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Low and lower carb ways of eating


NulloModo

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Glad to see this topic bumped back up; I've gotten very lazy and succumbed to my rice cravings :sad:

I have made that cauliflower gratin and like it too (but I always cook the cauliflower more). Last time I tried it with purple cauliflower and wanted to gag......

The past week has been very hot so I've been eating cold cucumber soup and sliced tritip. Roasted a chicken and have been munching on that.

Apparently I need inspiration ! :wink:

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Here's a pamphlet written by William Banting in 1863 London who lost weight eating low carb. With the wonderful title of Letter on Corpulence, it is a fun read and really quite poignant. He is honest about struggling with his "corpulence" his whole life. :smile:

In the intro he writes that he published it at cost, any profits would be given to charity. His sole purpose - "to relieve the suffering of humanity".

I'm becoming obsessed with cabbage. Here's what I've been cooking lately.

Indian Style Cabbage with Black Mustard Seeds

4 cups shredded cabbage

2 Tablespoons black mustard seeds

2 tablespoons Ghee or peanut oil

Heat ghee and toss in mustard seeds. When they start to pop toss in cabbage and saute until limp. Salt and pepper to taste, sometimes I'll hit it with a little splenda to bring out the sweetness of the cabbage. You may need to add 1 or 2 tablespoons of water and cover to briefly steam.

Sometimes I add a little turmeric, garam masala or other spices in with the ghee, but this is great on it's own and so quick to get on the table.

The cabbage becomes so soft and buttery. The mustard seeds add a necessary spicy crunch.

Grace Piper, host of Fearless Cooking

www.fearlesscooking.tv

My eGullet Blog: What I ate for one week Nov. 2010

Subscribe to my 5 minute video podcast through iTunes, just search for Fearless Cooking

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Glad to see this topic bumped back up; I've gotten very lazy and succumbed to my rice cravings  :sad:

I have made that cauliflower gratin and like it too (but I always cook the cauliflower more). Last time I tried it with purple cauliflower and wanted to gag......

The past week has been very hot so I've been eating cold cucumber soup and sliced tritip. Roasted a chicken and have been munching on that.

Apparently I need inspiration !  :wink:

Maybe you were my inspiration to making it. Were there alot of crunchy bites in it? I just didn't like that part of it, I'd rather it was a softer texture.

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I have enjoyed Cauliflower shredded and sauteed as a rice substitute. The texture is good and it absorbs sauces. It's great if you go asian and sautee with garlic, ginger and scallions with splash of soy sauce.

Grace Piper, host of Fearless Cooking

www.fearlesscooking.tv

My eGullet Blog: What I ate for one week Nov. 2010

Subscribe to my 5 minute video podcast through iTunes, just search for Fearless Cooking

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  • 1 year later...

I don't think I'm low carb, but coiunting my carbohydrates is imperative for keeping my blood sugar regulated. My doc says to hit around 50% of my caloric intake in complex carbohydrates. I stick to around 75-125 grams a day, and I know I'm in a good safe-for-diabetes range...though in a perfect world, they'd all be complex... That bagel I had this morning says differently.

I don't do it for weight loss, but because I'm diabetic, and would rather manage my blood sugar holistically, through diet and exercise, than through lots of medication.

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I am late to this party and came to it not by invitation but by accident. For a number of years now I know I needed to take off some lbs, a lot of lbs but diets have never, ever appealed to me. I went on the theory of input vs output – and exercise. Nice theory but one I could never put into practice. Then, a few weeks ago due to a hectic and very worrying time in my life I found myself just grabbing a hunk of protein and calling it breakfast/lunch/dinner. It was fast, easy, tasty and as much as I could manage both mentally and physically. After a few days I noticed that my clothes were fitting better and I was more alert and had more energy. I filed this away unsure of what it meant since I had no intention at the time of worrying about my weight – I had other more pressing worries and when things began to settle down, I returned to my normal eating habits.

Enter Kerry who was “doing low carb” and occasionally talked about it without preaching or making it the focus of our conversations. She was dropping pounds and not constantly whining about what she could and couldn’t eat. In one of those moments that we all have now and then (even we seniors!), I finally put two and two together and concluded that the food I had been eating during my crisis was, indeed, low carb.

