About that kidney thing....

For years, people have believed that an Atkins-style diet may cause kidney damage because of the high protein levels. Despite a statement made in 2003 by the head of the British Kidney Patient Association that "If you have healthy kidneys, you can't eat enough protein to damage your kidney", the belief persisted. Like the myth that going outside with wet hair gives you a cold (also bull-shit by the way), everyone just KNEW that if you ate low carb, your kidneys would "asplode".

Fortunately a new study reiterates the fact that eating low carb is safe for your kidneys.

"High protein, Atkins-type diets don't cause noticeable harm to the kidneys in healthy patients without kidney disease, a new study indicates.


"There has been concern for decades about possible damaging effects of high-protein diets on the kidney," said Dr. Allon Friedman, an associate professor of medicine at the Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis. It was thought that excess protein "can rev up the filtering mechanism in the kidney, causing damage over time," he explained." (more)


Turns out the kidney function tests of those following a low carb were perfectly fine. Just how long it will take the general public to stop repeating the exploding kidney myth is anyone's guess. Personally I look forward to the time when Kidney Asploding Bunny has to get a new job.

RECIPE: Pico de Gallo

If you tried the guacamole recipe I posted yesterday, you might want to whip up this easy, fresh salsa recipe to go with it. After all, the only thing better than a fresh batch of guacamole is a batch of pico de gallo to plop on top of it. Besides, it will give you something to do with the other half of that red roasted pepper you made the night before.


Wifezilla's Pico de Gallo
6 medium vine ripened tomatoes - seeded and chopped
2 roasted jalapenos - chopped
1/2 large roasted sweet pepper - chopped
1/2 medium Vadalia (or other mild, sweet variety) onion - chopped
1/4 cup garlic chives - minced (or clove of garlic)
2 tbps (or more) fresh cilantro - minced
Juice of 2 limes
Celtic sea salt to taste


Combine all ingredients and refrigerate  for 20 minutes before serving to allow flavors to blend.

Fresh jicama slices topped with guacamole and pico de gallo

INGREDIENT NOTES:
If you are a bit of a wuss about hot foods, you can use less jalapeno pepper, but consider just not including the seeds and pulpy veins. The seeds and the pulp they are attached to is where most of the heat from a hot pepper comes from. If you leaves those parts out you reduce the heat but still retain the jalapeno flavor. If that is still too hot for you, only use 1/2 a jalapeno and use a whole roasted sweet red pepper.


You may notice this recipe and the guacamole recipe both recommend garlic chives instead of a garlic clove. There are two reasons for this. 1) I have a garden with several rather prolific garlic chive plants and 2) as I have gotten older, garlic has turned on me. While I love the flavor, garlic gives me heartburn. Garlic chives are a great way to get a garlic flavor without the garlic side effects.


About the onion... I recommend Vadalia variety because it is mild and it is very easy for the onion flavor to overpower the flavor of the tomatoes. If you can't find Vadalias, try Maui Sweet or Texas 1015s. If you use a red onion or other stronger variety, reduce the amount of onion to about 1/4.


One more thing. Cilantro. You either love it or hate it. There is a reason why and it has to do with genetics.


"Lots of people love the herb. Just as many, it seems, hate it. There appears to be no middle

ground, and the reason for that just might come down to genetics. Scientists have yet to isolate the cilantro-hating gene, but a Philadelphia researcher who put twins up to sniffing the herb is hot on the trail.

"The twin study we've done implicates genetics to be involved," said Charles J. Wysocki, a behavioral neuroscientist at the Monell Chemical Senses Center who, for what it's worth, is not a cilantro-hater.

"I love cilantro, but I also like the smell of skunk," he said.

If human DNA really does account for why some people think the herb has a fresh, citrusy flavor and others think it tastes like soap, that could also explain the existence of IHateCilantro.com and its ability to attract 2,809 members..." (more)

If you happen to be one of those poor genetic mutants who, through no fault of your own, can't appreciate the fresh flavor of cilantro, use regular parsley instead. 

RECIPE: Spicy Guacamole with Roasted Peppers

Avocados are a great source of vitamins, minerals and natural fats. This time of year they are abundant at grocery stores and are usually on sale. Since I am not using dairy products any longer, the smooth, creamy texture of blended avocados takes the place of sour cream in many dishes. Last night I whipped up a batch of guacamole and used a large dollop on top of a bowl of low carb meaty chili. The recipe turned out rather well so I thought I should write it down and share.

Wifezilla's Spicy Guacamole with Roasted Peppers

4 ripe Haas avocados
1/2 Vadallia (or other sweet variety) onion - chopped
1 roasted jalapeno pepper - chopped
1/2 large roasted sweet red pepper - chopped (see roasting instructions in jalapeno link)
1/2 seeded tomato - chopped
1/4 cup garlic chives - chopped (or a few small cloves of garlic - chopped)
juice of 2 limes
2 tbsp chopped cilantro
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp ground cumin
sea salt to taste

Food processor directions: Slice and scoop out avocado. Place in food processor bowl with the S blade. Add lime juice, spices, chives and cilantro then pulse until avocado mix is smooth. Add remaining ingredients and pulse until you reach your desired level of smoothness. Pulse less for chunky guacamole and more for smooth. Refrigerate for about 1/2 hour to firm up the mix and allow flavors to blend.

