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Low-Carb Lent

Tue, 21 Feb 2012 10:00:42 +0000

Do you follow certain food traditions for Lent? Perhaps you forgo meat on certain days, or animal products altogether. There's no doubt that the tendency is to substitute high-carbohydrate foods in place of the protein, but it needn't be that way. One thing to do is to eat more fat if you're cutting back on protein. For example, add more oil in your salad dressings and vegetables. Also, find high-protein substitutes for meat dishes. I have recipes on this site to help, and you can also check out this collection of Lenten recipes compiled by About.com's Guide to Catholicism, Scott Richert. There are some good low-carb ideas as well as those higher in carbs.

Photo © Nicola Stratford

Low-Carb Lenten Resources:

Low-Carb Vegetarian Resources

Fish and Seafood Recipes

Main Dish Egg and Tofu Recipes

Vegetable Recipes

More Low-Carb Side Dishes

What Happened to Lard?

Sun, 19 Feb 2012 18:20:03 +0000

From my last blog about cheese, let's move on to another maligned high-fat food. I don't know if you've noticed, but the humble lard is making a comeback in food circles (and, of course Paleo circles).

Lard was once a fat commonly used in household cooking, but as the 20th century progressed, it was largely replaced by vegetable shortening, touted as "pure" and "digestible", but actually containing partially-hydrogenated fats which turn out to be the worst of the fats for our health. (Lard is mostly made up of monounsaturated fats and saturated fats.)

Recently the Planet Money team on NPR aired a piece called "Who Killed Lard?", with an accompanying written story. I thought it was pretty interesting. Also very interesting was this story about a 64-year old can of lard that was tested and found still edible!

Photo: Lisa Fain/Getty Images

Related Resources:

How to Overcome Fat Phobia

The Wonders of Olive Oil

Carbs and Types of Fats in Nuts and Seeds
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Is Cheese Bad?

Wed, 15 Feb 2012 19:05:21 +0000

The vegan group Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) is at it again, this time with big billboards implying that cheese makes you fat, vividly illustrated with fat limbs and bellies. What reason do they have to make this implication? Oh, undoubtedly the vegan circuit in their brains is very active and self-reinforcing, but apparently this particular salvo was launched in upstate New York because the schools include cheese in some of their lunches. (They've also apparently put similar billboards up in Wisconsin, a particularly ballsy move.)

Of course, anyone with two brain cells to rub together would question this association.

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Is Cheese Bad? originally appeared on About.com Low Carb Diets on Wednesday, February 15th, 2012 at 19:05:21.

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Low-Carb Explained by Dr. Mary Vernon

Sat, 11 Feb 2012 08:37:46 +0000

I am a real fan of Dr. Mary Vernon, co-author of Atkins Diabetes Revolution. I've heard her speak many times, from Nutrition and Metabolism conferences to the Low-Carb Cruise. Often, she is educating other physicians about how to effectively use a low-carb approach with their patients.

If you can't get to a conference, I have a video for you: Swedish physician Dr. Andreas Eenfeldt interviewed Dr. Vernon for his blog. It would be helpful for your doctor to see as well, as she explains what led her to begin to use a low-carb approach with her patients, and her clinical experience with them. Dr. Vernon says such provocative things as: "Nobody needs to count calories." "Everybody should eat low-carb" (but the amount of carbohydrate a person can eat varies according to the individual), and that she doesn't care about a patient's weight (though people usually do lose weight); instead she focuses on their about metabolic health. Intrigued? Catch the Interview Here.

Photo © Jimmy Moore

Related Resources:

My Interview with Dr. Vernon

How Much Protein do you Need?

Carb Counts of Common Foods
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Low-Carb Valentine's Day!

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 12:14:09 +0000

Why go out to a restaurant when you can have a simple, yet romantic Valentine dinner at home? Check out these tips for a Low-Carb Valentine's Day.

