Tag: low carb

Low Carb Bread

Tony TLeave a comment

This is my breakfast this morning; a one egg omelet with tomato, cheese, and basil; sausage, and toast. The bread used for my toast is from ThinSlimFoods, who makes a zero carb bread. It is not the best tasting bread in the world, but it does serve a psychological purpose. I don’t quite understand why I feel incomplete if I haven’t had toast with breakfast, but this bread does the trick. Each slice contains 7 carbs, 7 grams of fiber, and 7 grams of protein. Here is what the company has to say about their product..

ThinSlim Foods revolutionary Love-The-Taste Low Carb Breads and Buns are only 0g net carbs per slice or 1/2 bun and are suitable for ketogenic diets.
Unlike traditional high carb breads and high calorie breads, made from fast digesting white flour and other unhealthy ingredients, ThinSlim Foods Low Carb Breads and Low Calorie Breads are super low in calories, even lower in carbohydrates, and contain very slowly digesting ingredients that help fuel fat loss by keeping blood sugar levels in check.
We guarantee they will not spike blood sugar levels and we guarantee you will enjoy the taste!
Start your morning off right, make a sandwich fit your plan, or munch on toast all day long! With this outstanding line of bread, you might just be able to, “Have it all.”

You can check out some of their products on their website here: ThinSlimFoods. I haven’t tried all of the products yet. It is a little more expensive. But it is worth it to have my toast in the morning. I have also been using only one egg for breakfast now. I don’t know why, but it is hard to eat more than one in the morning now. I think it is because of the medicine I am on (Trulicity). It causes some nausea and lack of appetite. In the end that could be a good thing I guess.

 

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Loaded Cauliflower

Tony T2 Comments

I found this recipe at Low Carb Maven. It is very close to my own recipe with the addition of a few ingredients. Cauliflower is very low carb and great for the keto diet.  I think you will enjoy it. And be sure to check out Low Carb Maven for more great recipes.

Ingredients

1 pound cauliflower florets
4 ounces sour cream
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
2 slices cooked bacon crumbled
2 tablespoons snipped chives
3 tablespoons butter
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1) Cut the cauliflower into florets and add them to a microwave safe bowl. Add 2 tablespoons of water and cover with cling film. Microwave for 5-8 minutes, depending on your microwave, until completely cooked and tender.

Drain the excess water and let sit uncovered for a minute or two. (Alternately, steam your cauliflower the conventional way. You may need to squeeze a little water out of the cauliflower after cooking.)

2) Add the cauliflower to a food processor or powerful enough blender and process until fluffy. Add the butter, garlic powder, and sour cream and process until it resembles the consistency of mashed potatoes.

3) Remove the mashed cauliflower to a bowl and add most of the chives, saving some to add to the top later.

4) Add half of the cheddar cheese and mix by hand. Season with salt and pepper.

Top the loaded cauliflower with the remaining cheese, remaining chives and bacon.

5) Put back into the microwave to melt the cheese or place the cauliflower under the broiler for a few minutes.

I visually divide the cauliflower into sixths. Serving size is approximately 1/3-1/2 cup.

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Macronutrients of the day

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I went over on my carbs today, or tonight rather. I went to a big band jazz concert. There was an intermission they had cookies. I had three. I was actually surprised that I didn’t go over my sugar limit.

It will be better tomorrow. The goal is to reach ketosis so the body which is a sign that the body is burning fat for fuel. Ketones are a byproduct of that process and can also be a source of energy for the body and brain. The amount of carb intake has to be low for this to happen.

So, I lost out to my addiction again.

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The Holidays Are Gone!

Tony T1 Comment

No More Holiday Foods

I am really glad 2016 is over. I hate the holidays when it comes to food. It’s not the food I hate. It is knowing that everything I’m eating is nowhere close to being good for me. I really did try to stay out of the high carbohydrate dimension, but it proved to be an overwhelming difficulty for me.

