I have officially switched hosting and am working on the new blog and website now. If you try to visit www.healthylowcarbliving.com you'll get an "under construction" message, but I plan to have it all up and running again in a few short days. I'll keep this blog going until the new one is ready to go and I'll try to transfer all the content over as well.
I'll let you know as soon as it's all working! :)
Found an interesting tidbit about Scarlett Johansson's diet strategy while preparing for her role as Black Widow in the upcoming Iron Man 2 movie. You can read more about it here.
Too bad low-carb can't fix ugly. If so I'd be gorgeous by now! ;)
Hey everyone! Just a quick update.
Diet ~ Still working on keeping water my main drink of the day. I haven't cut out the diet soda, but I'm doing better. (And for those of you who are determined to leave comments about how too much water will kill me, please save us both some time... and don't.) I'm also back to using my fitday program again. I'm getting way too lazy about counting so I need to pay closer attention.
Blogging ~ I'm going through writers block I think. It stinks. I was hoping that once things calmed down I'd be back to my old self, but I'm really struggling to write anything very interesting. Sure, I can blog about all the chaos in my life, but the dog chewing up my underwear kind of stuff can only go so far. I promise to keep trying though if you promise to keep reading. :)
Photography ~ This is taking up a good part of my time right now. I'm not complaining. I'm happy to be doing it because I love it so much. I'm constantly studying, experimenting and learning. And spending... spending seems to be a requisite to being a photographer. One day I might actually make enough to pay for all the equipment I've bought. Maybe.
Speaking of, I found this hilarious little youtube animation from a comic called What the Duck. WTD is a comic about photography and photoshop. It's hilarious to photographers and I'd guess anyone would get most of the jokes.
When speaking of politicians it comes as no great surprise that our first thoughts tend to run in the direction of underhanded dealings and dishonest intentions. In an environment enclosed in the motto “I’ll scratch your back, you pad my pockets” you’d be hard-pressed to find someone who didn’t subscribe to this way of thinking. Sadly, this same bit of unethical palm-oiling is rampant in our health care system. According to this recent article from the AP several key health care senators have ties in the industry. Conflict of interest anyone?
This is no real surprise to anyone who has studied, in any length, the details of our health care recommendations for the last 30 years. All paths lead to the green. When Senator McGovern shoved his low-fat dogma down everyone’s throats, he wasn’t worried that the science didn’t back up the doctrine. As you’ll see in this clip from Fat Head, his reply to someone attempting to use common sense was something along the lines of “We don’t have time for this. Take your science and stick it where the sun doesn’t shine.” (That’s not an exact quote, obviously, but you get the idea.)
According to the aforementioned article, many of the key players working to reform health care have some kind of connection to the pharmaceutical industry. Do you really believe they will make changes in the system that allows these companies to lose profits in exchange for natural alternatives? Do you think they will be excited about health restoring diets like low-carb, which can eliminate a host of issues that millions of people take prescription drugs for on a daily basis? If history is any indicator of the future, then my guess is no.
Pay close attention my friends and stay armed with knowledge. In this battle it's our best weapon, although there are times I think a blunt object would do nicely as well.
Many people have expressed their desire to see my menus. As a general rule I don't post daily menus because, to be honest, I don't have time to update them. I've tried it a few times and I never keep up with it for long. So today I thought I'd compromise just a bit.
I like to plan my meals a week in advance, then do my grocery shopping. It's great for staying on a budget and it really helps you stick to your plan if you already know what you are having. Now I'm not saying I always stick to the menu. Stuff happens. I'm far from perfect, so I goof up now and again. But I think if you try this approach you'll find it a huge help.
