Low Carb Diet

[mamadogmamacat]

All i can add is that the sugar high is well, highly, addictive. I will be on low carb for the rest of my life and yes I feel much better. But, put me anywhere near good ice cream and most of the time I will succumb.

 

[Lawrencewendall]

Down 30 lbs and now in my active duty range (14 years ago). Had too much eggnog over Thanksgiving though! Found out they put Bryers ice cream in it. Definitely was good (not enough rum). I've come to believe it's a lifestyle and not a diet. The spiralized eggplant, zucchini, bell pepper, bacon, garlic, leftover turkey, fried onion, Mozzarella and cheddar cheese and topped with ground pork rinds sure was tasty yesterday.

 

[aja8888]

I was at an event with about fifteen younger people. There were the typical hi-carb snacks at the front:

No surprises there.

But one guy mentioned that he was a type 2 diabetic. He said he'd tried a ketogenic diet (another name for low carb), and that he'd lost weight, improved his blood sugar, etc. Said he wasn't on that diet any more.

Later, I see him chowing down on Doritos.

I don't understand people.

^^^^ People love food with carbs.

 

[ER Eddie]

IMHO, this is the main reason so many people who try low carb give it up without really giving it a chance. The initial week or two is tough.

Yes. I was prepared for the transition phase, because I'd read about it, but it was still a drag. As I understand it, it is because your body has to shift from primarily burning carbs/sugar (which it may be "addicted to" in some sense) to burning fat. It is a pretty major shift, and it takes some time to become "fat-adapted."

I will often hear people say that they tried it for 2 weeks but didn't like it. My thought is, they didn't even get through the adaptation phase, so they never really gave it a reasonable try. I think you have to stick with it at least a month to get a good assessment.

After the first week passed, I was a believer. There was no doubt in my mind. The evidence was overwhelming, in terms of my energy and weight. Even though I'd read about supposed benefits, I was surprised at what a change I experienced -- particularly in things I didn't really expect, like mental clarity, mood, relief from allergy symptoms.

I'm not saying everything is peachy -- I still get down sometimes, I still have some allergies, and there are still days that I'm not particularly sharp -- but I am undoubtedly 100% better than I was before.

And perhaps the worst processed foods of all to consume, in my opinion, are the industrial seed oils. Most people do not realize just how bad this stuff is for you.....I'm talking about soybean oil, vegetable oil, canola oil, corn oil, etc. (the "jug" oils). And virtually every restaurant around cooks food using these oils, because they are cheap. Personally, I'm convinced that this stuff is a major contributor to heart disease. Here are a couple of articles about that, for those interested (including how these industrial oils are made........yuck.

https://foodbabe.com/cooking-oils/

https://articles.mercola.com/sites/...a-6-vegetable-oils-promote-heart-disease.aspx

https://drhyman.com/blog/2016/01/29/why-oil-is-bad-for-you/

Yeah, I remember hearing about how Crisco was developed. Good ol' Crisco, like Mom always used. The healthy alternative. Turns out, it was a machine oil that some engineer learned how to convert into a food. A machine oil.

 

[aja8888]

Yeah, I remember hearing about how Crisco was developed. Good ol' Crisco, like Mom always used. The healthy alternative. Turns out, it was a machine oil that some engineer learned how to convert into a food. A machine oil.

Seems like it started out as a vegetable oil?

https://www.crisco.com/our-heritage...id=rx6ckt72g&gclid=CPm41pishN8CFVOYxQIdVZ0BCg

In 1911, Crisco - the first-ever shortening made entirely of vegetable oil - was born. Clad in pristine white-paper overwrap, Crisco was seen as a more "pure" and economical alternative to animal fat and butter.

Soon after our first print and radio ads debuted, products flew off of the shelves. The first Crisco cookbook taught Americans all of the innovative ways Crisco could be used - from baking to frying. And so, a cooking revolution was born.

 

[msieweke]

Crisco = crystallized cottonseed oil, which is where it started. Cotton seed isn't a vegetable. "Vegetable oil" is a marketing term with no real meaning.

 

[TromboneAl]

All i can add is that the sugar high is well, highly, addictive. I will be on low carb for the rest of my life and yes I feel much better. But, put me anywhere near good ice cream and most of the time I will succumb.

This is as good as any ice cream I've tasted:

Choc. Chip Ice Cream

Don't forget to start the coffee!