Yesterday, New Year’s Eve, I didn’t do so badly. I was mostly on the low carb side. Today I am all over it. I have bought my groceries for the month, and I am set to follow my low carb, high-fat diet very closely. This morning I had scrambled eggs with spinach and an uncured sausage made by Oscar Myer. It is a good start.

There are no more holidays coming up (at least not any that I plan to observe) that will derail me. On March 1, had I been able to stay on track, would have been a year on the low carb, high fat diet, or ketogenic. I had lost nearly lost 40 pounds with almost no effort. I have gained about 10 since Thanksgiving. Perhaps, if I had not gotten side tracked I could have reached my goal weight, or gotten pretty damned close. It was nearly 100 pounds that I set out to lose last March.

Now that the holidays are over, with all the high carbs and sugars that go with them, I am set to get some back on track. This is not a New Year’s resolution. This is something I set out to do around the time of my birthday last year (March 1). I am just continuing what I started. I will reach my goal. I will succeed no matter how long it takes. I will acquire the discipline in my life needed to reach my goal and stay healthy.

I wish you all great success in your endeavors this year. No one and nothing can stop you, except you. So let’s rock our perspective worlds and seriously kick some ass!

Happy New Year!

Logging Meals

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I have found that logging meals are key to my success. For the past several weeks I have had difficulty remaining true to my keto-diet. To fail on this diet is simple, consume too many carbs. And it is amazing how much weight gain happens just by adding carbs. In the last two weeks, I have put on 6 pounds. The other easy fail on the keto diet is not eating enough fat. Eating the amount of fat needed on this diet can be rather difficult. The diet doesn’t work without the fat.

What I know about myself is that I am more successful when I log the meals I eat. When I am logging my meals I am more likely to plan my meals. And planning usually goes hand in hand with success.

When I can look at the meals I have logged throughout the day it also enables me to adjust my macronutrient intake if I need to do so. If I haven’t consumed enough fat I can adjust. Or, if I have consumed too many carbs I can adjust my other nutrients to catch up.

In the last few weeks I have not been logging meals, and I have not done very well on the diet. So, beginning yesterday, I have begun again to log my meals. Even beginning to log meals is not an immediate return to success. Once you begin to consume food types you are addicted to, it is very hard to stop.

I am truly addicted to carbohydrates, such as bread, sugary snacks like cookies, or popcorn, or potato chips. So when I start in on those things it is very hard to get things under control again. For the most part, I keep these things out of the house, which is key to my success. However, sometimes when those urges come, there is nothing to stop me from jumping in my car and running down to the store for a quick fix.

Carb addiction is a real addiction and can wreak havoc on your health like any other. Damage may not happen as fast as drug or alcohol damage, but, it is happening and can kill you.

High carb, sugary diets lead to obesity, diabetes, heart disease and other complications. So it is not just weight that I am interested in. Recovering good health is my first goal. Weight loss is just a byproduct of improving my health. If the only way I can succeed is by constantly logging and monitoring my meals then that is what I will have to do.

Fat Head Pizza

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fat_head_pizzaI have not actually made this recipe yet, but, I will soon. I like pizza a lot. However, pizza is so dense and heavy I usually feel a little sick after eating it. And by sick, I mean bloated and gassy.

This recipe gets rave reviews online. Also, some friends of mine say its pretty good. I found it at DietDoctor.com. If you have made this before tell me what you think in the comments below.

Ingredients:

1½ cups (360 ml) shredded mozzarella cheese
¾ cup (175 ml) almond flour
2 tablespoons cream cheese
1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
1 egg
½ teaspoon salt
olive oil to grease your hands

Topping

½ lb (225 g) Italian sausage
1 tablespoon butter
½ cup (120 ml) unsweetened tomato sauce
½ teaspoon dried oregano
1½ cups (360 ml) shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).

Heat the mozzarella and cream cheese in a small pan on medium heat or in the microwave oven.

