'Magical' Fiber

Recently I read about a study which claimed that people who added more fiber to their diets -- without changing anything else -- lost almost as much weight as people who followed a diet recommended by the American Heart Association. Now if you've read Ketones Aren't From Motown you know what I think about the AHA's dietary recommendations…and that I feel that

Fiber is almost 'magical'!  

Fiber allows us to eat more carbs and aides our digestive system to help 'move' things along through our intestines -  a true benefit for anyone who has ever experienced constipation. But fiber does more than just keeps us regular. The rough stuff can also help lower cholesterol, and may even help us live longer. While in reality fiber has no real magical fat-burning properties, it does help us feel full which keeps us from overeating. Fiber makes us full because it swells in our stomach when it absorbs liquid.
I can hear you saying to yourself, "How can I get my hands on some fiber?!" You'll find the most bang for your buck in nuts and beans, and in the skin, seeds, and membranes of your fruits and veggies. Fiber is the part of plant foods — vegetables, fruits, beans, nuts, legumes, and seeds — that your body can't digest. It moves quickly through your system and, as an added benefit it doesn't cause your blood sugar to rise as other carbs do. So, rather than scooping grapefruit out with a spoon, try peeling it like an orange and eating it. Don't peel your apples and peaches or try eating a kiwi whole -skin on- for more fiber! If that sounds a little too fuzzy for your taste buds try eating berries like raspberries, blueberries and strawberries. Whole berries are some of the best sources of fiber.
One more thing to keep in mind is that there are actually two types of fiber: Insoluble and Soluble. Insoluble fiber helps food pass through your digestive system. Soluble fiber helps eliminate fat and lower cholesterol. It attaches to cholesterol particles and takes them out of the body, as well as causing sugar and fat to enter your bloodstream at a slower rate, giving you a steady supply of energy. Sounds pretty magical to me!  If you want to incorporate more fiber into your Ketone Friendly diet try a "Fat Shake" I found on one of my resource blogs written by Peter Attia:

“Fat Shake”
In a blender: 8 oz heavy whipping cream, 8 oz sugar-free almond milk; 25 gm sugar-free hydrolyzed whey protein or other low carb protein powder, 2-3 frozen strawberries)
One last thing: Women should try to eat 25 grams of fiber a day, and men should try for 38 grams.  

Unraveling the Mystery of Ketones

What's been your most recent challenge?  Mine was talking in front of a group of people and trying to explain this chart! 
 

Well…sort of... Just as in my book Ketones Aren't From Motown I did my best to speak to aspects of this scientific chart by using simple to understand, 'everyday' language.   While preparing for my 'speaking engagement' I researched several questions I've pondered about Ketones. Maybe you've had some of the same questions.  Read on to see if I can answer some of the unknowns of Ketones…

Q: The beauty of eating 'Keto'  is that you can splurge for a day or a weekend and not see any negative results on the scale. Why is that? More to the point, if my 'carb tank' is nearly empty, how many carbs can I consume before they start spilling over into my fat cells?

A: The answer is about 2000 calories, or 500 grams of carbs. That's A LOT of carbs! And your brain is going to snatch up and use about 100 to 120 grams of that in a day.  If you remember reading in Ketones Aren't From Motown, your blood stream, liver and muscles (aka your 'carb tank') store glucose from carbohydrates for energy. It's not until these store houses are filled that you begin to store it in your fat cells, and if you're used to eating Keto-Friendly you'd have to be pretty deliberate to eat 500 grams of carbs in a day.

Q: When we lose weight, where does the fat go?

A: Brace yourself!  The average person has between 10 billion and 30 billion fat cells!  And they do not go away when you lose weight!  Depending on how many carbs you're eating your fat cells are either shrinking or swelling.  After your 'carb tank' is full your body begins storing the extra glucose in your fat cells as a future energy source as a lovely survival mechanism (our bodies are WONDERFULLY made!).  As your fat cells swell so does your belly, hips and thighs!  Conversely, when you use Ketones to turn your body into a fat burning factory your fat cells shrink and so does your body!  Isn't that cool?!

