Low Carb in the UK Low Carb in the UK |
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[ n u m b e r o n e : ] |
I would like to know where to buy almond flour, and other nut flours. Is this the same as Ground Almonds? I see them in lots of American low-carb recipes that I really want to make!
Ground Almonds are what we call Almond Flour. Most supermarkets sell them in the Home baking section.
Other Ground nuts are not so easy to obtain. I recommend Flourbin.co.uk.
They carry ground, chopped and whole nuts as well as lots of other lovely stuff!The other choice is to make your own. You do this by grinding the nuts yourself in a burr-style coffee grinder, blade-style tend to make Nut butters! You can use either roasted, blanched, or raw nuts depending on what you'll use them for. Blanched almonds work best for most almond-flour uses, but adding in a percentage of toasted almond flour gives a nice warm flavor. Almonds, pecans, macadamias, walnuts and hazelnuts make the best (and lowest carb) flour, but other nuts can be used as well. Keep unused nut flours refrigerated or frozen to avoid spoilage. Back to the top |
 [ n u m b e r t w o : ] |
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Can you send me a list of foods I can eat and foods I need to avoid? Have you a plan I can follow?
Here's a question I get a quite a bit. Go read my How do I start? page for some general guidelines... then please refer to the book that lays out the plan you're following. If you're trying to do this without buying a plan book, IMO that is plain foolish! You *need* all the information you can get, as people *will* be attacking your food choices. Low-carbing requires thought. Stop being lazy and go do your own research! :-) Spend the £4.99 for a paperback... Back to the top |
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[ n u m b e r t h r e e : ] |
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Can you send me a complete list of Carbohydrate/Protein content in foods please?
Sorry, no I cannot... I don't have one. I get my carb counts from the back of packets. If it doesn't list anything, I don't buy the product. However, Collins do a Good book of Food counts: The Fat, Fibre and Carbohydrate Counter by Dell Stanton Back to the top |
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[ n u m b e r f o u r : ] |
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How can I keep temptation away when I have to keep Sweets, squashes, sauces and baked
goods in the house for my kids?
I boggle at the premise that kids need sugar for energy... It is nutrient sapping, makes them fat, rots their teeth, and is definitely connected with Hyperactivity and ADD. If you could go back in time and not have started a lifetime of the devastating effects of sugar consumption in your own life, wouldn't you? Unless they already have a weight problem, no one's saying the kids should be on strict low-carb diet, in fact, they do need "good" carbohydrates, which should be coming from Vegetables... But can you really justify giving them a minimum daily requirement of chemical additives, sugar and flour? Clearing your home of these "temptations" is only good sense. For everyone. Back to the top |
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I have just completed Dr Atkin's induction diet, and only lost 7 pounds in the 2 weeks. I have heard that I should expect a larger loss... So, is my 7lbs normal? Should I stay on the induction for longer than 14 days?
This is one of many very similar questions that arrive in e-mail quite
often. There is no "normal". Everyone loses at a different rate. It depends
on a great deal of factors, not the least of which is how much you have to
lose. If your induction nets you an appreciable loss, I'd call that a victory. (If you are still not happy, then go to the supermarket, and load a hand basket with what you lost in sugar, then pick it up and carry it around for a while...) Don't get hung up on comparing your results to others you know, especially if you are comparing yourself to your husband... Men always lose fat and gain muscle more easily than women... Biology is a bitch like that! As for prolonged induction... it's an individual choice. Induction in Atkins means 20 grams of carbs or less per day, coming from Vegetable sources... I personally would not recommend it, as you can end up making your body have 20g of carbs as a "set point" that you will gain when you eat much more about that. I know, I did this to myself. Back to the top |
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[ n u m b e r s i x : ] |
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I been low-carbing for a while, and I am not losing any more. I'm not cheating at
all and I've started to feel like I'm doing something wrong. Can you help?
