker of the clear blue sky...Its better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak out and remove all doubtModerator
@federica said:
My daughter - after having seen the results in both my husband and me - has decided to go the same way. She 'stole' my Dr Jason Fung books.... She's keen, I'll give her that.... she only started yesterday, and she checks every label already! She's expressed horror at the carb content of so many foods....
from 19st 7 to 17st 11 in just under 2 months.... Bless her, am so proud!!
Comments
Found this an interesting article. For so long, people insisted sugar caused cancer growth and so many others insisted it was "hippie bullcrap." Turns out the hippies who believe in diet as health care were probably right.
http://www.nbcnews.com/health/cancer/here-s-how-sugar-might-fuel-growth-cancer-n488456?utm_content=buffer3fed8&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=buffer
I thought I had found a way to be comfortably hungry... then I made the mistake of buying a pound of 'giechels' (liquorice) at the market... now they haunt me, those round, soft, black, tasty giechels, sitting in their bag below my television. I've lost all of 100 grams in the last week, ouch.
@Kerome I'm always curious about licorice, since it's so different everywhere. Being Finnish, I once tried Finnish licorice, and oh my. Theirs is ammonia-based and while the first chew is a typical pleasant black licorice, it is quickly followed by ammonia. So really it's like eating licorice soaked in cat urine,
So awful.
Once I buy a treat, I'm doomed! We have a huge festival coming up here, and I always treat myself to an authentic Gyro. I am unsure what I will do. I might just do it anyways and deal with the consequences because they are unbelievably delicious.
Here in Holland at the markets there are sweets stalls with a good 50 types of licorice, everything from chewy to hard and sweet to salty. My mother likes licorice with bay tree leaf flavours... something for everybody
Interesting! Our licorice selection is pretty bland. Most of it is just syrup-laced crap. You can find some real stuff that is imported, which is much better. Would be interesting to try different flavors. Were I able to eat it, of course
For 3 days I had awful cravings for molten lava cake due to a particularly horrible case of PMS. Thankfully they passed without my eating any cake!
Our licorice is called Twizzlers (brand) sugary probably same as karasti as I'm in Michigan two states away. Twizzlers does have black licorice which has that anise flavor or red licorice I guess like cherry flavor or something. I do like anise flavor though and sometimes drink anise flavored herbal tea without the sugar.
For sweets I discovered a place called Menchies but luckily it is far away and on my way back from tutoring so I can indulge only occasionally.
@Jeffrey since MI also has a fairly high Finnish population, you might be able to find some imported black licorice (look out for the ammonia-based, hehe) or even Panda which is also imported from Finland. We can find it at the local grocery store but it's in the "international foods" section rather than candy, and comes in a box. But unlike the syrupy candy that passes for licorice, the real stuff has a laxative effect if you aren't careful how much you eat
@karasti come to think of it I hadn't thought of the world section of the grocery store. We might have some Finnish candies in our grocery but there are more Finnish people in the upper peninsula of Michigan. Here in my city we have many people of Dutch ancestry and you can tell by the blond hair and I have seen some Dutch candies but I don't think I have tried them much but remember sending my brother a care package of some non-melting Dutch candies one time.
My husband works for our state government, and as part of their wellness programs, they occasionally have speakers and incentive programs, etc. Today, they had a dietician come in. Expected the typical lecture, especially after the AHA said how evil coconut oil was last week
But nope, she confirmed what we already know. Eat more healthy butter, eat more eggs, sugar is what'll give you heart disease. Yay! Not that I needed more confirmation, but it was nice to see that info working into larger arenas finally. My husband said "I didn't learn anything new, but she confirmed we aren't crazy. She sounded JUST like you "More butter, more eggs, no sugar..." LOL
Be careful of eating too much liquorice if you or your family have a history of high blood pressure or heart problems.
@josh, have you seen this?? It's the British NHS fer chrissakes! A Body which purports to put the health of the British public at the forefront, and to be of paramount priority! (That was a joke, btw...!)
I am utterly flabbergasted. So much so that I was prompted to actually write a response to their Choices Health desk!
Peeps - read the linked article first. If nothing comes of it, it would be good for a laugh - if it wasn't so tragic!
