tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29124255678168200022024-03-12T18:03:52.376-04:00Atkins Friendly Eating for LifeGabbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13360760845275253273noreply@blogger.comBlogger260125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2912425567816820002.post-18477157451681014422012-01-08T17:04:00.000-05:002012-01-08T17:04:47.138-05:00Review of Fat Head Movie by Tom Naughton<i>By far, I think my favorite low carb blogger is Tom Naughton. He is not only a comedian and low carb blogger, but he has truly done the world a favor by creating the movie <b>Fat Head!</b> Now, if only the world will watch it- twice! Once is just not enough to get it all. He exposes the giant frauds of science researchers over the years concerning the low fat, high carb diets, the pharmaceutical companies and even the government! His movie is entertaining and yet extremely scientific, using many foremost medical researchers who are also low carbers.</i><br />
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<i>I got my copy from Amazon, but it is now available for the US on iTunes to just watch or download. I cannot tell you enough just how wonderful this documentary is! My favorite quote of the whole movie is while the credits are rolling at the end: "This documentary in no way is meant to replace the useless information you can get from your physician or nutrition adviser." </i><br />
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<i>So do yourself a real favor and watch this movie! And then spread the word!</i>Gabbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13360760845275253273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2912425567816820002.post-34538671520025103442012-01-08T11:20:00.000-05:002012-01-08T11:20:58.245-05:00More OMG!! Can You Believe This?<i>Today is a day I've dedicated to doing what I please for myself. And I've chosen to go back and read low carb blogs from the months and months I missed when my mother was so ill. The following is a copied and pasted post from Dana Carpender's blog, "Hold the Toast." It's definitely in the category of<b> <u>OMG!! Can You Believe This?</u></b></i> <i>And here I thought that some of these new "eat a high carb, low fat diet" gurus were in that category!</i><br />
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<h1 class="title">Have Some Viagra With Your Corn Flakes</h1><span class="submitted">Submitted by Dana on Mon, 2011-09-26 11:34</span> Ever wonder about the roots of the whole "Don't eat meat, eat lots of whole grains, fruits and vegetables, caffeine and alcohol are evil" ethos? Take a look at this excerpt from Chapter 11 of <a href="http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/etcbin/toccer-new2?id=KelPlai.sgm&images=images/modeng&data=/texts/english/modeng/parsed&tag=public&part=11&division=div1">Plain Facts for Old and Young</a> by Dr. John Harvey Kellogg. Yes, that Kellogg, the guy who invented the corn flake. The title of this chapter, should you not care to click through to the link, is "TREATMENT FOR SELF-ABUSE AND ITS EFFECTS." <br />
<em> The following precautions are necessary to be observed in relation to diet: --</em><br />
<em> 1. Never overeat. If too much food is taken at one meal, fast the next meal to give the system a chance to recover itself, and to serve as a barrier against future transgressions of the same kind. Gluttony is fatal to chastity; and overeating will be certain to cause emissions, with other evils, in one whose organs are weakened by abuse.</em><br />
<em> 2. Eat but twice a day, or, if supper is eaten, let it be very light, and of the most simple food, as fruit, or fruit and bread. Nothing should be eaten within four or five hours of bed-time, and it is much better to eat nothing after three o'clock. The ancients ate but two meals a day; why should moderns eat three or four? If the stomach contains undigested food, the sleep will be disturbed, dreams will be more abundant, and emissions will be frequent. A most imperative rule of life should be, "Never go to bed with a loaded stomach." The violation of this rule is the great cause of dreams and nightmares.</em><br />
<em> 3. Discard all stimulating food. Under this head must be included spices, pepper, ginger, mustard, cinnamon, cloves, essences, all condiments, pickles, etc., together with flesh food in any but moderate quantities. It is hardly to be expected that all who have been accustomed to use these articles all their lives, will discard them wholly at once, nor, perhaps, that many will ever discard them entirely; but it would be better for them to do so, nevertheless.</em><br />
<em> 4. Stimulating drinks should be abstained from with still greater strictness. Wine, beer, tea, and coffee should be taken under no circumstances. The influence of coffee in stimulating the genital organs is notorious. Chocolate should be discarded also. It is recommended by some who suppose it to be harmless, being ignorant of the fact that it contains a poison practically identical with that of tea and coffee.</em><br />
<em> Hot drinks of all kinds should be avoided.</em><br />
<em> Tobacco, another stimulant, although not a drink, should be totally abandoned at once.</em><br />
<em> 5. In place of such articles as have been condemned, eat fruits, grains, milk, and vegetables. There is a rich variety of these kinds of food, and they are wholesome and unstimulating. Graham flour, oatmeal, and ripe fruit are the indispensables of a dietary for those who are suffering from sexual excesses. </em><br />
In other words, the point of a vegetarian diet based on grains was to reduce sex drive, thus helping to prevent that most awful of scourges, masturbation. If you read the chapter linked to, you will discover that this is about the least crazy thing Dr. Kellogg recommends. By the way, Doc Kellogg wasn't just against masturbation; he discouraged married couples from having sex any more often than they absolutely had to, and claimed his own marriage was completely chaste.<br />
Dr. Sylvester Graham, for whom the Graham cracker is named, also recommended a vegetarian diet based on grains specifically to reduce sex drive.<br />
I have no idea if it worked, though I do know that steroid hormones are made from cholesterol -- the body can, of course, make cholesterol itself if we don't eat it, but still, my morning cheese omelet can't have hurt. But it's interesting to know that the shift from breakfasts of eggs and bacon to cold cereal, and advocacy of a vegetarian diet in America, originally had the aim of killing libido.Gabbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13360760845275253273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2912425567816820002.post-163849992772012272012-01-06T10:57:00.000-05:002012-01-06T10:57:21.970-05:00Well Worth an Hour of Your Time!<i>Well, friends, I'm still trying to catch up with vital low carb information for you, that is in between spending time in the recliner because of my hip. This morning I was cruising through the Fat Head blog of Tom Naughton, and came across a recommendation from a reader. I donated an entire hour to listening to this speech by a cardiology professor and cardiac surgeon about a high fat life style versus high carb. His speech is well documented and he pretty much blows the low carb lovers out of the water. He has been on Jimmy Moore's podcast and many other venues. I don't think you'll be disappointed if you spend an hour of your time watching this!</i><br />
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vRe9z32NZHYGabbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13360760845275253273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2912425567816820002.post-4896555487950845292011-12-30T12:34:00.000-05:002011-12-30T12:34:47.541-05:00Interview with Dr. Atkins by Larry King on CNN<i>If you have never heard what Dr. Atkins personally said on interviews, here is your chance. This is a transcript of the interview Larry King had with Dr. Atkins before his death. We have probably all read one or another of Dr. Atkins' books, but I found this interview interesting. There is actually a live interview floating around somewhere. I came across it before the holidays and when I find it again, I'll post that too.</i><br />
