The Obsession With Cereals
Western countries seem to have an obsession with eat cereals for breakfast. There's frosted flakes in America, coco pops in England and wheatabix in Australia. But, all of these cereals contain high amounts of carbs and gluten. This is because they are made from grains such as wheat and corn. There isn't a single low carb cereal that's popular in these countries. And people wonder why obesity rates in western countries are rising!
You may not yet know about the wonders of low carb recipes, so let me explain them to you in this article. Let's begin with what are low carb foods. Foods low in carb encompass a huge amount. Most vegetables and meats fall into the low carb category. There are some other items like coconuts, flax, eggs, butter, and cheese that also fall into this category. Really the easiest way to determine what you can eat is to cut out the foods that you can't eat. Within this high carb category there is sugar, bread, desserts, and potatoes. If you just try to avoid these items then you'll pretty much be eating low carb.
You may not yet know about the wonders of low carb recipes, so let me explain them to you in this article. Let's begin with what are low carb foods. Foods low in carb encompass a huge amount. Most vegetables and meats fall into the low carb category. There are some other items like coconuts, flax, eggs, butter, and cheese that also fall into this category. Really the easiest way to determine what you can eat is to cut out the foods that you can't eat. Within this high carb category there is sugar, bread, desserts, and potatoes. If you just try to avoid these items then you'll pretty much be eating low carb.
Low Carb Updates
One thing that has gotten us really excited lately is that low carb seems to be getting more and more popular.
Obviously, low carb got very popular in the 70s and 80s when Atkins was doing his thing, but it waned for a while after that. Now, however, low carb seems to be taking over entire countries.
Take Sweden, for instance. The country constantly can't get enough butter because such a large portion of the country is eating low carb (and doing quite well). I've personally met many Swedes who are low carb, and they'll all tell you just how much they've seen their entire country improve because of the change in eating. Very very exciting.
Obviously, low carb got very popular in the 70s and 80s when Atkins was doing his thing, but it waned for a while after that. Now, however, low carb seems to be taking over entire countries.
Take Sweden, for instance. The country constantly can't get enough butter because such a large portion of the country is eating low carb (and doing quite well). I've personally met many Swedes who are low carb, and they'll all tell you just how much they've seen their entire country improve because of the change in eating. Very very exciting.
Why is eating low carb important?
It's important if you want to lose weight and be healthy. If those are not your goals in life then there is no need to be on a low carb diet. First let's tackle the proposition that low carb diets help you to lose weight. This is because you spike your blood sugar less. Prolonged elevation of your blood sugar levels causes prolonged release of insulin into your blood. Insulin then causes your body to store fat and prevents your body from using those fat stores you already have. Additionally eating carbs cause you to undergo sugar crashes where your sugar level drops below your normal levels. When this occurs, you feel tired and hungry. This then causes you to eat more even when your body clearly doesn't need energy. This food you eat also gets stored as fat so your fat stores grow and grow while you feel more and more tired.
Now let's talk about why it's better for your health to eat low carb foods. Prolonged high insulin levels can lead to diabetes as your body stops recognizing the fact that you have insulin. This means you often have to inject yourself with more insulin to compensate. Unfortunately high insulin levels have been linked to various health problems. Additionally eating carbs generally also involve eating grains, most of which contain gluten. Gluten is actually a toxin that plants developed to prevent humans and animals from eating them. Even though cooking the grains can get rid of some of the toxins, we eat so much grains that the combined effect over many years is devastating. More and more people are being diagnosed as gluten-intolerant. This diagnosis is generally only made after that person has been suffering from bowel problems for years. The toxin can cause holes in your small intestines so that various molecules leak into your system instead of being absorbed or flushed away. For many people, this can also cause allergies.
All this can be fixed by just eating low carb gluten free products. There are plenty of foods that fall into that category, so it’s not all that prohibitive. To start, try giving up all those high carb cereals and switch instead to low carb cereals.
Now let's talk about why it's better for your health to eat low carb foods. Prolonged high insulin levels can lead to diabetes as your body stops recognizing the fact that you have insulin. This means you often have to inject yourself with more insulin to compensate. Unfortunately high insulin levels have been linked to various health problems. Additionally eating carbs generally also involve eating grains, most of which contain gluten. Gluten is actually a toxin that plants developed to prevent humans and animals from eating them. Even though cooking the grains can get rid of some of the toxins, we eat so much grains that the combined effect over many years is devastating. More and more people are being diagnosed as gluten-intolerant. This diagnosis is generally only made after that person has been suffering from bowel problems for years. The toxin can cause holes in your small intestines so that various molecules leak into your system instead of being absorbed or flushed away. For many people, this can also cause allergies.