MY reponse:
Couple of (lengthy but EXTREMELY worthwhile) videos to get your LCHF teeth into....
Dr. Stephen Phinney - 'Recent Developments in LCHF and Nutritional Ketosis' (Part 1) (57 minutes 30)
And...
Dr. Stephen Phinney - 'Recent Developments in LCHF and Nutritional Ketosis' (Part 2) (1 hour 25 minutes 26) I did say they were long.
But this guy is probably one of the most respected, sensible, knowledgeable and informative pioneers of LCHF living today.
(He also explains why Cholesterol seems to give such a high reading after giving up carbs and losing the weight.... But I will have to find that video....)
ETA: FOUND IT!!
Great, great article - spread it everywhere you can!!
I love Phinney and Volek's stuff. So fascinating and so well written and scientific yet easy to understand for anyone who wants to. I love learning the ins and outs of everything. It's not enough for something to work for me, I have to know why, and what it's doing in my body to be satisfied,
Thanks for the links!
I read somewhere (I'll see if I can find it, it might actually have been in Phinney and Volek's "Art of Low Carb Living" book) that one of the worst things you can do is eat carbs and bad fats together, which of course is what most people tend to do. Processed carbs and things like fake butter products and vegetable oil type things are a horrible combination. The medical complex has equated that to "saturated fats are bad for you" without looking where people are getting their fats. It's not that it's bad for you, it's that marjarine is bad for you but they don't make the distinction at all. Your body deals with saturated fats different when it doesn't also have an overload of carbs to deal with. Butter might appear worse for you with more saturated fat than marjarine, but it's totally not true. Unless you are eating your butter with a giant stack of pancakes. Then we determine the butter is the issue when it's the pancakes and the syrup that are the problem. I'll see if I can find their info, it made so much sense to me.
In recipe news, I was looking for ways to spice up eggs for me, and found that scrambled eggs with smoked salmon and cream cheese and chives is to die for.
I feel bad now.
I've known that about salmon and eggs like, for ever.....
I love licorice tea.
Have been drinking like mad the past couple of years.
I guess I know how my blood pressure shot so high in the same time span...
Just came across an article talking about Blood Group diets.... Anybody have any opinions, or know about it...? Am doing some research myself.....
I'm O+, and as such have the most common blood group.
Here's what I - and other O+'s - am/are supposedly permitted to eat and discouraged from eating..
Speaking of licorice, we have 2 main brands, and to me Twizzlers looks and tastes like plastic. Red Vines (even though it comes in black too) is the brand name of my go-to - BUT I haven't had an interest in licorice for a long time because of the sugar.
I recently loosened the reins on Cheetos - I had to go cold turkey years ago because I couldn't walk by a display without shaking and caving in. So, a month ago, I had 2 of the large bags 1X a week. Then last week, had a medium sized bag - then I happened to read a reminder of what the ingredients are, and I threw the rest out, which amounted to 1/3rd of the bag. Proud of myself for that!
I'm about to go back to tuna and eggs and cutting back, portion-wise on everything.
I just worry about buying the best tuna because of the mercury etc.
We have this regional brand of licorice called Kenny's which are different fruit flavored licorices (not really licorice at all, just shaped the same) that are really good. But again, I'll eat half the package so I just don't buy it. Toffifay are probably my favorite candy. Evil things,
@federica I have heard of it but never looked into it. I was reading up on a page (dadamo.com) and it had some interesting bits. I find a lot of it doesn't fit me (but found it interesting lentils should be avoided, and I ate a lot of lentils on my vegan diet where I gained 8 pounds in a month). I found the history of my blood type interesting, because it is strong in east Asia and India, but my ancestry isn't remotely close to any of those. Very nordic here, lol. The exercise recommendations for meditative activities was right, but I actually prefer vigorous exercise otherwise. It recommended tennis, golf, and cycling and exercising with others. No thank you! I can't stand exercising with others, not even my husband. I hate golf. I do like biking, but more mountain bike style than cycling. I'll have to read up more on it, and I'm sure personality still comes into play.
Yes Toffifay are really delicious. I buy the small pack in the check out lane. 4 of the little gems per pack. So good with coffee.
