Low-carb diets support thread

Edwardia

durham_mim wrote: »

Wednesdays Menu

B - Bakewell porridge
L - 1 fried egg on toast & 1 beans on toast. Ramekin filled with peanuts. 100g cherries
D - Chicken breast & Indian fried cabbage. Microwave low carb sponge

Drinks - Redbush tea & water.

Hi durham_mim :j Ok well lemme see..

Porridge is OK if a low carb recipe, otherwise if it's porridge made with oats, definitely not low carb.
Toast is OK only if using low carb bread and in the UK 99% aren't.
Peanuts are carby, a cupful is about 20g carbs IIRC. Pistachios would be better.
Chicken breast nothing wrong with this if you like it, but when low carbing it's a positive thing to eat fattier meat and poultry so you could have chicken thighs or drumsticks if you wish.
Cabbage - is that your only vegetable all day ? If so, you need to eat more of them, a good way to do this is a stir fry. If you can either avoid sauces with sugar and use the less salty soy sauce. Other ways to add more veg are HM soups and stews, salads and low carb veggie dishes. Or if you like Indian food most Indian stuff is low carb apart from the rice.
Microwave low carb sponge - not likely to be very nutritious and if you're just starting low carb this is really something for maintenance phase rather than just starting.

I realise you feel confused so instead of giving you lists of what you can't eat here I'll do a post of stuff you can eat.

murphydog999

SHEILA54 wrote: »

murphydog999 -
http://lowcarbdiets.about.com/od/breakfast1/r/lowcarbpancakes.htm
I use half of the recipe and leave out the oil and sweetener. Sometimes I substitute a little of my flax / seed instead of ground almonds, about 20/80 seed/almonds, for variety. Makes 2 largish pancakes or 4 smaller ones.

I've bookmarked it thank you, you're ok with flax now then?

murphydog999

Edwardia wrote: »

Hi durham_mim :j Ok well lemme see..

Porridge is OK if a low carb recipe, otherwise if it's porridge made with oats, definitely not low carb.
Toast is OK only if using low carb bread and in the UK 99% aren't.
Peanuts are carby, a cupful is about 20g carbs IIRC. Pistachios would be better.
Chicken breast nothing wrong with this if you like it, but when low carbing it's a positive thing to eat fattier meat and poultry so you could have chicken thighs or drumsticks if you wish.
Cabbage - is that your only vegetable all day ? If so, you need to eat more of them, a good way to do this is a stir fry. If you can either avoid sauces with sugar and use the less salty soy sauce. Other ways to add more veg are HM soups and stews, salads and low carb veggie dishes. Or if you like Indian food most Indian stuff is low carb apart from the rice.
Microwave low carb sponge - not likely to be very nutritious and if you're just starting low carb this is really something for maintenance phase rather than just starting.

I realise you feel confused so instead of giving you lists of what you can't eat here I'll do a post of stuff you can eat.

Cherries are also 14g (net) per 100g, and beans :eek: have you checked the tin???

I must admit I treated myself to some baked beans yesterday with a pork chop, I spoiled myself and had 1/2 a small tin :A only 10g carbs though

SHEILA54

I use this and have around 1 tbsp a day, which seems to suit me
http://www.hollandandbarrett.com/pages/product_detail.asp?pid=1890&prodid=2068&bid=370
Perseverance pays off

Also have nuts, half avocado and chocolate so plenty of magnesium.

What do you think?

Rhubarb recipes
http://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-detail.asp?recipe=554907
http://www.lowcarbluxury.com/newsletter/lclnewsvol04-no06-pg7.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Omy7l-8XeKU

Edwardia

Meat - if it's burgers or sausages they may have fillers and you'd need to check the carbs ie if it's over 10g carbs per 100g don't eat unless there's nothing less carby around. Otherwise meat is fine, eat as much as you want. Steaks, roasts, kebabs (as long as 100% meat and you don't eat the pitta)

Fish - plain unbreaded, unbattered fish is great, eat as much as you like. If everyone is tucking into fish and chips, pull the batter/breading off and don't have the chips. It is possible to find low carb frozen fish fingers that will give you under 10g carbs for two, fried or grilled and they could be a meal with eggs, mushrooms, bacon and HM oven chips made from swede, celeriac or turnip. Some frozen fishy ready meals eg cod with butter sauce can be low carb.

