Sunday, December 23, 2018

KCP013 - Panceatic Beta Cells And Insulin Resistance


In this episode we will be examining the role of the beta cells of the pancreas and how to reduce and or reverse insulin resistance and glucose toxicity.

 

Terms: Pancreas, Alpha Cells, Beta Cells, Insulin, Endogenous, and Exogenous.

 

Recipes Of The Episode: Keto Eggnog, and LCHF Ranch Dressing that only contains only 0.33 grams of net carbohydrates per tablespoon.

Complete show note can be found on my website www.ketoconfidential.net

Email: todd@ketoconfidential.net

The Keto Confidential Voice Line: 469-526-3665


Check out this episode!

Friday, December 14, 2018

KCP012 - Why The American Diabetic Association Is Killing You!


In this episode we will be discussing the American Diabetic Association's (ADA) 'My Plate' and 'Diabetic Exchange or Choices' diets.

 

Terms Of The Episode: Standard American Diet (SAD Diet), The American Diabetic Association Diet (ADA Diet), and Eating Plans.

 

Topics Covered: The My Plate Diet, The Diabetic Exchange Diet, the ADA Position on the treatment of diabetes, and How the ADA measures the effectiveness of their treatment methods.

 

Recipes of the Episode: Deviled Eggs, and my keto version of Chipotle's Honey Vinaigrette salad dressing.


Check out this episode!

Thursday, December 13, 2018

Keto Deviled Eggs



The holiday season is upon us, and we all need some quick and easy keto type snack or party foods so this week I will sharing with you my quick and easy keto version of deviled eggs. Honestly, there is not much you really have to do to make deviled eggs keto. In fact, if you use plain mayonnaise instead of salad dressing such as 'Miracle Whip' brand, then they only other thing you would need to do is to use a dill pickle relish instead of a sweet pickle relish. Like I said pretty “easy-peasy”. So let's get started by making my delicious deviled eggs which not only taste fantastic, but only contain 0.4 grams of carbohydrates per ½ egg serving. To make these deviled eggs you will need:

Deviled Eggs

12 eggs, boiled
¼ to ¾ cup of homemade mayonnaise
2 tablespoons dill pickle relish
2 – 3 drops of liquid sucralose or 2 – 3 teaspoons of powdered keto sweetener
½ teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ paprika

Add one cup of water to the bottom of your Instant pot or electric pressure cooker, then place the steamer basket and then one dozen eggs on top of the basket. Cook the eggs on 6 – 7 minutes. Then cover the release valve with a tea towel and release the pressure. Remove the eggs and place them in an large bowl containing ice and water and allow them to cool for 5 – 10 minutes. I use this method because it make perfect eggs every time and they are easy to peel. You can use other methods to cook your eggs, but if you have an electric pressure cooker and try this method, I guarantee you that you will never make boiled eggs any other way.


One you have cooled and peeled your eggs, you want to cut them in half length wise and remove the cooked yolks and place them in a bowl. Once you have removed all the yolks, place the boiled egg whites on a plate or deviled egg container and prepare your filling.


In order to make the filling, you are going to need to take a fork and mash the yolks filling until it takes on a crumbly texture, which is kind of hard to describe, but don't worry, the yolks will become nice and creamy when you add the mayonnaise. Once you have mashed the yolks, add all of the dry ingredients and the dill pickle relish. Once these are incorporated you start by adding the mayonnaise ¼ cup at a time and blend it with your fork or a spoon.

Chef's Note: I recommend that you make your own homemade mayonnaise, but you do not have to. Commercial mayonnaise is usually made with nut or soybean oils which generally contain higher levels of omega 6's which increase inflammation. Even mayo's listed as made with olive or avocado oil list soybean oil as a major ingredient. If you are not concerned about the inflammatory effects of omega 6's, then using a commercial mayo will be fine.


Now, I do not want to say that making deviled eggs is an art form, but the amount of mayonnaise you use will determine the texture of the filling. If you like a creamier filling then you will need to use more. If you like a slightly more dense texture then use less. As for sweetener, this is a matter of personal preference and it is optional. We like over deviled eggs to have a slight sweetness. When I was a child my mother made deviled eggs with Miracle Whip, so to give my deviled eggs that same sweetness, but none of the carbs, I use dill pickle relish with 2 – 3 drop of liquid sucralose. You can however omit the sweetener. To finish up your filling you want to salt and pepper it to taste, again this is a personal preference, but if you want a good starting point then you can use ¼ teaspoon of each.


Once your filling is to your liking, it's time to fill your eggs. In the restaurant we would use a piping bag with a star tip to make them nice and pretty. At home, I take a plastic zip lock type sandwich bag and fill it with a spatula making sure to close the top. Then you cut one corner off the bag and fill the cavity of each half of your egg whites. Sprinkle a little paprika on the top if you so desire for presentation and place them in the fridge until you are ready to serve them.


Nutritional Informational (½ Cup Mayo)
Total Recipe (24 ½ Egg Servings)
1695 Calories, 143 grams of fat, 73 grams of protein, 10 grams of carbohydrates

Per Serving (½ Egg)
70 Calories, 6 grams of fat, 3 grams of protein, 0.4 grams of carbohydrates

Nutritional Informational (¾ Cup Mayo)
Total Recipe (24 ½ Egg Servings)
2069 Calories, 185 grams of fat, 74 grams of protein, 10 grams of carbohydrates

Per Serving (½ Egg)
86 Calories, 7.7 grams of fat, 3 grams of protein, 0.4 grams of carbohydrates


Related Links: 

Sunday, November 25, 2018

KCP011 - Keto Accountability


Terms Discussed:

Accountability. Ignorance, Knowledge.

 

Topics Covered Include: Taking charge of your health, educating your physician about ketosis, becoming an active member of your health care team, medical monitoring your email questions and more.

 

Recipes Of The Episode:

Chef Salad and Keto Thousand Island Dressing that only contains 0.5 grams of net carbs per tablespoon.

 

 


Check out this episode!

Sunday, November 11, 2018

KCP010 - Carbohydrate Withdrawal (A.ka. The Keto Flu)


Term Covered In this Episode:

Addiction, Withdrawal, and Carbohydrate Withdrawal.

 

Main Topics Covered:

The Symptoms of Carbohydrate Withdrawal.

Decreasing or Elimination your Symptoms.

Electrolyte Supplementation: Sodium, Potassium, and Magnesium.

 

Listener Mail:

 

Recipe Of The Episode:

Frugalade F2 - A safe keto electrolyte replacement drink.

 

For complete show notes, visit my website: www.ketoconfodential.net.

 


Check out this episode!

Tuesday, October 23, 2018

KCP009 - Getting Started On Your Ketogenic Journey.


In this episode we will be discussing the different things that you need to incorporate in your ketogenic lifestyle to get you started on this fantastic journey. Topics Include:

Setting Your Keto Goals.

Vitamin and Mineral Supplementation.

Meal Planning.

Free Range and Organic Options.

Keto Dosen't Have To Be Expensive.

Fast Food Can Be Keto...Sort-of.

weekly Mail:

Recipe Of The Week: Keto Baby Back Ribs.


Check out this episode!

Monday, October 8, 2018

KCP008 - The Ketogenic Diet


A basic overview of the ketogenic diet. The principles, and why you should eat a ketogenic diet explained in detail.

Terms: Type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, ketones and ketone bodies, free radicals.

Topics Covered:

Basic Diet: What to eat, how many carbs, how much fat, how much protein.

Carbohydrate Restriction: Ditch those carbs <20 net per day.

Caloric restriction: Why keto dieters do not count calories.

Cheat Days: Yes, No, Maybe?

Testing For Ketones: Urine test strips and blood ketone monitors.

 


Check out this episode!

Tuesday, September 25, 2018

KCP007 - The LCHF Diet Round Up


KCP007: The LCHF Diet Roundup

 

 

Terms

 

 

Low Carbohydrate Diet – For this podcast, a low carbohydrate diet is any diet that restricts total net carbohydrates to less than 100 – 125 grams per day. Considering that on average a so-called “balanced” American diet generally contains about 300 grams of net carbohydrates per day, 100 – 125 grams seems quite low. What you have to keep in mind is that a low carbohydrate diet is not necessarily a ketogenic diet.