When we have been dieting a while, our body needs to take stock of its new parameters. It is called a Stall, and happens on every type of diet. They are disheartening, horrible and plain annoying, but they are neccesary biology. *sigh* All you can really do is sit it out. After all, you have renewed energy, vigour, lower Blood pressure, better hair, skin and nails, better muscle tone, and control over what you eat. I always view Weight loss as a secondary part of eating low-carb. The main objective is to get healthy. Some times dietary tweeks can be done to break the stall, The most common being less carbs, more water, more fish or more fat. Make one change at a time, then you know what broke your stall! Also, make sure that you are eating enough! We are conditioned that "Diet" means "Less food". With low-carbing it doesn't. Your body needs energy input to work, and if it isn't getting enough in, it will hang on to its reserves as it thinks you are a famine. Check the tape measure as well. There is often a scale stall when the inches are still moving, This is because fat is less dense than muscles. So, where you gain muscle and lose fat, the scale stays the same, but the measurements reduce. Above all, know that low-carbing works however long it takes. Keep the faith and you *will* lose eventually... I go and read Lora's on-line Journal when ever I need "Stall grit". Lora was stalled all last summer at a 99lb loss! 5 months of no movement is enough to tax anyone, but she is now on the road again! Back to the top |
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[ n u m b e r s e v e n : ] |
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Is it true that I can have any food I want as long as I keep the total
carb count my limit for the day?
Well, you can but it is not advised. Some foods are so highly glycemic (cause such
a huge insulin spike) that they are real no-no's. These include (but are not limited to) sugar in all forms, any form of flour, pasta, potatoes, rice, and corn products. Also, if you eat no carbs all day and then eat all your limit in one hit, you'll wreck your diet pronto. Low-carbing is not like low-carlorie, you just cannot save up your Carbs, biology doesn't work like that! The 20 gram limit (usually ascribed to "Induction") or any personal daily limit, is assumed to be spread somewhat throughout the day. Making this an even spread helps your Liver to "learn" how much insulin your body really needs, so keeping it even is better for your body! :-) Back to the top |
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[ n u m b e r e i g h t : ] |
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Do you know where I can buy low carb foods?
Go and check out this very good Article by Jeanettte and the UK shopping links in my links page.
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[ n u m b e r n i n e : ] |
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What are your feelings about Aspartame? (Nutrasweet, Candarel etc)
I try to not get into the aspartame debate since everyone has their
own ideas about preferences and safety. For me personally, I try
to keep aspartame to a minimum for a number of reasons. One - It makes me gain weight. I bloat out, and can gain as much as half a stone if I have a Diet Coke (tm). Two- I can't bake with it, as it loses its sweetening capacity at temperatures above 70C, and I just LOVE to bake. Some people use Hermasitas Gold, which is mostly Acesulfame K with a little Aspartame. Me, I don't like paying for something that will contribute nothing to my finished product! Three - the safety warnings worry me enough to err on the side of caution. The worries: It is 50% phenylalanine, 40% asparatic acid, and 10% methyl alcohol (wood alcohol.) It breaks down in the gut into formaldehyde, and DKP (a possible tumour agent). At least one major airline has sent a directive for pilots not to drink any aspartame sweetened soft drinks before flying. At high elevations the methane in nutrasweet can cause dizziness, fainting, and even seizures. The Problem in the UK is that ALL diet products that require sweetening usually contain Aspartame. This gives us big problems, and limits what would could have otherwise legitamatly enjoyed... *sigh* Back to the top |
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I love the look of the recipes on most US sites, but what on earth is "A Cup??? A "stick" of butter? Help!
One "stick" of butter 125g, half of one of our packs of butter. American Butter is also slightly less fatty (80% Fat as opposed to our 82%. American's call European style butter "Plugra") than our butter, but I haven't found that made a difference to anything! One cup is 240ml. There is no real equivalent "Weight" amount, as a cup is a Volume measurement. If you still need to work in weight rather than volume, it helps to have a converter. Here are two cookery unit converters for international equivalences: http://cuisinedumonde.hypermart.net/convert.html and http://www.cambridgeculinary.com/html/equiv.html. These will help you convert each ingredient. Then save them in your equivalent measures to use next time or print to save. However, I went and bought myself a set of cups (Asda, Lakeland, Tesco all sell them, I have two sets of the Asda Metal Cups, and a Set of Plastic Lakeland Cups) and now very rarely use my scales! Back to the top |
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I work long hours and also have children and a house to take care of.