All this can be fixed by just eating low carb gluten free products. There are plenty of foods that fall into that category, so it’s not all that prohibitive. To start, try giving up all those high carb cereals and switch instead to low carb cereals.
Why Low Carb Recipes Are Popular
Benefits of a low carb diet.
Ever since Dr. Atkins popularized low carb diets in the 70s, they have been gaining even more ground and support among dieters and health conscious individuals. There is very little reason to question why these diets are so popular. After all, everyone wants to maintain a healthy body and a normal weight and to stay away from medical conditions like diabetes that could lead them to an early death. Many people advocate it simply because of its weight-loss advantages; however, there are those who like it for the benefits it could provide for the health and body.Energy levels are higher when on a low carb diet. All that afternoon drowsiness is gone, and I don't need to depend on coffee or diet coke to get me through the day anymore.
What are the foods that you can eat?
You will never run out of food to feast on with so many low carb recipes around.Aside from the usual meats which include bacons, BBQs, and roasts, there are also dishes that mix them up with vegetables.There are many people who love spicy food. That explains why some dishes from Asia, the Middle East and the northern part of Africa are wildly popular.Fish taguine, for instance, mixes vegetables such as tomatoes and onions with white fish. Cinnamon, cloves, and other choice spices are then added.This can add a lot of flavor to a dish.
Asian recipes are often also great for a low carb diet. Their stir-fries composed of meats and vegetables are added with ginger and soy sauce.A low carb diet would still be all right when integrated with Thai food that is commonly mixed with coconut milk, as long as you make sure there are no sugars added. Coconut milk can come in either cans or cartons. There aren't any significant differences except for the amount of water added. Coconut milk packaged in cans have usually lesser amount of water than those in cartons.If you're using the cans of coconut milk, then be careful as the cream separates from the water if the can has been left standing for a while. This means that you should shake before you use the cans. There may be instances when you prefer to have a more concentrated coconut cream.If that is what you want, do not shake the can and just scoop the coconut cream that has formed on top of the can.
There are also many French recipes that would work very well in low carb diets.Although the French are often pictured eating baguettes, French restaurants actually serve a very low carb meal (excepting the bread and the dessert). Their appetizers and entrees are rarely high in carbohydrates.That is the reason why many people love to eat and even prepare their own French beef stews. The beef is often complemented with some red wine sauce.
As you can see, many low carb recipes are basically recipes that anyone can eat. There are recipes from every cuisine that a low carb dieter could eat! There is no reason, therefore, for anyone not to enjoy low carb recipes. We aren't taking any carbs out of the recipes. It all boils down to making the correct choice of the healthier recipes.
Ever since Dr. Atkins popularized low carb diets in the 70s, they have been gaining even more ground and support among dieters and health conscious individuals. There is very little reason to question why these diets are so popular. After all, everyone wants to maintain a healthy body and a normal weight and to stay away from medical conditions like diabetes that could lead them to an early death. Many people advocate it simply because of its weight-loss advantages; however, there are those who like it for the benefits it could provide for the health and body.Energy levels are higher when on a low carb diet. All that afternoon drowsiness is gone, and I don't need to depend on coffee or diet coke to get me through the day anymore.
What are the foods that you can eat?
You will never run out of food to feast on with so many low carb recipes around.Aside from the usual meats which include bacons, BBQs, and roasts, there are also dishes that mix them up with vegetables.There are many people who love spicy food. That explains why some dishes from Asia, the Middle East and the northern part of Africa are wildly popular.Fish taguine, for instance, mixes vegetables such as tomatoes and onions with white fish. Cinnamon, cloves, and other choice spices are then added.This can add a lot of flavor to a dish.
Asian recipes are often also great for a low carb diet. Their stir-fries composed of meats and vegetables are added with ginger and soy sauce.A low carb diet would still be all right when integrated with Thai food that is commonly mixed with coconut milk, as long as you make sure there are no sugars added. Coconut milk can come in either cans or cartons. There aren't any significant differences except for the amount of water added. Coconut milk packaged in cans have usually lesser amount of water than those in cartons.If you're using the cans of coconut milk, then be careful as the cream separates from the water if the can has been left standing for a while. This means that you should shake before you use the cans. There may be instances when you prefer to have a more concentrated coconut cream.If that is what you want, do not shake the can and just scoop the coconut cream that has formed on top of the can.
There are also many French recipes that would work very well in low carb diets.Although the French are often pictured eating baguettes, French restaurants actually serve a very low carb meal (excepting the bread and the dessert). Their appetizers and entrees are rarely high in carbohydrates.That is the reason why many people love to eat and even prepare their own French beef stews. The beef is often complemented with some red wine sauce.