I am aiming for a high-protein low-to- zero carb intake (which is, of course, impossible! virtually everything has carbs in it!) but am increasing my cardio. Now, given that I have one over-worked leg, with a partner that's basically half-useless, I've found some great cardio work-outs for those who to be honest, are "worse off" than I. In wheelchairs or the elderly.
In order to 'workout' harder, I'm incorporating weights.
I'm more or less at target weight, but still have a little jelly-belly, so rather than decrease calories (which may see me reducing muscle) I'm actually maintaining and increasing toning and cardio exercises.
My H has, incidentally, moved 'further down' the weight-scale and is now nearly 4 stone lighter, having reached 12st. 10lbs, which he last saw in his late teens. That means he's lost around 50lbs, give or take, and in American money, he's now at 178lbs. He was originally on, or around 230lbs....
Can't believe what a convert he is.
Let's be honest: He still misses his 'old stuff'. But he's looking so lean and lovely now, I think he's seen the light and is off them for good.
Yeah, when you see such good results it's a lot easier to say no to the stuff you previously couldn't live without. Feeling good (in all ways) is worth so much more than the momentary pleasure of junk.
When I don't eat enough, I crave junk. My kids got about 8 pounds of candy from the 4th of July parade, I had to put it out of sight. I won't go retrieve it, but if I'm hungry and it's on the counter, I'll steal their candy
I usually have BPC when I get up and do my reading, but even at half amounts of fats, it keeps me full so long I'm not hungry until 11am or so, which means I am then eating brunch and dinner, but it's not enough calories, so I am craving snacks in the evening. Decided I needed to get up earlier and do coffee, so I have time for all 3 meals.
I added in body weight exercise (on top of yoga that I do daily) to help with some muscle and get some cardio. They are pretty effective for only 20 mins a day, most of it is HIIT.
I follow Dr Greger, a physician who was inspired to become one through his Grandma's recovery from heart disease - she was given weeks to live, after three triple heart bypasses, and went on to live 30 years by going on a whole foods plant based diet (it's the only diet documented in a study to reverse heart disease). He reads EVERY SINGLE medical paper published to a medical journal each year and posts the info online for people to read - he is not for profit. As such, I find him the most trustworthy source of info on nutrition - it's all evidence based and he makes no money from it, so has no reason to push a certain style of eating - more extreme eating habits tend to have money to be made from them. He wrote an amazing book called How Not to Die - how to prevent and sometimes reverse our top causes of death (cancer, alzhimers, depression/suicide/heart disease etc). Amazing book and best thing I've read on nutrition and I've always been very interested in it. Basically whole food, plant based diet - limited sugar, salt and oil is the best diet for human beings - https://nutritionfacts.org. I tend to follow this in the week and the eat what I want on the weekend. Makes me shudder that I followed the Paleo thing for a bit!!
@Kaydeekay Except when someone's body doesn't process things normally, then even healthy plant food aren't processed normally. There is no one exact ideal diet for every human on the plant because we all originate from areas where our many eras of ancestors thrived on different things. I promise you an Inuit who has been living for eras on a oily fish diet isn't going to thrive on a plant-based diet. Yet they are some of the healthiest people on the planet. Our processed food is a major issue, but once it causes major changes in our bodies, what works to put us back to normal is very different for everyone. I was on a vegan diet for many weeks. Gained weight. My body simply doesn't process carbs anymore, whether they are really healthy or not. The carbs I do eat are almost entirely vegetables with a bit of fruit. But being on a plant-based diet meant way too many carbs for what my body could process healthily.
I eat bucketloads of salt. And no, contrary to popular belief, it's not bad for you. In fact the reverse is true. We all don't eat enough salt.
Frankly, in my opinion, if you read 100 articles and 90 of them are incorrect, you're still going to base your actions on doing the wrong thing, simply because it's the majority information. You're going to disregard the minority (that happens to be more accurate and correct), because you're going to be under the impression that because there is less information, it must therefore be wrong.
I wouldn't trust anything in a Medical Journal as far as I could throw it as a paper plane, based on its own evidence alone.
It's the Medical journals which are telling us that fats are bad and carbs are good. Ha ha.
Something about pharmaceuticals, profit margins, scaremongering, misinforming.... I dunno, something along those lines....