Stir until they melt together. Add the other ingredients and mix well.

Oil your hands and flatten the dough on parchment paper, about 8 inches (20 cm) in diameter. You can also use a rolling pin to flatten the dough.

Make holes with a fork and bake in the oven for 10–12 minutes until golden brown and remove from the oven.

Meanwhile, sauté the ground sausage meat in olive oil or butter.

Spread a thin layer of tomato sauce on the crust. Apply the meat and a lot of cheese and bake for 10–15 minutes or until the cheese has melted.

Sprinkle oregano on top and serve with a green salad.

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Ending Acid Reflux

Tony T1 Comment

In 1993, I was diagnosed with a Hiatal hernia, Gerd, acid reflux. The Navy docs put me on Tagamet and as the years progressed and the condition getting no better, I progressed to using Prilosec and then Nexium, which I have used until very recently.

Sometime last year I started reading the side effects fo medications I was taking. Nexium was one of those medicines. Nexium is supposed to be a temporary fix until your doctor figures out what is causing your problem. However, I have been taking these medications since I was diagnosed. Perhaps not many people experience them (I didn’t), but, there are some pretty significant side effects.

My doctors in the Navy never tried to figure out what was causing my acid reflux (big surprise). They just kept prescribing the medications. And sometimes civilian doctors are no better. I have been out of the Navy for 9 years. I am still prescribed Nexium for acid reflux.

However, since I have been on the ketogenic diet, I have noticed that I am not having issues with reflux like before. In fact, the longer I do the diet, the better it gets. This week I don’t think I have taken the medication at all. But I have been very careful to follow the keto-diet very carefully.

When I deviate from the low-carb, high-fat diet (consuming too many of, and, the wrong kinds of carbs) is when I notice that I have an issue with reflux. One of the reasons I thought I’d give this diet a try is because of Grains, Beans, Nuts, and Seeds, an article I read about how grains really are not that great for humans.

That lead me to the Paleo diet, and then I found the Ketogenic diet. Both of these ways of eating eliminate grains and things made from grains. Of course, like everyone else, I was educated to believe that grains are a source of good nutrition, and good for us. But since eliminating them from my diet, I have felt 100% better.

I have found that it is not the low-carb diet per se that keeps me acid-free, but, specifically the lack of grains and things made from grains that are the key. Now I’m no doctor and not even a nutritionist. However, I am capable of noticing results when I change something in my diet.

The so-called “cheat days” where you get to eat anything you want, always end with me taking Nexium (when I really over do it). My goal is to eliminate as many of the medications I take as possible.

I have figured out the acid reflux thing. Now I am hoping to eliminate blood pressure meds. And very soon I plan to end my meds for cholesterol control. These are not so good for the liver. It is my ultimate goal to be med free.

Loving the Gym

Tony T1 Comment

unnamedI am glad to be back in the gym and I’m doing well. The last time I was in on a regular basis was two summers ago. I was having trouble with my shoulders and a mysterious weakness in my left arm. I believe the weakness was the cause of my shoulder problem as well.

The most I could bench press during that summer was 95 lbs. I could never increase the weight because of the weakness, and pain is so draining mentally that I was literally wanting to just quit everything.

Since my neck surgery to release the pinched nerve that leads to the weakness in my left arm I have been a whole lot better. Today, only my second time doing the bench press at the gym, I am already up to 150 lbs. I am very excited. I was able to have a great chest workout. I know it was great because instead of my shoulders hurting I could feel every muscle in my chest working under the weight of the workout. When I was done with my workout every muscle involved in the workout was just about numb. I’m sure I will be quite sore tomorrow, but, I welcome pain related to working out rather than injury.

I am getting better at my diet as well. It is very hard to stay within the low carb range I want. Sometimes it is hard to consume the amount of fat required. It is definitely a learning process.

