Low Carbs: Further Defined

Apparently I generated a lot of discussion when I talked about my switch to a diet that was low in carbohydrates and high in (good) fats.  The discussion ranged from curiosity to doubt to "how could you do that with the holidays approaching!?!"  Others simply asked me to explain what I was eating now.

For the record, in October I made the decision to significantly reduce the carbohydrates in my diet.  That was a radical change for me. I was a carb animal.  Carbs for breakfast.  Carbs for lunch.  Carbs for snacks.  Lots of carbs on the bike.  Bread, potatoes, rice, pasta.

Let me qualify this right now by saying this isn't for everybody.  Medical reasons can vary.  And not everybody agrees with this anyway.  I just ask that you do the research.

OK, so what has it meant for me since then? 

It means I shop differently.  I don't check calories or fat grams, I check carb content.  I shop for "whole" foods.  Foods without additives.  Fruit, vegetables, meats.  When I go through the checkout lane at the grocery store, most of the stuff in my buggy has a name that I know. 

It means I have to shop more often because I avoid preservatives and go for fresh stuff.  And yes, it does mean that it is more expensive.

Vegetables (broccoli, asparagus, lettuce, greens, carrots, sweet potatoes, spinach, tomatoes, cucumbers, cabbage, and-insert shudder here-brussels sprouts).  Fruit (apples, bananas, blackberries, raspberries, cherries, pears, pineapple).  Nuts (walnuts, almonds, cashews, pistachios).  Foods that defy classification (mushrooms, avocados, eggs, olives).  Beans and peas of every sort.

Lots more meat.  Beef (grass fed when I can find it), chicken (I prefer free range), pork (pasture raised), and seafood (wild caught, always).  Benton's bacon (oh yeah...it might finally be healthy!)

Things without additives.  Like butter.  Milk that I can trace to the farm where it came from.  The same for cheese.

What's missing?  Things made from refined sugar and refined flour. Very little potatoes or white rice.  No pizza or pastries.  No more cereal.

I love bread but save my bread intake for really great bread.  Same with desserts.  It used to be that I had to finish a meal with something sweet.  Always.  And it didn't matter if it was that good or not. Now, if it isn't really, really good, I pass on it. 

I spend a lot more time in food preparation.  I usually make a sausage/egg casserole on Sunday night that is breakfast every morning.  Lots of salads and dressing I make myself.  I've always cooked with olive oil so that's no big deal.

Pancakes made with almond flour and coconut flour.  Try it.  You will be surprised.  Topped with fruit instead of...well...instead of what I always used.

Why did I do all this?  For cardiovascular health.  I don't need to lose weight but it's a good way to do that too.

Conventional wisdom for my entire lifetime has said that dietary fat was the biggest problem and the quickest way to poor cardiac health.  Conclusive new studies from the National Institute of Health tell us something completely different.

The American Heart Association now acknowledges that refined carbs (flour and sugar) are the dietary bad guys in weight control and cardiac health.  Dietary fat, not so much.

You've still got to have some carbs.  Athletic performance demands it.  If I don't have some carbs on a bike ride, I quickly fall behind.  But those need to be complex carbs and not the pure sugar that I used for too long.

I've preached moderation in everything for years.  The same is true for a low carb diet.  I still "cheat" from time to time but I do it only for something really good.  Like my wife's pecan pie on Christmas Day.

But all this is more lifestyle change than diet and indulgences are more just part of enjoying life than betraying what I am convinced will help me live longer and healthier.