Q: When eating Keto-Friendly you want to be sure to eat plenty of protein - actually in ANY weight loss plan you don't want to cheat your body of protein or it will take what it needs from your LBM -your lean body mass (aka your muscles).  But when eating 'plenty of protein' can the excess protein eventually be turned into fat?

A: After reading dozens of studies it seems that the excess protein your body doesn’t use up may actually be added to your LBM (lean body mass).  One study I read, done In 2012 by George A. Bray and colleagues, watched a group of people who ate 1,000 calories above their daily needs for 8 weeks.  Some of the subjects ate low protein, high carbohydrate diets while others ate low carb, high protein diets.  At the end of the study, all subjects gained close to the same amount of weight. However the subjects who ate the highest amounts of protein gained the least amount of weight, gained less body fat than the others and the weight gained was actually attributed to the gain in LBM.  Not a bad reason to gain a few kilograms.  I have read that eating exorbitant amounts of protein will adversely affect the kidneys and that going beyond the recommendations in Ketones Aren't From Motown may cause ketogenesis to decline, but by sticking to the guidelines in my book you should be fine.

I hope this addresses someone's question as it did mine.  In the future I plan to address a few other questions I've wondered about, like:

• I've heard that drastically cutting back on calorie intake causes your metabolism to slow down - how drastic is 'drastic' and where does intermittent fasting fit into this picture? 

• What exactly is so magical about fiber? For that matter what IS fiber anyway?

• What is FAT (the kind we eat, that is), can I eat too much fat and why is fat good for fat loss?

• What does insulin do and what role does it play in fat loss?

Thank you for reading my blog! If you liked reading and/or benefited from my book please recommend it to friends. Thanks!

Sierra's Cloud Bread

Sierra's Peruvian Cloud Bread

My amazing niece Sierra sent me this amazing recipe to me from Peru and I LOVE it!  I call it Sierra's "Cloud Bread" because the texture is light and airy, unlike so many gluten free breads that tend to be dense and tasteless.  This is a wonderful, low carb, full of protein substitute for bread, buns or rolls.  Smothered in peanut butter like a sandwich or on the side with a bowl of chili or soup, it's the perfect, low carb, ketone friendly complement!

3 eggs, separated

3 Tablespoons cream cheese

¼ teaspoon cream of tartar

1/2 Tablespoon honey

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Separate the eggs -in one bowl place egg whites and in a separate bowl, mix together the egg yolks, cream cheese and honey until smooth.

In the egg white bowl add cream of tartar to the whites and beat the whites on high speed until they are fluffy and form stiff "peaks".  Gently fold the egg yolk mixture into the egg whites. Spoon the mixture into 10 even rounds on the baking sheet* and put it in the oven. Bake for 17-20 minutes on the middle rack. 

*optionally add a dash or salt, garlic powder, 1 Tablespoon Parmesan cheese, or sprinkle with rosemary before cooking. Makes 10 clouds.

Each Cloud has

39 calories

1carb

3 fat

2 protein

0 fiber

Happy Valentine's Day!

With Valentine's Day in just a few days here are a few Ketosis Friendly, Low Car ideas to keep you and your Valentine Happy!  Enjoy!

Dark Chocolate Sea Salted Almond Clusters

Coarsely chop 1 cup raw, unsalted almonds

Melt ¾ cup DARK chocolate chips

To melt in microwave , cook on high 1 minute, stir, then 20 seconds, stir, 20 seconds, stir … until chocolate is smooth. Stir in almonds & drop by heaping teaspoon on to a wax paper lined cookie sheet, sprinkle with sea salt if desired, and cool in fridge till set. Then lick the spoon & bowl.