As you can see, many low carb recipes are basically recipes that anyone can eat. There are recipes from every cuisine that a low carb dieter could eat! There is no reason, therefore, for anyone not to enjoy low carb recipes. We aren't taking any carbs out of the recipes. It all boils down to making the correct choice of the healthier recipes.
Low Carb Breakfast Foods Trinity
Breakfast should be such a quick easy meal, yet most of us skip it because we're in too much of a rush or we just can't decide what to eat.This shouldn't be the case because breakfast is such an important meal in our day.If we hope to get through our day with enough energy that would also help us become more productive, we should make sure we get the nourishment that a healthy breakfast brings.Unless you had a midnight snack, the last time your body had sustenance was the previous night's dinner.Those 12 hours are bound to have left you hungry and your energy reserves depleted.
The popularity of low carb diets in recent years have seen the increase in the demand for low carb breakfast foods.It's not always easy to meet the demand, and many restaurants and stores just don't care about your needs and your nutrition and health.What would a person on a low carb diet have for breakfast then?It is important that the meal is healthy and tasty as well as easy and quick to prepare.Let me give you the top three breakfast foods that you can incorporate in your diet.First, there are protein shakes.Aside from being very easy to make, these have very low carbohydrate content.
You can buy protein powder in bulk on the internet or at a store.You can have your pick of various protein powder flavors, from chocolate to strawberry banana, to pineapple and vanilla ice cream.There is a flavor for everyone.I like to stick to the simple flavors, like chocolate or strawberry.Mixing the more complex flavors with other flavors could just ruin the taste, but if you use the simple ones as a base and mix other flavors to it, you might just come up with a winner.The simplest protein shake just involves you adding water to the protein powder.You ca add some coconut milk or almond milk to add some flavor to it.Keep in mind that, in terms of consistency, almond milk is more watery than the creamier coconut milk.If you like a really thick shake, then you can add a tiny bit of xanthan gum too.
Xanthan gum is a fibrous powder that will thicken your shake's consistency.Ice can be added to your shake for some of that cooling down effect.It would also be great if you can add some berries to your shake.Grocery stores now sell frozen berries at affordable prices.It will be like adding both ice and berries if you decide to go for frozen berries as additions to your shake.It would be even greater if you add fresh berries instead of frozen ones.This would ensure that your shakes become more flavorful and be anything but boring.Second are the hardboiled eggs.These foods, though they might come across as very bland, could surprise you.To make eating boiled eggs less of an ordeal, turn it into some sort of an adventure.
Try adding some spice to them.Cut up the eggs and add some hot sauce and soy sauce to them.This will give them instant flavor without taking hardly anytime at all.Third, there are the low carb pancakes.Do not let the thought of having to wake up really early to cook some pancakes stop you, because you can also prepare them in advance.Then just heat in the microwave for 20 seconds and enjoy.Coconut flour and eggs are the main ingredients in making the best low carb pancakes.They can be a bit crumbly so make sure to add plenty of eggs and to be careful when flipping them.
The popularity of low carb diets in recent years have seen the increase in the demand for low carb breakfast foods.It's not always easy to meet the demand, and many restaurants and stores just don't care about your needs and your nutrition and health.What would a person on a low carb diet have for breakfast then?It is important that the meal is healthy and tasty as well as easy and quick to prepare.Let me give you the top three breakfast foods that you can incorporate in your diet.First, there are protein shakes.Aside from being very easy to make, these have very low carbohydrate content.
You can buy protein powder in bulk on the internet or at a store.You can have your pick of various protein powder flavors, from chocolate to strawberry banana, to pineapple and vanilla ice cream.There is a flavor for everyone.I like to stick to the simple flavors, like chocolate or strawberry.Mixing the more complex flavors with other flavors could just ruin the taste, but if you use the simple ones as a base and mix other flavors to it, you might just come up with a winner.The simplest protein shake just involves you adding water to the protein powder.You ca add some coconut milk or almond milk to add some flavor to it.Keep in mind that, in terms of consistency, almond milk is more watery than the creamier coconut milk.If you like a really thick shake, then you can add a tiny bit of xanthan gum too.
Xanthan gum is a fibrous powder that will thicken your shake's consistency.Ice can be added to your shake for some of that cooling down effect.It would also be great if you can add some berries to your shake.Grocery stores now sell frozen berries at affordable prices.It will be like adding both ice and berries if you decide to go for frozen berries as additions to your shake.It would be even greater if you add fresh berries instead of frozen ones.This would ensure that your shakes become more flavorful and be anything but boring.Second are the hardboiled eggs.These foods, though they might come across as very bland, could surprise you.To make eating boiled eggs less of an ordeal, turn it into some sort of an adventure.