Hand mixer directions: Use your mixer with a high sided bowl to cream the avocado together with your spices. Chop all your vegetables to the desired size and blend in to the avocado.

Use as a dip with sliced jicama and other vegetables, or as a topper for your favorite chili or Mexican food dish.

Picking the perfect melon - Cantaloupe

When you low carb, fruit is a once in a while treat. Not an every day thing. You don't want to waste one of your fruit indulgences on a something tasteless with the texture of an old kitchen sponge. With fruit being trucked in to grocery stores from all corners of the world it is hard to know what is really "in season". Tricks by growers and supermarkets try to fool you in to thinking something that has been bouncing around the globe in a box is fresh off the vine. To ensure you aren't fooled and can really enjoy a little bit of delicious fruit as part of your low carb or paleo plan, here are some helpful tips for picking the perfect cantaloupe.

• COLOR: Cantaloupe rind has raised bumpy sections called netting. Under that is the base of the rind. You need to look past the netting to that under-layer. Both the netting and the under-layer should be tan or yellowish. There should be NO GREEN on the melon. Most melons, including cantaloupe, will not ripen anymore once removed from the vine. They will get softer with time but they will not develop any more flavor. 
• SMELL: If you look at a melon there are 2 small round parts on opposite ends of the melon. One side is where the melon was attached to the vine and will look slightly indented. The other end is where the flower was when the plant was in bloom. This part is called the blossom end. You want to hold the blossom end of the melon right up to your nose and take a big sniff. If you can't smell anything, your cantaloupe isn't ripe. What you should get is a good strong melon scent. Melons tend to taste like they smell. No smell = no flavor. 
• WEIGHT: You don't necessarily want the biggest, heaviest cantaloupe, but you do want one that is heavy for its size. Given the option of two melons of equal size, pick the one that weighs more. It usually means it is juicier. 
• SOURCE: Where did your melon come from? Do you know the farmer? Was it shipped half-way around the planet? What are the odds of you getting a perfectly ripened cantaloupe if it had to spend days or weeks in transit? In Colorado was are fortunate to have access to Rocky Ford cantaloupe. They are grown primarily on Colorado's western slope. Their transit time to major markets is mere hours. Get to know local farmer's market vendors and growers with on-farm stands. If you are at a grocery store, look for the GROWN IN COLORADO label. Still check for color and smell to make sure you are getting a good one. If you are not in Colorado, check with www.localharvest.com to see if someone near you is growing cantaloupes for sale. 

After last year's listeria outbreak blamed on cantaloupe, be sure to take the extra precaution to wash the outside of the melon before slicing. Since fruit isn't on the daily menu, you don't want your cantaloupe indulgence to be disappointing or lethal.

RECIPE: Wifezilla's Jacked-up Cauliflower

I was planning to make twiced-baked cauliflower the other night. Low carb kitchen guru Linda Sue has several recipes with cauliflower as a potato replacement that have gotten rave reviews. I had been looking forward to giving one of them a try.

I bought cheese, cauliflower and bacon a few days ahead of time. Naturally, when I was ready to actually make the dish, all the bacon was gone. 4 packages in 3 days. My husband and sons tried to blame it on the cats. Since they lack opposable thumbs and I am suspicious of my husband's story that his new aftershave is bacon scented, I am willing to believe the cats might be innocent.

My choices once I realized the bacon was gone were to change out of my jammies and go to Walmart (shudder) or get creative. Since my jammies were comfy and I was on my 2nd glass of white wine, creativity won out. Here is what I came up with...

Wifezilla's Jacked-up Low Carb Cauliflower Bake

1 large head of fresh cauliflower
8oz cream cheese
1 cup Monterey jack cheese - shredded
1 2oz stick pepperoni - chopped
2 tsp pepper
2 tsp salt
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 cup shredded pepper jack cheese

Chop and steam cauliflower in a microwave safe bowl with a little water in the bottom (about 20 minutes on high power). While cauliflower is steaming, gently heat pepperoni in a small frying pan. Cook until lightly browned on the edges of the pieces. After cauliflower is steamed, drain off water and either mash or shred with a hand mixer. (If you like, you can put in a food processor to make it really smooth. I just hit it with the blender and didn't care that there were some small chunks.) Add cooked pepperoni pieces, 1 cup Monterey Jack cheese, and spices and mix well. Place in a loaf pan or casserole dish. Top with shredded pepper jack cheese. Bake until cheese on the top is melted and slightly browned. 

This recipe should work equally well with frozen cauliflower and that may even make your mashing job easier. If your family hasn't snatched all the bacon, go ahead and use that instead of the pepperoni. This is a great side dish for beef or poultry. Since my guys liked it so much, maybe the promise of future batches of Jacked Up Cauliflower might get them to leave the bacon alone.

Who needs noodles when you can have 'cabboodles'?

As any mom on a budget can tell you, rice, potatoes and noodles can really help stretch the grocery dollars. Unfortunately, when you adopt a low carb way of eating, these inexpensive ingredients are no longer on the menu. Easily digestible starches like pasta and pilaf will undermine your weight loss efforts by spiking your blood sugar, raising your insulin levels, and putting your body in to fat storage mode. 

Fortunately there is a low cost, low carb option that will perform the same function as the fattening starches - stretch the food budget, extend flavor and soak up tasty sauces. Cabbage noodles, or as I like to call them, "cabboodles", provide that handy backdrop to your dishes just like noodles, but without the unnecessary dose of carbs. Not only are these a good way for low carbers to get their daily dose of veggies, they are a good option for people with wheat or egg allergies. 