 

Ketogenic Diet – Is a low carbohydrate, moderate protein, high fat diet in which the total number of carbohydrates consumed in a day keeps you in a state of metabolic ketosis. Generally any diet in which the total number of carbohydrates that you eat in one day is less than 50 grams is considered to be ketogenic, but results will vary depending on the individual. To guarantee that you get in and are able to maintain a state of nutritional ketosis you should try and limit your total intake of net carbohydrates to less than 20 grams per day.

 

Metabolic Syndrome – Is a combination of conditions that increase your risk for cardiovascular disease, diabetes, stroke, and sudden death. These conditions include: increased blood pressure, high blood sugar, excess body fat around the waist, and abnormal cholesterol or triglyceride levels. Having one of these conditions is not necessarily a problem, but if you have three or more your risk increases dramatically.

 

 

The Round Up (Comparison)

 

As you may have discovered from our previous podcasts, low carbohydrate high fat diets focus on the amount of net carbohydrate that you eat each day, not on the number of calories that you eat. This way of thinking is just the opposite of the many low fat high carbohydrate diets as promoted by companies such as 'Jenny Craig', 'Weight Watchers', 'Slim Fast' and even the American Diabetic Association. These LFHC diets focus more on reducing caloric intake, while increasing energy expenditure also known as theory of 'calories in calories out' (CICO). It is because of the caloric restriction as well as the low levels of daily fat intake that cause people to fail with these LFHC diets. As I may have mentioned before a reduced caloric intake without the satiation power of fat leaves you constantly hungry. It is this constant hunger that drives people to quit these LFHC diets.

 

Over the last few weeks we have been examining the variety of popular LCHF diets and how they each approach weight loss and blood sugar control from similar, but slightly different perspectives. No matter their individual nuances, these LCHF diets basically promote the same principles. In this episode, we are going to make a quick side by side comparison of The Banting 2.0 diet, The Atkins Diet, The LCHF Diet, and The Paleo Diet.

 

In order to make as far a comparison as possible, I will be using the recommended daily nutritional goals from page 78 (Table A2-1) of the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Dietary Guidelines For Americans 2015-2020, Eighth Edition. Because I just had my 56th birthday last week, I will be using the guidelines for males 56 to 60 years of age. According to the USDA, the caloric goal for a male 56 years of age is 2200 calories for a sedentary male, 2400 calories for a moderately active male, and 2600 calories for an active male. During this podcast, for examples that require a caloric calculation I will be using the 2,400 calorie goal as recommended by the USDA.

 

The New Atkins For A New You (No caloric restriction)

The Atkins 20 – 20 grams or less of carbohydrates per day.

The Atkins 40 – 40 grams or less of carbohydrates per day.

The Atkins 100 – 100 grams or less of carbohydrates per day.

 

Tim Noakes Banting 2.0 Diet:

Restoration Phase (No caloric restriction) – About 50 – 60 grams of carbohydrates per day.

Transformation Phase (No caloric restriction) – My best guess 21 to 50 grams of carbohydrates per day.

 

Andreas Eenfeldt's Low Carbohydrate High Fat Diet (No caloric restriction)

Strict Level – 20 grams or less of carbohydrates per day.

Moderate Level – 21 to 50 grams of carbohydrates per day.

Liberal Level – 51 to 100 grams of carbohydrates per day.

 

Loren Cordain's Paleo Diet (22 – 44% carbohydrates, mean average 31% carbohydrates)

 

1800 Calories (22% carbs) – 99 grams of carbohydrates.

1800 Calories (31% carbs) – 140 grams of carbohydrates.

1800 Calories (44% carbs) – 198 grams of carbohydrates.

 

2400 Calories (22% carbs) – 132 grams of carbohydrates.

2400 Calories (31% carbs) – 186 grams of carbohydrates.

2400 Calories (44% carbs) – 264 grams of carbohydrates.

 

Based on an 2400 calorie diet your range of allowed carbohydrates per day on a paleo diet would be 132 to 240 grams. Now, before I get a slew of angry emails regarding the paleo diet, keep in mind that many people who eat paleo will not hit the maximum recommended caloric intake as recommended by the USDA. The satiating power combination of protein and fat (about 60 – 75%) should keep you from feeling hungry, thereby reducing the amount of food you eat naturally. I only use the 2,400 calories as a basis in this example because Cordain gives no clear dietary goals on the number of carbohydrates allowed for his recommended eating program.

 

Even if you consumed only 1,800 calories at the lowest level of recommended percentage of carbohydrate intake of 22%, you would still be consuming 99 grams of net carbohydrates per day. We know from experience as well as scientific research that this level of carbohydrate consumption will not allow you to enter ketosis. Of all of the LCHF diets we have reviewed, if you are a type 2 diabetic, this is the one diet that I would not recommend if you are attempting to control your blood sugars. While it is low-carbohydrate, the amount of carbohydrate consumption is simply to high to reverse your type 2 diabetes. Having said that, if you are not a diabetic, then the paleo diet is a viable LCHF option to help you lose weight.

 

As you can see all of these LCHF diets have a level in which the number of carbohydrate restriction can an will put you in a state of metabolic ketosis. The levels or phases are generally temporary in order to help you lose weight. Once you have met your goal, you transitions to a higher level of carbohydrate consumption. The one exception as I mentioned, is the paleo diet, which uses the theory of the thermic effect of food, verses ketosis to help you lose weight.

 

So how do these LCHF diets compare with a typical American diet, The USDA dietary guidelines, and those recommended, the American Diabetic Association? That's what we are about to find out...

 

 

Typical American Diet (49% carbohydrates)

3600 Calories – 441 grams of carbohydrates.

 

The typical American Diet contains about 49% carbohydrates. According to information released by The Food and Agriculture Organization in 2018, Americans currently eat an average of just over 3,600 calories a day. Therefore a typical American who eats a diet that contains 49% carbohydrates, is consuming a whopping 441 grams of carbohydrates a day. The 3,600 calories consumed by the average American is 28 to 39% higher than the USDA recommended daily amount of calories needed depending on your activity level.

 

 

USDA Recommended Diet (45 – 65% carbohydrates)

 

2200 Calories (45% carbs) – 248 grams of carbohydrates.

2200 Calories (65% carbs) – 358 grams of carbohydrates.

 

2400 Calories (45% carbs) – 270 grams of carbohydrates.

2400 Calories (65% carbs) – 390 grams of carbohydrates.

 

2600 Calories (45% carbs) – 293 grams of carbohydrates.

2600 Calories (65% carbs) – 423 grams of carbohydrates.

 

So let's look at the 2015 – 2020 USDA dietary guidelines for a 56 year old male. These guidelines state that Americans should eat a diet in which 45 – 65% of the total energy comes from carbohydrates. For a male of my age, If I consumed the USDA recommended 2,400 calories, at their specific recommended range of 45 – 65% carbs. I would be eating 270 to 390 grams of carbohydrates as day. For a type 2 diabetic or someone suffering from metabolic syndrome this is not acceptable. This is of course not a diet recommended for someone suffering from type 2 diabetes or metabolic syndrome. So far now, I am going to give the USDA a pass, and I will get back to their recommendations later.

 

Now, the dietary guidelines that many of you may recognize are those proposed by the American Diabetic Association (ADA). Until some time last year, the ADA recommended two specific diets for diabetic patients. The 1,800 calorie diet and the 2,000 calorie ADA diet. I want to talk about these two guidelines because they are still used by many hospitals, clinics, and physicians. I can tell you from personal experience that both of these dietary recommendations are promoted in both the hospital setting, and my personal endocrinologist's office.

 

 

American Diabetic Diet (43 – 54% carbohydrates)

 

1800 Calories – 195 to 243 grams of carbohydrates.

2000 Calories – 230 to 270 grams of carbohydrates.

 

For this episode, I went out and downloaded a the ADA dietary guidelines from a few different sources. You can of course find the links to all of these sources in the show notes at www.ketoconfidential.net.