2 c Heavy whipping Cream
24 drops liquid splenda
.5 tsp Vanilla
.5 tsp Torani Hazelnut
1 square unsweetened chocolate, chopped
5 Macademia nuts chopped

It takes about 25 minutes. You don’t need to wait for the ice cream maker to stall, stop when the ice cream sticks to the paddle.​

>^^^^ People love food with carbs.

I think the problem is that people don't know about the alternatives.

Like potato chips with dip? Pork rinds with sour cream dip.
Peanut butter cookies? PB cookies with non-sugar sweetener.
Cashews? Macadamias.
Granola bars? Quest bars.
Cereal? Nut cereal (below) in heavy whipping cream.
Baked potatoes? Thick rib-eye steak. (Okay not an alternative, but there are compensations).

We've found good substitutes for most things except popcorn, apples, and a few other things.

Peanut Butter Flax Power Granola – Double Batch
Yield: 20 servings
Serving Size: Approx. 1/2 cup
Ingredients
3 cups almonds
3 cups pecans
2 cups flax seed meal (I used Bob's Red Mill Organic Golden Flax Seed Meal) OR 1 cup almond meal
.5 cup sunflower seeds
.67 cup toasted sesame seeds
.5 cup vanilla whey protein powder

Mix and eat.​

 

[OldConch]

Keto since May and down 37 lbs. The first week was a little rough but after that, the DW and I agree that it's an easy lifestyle to maintain. The best thing IMO is that I'm not constantly hungry anymore. Interestingly, a week after starting, my joint pain practically went away. Some have suggested that many carbs are inflammatory. Surprisingly, refined sugar was easy to give up.

 

[JDARNELL]

We started the low carb diet “keto” about a month ago. First 3 days was bad but then it got much better. Main thing was cutting out sugar and breads. Eating much better

 

[Chuckanut]

I lost a good 25 pounds on a lower carb diet. Since then I have found the slow carb diet works about as well for me, and allows a wider variety of foods.

 

[Fairfax2018]

I am curious how people do this. I tried it last fall. Within 24 hours my throat hurt so bad I could barely eat. 4 days in I was vomiting and my bones ached. By Day 6 I was in the ER, admitted to to the hospital for two nights. I was a healthy 40 year old. The docs had no idea, they chalked it up to a virus. A month later I tried it again and within 24 hours I had the sore throat back so I quit.

 

[flintnational]

I am curious how people do this. I tried it last fall. Within 24 hours my throat hurt so bad I could barely eat. 4 days in I was vomiting and my bones ached. By Day 6 I was in the ER, admitted to to the hospital for two nights. I was a healthy 40 year old. The docs had no idea, they chalked it up to a virus. A month later I tried it again and within 24 hours I had the sore throat back so I quit.

Sorry to hear about your troubles. What were you eating?

 

[Fairfax2018]

Sorry to hear about your troubles. What were you eating?

Eggs I remember. Lots of eggs. Tritip. I think some cheese. I googled and was following the plans to have less than 20 carbs per day but still plenty of calories. Coffee with butter. Lo Salt (I think it was called that?) I honestly don’t know what went wrong or why my body reacts like that.

 

[flintnational]

Eggs I remember. Lots of eggs. Tritip. I think some cheese. I googled and was following the plans to have less than 20 carbs per day but still plenty of calories. Coffee with butter. Lo Salt (I think it was called that?) I honestly don’t know what went wrong or why my body reacts like that.

I wonder if you might have a food allergy. Eggs and dairy cause problems in some folks. You can also go low carb with lots of green veggies, olive oil and broiled meat, fish or chicken. I lost 30+ lbs going low carb, 40-60 carbs per day, but not keto. But with your history, you might want to seek a doctor's advice before proceeding.

 

[Fairfax2018]

I wonder if you might have a food allergy. Eggs and dairy cause problems in some folks. You can also go low carb with lots of green veggies, olive oil and broiled meat, fish or chicken. I lost 30+ lbs going low carb, 40-60 carbs per day, but not keto. But with your history, you might want to seek a doctor's advice before proceeding.

Yes, I might consider trying it again in 10 years or so. (Not being facetious haha, just want to be retired and have my kids older!) I’m a healthy weight, just had wanted the additional health benefits and drop the last 10lbs from my 4th baby. I had to hit the gym instead, which isn’t nearly as fun as bacon!