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http://wilstar.com/lowcarb/atkins_interview.htmGabbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13360760845275253273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2912425567816820002.post-18503599754566886672011-12-30T11:20:00.000-05:002011-12-30T11:20:29.019-05:00"Twas the Night Before Statins" Courtesy of Tom Naughton<i>As most of you know, I cannot say enough about <b>NOT taking statin drugs!</b> This take-off on The Night Before Christmas by Tom Naughton says it all!!</i><br />
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<h3 class="posttitle"><a href="http://www.fathead-movie.com/index.php/2011/12/23/twas-the-night-before-statins-2/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent Link to ‘Twas the Night Before Statins">‘Twas the Night Before Statins</a></h3><small> Posted by <a href="http://www.fathead-movie.com/index.php/author/admin/" title="Posts by Tom Naughton">Tom Naughton</a> in <a href="http://www.fathead-movie.com/index.php/category/random-musings/" rel="category tag" title="View all posts in Random Musings">Random Musings</a> </small> <em>I wrote this a couple of years ago, but I’m reposting it for the newer readers.<br />
Happy Holidays — Tom</em><br />
‘Twas the night before statins, and all through the land<br />
Our lipids were lethal, as we’d soon understand.<br />
Our eggs were all stacked in the fridge with great care<br />
In hopes they’d be scrambled, or fried if we dare.<br />
The children were calm and well-fed in their beds,<br />
While visions of sausages danced in their heads.<br />
The dads, mostly lean, and wives often thinner<br />
Had just settled down for a porterhouse dinner.<br />
When out in the world there arose such a clatter,<br />
They sprang from their plates to see what was the matter,<br />
And what on the cover of TIME should appear,<br />
But an arrogant scientist, peddling fear.<br />
Cheers and belief from an ignorant press<br />
Gave a luster of truth to the new, biased mess.<br />
So away to the doctor we flew in a pack,<br />
In hopes of a plan to end heart attacks.<br />
He was dressed in all white from his neck to his butt<br />
(which conveniently hid the size of his gut).<br />
He sat us all down for a well-meaning chat:<br />
“More carbohydrates — avoid all that fat!”<br />
So sugars and starches we passed through our lips,<br />
Only to wear them on bellies and hips.<br />
Our hearts with their plaques continued to swell,<br />
We grew diabetic and weren’t feeling well.<br />
The doctor announced it was likely our fault –<br />
We were, after all, still eating salt.<br />
“But there’s no other option,” he said with shrug,<br />
And pulled out his pad to prescribe some new drugs.<br />
“Now Crestor! Now Zocor! Then Lipitor next!<br />
Now Lipex! Now Lescol, and best take Plavix!<br />
To the depths of the liver! To the artery wall!<br />
Force it down, force it down, foul cholesterol!”<br />
Our appetites crazed, we soon looked like blimps.<br />
Our children lost focus, our manhood went limp.<br />
The doctor examined joints now wracked with pain<br />
And concluded the patients were old or insane.<br />
He chose Celebrex for muscles that ache,<br />
And added Cialis to the drugs we should take.<br />
“Now stick to your diet, and be of good cheer,<br />
If this doesn’t work, I’ll do lap-band next year!”Gabbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13360760845275253273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2912425567816820002.post-22311255279059318682011-12-30T10:48:00.000-05:002011-12-30T10:48:32.493-05:00More December Pictures Courtesy of Jimmy Moore<i>Sometimes, this blog is frustrating! On the previous post, it would not let me post any more of Jimmy's pictures for December, so here's a couple more:</i><br />
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Nutritional health apparently applies to electronics now:<br />
<img src="http://i574.photobucket.com/albums/ss187/livinlowcarbman/More%20great%20photos/Screenshot2011-12-23at20215PM.png?t=1324668821" /><br />
A lot has changed about how we get food, hasn’t it:<br />
<img src="http://i574.photobucket.com/albums/ss187/livinlowcarbman/More%20great%20photos/Screenshot2011-12-23at23830PM.png?t=1324669156" /><br />
As many diet and health books as I own, I could’ve done this:<br />
<img src="http://i574.photobucket.com/albums/ss187/livinlowcarbman/More%20great%20photos/Screenshot2011-12-23at15730PM.png" />Gabbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13360760845275253273noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2912425567816820002.post-52808147911402375362011-12-30T10:43:00.001-05:002011-12-30T10:45:01.135-05:00Pictures are Worth a Thousand Words Courtesy of Jimmy Moore<i>Good morning everyone. No, I haven't dropped off the face of the earth, but it has been just a <b>too</b> stressful holiday season, not the least of which was the first Christmas for all of us without my mother and then, food poisoning, courtesy of Wendy's on Christmas Eve! Well, we have survived it, and now I'm ready to move on with some constructive things for the New Year.</i><br />
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<i>So, to start out, take a look at Jimmy Moore's "Pictures are Worth a Thousand Words" for the month of December. They're always worth at least a chuckle here and there:</i><br />
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A Paleo nativity anyone? This one looks meat-y good:<br />
<img src="http://i574.photobucket.com/albums/ss187/livinlowcarbman/More%20great%20photos/Screenshot2011-12-23at15455PM.png?t=1324668261" /><br />
And no, this does not count as a “low-carb” treat:<br />
<img src="http://i574.photobucket.com/albums/ss187/livinlowcarbman/More%20great%20photos/Screenshot2011-12-23at15630PM.png" /><br />
Although, this made for a perfect “gag” gift this Christmas:<br />
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<img src="http://i574.photobucket.com/albums/ss187/livinlowcarbman/More%20great%20photos/Screenshot2011-12-23at15651PM.png?t=1324668444" />Gabbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13360760845275253273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2912425567816820002.post-20747946479368497532011-12-16T18:23:00.000-05:002011-12-16T18:23:37.082-05:00Utterly Addictive Pumpkin Seeds Courtesy of Dana Carpender<i>Today, I found a very interesting recipe for roasted pumpkin seeds on Dana Carpender's blog. When my brother Marc goes to North Carolina in the fall to close his summer house in the winter, he always brings me pumpkins, which I do all manner of things with. And the last thing I do after roasting a pumpkin to make savory pumpkin soup is roast the seeds. My recipe is a little different, as I usually toss my seeds in olive oil, and season with garlic and onion powder, and soy sauce. They make for a really nice salty snack.</i><br />
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<i>Dana' s recipe uses coconut oil and coconut aminos, which I'd never heard of. You might want to give this one a try as it uses coconut oil, which we know is an excellent source of fat for our WOE.</i><br />
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<b>Utterly Addictive Pumpkin Seeds</b><br />
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1 tablespoon coconut oil<br />
2 tablespoons coconut aminos<br />
1/4 teaspoon anchovy paste<br />
1/2 teaspoon Tabasco sauce or other Louisiana-style hot sauce<br />
1 teaspoon onion powder<br />
2/3 teaspoon garlic powder<br />
1 teaspoon seasoned salt<br />
2 cups squash kernels (shelled pumpkin seeds are, indeed, squash kernels.)<br />
Set oven to 250. Put the coconut oil in a roasting pan, and put it in the oven to melt as the oven heats.<br />
In the meanwhile, in a small dish, mix together the coconut aminos, anchovy paste, and tabasco sauce, stirring till the anchovy paste dissolves.<br />