So here is my menu plan for this week:
Sunday March 29th
B - Eggs & bacon
L - Baked Chicken w/veggies
D - Salmon and Just Like Stuffed Baked Potatoes
Monday March 30th
B - Hot Flax Cereal
L - chicken Salad & a pickle
D - Gumbo w/cauliflower rice
Tuesday March 31st
B - Mock Danish
L - Broccoli, Ham and Cheese Soup
D - Meatloaf and Salad
Wednesday April 1st
B - Omelets
L - Meat and Cheese roll-ups and salad
D - Chicken Enchiladas
Thursday April 2nd
B - Eggs & sausage
L - Baked Cod and green beans
D - Sloppy Joes and Cole Slaw
Friday April 3rd
B - Mock French Toast
L - Hamburgers and steamed veggies
D - Taco Salad
Snacks for the week may include: deviled eggs, home-made low-carb granola, home-made protein bars, cheese sticks
Obviously my menu items like Sloppy Joes, enchiladas, etc. are all low-carb versions and fit well into my plan.
Hopefully this helps you get an idea of how you can plan your meals, stick to your plan and assure a variety in your diet.
I think we all need one of these:
Wake n' Bacon
It should be mandatory. Like smoke detectors.
I'm just sayin.....
Hey Everyone! It's finally that time - time to announce the winners of our 2nd annual Great Start Giveaway! Wow has this month gone by fast. It seems like it was just a few days ago when all this fun started. But now here we are at the end and I know you are dying to see if you won, so I'll do my best to make this short and sweet. :)
First I want to thank all of you who read here daily. It's an honor for me to connect with so many people in such a simple way. And if some of my babblings are helpful, then I really get excited! I also want to say that I wish I had prizes to give all of you. I seriously would if I could work it out. I wanted to last year as well, and I joked about how I'd be bankrupt if I tried. Well last year was nuthin' folks. This year we literally had HUNDREDS of entries. I could barely keep up. And let me tell ya, your guesses were fabulous! Even if you didn't get them all, I could see some real creative wheels turning through your entries. Some of you flat out made me laugh with your intentional off-the-wall guesses. (You know who you are!)
So, per tradition (aka the way I did it last year), I'll announce the Honorable Mentions first.
Honorable Mentions are the folks who guessed the most correct. Unlike last year, (where we had no one guess them all, but a few came close) we had several guess every last one of them. So, in no certain order, here are the honorees...
Honorable Mentions
Mandy F. from OR
T.J. F. from GA
Jamie H. from SC
Erica G. from AR
Jennifer A. from MI
Misty C. from OH
Denise B. from MO
April M. from IL
Kyle R. from TX
Congrats to these folks for guessing the correct answers for all 7 photos! I'm impressed! If you didn't guess them all, don't feel bad. If I hadn't been the one that took the photos, I guarantee I wouldn't have known what most of them were. They really are hard to figure out sometimes!
Ok, next we'll announce the answers to the mystery photos. He ya go:
Well, we are down to the final day of the giveaway AND the final prize. Hopefully you have sent in your entry and are ready for the big announcement tomorrow. :)
Today I want to tell you about a nice gift pack put together by the generous folks at Atkins Nutritionals. Three readers will each win a gift pack of Atkins bars containing the following:
Atkins Endulge Peanut Butter Cups
Atkins Advantage Peanut Butter Granola Bars
Atkins Endulge Caramel Nut Chew Bars
Atkins Advantage Peanut Fudge Granola Bar
Atkins Advantage Marshmallow Mudslide Bar
Atkins Advantage Chocolate Chip Granola Bar
Atkins Advantage S'mores Bar
I've tried all of these flavors and liked every one. How can you go wrong with peanut butter and chocolate?? :) While not something you should eat everyday, you can use Atkins bars and shakes for quick snacks or on-the-go meals when you have no other healthy options. I use them when I need to and they have been a lifesaver at times when I was starving and it would be a good while before I had access to low-carb food. I know some people are really against the low-carb "frankenfoods". But let me tell ya, they are certainly better than giving in to the ice cream and cake at Timmy's birthday party. And if used wisely, can be a tool to help you with your weight loss goals.
