Carb-tastic

I have recently switched dieting strategies.

I have come full-circle, as it were (not only a pun because it's the CSA I subscribe to). 

Back in high school, when I did gymnastics twice a week and had marching band practice, but was otherwise sedentary, I managed to lose about 20 or 30 lb one summer by doing the Zone diet.  It's basic premise is that you have a low, sustained insulin response, and they encourage foods that do not promote an insulin burst (vegetables, fruits).

Since then, I've tried multiple things - heck, I even recently went through a few months of dicking around with some naturopaths who meant well, but proved useless to me (and wanted to stick me on some horrid-sounding "nutrtional shake elimination diet" thing based on rice flour. Horrors!)

At the advice of my trainer, I tried going ultra low-carb Paleo.  The end result was it just made me angry if I sustained it for any period of time without "falling off the wagon". (A phrase which I think should really be "choosing to step off the wagon for a bit", because you are making a choice to ingest certain things). I was eating ~150 g of protein a day, and aiming for < 60 g carbs.  Often, over 50% of my daily calories were from fat (nuts, oils, meat-fat).  Interestingly, I didn't gain weight on this diet, but I didn't lose any, either. My acne was surprisingly clear (except when I went off the wagon).

Another trainer at the gym suggested  "OK, maybe a little more carbs, and a little less fat", after I told her the low-carb thing was difficult to sustain.  Tried that, and then it hit me that I was basically doing Paleo-Zone, but a little lower-carb.

I used this handy Zone block calculator to figure out how much I got to eat.  According to them, at 155 lb, 30% body fat, and medium-to-hard activity 4-5x / week, I get 14 blocks.per day.  A Zone 'block' has the following:

- 9 g carbohydrates
- 7 g protein
- 1.5 g fat (assuming a low-fat protein source)

That means I get to eat a total of 126 g of carb, 98 g of protein, and 21 g of fat per day.

To be honest, it was also very difficult for me to actually commit to ingesting 150 g of protein a day - at approximately 7 g protein per ounce of meat, that comes out to 21 oz, or 1.3 lb of meat per day! (Or more if you are eating certain seafood).

Time will tell if this new diet works; I think it will, as it has worked before on me.  This isn't to say that low-carb doesn't work - it does! I've seen it work on several people, and I think with the right foods and attitude, it is sustainable.  It is just a pain in the ass for me.  (And I was noticing I was starting to get that acetone smell in my breath that tells you ketosis is acting... I have had a couple of friends with the most God-awful breath in the world, who were on Atkins and drank coffee... ech, makes me cringe just thinking about it!)

Paleo Chili

Since I've gone all super-low-carb, I thought I'd share my Paleo chili technique (since y'all know I'm not big on measured recipes... I tend to improvise as I go along).

What You'll Need:

- meat (preferably grass fed.. I used 1 lb ground beef from Skagit River Ranch, but stew chunks work, too)
- vegetables that you would cook in a stew
- large can of tomatoes (any style... I like the whole, fire roasted ones from Muir Glen Organics)
- aromatics like onions, garlic, shallots, etc. (I used 1 large whole garlic head and 1/2 a large red onion)
- salt
- chili spices (I used Penzey's Chili 9000)
- Dutch Oven or large pot

What You Do:

Heat up your dutch oven to medium-high heat, and drizzle in some olive oil.

Brown your onions, garlic, and whatever other aromatic vegetables you like. If the other vegetables you want to use could use some browning, throw them in. I usually wait.

Add your meat to the pot, and brown it. Season it liberally with salt and chili spices.

Add the other vegetables, and the can of tomatoes, including the juice. I like to take my mixing spoon and break up the whole tomatoes a little bit. (The reason I buy whole tomatoes is I feel they are potentially higher quality fruit than the cans of broken-down tomatoes. That may or may not be the case, but that is my opinion, and I'm sticking to it).

I suppose if you wanted, now would also be the time to add some wine or beer to the party. I added more chili spice.

Bring the pot to a simmer and cook it slowly till the mixture thickens up to the point that you like it. The vegetables should be cooked thoroughly by now....

How To Serve:

In a bowl. I add chopped avocado, maybe some chopped fresh onion and/or tomato .... and more chili spice.


Note: For those of you going super-low-carb, be aware that, despite their awesome fat content, a medium avocado contains ~15 g of carbohydrates. (ARGH!)