Shredded cabbage makes an excellent noodle substitute.

You can simply cut fresh cabbage in to noodle-shaped ribbons or even buy the prepacked, pre-cut bags of cabbage from the grocery store if you need to save some time. The raw cabbage can then be steamed or fried in butter and seasoned with salt and pepper before topping them with your favorite meats and sauces. The cabbage cooks down quite a bit, so plan on using an entire medium head of cabbage or 2 packages of pre-shredded to feed 4 adults. 

Some of my favorites cabboodle toppers include chicken alfredo, shrimp and mushrooms with red pepper sauce, or beef medallions and cauliflower with sour cream and white wine sauce. The shrimp dish shown above took less than 10 minutes to throw together with thawed frozen shrimp, some fresh sliced mushrooms in butter, a can of red pepper alfredo sauce, and fried pre-shredded angel hair cabbage.

Ironic Image of the Day

RECIPE: Low carb, dairy-free ice cream

One of my forum buddies (Tesser W.) has been forwarding dairy-free recipes to me since I gave up on the moo juice. She knows how much I love cheese, ice cream, yogurt, etc... Too bad it doesn't love me! When she sent me a recipe for non-dairy ice cream I was intrigued. I had tried coconut milk ice cream before at my friend Abi's (of fat bomb fame) and it was pretty good. Too bad neither of us remembered to bookmark the recipe and we couldn't seem to find where we had got it from. Tesser's email got me excited about trying coconut milk ice cream once again.

After trying a few recipes I came up with a version that works best for my taste buds and my Donvier Ice Cream Maker. For the original recipe inspirations, check here and here. My recipe is heavy on the egg yolk since I have a flock of egg layers in the back yard. I am also going to be very specific about what kind of coconut milk to use. There is a reason for this. I tried several brands and some will leave your ice cream with a "canned" aftertaste. You could make your own coconut milk, but my success rate at making it from scratch is not good enough for me to recommend that yet. If you are already making your own tasty coconut milk, feel free to use that instead. Now to the recipe...

Wifezilla's Low Carb Dairy-Free Ice Cream
(Ice cream maker required)

Prep

• At least 2 days before making your ice cream, place the freezer insert for your ice cream maker in the freezer. I use a Donvier. Many Cuisinart ice cream makers also use a freezer insert. If you are using an electric ice cream maker or rock salt and ice style machine, follow the manufacturer's recommendations.

Ingredients

• 1 can of Thai Kitchen full fat Premium Coconut milk or equivalent (should say first pressing. Also look for organic if you can get it. DO NOT GET STINGY WITH THE COCONUT MILK! Cheap coconut milk like Golden Star will leave an unpleasant aftertaste.)
• 4 egg yolks 
• 3 tsp real vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup erythritol (or other sweetener of choice)
• Add ins like dark chocolate chips, unsweetened coconut flakes, etc...

In a microwave safe bowl, heat the coconut milk until all the fat and liquid are soft and easy to blend. Whisk in the erythritol and stir until dissolved. In a separate bowl, whip together egg yolks. Add a tbsp or so of the warm coconut milk mixture and stir. Continue to slowly add the the warm coconut milk to the eggs and stirring. This will temper the eggs without cooking them. If you just dump the eggs in to the warm coconut milk, you will get coconut flavored scrambled eggs and that is not what we are going for!

Once coconut milk and eggs are fully blended, place mixture in the refrigerator to chill. When the coconut milk/egg mix is cold, pour in to your ice cream maker and follow manufacturer directions. As for the tasty add-ins, include those at about the half-way point. I like to let the ice cream start to set before I add the chocolate chips or coconut flakes so I can get a better idea of how much to add without over doing it.

Serve immediately. Texture will be slightly soft. You can place in the freezer to firm up some more, but this isn't a recipe that will keep well overnight. Unless you add some kind of alcohol, it will just freeze as hard as a rock. As I experiment with adding rum, vodka, etc... to keep it from freezing solid, I will report back. This could be a very entertaining summer!

Effects of a corn-based diet

Ohio Farm Girl, a blogger and homesteader friend of mine, posted an excellent piece on the effects of a corn-based diet.

"My gut bucket was overflowing with fat. Tons of fat. An enormous amount of fat. Fat everywhere. Fat covering all the organs. Fat lining the carcass. Fat, fat, fat and more fat....And the livers where huge." (more)

Sure, her example is based on chickens she recently butchered, but feeding on corn has a similar effect on humans. Obesity, visceral fat, liver damage...

Corn is used to fatten livestock for slaughter. It is uniquely able to pack on pounds and add that marbling you see on a good steak. On my crazier days I can't help but wonder if there is a hungry space alien holding a copy of "To Serve Man" directing Big Agra. Hungry alien or not, just take her advice and "For heavens sakes don't eat that"!

There is no such thing as American Kobe Beef

Kobe beef is a delicious. It is very expensive. It is trendy. And if you bought anything with the Kobe name attached to it in America, it's fake.