Photo © Janet Goulden

Related Resources:

Pan Seared Scallops

How to Make a Good Cheap Steak

Low-Carb Chocolate Mousse

New Atkins Cookbook

Sun, 05 Feb 2012 21:25:02 +0000

Last year saw the publication of the book The New Atkins for a New You by Drs. Westman, Phinney, and Volek, which I highly recommend. Now the companion cookbook, The New Atkins for a New You Cookbook by Colette Heimowitz has been released. Last week I had the opportunity to chat for a few minutes with Ms. Heimowitz, and also chef and Food Network personality Donatella Arpaia, who is using the Atkins diet to shed weight after having a baby last year.

Ms. Heimowitz is a nutritionist who was the Director of Nutrition for Dr. Robert Atkins and now serves as Vice President of Nutrition and Education for Atkins Nutritionals. I asked her about the current goals of Atkins Nutritionals and of her new cookbook. She said that the company is doing very well, and is now outselling all of its competitors in the weight loss product category. I think that says a lot about how low-carb eating is progressing in the minds of people. For the cookbook, the main focus is on simple, quick and easy meals that can be made in half an hour.

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New Atkins Cookbook originally appeared on About.com Low Carb Diets on Sunday, February 5th, 2012 at 21:25:02.

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Low-Carb Super Bowl Party!

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 08:59:36 +0000

The Super Bowl -- in the U.S., even people who aren't football fans often get pulled in. Like most parties, those around the Super Bowl are often loaded with chips, brownies, and other high-carb fare. But you can fight back with delicious low-carb treats. If you're having a party, you'll need a strategy. If you're going to one, here are lots of ideas of things to bring. Check out my game plan for a Low-Carb Super Bowl Party.

Photo © Jack Puccio

Related Resources:

Low-Carb Party Foods

Alcoholic Beverages on a Low-Carb Diet

Low-Carb Cocktails

Low-Carb Cooking Videos

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 22:16:56 +0000

If a picture is worth a thousand words, how much is a video worth? About.com has put a boatload of new low-carb videos on my site in the last few weeks, and I'm starting to sort through them to make them more accessible. If you've ever wanted to see a video to guide you through a recipe, you may find these helpful. These videos take you thought how to make cheesecake, flax crackers, spaghetti squash, mashed cauliflower, and more. Some are based on my own recipes, and others are from other sources. Check out:

Photo of Beef Fajitas © About.com

Related Resources:

Top Low-Carb Cooking Tips

South Beach Diet Recipes

All Laura's Low-Carb Recipes
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Program for 2012 Low-Carb Cruise Finalized

Sat, 28 Jan 2012 16:45:35 +0000

I think we can say that the Low-Carb Cruise is now an established annual tradition. This year is the fifth one, and will be sailing the Caribbean this May 6-13. I went on last year's cruise (my first cruise ever), and I was hooked!

The way the cruise is set up is that the on the "port" days, we're free to do whatever we want, and there are lots of options at each port (this year's ports: Cozumel, Jamaica, and Grand Cayman). Then on the "at-sea" days, we have truly fabulous speakers on subjects pertaining to low-carb eating. This year, there are three at-sea days instead of two, so we'll have even more wonderful information to absorb!

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Program for 2012 Low-Carb Cruise Finalized originally appeared on About.com Low Carb Diets on Saturday, January 28th, 2012 at 16:45:35.

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Low-Carb Chinese New Year

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 09:59:33 +0000

It's Chinese New Year, and I love Chinese food! Unfortunately, a lot of it has a fair amount of sugar and/or starch. Did you know that the Hoisin sauce and plum sauce you can buy in the store can be up to 19 grams of carb (almost entirely sugar) for 2 tablespoons? Yikes! But we can celebrate Chinese New Year in a low-carb way. For example, try my recipe for Moo Shu Chicken with Sugar-Free Plum Sauce.

Photo © Hywit Dimyadi

More Low-Carb Chinese Recipes and Resources:

Chinese Five Spice Chicken

Low-Carb Spicy Asian Noodle Dish

Eating Low-Carb in a Chinese Restaurant

Low-Carb Chinese Recipes from Rhonda Parkinson, About.com Guide to Chinese Food