What you will find, if you did not already know already is that the recommended 1,800 calorie American Diabetic Diet contains 195 to 243 grams carbohydrates per day. The 2,000 calorie ADA diets contains about 230 to 270 grams of carbohydrates per day. To put that into perspective, 43 – 54% of the energy supplied in the ADA recommended diets comes from carbohydrates. If you place the USDA guidelines for a non-diabetic patient next to the ADA guidelines for a diabetic patient, other than the number calories consumed, the percentages of energy supplied from carbohydrates is very similar.

 

What this means for type 2 diabetics like you and I, is that as long as you eat a diet that is high in carbohydrates, you will never get off your insulin or oral diabetic medications. If you continue to follow the ADA diet, you will never be able to reduce your Hgb A1c to normal levels, and you will never be able to reverse your type 2 diabetes. In short, the only sure way to reverse your type 2 diabetes without barbaric surgery is to adopt a ketogenic lifestyle. I will be going more in depth into this topic in a future episode titled “Why the ADA diet is Killing You”, but I wanted you to see how carb centric the ADA recommendations are. If you want to look further into any of these eating plans, you can find complete episodes regarding an in depth look at each on my website at www.ketoconfidential.net.

 

 

So far we have examined the Banting diet, the Atkins diet, the LCHF diet, and the paleo diet. All of which promote weight loss in a slightly different way. The important thing to take away from these diets is that they all share the same basic concepts. 1) Sugar and starchy foods are making us sick, 2) Low-fat high carbohydrate diets do not promote weight loss. 3) Counting calories is one of the least effective way of maintaining weight loss.

 

 

Sugar And Starchy Foods

 

Our ancestors did not eat diets that were high in refined sugar or processed starches such as white flour. The human body is an amazing biologic machine that can adapt to just about any environment and eating regimen. Having said that, just because we can eat just about any type of food, that doesn't mean that eating anything that we want is good for us. This is especially true of refined sugars and starches such as cereals and refined flours. While adaptive, our bodies are not designed to eat modern convenience foods that are loaded with refined sugar and starches. The modern diet that contains foods that are low-fat, highly refined sugars, and processed flours and starchy vegetables has led to an epidemic of obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease that is killing hundreds of thousands of people everyday world wide.

 

Most people do not realize that common white table sugar actually contains equal amounts of both glucose and fructose. Of the two, fructose is the by far the worst type of carbohydrate that you can eat. What makes this statement even more problematic is, fructose was the type of sugar that the food industry adopted during the 1980's as their primary sweetener of choice. A sweetener they promoted as being safe and good for us. Developed from corn, you may know this form of fructose by the name 'high fructose corn syrup' (HFCS). Dr. Cordain writes “HFCS can make a bad situation worse. Fructose powerfully promotes insulin resistance. It is added to almost every processed food imaginable; we get most of it from soft drinks, sweets, and baked items...The best approach is to stay away from these foods.”

 

Regarding sugar consumption:

Dr. Enfeldt writes “One thing is clear; if you want to improve only one thing in your diet, you should stop eating sugar. There is probably nothing else that could improve your health more easily.”

 

Dr Atkins writes “Sugar has no nutritional value, and is directly harmful to your health. Despite attempts to defend it, there are studies that clearly show how harmful, and deadly in the case of diabetics, it effects can be”.

 

When explaining the causes of type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome, Dr. Phinney writes “The culprit is our excessive intake of insulin stimulating dietary carbohydrates, especially simple sugars and refined starches”.

 

If sugar was so bad for us, then why do we continue to eat it everyday? Maybe a better question is why do we want and or crave sugar? Gary Taubes writes “Sugar does include the same responses in the brain known as the reward center as does nicotine, cocaine, heroin, and alcohol. Sugar stimulates the release of the same neurotransmitters – dopamine – in particular – through which the potent effects of the other drugs are mediated”. Essentially, the effects of sugar follow the same neurological pathways in the brain as nicotine, cocaine, heroin and alcohol. Like these most of these drugs, sugar has been refined and processed into a concentrated form that allows us to eat large quantities rather quickly so that it stimulates the pleasure center of the brain encouraging us to eat more sugar. Hence the term “sugar rush” that we so often associate with the ingestion of large amounts of sugary liquids such as fruit juices and soft drinks. This is why many people feel intense sugar cravings when sugar is abruptly withdrawn from their diet.

 

 

Low-Fat Diets Do Not Promote Weight Loss

 

In the 1980's, Food and Drug Administration (FDA) at the request of the medical and research communities declared that high fat diets lead to cardiovascular disease and obesity. Therefore every American should adopt a low fat diet in order to lower our risk for cardiovascular disease. What happened next was unthinkable. Food manufacturers quickly shifted to making low fat highly processed foods that were not only cheaper to make, but were loaded with carbohydrates made from refined sugars and processed flours. The results of these dietary changes is that over the next thirty years Americans did not become thinner or healthier, we actually became more obese. Prior to 1980, the average rate of obesity in the United States was about 13 – 15%, by 2010 that number had skyrocketed to 30 – 35%. The driving force behind this increase in obesity was of course the shift from lower carbohydrate, moderate healthy fat foods to high carbohydrate, low fat foods that contained large amounts of sugar, refined flours, and unhealthy fats.

 

In 2004, Harvard published a study in which a couple of hundred women afflicted with heart disease were placed on a low-fat. Before the start of this three year study, their coronary vessels were x-rayed to determine the amount of plaque or coronary occlusion that was present. They repeated the x-rays three years later when the study was complete to see whether or not the blood vessels had become more or less occluded. The results were shocking, the less saturated fat they ate, the more clogged their arteries became. The fewer carbohydrates the women ate, the more healthier their arteries became.

 

Also In 2004 Dr. Jeff Volek conducted a series of experiments comparing the low-fat diets with low carbohydrate diets to determine which diet was more effective in reducing weight in obese patients. While women experienced greater fat loss on the low carb diet than on a low fat diet, Men lost a significantly more amount of fat, even when they increased the total number of calories consumed on a daily basis.

 

In 2008, an Israeli study conducted by Dr. Iris Shai demonstrated that participants on a low carbohydrate diet, lost more weight and had better cholesterol levels after two years than those participants who ate a low-fat diet. Like the Harvard study, the participants had their coronary vessels measured via ultrasound. What they found was that the participants that followed a low-carbohydrate diet lost more weight, improved their cholesterol, and the build up of plaque in their coronary arteries decreased while they were on a low carbohydrate diet.

 

Dr. Eenfeldt writes “Pigs are similar to humans. In the 1960's people wanted a fatty Christmas ham, so the farmers raised pigs on potatoes and breadcrumbs. Now people want a lean Christmas ham, so the pigs are fed corn oil to make them thin. Ironically, the pigs became fat by eating low-fat food. But the people who ate the fatty ham became thin”.

 

So what happened to the low-fat diet that was supposed to make us more healthy? To put it in simple terms, it did not work. Americans decreased their fat intake, and in doing so increased the amount of sugars and starches in our diets and we became fatter and less healthy. What the research has shown is that healthy fat does not make you fat or increase your risk for cardiovascular disease. Rather the primary cause of these diseases has been scientifically linked to high carbohydrate consumption. In short, low-fat high carbohydrate foods not only increase your risk for cardiovascular disease, but lead to both obesity and diabetes.

 

 

Counting Calories Is One Of The Least Effective Ways Of Losing Weight.

 

Everyone in the low carb community knows who Ancel Keyes is, and just in case you do not, he is the guy who pushed the concept that fat makes you fat as well as increasing your risk for cardiovascular disease. He is of course one of the major “villains” if you will, of the American diet experience. Few people however know that Keyes performed a series of starvation studies back in the late 1940's to determine if you could effectively lose weight by restricting the number of calories you eat each day.

 

The theory was that if you cut back on your calorie intake by only 100 calories a day for 365 days you would decrease your caloric intake by 35,600 calories over a year which would be equal to a 10 pound weight loss. That however is not what happened...