"You cannot buy Japanese Kobe beef in this country. Not in stores, not by mail, and certainly not in restaurants. No matter how much you have spent, how fancy a steakhouse you went to, or which of the many celebrity chefs who regularly feature “Kobe beef” on their menus you believed, you were duped. I’m really sorry to have to be the one telling you this, but no matter how much you would like to believe you have tasted it, if it wasn’t in Asia you almost certainly have never had Japan’s famous Kobe beef." (more)

Check out the 3 part series on Forbes about how markets are tricking you out of your hard earned money by cashing in on the Kobe name.

Wifezilla's Low Carb Faux-Gum-Baux

I had a craving for some kind of gumbo the other night. The thing is, Colorado isn't exactly known for its gumbo. Maybe you can find some good Cajun food in Denver or Boulder, but Fountain Valley isn't your go-to location if you are hankering for a taste of "Nawlins".

Then there is the problem of carb content. Regular gumbo starts with a thick flour roux, and some of the more popular recipes online even include sugar. You are also supposed to serve it over rice, another low carber's no-no.

"Proper" ingredients are an issue here in the cultural backwater that is Security, CO. Unless you are willing to drive to Whole Paycheck (aka Whole Foods) in Colorado Springs and blow an hour out of your day (along with most of your grocery money), you aren't going to be able to get andouille sausage or file powder. Old Bay Seasoning is about as exotic as it gets around here.

I figured surely there has to be a way to satisfy my gumbo craving with easy to obtain ingredients and without all the carbage. The following is what I came up with and my gumbo craving has now been totally tamed. In many ways this isn't a true gumbo. You will not find ocra in anything I cook because....eww. Just eww. The color is lighter than a true gumbo and it also isn't as thick. But it does have that yummy sausage, seafood and pepper flavor. To me, that is the most important part anyway.

Wifezilla's Low Carb Faux-Gum-Baux

Ingredients:

• 1 lb pork sausage (if you can get smoked, even better)
• 3/4 pound medium shrimp
• 1 lb frozen cauliflower
• 2 sweet onions - chopped
• 1/2 cup roasted red (or green) pepper - chopped
• 1/4 cup celery - chopped
• 1 can baby clams (including liquid)
• 7 oz can of green chili
• 6 egg yolks (for thickening)
• 1 cup chopped greens (spinach, kale, baby bok choy, etc...)
• 1/8 cup red wine or balsamic vinegar
• 1/8 - 1/4 cup hot sauce
• Salt, Pepper, and Old Bay Seasoning to taste
• 1/4 - 1/2 cup quinoa (optional)

Directions

1. In large soup pot, brown sausage. Drain browned sausage and place aside, leaving any grease in the bowl.
2. Add chopped onions to the sausage grease and cook until caramelized. Stir in celery and peppers to the cooked onions.
3. Add 2 quarts of water to the pot and add back in sausage.
4. Add all remaining ingredients except for the shrimp and seasonings.
5. Temper egg yolks using hot stock then add to the soup pot.
6. If using the quinoa, add now.
7. When the cauliflower and quinoa are fully cooked and all flavors are blended, add shrimp. Be careful not to overcook. Add salt, pepper and Old Bay Seasoning (or some ground cloves and mace) to taste.
8. Serve as soon as shrimp is thoroughly pink.

If you decide you want it more traditional, add some ocra (ew!) and serve over some cooked quinoa instead of adding it to the stock. Quinoa is lower in carbs and higher in protein than rice, but it is still pretty carby. Use sparingly.

Ask Wifezilla: Cabbage Noodles Too Crunchy

Question: When you use cabbage in the place of noodles.. like in lasagna or a casserole, do you cook them first? I made a casserole type dish last night and just threw everything on top of rough chopped green cabbage and baked it at 350 for about half an hour (the chicken sausage I was using was fully cooked) and it was really tasty, but the cabbage stayed pretty crunchy. Should I try boiling it first next time?

Answer: You might want to soften the shredded cabbage a bit by frying it in butter for a short time. Cook until it has softened...don't let it get totally soft though. Otherwise the cabbage will get mushy when you bake it.

Ask Wifezilla includes direct questions to me or questioned I have answered in groups or forums. To ask a specific question, send your inquiry to wifezilla at gmail dot com.

Dude! It's Almost Beef!

John Gibson of the Lighter Side Facebook discussion group gives his take on the new pink slime slogan, "Dude, It's Beef!" which beef producers are trying to use to improve its image.

"I think the slogan should be:

Dude it's "Mechanically separated, preheated, fat extracted, sprayed by ammonia gas so you don't die beef like stuff"

I think it has a better ring to it."

Great job John. I applaud honesty in advertising!

Governors stand up for pink slme

Several Governors from beef producing states are pushing back on the pink slime issue. They are hitting the main stream news touting the safety and long term use of pink slime as a reason for people to continue to eat beef containing the ammonia treated product.

On a Fox News broadcast this morning, Governor Sam Brownback said we have been eating pink slime for 20 years without issue, so we shouldn't stop eating it now. Oh really? A quick news search will tell you that simply isn't true. Beef recalls abound, primarily from contaminated ground beef.

A recent case involved over 40,000 lbs of Tyson ground beef contaminated with E. Coli in December 2011. A google news search under the term "beef recall" show case after case of ground beef recalled for E. Coli, Listeria and Salmonella contamination. The USDA maintains a data base going back to 1996 where you can search for all food recalls. Ground beef and beef sausages (made, obviously, from ground up beef) feature prominently.

