My Low Carb Alternate Day Fasting Experiment - Day 8

Today will be a "normal feed day". There's lots of food in the refrigerator that needs attention. Time to get to it. Breakfast awaits.

Wake Up Time: 8:10 AM. Fell Asleep: 1:30 AM.

8:25 AM: a cup of organic coffee with a scoop of FOS/Inulin and a splash of unsweetened vanilla almond milk

9:20 AM: Blood Pressure: 107/64. Blood Sugar: 71 mg/dL

9:40 AM: a few slices of tri-tip steak (from Whole Foods) with Parmesan Brussels sprouts + my morning supplements

11:15 AM: a strong cup of organic white tea (3 tea bags)

2:15 PM: leftover pot roast, sauteed spinach and a glass of organic red wine (Malbec)

4:20 PM: a cup of organic coffee (black)

6:30 PM: a strong cup of organic white tea (3 tea bags)

7:30 PM: a large piece of homemade (organic) Basil Italian Egg Bake and a bowl of homemade (organic) guacamole

10:00 PM: a strong cup of Traditional Medicinals' Every Day Detox tea (3 tea bags)

More to come ... I hope!

My Low Carb Alternate Day Fasting Experiment - Day 7

It's Monday and my fourth ADF day. I'm looking forward to it. Odd, eh? I need to prepare a recipe for HF so I'll skip my usual meal replacement and simply have an actual meal instead - lamb burgers with sliced tomatoes.

Wake Up Time: 10:00 AM. Fell Asleep: 2:00 AM.

10:20 AM - a cup of organic coffee (black)

10:45 AM - Blood Pressure: 106/62. Blood Sugar: 71 mg/dL

11:45 AM - a strong cup of organic white tea (3 tea bags)

3:00 PM - a homemade LC lamb burger with a garlic yogurt sauce, sliced tomatoes and grilled broccoli, a 1/2 glass of organic red wine (Syrah) + the majority of my daily supplements

6:00 PM - a cup of organic black coffee

8:00 PM - a strong cup of Traditional Medicinals' Every Day Detox tea (2 tea bags)

10:15 PM - a strong cup of organic chamomile tea (3 tea bags)

Note: I'll post the recipe and more information about the lamb burger and yogurt sauce tomorrow on HF. We think it turned out great. Can't wait to try it again!

More to come ... I hope!

My Low Carb Alternate Day Fasting Experiment - Day 6

Grilled Mazatlan Blue Shrimp ... on Jicama "Chips"

Queso Fundido w/ Homemade Chorizo & Roasted Poblano Chile

Tinga Poblana - Braised Gleason Ranch Pork Shoulder & Belly

Rib Eye Carne Asada w/Grilled Globe Onions *

* We didn't eat the tamales. We asked them not to bring them at all and instead replace it with sauteed spinach. The spinach eventually came but wasn't very photo-worthy.

This will be a typical feed day - 3 meals but probably no snacking in between. Tonight we plan to belatedly celebrate our 11th anniversary at a new restaurant (Red O) we've been anxious to visit. More details on that to come later.

All-in-all, feeling good. My energy levels are much improved due to the increased sleep allotment. No trouble sticking with the program. The herbal teas seem to help manage my hunger and keep things interesting. Much more so than plain water. The added health benefits are a swell bonus also.

Wake Up Time: 10:45 AM. Fell Asleep: 2:45ish AM.

11:00 AM - a cup of organic coffee w/a scoop of fructo-oligosaccharides (prebiotics) + a splash of unsweetened vanilla almond milk
11:25 AM - Blood Pressure: 123/73. Blood Sugar: 66 mg/dL
11:35 AM - a large slice of homemade Basil Italian Egg Bake, a spicy Italian chicken sausage + my morning nutritional supplements
1:30 PM - a cup of black coffee
3:00 PM - homemade organic guacamole, natural chicarrones, a glass of organic Syrah (red wine) + my mid-day supplements
5:00 PM - a strong cup of organic white tea (3 tea bags)
7:00 PM - Had dinner out. Shared everything: Starter: grilled mazatlan blue shrimp roasted garlic mojo, avocado with jicama chips (raw, not fried) Starter #2: queso fundido w/ homemade chorizo sausage and roasted poblano chiles Main Course #1: Tinga Poblana - braised gleason ranch pork shoulder & belly, homemade chorizo, roasted tomatoes, smoked chipotle, avocado, queso fresco Main Course #2: Carne Asada Brava green chile-marinated creekstone natural ribeye, cooked over the coals, roasted salsa huevona, grilled knob onions To Drink: a glass of Argentinian Malbec
9:00 PM - a cup of organic coffee with a scoop of inulin and a splash of unsweetened vanilla almond milk + evening supplements
11:15 PM - a strong cup of Traditional Medicinals' Every Day Detox Tea (2 tea bags)