 

The Minnesota Starvation Study as it was known (1944-45), was designed to mimic the effects of famine after a world crisis. This study was undertaken just as the second world war was coming to a close and it was predicted that there would be large amounts of famine across Europe and many other parts of the world. In theory, the results from this study would help post war aid organizations determine an effective plan to combat mass starvation or semi-starvation after the war.

 

According to the article 'Nutrition In the United States, 1900 - 1974' conducted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture in 1974, American citizens consumed about 3,320 calories a day in 1942. Keyes and his associates began their experiment with a 12-week control period, in which the men were fed approximately 3,200 calories a day, a diet consistent with the current American diet. After six months, the subjects were placed on a caloric restriction of 1,600 calories a day for six months. And then they were finally allowed to eat anything they wanted during the last 12 weeks.

 

On average, then men lost about 25% of their body weight when calories were reduced to 1,600 per day, and their basal metabolic rate (BMR) decreased by 40% causing them to eventually plateau during the experiment. After a few months of re-feeding, the men on average gained back all of their original weight plus 10%. Just in case you are curious, Jenny Craig limits you to 1,200 – 2,300 calories a day, depending of gender, age, and estimated weight loss goals, with the average being about 1,600 calories a day. The American Diabetic Association (ADA) has recently changed some of it's recommended guidelines, but in the hospital we still restrict patients to two specific previously recommended diabetic diets. Either the 1,800 calorie or 2,000 calories ADA recommended diets. BTW, Weight Watchers changed to a point system, with each point being equal to about 50 calories, but their caloric restrictions are still somewhere around 1,500 – 2,000 calories a day. Which makes them all fall very close to the starvation diet as used by Ancel Keyes in the 1940's.

 

While the Atkins, Banting 2.0, LCHF, and Paleo diets approach weight loss and the idea of ketosis from a slightly different perspective, the one thing that all of these programs agree upon is that counting and or restricting calories is one of the least effective ways to lose weight. Banting wrote “I have stated the quantities of my own diet because it was part of a truthful report, but some correspondents have doubted whether it should be more or less in their own cases, a doubt which would be better solved by their own appetite.” Banting goes on to clarify in another paragraph “I can now confidently say that the quantity of the diet may be safely left to the natural appetite.” In other words, only eat when you are hungry.

 

A hundred years later in 1972, Dr. Atkins wrote “though you are encouraged to eat anytime you are hungry on this diet, you are also encouraged not to eat unless you are hungry.” He reinforces this concept in his first three of the nine diet revolution rules which include “1) don't count calories, 2) eat as much of the allowed foods as you need to avoid hunger, and 3) don't eat when you are not hungry.”

 

Dr. Eenfeldt writes “Calorie counting generally fails in scientific studies, and it rarely has any long term effect on weight.” When asked if you can really eat unlimited amounts of low-carbohydrate foods, he replies “Yes for most people this works well. That means their appetite works and they automatically eat just enough by following their feelings of hunger and satisfaction.”

 

When asked about the number of calories you should eat when on the Banting Diet 2.0, in his 'Ask The Professor Podcast' Dr. Noakes stated “Eat to hunger. Eat only when you are hungry – don’t sit down to eat 3 meals a day. You don’t need that ever”.

 

So as you can see there is one underlying theme here. Eat until you are no longer hungry. If you only eat when you are hungry, then you will never eat more calories than your body needs. This may seem somewhat simple, but it actually works. The key to successfully following this concept is to think about why your are eating. Are you really hungry, or are you just eating out of habit? If you are hungry, then eat, if you are not then don't eat. This was really hard for me when I first started on a ketogenic diet because like you, I have been told throughout my life that I need to eat three meals a day.

 

My brain and my body have been programmed to eat on a specified feeding schedule. I ate simply because it was “dinner time” not because I was hungry. So the next time you get ready to eat a fat bomb, grab a piece of beef jerky, or have a low-carbohydrate meal, ask yourself am I hungry? If so eat, if not get on with your life and do something else. Remember one of the most successful keys to losing weight on a ketogenic diet is to only eat when you are hungry, if you are not hungry, then do not eat.

 

So remember 1) Sugar and high carbohydrate starchy foods lead to obesity, diabetes and increase your risk for cardiovascular disease, 2) Current research has proven that low-fat diets do not promote weight loss, and 3) Counting calories does not promote weight loss. For more information regarding this post cast you can check out the show notes on our website at www.ketoconfidential/the-LCHF-diet- roundup.

 

 

You've Got Mail

 

I received an email from Jeffrey who writes “I started a low carb diet 2 weeks ago after reading 'Dr. Atkins New Diet Revolution'. I have eliminated all sugars and obvious starches from my diet but am having trouble getting into ketosis and am disappointed in my weight loss so far – only 3 pounds. I am 6 feet tall, 250 pounds, so I want to lose about 65 pounds. I am in the medical field and work 12 hour night shifts in the ER, so it is hard for me to meal plan at night. I have been eating 1 Atkins meal bar, and 1 Atkins snack bar per shift but suspect the total carbs are keeping me put of ketosis. I eat no sugars, breads, or potatoes. Should I eat nuts for snacks at night instead of the low carb bars? PS: I enjoy the podcast”.

 

Before I forget Jeffrey, thanks for the email. Your email really stuck a cord with me as your situation and mine are very similar. We were both around the 250 pound mark when we started eating keto, and we both work 12 hour shifts, so I can really relate to your situation. So first off, do not be discouraged by your slow start, we are all different and it may take you a little longer to get into ketosis. Kep in mind that although you have been eating keto for a few weeks, it can take as long as six weeks to become fully fat adapted. Once you become fully fat adapted then you will begin to really start dropping the pounds.

 

As for the Atkins bars. These would not be my first choice as a snack or a meal replacement for a couple of reasons. First, they generally contain more carbohydrates than they advertise. Almost all of these bars contain sugar alcohols which Atkins subtracts from the total amount of carbs along with the fiber to get net carbs. The problem is sugars alcohols can impact your blood glucose levels which can cause your insulin to spike which slows your weight loss. Second, the Atkins bars tend to be low fat so they do not have a great deal of satiating power. This is important because fat makes you feel full and helps to keep curb your appetite. When I first started keto, I used the Atkins and Elevation bars a snacks or rewards until I found out that they did not curb my hunger or my cravings.

 

Higher fat options such as pre-cooked bacon, nuts, olives, sliced cheese, and even hard salami are better choices as they have a higher fat content which satiates you. If I am short on time, I even make what we call “meat roll ups” which consist of a slice of good deli style roast beef with a slice of Swiss cheese placed on top and rolled up like a fruit roll-up. Four of these will fit in a zip lock type snack bag, and contain 340 calories, 22 grams fat, 29 grams protein, and 1 carbohydrate. If feel like you need more fat, than double up on the cheese, or simply just take some sliced cheese. These may not be the best keto options, but they are definitely better than the Atkins or Elevation bars.

 

I know from our email conversations you mentioned you like coffee. Another good way to get your fat in is by taking heavy cream to work. I carry a small plastic container that holds 5 tablespoons of heavy cream which is 25 grams of fat and use it when I make myself a 20 ounce mid morning coffee. If you like flavored creamers you can find recipes on how to make you own flavored coffee creamers by visiting our website www.ketoconfidential.net and clicking on the link in the show notes Anyway, Jeffrey, I hope you find these suggestions helpful,and thanks again for listening.

 

 

 

 

Recipe Of The Episode

 

 

If a few of our earlier episodes I mentioned that we eat a lot of chicken, and one of my favorite recipes is chicken deep fat fried in lard without any coating and then lightly brushed with butter and seasoned with salt and pepper. However I chose to include my oven baked 'Ketofied Shake & Bake' as the recipe of the week. Well my wife pointed out that after talking about how much we love fried chicken, that not including that recipe in the episode was kind of a tease. So guys, this week we will be talking about how me make our version of 'Butter Bob's' fried chicken.

