I admit it. I am a cart snooper. I take sneaky glances at other people's shopping selections as I pass them in the isles. Sometimes it is to remind myself of the stuff I used to buy and how unhealthy it made me (cereals, whole grain bread, low fat products...eww!). Sometimes I look for clues as to why someone's kids are bouncing off the walls and acting like little jerks (Oh goody! Mountain Dew, Little Debbie's Snack Cake and Macaroni and Cheese! I hope they put money aside for Ritalin and fat camp!). Other times I look to see what a thin person is eating and how can they possibly look that good trudging through a Walmart at 11pm (Maybe there are secret clues to thinness, longevity, and full pouty lips? Fat-free yogurt, tofu burgers and Zima? Never mind...I'll stay chubby and poutless.)
I also get a good laugh playing "Spot the Bachelor". A married man shopping alone will buy milk, bread, cheese, vegetables, and even, if he thinks nobody is looking, feminine hygiene products for his wife and/or daughter. A bachelor heads right for the frozen food section, grabs anything with the name "Hungry Man" on it, adds a 12 pack of soda and bolts out the door as fast as he can. Maybe I need a new hobby, but for me, this qualifies as entertainment.
As much as I snoop at other people's carts, I am actually shocked if I notice someone else giving my cart the eye. Sometimes "the eye" comes with "the smirk", as in "No wonder you are fat lady! You have MEAT, CREAM and CHEESE in your cart!" Yeah, whatever bitch. I used to weight 280lbs. Now I weight 210. Bite my shrinking ass. I have also noticed a few looks of longing lately, usually from some poor man who, I assume, has been placed on a low-fat diet by his vegenazi wife. The accompanying whimpering and drooling are heartbreaking to say the least. One thing I never noticed before was a look of admiration...until the other day.
I went to my local Safeway to take advantage of a weekly sale on London Broil. At $1.98/lb, it was a great deal. I often braise this cut in a small amount of white wine or beer, add California blend vegetables, and then mix sour cream right before serving. ...delicious! So when it goes on sale, I stock up. I also had a rain check for cheap chicken since they ran out the last time I was there plus I always troll for other discounted items and manager's specials. What I ended up with is over 15 pounds of London Broil, 4 family packages of chicken thighs, 2 big bags of chicken wings, 2 1lb packages of beef liver, 5 Cervelat Summer sausages ($2.98 each manager's special....usually $5.98) and 3 huge packs of 99 cents/lb beef ribs that looked like the brontosaurus ribs right out of the Flinststones cartoon. Then I headed to the dairy section and added 2 quarts of heavy whipping cream, a large brick of pepperjack cheese, and a large tub of sour cream.
As I walked out of the dairy section, I passed a young man who, not so inconspicuously, glanced in my cart, then looked at me, smiled, then gave me the ultimate sign of male approval...the upward chin snap. You know... that slight upward tilt of the chin one guy gives to another guy. It is usually reserved for acknowledgment of important things like cool motorcycles, impressive tool collections, or riding lawn mowers with flame graphics on the side. Yet here I was, a girl, getting this high mark of honor and recognition. All I could do was grin as I walked toward the check out. I honestly think that if I asked him to marry me at the moment, he would have cheerfully followed me home.
This got me thinking. I have a friend who is smart, cute, has a good job, her own home and a fun personality, yet she can't seem to find a descent boyfriend. Maybe it is because she is a vegetarian. If a handsome single man saw her walking through the store with a cart full of Boca Burgers and Tofu, he would run in the other direction lest he end up like some of his starving, whimpering brethren. I tried to tell her about my experience the other night and suggested she try slipping a few packages of chicken or steak in her cart for show if she sees a cute guy at the Safeway, but she just gave me a nasty look. I guess telling someone they should do the dating equivalent of tying a pork chop around their neck to get someone to pay attention to them wasn't a good idea. If I keep this up, I might not have any girlfriends left. At least I know I can load up a cart full of meat and make new guy friends. Good thing I don't mind talking about lawn mowers.
Showing posts with label diet. Show all posts
Showing posts with label diet. Show all posts
Monday, June 9, 2008
Thursday, March 6, 2008
God Hates Carbs
As the debate rages over whether we should eat low carb with plenty of fat or low fat with plenty of carbs, people look to different experts and authorities to help them decide. There are plenty of doctors, nutritionists and other diet gurus to choose from, but who do you trust the most? Who is the highest authority? Well, how about God?
From Genesis... Abel was a keeper of sheep, and Cain a worker of the ground. In the course of time Cain brought to the Lord an offering of the fruit of the ground, and Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat portions. And the Lord had regard for Abel and his offering, but for Cain and his offering he had no regard. So Cain was very angry, and his face fell. The Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry, and why has your face fallen? If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is for you, but you must rule over it.”
So there you have it people. From the ultimate authority. Carbohydrates are not deserving of respect.
Of course, we all know what happened next. Cain, no doubt in a carbohydrate-fueled frenzy, lured his brother away to the fields and killed him. So, apparently, not only are carbohydrates considered undesirable by the Lord, they turn you in to a sneaky murderer. Next time a vegetarian offers to show you his crops...be very careful!
From Genesis... Abel was a keeper of sheep, and Cain a worker of the ground. In the course of time Cain brought to the Lord an offering of the fruit of the ground, and Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat portions. And the Lord had regard for Abel and his offering, but for Cain and his offering he had no regard. So Cain was very angry, and his face fell. The Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry, and why has your face fallen? If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is for you, but you must rule over it.”
So there you have it people. From the ultimate authority. Carbohydrates are not deserving of respect.
Of course, we all know what happened next. Cain, no doubt in a carbohydrate-fueled frenzy, lured his brother away to the fields and killed him. So, apparently, not only are carbohydrates considered undesirable by the Lord, they turn you in to a sneaky murderer. Next time a vegetarian offers to show you his crops...be very careful!
