Oct 25th. 1 AM

Hello Superstars,

My newest findings is all about a Low Carb High Fat / Ketogenic diet, which some say is a modified Atkins style diet.  Some of the benefits include controlled blood sugar,  treat epileptic seizures and help patients with Alzheimers disease to name a few.  Check out the links on these pages and as always my goal is to educate myself and you on what is out there in the Nutrition field since it is a constant battle for most of us.  And I will be very upfront and say that I am not trying to get you to do what I do, but just sharing what I am doing, and what I have tried in the past. 

Some of us wish we had a switch we could just turn on and eat healthy consistently instead of giving in to the desserts or Fill in your blank ______ :-)  This diet seems to be working the best for me since my body tends to respond better to a lower carb intake. Some may consider that dangerous to do long term.  Currently I am striving to keep my carbohydrate intake to less than 20 grams.  This in the Atkins Diet is considered to be part of the first phase which is know as Induction.  What makes LCHF different is that it's a higher percentage of Fat intake, moderate protein and very low carbs.  When you cut back on carbs for your energy source you will need to up the fat intake to feel full and keep your energy levels up!  So I guess I am now eating like a Swede.  I feel great, my energy levels are through the roof and I have lost 15 pounds in the last 4 and a half weeks :-)  (Me Likey!!!)

One of my mentors who I am reading a lot about is Mr Jimmy Moore and he is doing some amazing self experimentation on his own body and health.  He talks about getting into and staying in Nutritional Ketosis and refers to it as N=1 on his Blog.  He also had to make a few changes from his low carb lifestyle to get into Nutritional Ketosis and here is what he learned.  It's the same mistakes I was making this past month as I started my journey to be leaner and healthier.  I have ordered my Ketone strps and meter.  On the other hand I might as well mention this now that being in Ketosis is not the same as KetoAcidosis.  Someone explained it like this -  "If ketosis is like rain which isn't so bad, ketoacidosis is like a flood!  They both deal with water but one can be disastrous!"  And to make sure you are doing everything right I highly recommend going to your doctor and getting his or her approval before you make any dietary changes.  If you are looking for a doctor who is keeping up with the "cutting edge" research check out this awesome resource Mr Jimmy Moore has put together.  And here is another list of doctors who are more Paleo oriented.  I have gotten my base line blood work done last Friday the 12th and might share it on here after I have been on this diet for 3 months and get my blood work rechecked so I have something to compare it to.  I have also ordered a blood glucose and ketone tester to monitor my progress.  Hopefully it will be in this week.   And I think I am now signing off and going to bed.  Quality sleep is equally important as part of a healthy lifestyle!  Good Night :-)

1.  This is Mr Jimmy Moore's Blog and more specifically his journey since he started Nutritional Ketosis AKA Keto Adaptation!  He is a great mentor and a super smart guy who has not only lost over a 170 pounds of fat but kicks my butt on Words with Friends as well!  He also contributes his wealth of knowledge about Nutrition on Carb Smart which is another great site with some useful information for low-carbers.  I particularly liked these posts by Mr Moore where he recommends 12 top foods for Nutritional Ketosis and the mistakes that he made while trying to get Keto-Adapted.  I have been listening to a lot of his Podcasts on my drives back and forth to work and even in the gym!  He is a great inspiration and I thank him for having such a fun and positive outlook on life and also being a little quirky! :-)

3. If you need a Doctor that understands a Low Carb Lifestyle, Mr Moore has put together a great list.  And so has Mr Robb Wolf and Mr Loren Cordain which is called Paleo Physicians Network.

4. A very Interesting twist on COFFEE  and I am actually thinking I am going to give this a try. Thank you Mr Dave Asprey aka "Bio-Hacker".  (BTW I had put 85% dark chocolate, grass-fed butter, coconut oil and heavy whipping cream and melted it together yesterday. So that's what I put in my fridge and decided to put in my coffee instead.  Oh my gosh it smelled and tasted EXCELLENT :-D 11-30-12 10:30 AM)  And if you want to read a little more about the pros and cons of Coffee this site has a lot of great information including a list of excellent Paleo recipes as well!