 

In case you did not know who he is Bob Briggs, better known as 'Butter Bob' is a guy who went on a ketogenic diet and lost more than 145 pounds. In fact, his first video “Butter Makes Your Pants Fall Off” has been viewed more than 1 million times on Youtube. One of his later videos “Frying Chicken In Lard” which has over 200,000 views was the inspiration for this recipe. I say inspiration, because we fry our chicken just a little different. For this recipe you are going to need.

 

2 to 4 pounds chicken cut into pieces, we prefer thighs, leave the skin on.

2 quarts of lard, or beef tallow

3 to 4 tablespoons butter

1 electric skillet

 

While Butter Bob fries his chicken in a cast iron skillet, I find that it is easier to regulate the temperature by using my rival electric skillet. Start by adding 2 quarts of lard or beef tallow to your electric. You only want enough lard in the skillet so that when it is melted it only comes halfway up the side of the skillet. So if you have a smaller skillet that my you may need less lard. Set the temperature of the electric skillet for 350 degrees.

 

While the oil is heating up, trim the chicken as necessary and pat dry. Once the oil is hot, place three to four pieces of the chicken in the electric skillet skin down. Place the lid on the skillet and set the timer for 16 minutes. When the timer goes off, flip the chicken and cook for another 16 minutes. Once you have flipped the chicken, you want to melt the butter in your microwave. Once the butter is melted you can add a bit of salt and garlic powder to the butter.

 

Once the timer goes off for the second time, remove the chicken from the electric skillet and place it on a plate with a paper towel to absorb the oil and brush the chicken with the garlic butter mixture and then season with salt and pepper. Make sure you butter and season both sides of the fried chicken. Repeat this process as many times as necessary to cook all of the chicken. That's all there is to this recipe. A simple and delicious fried chicken recipe that contains no carbohydrates, but has a great crispy crunchy skin smothered in butter and seasoned with salt and pepper.

 

If you do not have an electric skillet you can fry the chicken in a cast iron skillet using the same process, or you can go and check out 'Butter Bobs' original video “Frying Chicken In Lard” by visiting our website at www.ketoconfidential.net and clicking on the link in the show notes.

 

 

The End

 

 

If you enjoyed this episode of the Keto Confidential podcast podcast and have found this content useful, then please subscribe, take a few seconds to rate this episode, and write a quick review about it so that others may benefit from this information. If you know someone that is struggling with obesity. type 2 diabetes, or both please share this podcast with them so that together we can help them overcome their struggles. Once again, I would like to thank you for listening. So until next time, be safe, and stay keto strong my friends.

 

References:

 

Banting, William. Letter On Corpulence. London: Haerison. 1863

 

Bobrow, Robert, M.D. Why Low-Fat Diets Make you Fat (And Unhealthy). Huffington Post, December 6, 2017.

 

Cordain, Loren, Ph.D. The Paleo Diet: Lose Weight and Get healthy by Eating the Foods You Were Designed to Eat. New York, NY: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 2011.

 

Dietary Guidelines For Americans 2015-2020 Eighth Edition, United States Department of Agriculture, DietaryGuidelines.gov, Accessed September 18, 2018.

 

Eenfeldt, Andreas, M.D. (2014). Low Carb, High Fat Food Revolution: Advice And Recipes To Improve Your Health And Reduce Your Weight. Skyhorse Publishing.

 

Gedney, Larissa, RD. List of 1800 ADA Diet for Diabetics, SFGate Healthy Eating, December 22, 2017.

 

Gould, Skye. 6 Charts That Show How Much More Americans Eat Than They Used To, Business Insider, May 10, 2017.

 

Harcombe, Zoe, Ph.D. The Minnesota Starvation Experiment, December 3, 2009.

 

Meal Planning Guide 1800 Calories. The University of Michigan Comprehensive Diabetic Center. Accessed September 1, 2018.

 

Miller, Kelsey. The Starvation Study That Changed The World, Diet & Nutrition, July 11, 2016.

 

Moninger, Jeannette, Ratini, Melinda DO, MS, Jenny Craig, WebMD, February 9, 2018.

 

Phinney, Stephen M.D., Volek, Jeff, Ph.D. (2011). The Art And Science Of Low Carbohydrate Living. Beyond Obesity LLC.

 

Phinney, Stephen M.D., Volek, Jeff, Ph.D. (2011). The Art And Science Of Low Carbohydrate Performance. Beyond Obesity LLC.

 

Renee, Janet, MS, RD. The Average Calorie Intake By A Human Per Day Versus The Recommendation. SFGate, March 15, 2018. Accessed September 03, 2018.

 

Taubes, Gary. The Case Against Sugar. Knopf, New York, 2016.

 

Volek JS, et al. Comparison of energy-restricted very low-carbohydrate and low-fat diets on weight loss and body composition in overweight men and women. Nutrition & Metabolism, 2004.

 

 

 


Check out this episode!

Tuesday, September 11, 2018

KCP006 - The Paleo Diet


Episode 6: Dr. Loren Cordain's Paleo Diet.


For complete show notes, including all the references and associated links click on the following link Keto Confidential (Episode KCP006) to go to our website.

The Paleo Ground Rules:

  1. All the lean meats, fish, and seafood you can eat.
  2. All the fruits and non-starchy vegetables you can eat.
  3. No cereals
  4. No legumes
  5. No dairy products
  6. No processed foods

Approved Paleo Snack Foods:

  1. Fresh fruit of any kind.
  2. Homemade beef jerky (without salt).
  3. Homemade dried salmon strips (without salt)
  4. Raw vegetables: carrots, celery sticks, cherry tomatoes, mushrooms, broccoli, cucumbers, cauliflower (with homemade guacamole or salsa dip).
  5. Cold skinless broiled chicken.
  6. Avocado or tomato slices.
  7. Nuts: almonds, pecans, walnuts, filberts (limit to 4 ounces a day if you are trying to lose weight)
  8. Dried fruit (limit to 2 ounces a day).
  9. Hard-boiled egg.
  10. Cold slices of lean beef.
  11. Peel and eat shrimp.
  12. Unsalted sunflower sunflower seeds (limit to 4 ounces a day if you are trying to lose weight).

Cordain's Seven Keys To A Paleo Diet:

  1. Eat a relatively high amount of animal protein to the typical American diet.
  2. Eat fewer carbohydrates than most modern diets recommended, but eat lots of good carbohydrates – from fruits and vegetables, nit from grains, starchy tubers,and refined sugars.
  3. Eat a large amount of fiber from non-starchy fruits and vegetables.
  4. Eat a moderate amount of fat, with good (monounsaturated and polyunsaturated) fats than bad (trans and certian saturated) fat, and nearly equal amounts of omega 3 and omega 6 fats.
  5. Eat foods with a high potassium content and a low sodium content.
  6. Eat a diet with a net alkaline load.
  7. Eat foods rich in plant phytochemicals, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.


Links:



References:


Audette, Ray, Gilchrist Troy. Neanderthin: A Caveman's Guide to Nutrition, Paleolithic Press, Dallas, TX, 1996.

Cordain, Loren, Ph.D. The Paleo Diet: Lose Weight and Get healthy by Eating the Foods You Were Designed to Eat. New York, NY: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 2011.

Eight Foods That Can Cause Inflammation., Arthritis Foundation, Accessed August 22, 2018.

Crovetti, R., Porrini M., Santangelo A., Testolin G. The Influence of The Thermic Effect of Food on Satiety. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Stockton Press. 1998

Fenon, Tanis, Lyon, Andrew (et al). Meta-Analysis of the Effect of the Acid-Ash Hypothesis of Osteoprosis on Calcium Balance. Journal Of Bone and Mineral Research, November 11, 2009.

Jabr, Ferris. How to Really Eat Like a Hunter-Gatherer: Why the Paleo Diet Is Half-Baked. Scientific American, June 3, 2013.

Kinabo, J.L., Durnin J.V.G.A., Thermic Effect of Food in Man: Effect of Meal Composition, and Energy Content. British Journal of Nutrition, February 9, 1990.

Lam, Yan, Ravussin Eric. Analysis of Energy Metabolism in Humans: A Review of Methodologies. Molecular Metabolism, September 2016.