In another small dish, mix together the onion powder, garlic powder, and seasoned salt.<br />
When the coconut oil is melted, pull the pan out and dump the pumpkin seeds in the pan. Stir till they're all coated with the oil. Now pour the coconut amino mixture over them, and stir again. Finally, sprinkle the seasoning blend over the whole thing, and stir to coat.<br />
Slide 'em in the oven, and set the timer for 20 minutes. When it beeps, stir 'em up, put 'em back, and set the timer for another 20. When it beeps again, check that they're dry. If not, give them another ten minutes. Assuming they are, pull them out. Either way, when they're dry and golden, let them cool and put them in a snap top container to store. Hide them in an obscure, hard to reach place if you hope for them to last longer than a day or two!<br />
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8 servings, each with: 299 Calories; 24g Fat ; 19g Protein; 8g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber; 6 grams usable carb.<br />
Note: Coconut aminos are a sauce quite similar to soy sauce -- to my taste a little sweeter -- but made from coconut sap. Great for those who wish to avoid all soy products, but still love Asian food. I've been using them for this paleo book. You could use soy sauce instead, if you wish; I might add a half-teaspoon or so of sweetener in that case.Gabbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13360760845275253273noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2912425567816820002.post-49218629979669089352011-12-16T18:11:00.000-05:002011-12-16T18:11:08.171-05:00Interesting Article Coouortesy of Tom Naughton<i>Today, I was yet doing a little catching up on my low carb reading, and Tom Naughton of the Fathead blog is a favorite of mine and makes for funny yet informative reading! I am just leaving a link for you since the two articles I found so interesting and funny were a little long to copy and paste. Read the first two articles on this link:</i><br />
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http://www.fathead-movie.com/Gabbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13360760845275253273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2912425567816820002.post-32542772353087366722011-12-12T09:40:00.000-05:002011-12-12T09:40:30.317-05:00Cholesterol Follies Courtesy of Tom Naughton<i>As you know, I've been trying to catch up reading and research of topics of importance for the OFL's. I have been reading back posts on Tom naughton's blog, Fathead, and this one really caught my interest. If you are one of the ones that are still being "suckered" by the pharmaceutical industry about high cholesterol, and especially if you are taking a statin for this, please take time to read the following article!</i><br />
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<i>I myself have permanent muscle damage due to the statin drug I was put on earlier this year. I only took it two months, and in that time went from strong to weak, with great muscle pain and frequent falls. My doctor thinks the damage is likely permanent. So, please do yourself a favor and read this post. For other references type cholesterol in the search box above. I feel this is such and important matter that I've copied and pasted the article for you rather than just a web address:</i><br />
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<h3 class="posttitle"><a href="http://www.fathead-movie.com/index.php/2011/12/01/more-cholesterol-follies/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent Link to More Cholesterol Follies">More Cholesterol Follies</a></h3><small> Posted by <a href="http://www.fathead-movie.com/index.php/author/admin/" title="Posts by Tom Naughton">Tom Naughton</a> in <a href="http://www.fathead-movie.com/index.php/category/bad-medicine/" rel="category tag" title="View all posts in Bad Medicine">Bad Medicine</a>, <a href="http://www.fathead-movie.com/index.php/category/bad-science/" rel="category tag" title="View all posts in Bad Science">Bad Science</a> </small> <em>“It’s no accident that we’re drug oriented, really. The drug companies got us that way and they’d like to keep us that way. It’s a simple thing. They start you early with the oral habit. Little orange flavored aspirin for children. (pop, pop) Two in the mouth, son. Something wrong with your head? (pop, pop) Two in the mouth. Remember that: head, mouth. (pop, pop) These are orange; there’ll be other colors later on.”<br />
– George Carlin</em><br />
I’m wondering what color the drug companies will choose for children’s statins. Maybe they’ll produce cherry-flavored pills shaped like the American Heart Association’s logo. Two in the mouth, son.<br />
I was hoping against hope the anti-cholesterol hysterics would never be foolish enough prescribe statins for kids, but a <a href="http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jsHmq10sbTPa7XYeNVNG8sMDs4nQ?docId=bc72dcc80ac64b328e0de3bb46af07d3" target="_blank">recent news article</a> suggests that’s where we’re headed:<br />
<span style="color: maroon;">More children should be screened for high cholesterol before puberty, beyond those with a family history of problems, according to wide-ranging new guidelines expected from government-appointed experts who are trying to prevent heart disease later in life.</span><br />
<span style="color: maroon;">Any call for wider screening is likely to raise concern about overdiagnosing a condition that may not cause problems for decades, if ever. Yet studies suggest that half of children with high cholesterol will also have it as adults, and it’s one of the best-known causes of clogged arteries that can lead to heart attacks.</span><br />
High cholesterol is one of the best-known causes of clogged arteries? Well, in that case, obviously most people who suffer heart attacks must have high cholesterol. We’ll come back to that.<br />
<span style="color: maroon;">About a third of U.S. children and teens are obese or overweight. And government studies estimate that about 10 to 13 percent of children and teens have high cholesterol — defined as a score above 200.</span><br />
Yup, that’s how high cholesterol is <em>defined</em>, all right. It was defined that way for an important scientific reason: the average cholesterol level among (non-statinated) adults is around 220. By defining a <em>normal </em>cholesterol level as <em>high</em>, the National Cholesterol Education Program (whose members nearly all had consulting contracts with statin-makers) turned millions of adults into instant patients. Now the statin-makers want to tap the kiddie market too.<br />
<span style="color: maroon;">A key change will be more aggressive recommendations for cholesterol screening and treatment in children, including a change in “the age at which we feel we can safely use statins,” said Dr. Reginald Washington, a pediatric heart specialist in Denver and member of the panel.</span><br />
I wasn’t aware that the safety of statins for children was based on feelings. I was thinking perhaps there should be some hard evidence involved.<br />
<span style="color: maroon;">The pediatrics academy already advises that some children as young as 8 can safely use these cholesterol-lowering medicines, sold as Lipitor, Zocor and in generic form. They are known to prevent heart disease and deaths in adults and are approved for use in children.</span><br />
Statins are <em>known to prevent heart disease and deaths in adults</em>? Let’s see what the science has to say on that. Here’s the <a href="http://www.theheart.org/article/1093495.do" target="_blank">conclusion of a meta-analysis</a> on the usefulness of statins for <em>primary prevention</em> – that is, preventing heart attacks in people who don’t already have heart disease:<br />
<span style="color: maroon;">A new meta-analysis of statins in the primary prevention of heart disease has not shown a significant reduction in all-cause mortality.</span><br />
Here’s the conclusion of <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17130382" target="_blank">a similar study</a>:<br />