The fact is the process of making ground beef on a factory level inherently contains a risk of bacterial contamination and 70% of America's ground beef contains pink slime. Making pink slime (aka lean finely textured beef) is even more risky than the ground beef itself. That is why it must be treated with ammonia before being added to ground beef and sold to unsuspecting consumers. So despite the claims of governors concerned about job loses in the pink slime producing industry, highly processed ground beef and the use of pink slime is not without issue.

While I can understand governors trying to protect their states industries, my personal opinion is that foods containing pink slime should be clearly labeled. The use of pink slime does make ground beef cheaper and people should be able to decide of they want to take the additional risk of using pink slime to save some money.

If the governors really wanted to make an impact on this issue, instead of publicity shoots of them eating slime burgers, an independent study showing a nutritional comparison of slime beef vs regular beef, or a bacteria test of some beef with and without slime would be much more productive. Stop trying to manipulate consumers and just give them the facts. Then let each person make an informed choice. If you are actively working to make it harder for people to know what is really in their food, you can't be surprised when people avoid your products like a pink plague.

Avoiding pink slime and meat glue

Buying meat in the store sounds like such a simple thing until you realize your meat may not be "meat". From pink slime to meat glue, processors are using technological tricks to turn waste scraps in to something resembling food. While some stores have pledged not to use slime and glue, it's getting to the point where you have to take matters in to your own hands to make sure your food is really food. Here are a few ways to reduce your exposure to faux meats.

• Buy beef on the hoof: Buy directly from a farmer you personally know. Have the cow butchered to your specifications. Local Harvest and Eat Wild are good places to start your search for a whole or half cow.
• Grind your own burger meat: If you don't have the money or space to get a whole cow, you can still buy whole cuts of meat and make hamburger yourself. Chuck, ground round and sirloin all make excellent burgers. An inexpensive hand grinder can get you burger meat and give you a workout at the same time. If you have a Kitchenaid mixer, look in to getting a grinder attachment.
• Buy organic: By law, organic hamburger meat can not contain plink slime. Meat glue, however, may still be used. It just has to be meat glue made from organic materials. Buying a whole cow is still your best bet.

Quote of the day

John K. posted this on a low carb Facebook group:

"I had to share a friends post regarding the red meat study: "If 1 in 10 early deaths are caused by eating red meat, does that mean that 9 out of 10 are caused by eating vegetables?"

Diabetes Diet Damage

The following comment comes to us from a front line medical professional. She sees up close and personal the effects of Type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM2) and faulty medical dietary recommendations.

"I see in my job as nurse anesthetic patients (ages 50-65) with DM2 who come to amputate a leg or toes. DM2 has ruined their body totally, arteries, eyes, kidneys (several of them [are] in dialysis), heart etc. When I ask then about diet, they (all of them) tell [me] they followed it as told, some of even say the doctors told them they can eat anything as long they take pills and insulin shots. And the result of this diet is dialysis, heart attacks, amputations........My husband's uncle died in DM2 complications blind, amputated, in dialysis. Who takes responsibility when these people die far too early only because totally wrong diet ? Nobody !!!??" - Mirva P.

Since diabetes is a disease of improper blood sugar regulation, it makes total sense to base your diet on foods that have a minimum impact on blood glucose levels. Those foods would include meat, full-fat dairy, leafy greens, and healthy natural fats like coconut oil, lard, and butter. Instead, this is what medical professionals tell diabetics to do:

• ADA: Drink non-fat milk, eat small amounts of lean meat, eat tofu or low-fat cheese, eat whole grains, and that potatoes, low-fat crackers and other low-fat snacks are fine at every meal in small amounts.
• NIH: Their website incorrectly claims that, along with fruit and starches, "...vegetables, and milk groups are highest in carbohydrate. They affect your blood glucose levels the most." They then recommend people with diabetes eat most of their food from the grain group.
• Mayo Clinic: They recommend "...a healthy-eating plan that's naturally rich in nutrients and low in fat and calories, with an emphasis on fruits, vegetables and whole grains. In fact, a diabetes diet is the best eating plan for most everyone." They also go on to proudly show their complete lack of knowledge about the endocrine system by saying "When you eat excess calories and fat, your body responds by creating an undesirable rise in blood glucose. "

There are plenty more examples of horrible dietary advice out there, but these three organizations are the heavy weights. That fact that they don't understand that sugars and starches raise blood sugar, that fat without sugar CAN'T make you fat, and that eating foods like whole grains and fat-free food will spike your insulin levels through the roof is criminal.

I take that back. They DO understand apparently. This is from the National Institute of Health. The same people who think dairy foods and vegetables are highest in carbs and want you to eat plenty of whole grains.

"Glucose, a simple sugar, provides energy for cell functions. After food is digested, glucose is released into the bloodstream. In response, the pancreas secretes insulin, which directs the muscle and fat cells to take in glucose. Cells obtain energy from glucose or convert it to fat for long-term storage." (more)

So what is really going on here? Why tell diabetics to eat things that spike blood sugar and insulin knowing this will cause damage? How can they not connect the dots and just tell diabetics "sugar and starch = bad". Are they trying to keep people dependent on medicine? Are they incompetent? Were they bought off by Big Grain and Big Pharma? Are they criminally insane? I really can't explain it, but maybe Heinlein can.

Never attribute to malice that which can be adequately explained by stupidity, but don't rule out malice. - Heinlein's Razor

Low Carb vs ADA Diet for Diabetics

This statement was recently posted in a low carb group on Facebook. It is a valuable lesson for those who are following the diet recommended by the American Diabetes Association.