Phinney, Stephen M.D., Volek, Jeff, Ph.D. The Art And Science Of Low Carbohydrate Living. Beyond Obesity LLC. 2011

Phinney, Stephen M.D., Volek, Jeff, Ph.D. The Art And Science Of Low Carbohydrate Performance. Beyond Obesity LLC. 2011

Schwalfenberg, Gerry. The Akaline Diet: Is There Evidence That an Alkaline pH Diet Benefits Health? Journal of Environmental and Public Health, 2012.

Westerterp, Klass. Diet Induced Thermogenesis. Nutrition & Metabolism, August 18, 2004

Tuesday, September 4, 2018

Tuesday, August 21, 2018

KCP003 - The Banting 2.0 Diet



For complete show notes, including all the references and associated links check out the KetoConfidential (Episode KCP003) website.

Friday, May 11, 2018

Frugalade F2, A Keto Electrolyte Sports Drink


The summer of 2018 is fast approaching, and it is hard to believe that I first posted this recipe six years ago and I still use it on a regular basis. Since I originally posted this recipe, many things have changed in my life including the fact that I have been on a ketogenic diet now for almost two years so it was time to update this article once again. Summer is rapidly approaching and many of you who are on a low-carb, ketogenic or paleo diet will be out in the heat working, playing, sweating and consuming commercial low-carb sports drinks like Gatorade G2 © and Powerade Zero ©. There is however a better alternative to these high priced commercial sports drinks. Don't misunderstand me, I am not advocating that you stop using electrolyte replacement drinks, rather I am in favor of reducing their impact on both your waistline and your wallet.

Depending on where you live, low calorie sports drinks such as Gatorade G2 © and Powerade Zero © can cost anywhere from $1.00 - $2.00 for a 20 ounce bottle. What would you say if I told you that you could make one gallon of your own electrolyte replacement drink for less than 30 cents? And that this sports drink contains almost the exact same electrolytes as it's commercial counterparts? That's an amazing 5 to 8 cents per 20 ounce serving or a 95% savings over commercially made electrolyte replacement drinks! Impossible, you say, not at all. So let's get started!


Frugalade F2 (Zero Calorie)

4 quarts of water (128 ounces)
2 packages store brand or Kool-Aid powdered fruit punch
½ teaspoon liquid sucralose (sweetness equivalent to 1 cup sugar)
¾ teaspoon Morton kosher salt (1440mg sodium)
1/4 teaspoon Morton Lite salt (290mg sodium, 350mg potassium)

Total Recipe
Calories – 0, 0 grams fat, 0 grams protein, 0 grams carbohydrates
Electrolytes: sodium 1440mg, potassium 350mg

Per Serving (20 ounces)
Calories – 0, 0 grams fat, 0 grams protein, 0 grams carbohydrates
Electrolytes: sodium 270mg, potassium 55mg

Heat a pint of water (2 cups) in the microwave, in your 'hot shot' or in a small pan on the stove just until it boils, then add the salts and remove the pan from the heat. Stir until the salt is completely dissolved. Add the powdered fruit punch or your favorite flavor of Kool-Aid to your one gallon water pitcher then pour in the water with the dissolved salts and then top off your container with water to make one gallon and refrigerate. Once cold, use it as you would any sports drink.

Chef's Note: I pour all of my dry ingredients into a 1 gallon Gatorade container, I use a small Sunbeam 'hot shot' hot water dispenser to heat up 2 cups of water then add the hot water to the gallon container, swirl it all around until it is mixed, then top it off with tap water, put the lid on it and throw it in the fridge. Takes me less than 5 minutes to make.


The Comparison

So lets look at how our homemade Frugalade F2, stacks up against the competition when it comes to actual electrolyte replacement.

Frugalade F2 (20 ounces)
Calories – 0, 0 grams fat, 0 grams protein, 0 grams carbohydrates
Electrolytes: sodium 270mg, potassium 55mg

Gatorade G2 © (20 ounces)
Calories – 0, 0 grams fat, 0 grams protein, 0 grams carbohydrates
Electrolytes: sodium 270mg, potassium 75mg

Powerade Zero © (20 ounces)
Calories – 0, 0 grams fat, 0 grams protein, 1 grams carbohydrates
Electrolytes: sodium 250mg, potassium 57mg

As you can see, all of these electrolyte drinks are zero calorie or have less than 1 calorie per 20 ounces. The Frugalade F2 Formula has the same amount of sodium as the Gatorade G2 ©, and has 20mg more sodium than the Powerade Zero © per 20 ounces. As for the potassium, the Fruglade F2 has 20mg less potassium than the Gatorade G2 ©, but only 2mg potassium less than the Powerade Zero ©. So when it comes to electrolyte replacement, the Frugalade F2 is comparable in every way to commercial electrolyte replacement sports drink, with the exception of the impact it has on your wallet.

It only costs you 29 cents to make one gallon or six 20 ounce servings of Frugalade F2 which is about $0.05 per 20 ounce fluid oz serving. A one gallon bottle of Gatorade G2 © for example, is about $5.00 at my local supermarket, BTW that's 17 times more expensive than homemade.


Conclusion

Six years later, I still use and enjoy my Frugalade F2 Formula. I have even streamlined the making process and have changed the instructions to include those changes. I have abandoned the ½ gallon recipe and make my frugalade in one gallon batches as I obtained a couple of old 1 gallon Gatorade container's from my mother-in-law. However, If you want to see the original ½ gallon recipe check out my original article 'Make Your Own Sports Drink' on my blog.

As for the taste, side by side I could not taste any difference between the two. I am not saying that Frugalade F2 is delicious, simply that it tastes just like Gatorade G2 © and that was my primary goal. If you want a wider variety of flavors, you may need to use Koolaid © brand of drink mixes. My local supermarket only has three flavors in the store brand: fruit punch, grape, and lemonade. This will increase the cost a little, as Koolaid © in my area sells for about 25 cents as opposed to the store brand of 12 cents per package.

If you have read any of my keto articles then you know we use a liquid form of sucralose to sweeten all of our recipes, and nothing has changed with this recipe. You can however, make your own Gatorade G2 © clone, by using Splenda, or any other keto friendly sweetener that you prefer. So what if you are new to keto and you do not have liquid sucralose or one of those other keto sweeteners? Well, you can make your own Gatorade G2 © clone, by using Splenda, or any other keto friendly sweetener. Before we started using liquid sucralose, we used the Walmart version of Splenda labeled as 'Great Value No Calorie Sweetener'. If you use Splenda, the amount of sweetener used will vary per your personal preference, but for one gallon recipe I would suggest ¾ to 1 cup of Splenda.

As always, if you have enjoyed this article, please share it with your friends on Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram, and don't forget to check us out on our Facebook page CulinaryyoU or add us to your circle on Google+ so that you will not miss out on any of our new articles.

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Sunday, May 6, 2018

Keto Blackberry Vinaigrette


 Salads are a staple in my keto eating plan. And they are a great portable food for you to take to work so that you can get the necessary vitamins and minerals you need from green leafy vegetables. Yes, the veggies may contain a few carbs, but this is where the majority of your carbs should come from anyway. The problem for most keto eaters is not the salad, rather it is the dressing. While there are many commercial salad dressing that only contain 2 – 4 carbohydrates per tablespoon, these extra carbs can add up really fast. One of the best types of salad dressings are oil and vinegar dressings known as vinaigrette’s. Generally, vinaigrette’s contain little or no carbohydrates, and the have the added benefit of being high in healthy fats which makes you feel sated thereby making you feel fuller and less hungry. Having said that, even commercially prepared vinaigrette dressings are less desirable than homemade, simply because you have no control over the ingredients.

Vinaigrette’s are a combination of oil, vinegar, herbs and spices that are mixed together to form a temporary emulsion. Because the emulsion is temporary, and the oil and vinegar will separate, the easiest solution is to place the vinaigrette in a bottle or container that can be shaken each time before use to mix the oil and vinegar together again.

