Nutrition label guide

    The number of products which has nutrition and health labels printed on the packaging has increased significantly in the last 10 years. It's easy to get lost and to know what they really mean.

    Here is a cheat sheet and nutrition label guide

    Grass-fed A good label to look out for on meat and diary. It means that the animal ate grass instead of grain, which means it was less likely to get sick and get antibiotics as a treatment. Also, meat and milk from grass-fed animals is lower in saturated fat and richer in healthy omega-3 and Vitamin D.

    Sugar-free This label means that the product has less than a gram of sugar per serving. Depending on the number of servings in a package, this still doesn't mean that the product is free from a large amount of sugar. Also, check to make sure that the sugar hasn't been replaced with artificial sweeteners. Also, for everyone who is not following a keto/lchf lifestyle, sugar free doesn't mean calorie free so you need to check out the calories on the packaging and monitor your portion control.

    No Antibiotics Added This means that the animal has not been fed any antibiotics, which some public health officials warn that doing so breeds antibiotic-resistant bacteria that can infect people.

    Hormone-free There is no use of hormone in pork or poultry per the USDA rules. However, the USDA and the FDA allows hormone use in beef.

    All Natural This label is the most common and miss-used. Look out for this label, since it doesn't mean that the product is healthy. It can still contain unhealthy amounts of sugar, salt, carbs and fat.

    PepsiCo’s Frito-Lay North America division has announced that approximately 50 percent of its product portfolio will be made with all natural ingredients. So as you can see, "All Natural" does not equal healthy...

    all natural stamp

Newbie mistakes on LCHF/keto

    If you are new to the LCHF/keto lifestyle there are some common newbie mistakes to look out for. These are mistakes which can prevent you from getting all the benefits from the lifestyle. 1. You are not eating enough fat We’ve been told to avoid fat since we were children, so it can be difficult to change from low-fat to full-fat. But you need to eat full fat cheese. Eat the skin off of your chicken. Drown your broccoli in butter. Yes, all of it.

    2. Sneaky carbs If you don't keep an eye out for sneaky carbs it's easy to eat too many. They are hiding in cream, sour cream and nuts. Keep an eye out for portion control and you will be fine. 3. Drink lots of water While on LCHF/keto you must drink a lot of water since it is dispelled very quickly. When this happens, electrolytes are excreted through your urine and it’s VERY important to replenish them. Drink water and other non-sugar non-caffeine drinks.

    4. Too many changes at once This one is very important and the most common mistake. Changing from a lifestyle of processed junk and no exercise to the LCHF/keto lifestyle and active lifestyle are opposite ends of the extremes. Start with focusing on the food first, and add exercise a couple of weeks later. You don’t want to get burnt out and then give up.

    5. Too much protein You will find that in the beginning you will most likely drop a lot of weight (mostly water). At some point, your body will level off to roughly 1-2 pounds a week (depending on how much you have to lose) or you might actually stall and not lose anything. If this is the case, I would definitely check on your protein intake. Remember, on LCHF/keto, fat is your main source of energy. You should be eating around 70% fat, 25% protein, and 5% carbs.

    Look out for these newbie mistakes, and you will see faster results. As always, happy to answer any questions you might have!

    Avocado - a great source of fat and vitamins!

    avocados

DIY Coffee Table

    Remeber the table I've been working on? Previous post here

    It took more than a couple of weekends, but it's now complete! My new diy coffee table. I'm very happy with the result. Creating and building things is my meditation. I love coming up with the idea and I love to process of creating something. This is a major contributor to my quality of life. What is your contributors?

    DIY table

    DIY table 2

LCHF/ketogenic recipe - Broccoli Salad

    This week's Summer salad - Broccoli Salad. A filling salad full of nutrition and taste.

    Prep time: 5 mins Cook time: 15 mins Total time: 20 mins

    4 servings

    Ingredients • 1/2 pound bacon • 1 red onion • 2 heads fresh broccoli • 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar • 1 cup mayonnaise • 3/4 cup sliced almonds

    Directions 1. Place bacon in a deep skillet and cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Cool and crumble. 2. Cut the broccoli into bite-size pieces and cut the onion into thin bite-size slices. Place in a large bowl. 3. Add the bacon and almonds and mix well. 3. To prepare the dressing, mix the mayonnaise and vinegar together until smooth. Stir into the salad, let chill and serve.

    Enjoy!

Lack of energy

Have you found yourself with a lack of energy this Summer? The most common reason for not having energy in the Summer is dehydration since it's not easy to keep up with drinking enough water. Dehydration can cause many different issues in our bodies, including fatigue, headaches, and general lethargy.

Another reason for lack of energy can be not moving enough. It may sound counter-intuitive, but one thing that could be slowing you down is actually a lack of movement and exercise. Keeping your blood pumping could make all the difference in your energy levels and general mood. Even doing something as simple as a ten-minute walk every day is great.

Overeating or undereating can also be a reason for feeling sluggish. Overeating can make us feel groggy and fatigued because our body expends more energy when it has a lot of food to digest. This can leave our brains and body deprived of the fuel it needs. Undereating will make your blood sugar drop, dragging your daily energy down. Skipping meals or letting too much time pass between meals are recipes for low-energy. Eating according to the LCHF/Ketogenic lifestyle help keep the blood sugar even and the energy steady.