Try adding some spice to them.Cut up the eggs and add some hot sauce and soy sauce to them.This will give them instant flavor without taking hardly anytime at all.Third, there are the low carb pancakes.Do not let the thought of having to wake up really early to cook some pancakes stop you, because you can also prepare them in advance.Then just heat in the microwave for 20 seconds and enjoy.Coconut flour and eggs are the main ingredients in making the best low carb pancakes.They can be a bit crumbly so make sure to add plenty of eggs and to be careful when flipping them.
Another look at Low Carb Recipes
Contrary to popular opinion, low carb eating doesn't just mean salads and some meat; it involves healthy food for your mind and body. Since most restaurant meals are not low carb, you might want to learn some low carb recipes for yourself so you could just make them.After you got started on your low carb diet, you'd find you don't want to let it go. What types of low carb recipes are out there? There are so many of them it'll overwhelm you. So don't worry, there's plenty of variety for you to enjoy.
The usual recipes include eggs and meat; but you can also find more creative recipes, such as cookies! For real? You can very easily learn how to make low carb cookies, cakes and muffins!Baking ingredients are now being sold in low carb versions.These ingredients replace the nutritionless normal flour that most people use to bake. There are a variety of sugar substitutes available: for example, stevia and the sucralose.
How do you start cooking when you've never cooked before or have very little experience? Do not be discouraged if your first attempts at cooking look horrendous and are far from edible.There are difficult recipes and then there are easy recipes, and it's difficult to determine what's what at first. You will also encounter recipes that are so complicated that not even the seasoned pros can make them work. So how do you spot a good easy recipe to start off with? First, you have to read through the entire recipe and see if you understand all the steps and all the cooking utensils that are required.
For example, the recipe might require a dutch oven; do you have one? If you don't, then you should put that recipe down and pick another one, or else go out and buy a slow cooker. Picture the steps in your mind as you are reading the instructions. If you can't quite picture it, you'd better pick another recipe. Make sure you have all the ingredients for the recipe before you start. Take careful note of the exact ingredients and the corresponding measurements needed as indicated in the recipe.In this way, you won't be forced to rush out of the house in the middle of cooking just to get some more ingredients, which could result in your food burning!It would also be advisable to start collecting all kinds of spices since most recipes require them.
You can begin your collection by purchasing just the spices required in the recipe you are starting with.In a few months you'll find that you have a well-stocked spice cabinet.With so many options out there, what are you waiting for? Going low carb has never been easier. Go online and you'll find a lot of recipes to try. You can also download ebooks that lists more recipes or else pick up a printed book at your local library.
If you are a novice in the kitchen, it would be best to follow what the recipes say to the letter, especially if it involves something as intricate as baking. With a little time and practice, you'd reach a level of confidence where you could be more adventurous and experimental in coming up with your own recipes!
The usual recipes include eggs and meat; but you can also find more creative recipes, such as cookies! For real? You can very easily learn how to make low carb cookies, cakes and muffins!Baking ingredients are now being sold in low carb versions.These ingredients replace the nutritionless normal flour that most people use to bake. There are a variety of sugar substitutes available: for example, stevia and the sucralose.
How do you start cooking when you've never cooked before or have very little experience? Do not be discouraged if your first attempts at cooking look horrendous and are far from edible.There are difficult recipes and then there are easy recipes, and it's difficult to determine what's what at first. You will also encounter recipes that are so complicated that not even the seasoned pros can make them work. So how do you spot a good easy recipe to start off with? First, you have to read through the entire recipe and see if you understand all the steps and all the cooking utensils that are required.
For example, the recipe might require a dutch oven; do you have one? If you don't, then you should put that recipe down and pick another one, or else go out and buy a slow cooker. Picture the steps in your mind as you are reading the instructions. If you can't quite picture it, you'd better pick another recipe. Make sure you have all the ingredients for the recipe before you start. Take careful note of the exact ingredients and the corresponding measurements needed as indicated in the recipe.In this way, you won't be forced to rush out of the house in the middle of cooking just to get some more ingredients, which could result in your food burning!It would also be advisable to start collecting all kinds of spices since most recipes require them.
You can begin your collection by purchasing just the spices required in the recipe you are starting with.In a few months you'll find that you have a well-stocked spice cabinet.With so many options out there, what are you waiting for? Going low carb has never been easier. Go online and you'll find a lot of recipes to try. You can also download ebooks that lists more recipes or else pick up a printed book at your local library.