Indeed @federica . regardless of what any doctor, any journal, any study says, the only proof I need is in my own health. I had a checkup last month, and every marker has improved since going low carb in March. I feel good. I have tons of energy. I sleep well. This is truly the best I have felt in the past 8 years. My doctor knows me well, and thankfully he is supportive of my minimal medical intervention ways, and said "whatever you're doing, keep doing, because it's working for you. And in the end, that is the only thing that counts. I know lots of people who have experienced the same on a plant-based diet, so that's great for them! But our bodies are very individual, which is why there is always a study to refute what another study says.
For high blood pressure people have different reactions to salt was what they taught in pharmacy school. Salt sensitive and salt insensitive. And generally people sensitive to salt benefited from 'volume effect' drugs like diuretics whereas salt insensitive benefited more from drugs that relax blood vessels (if I recall correctly). And the salt sensitive/insensitive had a genetic component and more African Americans were salt sensitive. So this is people who have high blood pressure and are not likely eating a whole plant diet (not common in America and even less common among high blood pressure population). Another thing to get from that is that what works for one person might not for another due to different bodies and genetics.
Paleolithic era was roughly 3 million years, and if by thrive you mean survive, that is what people did. IE People of that era ate what they could get their hands on, gathering and hunting via stone tools (Translation of paleolithic is old stone age, right?). Life span was mid thirties average; no intensive factory farming or processing, or no ethical considerations that people in 21st century face.
In terms of ethics the grains and water fed to livestock would arguably prevent human starvation. For most of us here, the point of contention is carbs via starches/ grains etc not plant based, per se (You thrive, they survive etc). The auto-immune response from glutens is a no-brainer for anyone without any food at all. Again, thrive vs survive- you're bound to do better than your ancestors no matter what.
Still, this is what you want to hear right?
http://knitfitter.blogspot.co.uk/2010/10/guest-rant-did-paleo-man-eat-grains.html
@ownerof1000oddsocks I'm not remotely talking about paleo eras. I am talking about my great grandparents and other much closer relations ate prior to coming to the US. As they were in a Nordic country and my entire ancestral line had been up until 1916. Even then, my family ate cultural foods almost exclusively until the 70s.
We are well aware of everything you bring up. Please don't come here and destroy what has been a helpful and decent thread. We are far from uneducated on the matters. Low carb is not paleo. I don't recall asking to hear anything.
@ownerof1000oddsocks, I would suggest that before you blast off at a tangent, and embarrass yourself by discussing something we haven't really touched on, and base your contributions on the merits and reputation on the blog of one single source of information (which, by the way is somewhat flawed) I would recommend you peruse this thread and read it thoroughly because you risk shooting yourself in the foot.
I look forward to hearing more from you when having studied this thread, and having watched the numerous videos posted, and having read the associated articles, you can engage in conversation in a more informed and intelligent manner.
Thanks.
Ancestry was mentioned on this page.
One population mentioned was the Inuits as an example of a good health.
This can sometimes be mentioned as a reason to follow the same lifestyle- Look at them doing well, I will also do this.
I pointed out the difference between living within your means and living healthily. This isn't too far off the mark or so I believe.
Another thing mentioned was a level of education regarding ancestry, so perhaps there is some information or links that I have missed that would support the claim (in this case, health of Inuit people).
I gather that this is not the case. Of course there's no obligation to prove or disprove on your end, but I must show some information as to why I think this isn't the case.
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/10943329_Low_incidence_of_cardiovascular_disease_among_the_Inuit_-_What_is_the_evidence
http://www.thelancet.com/pdfs/journals/lancet/PIIS0140-6736(13)60598-X.pdf
You're not getting it. This whole thread has nothing to do with ancestry or paleo dieting.
We don't really care to discuss it.
Ancestry was mentioned once, on this page.
I suggest you read the other 6 pages to get the gist of what we're really interested in.
Low Carbs.
High Fat/Proteins.
Just a clue: Start at page 1 and work your way forward, ok?
Oh and btw: Your Lancet link doesn't actually take us anywhere.