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Prostate Cancer: The Low Carb Option
An article on prostate cancer in today's New York Times leaves the impression that patients are equally screwed no matter what treatment option they choose. Whether the treatment was surgical removal, radiation, hormone therapy, or "watchful waiting", no one method stood out as being superior.
The Times article provided this quote, which illustrates doctor's frustrations at a lack of helpful data.
“Having been involved in this area for a long time, it was not shocking, but it is disappointing,” said Dr. Timothy J. Wilt, lead researcher on the report, from the Minneapolis Veterans Affairs Center for Chronic Disease Outcomes Research. “Information is really lacking to determine whether over all one treatment is more effective and preferred.” - Feb. 26th, 2008
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/26/health/26well.html?ref=science
Considering traditional treatments can leave a man impotent, incontinent, or hoping wondering if something else will kill them before the cancer turns deadly, I am a bit surprised there was no mention of a very promising treatment readily available to all men...a low carb diet.
"A diet low in carbohydrates may help stunt the growth of prostate tumors, according to a new study led by Duke Prostate Center researchers. The study, in mice, suggests that a reduction in insulin production possibly caused by fewer carbohydrates may stall tumor growth." - Science Daily, Nov. 14, 2007 http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/11/071113074933.htm
A week later, Science Daily reported that diet HIGH in carbohydrates was related to prostate tumor GROWTH.
"Having too much insulin in the blood, a condition called hyperinsulinemia, is associated with poorer outcomes in patients with prostate cancer. Vasundara Venkateswaran, Ph.D., of Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre in Toronto and colleagues investigated whether high insulin levels caused by eating a diet high in refined carbohydrates would lead to more rapid growth of prostate tumors in mice."
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/11/071127161824.htm
As doctors scratch their heads trying to figure out which potentially dangerous treatment plan to use on their prostate cancer patients, the dietary aspect of cancer appear to be ignored. When an easily implementable option like eliminating carbohydrates holds the possibility of shrinking tumors, it should be obvious that impotence and incontinence are no longer acceptable risks.
Since prostate tumors grow so slowly and "wait and see" is already a position many doctors take, why not try "wait and see while low carbing"? If the tumor does not shrink with a low carb diet, there is still plenty of time to try surgery or radiation therapy. If eliminating carbohydrates DOES shrink the tumor, there is no need to risk having to spend the rest of your life wearing adult diapers.
The Times article provided this quote, which illustrates doctor's frustrations at a lack of helpful data.
“Having been involved in this area for a long time, it was not shocking, but it is disappointing,” said Dr. Timothy J. Wilt, lead researcher on the report, from the Minneapolis Veterans Affairs Center for Chronic Disease Outcomes Research. “Information is really lacking to determine whether over all one treatment is more effective and preferred.” - Feb. 26th, 2008
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/26/health/26well.html?ref=science
Considering traditional treatments can leave a man impotent, incontinent, or hoping wondering if something else will kill them before the cancer turns deadly, I am a bit surprised there was no mention of a very promising treatment readily available to all men...a low carb diet.
"A diet low in carbohydrates may help stunt the growth of prostate tumors, according to a new study led by Duke Prostate Center researchers. The study, in mice, suggests that a reduction in insulin production possibly caused by fewer carbohydrates may stall tumor growth." - Science Daily, Nov. 14, 2007 http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/11/071113074933.htm
A week later, Science Daily reported that diet HIGH in carbohydrates was related to prostate tumor GROWTH.
"Having too much insulin in the blood, a condition called hyperinsulinemia, is associated with poorer outcomes in patients with prostate cancer. Vasundara Venkateswaran, Ph.D., of Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre in Toronto and colleagues investigated whether high insulin levels caused by eating a diet high in refined carbohydrates would lead to more rapid growth of prostate tumors in mice."
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/11/071127161824.htm
As doctors scratch their heads trying to figure out which potentially dangerous treatment plan to use on their prostate cancer patients, the dietary aspect of cancer appear to be ignored. When an easily implementable option like eliminating carbohydrates holds the possibility of shrinking tumors, it should be obvious that impotence and incontinence are no longer acceptable risks.
Since prostate tumors grow so slowly and "wait and see" is already a position many doctors take, why not try "wait and see while low carbing"? If the tumor does not shrink with a low carb diet, there is still plenty of time to try surgery or radiation therapy. If eliminating carbohydrates DOES shrink the tumor, there is no need to risk having to spend the rest of your life wearing adult diapers.
Thursday, January 31, 2008
RECIPE: Low Carb Strawberry Cheese Cake
I love this no bake recipe because it's easy AND my non-low carb friends can't tell it is made without sugar. The topping is a Wifezilla original and uses a very unique ingredient....CHIA SEEDS (yes, the stuff used on chia heads)! They are available at most hippy-infested health food stores and its gelling properties are very cool. It doesn't hurt that it is an excellent source of omega 3 fatty acids and taste much better than fish oil!
Low Carb Strawberry Cheese Cake
Crust
2 cups almond flour
2 tablespoons melted butter
2 packets of Splenda
Mix ingredients together and press in to the bottom of a large pie or cake pan coated with non-stick spray. Bake at 350 degrees until crust turns light brown. Allow to cool before adding cheese cake filling.
Topping
12 large frozen strawberries
3 tablespoons chia seeds
2 packets of splenda
1 packet of equal
Place in a bowl and allow frozen strawberries to partially thaw. Slice strawberries and add sweetener. Add chia seeds and stir. Allow strawberries to completely thaw. The chia seeds will absorb the strawberry juice and turn into a gel. Add more seeds if the topping appears to be a bit runny. If it looks too thick, add a few more strawberries.
Filling
2 8oz packets of cream cheese
3/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup Da Vinci Sugar-Free Simple Syrup or other low carb sweetener to taste
2 tsp vanilla
2 tsp lemon juice
Using a mixer, whip the cream cheese, vanilla and lemon juice together. In a seperate CHILLED bowl, whip the cream until it forms stiff peaks. Gently fold the whipped cream and cream cheese together and spread over the crust.