 

[RAE]

Not nit picking but.... so you "found out" how these earls are made and what they do when we eat them.

How do you know that that is good information? Or true but exaggerated? It's like the whole low fat vs everything else. We can read studies and studies and yep, they do in fact say whatever the proponent is claiming but at the end of the day how can I know it's true or to what extent it really is bad?

Well, it's not too difficult to find out how canola oil and the other "vegetable oils" are made. Even the manufacturers don't dispute the basic process they use, which is:

• Once the rapeseed is collected, magnetized rods attempt to remove any foreign metal that may have been introduced into the collection of seed.
• Afterwards, a 60+ minute wash of a hexane solvent.
• After the hexane wash is complete, a wash of sodium hydroxide is performed.
• The “natural” waxes are collected and used to aid in the creation of vegetable shortening.
• Bleach is then introduced to lighten the cloudy color of the processed oil.
• Steam injection is then applied to remove the bitter smell

There are lots of videos online that show exactly how all this is done, if you want to view them. Personally, I don't really want to consume anything that is made with a process using things like hexane and sodium hydroxide, but others may be okay with it.

As for how anyone can know for certain that canola oil and the other industrial oils are unhealthy - all you can do is research the topic to the best of your ability, gathering information from sources that you trust (especially ones that do not have a financial interest in what they are telling you), and review peer-reviewed studies when they are available. I've done enough research on these industrial oils to convince me that they are not healthy at all, so I do not consume them. Someone else might come to a different conclusion, and that's okay.

I do know that canola oil and the other industrial seed oils are MUCH cheaper to produce than olive oil and some of the other healthy fats and oils. So there is a clear financial incentive for the manufacturers of seed oils to downplay the dangers of consuming them.

Here are a couple of articles on the industrial seed oils that may be of interest.

https://www.smallfootprintfamily.com/the-inconvenient-truth-about-canola-oil

Unhealthy Vegetable Oils?

 

[ER Eddie]

Seems like it [Crisco] started out as a vegetable oil?

https://www.crisco.com/our-heritage...id=rx6ckt72g&gclid=CPm41pishN8CFVOYxQIdVZ0BCg

That's how it became successful and commonplace -- as a "healthy" vegetable oil alternative to saturated fat. But originally, it was actually a machine oil. I heard this first from Nina Teicholz, who does good work, but I can't find the original citation. Here's a brief link I found via google, though:

A related article:
https://idmprogram.com/the-shocking-origins-of-vegetable-oil-garbage/

 

[ER Eddie]

Keto since May and down 37 lbs. The first week was a little rough but after that, the DW and I agree that it's an easy lifestyle to maintain. The best thing IMO is that I'm not constantly hungry anymore. Interestingly, a week after starting, my joint pain practically went away. Some have suggested that many carbs are inflammatory. Surprisingly, refined sugar was easy to give up.

Congratulations, that's great. Your report of decreased joint pain is common on ketogenic diets. One of the main benefits is reduction in inflammatory foods (which include not just carbs but processed foods and vegetable/seed oils as well). Many reports of people's arthritis going away or substantially reduced.

I wonder if you might have a food allergy. Eggs and dairy cause problems in some folks. You can also go low carb with lots of green veggies, olive oil and broiled meat, fish or chicken. I lost 30+ lbs going low carb, 40-60 carbs per day, but not keto. But with your history, you might want to seek a doctor's advice before proceeding.

Yes. Just to reinforce this -- a significant minority of people seem to have allergic reactions to eggs. I've heard that it has to do with the whites of the eggs, rather than the yolks themselves. I have allergic reactions to eggs myself. Which is unfortunate, because eggs are highly nutritious food, and steak + eggs is a favorite combo.

 

[JoeWras]

Well, it's not too difficult to find out how canola oil and the other "vegetable oils" are made. Even the manufacturers don't dispute the basic process they use, which is:

• Once the rapeseed is collected, magnetized rods attempt to remove any foreign metal that may have been introduced into the collection of seed.
• Afterwards, a 60+ minute wash of a hexane solvent.
• After the hexane wash is complete, a wash of sodium hydroxide is performed.
• The “natural” waxes are collected and used to aid in the creation of vegetable shortening.
• Bleach is then introduced to lighten the cloudy color of the processed oil.
• Steam injection is then applied to remove the bitter smell

There are lots of videos online that show exactly how all this is done, if you want to view them.