It was then that I decided to do a little research on low-carb diets. I looked at many of them but admit that my focus was on Atkins because it seemed to me to be much more doable than the others. And on March 2 began to follow the Induction phase.

I am now approaching the end of the 5th week. It was a learning curve and I didn’t totally abide by the requirements of this phase of the diet. But almost immediately when I stopped loading up on carbohydrates I felt better. I didn’t want to sleep after every meal. I had energy to do things around the house that were badly in need of attention. I could take the stairs without being totally out of breath (I smoke too.) I felt more mentally alert and optimistic that I could begin to shed those excess pounds.

I have never eaten many donuts, pies, cakes, desserts, or candies. I hate cereals. However, bread I can eat at any time and love my home made pizzas. I can finish a bag of potato chips in record time and I am talking the big bags! So my biggest struggle is the bread battle although potatoes too rate right up there. Pasta is a matter of convenience as much as it is desire. But bread is the ultimate convenience food as far as I am concerned. Throw almost anything between two slices of bread and I can be satisfied for a time. And I love to bake bread and do so at least a couple of times a week.

The other challenge was getting down 64 ozs of water daily! The only way I could manage this was to make 8 check marks on my daytimer each morning and cross them off glass by glass. I miss my wine with dinner, the occasional beer and soft drink and my rare glass of Vietnamese iced coffee but I know that each of these can be incorporated later and are not forever forbidden. I could not go along with any eating habit that made a food forever verboten.

It’s too easy to fall into the trap of believing that bread is forever forbidden on low carb – it isn’t of course, only initially forbidden and then allowed in moderation.

My weight loss after two weeks was a bit disappointing – about 5 lbs but my waist measurement dropped 2 full inches! And no, I am not exercising but I am moving more because of the elevated energy level and do a very short walk in the morning.

This not meant to preach to anyone! I would no more recommend a diet to someone than recommend a religion. (And my mantra is: This is a diet not a religion. I will not burn in hell for having a piece of chocolate or a glass of wine.”) I am simply recording my own experience and looking to the low-carbers here for additional information. The previous topic seems to have died in 2008 but I know that the low-carber are still alive and well!!!

So I am wondering – did the low carbers return to their former eating habits or did low/moderate carbohydrate eating become such a way of life that there seemed nothing unusual about it and therefore posting on the low-carb thread held no appeal?

Please, don’t let this topic go back into the pro/cons of low-carb or the benefit of one method over another.

Anna Nielsen aka "Anna N"

...I just let people know about something I made for supper that they might enjoy, too. That's all it is. (Nigel Slater)

"Cooking is about doing the best with what you have . . . and succeeding." John Thorne

Our 2012 (Kerry Beal and me) Blog

My 2004 eG Blog

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I really did enjoy reading your post, Anna. It gives me quite a lot to think about...

Bread and potatoes. I could give you a run for your money if the potato chips were Kettle cooked. We just don't have them in the house.

Can Club Soda fit into this diet? I am not a water lover. Can do it with lime juice...but only if coerced.

I think 5 pounds in two weeks is really quite a lot, especially for a woman. It's tempting to simply 'drop' the weight, but on the other hand, the slower pounds off will be more likely to stay off???? I tell myself that and with some vehemence.

It would be good to eat from the permanent low-carbers, should they be out there.

(I did Atkins low-carb once many years ago, but I was in a hurry and the end result was a thinner crabby me who didn't feel all that well. No doubt I overdid it. It was MANY years ago.)

Darienne

 

learn, learn, learn...

 

We live in hope. 

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Made a cake of sorts today with cream cheese, almond meal, etc, etc, and granular Splenda. DH likes it. I find it awful...the taste of Splenda. Do other people find Splenda has a strange (and unpleasant) taste?

Darienne

 

learn, learn, learn...

 

We live in hope. 

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It must be something in my taste buds. Had a friend who couldn't stand the taste of aspartame. It never bothered me. (Wish it had.)