Cover the cheese cake with the strawberry/chia topping and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Serve to sugar junkies but don't tell then it is sugar free. As they take their last bite, THEN tell them. It is hilarious watching them trying to shout "NO WAY" with a mouth full of cheese cake. As they are coughing tell them there are chia seeds in the topping. "Like the stuff on the CHIA HEADS?" ::cough::sputter:::
Low Carb Strawberry Cheese Cake
Crust
2 cups almond flour
2 tablespoons melted butter
2 packets of Splenda
Mix ingredients together and press in to the bottom of a large pie or cake pan coated with non-stick spray. Bake at 350 degrees until crust turns light brown. Allow to cool before adding cheese cake filling.
Topping
12 large frozen strawberries
3 tablespoons chia seeds
2 packets of splenda
1 packet of equal
Place in a bowl and allow frozen strawberries to partially thaw. Slice strawberries and add sweetener. Add chia seeds and stir. Allow strawberries to completely thaw. The chia seeds will absorb the strawberry juice and turn into a gel. Add more seeds if the topping appears to be a bit runny. If it looks too thick, add a few more strawberries.
Filling
2 8oz packets of cream cheese
3/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup Da Vinci Sugar-Free Simple Syrup or other low carb sweetener to taste
2 tsp vanilla
2 tsp lemon juice
Using a mixer, whip the cream cheese, vanilla and lemon juice together. In a seperate CHILLED bowl, whip the cream until it forms stiff peaks. Gently fold the whipped cream and cream cheese together and spread over the crust.
Cover the cheese cake with the strawberry/chia topping and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Serve to sugar junkies but don't tell then it is sugar free. As they take their last bite, THEN tell them. It is hilarious watching them trying to shout "NO WAY" with a mouth full of cheese cake. As they are coughing tell them there are chia seeds in the topping. "Like the stuff on the CHIA HEADS?" ::cough::sputter:::
Monday, January 21, 2008
Attack of the Killer Potato
The Idaho Potato board is once again bombarding the airwaves with ads touting the health benefits of the potato (see below for actual ad). I am of Irish/German descent and originally from the Midwest. So you can just imagine the number of potatoes I ingested in the form of potato salad, mashed potatoes, au gratin potatoes, german potato salad, potato pancakes, spatzel, tater tots, potato dumplings, potato chips and french fries. That fact that I know how to make everything I just listed from scratch, with the exception of the tater tots, is a bit of an indicator (and given some time and a grater, I think I could make a passable approximation of the tater tot). So if the potato is so healthy, why would I, an avid potato lover, gain so much weight while eating them?
According to my mom, the potato was perfectly healthy. It was all the stuff we added to it that made it in to a dietary disaster. It was the sour cream, butter, cheese, and cooking oils that were to blame. That's what was reported in all the magazines mom read and in the weekly food section of the local paper. That is also what she learned at her Weight Watchers meetings. That's what EVERYBODY "just knew". Once again, everybody was dead wrong.
According to Walter Willett, professor of epidemiology and nutrition at Harvard School of Public Health, "Potatoes are a great way to survive a famine. My grandparents survived the Depression on potatoes. But in a contemporary, sedentary society, potatoes are unhealthy, with a very big glycemic load. We've seen in our studies that higher potato consumption is related to a risk of diabetes. They are very rapidly absorbed into the bloodstream-more than eating pure sugar: sugar is only half glucose when it's broken down, potatoes are 100 percent glucose. There's not very much in terms of redeemable nutritional value that you get for the calories. Unless you are extremely lean and extremely active, you can't tolerate them. If you really like potatoes, you can have them in moderation now and then, but the trouble is that a big mountain of potatoes on your plate twice a day is how many people eat."
"Actually, careful studies have shown, demonstrated that you get a bigger rise in blood sugar after eating potatoes, a baked potato, say, than you do from eating pure table sugar."
The typical large restaurant-sized baked potato, with approximately 50g of carbohydrates, is nothing more than 1/4 cup of sugar in disguise. Sure it contains vitamins and minerals, but so does a strawberry danish. The difference is the danish isn't pretending to be a health food. It is amazing to think that I was taught that potatoes were good, sour cream and butter were bad, and if I got fat, it was my fault for being weak and lazy. All the while the very basis of my diet was messing up my blood sugar, causing intense food cravings, and helping me on the way to 280lbs...my all time highest weight. Had I just thrown out the potato and eaten the butter, sour cream, shredded cheese, and bacon bits out of a bowl with a spoon, I would have been perfectly fine.
Instead, I, just like mom, bought the great potato lie hook, line and sinker. I ate them plain, I ate them with low fat yogurt instead of sour cream, I used margarine instead of butter. Then word got out that potatoes were good with fat-free salsa and I tried that too. My weight continued to climb and I felt worse all the time. It wasn't until very recently that I understood that the potato was the real problem all along.
I do understand that potato farmers need to make a living, and there are quite a few people who can scarf starchy foods with little health consequence. I am just not one of them. I can, however, find a way to continue to help the potato farmers. I will just make myself a potato canon. Then I can actually use the potatoes in a healthy way...as ammo to shoot at people who try to tell me potatoes are good to eat!
Make your own potato canon!
The latest "lievertisement" from the potato council...
According to my mom, the potato was perfectly healthy. It was all the stuff we added to it that made it in to a dietary disaster. It was the sour cream, butter, cheese, and cooking oils that were to blame. That's what was reported in all the magazines mom read and in the weekly food section of the local paper. That is also what she learned at her Weight Watchers meetings. That's what EVERYBODY "just knew". Once again, everybody was dead wrong.
According to Walter Willett, professor of epidemiology and nutrition at Harvard School of Public Health, "Potatoes are a great way to survive a famine. My grandparents survived the Depression on potatoes. But in a contemporary, sedentary society, potatoes are unhealthy, with a very big glycemic load. We've seen in our studies that higher potato consumption is related to a risk of diabetes. They are very rapidly absorbed into the bloodstream-more than eating pure sugar: sugar is only half glucose when it's broken down, potatoes are 100 percent glucose. There's not very much in terms of redeemable nutritional value that you get for the calories. Unless you are extremely lean and extremely active, you can't tolerate them. If you really like potatoes, you can have them in moderation now and then, but the trouble is that a big mountain of potatoes on your plate twice a day is how many people eat."