If you have read any of my other articles, then you know we live on a small farm and grow most of our our own vegetables (whenever possible), blackberries, and raise chickens and rabbits among other things. So when it came to making my own vinaigrette style salad dressing, using blackberries was an obvious choice. Blackberries, raspberries and even blueberries make delicious vinaigrette dressings, and they are really simple to make. This quick, and easy homemade blackberry vinaigrette contains only 0.46 grams per tablespoon, that's 4 to 8 times less carbs than many commercially made salad dressings. So let's get started.


Blackberry Vinaigrette

¼ cup blackberry juice/pulp
¼ cup apple cider vinegar with the Mother
½ cup olive or canola oil
2 drops of liquid sucralose or two teaspoons of sugar substitute (optional)

Total Recipe
Calories – 742, 112 grams fat, 2 grams protein, 7.4 grams carbohydrates

Per Tablespoon
Calories – 46, 7 grams fat, 0.125 grams protein, 0.46 grams carbohydrates

Combine all ingredients together in a wide mouth pint canning jar or small bowel and mix with a wire whisk or use an immersion blender. Taste the dressing for sweetness and adjust to suit your personal needs as blackberries are quite tart. That's it, this dressing is that simple.


Processing Your Own Fruit

Whether you grow your own berries or find them on sale at your local supermarket, making your own puree is quite simple. To make our own blackberry puree simply add 4 – 8 cups fresh blackberries to a small to medium sized pan with about ¼ cup water and bring them to a simmer and cook for about 15 minutes or until the fruit is nice and soft. Then take an immersion blender and puree the contents and they are nice and liquified. If you need to add a small amount of additional water do so, it will not hurt the final outcome of the puree.

Once you have processed the berries and you have nice puree, it is now time to strain the berries to remove all of the seeds. Place a fine strainer over a medium sized bowl and in small batches pour the puree into the strainer and press the solids with a spoon to extract all the juice. Continues this process until you have strained all the fruit. What you are left with is an unsweetened blackberry juice that can now be used to make your vinaigrette.

Take the extra juice and pour it into ice cube trays and freeze. Once frozen remove the blackberry ice cubes and store them in a plastic freezer bag and you are ready to make another batch. BTW, most ice cube trays, or at least the ones we have hold just about two tablespoons of liquid.


Conclusion

As you can see this recipe is easy-peasey! So if you have fresh berries in your garden, or know where they grow wild, or you just happen to find them on sale of your local farmer's market or grocery store, then check out this recipe. Not only id this recipe low carb, it is a good source of healthy fats, and powerful anti-oxidants. The best reason to make it of course is that it tastes great and it has no preservatives As always, if you have found this article informative and enjoyable please share it with your friends on social media. Don't forget to check out of Facebook page CulinaryyoU or add us to your circle on Google+, or check our recipes on Pinterest




Thursday, May 3, 2018

Keto Jalapeno Poppers



Every party or get together needs a good keto finger food. One of my go too snacks are my keto jalapeno poppers. Now these finger foods are not carbohydrate free (1.25 grams per popper) because jalapenos and cream cheese do have a small amount of carbohydrates, so eat them in moderation. I say eat them in moderation, heck even if you pigged out an ate the whole batch, there is only 17.6 grams of carbohydrates, but I digress.

I keep this recipe fairly basic, but you could add any additional herbs or flavorings to your popper filling, just keep in mind that it may change the amount of carbohydrate slightly. I like to make this recipe ahead of time and place them in a one gallon zip lock freezer bag so that I have them ready whenever the occasion arises.

Just in case you are wondering, the TGI Fridays brand of breaded jalapeno cheese poppers that you find at your local supermarket are about 6.3 grams of carbohydrates. So you could eat almost four of these delicious bacon wrapped poppers for each of the breaded TGI Friday's poppers, and you get the added bonus of healthy fat as opposed to the transfats of the Friday's brand. So let's get to the recipe!

The Filling

14 slices bacon, thin
7 large jalapeno's, de-veined and seeded
4 ounces cream cheese
4 ounces cheddar cheese
1 teaspoon garlic, minced

Complete Recipe
Calories – 1353, 107.7 grams of fat, 48.9 grams of protein, 17.6 grams of carbohydrates

Per Popper (½ of a jalapeno)
Calories – 96.6, 7.7 grams of fat, 3.49 grams of protein, 1.25 grams of carbohydrates


Take one 4 ounce package of cream cheese out of the fridge and allow it to come to room temperature. Once the cream cheese is softened, then in a small bowl add the cream cheese, cheddar cheese and minced garlic and stir until it is mixed completely. Even though the cream cheese is softened, the filling is still pretty stiff, don't worry, this is normal. Set the bowl to the side and start on prepping your jalapeno's.



Slice the jalapeno's in half and remove the seeds and most of the veins (this is where the heat is) and set them on your baking sheet. You can leave the stems on if you wish, but I remove them. If the jalapeno's will not sit flat on the baking sheet and you are a little anal retentive, you can slice a thin piece off the bottom of the pepper so it will not roll from side to side, but I do not do this either.


Once all of your jalapenos are ready, then take a spoon or stiff spatula and fill each half with your cream cheese mixture. When all of the jalapeno's are stuffed, take one slice of your thin bacon and completely wrap each jalapeno half. You may or may not need to secure the bacon with tooth picks. Just remember if you do use tooth picks, please let everyone know before they eat the poppers just in case they cannot see them sticking out of the poppers.

To cook, place your poppers on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake for 15 – 18 minutes at 425 degrees, or until the peppers are tender and the cheese is brown at the edges and bubbly. Remove from the over and allow the to cool for a few minutes because melted cheese is like molten lava, and no one deserves a burned mouth!


Conclusion

So there you have it guys, my quick and easy jalapeno pepper recipe. I hope you and your family enjoy them as much as mine do. Even my wife who loathes any food that has any heat loves these. Why? Because all of the heat in the pepper is contained in the seeds and the veins of the fruit. By eliminating both of these you get the mild flavor of the pepper with the cream and cheddar cheese and bacon. And let's face it, everything cooked with bacon is better right? So give these keto poppers a try, I sure that you and your family will lover them as much as mine does. As always, if you have found this article informative and enjoyable please share it with your friends on social media. Don't forget to check out of Facebook page CulinaryyoU or add us to your circle on Google+, or check our recipes on Pinterest.


Friday, March 2, 2018

Keto Fat Bombs


Ever since we started this keto way of eating we have just about cut out all sweets. That is all sweets made from sugar. If you have read any of my articles on this blog, then you know my wife and I enjoy our keto mousse, keto yogurt, and the occasional keto ice cream. I have however had many requests and inquires from my readers regarding keto fat bombs.

Just in case you have never heard of them before “fat bombs” is a term used for a small amount of coconut oil that have been melted and shaped into a single serving that you can pop into your mouth to increase your daily fat intake. You can of course use any of the other healthy fats such as butter, ghee, cacao butter, almond butter etc., to make your fat bombs as long as the type of fat you use will solidify at room temperature. Personally, we prefer coconut oil as it tends to be the best value for the money as is easy to work with. Therefore all the fat bombs in this article will be made with organic refined coconut oil (has no coconut flavor). If you use another type of fat, then your nutritional values will of course be different.



You can use any number of extracts, powders or combination of both to add flavors to your fat bombs. While fat bombs can be either sweet or savory, we tend to only make sweet fat bombs which we use as a sweet treat.

Chocolate Bombs (Yield: 21)

1 cup coconut oil
5 tablespoons cocoa powder
12 drops liquid sucralose

Whole Recipe
Calories – 2155, 226.5 grams fat, 0 grams protein, 5 grams net carbohydrates

Per Tablespoon
Calories – 102.6, 10.8 grams fat, 0 grams protein, 0.23 grams net carbohydrates


Place the coconut oil in a bowl and heat for 90 seconds in your microwave or until the coconut oil has melted. Then add the liquid sucralose or sweetener of your choice and the remaining ingredients and mix thoroughly with a whisk.

Grab your ice cube trays or molds and fill each with 1 tablespoon of the coconut oil mixture. Place the trays in the refrigerator or freezer and allow to cool. Once they have solidified simple pop them out of the trays and keep them in the fridge until ready to eat.

