Low-carb diets support thread

Edwardia

Reading Horseunderwater's post I wonder if it would help it mummyofboys if we posted what we eat/don't and why and how we gave up things.

DON'T

Bread, cakes, biscuits, crackers, crispbreads, pasta, noodles, rice, wild rice, quinoa, couscous, semolina, polenta, spelt, bulgar wheat. Crisps, snack foods, Bombay mix, sweets, milk chocolate. Breaded fish and chicken. Potatoes, chips, potato waffles, hash browns, parsnips. (carbs)
Sunflower oil, vegetable oil, margarine. (unconvinced healthy).
Diet Pepsi, diet cherry Coke, squashes, lemonades (artificial sweeteners).
Ready meals, tinned soup, Quorn (when I found out it's soil mould fed on glucose), soya, soy sauce, tofu. (processed food)
Fruit juices (sugar) Instant coffee (don't like) alcohol (sends blood sugar too low sometimes)
Recipes over 10g carbs per serving
Products eg coleslaw over 10g carbs per 100g

DO

Free range eggs, fish, seafood, meat, poultry, game, vegetables, salads, small quantities berries, cherries, grapes. Lactofree semi-skimmed milk. Double cream, clotted cream, butter, Extra Virgin olive oil, sesame oil (just started on ghee, coconut oil, mustard oil). Cider vinegar. Hellmann's mayonnaise. Sea salt. Reduced salt Kallo organic stock cubes. Reduced salt Bisto gravy granules. Lindt 90% cocoa chocolate (14g carbs per 100g bar) and Kelly's of Cornwall clotted cream ice cream (2 scoops = 11g carbs) as occasional treats. Evian and San Pellegrino water. Brooke Bond Taj Mahal, Earl Grey, peppermint, fennel & nettle, cardamom, green teas. Occasonal cafetiere freshly ground Columbian arabica coffee.

HOW

Went Low GI as diagnosed with diabetes. Didn't help much so started giving up carbs gradually. Recently quit alcohol, artificial sweeteners, diet Pepsi (not all at once)

SHEILA54

mummyofboys - when I first started I cut out all caffeine and went very low carb, drinking only water and Marigold veg stock in hot water a couple of times a day for variety and for minerals . I felt really bad as I was detoxing as well as adjusting to the diet but, after about 10 days, I felt really great!!! I now drink one cup of caffeinated coffee, to protect the little grey cells, 1 cup of tea and 1 cup of decaffeinated coffee a day and it doesn't seem to affect me. You really must drink at least 3 litres of water to flush out the toxins, whether you want to or not, as you will feel worse otherwise

I ate meat, fish, free range eggs, cheese, cream, butter, olive oil, mayo, salad and low carb veg. I have now added lactofree milk, 70% chocolate (one sq a day), nuts, berries, low sugar jelly, seeds, but not all on the same day. Cauliflower mashed with a little cream and seasoned really makes a good alternative to potatoes for cottage pie and curried veg with chicken is nice on its own. I have also added coconut oil on recommendation from other low carbers on this forum.

It really is worth persevering as it won't last long !!

mazzers - can you have a milk with cream cocoa before you go to bed and then go through until your break? I must admit that I admire you and anyone else who can IT as I am not sure that I could do it!!

Edwardia

daska wrote: »

OK, this might seem a bit of a strange one but I do have a suggestion...

The principle of IF is to take advantage of the body's natural increase in insulin sensitivity that occurs after 8-10 hours of not eating. But, with logical hat on, that's surely to do with eating carbs. So, a couple of teaspoons of coconut oil might satiate you and enable you to last out until 3? No carbs = no insulin = still technically fasting?

Comments anyone? Am I being daft?

No carbs doesn't equal no insulin because your liver dumps glycogen into your blood independently of your stomach and you'll get an insulin response to that. Insulin does more than regulate fat as well, it's involved in other processes too.

If your liver decides to dump glycogen because it thinks fasting has driven your blood glucose too low, how is that different to you eating carbs because if you don't use that energy it will get stored as fat.

Exercise is good for increasing insulin sensitivity.

daska

Edwardia wrote: »

Reading Horseunderwater's post I wonder if it would help it mummyofboys if we posted what we eat/don't and why and how we gave up things.

Good idea :T

DON'T EAT:
Pig products (not due to religious reasons, just don't like them) grains (whole or ground)
legumes (except occasionally peanuts)
belladonna/nightshade family (tomatos, chilli's, peppers, aubergines, potatos)
root veg
sugar
artificial sweeteners/ colourings
quorn (just plain nasty sounding plus DS2 allergic)
soya (gives me digestive problems)

DO EAT:
Meat - Chicken, beef, liver, fish (salmon/tuna)
eggs
Dairy - cheese, cream, butter
leafy veg - romaine, parsley, spinach kale, chard
Sauces - mayo, pesto, curry paste (haryali has very little chilli and no tomato)
Coconut oil/flour/cream/milk
Olive Oil
Cocoa and 99% chocolate
Yacon syrup (very occasionally, it's a bit like molasses but doesn't affect blood sugars and allegedly not bad for you like agave)
Flax seed (great crackers), Chia seed
Drinks - mainly tap water, redbush or chamomile tea, coffee with cocoa and cream (occasional)

WHY: Long term chronic illness and disability due to CFS/ME. High risk for diabetes (insulin dependent gestational diabetes, obese, sedentary). Had what seemed to be a hypo back in mid Jan which coincided with getting DS2's special educational needs statement sorted out and the time/energy being available to start paying attention to my own needs. Went low carb to deal with the raised blood sugars and because I know it suits me (even if I am addicted to carbs). Cut out grain and nightshade because of digestive problems, frank incontinence and family history of problems.

