How about a little JERKY?

 I realize this is not for everyone...especially if you have high blood pressure or need to restrict your sodium but it's perfect for me.  I have low blood pressure that falls  below 100/60  if I don't have enough salt.    I love the jerky... feels like I'm cheating but so full of flavor and SALT!  I buy it at Walmart.

I'm picky about the brands I like... this one is my favorite.  You might be lucky enough to have a local meat market that  makes it.

CARBmaster Yogurt (Kroger's brand)

Have I mentioned that I LOVE it?  Not every flavor... but most of them!

Only 60 calories and  4 carbs - 9 gm protein

Blackberry is my favorite... a few of the flavors I think are really nasty but for the most part, I LOVE these... more than Yoplait or Dannon.

Carbmaster yogurt is what is called a 'dair' blend, a cultured dairy blend. This is a blend that looks like yogurt, tastes like yogurt, but doesn't meet Food and Drug Administration guidelines for what yogurt should contain, specifically the types of bacteria cultures.

Like normal plain yogurt, Carbmaster yogurt blends contain live and active cultures L. Acidophilus and B. Bifidum, bacteria that aid digestion, especially in people who may be lactose intolerant. L. Acidophilus also helps prevent yeast infections and aids in the body's ability to process vitamin K a chief agent of the body's blood clotting ability. The other bacterium, B. Bifidum has been linked to lower risk of allergies and is sometimes said to prevent growth in some tumors.

Video - Low-Carb High Fat New Atkins Diet - It works!

Better than Medi Fast - the LCHF Diet

LCHF - Low Carb  High Fat Diet  (Also known as the New Atkins Diet) - You will lose weight without having to exercise.

Did I really say without having to exercise?  YES!

Many of us who have a weight problem have been told for years.. you need to exercise to lose weight... how did that work for you?  Chances are it didn't.

Most of us cannot exercise off our excess weight BUT.. we can change our way of eating - where we force our body to burn fat.  When we eat carbs, they are changed to a sugars and stored as fat.  We don't burn that stored fat until we require our bodies to burn it's own fat. We do that by cutting out the carbs and eating a low carb, high fat diet.

REALLY.  It works and it works well. Real Food, real fats... butter, bacon, fat on meat, etc

And we can have salt.

LCHF for Beginners

Do you want to eat real food (as much as you like) and improve your health and weight? It may sound too good to be true, but LCHF (Low Carb, High Fat) is a method that has been used for 150 years. Now, modern science backs it up with proof that it works.

There is no weighing your food, no counting, no bizarre “meal replacements,” no pills. There is just real food and common sense. And all the advice here is 100 percent free.

In 2013, Dr. Westman decided to release a 24-page pamphlet on Amazon outlining the basic tenets of the dietary program he uses with his patients called A Low Carbohydrate, Ketogenic Diet Manual: No Sugar, No Starch Diet. For about $5, you get the basics of his “No Sugar, No Starch” diet complete with tips and strategies for making this work. This little book just barely scratches the surface of explaining all the ins and outs of low-carb, high-fat, ketogenic diet.

  Dr. Westman my next book slated for an August 5, 2014 release entitled Keto Clarity: Unleash The Health Benefits Of A Low-Carb, High-Fat Diet that will go into great detail about Dr. Westman’s story about learning about low-carb from his patients as a traditionally-trained medical doctor, why being in a state of ketosis is so important, how to best make a ketogenic diet happen for you, the health benefits you can expect to experience, meal plans and recipes, and a whole lot more! We’re currently writing this book and can’t wait to get it in the hands of those who are sincerely interested in it (which apparently is a lot considering it was the #5 most searched diet term on Google in 2013).

Zucchini Patties

ServingCook time: 10 minutes

Ready in: 25 minutes

   

• 2 eggs, beaten
• 2 cups grated zucchini
• 1/2 cup grass-fed raw milk Parmesan cheese,
•  grated (recommended: Organic Valley)
• 1/4 cup onion, chopped
• 1/2 cup almond flour
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 roasted red bell peppers, finely diced
• 3/4 teaspoon unrefined sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 2 tablespoons olive oil

Note: For strict Paleo version, omit cheese
Directions

1. Combine all ingredients (except the olive oil) in a bowl.
2. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. 
3. Drop zucchini mixture by tablespoon and brown
4.  for 3 minutes on each side.
5. Drain on paper towels, cool and serve.

A good blog with lots of low carb, gluten free recipes

http://alldayidreamaboutfood.com/

So.... am I in Ketosis?

Am I in ketosis?

One of the questions people who are new to the LCHF (keto/ketogenic/low carb) diet frequently ask me is:how do I know if I’m in ketosis?

Everyone’s different and while some may experience all of the symptoms of ketosis, some might only feel a couple of them or none at all. There are basic signs and symptoms that indicate that you’re in ketosis, but please note that I’m differentiating between the signs of keto flu (covered in the post I’m linking to) that many experience in the first days of a ketogenic diet, and the feeling of being in ketosis when the flu has subsided:

So, am I in ketosis?