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Pasta & Marinara w/Chicken

The discovery of MiracleNoodles.com has been a blessing, making it quite a bit easier to stay low carb. They don’t taste like anything, but, take on the flavor of whatever sauce and flavors you add to them. They are a great vehicle, aiding in getting lots of fiber into the body, and remaining low carb. And they add no calories to your diet.

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Chicken & Rice

Right now my weight loss seems stalled but, I’m not worried. It feels so great getting back to the gym that I am too excited to be discouraged about it. This diet seems to be working great in conjunction with the gym. Two summers ago while in the gym, I was pretty much on a high protein diet, and hunger was always waiting, either immediately after the workout, or within an hour of the workout. On the keto-diet I have plenty of energy for my workouts, and, when I’m done I am not hungry. The diet sustains the workout and keeps me satiated until I get home to have my next meal. And when I do eat it is never because I am desperately hungry.

I am anxious to see what kind of results I can get following my current program. When March comes around it will have been a year since beginning the keto-diet. I have 8 months and I want them to be extraordinary. I don’t have to reach my goal weight, but I expect to be damned close and looking much healthier.

Discovering Miracle Noodle

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Miracle Noodles

I was turned on to a new product (new to me), called Miracle Noodle. Miracle Noodles are “translucent, gelatinous Japanese noodles, which are made from the konjac yam, are low in calories and carbohydrates and can be substituted in a variety of recipes that call for pasta” (Kate Bratskeir, Huffington Post). I don’t know if the “Miracle Noodle” brand is made the same way,  but, the idea is to be able to have something like pasta or rice without all the carbs. It is also known by another name, Shirataki Noodles.

I ordered mine from https://miraclenoodle.com. So far I have used the angel hair to make Spaghetti Aglio e Olio, one of my favorite Italian dishes. It is a dish of pasta with garlic and olive oil. You have probably had it at some time or another. The taste is the same. The difference is they feel different. The texture is different. There is sort of a crunchiness to them. Actually, they kind of “pop” when you chew them.

That’s it. That’s the only difference that I’ve noticed. They really do take on the flavor of whatever sauce or seasoning you use on them. The second sauce I used with the angel hair version was an Alfredo sauce. Outstanding! Well, it all depends on how good your sauce is. The noodle only contributes a vehicle to get it into your belly.

Shirataki Noodle Recipes

The great thing about the noodles is that somehow they have no calories, and are very low in carbs. So they are a great addition to any low carb diet. They are very filling and have quite a bit of fiber. There are also several recipes at miraclenoodle.com, and, another great resource for Shirataki Noodle recipes is,  PositiveHealthWellness. 

The package I ordered came with noodles that look like fettuccine, ziti, and even one to be used as rice and several others. Also, there were a couple of flavored kinds of pasta, like spinach and garlic herb.

If you are trying to make a low carb diet work, this product may be one that you can use. I think it will be a great help to me. I hope you find it useful as well.

Kickin Collard Greens

Tony T1 Comment

collard_greens

As a kid, collard greens was not one of my favorite dishes. My grandmother made them at least once or twice a month. She was also one of those grandmothers who was no stranger to cooking raccoon, possum, or a rabbit. With a coon, the side dishes were usually collards or mustard greens, and spicy roasted sweet potato.

Since growing up I have come to like both collards and mustard greens very much. I don’t do any possum or coons though. This is a pretty good recipe for collards, and a great side dish on the ketogenic diet, as it is very low in carbs. I found it on www.allrecipes.com

To make Kicken Collard Greens

1 tablespoon olive oil
3 slices bacon
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
3 cups chicken broth
1 pinch red pepper flakes
1 pound fresh collard greens

Directions:

1) Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat.
2) Add bacon, and cook until crisp. Remove bacon from pan, crumble and return to the pan.
3) Add onion, and cook until tender, about 5 minutes.
4) Add garlic, and cook until just fragrant.
5) Add collard greens, and fry until they start to wilt.
6) Pour in chicken broth, and season with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes.
7) Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 45 minutes, or until greens are tender.

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