<span style="color: maroon;">In patients without CV disease, statin therapy decreases the incidence of major coronary and cerebrovascular events and revascularizations, but not coronary heart disease or overall mortality.</span><br />
Statins may slightly reduce your chances of having a heart attack (if you already have several known risk factors), but they don’t reduce heart disease or overall mortality. So when a journalist tells you statins <em>are known to prevent heart disease and deaths in adults</em>, the journalist is making a statement that simply isn’t true.<br />
Statins are worthless for primary prevention. So at best, the kids would be taking a powerful drug they don’t need. At worst (and I expect the worst), the statins would starve their brains of cholesterol and destroy the mitochondria in their muscles – at exactly the time when their brains and muscles are developing rapidly. This is a disaster waiting to happen. With their brain development stunted at an early age, the only career paths open to these kids will be running for Congress or working for the FDA.<br />
<span style="color: maroon;">But there aren’t big studies showing that using them in children will prevent heart attacks years or decades later.</span><br />
Well then, by all means, let’s start giving statins to kids based on nothing more than anti-cholesterol hysteria — and our feelings. We needn’t bother waiting for those big studies. To paraphrase George McGovern, we don’t have time to wait for every last shred of evidence to come in.<br />
I said earlier that we’d come back to the statement that high cholesterol being <em>one of the best-known causes of clogged arteries</em>. If that’s true, then we’d expect most heart-attack victims to have high cholesterol. But that simply isn’t the case. Several months ago, I <a href="http://www.fathead-movie.com/index.php/2010/03/02/ldl-nonsense-is-taxing-my-sanity/" target="_blank">posted about a study</a> showing that nearly three-quarters of heart-attack victims have normal or even low LDL levels – and course, it’s LDL that statins beat into submission.<br />
If you look at heart disease rates and cholesterol levels around the world, you won’t find any correlation whatsoever. The French and the Swiss both have average cholesterol levels over 230. They also have the first and second lowest rates of heart disease among industrialized nations. Russians have an average cholesterol level of 190 – below that magic number of 200. Russians also have the highest rate of heart disease in Europe.<br />
In <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/11/17/us-life-saving-prescriptions-idUSTRE7AG2FM20111117" target="_blank">another recent news story</a> warning that (eek!) up to one-fifth of people with heart disease aren’t being good little patients and taking their statins, the truth about cholesterol and heart disease slips out again — although that wasn’t the intention of the article:<br />
<span style="color: maroon;">More than one in five people with heart disease aren’t getting life-saving statin drugs despite guidelines saying they should, a new study shows. Researchers looked at nearly 39,000 people who had experienced a heart attack or undergone heart surgery, and found about 8,600 people weren’t prescribed the cholesterol-lowering medications.</span><br />
Notice the reporter couldn’t resist referring to statins as “life-saving.” Bias? What bias? We don’t see any bias.<br />
Now for the paragraph where the truth slips out:<br />
<span style="color: maroon;">“Our study shows that half of untreated patients had low LDL levels,” said Dr. Suzanne Arnold of Saint Luke’s Mid America Heart Institute in Kansas City, who worked on the new findings. “This supports the assumption that some doctors may not think patients with low LDL levels need lipid-lowering medication,” she told Reuters Health.</span><br />
The patients in this study were people who already had a heart attack – and <em>half of them had low LDL levels</em>. If high cholesterol is <em>one of the best-known causes of clogged arteries</em>, then how the <em>@#$%</em> do we explain away the fact that at least half of the people who suffer heart attacks don’t have high cholesterol? And how on earth do we justify giving statins to kids just because they have “high” cholesterol?<br />
<span style="color: maroon;">But even in people with low LDL cholesterol, statins can provide a benefit, according to Arnold. “Statins do more than just lower cholesterol,” she said. “They also play a role in reducing plaque and inflammation in arteries. That benefits people regardless of their cholesterol levels.”</span><br />
Here’s a crazy idea, Dr. Arnold: Given what you just said, perhaps high cholesterol isn’t the problem. Perhaps inflammation is the problem, and the only reason statins provide any benefit at all is that they lower inflammation. We don’t need drugs to reduce inflammation. We can do that with a proper diet. Beating down our cholesterol levels isn’t a benefit of statins; it’s a nasty side-effect.<br />
<span style="color: maroon;">In some people, statins can cause muscle pain and stomach problems such as nausea, gas, diarrhea or constipation. And their long-term effect on muscle tissue is unknown.</span><br />
Yes, determining the long-term effect of statins on muscle tissue is tricky, especially since so many older people take statins. As my mom discovered, if you’re a senior citizen who takes statins and you complain to your doctor about muscle pain, your doctor will probably attribute the pain to old age.<br />
So here’s what we need to do: Let’s prescribe statins to a whole generation of kids. In just 20 years or so, we’ll finally know the long-term effects of statins on muscle tissue. I’m sure all those 30-year-olds in wheelchairs will be glad to know they contributed to medical science.Gabbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13360760845275253273noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2912425567816820002.post-63732887829849813182011-12-12T08:59:00.000-05:002011-12-12T08:59:14.558-05:00Oopsies Courtesy of Panda<i>One of our faithful OFL's, Panda, contributed this recipe for Oopsies. I am going to make some today. As you know, I've been getting myself back on track with the WOE and I think these would be excellent either as a sweet or savory snack. And I'll definitely make some for me while I'm baking holiday cookies, so I won't feel deprived. LOL!</i><br />
<i><br />
</i><br />
Oopsies<br />
3 egg whites whipped stiff with a 1/8 tsp cream of tartar<br />
3 oz cream cheese mixed thoroughly with 3 egg yolks. Add additional flavorings to yolk mix such as sweetener and cinnamon or savory as onion or garlic powder.<br />
Fold whites into yolk mixture. Make mounds on greased cookie sheet. Flatten tops. Bake for 30 minutes at 300 degrees. Let rest and cool before taking up. Should be moist, not crunchy.<br />
Some recipes call for adding 2 Tblspn almond flour or 3 Tblspn Flax meal to yolks to make them firmer.<br />
Or ricotta instead of cream cheese.<br />
Or 1/2 pkt SF Jello to yolks for Lemon Rolls.<br />
One recipe called to put them into a muffin tin but mine are too wet to come out of a tin easily.<br />
I have only made them a few times. I will be experimenting with them in the future.Gabbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13360760845275253273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2912425567816820002.post-59711675663251189242011-12-07T15:23:00.000-05:002011-12-07T15:23:25.921-05:00Low Carb Recipe Sites<i>As you may have read in my last post, I am on a quest to get back on track. So, I've been doing reading for inspiration today when time permits. One thing I found on one of the Atkins forums may be useful to everyone. It was on a thread introduced by someone off track who was just bored with her food. The advice given was to really vary her menu- she was eating the same things every day, every week, every meal- recipe for disaster! Being a former chef, I cannot deal with boring foods at all! I am always trying something new when I can. So, that being said, this is a list of sites for low carb recipes that you might find useful. I haven't looked at them all, so be sure and look at carb counts and don't automatically assume they are right for every phase.</i><br />