Darienne

 

learn, learn, learn...

 

We live in hope. 

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  • 3 weeks later...

This has been an interesting thread. I have been thinking of going on a very modified version of low carb for quite a while now, just never got up the "gumption" to give up bread and other high carb stuff. I did low carb a long time ago and I felt really good on it until I found it mess with my cycle. (I won't go into other details) so clearly my body didn't like the carbs going *that* low (I really went very low), but the rest of the time I felt wonderful! So something not as radical would be a nice alternative. Keeping the carbs on the high end of the count maybe the answer, I think. Around 100-125 a day.

I hate to count calories with a passion, so maybe I can get some where only counting the carbs, or maybe it is just a trade off, I don't know.

"I eat fat back, because bacon is too lean"

-overheard from a 105 year old man

"The only time to eat diet food is while waiting for the steak to cook" - Julia Child

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I visit the forum "Low Carb Friends" fairly often and there are lots of folks there following the diet/WOE (way of eating) and losing weight. Since I lost nearly 40 pounds a few years ago, low-carbing, I have retaken my love of breads and gained most of it back as a result. Oh well, time to find the newest diet du jour and lose those pounds again. My vote this time will go to the Paleothic/Neanderthin/Primal diet... all fruits, vegetables, and meats; no grains; and dairy is debatable. Fun! :-)

*****

"Did you see what Julia Child did to that chicken?" ... Howard Borden on "Bob Newhart"

*****

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I am doing a sort of Primal Blueprint/ Low-carbing/ Mark Bitten Lessmeatarian kind of thing. Sort of.

February/March lost 15 pounds. Stabilized at that point. Lost track. Life intervened.

Strangely enough, as of early this morning, decided upon a re-commitment to another 10 pound loss. Wish it were for happy reasons. Some would say that for every pound off, whatever pain or disability one is subject to would lessen with each lost pound. I have decided to trust in that.

Bread. Oh the wages of sin bread is weight gain.

Breakfast was a protein powder shake. Lunch is spaghetti squash with spaghetti sauce. Supper will be salad with olive oil/lemon juice dressing and feta cheese.

Back on track. Back recording in my sparkle-covered blue book.

Darienne

 

learn, learn, learn...

 

We live in hope. 

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As stated on another thread, my family started a version of the low carb diet due to a family health problem. A side benefit was that my husband started dropping weight. He has been carefully watching what he ate and exercising for years, but couldn't get rid of his stomach. We haven't been dieting per se but just eating a lot less carbs, although not following as strictly as we were in the beginning. The end result is that my husband has lost over 15 lbs so far. Another 10-15 and he'll be back at the weight he was when I married him. We can't wait to see what his cholesterol and sugar levels are compared to his last yr's physical.

We just feel better - more energy, better skin. We have discovered low-carb tortillas when a "sandwich" is a must and Dreamfield pasta when we need a little pasta fix. Like Darienne, we try to eat a lot of vegetables with small amounts of protein. I don't think I have lost any weight but I like how I feel. We have learned not to talk about it with many of our friends, for some reason, they don't like that we are eating this way. It's not for everyone and we don't really care how they eat but it seems that we make them feel guilty. From a weight loss perspective, I think potential weight loss will depend on one's genetic makeup. My husband comes from a family of diabetics and his body seems to be responding to this diet. He is eating a lot more now than he was before low carb and still losing weight. I just think it is a healthier way to eat as long as you don't follow the old Atkins way with too much protein and bad fat.

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I have found that exploring low-carb can be almost as interesting as exploring any new cuisine. Researching low-carb recipes, reading low-carb cookbooks and adapting recipes is a lot more interesting if one doesn’t try to pretend that cauliflower is mashed potatoes or rice but that cauliflower is fine being itself. There are dishes that would stay in my repertoire even if I wasn’t doing low-carb especially this and this.

Some things work just fine in a bowl instead of between two slices of bread, for instance, a BLT salad or a chicken club “sandwich” or even a hamburger in a bowl though I am not much of a fan of burgers but a lamb burger chopped up and dressed in a bowl is quite fine.

