OT:Good Calories, Bad Calories....

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Janknitz
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Re: OT:Good Calories, Bad Calories....

Post by Janknitz » Sat Apr 21, 2012 9:52 am

Most nuts are fat, protein and fiber. They are not fattening per se, BUT there are a few cautions.:
They contain mostly omega 6 fat and it's best to limit omega 6 in favor of omega 3 fats.
The polyunsaturated oils are easily onidized so the become rancid and ingesting oxidized oils is inflammatory to you.
Some nuts (ie cashews) are high in carbs.
Some nuts are really legumes and not that great for you (peanuts).

I eat almond products (raw almonds, almond butter, and almond milk) daily but in moderation. I eat a few macademias here and there ( expensive!) and pecans too.

As long as you don't go overboard they are fine.
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portiemom
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Re: OT:Good Calories, Bad Calories....

Post by portiemom » Sat Apr 21, 2012 2:50 pm

I'm still on my beginning journey to LCHF, and I am wondering about walnuts, I have a problem with almonds, they make me cough a lot! I'm not sure why, maybe they are dryer? I know as a child I was allergic to a bunch of foods and fibers and nuts were one of the things I was allergic to. Other nuts don't seem to make me cough, so maybe it's like trees, some make me itch and sneeze when they are not dormant and others don't bother me. I once lost 68 pounds in 8 weeks on diet coke and peanuts, with an occasional chicken wrap from McDonalds, threw myself in to auto immune deficiency. Never will I go that extreme again, my life was hell for over a year.

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Kiralynx
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Re: OT:Good Calories, Bad Calories....

Post by Kiralynx » Sat Apr 21, 2012 5:36 pm

VVV wrote:Does this get your approval?

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504763_162- ... on-sundae/
Pretty colors. But it isn't food.

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Kiralynx
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Re: OT:Good Calories, Bad Calories....

Post by Kiralynx » Sat Apr 21, 2012 5:54 pm

Janknitz wrote:
Do you use Mayo in your tuna salad and such?
I'm not a big mayo person, but mayo is OK. It's usually made with Omega 6 oils I'm trying to avoid, so I need to make my own--there's all sorts of recipes, I just use olive oil in the mayo. I also love mashed avocado instead of mayo in things like fish salad. YUM! You can use sour cream or cream cheese too. When I do use mayo, I like to add a touch of curry powder, it makes it taste better to me.
My current recipe involves

2 jumbo eggs (room temperature)
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons homemade Creole mustard (room temperature)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
3/4 cup melted coconut oil
1 1/4 cups flax oil brought to room temperature over some warm water (don't leave out long)

Place eggs, apple cider vinegar, mustard, salt and pepper into a tall narrow beaker*. Gently pour the flax oil, then the coconut oil in, and allow mixture to settle so the oil is on top.

Then use a hand blender, and follow the directions in this video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gz0fLT_k3_U

The advantage of the container I'm using is that you only have the wand of the hand blender to wash afterwards -- you just screw the cap on and stick your mayo in the fridge.

My husband does not like mayo. He likes this -- and it has good saturated fats and lots of Omega 3s.



*http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003UE ... 05_s00_i00

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Jay Aitchsee
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Re: OT:Good Calories, Bad Calories....

Post by Jay Aitchsee » Sat Apr 28, 2012 12:23 pm

Here's a couple links that summarize some of the latest thinking regarding diet, cholesterol, and blood testing. They're fairly plain language but reflect some of the ideas that can be found in more scholarly articles elsewhere.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/35058896/ns ... you-think/
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/35058886/ns ... gest-risk/

I started my "diet" at the end February and since have lost 14 lbs. My LDL has increased from 84 to 135, my HDL has increased from 32 to 44, and, best of all, my triglycerides have decreased from 188 to 107.

I put diet in quotes because really all I have done is stop eating processed foods and grains. I have also eliminated potatoes, but I still enjoy carrots, rutabagas, beans and all other above ground vegetables. I eat melons, nuts, and fruits in moderation. I eat some processed dairy - half and half, and cheeses as well as EVOO and coconut oil, but that's it. Basically, if it comes in a box or bottle - I don't eat it. No counting calories or anything like that. My consumption of meats and saturated fats has increased (eggs and bacon nearly every day for breakfast), my consumption of vegetables has stayed about the same and my consumptions of sugars and refined carbs has been drastically reduced. At the time I started my diet, I also stopped taking my statin.