One of our biggest energy thief is of course sleep deprivation. Most people do not get enough sleep on a nightly basis, and it’s doing more than just making them yawn throughout the day. Habitual sleep deprivation can lead to chronic fatigue, as well as a lot of other mental and physical health issues. We have all heard that 8 hours a night the ideal amount of sleep, but a study at UCSD shows that as far as health benefits are concerned, 8 hours isn’t the ideal; it’s 6.5 hours. The study looked at 1.1 million people’s sleep over the course of 6 years, and looked at the relationship between amount of sleep and patients’ longevity. The study found that sleeping as little as 5 hours per night is better for you than sleeping 8, and it even determined that insomnia is better for you, long-term health wise, than taking sleeping pills. According to the study, 6.5 hours is the sweet spot for lowering your risk of cancer.

So to stay energized; drink water, keep your blood sugar level balanced, keep on moving and sleep 6.5 hours a night. How do you keep your energy levels up?

Having a water bottle handy makes it easier to stay hydrated

Reebok water bottle

I can't give up bananas!

I don't know how many times I've heard - I can't give up bananas! I won't get my potassium if I do - as an argument why people can't give up fruits and follow the LCHF/ketogenic lifestyle. But there are many other foods that will give you potassium, and in even higher quantities than bananas.

All these provide more potassium than bananas. And they are all LCHF/keto approved with their low carbs and low sugar contents.

  • Dark leafy greens
  • Fish
  • Avocado
  • Mushrooms

    • If you are craving fruits, go for raspberries, strawberries or blueberries. No need to feel deprived!

    berries

    LCHF and Ketogenic recipe - Asparagus and tomato salad

    .This week's Summer salad - asparagus and tomato salad. A refreshing vegetarian salad.

    Prep time: 10 mins Cook time: 0 mins Total time: 10 mins

    4 servings

    Ingredients • 1/2 cup chopped asparagus • 2 cups baby spinach • 1 cup arugula • 16 black olives, pitted and cut in half • 4 ripe tomatoes • 1/4 cup toasted pine nuts

    Dressing • 2 tbsp olive oil • 2 tsp lemon oil • 1 tsp whole-grain mustard • 4 tbsp balsamic vinegar • Salt and pepper to taste

    Directions 1. Steam the asparagus until al dente. Cut them into 2-inch pieces. 2. Rinse and chop the tomatoes into large chunks. 3. Cut the olive in half. 4. Place all ingredients in a serving bowl. 5. Make the dressing; mix all ingredients in a small bowl and whisk it together. 6. Pour it over the salad and mix well. 7. Serve it.

    Enjoy!

    Parsley butter

    .Parsley butter is one of my favorite condiments and an easy way to add your fat to your diet. I eat it with both meat and seafood. I included a recipe for parsley butter in my book, but this week I created another recipe which doesn't include as many ingredients:

    Ingredients • 2 sticks of butter • 1/2 cup of parsley • A pinch of salt • A pinch of garlic powder • 1 garlic clove, crushed

    Directions • Leave the sticks of butter in room temperature until soft. • Add all the ingredients to the butter and mix well using your hands. • Place the butter in a roll on a piece of parchment paper and roll it up. • Place the roll in the fridge until it hardens. Slice it up and serve with meat and seafood.

    Enjoy!

    parsley butter

    Entertaining with LCHF/Ketogenic foods

    .I get a lot of questions regarding entertaining with LCHF/Ketogenic foods. We had friends over this weekend and I was able to adjust every recipe easily so that both keto and non-keto eaters were happy. The key is to serve a Clean Eating menu with keto condiments, so that everyone can pick and adjust their plate to what they want to eat.

    I changed our favorite potato salad to a keto dish by swapping the potatoes with cucumber. It was great to see all non-keto eaters choosing the cucumber salad over the potato salad.

    Ingredients • 1 cucumber • 1 cup of cherry tomatoes, halved • 1/4 cup of red onion (less if it's strong), chopped • I 8.05 oz bottle of California sun-dried tomatoes, keep the oil • 1 garlic clove • 1/4 cup olive oil • 1 cap red wine vinegar • I box of feta cheese cubes

    Directions • Rinse and chop the cucumber in big chunks and place them in a large bowl • Rinse the cherry tomatoes and cut them in half. Add them to the cucumbers. • Chop the red onion. Add them to the cucumber and tomatoes. • Pour the oil from the

    Enjoy!

    . keto dinner

    Getting back in shape

    .It happened again. Not enough exercising and too much food during vacation. And thinking back it wasn't worth it. It was a good reminder about how good it feels to be healthy and how easy it is to fall back into old habits and how easy it is to gain weight. The biggest difference I feel is not just the pounds gained but my mood. I get so grumpy when I feel uncomfortable.