More to come ... I hope!

My Low Carb Alternate Day Fasting Experiment - Day 5

One of the more interesting shifts that's already occurring is that I'm selecting foods, on my "normal" feed days, that needs to eaten.

Example: I had guacamole on both of my prior, non-ADF dinner meals because there were avocados in the refrigerator that needed to be used. I'll have some more guacamole tomorrow because there's still one more left! This alteration in my eating pattern is resulting in significant changes in how I'll select and shop for food in the coming time.

So far, this isn't a problem. Firstly, I love guacamole! Secondly, I can make it in slightly different ways each time. It could be extra garlicy one day. Intensely spicy another. Etc. And also, repetition doesn't seem like much of an issue these days for me. I actually feel more appreciative of my meals when I get to eat them - on my regular feed days. I think that's a positive trend with respect to how I view food. I'm grateful to have delicious and nutritious food to eat. Many people are not so blessed - unfortunately. In other words, I'm focusing more on what I do have and can have rather than what I chose not to have.

After all, when did food become something we depend on for entertainment? Sure it's enjoyable and it can certainly afford sensory stimulation. But simply having access to it should be more important than thinking about other types of food we'd rather be eating. It seems the mindset of many, including myself, has gone way off the tracks.

My initial impressions are that: a) I should buy much smaller quantities of the foods I like, especially the perishable variety - duh!; b) try to increase the variety of foods we stock - to make my full dining days more interesting and nutritionally diverse.

• Fast Day #3 - Fell Asleep: 1:30 Am - Wake Up Time: 10:00 AM - Slept in. Whee Hooo!
• 10:30 AM - an organic cup of black coffee
• 12:00 PM - Blood Pressure: 124/71. Blood Sugar: 68 mg/dL
• 12:45 PM - A "triple shot" of organic white tea (3 tea bags)
• 3:00 PM - ADF Meal Replacement Pudding/Shake: 8 oz of unsweetened, vanilla almond milk, 1 scoop (natural + sugar-free) chocolate egg white protein, 3 Tbs organic (sugar-free) peanut butter, 2 scoops chocolate "greens" powder, 1 scoop organic sprouted flax meal, 1 scoop of FOS/inulin and a dash of NutraSalt + the majority of my daily nutritional supplements
• 5:00 PM - an organic cup of black coffee
• 7:15 PM - a strong cup of Traditional Medicinals' Every Day Detox tea (2 tea bags)
• 9:00 PM to 12:00 AM - lots of ice water (out with friends at a club)
• 1:00 AM - a strong cup of organic chamomile tea (2 tea bags)
  

Update: We're going out tonight. But it'll be a late-night get together so I decided to keep my daily ADF in the mid-day range as usual. I'll probably just have some coffee or mineral water at tonight's event.

More to come, I hope.

My Low Carb Alternate Day Fasting Experiment - Day 4

Note: The hunger on ADF days is most apparent when I'm lying in bed drifting off to sleep. Probably due to fewer distractions than during the daytime. It's not major but more noticeable than in the sunlight hours. It also doesn't last very long as I've been falling asleep rather quickly lately.

Note #2: One of the most striking changes so far is how full the refrigerator remains now. It makes sense but it's also rather dramatic to see for yourself. I did make a store at a health food store to pick up some groceries today but the big was significantly smaller than usual.