According to some of the latest scientific thinking it would appear my risk of CVD has decreased while following a diet which would be abhorrent to most physicians and is, quite frankly, a little scary to me. My plan is to continue while monitoring my blood lipids to insure my cholesterol doesn't get too high. Although, at this point, I'm unsure what too high is. In any event, I can always restart the statin if need be, but that's a little scary too, since it seems that most of my problems started, including fatigue, about the time I started taking statins.

I found an easy way to monitor my lipids - http://www.walkinlab.com. It's associated with LabCorp and not available in all states. You register with Walkin lab, order a test on-line, they send you an order by email to take to LabCorp, your blood is drawn and Walkin sends you the results in lab report form by email. A full lipid panel cost $29 and it's incredibly hassle free. I got my results in 26 hours from the time my blood was drawn.

Bon Appetit,
Jay

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ems
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Re: OT:Good Calories, Bad Calories....

Post by ems » Sat Apr 28, 2012 12:53 pm

Jay Aitchsee wrote:I started my "diet" at the end February and since have lost 14 lbs. My LDL has increased from 84 to 135, my HDL has increased from 32 to 44, and, best of all, my triglycerides have decreased from 188 to 107.
Your numbers are very impressive, and I'm seriously thinking of giving this way of eating a fair try. I still question it which is why I can't seem to get started - that and the realization that I will no longer be able to eat ice cream (I dump all sweets/garbage into the ice cream category). We are going to a steak house for dinner tonight. Maybe I'll have a nice steak, minus the bread and potatoes.
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Lizistired
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Re: OT:Good Calories, Bad Calories....

Post by Lizistired » Sat Apr 28, 2012 1:28 pm

ems wrote:
Jay Aitchsee wrote:I started my "diet" at the end February and since have lost 14 lbs. My LDL has increased from 84 to 135, my HDL has increased from 32 to 44, and, best of all, my triglycerides have decreased from 188 to 107.
Your numbers are very impressive, and I'm seriously thinking of giving this way of eating a fair try. I still question it which is why I can't seem to get started - that and the realization that I will no longer be able to eat ice cream (I dump all sweets/garbage into the ice cream category). We are going to a steak house for dinner tonight. Maybe I'll have a nice steak, minus the bread and potatoes.
What do you have to lose?
But don't waste your time trying it for a day. Give it a week or two. Check out some youtube videos, Gary Taubes or David Diamond.

edit to add: Just do some homework. I have friends that have heart disease, COPD, are diabetic, and won't spend an hour on youtube listening to another view. Why waste my breath?
I'm not into hand holding, so that is their choice.
How is what you are doing now working for you?

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Janknitz
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Re: OT:Good Calories, Bad Calories....

Post by Janknitz » Sat Apr 28, 2012 2:05 pm

Your numbers are very impressive, and I'm seriously thinking of giving this way of eating a fair try. I still question it which is why I can't seem to get started - that and the realization that I will no longer be able to eat ice cream (I dump all sweets/garbage into the ice cream category). We are going to a steak house for dinner tonight. Maybe I'll have a nice steak, minus the bread and potatoes.
There are recipes out there for low carb ice cream. I made a batch and it's yummy! Incredibly rich, so I don't need much to feel incredibly satisfied. Your desire and craving for junk nearly disappears when you are eating such nutritionally dense, satisfying food, but ice cream was the one thing I miss, so I love being able to have it.
According to some of the latest scientific thinking it would appear my risk of CVD has decreased while following a diet which would be abhorrent to most physicians and is, quite frankly, a little scary to me. My plan is to continue while monitoring my blood lipids to insure my cholesterol doesn't get too high. Although, at this point, I'm unsure what too high is. In any event, I can always restart the statin if need be, but that's a little scary too, since it seems that most of my problems started, including fatigue, about the time I started taking statins.
Don't judge your cholesterol by total cholesterol or the LDL number. Neither are reliable. The ratios tell more and the more your HDL goes up and trigs come down the better. See
http://www.lowcarbfriends.com/bbs/chole ... rimer.html

There is a very good interview with low carb doctor Eric Westerman that addresses this too:
http://www.askthelowcarbexperts.com/201 ... c-westman/
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Jay Aitchsee
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Re: OT:Good Calories, Bad Calories....