<br />
<br />
Your Lighter Side: <br />
<a href="http://blog.yourlighterside.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://blog.yourlighterside.com/</a> <br />
<br />
Yummly: <br />
<a href="http://www.yummly.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.yummly.com/</a> <br />
<br />
All Recipes: <br />
<a href="http://allrecipes.com/recipes/healthy-recipes/low-carb-diet/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://allrecipes.com/recipes/healthy-recipes/low-carb-diet/</a> <br />
<br />
Simply Recipes: <br />
<a href="http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/low_carb/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/low_carb/</a> <br />
<br />
Linda’s Low Carb Recipes: <br />
<a href="http://www.genaw.com/lowcarb/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.genaw.com/lowcarb/</a> <br />
<br />
Taste: <br />
<a href="http://www.taste.com.au/recipes/collections/low+carb" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.taste.com.au/recipes/collections/low+carb</a> <br />
<br />
Candice’s Low Carb Recipe Blog: <br />
<a href="http://www.ticklemysweettooth.com/blog/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.ticklemysweettooth.com/blog/</a> <br />
<br />
101 Cookbooks: <br />
<a href="http://www.101cookbooks.com/low_carb_recipes/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.101cookbooks.com/low_carb_recipes/</a> <br />
<br />
Sugar Free Low Carb Recipes: <br />
<a href="http://www.sugarfreelowcarbrecipes.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.sugarfreelowcarbrecipes.com/</a> <br />
<br />
Food Network: <br />
<a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/search/delegate.do?fnSearchString=George+Stella&fnSearchType=site" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.foodnetwork.com/search/delegate.do?fnSearchString=George+Stella&fnSearchType=site</a> <br />
<br />
Peggy’s Site (Atkins Community Member): <br />
<a href="http://buttoni.wordpress.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://buttoni.wordpress.com/</a> <br />
<br />
Baylor’s Site (Atkins Community Member): <br />
<a href="http://baylorandatkins.wordpress.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://baylorandatkins.wordpress.com/</a> <br />
<br />
Cori’s Low Carb Life (Atkins Community Member): <br />
<a href="http://corimalloy.wordpress.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://corimalloy.wordpress.com/</a> <br />
<br />
Tiger Talks: (Atkins Community Member): <br />
<a href="http://tigertye.wordpress.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://tigertye.wordpress.com/</a> <br />
<br />
Low Carb Luxury Kitchens: <br />
<a href="http://www.lowcarbluxury.com/lowcarb-recipes.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.lowcarbluxury.com/lowcarb-recipes.html</a> <br />
<br />
Low Carb Friends: <br />
<a href="http://www.lowcarbfriends.com/recipereview/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.lowcarbfriends.com/recipereview/</a> <br />
<br />
Atkins Community Members Yahoo Group Recipes: <br />
<a href="http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/Our_Atkins_Recipes/messages" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/Our_Atkins_Recipes/messages</a> <br />
<br />
Healthy Indulgences: <br />
<a href="http://www.healthyindulgences.net/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.healthyindulgences.net/</a> <br />
<br />
Low Carb Forum Recipes: <br />
<a href="http://forum.lowcarber.org/forumdisplay.php?f=96" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://forum.lowcarber.org/forumdisplay.php?f=96</a> <br />
<br />
Krys’ Low Carb Made Easy: <br />
<a href="http://lowcarbmadeeasy.com/category/recipes/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://lowcarbmadeeasy.com/category/recipes/</a> <br />
<br />
Deliciously Thin: <br />
<a href="http://www.deliciously-thin.com/three-ingredient-recipes.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.deliciously-thin.com/three-ingredient-recipes.html</a> <br />
<br />
A Veggie Venture: <br />
<a href="http://aveggieventuresrecipebox.blogspot.com/2005/03/low-carb-vegetable-recipes.html#low_carb_simple_sides" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://aveggieventuresrecipebox.blogspot.com/2005/03/low-carb-vegetable-recipes.html#low_carb_simple_sides</a> <br />
<br />
Primal Palate: <br />
<a href="http://www.primal-palate.com/p/recipes.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.primal-palate.com/p/recipes.html</a> <br />
<br />
Elana’s Pantry: <br />
<a href="http://www.elanaspantry.com/gluten-free-recipes/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.elanaspantry.com/gluten-free-recipes/</a> <br />
<br />
Dessert Stalker: <br />
<a href="http://www.dessertstalker.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.dessertstalker.com/</a> <br />
<br />
Low Carb Cookworx: <br />
<a href="http://lowcarbcookworx.proteinpower.com/episodes/index.php" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://lowcarbcookworx.proteinpower.com/episodes/index.php</a>Gabbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13360760845275253273noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2912425567816820002.post-48514873900004578522011-12-07T08:48:00.000-05:002011-12-07T08:48:48.498-05:00Some Low Carb Thoughts for the Upcoming Holidays via Dana Carpender<i>Well, folks, I went for my checkup with the doc yesterday, and found out that I've been fooling myself! Blood pressure was okay, don't know about cholesterol (don't care anyway- I would rather take arsenic than a statin drug,) BUT I've gained 8 pounds in the four months since I last saw her! I've been going along thinking that if I mostly did low carb and occasionally had potatoes, rice, bread, etc., it wouldn't matter. Obviously, it did! Soooo... yesterday, I literally had to force myself to go back to Atkins induction totally. </i><br />
<br />
<i>And it was hard! Maybe not as hard as the first time I did Atkins, because I know for sure the rewards of sticking with it, but still hard. On the way home from the doc's office at lunch time, I was doing my usual stinking thinking and thought it wouldn't hurt to just pick up a piece of fried chicken. Screech went the brakes of my mind- I went a mile out of my way to get a Subway salad with oil and vinegar only. I knew I just wouldn't make anything low carb if I went home. The rest of the day was a fight, also- it would've been much easier to make a sandwich last night. But I didn't, and loaded up on protein and fat instead. One of the things that have been happening to me while I've been dabbling with the carbs is that I would wake in the middle of the night HUNGRY! I would get up, fix a piece of toast and be even more starving by breakfast.</i> <br />
<br />
<i>This morning, I literally forced myself to make an omelet with ham, and I have just spent a few minutes planning out the rest of my food day. I CANNOT let this weight creep go on!! So, in the interest of doing this right, I began going back and reading different articles from my favorite low carb gurus. No matter what religion you are, you probably have a holiday coming up soon, and each one has its food traditions- much of which are high carb. So, I again read Dana Carpender's transcript of her pod cast before Thanksgiving. It deals with low carb alternatives and what to do about food pushers. I know we all have at least one food pusher in the family- "here, have some of this- it won't hurt you." Well, YES IT WILL! I think everyone can benefit from reading Dana's comments on Thanksgiving and applying them to the upcoming holidays. So, take a little time and read:</i><br />
<br />