"I started low carb last year, with a so-so okay from my doctor. After I'd been low carbing for a month he asked me to go back to the diabetic diet recommendations for 3 days. I was prediabetic, and he wanted to see what my bg [Blood Glucose] tests showed under both diets (I emailed his office my test results weekly). He was shocked at the differences and at how quickly my bg went unstable on the standard diabetic diet. *I* was in pain within 24 hours (belly pain) and could not wait to go back to low carbing - which is how I discovered that I'd become wheat intolerant. When I saw him a couple months later I got his hearty blessing to stay on low carb. In 4 months my blood tests had improved hugely. And last month he declared that I was no longer pre-diabetic." - Patricia S.

First of all, I would like to applaud Patricia's doctor for having such an open mind. Many doctors would just be towing the line, telling their patients to cut fat, reduce calories and eat plenty of "healthy whole grains". Some doctors would have just fired her as a patient. This doctor did an actual experiment (with a willing test subject), collected comparative data and followed the facts...not the latest marketing material from a drug company while prescribing a bunch of pills.

And second, congratulations to Patricia for coming up with a way to treat her condition and enlightening a medical professional at the same time. Thanks for sharing your story with others. Your example shows how taking your health in to your own hands and not just blindly following authorities can save your life.

Behold the power of ghee!

Clarified butter, or ghee as it is referred to in India, is a way to make butter even more versatile. While butter is a delicious natural fat containing vitamin A, vitamin E, vitamin D and selenium, it has the drawback of having a low smoke point. Once butter reaches around 350º, it starts to burn. By removing the milk solids and moisture naturally present in butter, you can increase the smoke point to around 480º, higher than that of many vegetable oils.

This means that your easily burnable butter can now be used to cook at high temperatures...even deep fry. By making ghee, you are no longer forced to use potentially unhealthy, high omega 6 vegetable oils just because you want something fried nice and crispy.

How to make ghee

• Melt unsalted butter over low heat in a sturdy pot. Make sure you do NOT stir.
• Cook the melted butter until it is a clear golden liquid (approx 20-30 minutes). Light brown milk solids will form and settle to the bottom of the pan. Skim off and discard any thick foam that forms on the top.
• Strain ghee through a strainer lined with cheese cloth or coffee filters into a clean, dry jars.
• Ghee does not need to be refrigerated and will be semi-solid at room temperature.

Low Carb Panna Cotta

Panna cotta is an Italian dessert that features cream as its main ingredient. It's mild taste and rich texture make it great for pairing with many flavors including berries, spices, chocolate or nuts.

While the original recipe calls for sugar or honey as a sweetener, you should have no problem using erythritol, Splenda or your favorite low carb sweetener instead.

Basic Panna Cotta

• 1 qt heavy whipping cream

• 1/4 cup erythritol

• 1/4 cup raw honey (or other low carb sweetener)

• 3 tsp real vanilla extract
• 6 Tbsp of cold water
• 2 packets of Knox unflavored gelatin

Heat the cream, erythritol and honey together. Get it very warm but do not boil. While cream is heating sprinkle gelatin over cold water and let it set for about 5 minutes. Add vanilla to warm cream. Slowly add warm cream to gelatin and stir well to dissolve.

Place in ramkins, mugs or lightly greased muffin tins and let set in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.

Top with crushed fresh berries or 85% cocoa chocolate shavings.

Here are a couple of variations to try.

Lemon Panna Cotta

• 1 qt heavy whipping cream
• 1/4 cup Splenda
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/2 Tbsp lemon zest
• 1/2 tsp pure lemon extract
• 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (about 2 1/2 large lemons squeezed)
• 2 packets of Knox unflavored gelatin

Top with strawberry chia jelly

Spice panna cotta
• 1 qt heavy whipping cream
• 1/4 cup Splenda
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 2 tsp ginger
• 3 tsp vanilla extract
• 6 Tbsp of cold water
• 2 packets of Knox unflavored gelatin

Top with pecans or slivered almonds cooked in a little butter with a touch of sweetener.

Fructose study finds fructose isn't a problem

At a time when research is beginning to show long term damage from a diet high in fructose, there is now a study that claims fructose isn't really a problem after all.

"After reviewing more than 40 published studies on the matter, researchers from St. Michael's Hospital in Toronto found that fructose — a sweetener liberally added to soft drinks and processed foods — had no effect on weight compared with diets that provided the same calories from other carbohydrates."

Oh really? It isn't the fructose? I could post the study showing fructose is uniquely fattening or that ingesting high levels of fructose causes all kinds of damage aside from weight gain, but I think this line at the end of the article says more about the real story.

"The Canadian Institutes of Health Research funded the study. The researchers have received unrestricted grants from the Coca-Cola Company to fund other research."

Huh. An agency that receives funding from Coca-Cola found that the main ingredient in Coca-Cola isn't harmful? Wow. Color me surprised!

Being from Colorado, I am making a Southpark-style official declaration of Shenanigans. Now where did I leave my broom....

Fresh Chia Jelly

Chia seeds are a healthy and nutritious little seed that, for some reason, American have turned in to a rather ridiculous toy.

The chia seed was once used by Aztec Warriors and was even valued as a currency. Oh how the mighty have fallen!