Never tried Atkins products? Here's your chance! As I said before, three lucky winners will get a gift pack with each of the aforementioned bars. So today is your last chance to send in an entry and win one of the many great prizes we have this year. Don't wait too long or you just might miss out!
Hello Everyone! Just wanted to make a quick post to explain that the 2nd Annual Great Start Giveaway will be delayed until tomorrow. I've been down with the flu all weekend and couldn't get everything prepared. I should have it all ready to go tomorrow, so please check back then and join in the fun and prizes!
Check out my latest observations on junk science and low-carb at my examiner column. Leave a comment (here or there..) and tell me what you think!
Here's the low-down of the hoe-down were are having in M-town. (Please.. no offers to write poetry for you. Really. I'm much too busy. :p )
On Examiner: Last night I put up a review of Perdue's Short Cuts pre-cooked chicken. Be sure to take a looksie. And later today I'll have an interesting article about depression and low-carb, so be sure to check back.
Weight-Loss: I finally have an update! I started back on strict induction just over a week ago and as of this morning have lost almost 7 lbs. I'm drinking lots of water, and am eating only whole foods, with the exception of an occasional shake or low-carb bar when I'm on the run. I'm trying to make those a rare thing. I'm planning on adding exercise back into my routine today. I've been so busy lately that exercise got shoved aside. I've reworked my schedule and shoved it right back in. I've actually made my workout part of our home school P.E. time. I'm exercising with the kids, so that's a good improvement for us all. Anyway, I'm finally losing weight again. I'm not sure why it's working this time and didn't last time (Probably hormonal. Curse you hormones!!!), but I'm not complaining. I'm enjoying the ride back down.
Photography: Some of you may be wondering how my photography schooling/career is going. Right now, it's not. I've been so busy I have had little chance to do much with my camera. Obviously if a job came in I'd be all over it. But right now it's just slow going. I will share with you a job I did this summer though.
I took the following shot for a 50's themed restaurant called T-Birds:
(click to see enlarged.)
It was enlarged to around 40"x80" and was placed as the main focal point. Here's a shot just after it was hung:
(click to see enlarged.)
I need to take a recent shot now that all the other decorations are hung around it. (And I just had lunch there yesterday... I should have thought of it then.)
Anyway, I'm very proud of the way this project turned out and the restaurant owner really liked it.
Cat: My kitten Jazzy is all grown up now. Well, she'll be a year old next month anyway and she's no longer resembles that tiny little creature we brought home. She spends her days attacking our legs from some hiding place and sleeping. Occasionally she eats and uses the box. Speaking of which, we are trying to toilet train her. Don't laugh. I bet it's easier than potty training a toddler. And I don't have to worry about the cat hiding behind a chair with a red face 'cause she's "doin' her bizness" in her drawers.
Web Design Schools Guide recently post an interesting article titled 25 Diet Tricks to Convince Your Body It's Not Hungry. (Don't ask me why a web design site is giving diet tips.. I have no idea.)
They have some good advice. Most I agree with. They also have some advice that made me raise my eyebrows, but then I do that in regards to a lot of stuff. You should see what I look like all day after reading stuff on the Internet. It takes hours for my eyebrows to regain their natural shape.
This article also describes Atkins as extreme. More so than say the Apple Cider Vinegar Diet? Alrighty then.
So enjoy the link and what tidbits of truth you can garner from it. Then take the rest and stuff it in the compost heap with the rest of the craptastic info that's out there.
Deep fried candy seems to be all the rage now. I've discussed this a bit in today's examiner column. Please come check it out!
http://www.examiner.com/x-659-St-Louis-LowCarb-Examiner~y2008m9d8-Deep-fried-Twinkies-going-from-bad-to-whatintheworldweretheythinking
And ignore the weird purple-ness of the page. It's a bug we are working on fixing asap. The publishing software doesn't like something about my article. :( (what's new, right? LOL)
Do you enjoy a good debate? Do you feel you can effectively defend your low-carb lifestyle? If so, you may really enjoy a site called Opposing Views. They cover some really HOT topics, and they have a section just for discussing the low-carb lifestyle. If you'd like to participate, you can check it out here:
Are Low-Carb Diets Healthy?
