PART 1
The road to a Low Carbohydrate Lifestyle has not been easy, filled with many mistakes made, adjustments required and the all-important paradigm shift from years of believing in the low fat high carbohydrate diet which I have followed for years.
After months of changes, I sat down and reflected, asking myself the question – Is a Low Carbohydrate Way of Life Sustainable for me?
The quick answer to that question was - Yes! Most whom have tried this “diet” will disagree with me. It is for this reason that I have decided to share the approach that I have taken to address the many challenges that beginner “low carbers” face when starting out. Thus far this approach has worked for me as yet I have not had the desire to put this way of life in the dustbin.
1. A grain is a grain is a grain
I held a belief that if I substituted rye for wheat it is a healthier option and I would be able to follow my newly found low carbohydrate lifestyle with one carbohydrate for another. I was quite shocked that the carbohydrate content of a slice of rye bread was greater than that of a slice of whole wheat bread.
Further to this, as a great lover of oats, I was equally horrified that the carbohydrate content of a cup of cooked oats was about three times the slice of whole wheat and twice the content of a slice of rye bread. After this discovery, oats was reduced and eliminated altogether.
The common argument which I am confronted with is that whole grains are high in fibre. It is true that whole grains do contain fibre, but if compared to certain vegetables, whole grains pale in comparison. To put things in context, one avocado contains 13.5 grams of fibre compared to the 4 grams found in two slices of whole grain bread. With this in mind, I would need to eat at least six slices to match the fibre content of an avocado.
As a lover of bread and oats, cutting out grains was a difficult decision. What about my favourite chicken and avocado sandwiches or a bowl of cooked oats topped with honey and berries? With a little research I found great substitutes for these, which taste just as great, some even better than the original.
2. Low carb eating at social gatherings
I am writing this in the midst of the South African festive period, well known for excess and over-indulgence of all things carbohydrates, including sugar. Office year end parties, Christmas family get-togethers and the festivities of the New Year’s Eve party can wreak havoc on our lifestyle if not kept in check.
As my first festive period on low carb, I was concerned about this and I found it difficult at first, but through trial and error and practicing some restraint, I have come out unscathed. To easy me through this period I put the following rules in place;
* Stick to simple dishes, each item containing only one main ingredient, such as a portion of roast poultry or meat with a side salad filled with leafy greens
* Steer clear of starchy vegetables, baked dishes and pasta
* I personally did not have dessert, however if berries were offered I would have some in limited portions. Alternatively if my low carb cheese cake was available, I would not think twice of having 2 slices.
* Limit alcohol to the type with lower carbohydrates, such as dry wines and light beers (contains between 5 – 6 grams of carbohydrate per glass respectively) or alternatively cut out alcoholic drinks altogether and substitute for sugar free beverages
Not all of us are fortunate enough to have a family in friends whom support us through this transitional or maintenance phase. If you find yourself in a situation where your eating habits are constantly questioned and food and beverages are constantly forced on you, see below extract from Dana Carpendar’s website on this topic. I could not have wrote this better.
(Courtesy: www.danaslowcarbforlife.com/)
Now let’s talk about the food-pusher problem. If you’ve decided to declare Thanksgiving an Indulgence Day, this is not a big deal. Eat your high protein breakfast — no starving till the feast! — and then eat whatever appeals to you. On the other hand, if you’d rather not gorge on carbs, or if you’re simply following my (unbelievably wise) advice to pick and choose only those carbs that you really and truly love, someone may notice. Worse, someone may comment. “But you’re not eating my famous candied sweeeeet potaaaatooooes!” they’ll whine. “It’s a tradition! You have to have some!”
May I betray an unholiday-like spirit by admitting that I hate people like this? They are not being “nice,” they are being controlling busy-bodies. Please, please accept that you owe it to no one to put anything into your body that you don’t want to. These people are no different from the kids back in high school who pushed you to try drugs, or those extreme jerks who get ugly when someone doesn’t want a drink — or another drink.
The words you are looking for are “No, thanks.” That’s it. It’s an appropriate response, and all the response required, no matter how many times they push you. Let’s practice, shall we?
“Oh, but you haven’t had any mashed potatoes! Here, have some.”
“No, thanks.”
“But it’s a holiday! C’mon, you can’t diet on Thanksgiving!”
“No, thanks.”
“What, you’re not going to eat your grandmother’s mashed potatoes? You loved them as a child!”