"Actually, careful studies have shown, demonstrated that you get a bigger rise in blood sugar after eating potatoes, a baked potato, say, than you do from eating pure table sugar."
The typical large restaurant-sized baked potato, with approximately 50g of carbohydrates, is nothing more than 1/4 cup of sugar in disguise. Sure it contains vitamins and minerals, but so does a strawberry danish. The difference is the danish isn't pretending to be a health food. It is amazing to think that I was taught that potatoes were good, sour cream and butter were bad, and if I got fat, it was my fault for being weak and lazy. All the while the very basis of my diet was messing up my blood sugar, causing intense food cravings, and helping me on the way to 280lbs...my all time highest weight. Had I just thrown out the potato and eaten the butter, sour cream, shredded cheese, and bacon bits out of a bowl with a spoon, I would have been perfectly fine.
Instead, I, just like mom, bought the great potato lie hook, line and sinker. I ate them plain, I ate them with low fat yogurt instead of sour cream, I used margarine instead of butter. Then word got out that potatoes were good with fat-free salsa and I tried that too. My weight continued to climb and I felt worse all the time. It wasn't until very recently that I understood that the potato was the real problem all along.
I do understand that potato farmers need to make a living, and there are quite a few people who can scarf starchy foods with little health consequence. I am just not one of them. I can, however, find a way to continue to help the potato farmers. I will just make myself a potato canon. Then I can actually use the potatoes in a healthy way...as ammo to shoot at people who try to tell me potatoes are good to eat!
Make your own potato canon!
The latest "lievertisement" from the potato council...
Sunday, January 13, 2008
If I Never Lose Another Pound...
My weight loss has stalled over the Winter, but I am not discouraged. I usually GAIN weight during the colder months, and despite not losing pounds, I am still losing inches. I know it is easy to get discouraged about a diet if you aren't seeing movement on the scale, but eating low carb isn't just about weight loss. It is about my health.
I was talking about this very topic on the Low Carb Friends forum, and started to list reasons I would still eat low carb even if I never lost another pound. I think it is important to list and expand on them here, not just as a reminder for my forgetful self, but to show others who may be stalled (or miserable on a restricted calorie diet) that the scale number is NOT the most important part about being healthy and fit.
If I Never Lost Another Pound, I Would Still Eat Low Carb Because...
• Eating low carb reduces my chance of developing type 2 diabetes*.
• Eating low carb does not cause inflammation and blood vessel damage like eating carbohydrates and sugars does*.
• Eating low carb means I am eating less processed foods, and I think Monsanto and ConAgra have enough money already.
• Eating low carb also means I am supporting small local farmers because I shop at farmer's markets instead of the super market whenever possible.
• My eating low carb makes militant vegetarians seriously pissed off and I find that amusing.
• That goes double for PETA members.
• Did I mention I like meat?
• I never turn down an excuse to use my bbq grill.
• Eating low carb reduces my chances of developing heart disease*.
• I am no longer plagued by constant hunger pains.
• Since I stopped eat grains, I fart a lot less (seriously).
• I no longer get the shakes and break out in a cold sweat from a blood sugar crash even though I have just eaten about an hour earlier.
• I'll take any excuse I can get to keep eating cheese.
• I can easily eat this way for the rest of my life without being miserable.
• By eating low carb I have less monthly bloating.
• Eating low carb does not deplete my body of vitamins like high carbohydrate food does*.
• Heavy cream ... droooooollllll
• Eating low carb reduces the ability of cancer cells to develop and spread in my body (more).
• Eating low carb is healthier for my skin and reduces collagen damage (more) - I have enough wrinkles already!
• Because I really love putting melted butter on stuff.
• Bacon!
Are these enough reasons for you to continue with low carb eating? Enough reasons for you to look beyond the scale? Enough reasons for you to consider starting? If nothing else, it will give you something to think about.
*Sources - "Good Calories, Bad Calories" by Gary Taubes, "Natural Health & Weight Loss" by Barry Groves, "Protein Power" by Drs. Mike & Mary Eades and more.
I was talking about this very topic on the Low Carb Friends forum, and started to list reasons I would still eat low carb even if I never lost another pound. I think it is important to list and expand on them here, not just as a reminder for my forgetful self, but to show others who may be stalled (or miserable on a restricted calorie diet) that the scale number is NOT the most important part about being healthy and fit.
If I Never Lost Another Pound, I Would Still Eat Low Carb Because...
• Eating low carb reduces my chance of developing type 2 diabetes*.
• Eating low carb does not cause inflammation and blood vessel damage like eating carbohydrates and sugars does*.
• Eating low carb means I am eating less processed foods, and I think Monsanto and ConAgra have enough money already.
• Eating low carb also means I am supporting small local farmers because I shop at farmer's markets instead of the super market whenever possible.
• My eating low carb makes militant vegetarians seriously pissed off and I find that amusing.
• That goes double for PETA members.
• Did I mention I like meat?
• I never turn down an excuse to use my bbq grill.
• Eating low carb reduces my chances of developing heart disease*.
• I am no longer plagued by constant hunger pains.
• Since I stopped eat grains, I fart a lot less (seriously).
• I no longer get the shakes and break out in a cold sweat from a blood sugar crash even though I have just eaten about an hour earlier.
• I'll take any excuse I can get to keep eating cheese.
• I can easily eat this way for the rest of my life without being miserable.
• By eating low carb I have less monthly bloating.
• Eating low carb does not deplete my body of vitamins like high carbohydrate food does*.
• Heavy cream ... droooooollllll
• Eating low carb reduces the ability of cancer cells to develop and spread in my body (more).
• Eating low carb is healthier for my skin and reduces collagen damage (more) - I have enough wrinkles already!