Note #3: I wanted to briefly mention this while I remembered it. Some of you may know that a long time ago I struggled with an eating disorder known as anorexia nervosa. A long, long time ago. One of the psychological underpinnings of eating disorders is a desperate need for control in one's life. During my adolescence, I felt as though I had very little control over my destiny. But it occurs to me now that taking control over my eating patterns needn't be destructive - if it's done consciously and judiciously. I believe that's part of what I'm doing now. I'm managing my food intake in such a way as to improve my health and to help me feel more confident and in control of my life. This is all the more important now that my/our life seems a bit less certain in general.

• Wake up time: 7:00 AM. Fell asleep around 1:00 AM.
• 7:30 AM - a cup of organic coffee with a scoop of inulin powder (a prebiotic) and a splash of unsweetened, vanilla almond milk
• 8:45 AM - Blood Pressure: 124/74. Blood Sugar: 68 mg/dL.
• 9:00 AM - 1 cup of Fage Greek yogurt *, 1 Tbs of Nature's Hollow (sugar-free) strawberry preserves and a few ounces of organic raw pecans + morning supplements
• 11:00 AM - a cup of organic coffee (black)
• 1:00 PM - a strong cup of organic white tea with mint (3 tea bags)
• 2:15 PM - a large slice of homemade Italian Basil Egg Bake and lightly roasted broccoli + mid-day supplements
  
• 6:30 PM - a large bowl of homemade (organic) guacamole and chicharrones, a small serving of traditional pot roast and a glass or organic red wine (Syrah) + evening supplements
• 10:30 - a strong cup of Traditional Medicinals' Every Day Detox tea (2 tea bags)
  

* You've probably noticed that some separation occurs when you store opened yogurt in the refrigerator - the semi-solid (yogurt) and the liquid. Pouring out the liquid further reduces the carb count. In the case of Greek yogurt, this in effect causes it to be "doubly strained".

More to come ... I hope!

My Low Carb Alternate Day Fasting Experiment - Day 3

Update: This is a photo of an Italian Basil Egg Bake I made this afternoon. I have no problem cooking and serving Mad food while fasting. I figure that's part of the deal. This is my choice. And that choice requires living a normal life minus the frequency in meals - every other day. It's really not that difficult to do, especially when you know you can eat as you please the following day.

I guess I should have entitled this project, "My Low Carb Alternate Day Fasting Experiment". I suppose I could go back and change the two previous titles. Done. If only all of life's necessary changes were that easy. Not done.

• Fast Day #2 - Woke up at 7:00 AM.
• Had a cup of organic black coffee at 7:30 AM.
• 9:00 AM - Blood Pressure: 109/69. Blood Sugar: 79 mg/dL.
• 9:15 AM - Current Weight: 185.6 lbs - 23.5% body fat
  
• 10:00 AM - Traditional Medicinals' Every Day Detox tea (2 bags)
• 1:00 PM - organic black coffee
  
• 2:15 PM - Meal Replacement Pudding/Shake - 1 scoop of Natural Chocolate Egg White Protein, 8 oz of unsweetened vanilla almond milk, 3 Tbs of organic peanut butter (unsweetened), 2 scoops of chocolate "greens" formula, 1 scoop organic sprouted flax meal and a dash of NutraSalt
• 4:15 PM - strong cup (3 tea bags) of organic white tea w/ organic mint
• 6:00 PM - organic black coffee
• 10:30 PM - Traditional Medicinals' Every Day Detox tea (2 bags)

The plan is to have my (solitary) meal replacement somewhere in the mid-day range. I'm flexible with the timing. And frankly, I'm looking forward to not having to slow down much to eat, prepare and clean up after myself in the kitchen. One less thing to do.

Notes: I'm not getting enough sleep. Maybe 6 hours if I'm lucky. I'm feeling pretty tired but it's unlikely to be due to the ADF. We've been working late into the night and waking up rather early. The ADF doesn't seem to negatively impact sleep quality. Can't say that it's helping in that respect either - as of yet.

My Low Carb Alternate Day Fasting Experiment - Day 2

Just getting something down to start the day. Will refine the information later, I hope.

Woke up at 6:45 AM. Had a cup of organic coffee with a splash of unsweetened, vanilla almond milk at about 7:00 AM. Took my blood pressure and sugar at 8:15 AM:

• Blood Sugar: 75 mg/dL
• Blood Pressure: 121/64

8:45 AM - About to have breakfast: a cup of Greek yogurt (Fage), a Tbs of Nature's Hollow sugar-free strawberry preserves and a few ounces of raw organic pecans + my morning supplements.