Seafood - any plain seafood from lobster to cockles through langoustines and shrimps is great, eat as much as you want. Not breaded scampi though, and check the carbs of the crab sticks and lobster lookalike tails. If more than 10g per serving or 10g per 100g avoid. Some prepared mussel dishes with sauce can be low carb, depends on the sauce.

Poultry - Eat as much as you want of plain, unbreaded chicken, you can have it with the skin on and roast or fry or grill however you want as much as you want. This does not apply to marinaded stuff on a BBQ or KFC. A few pieces of some KFC things are OK the website will tell you which.

Game - as much as you want of plain duck, pheasant, grouse, quail, rabbit etc. Venison burgers may contain fillers so check for carbs. Not Chinese style duck though.

Sauces - if it comes in at under 10g per 100g or 10g per serving, have it, to liven up ham, steak, whatever. That's any kind of sauce from Bearnaise to HP sauce. If you find your weight stalling you may decide to cut out sugar altogether (sistercas lost 6.5lbs doing that) and cut them out. But a piece of plain meat or fish can look boring.

Vegetables - prioritise green leafy veg rather than root veg. But celeriac, swede and turnip are OK whereas potatoes aren't. Some people eat carrots others don't some eat parsnips, others don't. To help you decide the glycemic index shows how fast the veg releases sugar into the bloodstream www.glycemicindex.com University of Sydney website. Anything 55 or under is low GI. Corn on the cob, sweetcorn and other forms of corn like popcorn and cornflakes are a no as well. Mash can be made with root veg such as swede and can incorporate butter and cream

Bread - most bread isn't low carb so avoid unless you find it. If you do then you can have toast with lashings of butter but not jam, honey or other spreads.

Cakes - if you really can't give up that cake habit, then ask questions because there are low carb options if you make them yourself.

Biscuits - if you have the willpower to stop at one, then plain digestive biscuits are the least carby biscuit.

Crackers - unless you make your own, these are unlikely to be low carb.

Crispbreads - not low carb and low carbing means NOT eating 1 crispbread with cottage cheese and a low fat yogurt for lunch !

Dairy - the full fat versions of cheese, cream cheese, clotted cream, double cream, single cream, whipping cream (NOT whipped cream unless you did it yourself without sugar), cottage cheese, sour cream, natural yogurt, Greek yogurt, kefir, smetana, smen, ghee.. check carbs for pouring cream and cream alternatives which may be carby. Milk and milk alternatives can be carby, you want the least carbs per 100ml that you can find.

Eggs - go crazy, eggs are a superfood and won't hurt your cholesterol.

Fats - adding fat back into your diet is GOOD. Ghee, butter, lard, dripping, coconut oil, olive oil, rapeseed oil.. it's up to you.. but preferable not to consume corn oil.

Nuts - useful snack, the least carby are pistachios

Pulses - carby, best to avoid unless you are a veggie and if you are.. there are books by Celia Brooks Brown and Rose Elliot

Chocolate - 90% cocoa chocolate is only 14g carbs for a 100g bar.

Fruit - lower GI fruits are berries and cherries so you can tuck into strawberries and cream (on offer at Sainsbury's to 7 July).

Custard - sorry it's nearly all cornflour so no.

Puddings - if you make them yourself, with sugar substitutes you can have things like chocolate mousse, pots au chocolat or buy them if under 10g per 100g or serving.

Sugar - NO but yes to sugar substitutes

Pasta - NO and a research study showed low carb pasta isn't low carb

Rice -NO but there are ways of making fake rice using cauliflower

Fruit juice - NO

Alcohol - not to start with but yes for maintenance but not beer and ask about least carby options.

Sodas - not the regular versions only diet

Squashes, cordials - not unless sugar free

Ice cream - most ice cream is too carby but two scoops of either Kelly's of Cornwall clotted cream ice cream or Wall's Classics Cornish vanilla dairy ice cream are about the lowest you'll find.