I don't have time to cook time-consuming meals. Do you find that this
plan takes a lot of time and energy?
Yes, this diet (as with any life-changing commitment) takes time and energy. Especially in the beginning while you're learning the ropes and finding new ways to structure meal planning and cooking ahead. If you are thinking in terms of this way of life being "too much bother" or inconvenient, then you might not be ready to take this on. Nothing worth having is ever a quick and easy task. If it's important enough to you to save your health and change your life, you'll find the time. Most of us -- me included -- work long hours and have to look to the family for support. I myself have the admin work to do for my ECWS Hobby (I am the group's secretary),I never see my friends enough, spend most of my evenings reading the List's e-mails, and then devote time and energy to this eating plan. I also give all the time I can to this website and group gatherings. I do it because it matters, my health matters. Make the commitment to do it and you will succeed. Back to the top |
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[ n u m b e r t w e l v e : ] |
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How have you been affected financially by this change in
diet? Meat Costs lots of money!
Well, It is swings and roundabouts. If you are "poor", by default you by the cheap foods, which is flour, pasta, rice and potatoes. The cheap protein foods in low-carbing are Nuts, Eggs, Cheese, and Tuna. Green Veggies are always cheap! :-)
Good meat and fish does cost money, but if you "yellow label" shop (the reduced stuff at the end of the day) you can pick up enough meat to do you for a while... I fill my freezer with yellow label steak as often as I can! What you the find happening is that you are not speading money on junk, you know, the odd Mars bar (tm) here and there, the odd can of Coke (tm)as hey, Water is free! :-). If you buy Antacids, you won't have to buy them, as LC rebalanced your stomach. I personally rarely have to buy painkillers anymore. It does seem to be more expensive when you start, but it rights itself in a month or so... You are just spending your money in different places. Back to the top |
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[ n u m b e r t h i r t e e n : ] |
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I heard that cutting out carbs works but can be dangerous. I want to
do this and have been very good about keeping my fat intake low, but does
this really work?
If you've read my story, you can see it works.
You can see it in thousands of stories all over the web. But let's address the
first question. Although you can read this in each of the books outlining
the popular low-carb plans, let me stress here once again, that our way of
eating is low carb; not NO carb! The advantage to low-carb is that it allows for plenty to eat, really rich and delicious foods, and lots of variety. In addition to meats, eggs, cheeses, etc, we still have plenty of veggies, a large list of acceptable fruits, and a varied diet. We give up very little of any value to us nutritionally, are never hungry and lose weight pretty easily. Our health improves, our blood pressure and cholesterol goes down and we have tons of energy. What more could you ask? Oh, and don't try to keep your fat intake low -- your body needs a healthy level of fat in the diet to properly function. Don't attempt to do low-fat and low-carb at the same time. Now that's not healthy! You are aiming for "High fat/protein adequate/low carb". Back to the top |
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[ n u m b e r f o u r t e e n : ] |
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I am getting married in three months and need to lose at least a stone... please help! Give me tips what to do and recipes.
Two answers to this one - first, Stop being lazy and go do your own research! :-) Spend the £4.99 for a paperback... As for tips and recipes, they're right here on the site! Back to the top |
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[ n u m b e r f i f t e e n : ] |
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You don't mention exercise. What is your exercise plan?