http://danaslowcarbforlife.com/419/31-thanksgiving-pep-talk-dare-say-no-thanks-recipes-more/Gabbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13360760845275253273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2912425567816820002.post-30594112323250204672011-12-06T12:26:00.000-05:002011-12-06T12:26:23.773-05:00Surprising News about Vitamin D Deficiency Courtesy of Dr. Ben Kim<i>As most of you regulars know, I read Dr. Ben Kim's newsletter and it often contains really valuable information at times. I don't subscribe to his diet views, but other things are very useful. Today, I read about Vitamin D and what deficiency of it will really do to us. I never knew! And also how to get enough of it. Surprisingly, we all need some exposure to sunlight for optimal amounts of it. So, have a read at what he has to say:</i><br />
<br />
http://www.drbenkim.com/vitamin-d-facts.htmGabbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13360760845275253273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2912425567816820002.post-10794680220284324062011-12-04T13:51:00.001-05:002011-12-05T07:30:15.447-05:00An Irirsh Blessing Courtesy of Sharon.<i>Our dear and faithful OFL, Sharon sent this Thanksgiving week, and as you know, I'm just now catching up on the blog. This is enjoyable reading even if it is a legend!</i><br />
<br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><div><span style="font-family: Arial;">I don't know if this is true, and I'm fairly sure it's a legend... but the Italians say <i>si non e' vero, e' ben trovato</i>. Which means, if it's not true, it's a clever invention. </span></div><div></div><div><span style="font-family: Arial;">Hugs,</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Arial;">Sharon</span></div><div><br />
<b><span style="color: green;">His name was Fleming, and he was a poor Scottish farmer. One day, while trying to make a living for his family, he heard a cry for help coming from a nearby bog. He dropped his tools<br />
and ran to the bog.</span></b></div><div><b><span style="color: green;">There, mired to his waist in black muck, was a terrified boy, screaming and struggling to free himself. Farmer Fleming saved the lad from what could have been a slow and terrifying death.<br />
The next day, a fancy carriage pulled up to the Scotsman's sparse surroundings. An elegantly dressed nobleman stepped out and introduced himself as the father of the boy Farmer Fleming had saved.<br />
<br />
'I want to repay you,' said the nobleman. 'You saved my son's life.'<br />
'No, I can't accept payment for what I did,' the Scottish farmer replied waving off the offer. At that moment, the farmer's own son came to the door of the family hovel.<br />
'Is that your son?' the nobleman asked.<br />
'Yes,' the farmer replied proudly.<br />
'I'll make you a deal. Let me provide him with the level of education my own son will enjoy If the lad is anything like his father, he'll no doubt grow to be a man we both will be proud of.' And that he did.<br />
<br />
Farmer Fleming's son attended the very best schools and in time, graduated fromSt. Mary's Hospital Medical School in London, and went on to become known throughout the world as the noted Sir Alexander Fleming, the discoverer of Penicillin.<br />
Years afterward, the same nobleman's son who was saved from the bog was stricken with pneumonia.<br />
<br />
What saved his life this time? Penicillin.The name of the nobleman? Lord Randolph Churchill .. His son's name?<br />
Sir Winston Churchill.<br />
</span></b></div><div><b><span style="color: green;">Someone once said: What goes around comes around..<br />
Work like you don't need the money.<br />
Love like you've never been hurt.<br />
Dance like nobody's watching.<br />
Sing like nobody's listening..</span></b></div><div><b><span style="color: green;">Live like it's Heaven on Earth.<br />
<br />
It's National Friendship Week Send this to everyone you consider A FRIEND.<br />
<br />
Pass this on, and brighten some ones day.<br />
<br />
AN IRISH FRIENDSHIP WISH: <br />
I hope it works...<br />
<br />
May there always be work for your hands to do;<br />
<br />
May your purse always hold a coin or two;<br />
<br />
May the sun always shine on your windowpane;<br />
<br />
May a rainbow be certain to follow each rain;<br />
<br />
May the hand of a friend always be near you;<br />
May God fill your heart with gladness to cheer you.<br />
<br />
and may you be in heaven a half hour before the devil knows you're dead.<br />
<br />
OK, this is what you have to do.... Send this to all of your friends.<br />
<br />
But - you HAVE to send this within 1 hour from when you open it!<br />
<br />
Now......Make A wish!! I hope you made your wish!</span></b></div><div></div></span>Gabbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13360760845275253273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2912425567816820002.post-30105768669372723432011-12-04T12:50:00.000-05:002011-12-04T12:50:16.691-05:00Low Carb Vegetable Recipes<i>Once again, Elaine has done us a BIG favor. She found this site with numerous low carb veggie recipes! If you are like me, I get bored with the same old thing. It will take you quite a while to get bored if you work your way through all these!</i><br />
<br />
http://aveggieventuresrecipebox.blogspot.com/2005/03/low-carb-vegetable-recipes.htmlGabbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13360760845275253273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2912425567816820002.post-23081126329596205982011-12-04T12:18:00.000-05:002011-12-04T12:18:45.586-05:00Low Carb Pumpkin Cheesecake Courtesy of Elaine<i>Elaine, one of our OFL's, posted this link for a low carb pumpkin cheesecake. Sounds really good! For those of you who are new to reading this blog, there is also a low carb pumpkin custard on here. I just went ahead and copied and pasted the recipe for you.</i><br />
<br />
<div class="summary" id="intro">Pumpkin cheesecake can make a nice change from pumpkin pie. This version is richly spiced. The crust is thicker than the regular <a href="http://lowcarbdiets.about.com/od/desserts/r/lcarbcheesecake.htm">low-carb cheesecake</a>, but if you want a thinner crust, the other one can be used. If you want a cheesecake that isn't as rich, you can use lower fat cream cheese, though I haven't specifically tested it with more than 1 package of the cream cheese being low fat. </div><h3 id="rI">Ingredients:</h3><ul><li class="ingredient">Crust:</li>
<li class="ingredient">1 ½ cups almond meal</li>
<li class="ingredient">½ teaspoon each of ginger and cinnamon</li>
<li class="ingredient">4 Tablespoons melted butter</li>
<li class="ingredient">4 Tablespoons sugar substitute</li>
<li class="ingredient">Filling:</li>
<li class="ingredient">3 8 oz packages cream cheese at room temperature</li>
<li class="ingredient">2 ½ teaspoons cinnamon</li>
<li class="ingredient">1 teaspoon nutmeg</li>
<li class="ingredient">¾ teaspoon ginger</li>
<li class="ingredient">¼ teaspoon allspice</li>
<li class="ingredient">¼ teaspoon cloves</li>
<li class="ingredient">½ teaspoon salt</li>
<li class="ingredient">1 ½ cups sugar substitute, or to taste - I like Sweetzfree (see below)</li>
<li class="ingredient">1 can (about 15 oz) <a href="http://lowcarbdiets.about.com/od/carbcounts/a/pumpkin.htm">pumpkin</a></li>
<li class="ingredient">1 Tablespoon vanilla</li>
<li class="ingredient">5 eggs, preferably room temperature</li>
<li class="ingredient">½ cup heavy cream</li>
</ul><h3 id="rP">Preparation:</h3>Heat oven to 375 F. Prepare springform pan: I like to put a piece of parchment paper over the bottom of the pan -- no need to cut it to size, just snap it into place when you put the tighten the sides. Wrap the bottom and sides of the pan in heavy-duty foil. You'll be baking the cheesecake with the springform pan set in a baking pan half-full of boiling water, so you want to protect from leaks. <br />
<br />
1) Combine ingredients for crust, and press into the bottom of a springform pan. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until fragrant and beginning to brown.<br />
<br />
