Marisa's Kitchen Talk

Marisa's Kitchen Talk has an interesting list of blogs, called BLOGROLL, all specializing on Low Carb cooking... a tempting assortment of personalized solutions for this life style. One amusing discovery was this 'GingerBread Log Cabin' a traditional speciality in many Christian homes during the Christmas holiday season, courtesy of Tracey and Katie of UNBREADED.


Atkins-friendly "gingerbread" log cabin, made from cream cheese, Slim Jims, meat snack sticks, and nuts: (originally posted with construction instructions at GEEKOLOGIE.)

Bacon Toothpaste Anyone?

Low Carb High Fat – The Swedish LCHF diet

A very popular Swedish diet is Low Carb High Fat – The Swedish LCHF diet.
Eat all you like

• Meat: Any type. Beef, pork, game meat, chicken. The fat on the meat is good as well as skin on the chicken. Try to choose organic or grass fed meat if you can.
• Fish and shellfish: All kinds. Fatty fish such as salmon, mackerel or herring are great. Avoid breading.
• Eggs: All kinds. Boiled, fried, omelettes. Preferably organic eggs.
• Natural fat, fat sauces: Using butter and cream when you cook can make your food taste better and make you more satiated. Béarnaise, Hollandaise, read on the packages or make it yourself. Coconut fat, olive oil and canola oil are also good options.
• Vegetables growing above ground: All kinds of cabbage, such as cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage, Brussels sprouts. Asparagus, zucchini, eggplant, olives, spinach, mushrooms, cucumber, lettuce, avocado, onions, peppers, tomatoes and more.
• Dairy products: Always select high fat options. Real butter, cream (40% fat), sour cream, fat cheese. Turkish yogurt. Be careful with regular milk and skim milk as it contains a lot of milk sugar. Avoid flavored, sugary and low fat products.
• Nuts: Good to eat instead of candy in front of the television (preferably in moderation).
• Berries: Okay in moderation, if you are not a super strict /-sensitive. Good with whipped cream.
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• Dietdoctor.com/lchf
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Erwan LeCorre's MovNat (Move Naturally)

About the Zoo...

The “zoo” is a modern, global and growing phenomenon generated by the powerful combination of social conventions, technological environment and commercial pressures. Increasingly disconnected from the natural world and their true nature, zoo humans are suffering physically, mentally and spiritually.

Are you experiencing chronic pains, are you overweight, do you often feel depressed or do you suffer from frequent illnesses and general lack of vitality?

These symptoms indicate that you are experiencing the zoo human syndrome. Modern society conditions us to think that this is normal and unavoidable.

We don’t think so. Our true nature is to be strong, healthy, happy and free.

We have designed a complete program that empowers zoo humans to experience their true nature.

It is called MovNat.

the Pillars 

1. Natural :Respecting the laws of Nature
2. Evolutionary :Trusting our primal heritage
3. Situational :Satisfying real-world demands

Daily Weight Fluctuation

According to Jayson Hunter, creator of the Carb Rotation Diet, our body weight fluctuates between 3 to 4% on a daily basis (woman more than men, due to hormonal variations). Therefore someone like myself, at approximately 125 kilo, may have a daily variable between 3 to 5 kilo (7 to 11 pounds). This is good to keep in mind, when checking your body weight frequently. That said, you can get a feel for your own fluctuation patterns, if you can bare the emotional ups and downs of daily weight checks.

Gizmo Celeb Scale

Is Exercise Relevant to Weight Loss?

Listening to Dr. Larry McCleary in an interview on The Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Show With Jimmy Moore I am reminded of the two correct answers to the question... "Is Exercise Relevant to Weight Loss?" Yes and No.
If we are talking about attempting to burn calories to neutralize caloric intake, then the answer is 'Get real...No way!... It would take every bit of your spare time to counterbalance the body mass of the average over weight person with exercise... Hours on a treadmill to match a single coke and burger. "

Yet conversely, Yes... exercise truly does compliment dieting. Let's face it, dieting can be pretty damn depressing, and it has been clinically proven exercise fights depression. In fact, one such study has exercise as effective, as the major anti-depressant medications. It is no secret some of us over, and under, eat for emotional reasons. Bringing exercise into our daily routine makes sense.

But also, according to Dr. Larry McCleary, exercise brings body awareness. We can sensitize our feeling of fullness, our awareness of how our eating is impacting our body, helping us to intercede in our habitual eating patterns. Exercise wakes our body up. And for some of us, like in the experience of Low-Carb podcaster Jimmy Moore, exercise can re-channel the exhilaration and increased energy that major weight loss can bring. It is true, many of us obese are couch potatoes, or the computer-age equivalent of online junkies, and we need to be coaxed out of our rooms. But in the end (literally)... Yes we need to exercise.

Cultural Patterns verses Scientific Truths

If you join the minority cult of Low-Carb eating, you are obliged to take the minority view against massive cultural assumptions about 'calories as a measurement for weight loss', 'fat in the diet as something bad,' 'the necessities of grain,' 'the innocence of fructose,' et al. It is exhausting to defend against cultural assumptions, like fat makes you fat and high carb is the way to go. Yet for the individual in need of solutions, there isn't an alternative to taking the road less traveled.