That is because I don't have a plan, and don't do any "formal" exercise! ;-) While exercise is always a useful adjunct to any dieting regime, it's a personal thing. Advocating a specific form of exercise implies that sort of plan is best with low-carbing. In reality, it's your choice. If you're not comfortable with the exercise plan, or the level, you won't do it. Also, Some people are not ready. I've known many low-carbers that lost their first Stone, 3 stone, or even 7 stone before they were small enough or energetic enough to not only be comfortable with a regular exercise plan, but actually crave doing it! Remember, this diet brings with it lots of extra energy. When you're ready, you'll know, and there are plenty of places on the web, on TV, and in books and video to get structured in your chosen plan. (Walking is often the best plan for beginners or those very overweight.) Remember, you may lose a bit faster when you include exercise as well as toning those muscles as you get smaller, but it isn't a necessary component of the plan. Back to the top |
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[ n u m b e r s i x t e e n : ] |
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I thought this diet is supposed to make you feel good. One week
in and I feel weakness, nausea, and having terrible headaches!
This is very common. Go read this New Starter Article Back to the top |
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[ n u m b e r s e v e n t e e n: ] |
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What about this "Stacking" or "The ECA Stack" I am hearing about? I am very skeptical. Can you tell me any more?
The product you refer to is normally made up of ephedrine (what's often known
as "herbal speed") - ma huang. Ephedrines are supposed to suppress
appetite and increase the body’s metabolic rate. Alas, they also
increase blood pressure, and trigger anxiety and insomnia. Secondly, a rather large dose of caffeine (a typical medication offers up around 15 mg of caffeine - this one hits you with 200!) And then finally, aspirin. (By calling it "acetylsalicylic acid" they expect many people not to realize.) The Three together raise yor body temperature, hence the other name you might here "thermogenic product". They make up what's known in the body building and diet world's as "stacking". There are those who believe they really lose better by doing it. But these folks would have had the same reaction with any amphetamine/diet pill. They think because one of the ingredients is considered "herbal", it must be safe. It could stop their heart just as fast as any stimulant. Drugging yourself is not the answer to weight loss. And it's only the current popularity of Low Carb diets that inspires these companies to now market to "us". Back to the top |
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[ n u m b e r e i g h t e e n : ] |
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How do I calculate the "Effective Carbohydrate count"? / "Atkins Net Carbs"? What are ""Hidden carbs"? Do Polyols Count? Most US sites say they don't!
First "Effective" Carbs: This is all about Fibre.
American product labling includes fibre in the carb and calorie counts, as fibre is essentially a very long-chain carbohydrate. However, as fibre is inert,and isn’t processed by the gut in anyway, it is not a "real" carbohydrate. So, American Low-carbers subtract the Fiber from their given counts. US Carb Counts are also not measured accurately per 100g as ours are, but the product is assessed "per serving" (which can be any amount the manufacturer choses!), and the carbohydrate content is calculated "by difference". This means that the Laboratory accuratly counts Fat and Protein, then anything left over is deemed to be carbohydrate. It gets worse... Carbohydrate counts thus obtained can then legitimatly be rounded down to the nearest gram by the manufacturer. ie one egg has 0.6g of Carbohydrate in it, but US food producers can list this as Zero. That 0.6g is an example of "Hidden" carbs. They are not listed, but will affect your Low-carb WoE if you eat too may of them!! The US manufacturers are very good at hiding carbs away! And to cap it all, there is no clear US labling standard concering Polyols. A great deal of Low-carb food manufacturers simply ignore them, or say that they are non-digestible, tell you the count, but then exclude that from the total food values! Lora explains this here So, DANDR, being written by an American, for the American market is writen with this in mind, and this is what is explained about how you count carbs in Chapter 5. For the UK version, Vermillion did not edit this chapter to reflect our labling laws. How stupid can you get, as our labling standards and laws are completely different! Hence confusion reigns! The EU requires a food producer to accuratly measure digestible carbohydrates, (Sugar, Starch and Polyols) and list this total per 100g. Any further breakdown listing is at the discretion of the food producer. Fibre is counted as a seperate thing, as it is non digestible. So, when polyols are not included in the food, the "Total" count listed is your accurate and complete "Effective Carb count". Bottom line: Pick Products that are Low in total carbs! Anything less than 5g per 100g is excelent! If Polyols are included, I tend to think of them as a "half hit" carbohydrate. Most people will process (turn into Glucose) up to half of the Polyol they eat. It is a lot like protein in that sense, although, Polyols are long chain Carbohydrates, but not quite as long as fibre. You have to see for yourself how you react to it, but for safety sake, I would count it as half the carb content. ie you got 10g of Polyol in a product, think of that as 5g of carbohydrate. Click here to take you to a site that explains this labeling difference perfectly! Back to the top |
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Do I need to clear my cupboards of all "illegal" stuff - Crisps, sweets, biscuits, pasta, rice, bread, sugar, etc?