Three clusters contain approximately

153 calories

8 carbs

12 fats

3 proteins

Sweetheart Meringue Cookies

These lovely little low carb treasures are crunchy on the outside and chewy on the inside. A drop or two of red food color added with the vanilla will make a sweet Valentine treat. Made as follows they are low in carbs but by omitting the chocolate they are just as tasty and have a scant 3 carbs each.  Bet you can't eat just one!

2 large egg whites at room temperature

1/2 tsp cream of tartar

1/2 cup sugar

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 cup dark chocolate, finely chopped

1/2 cup pecans, finely chopped

Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper.  Preheat oven to 350. Using electric mixer beat egg whites until foamy. Add the cream of tartar and beat until fluffy. Add the one half of the sugar gradually then add vanilla (& food color if desired). Slowly add the remaining sugar and beat until sugar is dissolved and the meringue is very shiny and mixture holds it's shape.  Gently fold in chocolate chips and nuts. Place one teaspoon of mixture onto prepared cookie sheets leaving 1inch space between cookies. Turn oven OFF and place cookies in oven and leave cookies in oven, undisturbed, for at least 2 hours or overnight. Makes 36 cookies.

Each cookie with chocolate

Calories 36

Carbs 4.5

Fat  2

Protein .5

Each cookie without chocolate

Calories 24

Carbs 3

Fat 1

Protein .5

Chocolate & Peanut Butter Cups

If you are a dark chocolate lover, these are the best! Homemade dark chocolate envelopes creamy almond butter to create handcrafted peanut butter cups!

2/3 cups cocoa powder

5 Tbsp coconut oil

1/2 tsp vanilla

1 Tbsp honey

3 Tbsp peanut butter

Coconut oil for coating muffin tin*

Using a paper towel, rub a little coconut oil on the bottom of 6 muffin tins.  Place cocoa powder into a small bowl.  If coconut oil is solid, measure and heat a few seconds in microwave or on stove top to bring to liquid.  Add coconut oil to cocoa powder and stir till smooth. Add vanilla and honey and stir well. Voila!  You have homemade dark chocolate sauce!  (If you find the chocolate is too dark for your liking you may add more honey, a little at a time, but this will change the carb/calorie/fat content. Personally I LOVED the dark chocolate on these PB cups!)

Place about a tablespoon of chocolate in a prepared muffin tin and repeat with other 5 muffin bottoms.  Place in freezer about 5 minutes or until chocolate hardens.  "Plop" 1/2 tablespoon of prepared peanut butter on top, flattening it to almost the edges of the muffin tin, if needed.  Cover each cup with the remaining chocolate, distributing it evenly over the 6 cups and 'sealing' the almond butter inside. Place in freezer until chocolate hardens, about 5-10 minutes. Remove muffin tin from freezer and turn over on to clean counter and gently tap to remove.  Let it sit for a few minutes or enjoy at once! Keep chilled if being stored.

*I used silicone muffin liners so I did not need to coat them with coconut oil and they 'popped' right out without any coaxing.

Dark Chocolate Covered Strawberries

A decadent, low carb treat!

¾ cup of Dark Chocolate Chips, melted
8 large (1.5”) strawberries, washed and dried

Coarse Sea Salt (optional)

In a wide coffee mug melt chocolate chips in microwave on high 1 minute, stir, then 20 seconds, stir, 20 seconds, stir … until chocolate is smooth.  Stir well in between heating or chocolate may burn.  Starting with largest strawberry, hold onto the leafy part of the strawberry, dip and turn berry till covered. Drain off excess chocolate by holding over the coffee mug a few seconds, then place on wax paper lined cookie sheet.  Every 2-3 strawberries sprinkle with a pinch of sea salt, if desired. Repeat with remaining strawberries, largest to smallest.  Place in fridge to set. Wait about ten minutes for chocolate to set then dig in!

Each strawberry has approximately
75 calories
7 carbs
4 fats
Less than 1 protein

Have a Happy Valentine's Day!