• Because I really love putting melted butter on stuff.
• Bacon!
Are these enough reasons for you to continue with low carb eating? Enough reasons for you to look beyond the scale? Enough reasons for you to consider starting? If nothing else, it will give you something to think about.
*Sources - "Good Calories, Bad Calories" by Gary Taubes, "Natural Health & Weight Loss" by Barry Groves, "Protein Power" by Drs. Mike & Mary Eades and more.
Sunday, December 2, 2007
By the Numbers
After my initial quick weight loss, I have been stalling. Sure it is frustrating, but there is something that helps me keep things in perspective and stick to a low carb way of eating...my measurements. I was actually smart enough to write them down when I first decided that low carb eating might be the way for me (I have my moments). Even now, with no recent weight loss showing up on the scales, my body is changing for the better and I am losing inches.
I have posted my randomly taken measurements so you can see for yourself how a low carb eating plan can be of benefit. Keep in mind I am a 6' tall giant amazon. Your measurements will vary. The actually numbers aren't what matters so much, but the nice downward trend. :D
I have posted my randomly taken measurements so you can see for yourself how a low carb eating plan can be of benefit. Keep in mind I am a 6' tall giant amazon. Your measurements will vary. The actually numbers aren't what matters so much, but the nice downward trend. :D
Monday, November 5, 2007
The Kitties Weigh-In
I weighed the girls again today. Xena has hit a stall, staying at 14 pounds for the second week in a row. Cookie has lost again and is down to 8 pounds. Looks like Xena is a lot like me...very resistant to weight loss. I know how she feels and not losing is very frustrating.
Unlike me, though, she isn't bitching to her girlfriends about being stuck, nor do I have to listen to her whine about her old fur not fitting, but not wanting to buy new fur until she hits goal. Xena also doesn't have to wonder if her artificial sweetner use is stalling her, or maybe she is eating too much dairy.
I have a few more variables to worry about than my furry little friend, but I am possitive that all of us are on the right path. We'll see how we are all doing next week, and maybe I will have to make some adjustments. If Xena doesn't start losing more, I will make some adjustments for her too. Most likely trying a different brand of low-carb dry food. Things might be easier for me if I only had 2 kinds of food to choose from. It would be especially easy if I could get someone to come to the house and serve it to me every day and refill my water jug while they are at it.
Unlike me, though, she isn't bitching to her girlfriends about being stuck, nor do I have to listen to her whine about her old fur not fitting, but not wanting to buy new fur until she hits goal. Xena also doesn't have to wonder if her artificial sweetner use is stalling her, or maybe she is eating too much dairy.
I have a few more variables to worry about than my furry little friend, but I am possitive that all of us are on the right path. We'll see how we are all doing next week, and maybe I will have to make some adjustments. If Xena doesn't start losing more, I will make some adjustments for her too. Most likely trying a different brand of low-carb dry food. Things might be easier for me if I only had 2 kinds of food to choose from. It would be especially easy if I could get someone to come to the house and serve it to me every day and refill my water jug while they are at it.
Thursday, September 27, 2007
Low Carb & Cancer
A long time ago in a galaxy far far away...well...ok...it was 1931 and right on this planet, but anyway...a man by the name of Otto Warburg was awarded a Nobel Prize for discovering that, basically, cancer cells like sugar. REALLY like it! They use 4 to 5 times more glucose than normal cells. Like a 2 year-old on Halloween, cancer cells happily munch away on sweets while growing rapidly and leaving a path of mayhem and destruction in their wake.
So here we are in 2007, SEVENTY-SIX YEARS LATER, and what kind of diet is being recommended to cancer patients? According to the Oral Cancer Foundation, they should be eating 5 servings of fruits and vegetables per day, whole grain breads and cereals, lean cuts of meat, along with low-fat dairy products. In essence they are telling you to ingest foods that have a very high glucose content while asking you to eliminate foods that can provide you with essential fatty acids??? But wait, it gets even more entertaining! The American Cancer Society posts a recommended shopping list on their website that encourages you to avoid fat, yet includes rice, pasta, couscous, orzo, cornmeal, whole wheat crackers, bread sticks, bread crumbs, raisins, fruit juice, corn tortillas, dinner rolls, English muffins, and bagels - ALL of which turn to glucose once they are digested and hit the liver. So, despite the knowledge from SEVENTY-SIX FREAKING YEARS AGO that cancer cells thrive on glucose, patients are told to eat glucose in the form of grains, glucose in the form of fruits, and glucose in the form of vegetables. Sugar, sugar, sugar, and sugar, with a side order of sugar. If I were a cancer cell, these recommendations would make me throw a party!
So now I am confused. Has anyone had the thought that....well....uhhhh...maybe since cancer likes sugar so much, HOW ABOUT NOT EATING SUGAR IN THE FIRST PLACE?!?!? Anyone out there have a doctor tell them that cancer cells thrive in a high glucose environment and that there is a relatively easy way to change that environment right in your own body called low carb? Anyone ever hear of an oncologist handing a patient a copy of The Atkin's Diet, Protein Power, or Natural Health and Weight Loss? Anybody? They are more likely to hear that since they will be ill from their chemo treatment, they should just eat whatever they can, which ignores the fact that what they are eating may very well have helped make them sick in the first place.
Instead of a recommendation to avoid sugar IN ANY FORM, the "eat lots of fruits and veggies, eat whole grains and avoid fat" mantra is repeated throughout the cancer community, health organizations, and government institutions. Of course, you should recognize this as the same message given to the obese and type 2 diabetics as well as the general public. It is a message that has been pounded in to the heads of every school-aged child and is repeated on public service radio and television messages. But guess what? It's wrong when it comes to weight loss, it's wrong when it comes to preventing obesity, and I am guessing it is equally wrong when it comes to cancer. According to some recent headlines, my guessing may be right on....