1:00 PM - a cup of organic black coffee

2:15 PM - a large piece of LC Eggplant Parmesan and a glass of red wine (organic Syrah) + my mid-day supplements

4:45 PM - an LC Tropical Berry Popsicle

8:15 PM - pulled pork (from Whole Foods), homemade guacamole (organic avocado, organic lemon juice, organic shallot, red pepper flakes, NutraSalt and organic black pepper) and Domingo's Traditional Chicharrones

10:30 PM - Traditional Medicinals' Every Day Detox tea - two teabags

Notes: I felt a few hunger pangs while falling asleep last night. I noticed them but wasn't consumed by them. It's possible that I was too tired to care? Even this morning, I detected some hunger in the background of my consciousness but it doesn't interfere with what needs to get done.

My Low Carb Alternate Day Fasting Experiment - Day 1

And so the journey begins. I'm still hashing out the details but I have a few ideas about what I'd like to accomplish. A partial list:

1. The satisfaction of knowing that I can manage my appetite and eating patterns like countless generations have in the past.

2. I'm hoping to see some benefits with respect to my blood chemistry. A hike in my HDL cholesterol would be one obvious area where improvement is possible.

3. I think I'm currently at a fairly respectable weight - about 185 give or take. However, I still fall slightly outside of the recommended BMI - depending on minor fluctuations in my weight and the fact that I fall in between 5' 11" and 6' height-wise. Losing 5 to 10 additional pounds would settle the issue once and for all. 175 has a good ring to it.

4. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that this eating pattern will simplify my life. Mad and I are juggling quite a lot and I sometimes feel overwhelmed. Doing a modified fast every other day might help. Reduced cooking, cleaning, dining, spending, etc.

In order to be considerate of my wife and others, I've decided to allow for some degree of flexibility in how I practice my ADF days. On days when my schedule is up to me, I'll have my solitary ADF meal mid-day. However, if I need/want to attend an event or meal away from home I'll simply modify my food intake based on what's needed.

Example: Mad and I might go on a date or to a dinner party on an ADF day. In that case, I'll fast in the morning and afternoon and eat regularly at the nighttime meal. The idea is to remove as many worldly hurdles that will surely come up from time-to-time.

8/24/10 - Wake up time: 8:00 AM

• 8:15 AM a cup of black, organic coffee
• 11:15 AM a strong cup (2 tea bags) of Every Day Detox tea (Traditional Medicinals)
• 12:30 PM a cup of black, organic coffee
• 2:00 PM - my ADF meal replacement shake - 25 grams of natural whey protein, 3 Tbs of almond butter, 2 scoops of a sugar-free chocolate "greens" formula, 1 scoop of sprouted flax seed meal and 8 oz of unsweetened vanilla almond milk
• 5:30 PM a strong cup (3 tea bags) of organic white tea with organic mint
  
• 7:30 PM a cup of black, organic coffee
• 9:30 PM a strong cup (2 tea bags) of Every Day Detox tea (Traditional Medicinals)

Notes: My hunger sensation was easily managed on this first day. I didn't perceive the process as being particularly taxing - physically or psychologically. This may have something to do with our hectic schedule and numerous preoccupations. It's funny how little food matters when you don't have the energy or time to devote to it. A lesson relearned.

I should also mention that I took the majority of daily supplements with my mid-day meal replacement. I'm not taking very high dosages of most of the supplements in question. Therefore, I feel as though I can take them all at once - instead of taking them with breakfast and dinner - without any resulting problems.

That's all for now. More to come tomorrow or as time permits. I'm keeping written records in case I can't post here daily.

LC Recipe - Tropical Berry Popsicles

Recipe Link: Low Carb, Tropical Berry Popsicles

Alternate Day Fasting Experiment

I'm considering a trial run of ADF. It *seems* as though life may be slowing down enough for me to actually manage it. By that, I mean less travel and no major visits from family or friends in the foreseeable future. For those of you who aren't familiar with alternate day fasting, here's my version of a primer:

Link: ADF Interview Part 1

Link: ADF Interview Part 2

I'm still in the planning stages. But if I go through with it, I'll document my journey here and on HF.

