Mediterranean Diet Breakfast

by | Apr 1, 2014 | Low carb diet, Nutrition | 0 comments

Fruit In Greece, they have a saying: “Eat like a king in the morning, like a lord at lunch and like a beggar at dinner”. This proverb stresses the importance of breakfast in our diet, and yet a lot of people still skip it as a meal.

Breakfast is the first meal we have after a long fast. The etymology of the word breakfast means literally “to break the fast”, meaning that it is the meal which interrupts the night fasting, i.e. the period of the night, during which we do not consume any food.

After 8-10 hours of sleeping without food, the energy reserves in our body have diminished and certainly our brain and body need “fuel” to function correctly.

The importance of breakfast is major, when we want to increase our efficiency at work and at school, as it seems that people who have eaten breakfast are more concentrated and more vigilant. On the other hand, people who don’t have breakfast tend to be more tired and lazy. This is due to the reduction of the blood glucose levels. We should also know that glucose is the food of the brain.

Unfortunately, a lot of people, young and older, don’t eat breakfast, either because they underestimate or ignore its value, or because they think that the daily stress and lack of time keep them from dedicating a few minutes of their day in their nutrition and in themselves. Many people think that having a large breakfast will make them gain weight. However, scientific studies disprove them, since they suggest that people who eat breakfast are more likely to lose weight and tend to keep this lost weight. On the other hand, skipping breakfast leads to excessive food intake later throughout the day, less control over the quantity and quality of the foods that are consumed, as well as wrong messages of satiety.

Breakfast is that meal of the day which should provide us the necessary energy to have a kick start in our day. Therefore, if you are interested in having a better performance at work or at school, a good breakfast will help you “wake up”. According to research, people who eat breakfast are more energetic and do better at tests or their work than those who skip breakfast. Furthermore, studies in children have shown that consumption of breakfast improve memory and have a positive effect in the processes required to retain new information. On the contrary, a hungry person can be apathetic, indifferent or even lazy, when assigned with difficult tasks. Adults and mostly children who skip breakfast are more likely to be obese, since they eat larger portions at lunch or tend to nibble snacks that are usually unhealthy and rich in fat and calories.

Impressive findings of many studies show that people who have breakfast make more balanced choices for their diet throughout the day. Specifically, it has been shown that the percentage of fat they take is significantly lower. These traits of a balanced diet where also apparent in laboratory test – people who did not have breakfast had higher concentrations of blood cholesterol.

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Low Carb Mag Recipe of the Month: Balut in Oyster and Tamarind Sauce

by | Mar 24, 2014 | High Protein Diet, Low carb, Low carb diet | 0 comments

2014-03-24_0937Balut is a fertilized duck egg with a nearly-developed embryo inside that is boiled and eaten in the shell. They are considered delicacies of Asia and especially the Philippines, China, Cambodia, and Vietnam.

Popularly believed to be an aphrodisiac and considered to be nutritious they are also low carb and high fat.

The Filipino and Malay word balut (balot) roughly translates to mean “wrapped”.

Ingredients:

• 6 pcs balut eggs with shell, boiled
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 tablespoon garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon onion, minced
• 2 tablespoon oyster sauce
• 1 tablespoon tamarind sauce
• Salt and pepper to taste

Garnishing:

• 2 sprigs spring onion, sliced
• 1/2 tsp garlic, browned

Click here for the Preparation Instructions

How to Reduce Your Carbohydrate Intake

by | Mar 18, 2014 | Low carb diet | 0 comments

Gluten free People may choose to reduce carbohydrate intake for a number of reasons. Those who suffer from type 2 diabetes must often find the ideal balance between the need for taking in enough carbohydrates to produce energy while also limiting carb intake to minimize unhealthy spikes in blood sugar levels. Still others seek to control carbohydrate intake as a way of following a balanced diet that includes healthier foods. Whatever the reason, several strategies can be used to make sure the carbohydrate reduction produces the desired results without leading to a loss of essential nutrients.

Steps

Learn the glycemic index. This helpful guide makes it possible to determine how many carbohydrates are found in a number of different foods, raw and processed. The index provides a per serving count of carbohydrates, making the process of carbohydrate counting much easier. Using the index allows you to plan for a healthy amount of carbs at each meal while avoiding the chance of taking in too many carbohydrates at a single setting.

Limit portions. Even diabetics today are allowed to have something that is carbohydrate rich now and then, providing they limit the portion size. Learn the difference between a sliver and a wedge of cake or pie, and get an idea of how much is actually in a single serving. Limiting portions will make it easier to enjoy more of the foods you like without taking in a lot of carbs.

Avoid or minimize the use of processed grains. White bread and processed sugar provide relatively little nutritional value and increase the amount of simple carbohydrates in the daily diet. Make use of alternative sweeteners or use no sweetener at all if possible. For fiber intake, stick with small amounts of whole grains, since these will cause fewer fluctuations in blood glucose levels.

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The Paleo diet – 7 reasons why you should eat like a caveman

by | Mar 13, 2014 | Low carb, Natural food, Sensible Eating | 0 comments

Healthy Humans have come a long way in terms of most things – be it medical science, language, space exploration or even food options. However, believers of the Paleo diet think that all the progress made in terms of food isn’t desirable, and we should go back to eating like our ancestors did thousands of years ago. Commonly referred to as the ‘caveman diet’ – paleo diet consists of food products that were available back in the days when cavemen used to live. Followers give up all forms of processed food that is usually unhealthy along with all forms of legumes and grains. Though the diet has come under some criticism from dieticians and fitness experts, one cannot deny that it has several health benefits.