"Eating fruits and vegetables was not strongly associated with decreased colon cancer risk, according to a study published online in the September 25 Journal of the National Cancer Institute." - Science Daily
"Following an eating pattern lower in total fat did not significantly reduce the incidence of breast cancer, heart disease, or stroke, and did not reduce the risk of colorectal cancer in healthy post-menopausal women, according to the latest clinical trial results from the National Institutes of Health’s Women’s Health Initiative (WHI). " NIH News
"A recent study questions whether the longstanding recommendation to eat an abundance of fruits and vegetables to reduce cancer risk may be overstated. In a report published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute (2004;96:1577–1584), Walter Willett, MD, DrPH, and colleagues at the Harvard School of Public Health found that eating at least five servings of fruits and vegetables daily had an impact on cardiovascular disease risk but not overall cancer incidence. " American Cancer Society
Knowing SEVENTY-SIX YEARS AGO (yeah, I'm kind of stuck on that and it's still blowing my mind) that GLUCOSE has a big role in cancer growth, where are the studies on a low carbohydrate diet and its effect on cancer? Doesn't it seem logical that this should be an area of intensive study? I would think this would be the FIRST thing they looked in to after good ole' Otto pointed out the whole glucose thing. EDIT: I just found a link that lists 2 studies. Ironically, it shows up in the same search with a warning from the American Cancer Society about the dangers of low carb written in 2004. Despite the Cancer Societies misguided "warning", one study showed low carb reduced tumor growth, and the other showed eating fats kept tumors from stealing all the nutrients and prevented wasting. http://charm.cs.uiuc.edu/users/jyelon/lowcarb.med/topic8.html.
So here we are in 2007, SEVENTY-SIX YEARS LATER, and what kind of diet is being recommended to cancer patients? According to the Oral Cancer Foundation, they should be eating 5 servings of fruits and vegetables per day, whole grain breads and cereals, lean cuts of meat, along with low-fat dairy products. In essence they are telling you to ingest foods that have a very high glucose content while asking you to eliminate foods that can provide you with essential fatty acids??? But wait, it gets even more entertaining! The American Cancer Society posts a recommended shopping list on their website that encourages you to avoid fat, yet includes rice, pasta, couscous, orzo, cornmeal, whole wheat crackers, bread sticks, bread crumbs, raisins, fruit juice, corn tortillas, dinner rolls, English muffins, and bagels - ALL of which turn to glucose once they are digested and hit the liver. So, despite the knowledge from SEVENTY-SIX FREAKING YEARS AGO that cancer cells thrive on glucose, patients are told to eat glucose in the form of grains, glucose in the form of fruits, and glucose in the form of vegetables. Sugar, sugar, sugar, and sugar, with a side order of sugar. If I were a cancer cell, these recommendations would make me throw a party!
So now I am confused. Has anyone had the thought that....well....uhhhh...maybe since cancer likes sugar so much, HOW ABOUT NOT EATING SUGAR IN THE FIRST PLACE?!?!? Anyone out there have a doctor tell them that cancer cells thrive in a high glucose environment and that there is a relatively easy way to change that environment right in your own body called low carb? Anyone ever hear of an oncologist handing a patient a copy of The Atkin's Diet, Protein Power, or Natural Health and Weight Loss? Anybody? They are more likely to hear that since they will be ill from their chemo treatment, they should just eat whatever they can, which ignores the fact that what they are eating may very well have helped make them sick in the first place.
Instead of a recommendation to avoid sugar IN ANY FORM, the "eat lots of fruits and veggies, eat whole grains and avoid fat" mantra is repeated throughout the cancer community, health organizations, and government institutions. Of course, you should recognize this as the same message given to the obese and type 2 diabetics as well as the general public. It is a message that has been pounded in to the heads of every school-aged child and is repeated on public service radio and television messages. But guess what? It's wrong when it comes to weight loss, it's wrong when it comes to preventing obesity, and I am guessing it is equally wrong when it comes to cancer. According to some recent headlines, my guessing may be right on....
"Eating fruits and vegetables was not strongly associated with decreased colon cancer risk, according to a study published online in the September 25 Journal of the National Cancer Institute." - Science Daily
"Following an eating pattern lower in total fat did not significantly reduce the incidence of breast cancer, heart disease, or stroke, and did not reduce the risk of colorectal cancer in healthy post-menopausal women, according to the latest clinical trial results from the National Institutes of Health’s Women’s Health Initiative (WHI). " NIH News
"A recent study questions whether the longstanding recommendation to eat an abundance of fruits and vegetables to reduce cancer risk may be overstated. In a report published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute (2004;96:1577–1584), Walter Willett, MD, DrPH, and colleagues at the Harvard School of Public Health found that eating at least five servings of fruits and vegetables daily had an impact on cardiovascular disease risk but not overall cancer incidence. " American Cancer Society
Knowing SEVENTY-SIX YEARS AGO (yeah, I'm kind of stuck on that and it's still blowing my mind) that GLUCOSE has a big role in cancer growth, where are the studies on a low carbohydrate diet and its effect on cancer? Doesn't it seem logical that this should be an area of intensive study? I would think this would be the FIRST thing they looked in to after good ole' Otto pointed out the whole glucose thing. EDIT: I just found a link that lists 2 studies. Ironically, it shows up in the same search with a warning from the American Cancer Society about the dangers of low carb written in 2004. Despite the Cancer Societies misguided "warning", one study showed low carb reduced tumor growth, and the other showed eating fats kept tumors from stealing all the nutrients and prevented wasting. http://charm.cs.uiuc.edu/users/jyelon/lowcarb.med/topic8.html.
So, despite my initial tirade, there are actually a few people out there with a clue including Boston College's Thomas Seyfried. He was featured in a recent TIME article which stated, "Seyfried has long called for clinical trials of low-carb, high-fat diets against cancer, and has been trying to push research in the field with animal studies: His results suggest that mice survive cancers, including brain cancer, much longer when put on high-fat diets, even longer when the diets are also calorie-restricted. "Clinical studies are highly warranted," he says, attributing the lack of human studies to the medical establishment, which he feels is single-minded in its approach to treatment, and opposition from the pharmaceutical industry, which doesn't stand to profit much from a dietetic treatment for cancer." http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1662484,00.html Looks like Thomas Seyfried is noticing the same things I am.