Every couple of weeks I will buy a supermarket BBQ chicken. Hubby and I will have one meal of it and then it becomes an easy source of protein for my lunches.

Salads don’t tend to be boring if you change up the dressing. I love a crunch factor in there too and use nuts, seeds, fried onions, pork rinds in place of croutons.

Keeping low-carb snacks readily available also wards off the temptation of carb-laden foods.

Well seasoned food seems to satisfy and I have explored using various flavours of Mrs. Dash, Japanese Togarishi, home- made Emeril’s Essence (you can find it on the FoodTV site) and I am on a mission to discover more of these especially if they can be made from scratch.

I love cheese and have found myself exploring more varieties even if in small quantities as cheese is very expensive. I also like to keep some grated cheese in the ‘fridge to top salads and other dishes – I am much more likely to use cheese if it is ready to sprinkle on to something than if I have to grate it!

I also cook up a couple of pounds of bacon and keep it in the freezer – super fast way to add taste and protein.

I have discovered a myriad ways to cook eggs and have re-discovered quiches as long as they are crustless.

I don’t eat out often except with my best friend who is also doing low-carb but on the odd occasion when I have found myself in a restaurant and don’t choose to make an issue of my preferences then it’s not particularly difficult to forego the bread and potatoes. When the chips are down though I would rather enjoy a slice of pizza or a bowl of pasta than even raise the spectre of “special diet”. It just means adjusting for a few days.

All this is not to say that there are not things I miss. I miss carrots in quantity and was practically drooling while prepping some carrot sticks for hubby. In fact I miss most vegetables in quantity as I used to eat 2-3 normal servings of just about anything green!

I also realized after the first month of euphoria – YEAH – lots of protein and FAT – that the reality is portion control still counts.

I still have not established any sort of regular exercise routine but because I am so much less sluggish both mentally and physically I am on the move much more and accomplishing more and am less prone to major mood swings.

Anna Nielsen aka "Anna N"

...I just let people know about something I made for supper that they might enjoy, too. That's all it is. (Nigel Slater)

"Cooking is about doing the best with what you have . . . and succeeding." John Thorne

Our 2012 (Kerry Beal and me) Blog

My 2004 eG Blog

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Researching low-carb recipes, reading low-carb cookbooks and adapting recipes is a lot more interesting if one doesn’t try to pretend that cauliflower is mashed potatoes or rice but that cauliflower is fine being itself.

Keeping low-carb snacks readily available also wards off the temptation of carb-laden foods.

I also cook up a couple of pounds of bacon and keep it in the freezer – super fast way to add taste and protein.

Working through Anna's excellent post. ( I really have to learn how to multi-quote) Those two recipes look excellent and I will try them. Moussaka works well too I think. Just leave off the Bechamel topping. And spaghetti sauce on shredded cabbage. Or lasagna with cabbage leaves...or zucchini...or eggplant (which then becomes a sort of moussaka), etc.

Salads: we eat salad for supper every second night and fortunately I never get tired of it. Feta cheese helps a lot. Don't really like carrots all that much anyway.

Lunch out between appointments or at the No-Namers? Salmon salad on a bed of shredded greens. Or egg salad.

Like your attitude towards expensive cheese. I like smoked salmon with cheese for breakfast. I have to try to get bacon on my mind again. It's very useful. So is Egg Foo Yung, come to think of it.

Ditto for the euphoria factor. I've been stalled at my weight for about two months now. Weight=more pain is back in my life and so I am back to being more careful. This has curtailed my exercise factor. Normally we walk the perimeter of the farm with the dogs and that's a big plus. Now I can't walk again. Pity Party!!! Pity Party. :raz:

OK. The best for last. What ARE your snack ideas? This is a critical one for when you just need to put something into your mouth. Sorry to be so blunt about it, but I have to face it... :sad:

ps. Just looked up spaghetti squash. At 5 carbs per half cup is it maybe too carb laden to be useful? I admit I am not doing this with careful attention.

pps. Hot and Sour Soup is a good meal. Full of low-carb stuff. Actually most Chinese dishes fit right in.