@ownerof1000oddsocks The point is, you have an opinion and you've decided that if we have a different opinion, then obviously no one has told us the same information you have otherwise we'd agree with you. That's not the case. Like I said, I don't care about studies so much (though I read plenty of them) as I care about how I feel and how my doctor checkups come out. I mentioned ancestry because my ancestors (again, great grandparents and others who I actually knew in my life) lived nordic lifestyles that were quite low carb because of their climate. It's not so different from how I eat now, and is what works best for my body. I'm not suggesting that's the only reason. Nor am I saying everyone should eat like I do because it works for me or because it worked for my Finnish ancestors. The point is, we aren't here to argue you for our chosen way of eating because you assume we arrived at this conclusion without having the "proper" information and you couldn't be more wrong.
Conclusion from the Inuit link:
What therefore exactly, is your point, in relation to the whole of our 7-page discussion?
As somebody who has read all of this thread very carefully, received advice and tips on LCHF and now seen the direct results of putting the LCHF into action, I have to say both @federica and @karasti are very well informed and researched on this topic as well as generous in sharing their tips and advice.
Ultimately just like any theory including Buddhism, the proof is in the pudding ( no pun intended..ok maybe a little pun...).
The results and gp tests speak for themselves.
I honestly had no idea at the outset, once @josh had begun this thread, just how very fully I would be a confirmed LCHF/P-er! I began with a mild degree of cynicism. But the more I read, researched, investigated and probed, the more and more convinced by the overwhelming and thoroughly factual and well-founded evidence, I became.
So I didn't walk into this a willing and naive enthusiast. I did a lot of homework, and spoke to others on a forum, many others, all of whom could vouch for themselves just how totally reliable and safe this WoE is. So I am a convert - but a thoroughly informed and well-read one, for all that.
By the way, @Hozan, what's happening about your MFP membership....?
Still struggling with that same issue re login to MFP @federica ..both on tablet and laptop. Will give it another crack. I am eager to join!☺
very odd...
I suggest you open a brand new gmail email account, and log in as a completely new version of yourself. Seriously.
Gives me a great opportunity to set up that Spiderman e-mail address I've always wanted!
Unashamed nerd here!
Yesterday, took time to look up those cauliflower recipes for various things, in this case, pizza crust -
I think I want to try my hand at using the cauliflower to make potato salad, as well.
A slightly different application, but I think I can do it.
We've not done a whole crust, but have made garlic "bread" with cauliflower! Here, we cannot get it pre-riced, which is kind of a pain. It makes a dinner like pizza very time intensive when you have to cut and rice it yourself. I have been meaning to look if you can do it ahead of time and use it throughout the week, but haven't gotten to it yet. Anyone know? We have limited time to make dinner because my husband gets home at 4:45 and my oldest son generally leaves for work at 5:20. So doing stuff ahead of time, or faster dinners is where we are at.
Did chicken thighs and breasts in a lemon/cream/garlic sauce tonight. Quite yummy. I am way behind on my calories and everything else today. Had to go to the doctor, not my favorite thing so I get anxious and have no appetite! I had to get stitches, so now I can't workout (my main options, i can do other things) for a week either. Poo. I'm at 804 calories for today. Not going to be getting close to the 1500 I normally eat, but I find it balances out through the week most of the time.
The guy who makes the pizza crust in the above video seems to have an impressive way of putting the recipe together - he cuts the florets off and uses a simple grater to 'rice' the cauliflower. Then he puts it in a frying pan to dry out the excess moisture. You should watch the video, maybe give his method a try.
We just use the food processor but the drying took a while. I'll have to ask my husband how he did that, I don't even know, lol. My son is a slow eater due to sensory issues, so we basically have 15-20 mins to have dinner finished.
You can prepare the cauli rice ahead of time and just dump it in batches in the freezer. I currently have about 4 bags in there.
When I do cauli rice, I just put it in a non-stick frying pan, and let it heat through, then once thawed, add my fat of choice, and finish sautéeing.
Drying can be done in a really, really low oven.... Don't add salt.
@federica great! that will help a lot. Maybe that'll be my project for our rainy day tomorrow. Need to busy myself until my armpit heals since I can't do yoga or my other exercises.
Leave it to Aunty @federica to have it all down to a science!
(and me wanting to have the last word!)
Good luck with that....
)
(Don't even try it. Remember, I can delete...
from 19st 7 to 17st 11 in just under 2 months.... Bless her, am so proud!!