So there are pages and pages of cancer related sites recommending that you eat lots of grains, fruits and vegetables, which appears not to help at all, and very few pages of information about eating low carb to shrink tumor cells which appears to work. I am married to a big time news junkie, and I have seen none of this information in my local paper on cable or tv news. I am pretty sure the information that SUGAR FEEDS CANCER would have stuck in my mind. Even if the medical community and the news community was a bit slow on the uptake and missed that little nugget (we all have off days...or decades apparently), wouldn't THIS have given them a clue?
"Obesity has recently been linked to mortality from the majority of cancers. The insulin/insulin-like growth factor (IGF) system may partly explain this effect. The metabolic syndrome, associated with hyperinsulinemia, may modulate this effect. Recent evidence supports the role of insulin and IGF-1 as important growth factors, acting through the tyrosine kinase growth factor cascade in enhancing tumor cell proliferation."
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=14713323&dopt=AbstractPlus
That's right people. INSULIN appears to promote tumor growth. And what causes high levels of insulin? You got it! GLUCOSE! A low carb diet works by controlling insulin. You control insulin by not ingesting the glucose that causes insulin to be released, which promotes fat storage. Low carbers are successfully short-circuiting the glucose-insulin-fat cycle for weight loss, so it is logical to me that this would also work to short-circuit cancer growth. Since the same hormone that makes us fat also appears to makes cancer cells grow, why, with other than a few rare exceptions, isn't low carb at the very top of the study list? I guess there just isn't much money in people staying away from carbs (aka glucose). There is no big payout for drug companies in a prescription for low carb vegetables, low carb berries, good fats, full-fat dairy and meat. You just can't put the low carb lifestyle in a pill and sell it $79.95 a piece.
By no means am I implying a low carb way of eating is some kind of miracle cure for cancer. I don't want to give families struggling with this horrible disease false hope. Different cancers grow different ways and are effected by more than just amount of glucose available in your blood stream. But it is my personal belief based on the information I cited that low carb eating CAN be a valuable tool and, in a majority of cases, will do absolutely no harm. So why not add this way of eating to your cancer fighting arsenal? Lets not wait another 76 years to get started.
Disclaimer: I am not a doctor, nor do I play one on tv. If you see anything wrong with this article, please let me know. Constructive criticism is always welcomed. If you just don't like my tone or think I am rude, well bite me!
***
Additional information about glucose and cancer. (My commentary in italics.)
http://www.thresholdpharm.com/sec/targeting_cancer
"Cancer cells require large amounts of glucose for energy production and growth. This increased consumption of glucose has two causes: the process of a normal cell becoming a rapidly dividing cancer cell; and the exposure of a cell to the low oxygen, or hypoxic, conditions within those regions of most solid tumors where cells are dividing slowly."
This place is working on a drug to limit the uptake of glucose. Of course you could just not INGEST it....LOL...but they do explain well how cancer uses glucose.
***
http://tinyurl.com/3y98zq
"Scientists have known for decades that cancer cells consume more glucose than normal cells. A longstanding assumption that the excess glucose metabolism was needed to make energy has not been borne out by research studies. This lack of understanding of why cancer cells need increased glucose metabolism has hampered the exploitation of this difference for cancer therapy."
Duhhh...how about a low carb diet for a good therapy?
***
http://www.ndmnutrition.com/deprived...ome%20can%20di
"Researchers have discovered that cancer cells self-destruct when they are deprived of glucose, a finding that could lead to new drugs to fight the disease...."When we bathed cells with high c-Myc levels in a cell medium with no glucose, they destroyed themselves by triggering a cell suicide process called apoptosis,"
Self-destruction of cancer cells is an awesome thing. But do you really need a NEW DRUG for that? Just starve the bastards so they blow up!
****
Here is a quote from Dr. Barry Groves' book Eat Fat Get Thin. This is out of print, but he has an updated book called Natural Health and Weight Loss available on Amazon.com ...
"Cancers are Sugar Junkies.
Seventy years ago Otto Warburg, PhD won the Nobel Prize in medicine for discovering that cancer cells require glucose (blood sugar) for growth. Most cells have a requirement for glucose, but cancer cells consume as much as four or five times more than normal cells. In fact, cancer cells seem to have great difficulty surviving at all without glucose. A study carried out by Johns Hopkins researchers found that some cancer cells will self-destruct when deprived of glucose.
‘The change when we took away glucose was dramatic,’ said Dr ChiVan Dang, director of haematology. ‘By the next day we knew very quickly that the cells we had altered to resemble cancers were dying off in large numbers.’ He continued: ‘Scientists have long suspected that the cancer cells’ heavy reliance on glucose (sugar) – its main source of strength and vitality – could also be one of its great weaknesses.’
And if cancers cannot survive without glucose, then it follows that a low-carb diet is likely to prevent a cancer starting in the first place. And just that piece of knowledge could stop all the heartbreak, pain and misery that cancer causes – not to mention the huge cost to the National Health Service. I say low-carb, not low-sugar, because all carbs become the blood sugar, glucose."
Dr. Barry's website...www.second-opinions.co.uk
Sunday, September 23, 2007
A Walmart Moment
While shopping at Walmart last week, I overheard another shopper tell her husband, "I usually don't buy this because it is so bad for you. It's just so full of fat!"
Having finally lost weight myself due to eating low carb and INCREASING my fat intake, I was really curious to see what this evil fat-ladened product was. I tried to inconspicuously peep over at her cart, but I could not see the particular disparaged product. However, what I DID see really shocked me. Big bags of cereal, boxes of baking mixes, juice, a stack of frozen pizzas and other various prepackaged frozen diners. Basically sugar, starch, carbs, salt, more carbs, and a side order of high fructose corn syrup...Yikes!