    Starting today I plan on following a strict LCHF/Ketogenic lifestyle to kick-start my weight-loss. I will also workout 4 times a week. The toughest thing for me when getting back into shape is being patient. Like most of us, I want to see results fast. The good thing is that I'm aware of my weakness so I just need to remind myself to enjoy the exercising and I know that with a LCHF/Ketogenic lifestyle the results are just around the corner.

    My menu today Breakfast - Magic Bullet Coffee - Instagram Lunch - grilled chicken with Bearnaise sauce Dinner - steak and salad

    The plan is to eat less than 20 grams of carbs every day.

    Weight training for 30 mins tonight. It's going to be a tough one since I'm still suffering from jetlag, but I will do it!

    I'm getting back in shape! Are you with me?!

    Clean eating and ketogenic recipe - tomato, salmon and shrimp salad

    .Summer is the time to enjoy fresh salads so I'm going to share my favorite salad recipes once a week for the entire Summer. Send me your favorite salad and I will share them with everyone!

    Tomato, salmon and shrimp salad

    Prep time: 10 mins Cook time: 0 mins Total time: 10 mins

    1 serving

    Ingredients • 1 cup cherry tomatoes • 5 salads leaves • 1/2 cup of salmon • 1 cup of large cooked shrimp • 1/4 cup olive oil • 2 tbsp lemon juice • A couple of fresh dill sprigs • Pinch of salt and pepper

    Directions 1. Rinse the tomatoes and cut them in half. 2. Rinse the lettuce and pat dry. Place around the edges in a bowl. 3. Place tomatoes in the middle of the bowl. 4. Using scissors, snip the salmon in strips and add to the salad. 5. Add the shrimp to the salad. 6. In a small bowl, mix the oil, lemon and spices 7. Chop the dill and add to the dressing. Stir and pour over the salad.

    Enjoy!

    Eating out healthy

    .Even though we have a kitchen in our vacation house we end up eating out a lot. It's not always easy to find healthy options. Here are some helpful advice on eating out healthy:

    1. Don't be afraid of asking Most restaurants don't mind if you change the meal. Ask them to hold the french fries and give you more vegetable/salad.

    2. Try to find a buffet That way you can pick plenty of veggies and protein. Stay away from veggies which grow in the ground and corn. Use olive oil as dressing.

    3. Think clean eating Go to a restaurant which offer a menu where you can find grilled chicken/beef with veggies vs. stews etc.

    4. Dessert A cheese platter is a great dessert, or berries with whip cream. That way you don't need to say no to dessert!

    How sugar affects the brain

    .Great TED presentation by Nicole Avena about how sugar affects the brain. Like I've said before - sugar is white poison.

    "When you eat something loaded with sugar, your taste buds, your gut and your brain all take notice. This activation of your reward system is not unlike how bodies process addictive substances such as alcohol or nicotine -- an overload of sugar spikes dopamine levels and leaves you craving more. Nicole Avena explains why sweets and treats should be enjoyed in moderation." Check out the video here.

    sugar pile

    Image: pinterest

    Congratulations Jack Osbourne!

    Congratulations to Jack Osbourne for his lifestyle change. What a fantastic accomplishment! Jack credited the ketogenic/low-carb Paleo diet for helping him manage his multiple sclerosis and fueling his recent 70-pound weight loss. Jack's mother, Sharon Osbourne, lost 30 pounds in six weeks by following a ketogenic-style Atkins diet that limited her daily carb intake to about 25 grams. Sharon, 61, has said she has never felt better. jack osbourne

    Michael Buckner/Getty Images Article

    The importance of sleep

    .Getting too little sleep can have serious consequences for your health. People who don't get enough sleep often have higher levels of chronic inflammation and insulin resistance. Lack of sleep can also elevate blood sugar and lead to higher levels of hormones that causes hunger and sugar cravings.

    Tips for sleeping better

    - Limit eating and drinking alcohol within the hours before bed. A large meal before bed can cause indigestion that interferes with sleep. Alcohol before bed can result in waking frequently. I've noticed that when I've had something to eat before bed, I have really strange dreams. I often wake up exhausted from nightmares.

    - Try to go to bed with a good blood sugar level. Elevated nocturnal blood glucose can wake you up to the bathroom which will interfere with your deep sleep. Following a ketogenic/LCHF lifestyle ensures a good blood sugar level. I sleep like a baby!

    - Find a way to wind down before bed. Many recommend not watching TV before bed.

    - Exercise early. There is some evidence that exercising reduces the quality of your sleep. This is a tough one for me since I have to workout at night because of my work schedule. I find myself staying up later when I excessive because I have so much new energy, which makes me more tired the next day.

    Are you getting a good night sleep every night? Share your tips!

    Weight Watchers guidelines

    .I got a letter from Weight Watchers today asking me to subscribe to their magazine. They included some tips and guidelines which I find interesting.

    weight watchers

    Do treat all foods equally....hmmm, no I will not treat ice cream and broccoli the same, because they are not equal.

    weight watchers

    Breakfast eaters consume about 12% less fat than breakfast skippers do. Hmmm, don't we all know by now that fat is not bad??

    weight watchers

    Remember, be an investigator and find out what lifestyle is right for you. Just because a big company is giving you diet advice doesn't mean they are right, or that it is the right lifestyle for you.