
Heavy Cream for My Coffee
My Weekly Stop at Albertsons
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When looking for my next audiobook on the New York Times Best Seller list I saw this title on the ‘Dining’ category (whatever that is). Besides the clever title, I was to surprised to see the term ‘low-carb/high-fat’ used in the book’s description.
The author’s credibility appears pretty substantial, being not only a board-certified, practicing neurologist but also a fellow of the American College of Nutrition. I look forward to hearing what the he has to say.
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The devastating truth about the effects of wheat, sugar, and carbs on the brain, with a 30-day plan to achieve optimum health.
Renowned neurologist David Perlmutter, MD, blows the lid off a topic that’s been buried in medical literature for far too long: carbs are destroying your brain. And not just unhealthy carbs, but even healthy ones like whole grains can cause dementia, ADHD, anxiety, chronic headaches, depression, and much more. Dr. Perlmutter explains what happens when the brain encounters common ingredients in your daily bread and fruit bowls, why your brain thrives on fat and cholesterol, and how you can spur the growth of new brain cells at any age. He offers an in-depth look at how we can take control of our “smart genes” through specific dietary choices and lifestyle habits, demonstrating how to remedy our most feared maladies without drugs. With a revolutionary 30-day plan, GRAIN BRAIN teaches us how we can reprogram our genetic destiny for the better.
Because of the weight I have lost this past year, I have had a number of folk ask me ‘how’.
I started out on a strict Atkins style diet (this post) that is best described as LCHF – Low Carb High Fat (yes, you can Google LCHF).
It is similar to the old Atkins diet except that it does not have the ‘induction phase’ or maybe I should say it only has the induction phase.
I think the best way to describe my current diet is ‘Just Eat Real Food’ or JERF or as the image on the right says Low Crap. I have been able to cut most of the carbs out of my diet simply by avoiding industrial foods made in factories and instead eating, as much as possible, real honest-to-goodness foods.
My first step, though, was to redefine ‘diet’ to not include ‘temporary’. (Maybe the better word would be lifestyle or healthstyle but those sound too cute. I will stick with the word diet.) I am not dreaming of a day when I can go back to eating crap. By removing the crap calories from my diet, I can now stand in front of a tray of brownies and not have the least compunction to pick one up. The sugar craving, constant addiction to wheat & sweets is gone. I am a crap junkie who has kicked the habit.
PS. I have read a number of Paleo books and have listened to a couple of Paleo podcasts but I don’t follow a Paleo diet. I don’t know if it because the name is too cute or if it is because it seems to be a very subjective diet that has factions arguing for or against certain types of food based on their understanding of what cavemen might eat.
Andreas Eenfeldt, MD
www.DietDoctor.com
Today marked the finale of the Tri-City Regional Chamber of Commerce’s “Good Health is Good Business Challenge”; a 100 days of wellness program designed to promote the benefits of workplace wellness. Over 400 individuals signed up for the challenges and participated.
The Challenge offered three ways to participate.
According to the Chamber, research shows that employers who implement workplace wellness programs see improved employee productivity, reduced stress and absenteeism, improved morale, and retain quality employees. A side benefit of the Challenge, the top finishers of the Ultimate and Lifestyle Challenges will win $1,000 cash! Second place winners receive an iPad and third place winners win a $250 fitness package sponsored by the Columbia Basin Racquet Club.
I only signed up for the Ultimate Challenge. I had started my LCHF (Low-Carb/High-Fat) lifestyle (hate the word diet) almost 3 months earlier, had already lost 29 pounds, and felt I was going in with a disadvantage. But I also knew I was shooting to lose a total of 60 lbs, so really I was only half way to my goal and knew I could continue what I was doing. My BMI had started back in May at 33 (obese). I was shooting for getting my BMI below 25 (normal). At the Challenge weigh-in it was at 29.8 (top end of overweight). So, was it a disadvantage starting out having already lost 29 pounds or was I getting a running start by having already lost half the weight I wanted to lose?
No idea, yet, if I won the Chamber’s Challenge, that won’t be announced for a couple weeks but I think I have a good chance at one of the prizes. According to their measurements, I dropped 26.5 pounds in the last 100 days, dropped my BMI from 29.8 to 26.2, and took 6 inches off my waist. I still have 10 pounds to lose to get down to a BMI of 25, hoping to hit that number by this time in January. Thanksgiving and Christmas are such social occasions, but LCHF has taken away my cravings for sweets.