But how do you tell someone you never met before in a grocery store that the fat content of one particular product wasn't her problem? How do you inform a stranger that her and her family would be better off buying a gallon jug of olive oil and sipping it through a straw than eating the carb laden crap she was planning to serve? I am pretty sure my input would have been as welcomed as a BBQ cart at a P.E.T.A. convention.
The sad thing is my shopping cart used to look a lot like hers. I believed the "Fats are Bad" mantra. I bought in to "Fat makes you fat. Fat clogs your arteries and makes your heart explode. Eat what you want as long as it is fat-free." This is what has been drilled in to the brains of the American public over the past decade or two, and sadly, it looks like it has really sunk in. Heck, I used to be one of the anti-fat believers!
Too bad the concept that ingesting fat causes you to BE fat is entirely wrong. Low-carb gurus like Dr. Atkins, Dr. Barry Groves, and Drs Mike and Mary Eades (among others) have shown time and time again how wrong this thinking is. They have analyzed the data, and they have seen it themselves through their own research and patients. Fat DOES NOT make you fat, and, as Barry Groves has pointed out, the decline in the amount of fat eaten can be directly tied to the RISE in obesity numbers. That's right people, the LESS FAT Americans and Brits eat, the FATTER they are getting!
Humans are designed to eat and burn fat. Ingesting fat doesn't produce an insulin release, which is a FAT STORING hormone. Fat is even the preferred fuel for your brain. Sugar and carbs are the things that cause you to store fat and gain weight and the American diet is awash with them. I followed the recommendations of the food pyramid, I switched to whole grains long before it became fashionable. Heck, I even went vegetarian for a while and I tried to follow a low-fat diet. All of these things caused me to GAIN WEIGHT and hop on the fast train towards type 2 diabetes. Fortunately I did some reading, learned about low carb, and saved myself from certain disaster. I am now working to reverse the damage I have done (60lbs of damage to be precise), and my success so far is due to me understanding and eating healthy fats.
Even though I am getting healthier, I guess I am not quite ready to be a low-carb-witness or raving fatologist, accosting people at random and asking in a cult-conditioned voice "Can I talk to you about your carbohydrate intake?" as I try to hand them a beat-up copy of The Atkins New Diet Revolution.
For now I will have to settle with documenting my weight loss journey, further educating myself, posting on forums, and showing my friends and family the benefits of eating low carb AND high fat by continuing to lose weight. Hopefully that misinformed woman from the grocery store will stumble on the facts about fat before she screws up her metabolism, her husband becomes diabetic, or she is tempted to ship her kids off to a fat camp. Meanwhile, I will enjoy my extra virgin olive oil drenched salads, eat my eggs fried in coconut oil, and put REAL butter all over my steamed veggies. Then I will think of this woman and try to send some positive vibes her way. The poor thing is really going to need them.
Having finally lost weight myself due to eating low carb and INCREASING my fat intake, I was really curious to see what this evil fat-ladened product was. I tried to inconspicuously peep over at her cart, but I could not see the particular disparaged product. However, what I DID see really shocked me. Big bags of cereal, boxes of baking mixes, juice, a stack of frozen pizzas and other various prepackaged frozen diners. Basically sugar, starch, carbs, salt, more carbs, and a side order of high fructose corn syrup...Yikes!
But how do you tell someone you never met before in a grocery store that the fat content of one particular product wasn't her problem? How do you inform a stranger that her and her family would be better off buying a gallon jug of olive oil and sipping it through a straw than eating the carb laden crap she was planning to serve? I am pretty sure my input would have been as welcomed as a BBQ cart at a P.E.T.A. convention.
The sad thing is my shopping cart used to look a lot like hers. I believed the "Fats are Bad" mantra. I bought in to "Fat makes you fat. Fat clogs your arteries and makes your heart explode. Eat what you want as long as it is fat-free." This is what has been drilled in to the brains of the American public over the past decade or two, and sadly, it looks like it has really sunk in. Heck, I used to be one of the anti-fat believers!
Too bad the concept that ingesting fat causes you to BE fat is entirely wrong. Low-carb gurus like Dr. Atkins, Dr. Barry Groves, and Drs Mike and Mary Eades (among others) have shown time and time again how wrong this thinking is. They have analyzed the data, and they have seen it themselves through their own research and patients. Fat DOES NOT make you fat, and, as Barry Groves has pointed out, the decline in the amount of fat eaten can be directly tied to the RISE in obesity numbers. That's right people, the LESS FAT Americans and Brits eat, the FATTER they are getting!
Humans are designed to eat and burn fat. Ingesting fat doesn't produce an insulin release, which is a FAT STORING hormone. Fat is even the preferred fuel for your brain. Sugar and carbs are the things that cause you to store fat and gain weight and the American diet is awash with them. I followed the recommendations of the food pyramid, I switched to whole grains long before it became fashionable. Heck, I even went vegetarian for a while and I tried to follow a low-fat diet. All of these things caused me to GAIN WEIGHT and hop on the fast train towards type 2 diabetes. Fortunately I did some reading, learned about low carb, and saved myself from certain disaster. I am now working to reverse the damage I have done (60lbs of damage to be precise), and my success so far is due to me understanding and eating healthy fats.
Even though I am getting healthier, I guess I am not quite ready to be a low-carb-witness or raving fatologist, accosting people at random and asking in a cult-conditioned voice "Can I talk to you about your carbohydrate intake?" as I try to hand them a beat-up copy of The Atkins New Diet Revolution.
For now I will have to settle with documenting my weight loss journey, further educating myself, posting on forums, and showing my friends and family the benefits of eating low carb AND high fat by continuing to lose weight. Hopefully that misinformed woman from the grocery store will stumble on the facts about fat before she screws up her metabolism, her husband becomes diabetic, or she is tempted to ship her kids off to a fat camp. Meanwhile, I will enjoy my extra virgin olive oil drenched salads, eat my eggs fried in coconut oil, and put REAL butter all over my steamed veggies. Then I will think of this woman and try to send some positive vibes her way. The poor thing is really going to need them.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)