Update: I think this is going to happen. I've already started coming up with a game plan - recipes for my ADF days. That means I'm excited/passionate about the idea on some level. A good sign. More to come soon.

A little music before I depart. I used listen to a band called Cracker back in the 90's. Last year they came out with a new album. I just discovered it a couple of weeks ago. A few of the tunes I've heard are pretty catchy. It's interesting to watch rock stars age.

Cracker - Sunrise in the Land of Milk and Honey

Cracker - Turn On, Tune In and Drop Out Me

Eggplant Parmesan Recipe

... will be posted tomorrow. Just finished making it and trying it out. Delicious with a capital D. The health info, nutritional content and recipe will be up soon on HF. I'll link back to it once it's up.

Recipe Link: Flourless Eggplant Parmesan

Tip o' the week - Not all Greek yogurts have similar nutritional content. The best I've found so far on the LC tip is the Fage brand. The highest protein and the lowest carb count out there.

Making Coffee Healthier and Lower in Carbs

Just a quick note. I posted a column on Wednesday that explains what I add to my daily coffee to make it healthier and lower in carbs. There's also some additional information about the interaction between antioxidants in coffee and milk protein, etc. It is a natural health blog after all!

The stevia I mention in the piece is called Stevia Balance by Now Foods. The almond milk is the refrigerated version of Blue Diamond's unsweetened vanilla almond milk. The tetra pack version (shelf stable) doesn't mix or taste nearly as well, IMO.

A New LC Recipe

Pistachio Crusted Wild Salmon

Hello my fellow foodies, friends and low carbers. I thought some of you might enjoy this new LC recipe I just posted on Healthy Fellow. It adds an unexpected twist to your typical fillet o' salmon meal. As always, good nutrition is at the forefront as well. I truly hope you enjoy it if you give it a try.

Here's a link to the cooking directions, nutritional content and recipe: Click Me, Por Favor

24 Hours of LCing

It's been a long time since I've posted a full day's menu. So I thought I'd post one in case it's of interest and/or value to anyone out there. As a frame of reference, my weight is remaining stable - at about the 185 lbs mark. My original goal weight represents an 80 - 85 lbs total weight loss from my highest weight.

Friday, August 6th 2010

Breakfast: 1 cup of organic cottage cheese, 1 Tbs of Nature's Hollow (Sugar-Free) Strawberry Fruit Preserves and 1/3 cup of organic, raw walnuts

Lunch: Braised Brussels sprouts, naturally cured prosciutto & salami and a few spoonfuls of organic sour cream - I like to put a small dollop of sour cream on thinly sliced cured meat and eat it like a roll up.

Dinner: Roasted artichoke hearts with a creamy herb dip, a rib eye steak, sauteed Parmesan spinach and a glass of red wine (Syrah). Also, a bite of Mad's crab cake - with little to no bread crumbs.

Late Night Snack: 1 cup of Greek yogurt, 1 Tbs of NH Apricot Fruit Preserves and 1/3 cup of organic, raw walnuts

I also had several cups of organic coffee throughout the day. Some of it was "black" and some of it included some added organic cinnamon powder and unsweetened, vanilla almond milk (Blue Diamond).

I hope y'all have a wonderful weekend. Ours started out well by seeing "Inception" in IMAX and going out for an LC dinner last night. Good times. :-)

PS - I just documented our recent trip to Martha's Vineyard here: LC Trippin'. I discussed a few strategies we used to stick with our preferred diet plan and examples of what we ate for breakfast, lunch and dinner while away.

Avocado Frozen Yogurt Heads Up

"Custardy" & "Lemony" LC Avocado Frozen Yogurt

A new (and admittedly strange sounding) new low carb recipe: Avocado Frozen Yogurt. That said, we think it tastes great. The nutrition rocks as well. I'll post the details on the Tuesday edition of Healthy Fellow and will provide a link here. Until then ... an image will have to do. :-)

Link to Recipe: Low Carb Avocado Frozen Yogurt