Support and ideas for those on low-carb diet

If you stick only to proteins you will get all the bad stuff documented with the Atkins diet.

A small amount of dairy fat may be good for you, but fat from meat isn't. And just missing out the "high fat" wording from the title of this thread is, I think, rather bad.

I'm sorry, I have to say it. Wholewheat is one of the most important foods you can eat. IMO it's better to take a very low dose of omeprazole, prescribed by your doctor, to control heartburn than to cut out important foods.

You lose weight only by taking in less calories than your body burns. There is no other way.

A mixed, balanced, diet is best. Always has been. Always will be.

Ditto all that Anya has said. IBS has disappeared and the pain in my knees has reduced enough to encourage me to walk and do the gardening more vigorously which is helping to improve muscle tone. I still wear calf supports when I know I'm going to be on my feet all day but I don't mind because I love being more mobile.

My bloated tummy has almost gone so clothes are looking and fitting better.
and we've both lost a stone in weight which has cheered us up no end.

Petallus there are two main reasons for reducing carbs, especially 'crap carbs' and the first is to improve health. The evidence is mounting that too much sugar in the diet is probably the cause of much illness and obesity. Then apart from the sugars themselves there is an over reliance on other simple carbohydrates, mainly derived from wheat products. These are broken down by our digestive system, very easily, (too easily?) into simple sugars.

What most of us on here are trying to do is cut down (to a greater or lesser extent) on sugars and grain based carbohydrates in our day to day eating and replace them with a more varied diet. This includes lots of vegetables and good quality proteins, including eggs and cheese.

You can't cut carbs out completely as nearly all foods have some carbs and vegetables in particular do contain carbs.

The second reason is to lose weight. And as proteins fill you up more this is an easy 'diet' to stick to.

Health wise, my heart burn has completely gone. I have had no digestive problems at all and there are other benefits (such as a reduction in arthritic pain) which I'm noticing.

Is the point of the low carb diet to lose weight?

I am presently trying to do without wheat products to improve my digestion.

Yes, that's on tomorrow night's menu. Probably with a curry.

I made cauliflower rice for the first time today to go with chicken and chorizo casserole. It came out more like couscous and was delicious. I don't know if thre are other methods, but I cut it up and blitzed it in the food processor, then put in a bowl, covered with cling film. Two steam holes in the top then microwaved for 7 minutes. Draining not needed even. Much recommended.

I do that most weeks, in with couscous or whatever - quinoa, currently, with lots of lemon juice, olive oil and fresh herbs. That's my usual lunch, as I make enough to last me the week, and have it on salad leaves with feta cheese, or cold chicken, with olives perhaps.

Sounds delicious all round today!
OH is cooking the chard with parmesan and lemon. When I was with DD last week we did a lovely spring cabbage, chopped and cooked for a few minutes then poured over lemon juice and rind whisked with olive oil, salt and pepper. It was really nice.
I often do extra roast veg on Sunday and put them in the salad the next day.

I might have to try that when I'm on my own, or with DD, as it's not all that popular here either. Occasionally I sneak a little marmite into a casserole if I think it tastes a bit bland.

A local estate shop that sells much of their own produce and game had rabbit, so I bought one, as I suddenly realised that now we no longer have pet Bunny, I can safely go back to eating it without upsetting DS. It's casseroling away nicely in wine and stock with onions, leeks, loads of garlic, baby carrots and celery, and will be reduced and have mushroom and cream added. To be served with broccolini.

Yes, I do the soup thing too! I have made twice as much casserole as I need, tomorrow more stock will be added and it will be my lunch for a few days. DBH has very good lunches where he works, so only needs a snack in the evenings. However, it doesn't stop him from wanting Sunday's meal again the next day, unless I soup it, which makes it last for several days and saves money - and his waistline.

Marmite butter is no good if you don't like marmite.

Sprouts and marmite are made for eachother. Just steam the sprouts then chuck them in a small bowl on top of some butter that has had a little marmite mashed into it. Stick a lid on top so the sprouts carry on steaming and the butter melts. Dish everything else up then coat the sprouts by tossing them around in the bowl before serving.

Lovely with lamb or beef or any meat that likes a strong gravy.

Sounds lovely Merlot....except for the Marmite butter!
Mamie book due today so give me a day or two and I'll feed back. Bonkers? Not a problem...we like bonkers on this thread

We are having slow roast shoulder of lamb with rosemary and garlic, roasted butternut squash and red onion, braised fennel and carrots and Brussels sprouts tossed in marmite butter.

I always do way too much veg on a Sunday because that's Monday's soup sorted.

Well I was ready for my egg abd bacon this morning, I can tell you.
We had our own asparagus for lunch too!
I saw the Inspiralized website and wondered about the book; will be interested to see what you think of it.
Have found that we would need a special machine to pearl the spelt so I think we will crop all four beds of it, thresh it by hand, separate the wheat from the chaff with a fan or something, grind it and make one small loaf of spelt bread. Bonkers or what
Chicken, cauli mash and chard for dinner.

Picking our own asparagus now. Lunch will be those wrapped in parma ham.

Remembered an Amazon voucher I've had since January, so ordered one of those Spirilisers too plus a book called Inspirilised ... or something like that.

Great thread this for ideas and support

Had my first 'you look like you've lost weight' comment yesterday.

We have just been talking about it, while we ate our fish with (small amount for me) hollandaise sauce, asparagus, baby courgettes, a few baby carrots, broccoli and spinach! DBH looked doubtful until I mentioned the Great Courgette Glut last year. So I think he will come round, and will be delighted that I don't inflict courgette on him every single day! I shall have it for lunch instead.

We liked it! The courgetti had a very fresh taste and good texture. As a whole the dish could have done with a bit more in it, as the clams were delicious but not exactly filling. As my granny would have said, "You won't get fat on that".
Egg and bacon for brekkie tomorrow though

I can get those, but not my favourite little purple slipper clams!

I'm drooling here........
I keep forgetting to buy courgettes so I can try out my spiraliser that arrived earlier in the week.

He didn't get razor clams in the end. They are palourdes which I think are carpetshell in English. Very pretty anyway.

Never eaten razor clams. Like all the other shell fish though. I really like the tiny purple clams I've had in the Med. Can't can't seem to get them here.

I like the sound of the beetroot pasta with pesto that is in the book that came with it.

Mine should arrive next Tuesday. Courgetti will make a change to cauli-rice.

Well it arrived via Monsieur Amazon this morning and we practised with a potato! OH got clams in the market so we are doing courgetti with the clams cooked quickly in white wine, chilli, parsley and lemon rind. We think we just put the raw courgetti in at the end to warm through. Will let you know....

Mamie you're making my mouth water. I remember when I was working in Dolus on the Ile d'Oleron and the fishing boats came in, and the oyster beds. Or we waded out dressed in wet suits with a trident thing to catch flat fish (being careful to keep from stabbing ourselves in the foot!) - all that lovely fresh fish and seafood.