I know my body is broke, but at least I used to be able to think.
I'm serious. It doesn't want to work. I read the low-carb headlines, I start thinking about the topic at hand, I start to pick it apart in my mind, and then *POOF*. Gone. It's like my brain says, "ENOUGH ALREADY!" and just shuts down.
I think it really has a lot to do with the fatigue I'm dealing with. My TSH test results were 3.01. Not exactly the number I was expecting. The way I feel I expected it to come back around a million or so.
So now what?
I don't know.
I'm totally lost as to where to go from here. I did get a B12 shot while at the doctor and it helped a bit. Enough that I'm fantasizing about having B12 intravenously pumped into my system continually. How sad is that? I actually asked for another shot 4 days later when I took my Mother-In-Law to the doctor. I'm like a junkie begging for a fix. They said they couldn't give me another for a few weeks or I'd overdose. I've tried one of those sugar-free liquid energy shots a couple of times. I think whiskey would have been more effective, although it would have burned more going down. At least with alcohol I'd have forgotten why drank the shot in the first place.
My question: Why is my low-carb lifestyle not making a difference in my energy levels? It used to. I used to have more energy, at 30, than I did in my teens. So now that I'm approaching 35, overweight from allowing stress to control the part of my brain that regulates common sense, and struggling to get my health back on track, I feel hopeless. It's so very opposite of the way I felt just a few short years ago.
Nothing I've tried has helped and I don't know what to do about it. Taking care of yourself requires effort. I don't have the energy to put forth the effort. It's a cycle I can't seem to break out of.
So here you have it. All out in the open. I'm a head case who's body is broke and I don't know why. Anyone know where I can score some B12?
If you are a fan of eggs, but don't always have the time to fix them, you're going to love this product.
I'm a huge fan of quick and easy. And Eggology has put together a couple of great products for those of us who NEED something on the go.
With Eggology's On-The-Go 100% Egg Whites you can just shake it up, remove the upper part of the label and pop it in the microwave for 95 seconds. When you open up the microwave you get this...
Kinda cool huh? Just break it up with a fork, season to your likings and eat. How much simpler could you get for a hot breakfast on the fly?
And the taste is great. Just like you'd expect from any egg you fixed yourself. The texture is perfect as well.
And the nutrition info shows it can be a great fit in a low-carb lifestyle (or any lifestyle for that matter).
They also make larger containers of egg whites that can be used for a variety of purposes. I plan on using mine for recipes that call for egg whites only (and save my whole eggs for other things).
They also have hard boiled eggs that you can just grab n' go.
You'll be happy to learn that Eggology products are Kosher, Organic and Certified Humane! No icky hormones or horrid treatment of animals with Eggology.
So whether your watching your carbs, calories, or even fat, eggology should be a good fit into any diet. I give it a thumbs up and will be using their products often.
Be sure to check out their website at www.eggology.com. There you can place an order, learn more about their products, or locate a distributing store near you.
Today has been interesting. The following link, which was shared by a thoughtful poster on Livin' Low-Carb Discussion, is why....
Reactive Hypoglycemia: A Disease Of Carbohydrate Poisoning
All of the sudden I'm putting puzzles pieces in place that actually fit. I am now 95% convinced that I am reactive hypoglycemic. I say only 95% because there is still a slight chance there are other issues. But that chance has reduced drastically, at least in my mind.
Here are the parts that stand out for me:(symptoms I have in bold)
Let me list a few symptoms, just to show you that you are not immune:
* Breathlessness
* Panic Attacks
* Memory Problems
* Inability to Concentrate
* Inner Trembling and Pounding Heart 1-4 Hours after a Meal
* Palpitations/Irregular Heartbeat
* Weight Gain in Abdominal Area
* Nightmares
If you recognize any three of these symptoms in yourself over a period of time, you are probably at risk for reactive hypoglycemia.