This parallels the skeptical intellect's tendency to be atheistic, in a world dominated by fundamentalists. To buck the world preference for theological non-logic, faith in what our tribe believes, what we were taught in our youthful innocence, is also quite exhausting. Answering those who have always assumed the existence of a benevolent force called Jesus/Mohammed/Shakyamuni, with a doubting Thomas persistence, is an energy draining responsibility.

Yet, if you are someone who actually enjoys having their assumptions rocked to the core, read The Vegetarian Myth, food, justice, and sustainability by Lierre Keith. Here is a scientific, philosophical, and experiential blend of volatile notions. An ex-Vegan's journey from hell and back to basics. The kind of book you will either reluctantly embrace or holistically pooh-pooh.

Review lesson... Sugar: The Bitter Truth

Worth watching, as a reminder why you should be avoiding sugar (and fructose) in your daily choices.

The Connectivity of Food Research

First I was looking into Low-Carbing, which led me to Paleo and their relationship to meat-eating, which in turn turned me on to Lierre Keith's controversial book The Vegetarian Myth, food, justice, and sustainability... ending me up to my neck in permaculture. What, you ask, is Permaculture? Here is a song that attempts to answer that question.

http://www.permacultureday.info/

Scottish Egg Log; a low-carb lunch

In my quest for delicious low-carb meals to take to work, I have just learned of

Scottish Egg Log. The beauty of this snack like food is its portability, and general delectability. 

Scottish Egg Log from the Drunken Gourmet blog

A hard cooked egg peeled, rolled in flour, then covered in pork sausage and deep fried. It's sliced in half and served with a whole grain mustard.

·                    2 pounds plain pork sausage

·                    2 pounds thick cut bacon

·                    4 hard cooked eggs, shells removed

·                    3-4 Tbs whole grain mustard

Sounds like it is worth experimenting with, as pocket food when in a hurry.

Great Opportunity for Me

I have reached a plateau in my diet fluctuating between 121 and 123  (267 lb & 271 lb), ten to twelve kilo less (22 lb/26 lb)...  than when I initiated my low-carb experiment at 133 kilo (293 lb)... two month ago. This is the perfect opportunity to introduce my second phase, a rigorous consistency to a minimum amount of daily exercise.

Spring has sprung, and here in Japan we have the infamous Golden Week holiday (first week in May) when all of Japan takes to the highway. No better time to stay close to home, and get some walking done. With a more consistent schedule, progress should be possible.

Meanwhile... I have focused on finding snack and lunch habits while working, to assure a consistent energy level as I proceed through a day of teaching. Walking was a reliable friend when I was younger, but back pain has stole this solace from my life. Little by little, I need to reclaim our friendship. Loss of weight and a steady reclamation of my physical prowess is my path to a more Paleolithic aesthetic. Anyone care for some Caveman shuffling in the foothills of Kyoto?

John Durant occupation Caveman

John Durant creator/participant of the New York barefoot run, and a great urban caveman lifestyle, can be seen here discussing insights from the Chilean mine disaster (as an example of Paleo life-style survival skills). There is a fun interview of John Durant by Stephen Colbert here. Visit his site http://www.hunter-gatherer.com/.

Be a caveman too... 

Go Paleo!

http://www.meetup.com/barefootnyc/

Protein Power the audio-book

Drs. Michael and Mary Dan Eades are both author and readers to their popular 'three-tiered nutrition' Protein Power Life Plan audio-book. As a quick over-view of Paleolithic perspectives this 3 hour recording is a helpful crash course. Uncharacteristically, my audio download from Audible.com feels flawed, a bit wobbly, as if recorded on out-dated technology. But the material is worth hearing despite the wobble. The reviews in Amazon.com are also worth reading and you may find one of their many other books useful, if you are interested in low carbohydrate eating and Paleo rings true for you.

The Quickest Read in Low-Carb Dieting

I have talked before about the remarkable life of the author of this dieting classic The Drinking Man's Diet Robert W. Cameron. Cameron became wealthy and lived a long vibrant life as a publisher and photographer, to the age of 98. Much of this prosperity attributable to a copy of an old diet given to him by a friend. But what I find most remarkable about this story is that the book is the cheapest to buy, easiest to read, and yet still provides a solid introduction to low carbohydrate dieting. For $4.95 you can buy this book, which fits into your pocket and can be read in a couple of hours. It is the perfect pass-it-on format for friends who love an occasional (or more) alcoholic beverage yet want to watch their weight. "Also recommended for Teetotalers". If you are looking for the formula to publishing longevity this book is worth studying. You may also lose some weight while maintaining your happy hour life-style.

Grocery Store Wars (2005)

Not long ago in a supermarket not so far away.

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The Ketogenic Diet: A Complete Guide for the Dieter & the Practitioner

Some books become the gold standard for certain dietary disciplines, particularly those used in the body-building communities. One such text is The Ketogenic Diet A Complete Guide for the Dieter and Practitioner by Lyle McDonald. This takes the low-carb regime one step further. Here is a link for some clarification. In Japan this book is sold 'used' for $150 but may be found elsewhere for less. Also part of this text can be found on line via Goggle Books. 