Right. No secret. The producers of "How It's Made" were proudly invited into the plant that does this. No secrets, it is all in the open out there on Youtube.

Watching that video killed my taste for the stuff!

 

[Scuba]

We don’t eat many processed foods and use olive oil or butter rather than vegetable oil. We did a low carb diet for months. We found it easy to stay on if we ate only at home, harder if we went to restaurants or entertained. Probably the biggest challenge for me is not drinking wine. Eventually we decided to try Weight Watchers instead as it allows for all the food groups in moderation. Works well as long as we remember the moderation part.

 

[ER Eddie]

Here's that Nina Teicholz piece I was looking for earlier. I cued it up to the part where she mentions the machinery oil connection.

https://youtu.be/Q2UnOryQiIY?t=186

Other highlights:
6:00 The marketing of vegetable oils.
10:40 The American Heart Association's misguided recommendations and their ties to the food industry.
15:00 Research showing no relation between saturated fat and heart disease but serious problems with vegetable oils.
34:10 Her recommendations.

 

[razztazz]

15:00 Research showing no relation between saturated fat and heart disease but serious problems with vegetable oils.

Whenever I or sometimes another iconoclast brings this up in conversation the anti-fats, including doctors, immediately bring up tons of studies going back 40 years yadda yadda etc etc showing that saturated fat-is-worse-than-Hitler.

I concede, OK, there must be "studies that show..." but how can anybody really know for sure who's right? If you use simple observation you're hit with "pish-posh, anecdotal".(As if anecdotal is a synonym for "False"). If you cite the other studies that refute the conventionally accepted Fat-Hate studies, well, so now whose studies got da powah?

I recently did a 60 study writing down and accounting for every single bite of food. with a break-out of protein, carbs, Sat-Fat, Other-Fat and calories.

The upshot nearly ALL saturated fat taken in was from Nuts and olive oil, and the occasional avocado. Almost none came from eggs which I ate freely for the first time in like 30 yrs, and chicken. Even on days when I had some ground beef I ate more sat-fat from non-animal sources.

Gorging on olive oil is apparently just as bad or worse than eat meat. All the dietary information was taken from the label and/or at east one credible online source of nutritional info

 

[PatrickA5]

Whenever I or sometimes another iconoclast brings this up in conversation the anti-fats, including doctors, immediately bring up tons of studies going back 40 years yadda yadda etc etc showing that saturated fat-is-worse-than-Hitler.

I concede, OK, there must be "studies that show..." but how can anybody really know for sure who's right? If you use simple observation you're hit with "pish-posh, anecdotal".(As if anecdotal is a synonym for "False"). If you cite the other studies that refute the conventionally accepted Fat-Hate studies, well, so now whose studies got da powah?

I recently did a 60 study writing down and accounting for every single bite of food. with a break-out of protein, carbs, Sat-Fat, Other-Fat and calories.

The upshot nearly ALL saturated fat taken in was from Nuts and olive oil, and the occasional avocado. Almost none came from eggs which I ate freely for the first time in like 30 yrs, and chicken. Even on days when I had some ground beef I ate more sat-fat from non-animal sources.

Gorging on olive oil is apparently just as bad or worse than eat meat. All the dietary information was taken from the label and/or at east one credible online source of nutritional info

That's the problem. Who do you believe? Everybody with an opinion can show studies that back up their claim. The low carb folks can show studies that tell the virtues of LC living on health. The Low Fat believers can show similar studies that support their case. Same thing with the anti/pro Rx people. There's a study that supports just about anything/everything.

Personally, I'm willing to admit that I don't know who is right.

 

[razztazz]

That's the problem. Who do you believe? Everybody with an opinion can show studies that back up their claim. The low carb folks can show studies that tell the virtues of LC living on health. The Low Fat believers can show similar studies that support their case. Same thing with the anti/pro Rx people. There's a study that supports just about anything/everything.

Personally, I'm willing to admit that I don't know who is right.

I would rephrase this to read: Personally, I am willing to admit that they don't know who is right

 

[PatrickA5]

I would rephrase this to read: Personally, I am willing to admit that they don't know who is right

Exactly!

An example,

I asked my Cardiologist about eating eggs. He was fully aware of the recent studies about eggs, cholesterol, heart disease, etc. I asked him if there is any limit to how many I should be eating. He suggested limiting to one per day. So, I got the impression that he also didn't know which studies were "right" and which were "wrong".