“No, thanks.”
“Geez, can’t you have any fun anymore?”
“No, thanks.” (Notice Dana gritting teeth to keep from saying “What, the only fun you can think of is food? I prefer sex, myself.”)
“I’ll just put a spoonful on your plate. There, now you’ll have to eat them!”
(Scooping up potatoes and putting them back in the serving bowl) “No, thanks.”
Etc…
The big thing to notice here is the lack of excuses, explanations, justifications, etc, for not eating whatever it is these morons (sorry, I know they’re your family, but they are, in this context at least, morons) are pushing. YOU DO NOT OWE THEM AN EXPLANATION. Any explanation on your part will be taken as an invitation to argue it away, just as giving a four-year-old any explanation for a rule past “Because I’m the mom and I said so” is just begging for endless argument.
Beyond “no thank you,” it’s a good idea to add a quick subject change. Like this:
“But you have to have another slice of pie!”
“No, thanks. Hey, have you seen the new Happy Feet movie yet? Maybe we should take the kids tomorrow.”
“You have to have some of my famous sweet potato casserole!”
“No, thanks. Hey, anyone interested in doing some Black Friday shopping? Where’s the best shopping around here, anyway?”
This is very powerful. After you’ve changed the subject, the Obnoxious Relative is going to look pretty crazed to keep coming back to “but you have to have some pie.” It’s a neat piece of social ju-jitsu, and it’s helpful all year long, any time someone is pushing a sensitive subject..
The most important thing is to get very, very clear in your own mind that you have no obligation to eat anything you do not want to eat. You are not being rude, the person pushing and nagging is being rude. Unspeakably rude, actually. If you had a deadly allergy, one that would cause you to go into anaphylaxis at a single bite, would you feel like you were being rude to say “No, thank you” to a serving of that food? Well, obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, and other carb-intolerance illnesses kill more people than anything else. Just takes a little longer, that’s all.
So speak up for yourself. Be calm, but be firm.
And next year, have Thanksgiving with people who aren’t such boneheads, ‘kay?
3. The monotony of it all
Man and woman cannot live on eggs, butter and avocado alone on a low carb diet. Contrary to popular belief, the menu options are endless. At the beginning stage of this life style, I lived mostly on dark green leafy vegetables, eggs, chicken, avocado and cheese. This was quite limiting and became boring after a while. I am a believer that variety is the spice of life. Incorporating this belief into my new way of life I have (re) discovered the following foods:
· Offal – This includes liver, hearts, and kidneys. I know many of you are turning your noses up at this, but not only are they tasty, it is high in vitamins and minerals
· Full fat cream cheese – If quite firm is a great addition in salads. I personally prefer Philadelphia Cream Cheese.
· Almond milk – Is a great substitute for dairy or the horrid soy variety. I found the health store variety had added sugar so I have decided to make my own, using stevia instead of dates or honey. (see recipe on youtube: How to Make Almond Milk - Creamy & Simple)
· Stevia – Use instead of sugar, honey or the extremely unhealthy artificial sweeteners. I use this to sweeten baked goods, non-alcoholic and hot beverages as well as smoothies.
· Berries – This is the only fruit I eat, especially blueberries.
· Nuts – This is limited to raw nuts and I personally prefer almonds and macadamia’s, however I have snacked on pecan nuts.
· Sugar and grain free meat products – Ask your local free range butcher if their meat products contain sugar and or grains. I found a local German butcher that only sells grain free sausages.
The above list however are the latest additions, however once these become monotonous, I will be on the search again for newer and more exciting offerings.
Besides these whole foods, we need not deprive ourselves by eliminating our favourites. Great substitutes I have found are:
* Pasta and Bolognaise – Substitute the pasta with shaved baby marrow (Zucchini)
* Baked cheese cake – Eliminate the sugar and wheat and substitute with ground almonds and stevia
* Muffins and bread – Substitute wheat flour with ground almonds
* Tiramisu – Substitute the lady fingers with the home made kind prepared from ground almonds. Stevia can be used instead of sugar in the dessert.
* Creamed mushrooms or Cauliflower Au Gratin – Substitute the cheese sauce with sour cream and full fat cheese
* Pizza – The base made with eggs and topped with your favourite low carb topping
* Cheese / Hamburger – Discard the bun and serve the meat on a bed of fresh baby spinach topped with, a generous slab of cheddar, Dijon mustard and bacon.
End of part 1
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