35lb later I'm now on the borderline of 'overweight' with another 35lb to lose before I get to top end of 'normal'.

daska

Edwardia wrote: »

No carbs doesn't equal no insulin because your liver dumps glycogen into your blood independently of your stomach and you'll get an insulin response to that. Insulin does more than regulate fat as well, it's involved in other processes too.

If your liver decides to dump glycogen because it thinks fasting has driven your blood glucose too low, how is that different to you eating carbs because if you don't use that energy it will get stored as fat.

Exercise is good for increasing insulin sensitivity.

I did consider that but discounted it because gluconeogenesis occurs even if you don't eat anything, otherwise people wouldn't be able to survive starvation as long as they can - 40+ days isn't it? The oil itself won't trigger an insulin response. And insulin, in turn, inhibits the process so it's self limiting.

P.S. would if I could on the exercise front, I really miss being able to go for a walk

bossymoo

schoolhouse wrote: »

Morning to all and hope you are well. I am back and hoping to shift a bit of podge. Sister's wedding in 4 weeks:eek:!

I am going to kick start with a Dukan attack phase. Sat here eating a very nice grilled chicken breast and some cottage cheese.Low fat cottage cheese which slightly threw me as am so used to full fat in everything. Tastes ok...I added my oatbran requirement to it. Not sure how else to eat the oatbran, not wanting to make their pancakes or put it in biscuity type things(not keen on sugar alternatives as they seem to leave a funny taste in my mouth).

Hope you have a good day and that nobody get too rained on,the school run was very wet and windy this morning.

SHEILA54- Thank you for asking after me and pleased to see that the pounds are shifting for you again :T.

I never got on with the pancake / galette either. But I did make some loafy type bakes with it. Mixing with eggs and quark and some herbs, and skimmed milk powder. I remember Dukan allows a certain amount of milk and yoghurt? Anyway, it made a smallish loaf that was stable enough to slice and toast. I also used sweetener with it to make muffins, but you could y some savoury ones? Courgette muffins are nice (for want of a better word ) and can be had on the pv once you get past attack.

Other than that, I liked oat bran porridge. I couldn't quite stomach it raw, even mixed in yoghurt as some have it. Apparently it's properties are better in a raw uncooked state though...

bossymoo

Do Eats:
Beef, pork, chicken, turkey, fish, prawns, eggs, cheese, cream, butter, salad leaves, green veg, cauliflower, coleslaw (not low fat ones, the creamy ones), aubergines, onions, mushrooms, tomatoes (small quantities in cooking), and my naughtiest are diabetic chocolate, Atkins bars and pepsi max cola. I also bake with ground almonds, sweeteners, protein powders and flavouring extracts.

At the moment I'm quite restricted just for ease and still getting the hang of it.

I do have a load of dried goji berries in my cupboard, anyone used these before? They were allowed on Dukan 1tbsp per day. I used to make muffins with them. And obviously other ingredients haha

mazzers

Thanks Daska/Edwardia, it is ok to have black tea/coffee when fasting, and according to the fast5 site, a little cream would be ok as it doesnt trigger an insulin response so i spose coconut oil would be ok, not keen on eating it off the spoon tho _pale_

Also, if i went til 3pm, would the next day be timed from then? or back to the fixed window, and a shorter fast the next day?

Incidentally, i watch lectures by professor Michio Kaku and he was asked about advances in life longevity, he said at Caltech they believe that to live 30% longer you need to starve yourself and eat 30% less, confirming research into fasting

Do i want to live to 100 if i'm constantly bl00dy starving tho

And yes i know exercise reduces insulin resistance but after 9hrs rushing around i honestly cant find the energy, Sunday is my de-stress/relax//cooking day, Mon cleaning/shopping day, that leaves Wed... excuses excuses

daska

mazzers wrote: »

Thanks Daska/Edwardia, it is ok to have black tea/coffee when fasting, and according to the fast5 site, a little cream would be ok as it doesnt trigger an insulin response so i spose coconut oil would be ok, not keen on eating it off the spoon tho _pale_

Also, if i went til 3pm, would the next day be timed from then? or back to the fixed window, and a shorter fast the next day?

Incidentally, i watch lectures by professor Michio Kaku and he was asked about advances in life longevity, he said at Caltech they believe that to live 30% longer you need to starve yourself and eat 30% less, confirming research into fasting

Do i want to live to 100 if i'm constantly bl00dy starving tho

And yes i know exercise reduces insulin resistance but after 9hrs rushing around i honestly cant find the energy, Sunday is my de-stress/relax//cooking day, Mon cleaning/shopping day, that leaves Wed... excuses excuses

As far as I can tell there isn't one 'right' way. Some people advocate a feeding window on a daily basis, some 24 hours twice weekly. And I've seen feeding windows of between 4 and 12 hours. (I wouldn't consider fasting any longer than 24 hours personally but I used to know someone who would do a water fast for 3 weeks every year :eek: I thought he was insane!) And then there's the theory (or maybe it's a hypothesis LOL) that the body becomes accustomed to regular fasts and they cease to be effective...

daska

bossymoo wrote: »

I do have a load of dried goji berries in my cupboard, anyone used these before? They were allowed on Dukan 1tbsp per day. I used to make muffins with them. And obviously other ingredients haha

Personally I can't see why people rave about the nasty leathery horrid tasting things. Plus they're in the nightshade family so I deliberately avoid them and they can thin the blood so aren't suitable for anyone on aspirin, warfarin etc.