Other descriptions of the Ketogenic Diet can be found on line, particularly in the Epilepsy community where, when drug therapy fails, this diet has proven effective.

The Ketogenic Diet: A Complete Guide for the Dieter and Practitioner is the first book to objectively examine the ketogenic diet. This book serves as a reference for the dieter who has questions regarding the physiology, adaptations, and effects of a ketogenic diet. The contents are fully referenced for health professionals such as dietitians, physicians, personal trainers and nutritionists. Anyone interested in the ketogenic diet will find this book a valuable resource. (1998)

Topics include:
Human fuel utilization and changes that occur during a ketogenic diet.
Adaptations during the development of ketosis, including a detailed discussion of protein sparing.
The impact of the ketogenic diet on body composition in terms of weight, water and fat loss.
An examination of the potential metabolic effects of ketosis including in the kidney and liver, brain function, and cholesterol levels.
Guidelines for optimization of a ketogenic diet for various goals such as fat loss, bodybuilding, and endurance athletes.
Basic exercise physiology concepts for aerobic exercise, interval training and weight training. The impact of exercise on fat loss is also addressed.
Two modified ketogenic diets, which integrate carbohydrates while allowing the adaptations to ketosis to occur.
Sample exercise routines for beginning, intermediate and advanced exercisers, as well as guidelines for pre-contest preparation for bodybuilders.

Always a Surprise

Body Scales, the haunting mechanism of bathrooms and club locker rooms, are the bane of the obese.   But, when the stars align and a diet works, the scale can be your friend. Today I weighed in at 123 kg (271 lb), down 10 kg from my original 133 kg (293 lb) less than two months ago. In the great scheme of things to crawl from "terribly obese" to "a little less so" is hardly an achievement. Yet to confirm my life-style choice, to take on a low-carbohydrate challenge and see results, is quite a rush.

By the way, I am a Withings diet scale user. These are the scales that links via the internet to a personal body-weight data base. The Withings scale is extremely accurate (in decimal points) and in our kitchen is a second scale (also digital) to reconfirm the statistics. Many dieters avoid scales, as there is fluctuation and some people find this frustrating, but in my case I want to confirm my choices while observing my daily dietary changes as closely as possible. I am attempting to root out self-destructive patterns while highlighting positive daily strategies. Learning more about my personal patterns and finding new ways to live healthy is a worthwhile hobby for my senior years. Seeing success on the scale is certainly reassuring and brings a smile to my face.

The Atkins Diet - safe, effective?

If you google "Is Atkins safe" you will arrive at a personalized essay by Kevin Davidson titled The Atkins Diet - safe, effective?  Having worked seriously with the Atkins' low-carbohydrate approach twice, I can verify, experientially, much of what he writes. Read the essay if you are interested in a low-carb approach to dieting and want a simple-to-read, fairly balanced, analysis.

 For a more 'scientific' analysis from Stanford University is the classical presentation by Christopher Gardner available on YouTube (January 17, 2008)

The Battle of the Diets: Is Anyone Winning (At Losing?)

A bit of diet humor...

Imagining Head Smashed In

Some useful comments about this book from a Paleo perspective were made on the Panu blog.

About the Book

At the place known as Head-Smashed-In in southwestern Alberta, Aboriginal people practiced a form of group hunting for nearly 6,000 years before European contact. The large communal bison traps of the Plains were the single greatest food-getting method ever developed in human history. Hunters, working with their knowledge of the land and of buffalo behaviour, drove their quarry over a cliff and into wooden corrals. The rest of the group butchered the kill in the camp below.

Author Jack Brink, who devoted 25 years of his career to “The Jump,” has chronicled the cunning, danger, and triumph in the mass buffalo hunts and the culture they supported. He also recounts the excavation of the site and the development of the Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump Interpretive Centre, which has hosted 2 million visitors since it opened in 1987. Brink’s masterful blend of scholarship and public appeal is rare in any discipline, but especially in North American pre-contact archaeology.

Brink attests, “I love the story that lies behind the jump—the events and planning that went into making the whole event work. I continue to learn more about the complex interaction between people, bison and the environment, and I continue to be impressed with how the ancient hunters pulled off these astonishing kills.”

About the Author

Jack W. Brink is Archaeology Curator at the Royal Alberta Museum in Edmonton, Canada. He received his B.A. from the University of Minnesota and his M.A. from the University of Alberta. His interests also include the study of rock art images of the northern Plains, and he enjoys working with Aboriginal communities on heritage issues.

Staying on the Paleo Pyramid

There is something very gratifying about maintaining a Paleo-style diet, and, for many men, the point of reference are notches on a belt. The most dismal sign is when the very last hole, self-made often, no longer works. I discover how over sized I have become often just prior to formal events, when I drag out my Sunday best. Obesity is best hid in casual ware.

But, sometimes, when diets are being maintained, there are those surprised moments when the belt easily slips closed.