Low Carb Living in Maine

One of the first things I tell people when they start asking questions about "what can I have on my diet", is this.  There is nothing I "CAN'T" have on my diet, but there are a number of things that I "CHOOSE" not to overindulge in.  I am an adult, with the ability to reason and research information.  I am responsible for my choices. You see, a major cause of diet failure is that feeling of deprivation.  When you stop to think that you can never have this or that favorite item again, it can be depressing!  But the reality is, it's not true.  There is truly nothing off-limits once you reach your goal, and understand the basic mechanics of your body and its reaction to the foods you want to eat. Now, don't get me wrong.  I'm not saying that once you lose your weight and regain your health that you can then return to the abysmal "Standard American Diet" (it is called the SAD diet - that is the most appropriate acronym I can im

Okay, so you've been working on your body and your health for a bit now. You've got your basic daily routine sorted out and then BAM! Along comes an entire season , designed to wreck your diet AND includes a skimpy uniform aimed at showing off your failures. Ugh.  Okay, it's not that bad, but summer can be daunting when you are skipping the beans, chips, potato salad, etc. How the heck are you supposed to enjoy a family barbecue without these things???  Well first of all, the best thing to remember is that all sandwiches can be deconstructed. Simply skip the part of the line where you pick up the bun and continue onward to grab your burger, hotdog, chicken (or steak, if you're friends are in a higher tax bracket than mine). Grab two if you want! If sandwiches are already paired with their bready bits, just take one and move on. You don't have to actually EAT the bread or bun just because it is there. I like to think of the bready bits as a "napkin&

Some days, life just keeps throwing stuff at you and you just don't have the time, energy, or mental focus to plan your meals, track your macros, etc.  Seriously, eating shouldn't be that hard!  And honestly, once you've returned to a state of health, and got yourself more attuned to eating low-carb, it's really pretty simple.  Today, I want to show you what happens when I'm just too busy to even think about food, much less any complicated preparations.  (Of course, these can always be good "fast" days as well.) My typical meal planning looks like this:  So, with that said, what do you do?  You develop a set of "stand-bys" that are quick, easy, and fit your macros.  For example, every morning for breakfast, I have my Loaded coffee (12 oz coffee, 1 tablespoon each of butter and coconut oil, 2 tablespoons of heavy cream, and sweetener to taste).  I know that this concoction has 35 grams of fat, and zero carbs and protein.  And it is usuall

One of the first things people begin to whine about after starting Keto is that they miss that CRUNCH that often comes from carby snacks and flour/corn based crackers and chips.  For me, this was a serious deficit until I figured out a couple of things. With just a few changes in my menu, I have found some new ways to add the satisfaction of a good solid crunch back into my food. First of all, I love cheese dip.  I love it in restaurants, grocery store packages, jars, and even homemade.  I love cheese dip.  BUT, who wants cheese dip with no chips?  Such a quandary.  I tried several recipes for "chips" that left me sad and disappointed.  Until I hit on the easiest thing in the world!  Flatbread!   One of the staples of my diet is Joseph's Flatbread .  I use both the Lavash and the Pita forms.  Both breads are low in carbs.  To me, the pita makes the best chips simply because it is thinner and therefore easier to "crisp", but the flatbread makes a heartier c

One of the first negative comments I often hear about Keto is "Well, I don't want all that FAT clogging up MY arteries!" It makes me want to cry for them, and I die a little inside at how thoroughly the American public (and probably other countries too, but I'll stick to my own experiences to stay out of trouble) have been duped into believing the "low-fat is good" movement.  To sum up my previous posts about why I oppose this school of thought:   1) The beginning of the "Low-fat Revolution" also marks the beginning of the American obesity epidemic.   2) The majority of previously higher fat foods that have had the fats removed, now host added sugars. 3) The links between proper fat consumption and heart disease have been debunked. In truth, fat is so very, very good for you!  Among other things, fat supplies essential fatty acids ( linoleic acid and alpha-linolenic acid) that your body needs but cannot manufacture on its own.  Fat

The idea of exercising your way to a slimmer you is the mixed message brought about from the "Eat Less-Move More" (ELMM) proponents. Yes, we should eat less of the bad foods we've grown accustomed to, and yes, we should not be lazy, but let's take a reality check on the ELMM theory. Show of hands, how many of you can run a whole mile? Not me... Running a mile burns about 3/4 of a calorie per pound of body weight. So, a 200lb person running a mile would burn about 150 calories -- that's 1/3 of an Egg McMuffin from McDonalds or a 1/4 of a Wendy's Single.   Looking at it that way, it's hard to imagine exercising your way to weight loss. If you follow the calorie burning model, you need to burn 3500 calories to lose a pound...let's see, that means you'd only need to run 23 miles! No thanks. I'll just go eat fat and protein. So then why exercise at all if it's not helpful for losing weight? Well, at first, I say don't bother. If y

Getting started with Keto is hard enough. What happens when you do everything right and end up feeling like crap? You might have Keto Flu...  What is Keto Flu?  While it's not contagious like a normal, viral flu, the symptoms can feel rather similar and very flu-like. Not everyone gets Keto flu, but it is a common side effect of switching your body to fat burning mode. It is temporary and if you know what to look for, it's effects can be minimalized. Some of the effects of Keto Flu are stomach pain, brain fog, dizziness, nausea, muscle cramping, and sleeplessness. The symptoms can start as early as the first 2-3 days on Keto and can last a week to 10 days, just like a cold.  The typical factors which cause Keto flu are things such as dehydration and electrolyte depletion, loss of micronutrients, and carb withdrawal. Naturally, any abrupt change in diet has the potential for causing some physical symptoms. Once you get thru the Keto flu, your body will be a le

Often, getting started on Keto feels like learning to walk.  Everything you thought you knew about eating is now different, and because of that, we sometimes trip up, slip up, or fall off the wagon completely.  This is especially true at first, when you're still learning to read and trust your body's signals.  So, you're "going Keto" and you're doing your best but you still don't seem to be losing as much as you think you should.  What's wrong?  Well, there are several pitfalls where newbies and veterans of the diet alike can stall their progress.  You have to remember that even though the mechanics of Keto can work for anyone, the details can vary according to your own physical makeup.  So look through the following potential trouble spots and see where you might need to tweak your own day to day Keto life. Protein There is no one formula that fits every situation to say how much protein you need, but all factors considered, the consensus is t

One of my favorite subject matter experts on healthy dieting is Dr. Jason Fung.  While he isn't a direct proponent of the Keto diet, he does highly stress the need to cut carbs and sugars out of your diet, and focus on proteins and healthy fats for your basic nutritional needs.  Dr. Fung has written two books, one of which I've read more than once and it was the catalyst for getting me started on a new way of eating.  The book that started it all for me was called The Obesity Code .  I was looking for someone to tell me exactly what to do to fix my failing health in a way that I could understand.  You see, I've lost weight in the past -- not significant quantities like I have now -- but I never really understood "why".  If I don't know why a diet works, then when it stalls, I don't know what else to do or how to move forward.  That was usually when I gave up. When I first started listening to Dr. Fung's book (I'm an audiobook fan), it was ha