Low carb food - Atkins bars, Dreamfields pasta etc - not terribly nutritious and usually expensive. If it means sticking to low carb rather than going overboard with carbs may be a reasonable choice.

murphydog999

SHEILA54 wrote: »

I use this and have around 1 tbsp a day, which seems to suit me
http://www.hollandandbarrett.com/pages/product_detail.asp?pid=1890&prodid=2068&bid=370
Perseverance pays off

Ooh I haven't seen that in my local H & B, it's a shame they had to use corn starch (probably where the bulk of the carbs come from) but it's only 1.5%, and that's not much in a tbsp. Thanks for the recipe links, I'll check them out, crumble and custard would be nice though.

Padstow

Minihauk wrote: »

Thanks Sheila, I have to say it is good to be back. I am suffering a little with my knees due to the change in diet, but I'm sure it will settle soon.

Question: Some time ago there was a guy (I think it was Eric Pisch) who said all salt was evil - but in order to avoid leg cramps I need to eat salt. Is it ok to eat a few salted nuts regularly to make sure I'm getting enough salt? Or should I be eating/taking something else? e.g magnesium or some such?
Thanks.

Food wise I have been very good.
B = some flax stuff (linked the other day from H*lland and with a spoonful of peanut butter and some hot water to mix, with some double cream. It is lovely and is filling too.
L = chicken breast and salad with caesar dressing and two individual portions of cheese.

Hi all, I'd like to contribute from time to time if that's ok. I've been reading for some time, and salt coaxed me out of lurkdom.

Minihauk, you brought up the question of salt. I've been LC for four weeks, lost 8lbs with a stone to go.

I went through the most peculiar thing where I couldn't stand salt. I normally love salty peanuts, anchovies, olives etc but all of a sudden I had to throw the halloumi out, even though I'd soaked it for an hour and couldn't stand anchovies. Couldn't bear a twist of salt even on mozzarella and tomato, had to rinse it under the tap which didn't look appetising.

Apparently others suffer the same, saying it's our taste buds recovering after eating processed foods, except I didn't, never have.

The distaste of salt passed, but I have felt light headed at times when exercising which was hard going, so did some research and added some sea salt to my water, of which I don't drink enough.
I am getting there Minihauk, honest, it's coming.

Apparently LC needs more salt, you can read in the first link. Which leads to me to your question as to whether salt is good or bad. Apparently some salt is poison other beneficial. That's in the second link. I wish I could buy some but until I sell something on Ebay it's too expensive right now.

Enough from me, happy low carbing.

http://www.lowcarbfriends.com/bbs/recommended-reading/729321-low-carbers-salt-dizziness-muscle-weakness-fatigue.html

http://www.seventhwaveuk.com/24-celtic-salt-coarse.html?gclid=CLab_-2i3bACFVMetAodwVvbxg

SHEILA54

murphydog999 wrote: »

Ooh I haven't seen that in my local H & B, it's a shame they had to use corn starch (probably where the bulk of the carbs come from) but it's only 1.5%, and that's not much in a tbsp. Thanks for the recipe links, I'll check them out, crumble and custard would be nice though.

http://forums.ivillage.co.uk/t5/Atkins-Diet-Low-Carb-Recipes/Low-carb-Rhubarb-Crumble/td-p/94242

http://jennybakes.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/strawberry-rhubarb-crumble-gluten-free.html

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showpost.html?p=15140469&postcount=1607

Any ideas how to up potassium as I really try but fail to reach the recommended amount?

Edwardia

murphydog999 I got round the rhubarb prob by digging it up and giving it to my mother last year who now has a rhubarb glut and can hand it out to neighbours

Hi padstow that's a great user name ! If my blood glucose is higher my BP starts going up so I tend not to have salt on anything but eggs. I don't eat processed food either. My tastebuds are waaay more sensitive since I gave up sugar and additives. I lurve the taste of tomatoes now

With all this talk of rhubarb crumble and low carb microwaveable puddings I'm going to fix myself a big bowl of strawberries and cream mmmm getting in training for Wimbledon

SHEILA54

Sounds good Edwardia