2) Beat cream cheese until fluffy. Scrape sides of bowl and beaters. This step will be repeated several times and is important. The mixture will gradually become lighter, and the denser stuff has a tendency to cling to the bowl. You won't be able to incorporate it as well later, so keep scraping.<br />
<br />
3) Add spices and sweetener. Beat again, scrape again.<br />
<br />
4) Add pumpkin and vanilla. Beat well, scrape.<br />
<br />
5) Add 3 eggs. Beat well (about a minute), scrape.<br />
<br />
6) Add the other 2 eggs and cream and beat another minute. Pour mixture into pan over crust.<br />
<br />
7) Place pan in a baking pan and pour boiling water around the sides, about halfway up. Lower the oven temperature to 325 F. and bake for for 60 to 90 minutes, checking often after an hour. When the cake is firm to touch but slightly soft in the center, or the center reaches 150 to 155 F, remove from oven.<br />
<br />
8) Remove sides from pan. Let the cheesecake cool to room temperature, or up to 3 hours. Cover and chill, ideally for another 3 to 4 hours.<br />
<br />
<b>Nutritional Information for full fat cream cheese, at 16 servings:</b> Each serving has 4 grams <a href="http://lowcarbdiets.about.com/od/glossary/g/glosstermecc.htm"> effective carbohydrate</a> plus 2 grams fiber, 5 grams protein, and 285 calories.Gabbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13360760845275253273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2912425567816820002.post-56011987882778638752011-12-04T10:37:00.000-05:002011-12-04T10:37:04.370-05:00Chicken Chips Courtesy of Dana Carpender<i>I read about these in Dana's blog quite some time ago, and to be frank, the sound of them just didn't turn me on, so I never posted it here and never tried them. There is a new post in her blog with how to make them again. I got to thinking about it, and if you eat pork rinds, you are eating pig skin deep dried to a crunch. I never hesitate to eat chicken skin that is roasted, so I think I'll try these.</i><br />
<br />
<h1 class="title">Chicken Chips</h1><span class="taxonomy"><ul class="links inline"><li class="taxonomy_term_4 first"><a href="http://holdthetoast.com/taxonomy/term/4" rel="tag" title="Frequently Asked Questions">FAQ</a></li>
<li class="taxonomy_term_5 last"><a href="http://holdthetoast.com/taxonomy/term/5" rel="tag" title="Low Carbohydrate Recipes">Recipes</a></li>
</ul></span> <img alt="" height="96" src="http://holdthetoast.com/sites/default/files/resize/post-images/Chicken%2005-120x96.png" style="float: right; height: 96px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; width: 120px;" title="" width="120" />It seems like every time Dana mentions "Chicken Chips" in any blog entry or post on Facebook, someone will ask, "What are chicken chips???" (The other common question is about fat-fasting. We'll get to that shortly.) So we decided to give Chicken Chips a page of their own, with an easy link that can be quickly used pretty much anywhere.<br />
<strong>Ingredients:</strong><br />
Chicken skin<br />
Salt<br />
1) Preheat the oven to 375^F.<br />
2) Take any and all chicken skin you have on hand -- chunks of chicken fat will work, too -- and spread them out as flat as you can on the broiler rack.<br />
3) Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the skin gets brown and crunchy (thicker pieces take longer than thinner ones). Sprinkly with salt and eat like chips -- these are not to be believed!<br />
Yield: This will totally depend on how much chicken skin you bake, but here's the info that really matters: There's no carbohydrates in here <em>at all!</em><br />
(From Dana's best-selling <span> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/500-Low-Carb-Recipes-Snacks-Dessert/dp/1931412065%3FSubscriptionId%3DAKIAJWNV2NMZAF7WXOUQ%26tag%3Dlowcarbohysoluti%26linkCode%3Dxm2%26camp%3D2025%26creative%3D165953%26creativeASIN%3D1931412065" rel="nofollow">500 Low-Carb Recipes: 500 Recipes from Snacks to Dessert, That the Whole Family Will Love</a></span> , page 244.)Gabbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13360760845275253273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2912425567816820002.post-23467212704170733872011-11-17T18:20:00.000-05:002011-11-17T18:20:45.481-05:00Just Some Thoughts on Thanksgiving Courtesy of Dana Carpender<i>OK, we all need to pay attention here. The dreaded holidays are coming! And for those of you who were children of mixed marriages like I am, it means more holidays than our strictly Christian sisters and brothers have! We have Channukah, too! Having been on low carb for a good while (since March of 2010,) I proved to myself I could get through holidays on low carb. I had to seriously readjust my mind set! Holidays and family DID NOT have to mean overindulgence! I got through Thanksgiving eating pumpkin custard instead of pumpkin pie- mine was sweetened with Splenda. I ate no dressing- no potatoes, but I pigged out on turkey with a little gravy on it, deviled eggs, celery stuffed with cream cheese, greens (so near and dear to the hearts of southerners,) and anything else I could find low carb. I got through Aunt Judy's Channukah celebration eating low carb and yes, I ate matzoh ball soup without the matzoh balls. I never was truly impressed with matzoh balls anyway.</i><br />
<br />
<i>All this being said, we NEED to plan ahead. And I think Dana Carpender's article about the impending holidays is good advice. I truly believe that if you plan on indulgence, it has to be something you just truly love! Not something you eat "because we always have that on Thanksgiving."</i><br />
<i><br />
</i><br />
<i>Take time and read Dana's blog article and start planning. If you don't plan now, it's like a minefield for the next month and a half! Is it really worth it to wake on January 2nd 10 pounds heavier??</i><br />
<br />
http://holdthetoast.com/content/thanksgiving-planningGabbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13360760845275253273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2912425567816820002.post-64406679183551074262011-11-15T17:16:00.000-05:002011-11-15T17:16:19.664-05:00Boost Your Immune System with Roasted Garlic Soup from Dr. Ben Kim<i>As most of you know, I take Dr. Ben Kim's newsletter. He is a wonderful man, and I only part ways with his advice when it comes to carbs. I have used this soup base many times. I do not use the garlic bread at all, and sometimes, I add chicken or other veggies to it. It's wonderful, especially when you have a cold or flu. And garlic is a powerful boost to the immune system! Do not be afraid of the amount of garlic- just be sure to roast it- that takes away the heavy pungent taste and turns the garlic into sheer delight. When the garlic is roasted perfectly, you can squeeze it out of the cloves like it was butter. So good! So give this a try! Ignore the garlic toast!</i><br />
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http://drbenkim.com/roasted-garlic-soup-recipeGabbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13360760845275253273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2912425567816820002.post-88086974590212066912011-11-15T10:43:00.001-05:002011-11-15T10:44:27.758-05:00Tom Naughton on "Low Carb" Foods<i>I have just caught up on Tom Naughton's low carb blog and I found this little article about so-called low carb foods interesting. I am like many others. When I just started going low carb, I snatched up practically any food labeled low carb. And like Tom and others, I began to have suspicions about whether certain things were really low carb as they claimed. Over time, I have come to believe that mostly "they are too good to be true." Have a read at what Tom has to say. Also there's a video of Jimmy Moore's interview with the chief honcho at Dreamfields Pasta- very interesting and telling!</i><br />