1.  It is healthy for your heart

Most cases of heart disease is caused due to unhealthy lifestyle and bad eating habits. Followers of the paleo diet stay away from most unhealthy foods and consume fruits and vegetables that cut risk of heart disease.

2. Good for gluten-intolerant people

Nowadays, more and more people are gluten intolerant including Novak Djokovic who was the No. 1 tennis player in the world until some time ago. In simple words, gluten is a protein composite found in wheat, barley and rye products. People following the Paleo diet keep away from such grains, which is why it is good for gluten-intolerant people.

3. Helps in weight loss

People following the Paleo diet do not keep a count of their calories. However, some experts say that it can help people lose weight without trying. The fruits which are high in fibre combined with lean meats high in protein makes it good for those looking to lose weight. If you are following this diet for losing weight, make sure you don’t ignore your carbohydrate intake as it can leave you feeling low and lacking energy  through the day. People looking to lose weight can also follow this sample weight loss diet plan.

4.  Healthy for diabetics

Since the paleo diet contains foods with a low glycemic index, and eliminates foods like refined sugar and grains, it is great for diabetics. Diabetics really need to keep their blood-sugar levels in check since their body cannot process or produce insulin which helps in the absorption of glucose. Find out more about glycaemic index and how it is helping people.

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Low Carb Mag March Edition

by | Mar 10, 2014 | Exercise, General Health, Low carb diet, Nutrition | 0 comments

2014-03-10_1215Hello and welcome to our march edition.

Lots has happened over the last 12 months and they seem to have buzzed by so fast – I really have a hard time believing that a year has passed since we published our first issue.

So what’s new for this edition?

Actually a lot is happening.

Firstly, You might have noticed our cover mentions a Free Lunch.

Well, that’s on account of the fact that the magazine is now going to be free for those of you who want to get it every month. I go into the whys and wherefores of that in the ‘Why Free’ article so I won’t repeat them here.

The second thing is that the magazine is now available for all platforms…

As usual from ITunes Newsstand for the iPad and iPhone, but now for also for every other platform – Android tablets, desktops and in fact
anywhere you can access the internet. You’ll see the link for it on the masthead of the website within the next few days.

So that’s the big news.

On top of that we have got a great interview with chef and author Alain Braux who takes us into his world and tells us why he got involved in paleo and what it has done for him and of course what it can do for you.

You’ll be seeing more of Chef Alain over the next few months – so watch this space…

You have asked – so we’ve answered – literally in this case as our experts answer more of your most burning questions about low carb and paleo in
the Q & A article.

You might have noticed that travel season is starting for some – especially those in the northern hemisphere wanting a bit of winter sunshine. It’s those travels that have been the inspiration for our article on unusual meats. OK, so you might have tried wild boar; but what about ostrich or crocodile or even live food that bites back?

See unusual meats for more on that

On top of that we look at the lighter side and revisit some of the old diet and weight-loss adverts of yesteryear.

Plus all the regulars such as our great step by step recipes and this month’s exercises too.

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The Paleo Diet Saves Lives : Easy Health Options

by | Feb 13, 2014 | Diet, High Fat Diet, Low carb diet | 0 comments

Paleo Lately, probably because the paleo diet is becoming increasingly popular, so-called “experts” have begun to attack it. But most of the criticism is misplaced because for many people, the diet is a lifesaver.

Digestive ills, fatigue, headaches, arthritis pain… over and over again, people discover that eating paleo — avoiding grains, dairy foods, soy and corn — can help solve many of their physical ills.

As Chris Kessler, author of the book Your Personal Paleo Code points out, “…[C]ommon critiques (of the paleo diet) don’t invalidate the fundamental premise of the Paleo approach.”

Mimicry Or Gimmickry? 

I find it laughable that people attack the paleo diet because it doesn’t precisely mimic the foods that Paleolithic people ate before the introduction of grains into the human diet.

Really? That’s a reason for lambasting a diet that can produce extraordinary health benefits?

Of course, the paleo diet can’t reproduce what humans ate during the Paleolithic era. Look around. We don’t live in caves, or lean-tos, or tents. Most of us live in a modern urban or suburban environment. No way are we going to hunt and gather the way our ancestors did.

Instead of worrying about historical accuracy, critics of the diet should focus on its health effects. Kessler argues that “… the Paleo diet should be used as a starting point because it removes the foods people are most likely to react to.”

And he’s absolutely right.

Probably the most important paleo dietary change is the elimination of grains. Foods like bread, pasta, beer, rolls, cakes, cookies and breakfast cereal not only contain problematic gluten, they also include large amounts of sugars and starches that can lead to weight gain.

Meaty Concepts

Another objection to the paleo diet is rooted in the fact that it allows you to eat red meat. Some think that red meat seriously increases your risk of cancer. However, many researchers believe, rightly in my view, that processed red meat is the carnivore’s cancer danger. If you eat organic meat, without the kind of additives that go into hot dogs, luncheon meats and fast food concoctions, your cancer risk doesn’t go up.

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