Post by Jay Aitchsee » Sat Apr 28, 2012 3:07 pm

Don't judge your cholesterol by total cholesterol or the LDL number
Thanks Jan, your link and mine dovetail together very nicely, should be required reading for everyone. One of the things I didn't mention in my post was the fact that my PCP was nearly hysterical over my LDL level of 135. I ignored her. As I mentioned, it appeared to me my CVD risk has actually gone down due to the increase in HDL and decrease in triglycerides. The ratios provided by the author in your link help to quantify and affirm that notion.

Jay

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/35058896/ns ... you-think/
http://www.lowcarbfriends.com/bbs/chole ... rimer.html

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ems
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Re: OT:Good Calories, Bad Calories....

Post by ems » Sat Apr 28, 2012 3:41 pm

Lizistired wrote:
ems wrote:
Jay Aitchsee wrote:I started my "diet" at the end February and since have lost 14 lbs. My LDL has increased from 84 to 135, my HDL has increased from 32 to 44, and, best of all, my triglycerides have decreased from 188 to 107.
Your numbers are very impressive, and I'm seriously thinking of giving this way of eating a fair try. I still question it which is why I can't seem to get started - that and the realization that I will no longer be able to eat ice cream (I dump all sweets/garbage into the ice cream category). We are going to a steak house for dinner tonight. Maybe I'll have a nice steak, minus the bread and potatoes.
What do you have to lose?
But don't waste your time trying it for a day. Give it a week or two. Check out some youtube videos, Gary Taubes or David Diamond.

edit to add: Just do some homework. I have friends that have heart disease, COPD, are diabetic, and won't spend an hour on youtube listening to another view. Why waste my breath?
I'm not into hand holding, so that is their choice.
How is what you are doing now working for you?
Not working well which is why I'm thinking of giving this a shot - not one day obviously. Thinking of a month and then having blood work done. The test results would really tell the story for me... and the loss of a few pounds.
If only the folks with sawdust for brains were as sweet and obliging and innocent as The Scarecrow! ~a friend~

portiemom
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Re: OT:Good Calories, Bad Calories....

Post by portiemom » Sat Apr 28, 2012 6:36 pm

I am still loving this eating lifestyle, and doing more cooking and LCHF recipes! I finally got my erythroyl sweetener in the mail, and I LOVE IT! I did try a small amount of regular Ice Cream YUCK... and the weird fog feeling came right back, I won't do that again! I felt physically awful. today I sat at a super popular Burger Place in Richmond near VCU with my granddaughter and her friends and watched everyone eat theirs on a huge bun, it turned my stomach, they couldn't believe I was enjoying mine sans the bun!!! I never felt better, I'm down 15 pounds, and a co-worker asked how much weight I've lost in the past 3 weeks! That was a bonus, as feeling good and being off 2 meds is the real prize for me!!!
Thanks Janknitz for my new LIFESTYLE!!! You ROCK!

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ekubaskie
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Re: OT:Good Calories, Bad Calories....

Post by ekubaskie » Sat Apr 28, 2012 8:18 pm

SleepingUgly, yo asked early in the thread about spinach and celery. Greens, broccoli, and such are high in calcium, which can be a very good thing for your bones - but not so great in your kidneys.

Vegetarians are prone to kidney stones - I know a guy of Indian origin from the UK that was carried on a gurney from an event we were at in Vegas. He had a 40mm stone. I was set to scream like a little girl and projectile vomiting from a FOUR mm stone. Imagine my friend's agony. Worse yet, the hospital in Vegas pretty much turned him away, refusing to deal with the UK's medical coverage. They gave him pain meds and told him to get fixed back in England.