Chef's Note: I get my ice cube trays from Dollar Tree, you get two trays for $1.00, so the cost is quite minimal and they are easy to use. As you may have seen in the picture we also have some silicon molds that are pumpkin shaped. To be honest I think the ice cube trays are easier to work with.


Chocolate Strawberry Bombs (Yield: 21)

1 cup coconut oil
5 tablespoons cocoa powder
1 teaspoon strawberry extract
12 drops liquid sucralose

Whole Recipe
Calories – 2155, 226.5 grams fat, 0 grams protein, 5 grams net carbohydrates

Per Tablespoon
Calories – 102.6, 10.8 grams fat, 0 grams protein, 0.23 grams net carbohydrates



Peanut Butter Bombs w/Peanut Butter (Yield: 24)

1 cup coconut oil
½ cup peanut butter
10 drops liquid sucralose

Whole Recipe
Calories – 2920, 292 grams fat, 32 grams protein, 32 grams net carbohydrates

Per Tablespoon
Calories – 121.6, 12.6 grams fat, 1.3 grams protein, 1.3 grams net carbohydrates


Peanut Butter Bombs w/PBfit Peanut Butter Powder (Yield: 24)

1 cup coconut oil
4 tablespoons PBfit peanut butter powder
10 drops liquid sucralose

Whole Recipe
Calories – 2180, 223 grams fat, 12 grams protein, 4 grams net carbohydrates

Per Tablespoon
Calories – 90, 9.26 grams fat, 0.5 grams protein, 0.16 grams net carbohydrates


Double Layer Fat Bombs

In theory, you could just mix all of these ingredients together and have one solid layer fat bomb, but for some fat bombs I like having two distinct layers of flavor. This is especially true for my 'Reese Peanut Butter Cup' and 'Mounds' fat bombs. For these fat bombs I like to make the first layer chocolate, by doing this, any sediment from the peanut butter, the coconut, or any nuts in the recipe will settle in the middle of the fat bomb giving it a nicer texture and mouth feel.




Reese Cup Chocolate Peanut Butter Bombs (Yield: 45)

Chocolate Layer

1 cup coconut oil
5 tablespoons cocoa powder
12 drops liquid sucralose

Peanut Butter Layer

1 cup coconut oil
½ cup peanut butter
10 drops liquid sucralose


Whole Recipe
Calories – 5050, 518.5 grams fat, 32 grams protein, 37 grams net carbohydrates

Per Tablespoon
Calories – 112.2, 11.5 grams fat, 0.7 grams protein, 0.8 grams net carbohydrates

Place the coconut oil in a bowl and heat for 90 seconds in your microwave or until the coconut oil has melted. Then add the liquid sucralose or sweetener of your choice and the remaining ingredients and mix thoroughly with a whisk.

Chef's Note: When using peanut butter, I heat the coconut oil to melting first, then I add the peanut butter and mix with a spoon. If need I place back in the microwave and heat for another 20 - 30 seconds until the peanut butter is completely melted.

Grab your ice cube trays or molds and fill each with ½ tablespoon of the chocolate coconut flavored oil and place the first layer in the ice cube trays or molds then chill. Once the first layer has solidified, then prepare the second layer and using the same ½ tablespoon measuring spoon and add the second peanut butter layer of coconut oil and place back in the refrigerator or freezer and allow them to solidify for a second time.

Chef's Note: I do not know how hard it will be for you to find a ½ tablespoon measuring spoon. Somehow we actually had one in our large inventory of measuring spoons. If you cannot find one, you can use 1 + ½ teaspoon for each layer. This is less convenient, but the volume is the same as a ½ tablespoon measuring spoon.

Reese Cup Chocolate Peanut Butter Bombs w/PBfit Peanut Butter Powder (Yield: 45)

Chocolate Layer

1 cup coconut oil
5 tablespoons cocoa powder
12 drops liquid sucralose

Peanut Butter

1 cup coconut oil
4 tablespoons PBfit peanut butter powder
10 drops liquid sucralose

Whole Recipe
Calories – 4335, 454 grams fat, 17 grams protein, 9 grams net carbohydrates

Per Tablespoon
Calories – 96, 10 grams fat, 0.4 grams protein, 0.2 grams net carbohydrates


Chocolate Mounds Bar Bombs (Yield: 41)

Coconut Layer

1 cup coconut oil
¼ cup unsweetened organic flaked coconut
1 teaspoon coconut extract
8 drops liquid sucralose

Chocolate Layer

1 cup coconut oil
5 tablespoons cocoa powder
12 drops liquid sucralose

Whole Recipe
Calories – 4455, 471 grams fat, 5 grams protein, 5 grams net carbohydrates

Per Tablespoon
Calories – 108, 11.5 grams fat, 0.12 grams protein, .012 grams net carbohydrates


Triple Layer Fat Bombs

As with the single layer fat bombs, you could just mix all of these ingredients together and have one solid layer fat bomb, however I was attempting to create the look and taste of the Andes Thin Mints. I believe that this recipe is just about spot on in taste and texture to the original thin mints. It does involve a few more steps, but I like the visual appeal. However, if you are short on time, you can combine all of the ingredients together and make one single layer fat bomb.

Andes Thin Mints Fat Bombs (Yield: 41)

Chocolate Layer

1 cup coconut oil
5 tablespoons cocoa powder
12 drops liquid sucralose

Mint Layer

1 cup coconut oil
1 teaspoon peppermint extract
1 drop of green food coloring
10 drops liquid sucralose

Whole Recipe
Calories – 4235, 451 grams fat, 5 grams protein, 5 grams carbohydrates

Per Tablespoon
Calories – 103, 11 grams fat, 0.12 grams protein, 0.12 grams carbohydrates.

Place the coconut oil in a bowl and heat for 90 seconds in your microwave or until the coconut oil has melted. Then add the liquid sucralose or sweetener of your choice and the remaining ingredients and mix thoroughly with a whisk.

Start by making your layer by pouring 1 teaspoon of the chocolate into your ice cube trays, then place in the refrigerator or freezer and allow it to solidify. Then add one teaspoon of the mint on top of the chocolate layer to make the mint layer, then again place it in the refrigerator or freezer and allow it to solidify. Then add the final 1 teaspoon chocolate layer and place in the refrigerator or freezer and allow it to solidify.

Chef's Note: The green food coloring doesn't actually mix very well with the coconut oil, even though I mixed it with a wire whisk. However once solidified, the layer had a nice light green tint making it look like an Andes Mint chocolate candy. You can omit the food coloring it you like, but I always make it with the food coloring.


Choosing A Sweetener

I only use liquid sucralose in my recipes, if you have seen any of my articles then you know I am not a fan of stevia because to me it has a bitter flavor. I am not sure how other keto sweeteners will work as they need to be able to be dissolved in the liquid coconut oil when it is hot. No matter which type of keto sweetener you use, the ratio of sweetener in these recipes is 1 drop of sucralose equals 1 teaspoon of sugar so you will need to adjust accordingly if you do not use liquid sucralose to make your fat bombs.


Nuts and Seeds

Adding nuts and seeds to your fat bombs will give them that extra texture or crunchiness that some people really like. What you need to keep in mind is that by adding nuts or seeds to your fat bombs you will be increasing the carbohydrate count, so make sure you change the nutritional information of your specific recipe if you add them. Also nuts and seeds are heavier than the coconut oil so they will tend to settle on the bottom of your ice cube tray or mold. If you want the nuts to be in the middle, then make your first layer and allow to solidify, then add your second layer that has the nuts. The nuts will then settle to the bottom of the second layer and will end up in the middle of the fat bomb.


Conclusion

My wife and I enjoy the occasional fat bomb, and I keep a variety of them in our fridge. They are a great way to increase your fat intake if you are having trouble eating enough good fats. You should however eat them in moderation, they are not designed to be a replacement for candy. If you get in the habit of grazing on them you can consume a large amount of calories, fat and carbohydrates if you are not careful. Having said that they are a nice keto treat when used in moderation and can help to sooth a sweet tooth if you are one of those people who are really missing candy or chocolate.

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