Low Carb Living in Maine

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