"In ancient times, seeds of the chia plant were a staple food of the Incas, Aztecs, and Mayans. These seeds were eaten by Aztec messengers who carried them in a small pouch as they ran great distances between villages.

This seed was so valuable to the Aztecs that they used it as a medium of exchange. The Aztec priests and nobility were often paid in chia seed.

According to Jesuit priests, chia was the third most important Aztec food crop after maize (corn) and beans. Chia bread was used in some of their religious ceremonies.

When the Aztec civilization fell during the Spanish conquest, the Spanish banned chia and certain other native crops due to their use in religious ceremonies, and replaced them with crops such as wheat and carrots." (More)

And now American use chia seeds to make weird toys that most often end up as gag gifts at office Christmas parties. :: facepalm ::

You can help return chia to its former glory as a wonder food and give yourself a tasty treat at the same time by making a batch of fresh chia jelly.

Chia Jelly

12 large frozen strawberries or the equivalent in other frozen berries
3 tablespoons chia seeds

Splash of lime or lemon juice

Sweetener to taste (2 packets of splenda +1 packet of equal or Truvia equivalent)

Place in a bowl and allow frozen strawberries to partially thaw. Slice strawberries and add sweetener. Add chia seeds and stir. Allow strawberries to completely thaw. The chia seeds will absorb the strawberry juice and turn into a gel. After a few hours, add more seeds if the topping appears to be a bit runny. If it looks too thick, add a few more strawberries.

*NOTE: While the chia seeds will form a gel around the outside, the seeds in the middle will retain their crunch. This has never bothered me since the seed centers are small and it feels like you are simply eating a strawberry seed. If this sounds like something that might annoy you, use a spice grinder to turn the chia seeds in to more of a flour.

Wheat Politics & George Burns

Dr. Davis alerts us to an upcoming political push by a wheat growers association on his Wheat Belly Blog. The continuing stream of information showing the harm caused by ingesting grains must be making a dent in their profits, prompting action on their part. Apparently the Grains Food Foundation is moving to Washington DC for better lobbying access, but they are also going to target what they call the "influencers". Nutritionist, medical professionals, diet and nutrition journalists and even bloggers.

"G.F.F. will proactively track grain-focused initiatives (studies, books, broadcasts, articles) with the goal of preempting or countermanding misinformation regarding grain foods on an ongoing basis. The G.F.F. Scientific Advisory Board members will lead efforts to provide rapid response to false communications and claims against grain foods, including fad diets."

"To effectively guard against potential extreme attacks against grain foods, G.F.F. will develop a crisis communications plan to continue to develop appropriate reserves to enable prompt industry response to neutralize such attacks."

Maybe this explains the recent rash of "you don't have to give up grains FOREVER - just until your gut heals!" type blog posts and articles popping up on the net. I don't know about you all, but if I sliced my arm open and nearly severed a thumb juggling knives, I am not just going to give up knife juggling until my wounds heal. I am going to find a new hobby.

Lets put it another way. Comedian George Burns smoked cigars and drank whiskey almost every day of his adult life and he didn't die until shortly after his 100th birthday. Not only that, he was active and working until just before his death. In fact, it wasn't his smoking and drinking that did him in, it was a fall resulting in a head injury. He was never able to fully recover. Reports are that Mr. Burns smoked between 10 and 15 cigars a day for well over 70 years.

Is this an example that cigar smoking is healthy? That whiskey is a revitalizing tonic? No. It means that George Burns had the unique ability to recover from damage caused by smoking and drinking. It does not change the fact that smoking and drinking are inherently damaging. It is the same with modern wheat. Modern forms of wheat are inherently damaging to everyone who eats them. Some of us just have a genetic advantage and can easily recover from that damage. Others can not. Can you mitigate some of that damage by using ancient grains or using traditional preparation methods? Possibly. But for me, it isn't a chance I am willing to take.

So next time you read a blog saying how happy someone is to be going back to wheat, keep in mind two things. 1) There may be a powerful lobbying group involved and 2) a person truly returning to wheat and grains may have been born with a body much more able to repair itself than you.

Lower Carb, Gluten-Free Carrot Cake

This recipe is a modification of an Elana's Pantry gluten-free carrot cake recipe.

While it is NOT Atkins induction friendly, it can be modified to make it as carby or as carbless as you like by playing with the carrot/zucchini ratio.

Ingredients:

3 cups blanched almond flour

2 tbsp coconut flour

2 teaspoons celtic sea salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 tbsp cinnamon

1 teaspoon nutmeg

6 duck eggs (or XL chicken eggs)

½ cup erythritol ( ¼ cup honey if you can handle some carbs)

6 packets of splenda or truvia

¼ cup grapeseed oil or sweet almond oil (1/4 cup coconut oil also works)

3 cups carrots, grated or 1½ cups shredded carrots plus 1½ cups shredded zucchini

1 cup raisins, sugar-free dried cherries or sugar-free dried cranberries (optional)

1 cup walnuts or slivered almonds

Directions:

In a large bowl, combine almond flour, coconut flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon and nutmeg. Stir.

In a separate bowl, mix together eggs, oil, and sweetener of choice.

Stir carrots, raisins and nuts into wet ingredients.

Stir wet ingredients into dry.

Place batter into 2 well greased, round 9-Inch cake pans or make in to muffins by using a muffin tin.

Bake at 300° for 35 minutes. Reduce cooking time if using muffin tins.