5. Another awesome Influence in my life is Mr Robb Wolf, whom I met at a Nutrition Seminar in Atlanta a few years ago, and at that time it was honestly very hard for me to wrap my head around the information I was being taught.  I was very intrigued and to be fair did try The Paleo Diet for a month, saw the positive results but still went back to eating the way I was because I thought it just wasn't right to cut out grains and legumes.  I guess the marketing, my upbringing, and family's culture really had something to do with all that.  Plus I liked it - HA I said it!  But now I have been nearly Gluten free for at least a year and really can tell the distress in my belly whenever I do eat bread. 

6. Someone who I have been listening to a lot on Interviews is Dr Andreas Eenfeldt, a Swedish medical doctor specializing in family medicine!  His English website is DietDoctor.com and his Scandinavian website is KostDoctorn.  He really is doing a lot of positive things and changing the lives of many people including me.  Here is his page for what to eat on a LCHF diet and this is what I am doing currently as of 6 weeks ago. I have gotten all my health marker numbers checked at the doctor's office and will do it again around New Year 2013 to see what my results are then to compare.  Hoping and praying for positive changes!

7. Time for a couple of recipe links.  I enjoyed making and especially eating these crunchy and nutritious KALE CHIPS. This Lemon Meringue Pie, I would love to try but right now seems a little more "trabajo" than my lazy self wants to do to make it.  And this Gluten Free Pizza with only .5 net gram carbs per slice is in my very near future. :-p

8. On with the show, next up we have Dr Peter Attia who has really impressed me with his self motivation and experimentation with his own diet.  He is a super smart guy and I can relate with his story about how what we learn in classes isn't necessarily 100% correct. He mentions something about calories that I really like which is considering the Alternative Hypothesis - " Obesity is a growth disorder, just like any other growth disorder, and fat accumulation is determined not by the balance of calories consumed and expended but by the effect of specific nutrients on the hormonal regulation of fat metabolism."  He is also currently working with the brilliant Mr Gary Taubes on this awesome site NuSI - Nutrition Science Initiative which hopefully I will get a chance to be more involved in at a later time!

9.  Back to the Keto diet : If you are trying to figure exactly out how much PROTEIN you need or how to add more FAT to be Keto Adapted, (or which Fats are healthy and good vs bad) please check out these great articles by Ms. Caitlin Weeks. 

10. And since we are talking about Fats what about Mayonnaise?  From what I have read almost all of the store bought brands are high in the wrong types of fat for a Paleo Lifestyle or Ketosis.  If you want to make your own this seems to be the best recipe I have found so far from Nom Nom Paleo with a How-to Video!  This Lady is genuinely funny, speaks her mind and I like her for it!!  Her name is Mrs Michelle Tam and she takes the best pictures and videos of food as she puts together hundreds of recipes on her much visited site!  Here are the recipes that will keep us all busy in the kitchen for at least 725 hours.  Thank you for your hard work Mrs Tam!!

11. A few more Recipes I would like to try are Low Carb & Gluten Free Egg Crepes and for my big ol' sweet tooth especially with the Holidays and Family Birthdays' being around the corner Peanut Butter Cookie Dough Truffles peaked my interest and this Egg Recipe is very similar to what I have been eating growing up around the world!

12. Some great like minded people doing exactly what you and I are doing, living and learning about Nutrition on Forums called the Low Carb Friends and Active Low-Carbers . 

13. A BIG Thank You to Mr Joseph Arcita for writing one of the most thorough articles with lots of links called A guide to Ketosis!

14. Lastly I have a hard time making myself do this but I know that some of you will love to keep track of your daily calorie intake so Fitday should help you out just fine.  What's cool is once you have it set up like you want it's actually pretty easy and totally Free online.  You can also calculate your ideal Nutrient intake for weight loss or maintenance by filling in this quick form. 