• Dry mouth (eat more salt and drink more water to alleviate this).
• Metallic taste in your mouth or a strange taste in the back of your throat, some describe it as fruity or a little sweet.
• A kind of “buzzing” feeling that’s hard to describe, almost euphoric at times.
• Different kind of urine smell, stronger too!
• “Ketosis breath” – It can range from being a little sweet to being almost like you’ve had a drink of alcohol.
• Less appetite. You can go for hours without eating and don’t feel very hungry.
• Increased energy. If you don’t experience it try to eat more fat, drink more water and watch your electrolytes.
• A ketone strip you pee on shows a positive result. There are also blood ketone metersthat give a more specific result. (Pro-tip: If you get the pee strips, cut them in half  ) But do note that even with a positive pee strip it’s not 100% certain that you’re in ketosis and that a very dark positive result may only indicate that you’re dehydrated.

Pumpkin Coconut Flour Pancakes

Pumpkin Coconut Flour Pancakes – Low Carb and Gluten-Free

Yield: 12 pancakes

Serving Size: 2 pancakes

Delicious pumpkin pancakes made with coconut flour and coconut oil. Low carb, gluten-free and dairy-free.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup coconut flour
• 1/4 cup vanilla hemp protein powder (or whey protein powder)
• 1/4 cup Swerve Sweetener (or honey or maple syrup for a paleo version)
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp ginger
• 1/4 tsp cloves
• 6 large eggs
• 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
• 3 tbsp Kelapo coconut oil, melted
• 1/2 to 3/4 cup unsweetened coconut milk or almond milk
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• Coconut oil for the pan

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 200F.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together coconut flour, protein powder, sweetener, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, ginger, and cloves.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, pumpkin puree, melted coconut oil, 1/2 cup almond milk and vanilla extract.
4. Add the egg mixture to the coconut flour mixture and stir well to combine. Add more almond milk if batter is very thick. It should not be runny.
5. Heat a large skillet over medium high heat and add a little coconut oil. Once oil is melted, scoop two heaping tablespoons of batter onto skillet and spread into a 4 inch circle. Repeat until you can't fit any more pancakes into the skillet (you should be able to get 3 or 4 in).
6. Cook until bottom is golden brown and top is set around the edges. Flip carefully and continue to cook until second side is golden brown. Remove from pan and keep warm on plate or baking sheet in oven, while repeating with remaining batter.

Notes

Serves 6. Each serving has 14 g of carbs and 8 g of fiber. Total NET CARBS = 6 g.

283 Calories; 20g Fat (62.1% calories from fat); 13g Protein; 14g Carbohydrate; 8g Dietary Fiber; 221mg Cholesterol; 404mg Sodium.

Read more: http://alldayidreamaboutfood.com/2013/11/pumpkin-coconut-flour-pancakes-low-carb-and-gluten-free.html#ixzz3AnNE3Mw3
Read more at http://alldayidreamaboutfood.com/2013/11/pumpkin-coconut-flour-pancakes-low-carb-and-gluten-free.html#hmy8AqTJk6dYKAGl.99

Bacon Deviled Eggs

6 Boiled Eggs
2 slices Bacon fried
1/4 cup Mayonnaise
1 tbsp Sweet Pickle Relish
1 tsp Mustard
Salt and pepper, for taste
Paprika to sprinkle as garnish

DIRECTIONS
Cut fried bacon into 12 small pieces.
Cut eggs in half lengthwise.
Remove yolks and place in a bowl.
Mash yolks with a fork and stir in mayonnaise, pickle relish, and mustard.
Salt and pepper, to taste.
Mix until consistency is smooth.
Transfer mixture to zippered bag and clip corner for piping.
Pipe mixture into cooked egg whites evenly.

Low Carb Garlic Pepper Chicken Tenders

This is one of those mindless recipes... no measuring, the best kind!

Chicken Tenders, rinsed well and dried        
Hellmans Mayo
Shredded Parmesan Cheese
Pepper and Garlic Salt

375 Degree Oven

Baking sheet with sides... Spray with Olive Oil or butter so they don't stick


Lay tenders on the baking sheet

Put a coating of mayo on the tenders with mayo ( remember to take out enough so you don't redip with a contaminated spoon - or use a new spoon to get more)

Lightly shake on some of the pepper and garlic salt

Shake on Parmesan Cheese

Turn tenders over and repeat the process

Bake in a 375 degree Oven for 20 - 30 minutes until done .. depending on the size of your chicken tenders.

IMPORTANT - Don't label yourself

I LOVE THIS~


The world is very good at labeling folks, we don't need to label ourselves. Be kind.  If you would not look at your best friend and say, "You're FAT!"  then you sure shouldn't be saying that to yourself.

I love this saying... you are not fat - you have fat. Most Americans have fat...you're not unique. You just have identified yourself as someone who is ready, or almost ready, to lose weight.

And, with the research behind how to lose weight showing a ketogenic diet works for most otherwise healthy folks, we can get rid of the fat.

Week One - Done

When I was on the Medi diet I was so excited about it... about the results, couldn't wait to weigh in etc.  This time I am not doing the weekly weigh in.... if it doesn't seem to match my "degree of sacrifice", I am disappointed.  I am going by my clothes. I haven't had jeans on in a year.. that will be my first big milestone.

Week one is done... had to have a work related meal at Olive Garden and I had the soup and salad, with a bread stick.  I am not going to be so strict as to deny everything... I consider meals like that a treat and hopefully it will not make me so carb craving.

My pants are loser and I have more energy... and am settling into the fact that this has to be a life change, not a DIET.... so, if it is a little slower, so be it.

Getting Motivated Again