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http://www.fathead-movie.com/index.php/2011/05/19/low-carb-pasta-in-your-dreams/Gabbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13360760845275253273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2912425567816820002.post-3705705824203192042011-11-15T10:16:00.000-05:002011-11-15T10:16:34.003-05:00Be Very Afraid of Big Pharma! Not Cholesterol!<i>This morning, as I was eating my lovely cholesterol-laden breakfast of bacon and fried eggs, I tried to catch up on some of me reading to pass on to you. There was a great article by Dana Carpender on her blog, and I am FURIOUS!! If you are one of the ones that still worries about cholesterol, you need to read this article. Also, read the article by Dr. Duane Graveline on statin drugs and what they do to the human body. Before I became informed about the great cholesterol con, I allowed myself to be put on a statin drug. In less than a week, I had muscle pain and weakness, and went from walking normally to having to use a cane. Some of the side effects have never gone away, but luckily, I got smart sooner than later. If you are taking a statin, this is NOT good! So here's Dana's article and a couple of others that you should definitely read!</i><br />
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http://holdthetoast.com/content/despicable-diabolical-beyond-homicidal<br />
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http://www.spacedoc.com/rest_of_my_story.html<br />
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http://www.spacedoc.com/statins_a_critical_review.htm<br />
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http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-mercola/the-cholesterol-myth-that_b_676817.html?utm_source=DailyBrief&utm_campaign=081210&utm_medium=email&utm_content=BlogEntryGabbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13360760845275253273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2912425567816820002.post-82428496128457652782011-11-11T08:44:00.000-05:002011-11-11T08:44:49.203-05:00It's Almost Thanksgiving- Let's Count Blessings<i>This post on another forum besides Old Fat Ladies was shared by Elaine, one of our newer and faithful members. We all have moments when nothing seems right, but this particular post struck something in me! I hope it will do the same for you!</i><br />
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It's early and I couldn't sleep. The past year has been excessively stressful. First, my grandma broke her arm, then my Dad had a heart attack, same day as that I was having a biopsy for a mass. My mass was benign, but my Dad had to have a 5-way bypass. Then I had my surgery to remove my mass. The everyone got an uber cold/flu and was sick for about 5 months, I had 6 or 7 rounds of antibiotics. <br />
We had just gotten to the point everyone was good. Then my Hubby got sick and had his gallbladder removed. Same day as that, my grandma fell again and broke the same arm. We had to stay with her 24/7 while she recuperated. Then in August, a branch fell on my Mom, and a stick punctured about 4 inches into her brain. She is doing a lot better now, but has a long recovery ahead of her. Things were just starting to even out, when we got a call that our nephew was killed in a car accident. <br />
It is just one of those mornings where it all really hit me, weird dreams I guess. And while it all sounds like a bad soap opera, I keep thinking of all the good things that can be found in it all. <br />
My dad not only survived his heart attack and surgery, but is taking better care of himself. <br />
My Hubby feels better than he has in years after having his gallbladder removed. <br />
My grandma, she has broken that arm 4 times, this time she allowed it to be plated and has less arthritis pain in that wrist now. <br />
My Mom, she didn't lose her eye, still has brain function, and while she needs a reconstructive surgery so the eyelid will close properly...her guardian angel was working overtime. <br />
My nephew, his kids were always with him. But not when he had his accident. <br />
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Even though all of that has happened, look at all of the things I have to be thankful for. So, can everyone take a moment please, and list something you are thankful for?<br />
<div class="ClearFix"> <div class="Ratings"> <div class="Label"> </div></div></div><div class="replySpacer"> </div>Gabbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13360760845275253273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2912425567816820002.post-36222111996143654202011-10-30T15:35:00.000-04:002011-10-30T15:35:37.165-04:00Omelet Making for the Omelet Impaired<i>In culinary school, I had to learn to make a proper omelet and be graded on it, but I didn't LIKE it! Let's face it- flipping an omelet can be hard. I know- some people can make the perfect omelet every time- sigh...I passed that phase of my course, and really never did it again. After that, I cheated! </i>Here's how I do it now.<br />
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For a two egg omelet, first begin with a non-stick skillet. It absolutely doesn't have to be expensive. I have used the best cookware over the years, and finally discovered that a non-stick skillet that costs seventy dollars and has a designer name on it really lasts no longer than one that you buy for six bucks (that is, the non-stick part.) That part all wears off eventually. So, now, I go to the Dollar store and get one for six bucks. The non stick part lasts just as well and the pan does the job I want.<br />
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So, for a two egg omelet, first liberally coat your skillet with olive or coconut oil. Put it on the burner over medium heat and let it heat while you are getting your eggs ready. Break your eggs into a bowl that is deep enough for ferocious whisking, add 1 teaspoon olive oil and really whisk till the eggs are a lighter color and very frothy. Pour the eggs into the heated skillet and let them sit and slowly cook. As the bottom just begins to set, take your spatula and go around the edges, releasing some of the egg beyond the borders of the omelet. Let it cook a little while longer, and then flip. To flip, take a really wide spatula and put it under one edge and gently turn that side to the middle of the omelet. Then, go to the opposite side and repeat, but this time, flip that side onto the omelet side you have already cooked. Let it slowly cook till set and scoop it out onto a plate with that really wide spatula.<br />
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I buy a non-stick appropriate spatula that is about five or six inches wide. This helps control the omelet when flipping, and also makes it easy to get the omelet out of the pan without breaking.<br />
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Note: if you are using veggies for fillers, you must cook them prior to putting them in the center of the omelet. If you use veggies or cheese, place them in a line along the center of the omelet before beginning the flipping. I usually saute my veggies in the same skillet and when they are done, scoop them into a bowl, add a little more oil, and then begin the omelet.<br />
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Also, eggs are much more tasty if they are cooked slowly. Don't use high heat. <br />
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This method works every time, and it doesn't make me irritable by breaking before I get it out to the plate. Give it a try- it really works!.Gabbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13360760845275253273noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2912425567816820002.post-91450055315455464142011-10-26T16:48:00.000-04:002011-10-26T16:48:37.521-04:00I Couldn't Resist- Another Picture is Worth 100 Words by Jimmy Moore<i>This one says it all. I just don't know where Jimmy finds all these, but this is one I LOVE!!</i><br />
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And finally, I could “bear”ly contain myself when I saw this cute cartoon about a big grizzly lamenting being on the Atkins low-carb diet:<br />
<img src="http://i574.photobucket.com/albums/ss187/livinlowcarbman/More%20great%20photos/Screenshot2011-10-20at93457AM.png" />Gabbyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13360760845275253273noreply@blogger.com0