There is a way to avoid the problem, tho. Lemon juice - a tablespoon or so a day, in tea or water, will make your system flush the extra calcium out. Or there's my way - eat less greens and more meat!

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Re: OT:Good Calories, Bad Calories....

Post by Lizistired » Sun Apr 29, 2012 9:03 am

ems, I think I read that that it may take 4-6 months for your cholesterol numbers to level out. I think it was in Bernstein's Diebetes Solution, but I could be wrong on the source. Obviously Jay has seen dramatic results right away. I didn't have mine checked for a year because I have never had cholesterol problems. Maybe others will chime in with their results.

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Re: OT:Good Calories, Bad Calories....

Post by Jay Aitchsee » Sun Apr 29, 2012 10:53 am

ems,
Not working well which is why I'm thinking of giving this a shot - not one day obviously. Thinking of a month and then having blood work done. The test results would really tell the story for me... and the loss of a few pounds.
I agree with Liz, I think you should wait at least 2 or 3 months before testing. Typically, you should be able to see some results on the scale in a week or so. My test was done at approximately 2 months only because it was scheduled prior to starting my diet. Remember, at least some of the change in my blood fats, I'm sure, came from the fact that I simultaneously stopped taking a statin at the time I started my diet.

I would recommend, though, if you haven't had a lipid panel done recently that you have it done so you will have a basis for comparison.

Doing the "diet" is easy. You don't need directions, just stop eating processed foods. (I do not consider whole milk products and cheeses or cold pressed olive oil to be processed, but I do consider all grains in any form to be.)

If you can't live without a sweet treat, try a little Ricotta cheese, thinned with a little half and half, and a dash or two of vanilla over a few (3 or 4) fresh strawberries.

Jay

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Last edited by Jay Aitchsee on Sun Apr 29, 2012 1:07 pm, edited 1 time in total.

DocWeezy
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Re: OT:Good Calories, Bad Calories....

Post by DocWeezy » Sun Apr 29, 2012 11:35 am

And a word of caution about seeing how much/if any weight will be lost in a trial period....

Weight loss on low carb CAN be dependent on how broken your metabolism is to begin with. There may be an initial weight loss as inflammation/water retention goes away because of low carb and no processed food...BUT...you may stall after that initial burst.

Even if you stall, it doesn't mean the low carb way of eating isn't working--it just means that you may have other metabolic issues to discover and deal with. I'm now into 4.5 months of absolutely NO grains or sugars (I can't even do fruit right now), and after messing around with a variety of supplements, I'm finally losing weight more easily. I've been stalled for about 3 months, and in the past week--without changing anything--I'm starting to lose weight easily (at least for now!). I started out doing low carb and continuing to eat a few grains 2 or 3 times a week (rye), but was having no luck at all with losing weight or feeling better.

While I want to lose more weight, I'm sold on this way of eating for the rest of my life. I tell myself that I'm allergic to all grains and sugar and that I have to avoid them in order to feel good and be healthy. I eat a ton of good veggies (kale is a staple!) and enjoy the flavor of good local butter, etc. I cook more now because I'm actually eating to live instead of just stuffing sweet stuff into my mouth in an effort to get a bit of energy. My blood work is good (which frustrates my MD something fierce) and my blood pressure is wonderful.

I've been working with a great naturopath who has taken the time to really analyze things...she asks my opinion (she knows I do a ton of research and read medical studies), we discuss things to try, and I try them. Even though I pay out of pocket for her services, it is well worth the money because she looks at me as a whole person and not just the test numbers.

So if you don't lose weight as quickly as you want, please don't be discouraged. Sometimes your body needs time to heal, sometimes it may need supplements or hormones or whatever. The trick is to keep unpeeling the layers as they appear while eating a nutritious real food diet.

Just like with getting on "the hose".....I didn't feel better immediately; but over time when I look back, I realize how much better I feel now than I did to begin with. Eliminating grains and sugars was a big step and it has worked. And--just as a side note--my sleep has improved since I eliminated grains completely. Don't know why, but it was noticeable on my Zeo showing more REM and deep sleep with fewer awakenings. Go figure.

Weezy

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