If you are a novice in the kitchen, it would be best to follow what the recipes say to the letter, especially if it involves something as intricate as baking. With a little time and practice, you'd reach a level of confidence where you could be more adventurous and experimental in coming up with your own recipes!
Why Eat Anything Else?
Cavemen are no longer prevalent in this country, but their eating habits have not died out. Does that come as a surprise?The idea may be surprising, but if you hear the theory behind it, you might be surprised at how much sense it makes. Cavemen have been the dominant species on earth for years and years now. Their health is largely defined by the food that they eat. Current western diets are relatively new and almost every year, hundreds of diseases are discovered.
They might be connected! This is called the Paleolithic diet or, in short, Paleo diet.Although this diet advocates whole foods, you can still eat some readymade foods. Paleo cereal, for instance, is both a popular breakfast and snack food. Paleo jerky is also something you can make yourself or buy from a store. This is a great takeaway food that you can snack on when you suddenly feel hungry while you're out.
So what is allowed on the paleo diet? You can eat nuts and dried fruits as well as fresh fruits, although berries are encouraged over other types of fruit. You can also eat meat, especially if you add a lot of vegetables to it. Vegetables that are starchy, such as sweet potatoes and yam are also permitted but only in small amounts. Surprisingly, chocolates are allowed. Chocolates must be dark - over 80% cocoa. Foods are healthier if they have not been subjected to a lot of processing.It's hardly surprising that sugar and highly processed foods are not good for you! This diet has caught on in recent years as more and more people are looking for more nutritious alternatives to our unhealthy diet.
With the paleo diet, we all go back to our culinary roots. The eating habits of the cavemen and women in the past are supposed to be emulated by us. This may sound silly, but it's not like anyone is expecting you to catch your own food or eat it raw! It just basically goes to show that fresh wholesome ingredients are your healthiest bets when it comes to food. It's obviously great if you make your own foods with fresh ingredients daily, but for most of us, thats simply not possible. We have our day jobs, not to mention preparing the kids and bringing them to school. You could probably prepare something over the weekend. What should you eat, then, during weekdays? I have already mentioned how ready made food can be bought in stores and supermarkets. They don't have preservatives, food coloring, and other random ingredients.
No grains or sugar is also added. Their carbohydrate content is also quite low. This makes it easier for you to enjoy healthy and great-tasting food without going through all the trouble of preparing them. These premade foods tend to be pricey, though, because not a lot of people know about them yet. But that might soon change and the demand for these healthier alternatives will rise as more and more people find out about the ill effects of the consumption of fast food fare, pastas, pizzas and sodas. When that happens their prices will most likely be more reasonable.
They might be connected! This is called the Paleolithic diet or, in short, Paleo diet.Although this diet advocates whole foods, you can still eat some readymade foods. Paleo cereal, for instance, is both a popular breakfast and snack food. Paleo jerky is also something you can make yourself or buy from a store. This is a great takeaway food that you can snack on when you suddenly feel hungry while you're out.
So what is allowed on the paleo diet? You can eat nuts and dried fruits as well as fresh fruits, although berries are encouraged over other types of fruit. You can also eat meat, especially if you add a lot of vegetables to it. Vegetables that are starchy, such as sweet potatoes and yam are also permitted but only in small amounts. Surprisingly, chocolates are allowed. Chocolates must be dark - over 80% cocoa. Foods are healthier if they have not been subjected to a lot of processing.It's hardly surprising that sugar and highly processed foods are not good for you! This diet has caught on in recent years as more and more people are looking for more nutritious alternatives to our unhealthy diet.
With the paleo diet, we all go back to our culinary roots. The eating habits of the cavemen and women in the past are supposed to be emulated by us. This may sound silly, but it's not like anyone is expecting you to catch your own food or eat it raw! It just basically goes to show that fresh wholesome ingredients are your healthiest bets when it comes to food. It's obviously great if you make your own foods with fresh ingredients daily, but for most of us, thats simply not possible. We have our day jobs, not to mention preparing the kids and bringing them to school. You could probably prepare something over the weekend. What should you eat, then, during weekdays? I have already mentioned how ready made food can be bought in stores and supermarkets. They don't have preservatives, food coloring, and other random ingredients.
No grains or sugar is also added. Their carbohydrate content is also quite low. This makes it easier for you to enjoy healthy and great-tasting food without going through all the trouble of preparing them. These premade foods tend to be pricey, though, because not a lot of people know about them yet. But that might soon change and the demand for these healthier alternatives will rise as more and more people find out about the ill effects of the consumption of fast food fare, pastas, pizzas and sodas. When that happens their prices will most likely be more reasonable.