Elana has a frosting recipe that goes with this carrot cake, but I left it off. If you can have dairy, a sugar-free cream cheese frosting would work great. Since I am off milk, cheese and cream cheese for now, I just buttered mine. For some reason butter doesn't bother me the way other dairy items do. If you only require the recipe to be gluten-free, pick whatever frosting you like that doesn't have gluten in it and enjoy.

Dairy-free sour cream

Sour cream is delicious and works so well in many recipes. Not being able to use it due to lactose issues or a dairy protein allergy can really cramp your cooking style. Fortunately you can make your own dairy-free sour cream replacement and carry on. Even though this is very easy to make, it does take time to ferment, so plan ahead.

Dairy-Free Sour Cream

Ingredients:

• 2 cans of sugar-free coconut milk

• 1 packet of Yogourmet freeze-dried kefir cultures

Directions:

Pour the 2 cans of coconut milk in to a large mason jar. Stir well. Sprinkle the dehydrated kefir grains over the coconut milk and stir again. Allow to sit on the counter in a warm spot for 12-24 hours. Coconut milk will thicken and separate a bit as it ferments. Taste after 12 hours. It should be slightly sour and creamy. If it isn't sour or you want a stronger flavor, allow it to sit out another 12 hours or so.

Scoop the thick sour coconut kefir out of the jar leaving the "whey" behind. Use as you would regular sour cream in any of your recipes.

NOTE: The warmer your room temperature, the quicker it will ferment.

***

Super Quick Dairy-Free Sour Cream

No time to wait for kefir to ferment? Paleo Food gives this alternative...

"Sour cream - chilled coconut milk combined with a few drops of lemon juice"

They don't give details, but coconut milk does separate when chilled, so pour off the liquid and use the thick coconut cream remaining to make your sour cream substitute.

While making sour cream this way is a lot quicker, you will miss out on all the great probotics you get with the kefir version. Try to use the kefir version whenever possible.

Reluctantly going dairy-free

When you are fighting years of damage to your body done by processed foods and the ravages of time, things you used to enjoy eating can turn on you. Along with eliminating grains, most starches and refined sugar, I now find myself betrayed by my old friend dairy. Coming from Wisconsin, dairy has always been a part of my life. If you have ever had cheese curds fresh out of the vat or a cold glass of fresh raw milk, you know I feel about my moo juice.

After clearing up a lot of my health issues from pre-diabetes to high blood pressure by going low-carb and ditching grains, I still had one remaining problem. Chronic constipation. Now before you start saying "That's what you get for not getting enough fiber you meat munching weirdo! Eat a whole-grain cracker!", keep in mind I had constipation issues years before I went low carb. In fact, I can trace my issues to formerly following a very high fiber diet, which contrary to popular thinking, actually causes damage to your insides.

I tried supplements, vitamins, cleanses, etc.. in an effort to get things moving and nothing seemed to help. Once I discovered kefir and began eating it daily, I did get some relief, but the plumbing was still far from top notch.

It wasn't until I got a stomach virus that I figured out what my underlying problem was. After 4 days of hardly any food at all, my constipation issues were gone. When I felt better I started reintroducing foods like bone broth, soups and stews. Things were still fine in the gut region. Cool. Then, feeling much better and back to my old self, I ate a piece of cheese. Ouch!

I could feel that piece of cheese moving through every inch of my system. Then the constipation returned. A light bulb went off in my head and I dropped dairy again. A week later I wanted to see if I would have the same problem with some good raw dairy. Through a series of covert operations including secret handshakes and a decoder ring, I was able to score a gallon of raw milk. I tried dairy again. Again the constipation returned.

Well crap! Seriously. If I want to be able to go to the bathroom without pain, I have to give up cheese, milk, yogurt, kefir..... AAARRRGGGHHHH! After feeling sorry for myself for a few minutes, I got down to business and started revamping my recipes and making them dairy-free. While I may possibly be able to reintroduce dairy at some point once I have had time to heal, I am not going to stand by and deny myself yummy low-carb food in the mean time. I will be posting new dairy-free recipes, recommended substitutions, and revised old recipes. There will still be general low carb recipes I get from friends, and dairy-free alternatives if I can swing it.

Lower Carb Dark Chocolate Chip Mini Muffins

While these muffins are based on low carb ingredients, the carbs can still add up. I wouldn't make these if you are on Atkins induction phase or have issues maintaining weight loss when eating nuts. As an occasional treat or a snack for kids who can tolerate a higher carb level, these are tasty and mix up rather quickly.

Lower Carb Dark Chocolate Chip Mini Muffins

2 ½ cups blanched almond flour
1 Tbsp coconut flour
2 duck eggs (or 2 jumbo chicken eggs plus 1 yolk)
1/4 teaspoon celtic sea salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
10 Tbsps butter, melted
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup erythritol (or 1/4 cup honey if you can handle more carbs)
3 packets of Truvia or Splenda
1 cup dark chocolate chips

Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl.
Stir together wet ingredients in a smaller bowl.
Mix wet ingredients into dry.
Spoon in to a mini muffin pan. Divide batter equally among the 24 spots.
Bake at 300° for 10-15 minutes. Edges of the muffins should be lightly browned. Cool and serve.

NOTE: To keep the carb count as low as possible, use the darkest chocolate chips with the highest cocoa content you can find. You can also replace up to half of the chips with organic cocoa nibs to get the carbs down even further.