Edited by Darienne (log)

Darienne

 

learn, learn, learn...

 

We live in hope. 

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Some of the low-carb snacks I keep on hand:

Toasted pumpkin/sunflower seeds. I play around with the seasoning and keep them in an airtight box along with a tablespoon measure. These are great sprinkled on a salad too.

link

Two or three cheeses cut up into 1 oz portions and kept handy in the ‘fridge.

The usual celery/endive for filling with a spread – usually cream-cheese based.

A few cooked sausages kept in the fridge. A quick trip through the nuker and a dab or two of interesting mustards makes a quick and satisfying snack. Some sausages work fine eaten cold.

A can of nuts - watch your portion size – a tablespoon at most!.

Hard-cooked eggs.

Pork rinds

A chub of kielbasa/polish sausage.

Bacon on Bacon “Nachos”

(Adapted by me from a variety of recipes)

2 T Heavy cream

1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

20-30 grams pork rinds

Pinch or two of taco seasoning or a few drops hot sauce

1 T pickled jalepeno peppers, minced

1 green onion, minced

1 slice bacon cooked and crumbled

½ T sour cream

1-2 teaspoons salsa

Make a simple cheese sauce by microwaving the cream and cheese on low power, stirring often, until just melted and smooth. Stir in the seasoning and jalapenos.

Gently break the pork rinds but don’t crush them!!! Arrange pork rinds on a microwave-safe plate & drizzle on the cheese sauce. Sprinkle on green onions and bacon and return to microwave for a few seconds just to warm – don’t go overboard or the rinds will get soggy. Top with sour cream and salsa.

IMG_1519.JPG

Anna Nielsen aka "Anna N"

...I just let people know about something I made for supper that they might enjoy, too. That's all it is. (Nigel Slater)

"Cooking is about doing the best with what you have . . . and succeeding." John Thorne

Our 2012 (Kerry Beal and me) Blog

My 2004 eG Blog

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  • 8 months later...

I'm bringing back this thread for the new year!

I've lost 5lb in 1 week since shunning sugar and flour. I'm planning on braising a pork shoulder this week.

Is low carb over? Am I the only one who had great weight loss success with it? The last time I did it I lost 30lb in 3 months, and kept it off for 3 years.

Any tales for the low carbers?

Grace

Grace Piper, host of Fearless Cooking

www.fearlesscooking.tv

My eGullet Blog: What I ate for one week Nov. 2010

Subscribe to my 5 minute video podcast through iTunes, just search for Fearless Cooking

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I'm on a modified low carb diet and am seeing success with it. The weirdest part is what I'm craving. Not rice or pasta or bread (TOO much), but grapes and watermelon and satsumas. And I can't get enough sugar free Popsicles. Strange, huh?

I was going to cook a small hamburger patty the other night, but saw that I had some leftover shredded cabbage that needed to be used up. Sauteed the cabbage, along with diced onions and green peppers and browned the ground beef and made a sort of hash. It was satisfying and tasty. I also added a few frozen green peas near the end, but they are a higher carb content, so I didn't use many. Pine nuts or some other nut or seed would have also been good. (I am a simple cook, I am not on the level of many other cooks/chefs here at eGullet.)

As far as bread, I am allowing myself half a toasted sandwich round for breakfast, topped with ham and cheese or scrambled egg and cheese, run under the broiler or microwaved to melt the cheese.

Anna's pork rind nachos look wonderful!

Here's a quick and tasty baked ricotta dish: Mix 8 oz. ricotta with half cup grated parmesan and one large beaten egg. Add a few chopped herbs like oregano and basil and put it in small baking dish and top with marinara (I make a meat sauce) and more grated parm (or swiss or cheese of choice). Bake for 20 minutes. Delicious! When my family is having spaghetti, I use the meat sauce in my dish, while they have pasta.

Chili with beans has been a staple on this diet. I do miss having crackers or cornbread (or even Fritos!) to go with, but it's still a satisfying and filling dish without them. When I do have crackers, five crackers constitute a serving and I have been able to limit myself to that.

Dear Food: I hate myself for loving you.

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