What is Celiac Disease? When the gluten protein found in Wheat, Rye and Barley is ingested by someone with this genetic disorder, the protein destroys the villi in the small intestine. The villi help absorb nutrients from foods, and without them, you can become malnourished. Over time, those with active Celiacs are at high risk to develop gut inflammation, food allergies, osteoporosis, diabetes, lupus, and a score of other issues as the immune system stays on high alert.  Without the gluten protein present the gut will heal significantly in about 6 weeks.  Interesting fact according to the Archives of Intestinal Medicine and this particular site is that "2 Million people in the United States have the disease or about 1 in 133 people!"  Even though you may not have full blown Celiacs it has been linked to Crohn's and Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS). 

Also, I do want to mention that even though a dining establishment may have a Gluten Free menu, there can still be cross contamination of products resulting in intestinal issues.  When my wife and I go to a restaurant, we try to be very clear with the server to please make sure that the chef knows of her Celiacs disease.  They usually are more than happy to accommodate our needs and sometimes even go above and beyond to make us feel welcome.  And now here are a few resources which you might find helpful in trying to live a much healthier Gluten Free lifestyle.

1.  Glutenista is packed full of information, news and recipes.  This lady has been one busy lady!!  Kudos to her for her hard work!

2. Click on Gluten Free Works for a list of symptoms that can be related to Gluten Sensitivity or Celiacs Disease.

3. Tons of Gluten Free links to Blogs and food resources that will make you a better cook on GlutenFreeGirl!

4. Another Important thing to keep in mind is when you are prescribed medications it doesn't hurt to remind your Physician or Pharmacist of your allergies, especially if they are switching your medication to a generic brand.  And here is a List of Healthcare Professionals that might be able to help you as a Gluten Free Consumer.

5. How about a site that lets you know where all the gluten free friendly restaurants and bakeries are in your area or anywhere else that you might be traveling?  Not that you need 3, but I figured If you are anything like me, I didn't want anyone to panic in case one of the sites went down ;-)  Here they are 1, 2, and 3!  #3 (Gluten Free Registry) even has an APP for all your Smart Devices such as iPhone, Android and even Kindle.  Now that's pretty convenient and cool!!

6. If you like or love to cook you probably already have heard of Allrecipes.com.  It's probably my wife's favorite cooking site.  And something that I have been wanting to try is this Gluten Free, mouth watering low carb buns called an Oopsie Roll!  Um-hmmm, maybe tomorrow! (I am hungry now and it's only 3:05 in the morning - Nov 3, 2012) 

7. A different kind of 31 day challenge that I found very interesting!!! 

8. All day I dream about food should have been my tag line but apparently someone has already used it to name her awesome Low carb and Gluten Free blog.  Her name is Mrs Carolyn, a busy mom of 3, a runner and a diabetic!  This Coconut Flan and Greek Yogurt Creme Brulee sounds delicious and I can have it even on my LCHF diet!  Um yes, if you haven't figured it out I DO have a Major Sweet Tooth!!

9. Lastly an online Gluten Free Forum for any questions and a Gluten Free Mall for your shopping needs.

 

Micky,

I just watched the video, "Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead".  I am completely inspired and fired up even more to keep eating cleaner and cleaner.  Now I want to try juicing for the first time in my life.  So, I'll be picking your brain about this....be prepared.  I also finished the other video, "Sugar, the Bitter Truth".   I really appreciate all of this information because it is so encouraging and reinforces the changes that I am trying so hard to make.  See you at 4:15 !   N.

This is the kind of e-mails I receive and it makes me love what I do even more because I am trying to positively impact my clients.  And as i continue to learn and grow my knowledge on Nutrition I continue to share with my family/friends and clients.  So this is why I keep going.  If you are going to juice this is a few things to keep in mind.

1. After watching Fat Sick and Nearly Dead, Join The Reboot was the next big thing!  It's all about Rebooting your life by adding more Vegetables and Fruit in your life!  I remember there were and still are a couple of huge groups on Facebook that are all about Juicing and A Vegan Lifestyle. 

2. I also found this juice recipe website called HealingDaily.com which I was using "Daily"!

3. A list of Alkaline Foods. And one more site with a list of raw food and Acidic vs. Alkaline Foods.

4. Here is the Vegan Food Guide A.K.A the stuff I am NOT eating on the LCHF plan.  I am avoiding Gluten and Soy and now I think it is a good time to share this article on Soy. 

5.

UNDER CONSTRUCTION - Coming SOON