A more complete list of symptoms:
* Fatigue
* Irritability
* Nervousness
* Depression
* Loss of libido
* Insomnia
* Flushing
* Leg or foot cramps
* Memory and concentration problems
* Anxiety
* Hypertension
* Impotence and inability to maintain an erection
* Headaches
* Dizziness, and sometimes even actual fainting
* Blurring of vision
* Nasal congestion
* Tinnitus (ringing ears)
* Numbness and tingling of the hands, feet or face
* Bloating
* Abdominal cramps
* Bowel problems
RHG occurs frequently in individuals suffering from Fibromyalgia or Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, and explains a lot of the symptoms that people with these syndromes have experienced but never had a clear picture of. FMS and CFS are hard to diagnose and some medical systems refuse to admit that such wide-ranging symptoms could all be generated by one overarching disorder.
Thyroid problems and adrenal insufficiency can also be present with hypoglycemia, and they are both frequently found with fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome. The difficulty with testing for them is that doctors tend to look at test results rather than symptoms. If you come to a doctor with every symptom listed at the above website, but your TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone) is even 1 point inside the "normal" parameters, many times the doctor will tell you only that: "Your tests show that your TSH is within the normal range." (Loosely translated, this means, "Get out of my face with this stupid thyroid suspicion. I'm the doctor here.")
But there is nothing that will cure RHG once it gets established. The only way to deal with it is to put yourself on a STRICT low-carbohydrate diet, and STAY on it. As Dr. Starlanyl states in her article, this condition will lead to Type II diabetes if it is not carefully managed.
When RHG sufferers test their fasting blood sugar in the morning, they will find it elevated. (Normal blood sugar in the fasting range should be between 80 and 100 mg/dl.) Their blood sugar will frequently be between 115 and 135. Over a period of careful diet and attention to other factors, like hormone supplementation, that fasting blood sugar should fall to more normal readings.
Today I thought I'd just share an update on my progress.
I wish I had more to report. Sadly I haven't done that well lately. I seem to be spinning my wheels but going no where. I think my biggest problem is stress. I don't deal with it properly and it tends to get the better of me. Emotional eating is a problem I deal with regularly. While I do much better than I used to, it's still an issue. I just have to keep reminding myself to take one day at a time.
I'm trying a new battle plan starting today. I'll once again plan out every bite that goes into my mouth, including "emergency" foods. You know... those times when things don't go as planned and you can't eat what you intended to. It seems to happen to me often enough that I need to be better prepared for it. I also am going to watch my macro nutrients closely. I do seem to do better when my calories are a bit lower. It may be that I'm simply taking in more food than I need and when watching my calories a bit I tend to eat only what is necessary. I still believe that quality is more important than quantity when it comes to calories, but if I'm over eating it doesn't help. I'll closely track everything again and see how it goes. (I used to do that all the time... I got lazy.)
Another step will be more water. I'm not getting enough in. Also more exercise. Even if it's just an extra few minutes, I think it will be beneficial.
I strongly suspect I have thyroid issues. I've had proof in the past of this (t3 tests), but it wasn't enough to convince my doctor. I then lost my insurance due to a job change and never pursued it further. I may be getting insurance soon, and if I do you can bet getting my thyroid checked will be on the top of the list. I'm having a lot of symptoms that fall right in line with thyroid dysfunction. This may also explain why I'm having such a tough time losing lately. There is also the distinct possibility that my short stint on Kimkins really messed up my metabolism. It could be all of the above. I hope to find out soon.
I plan to keep myself busy today while I struggle to get back on track. Being sick last week really messed up my determination to eat right. I ended up just eating what was convenient instead. Never a good thing. And again I had a lot of stress. It's not something I feel like getting into, but it was a tough week and I'm still recovering emotionally.
Have a great Monday everyone!
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