Yes, if at all possible - depending on your life, family, and residential situation,
it's ideal to not have temptation on hand. It's just good sense. Back to the top |
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[ n u m b e r t w e n t y : ] |
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Do you have any suggestions for relieving constipation? Even with the added
veggies I still have trouble with this.. I drink lots of water each day as
well.
First, make sure the veggies you're including are the high-fibre ones like
salad greens. I personally get great relief from spinach when I need it (not often these days! :-) ). There's also psyllium
husks and ground Linseeds, these that can be a great help in adding a little more fibre.
If things are desparate, there are various things that will help ease the situation. Jeanette swears by 600mg of Magnesium Citrate, taken before bed. You could also try LARGE amounts of Vitamin C (I am talking 10-40g) as once the body reaches its tolerance level you *will* excret the rest in short order. Barry Groves recommends upping water intake, and adding fat to your breakfast. If things get so desparate as that you need a laxatve, choose a senna based one, and then make sure that you are eating enough veggies, and drinking enough water. Prevention is better than cure! Back to the top |
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[ n u m b e r t w e n t y - o n e : ] |
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Do you ever go off your plan now and then and if you do how do you handle
coming back to it?
I never go off the plan. I don't want to feel the Hunger monster sitting on my shoulder again. I don't want to be a slave to hypoglycemia and my next sugar fix ever again. I tried going off plan once , for my 30th birthday. I went to Pizza express, andprettty much ate what I wanted. I felt lousy, and HUNGRY! and I gained half a stone!!! No more indulgenceds for me! Also, if you have a bad carb addiction, then going off plan - for a special occasion, when depressed, for vacation, etc, etc, is going to lead to downfall. You can rationalise that since you are off anyway you "might as well" have that bowl of Frosties you are missing. Or a baked potato. Or a plate of spaghetti. And that is it for the diet. Back to the top |
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[ n u m b e r t w e n t y - t w o : ] |
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I love to snack on nuts and seeds. Do low-carb plans allow these?
Yes, most low-carb plans allow for nuts and seeds. I love them and work them into lots of my recipes as well as snacking! They are calorie-dense so you want to not get crazy, but I find that this makes them
self-limiting and they keep you not-hungry for a long time.
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[ n u m b e r t w e n t y - t h r e e : ] |
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Do you allow yourself any fruit?
Occasionally yes, Fruit adds variety and (for some people) pleasure to the diet. But it must be used with caution because it can stall you faster than anything else.
This is because Fructose converts directly to triglyceride (fat) in the body, without the need for insulin. Fruits make you fat!!! Think about when it naturally grows, our bodies are designed to use it to lay down fat stores for the Winter lean times. So you may find that eating fruit is an indulgance that will have to wait until maintenance. The "safest" fruits are the berries (especially strawberries) but other good low-carb options are a small peach, a small plum, melon (especially cantaloupe, but stay away from high glycemic watermelon.) A small amount of unsweetened pineapple and tart apple is also good for ingredient adding in recipes. Tart cherries are also an option. But the high sugar fruits are pretty much always out. You can never sit down and eat a banana, or a big navel orange. But that's where flavorings and extracts come in - when you crave one of these, flavor a shake or an almond flour cake etc with these great flavors and enjoy! Back to the top |
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2000 Nikola Howard. All rights reserved.