***

I just received a vegetable box from my CSA yesterday, so the next time I make this (very soon), I'll be adding zucchini and some other fun stuff. Stay tuned.

I'm Back

Hello, World!

It's been a l-0-n-g time, but I decided to come back to this blog.

I thought I would steer it toward a little more personal vent, that being my health & fitness.

Late last year, my mom insisted that I go to a naturopath to try and work through some hormone imbalance issues. This had transpired out of her disbelief that I could be doing Crossfit 4x/week, Pilates on Sundays, and generally something outdoors-related on Saturdays (hiking, skiing, kayaking, whatever the season called for), and still be fat around my gut.

I ate Paleo. Nothing changed externally, although once I gave up grains, my stomach sure felt a lot better.

Naturopath #1 did about $1000 worth of ancillary tests - stool samples (ugh), blood, & saliva tests. These confirmed an elevated cortisol level, an elevated fasting glucose level, and high cholesterol. Awesome. They then wanted to start me on a 6 week "fasting" diet composed of these hideous medical shakes used for people with IBS, which cost about $150-200. The shakes are basically made of rice flour + a bunch of vitamins so you don't get malnutrition, and then you add fiber so you actually go to the bathroom. I looked at her fiber source and said, "I am allergic to flax seeds". This naturopath hadn't done her homework, since I had provided her with a complete dietary profile from a trusted food allergy testing company. Also, I am convinced that large amount of rice flour would not have done me any favors. In addition to the fasting, I would be required to visit their office weekly, to "assess progress", at $150 per office visit, plus the cost of any ancillary tests. Besides that, they were crappy at drawing blood from me. Did I mention none of this was covered by insurance? Yeah, out-of-pocket. All of it.

Naturopath #1 was out.

I next visited another naturopath, this one requiring me to travel to Portland, about 3 hours south of Seattle.

This naturopath looked at all my test results, my gym attendance record over the past year, looked at me, and said, "Have you ever considered that this is how you are supposed to look? Maybe take a look at your ancestors...". Honey, my ancestors were all skinny. Unacceptable! At least she told me I could tell her to go to hell and she wouldn't mind. :)

Fast-forward to Fran, my old trainer who recently opened up her own gym in south Seattle.

Her recommendations? Lower the Crossfit to 3x / week. Rest enough, eat strict Paleo, and go super-low carb. In preparation to meet with her, I'd eaten for two weeks at less than 100 g carbohydrate / day. I use Fitday (www.fitday.com) to track my diet.

Where I'm at now? Less than 60 g carbohydrates per day. This really restricts things, folks, but it is (surprisingly) feasible.

The secret? I eat lots and lots of meat and fat. Like, 50-60% of my calories come from fat. Good fats, though - not french fries or doughnuts. Fats like nuts, olive & nut oils, coconut oil & milk, and fat inherent in meats. I eat almost all grass-fed meat products. Organic vegetables & fruits. My sister was amazed to hear my diet. (And she's always been the skinny one!)

What am I avoiding? Dairy. Grains (for sure). Root vegetables, because they have an incredible amount of sugar in them. (Consider, after all, that root vegetables evolved as energy storage devices for plants).

What do I cheat with? Super high quality bourgeoisie dark chocolate. I actually drink a little more wine than I was drinking in the past 6 months; by "more" I mean I drink maybe 3 -4 glasses a week now, and enjoy it thoroughly. I do put 1 tsp of agave syrup into my morning coconut milk latte.

I bought myself a Sodastream water carbonator, and enjoy acting like I'm drinking something "fun" when it's really just carbonated water with a citrus slice in it, or some flavoring extract like vanilla or orange.


***

I'm going back to Fran in a month, so we'll see how things progress!

In the meantime, I've got some bacon I need to go heat up in the microwave...

Happy New Year!

Hello All!

Happy 2010! I hope everyone has managed to maintain the March of Good Health throughout the holidays.

I was lucky. I went to visit my parents, and for the most part, they eat Paleo, as I do. My parents do consume a lot less meat, and a lot more dairy, though. But avocados, coconut oil, and nuts are all prevalent foods at their home. So is high quality dark chocolate, which is great when consumed in small amounts.

I am proud to say that, while some meals were not Paleo, I did not gorge myself like a python, coming home with a giant lump of food in my belly. I did, however, eat too many sugary sweet things. Sigh.

But, it is a New Year, and I am back on it! Some grass-finished bacon is in the oven for my breakfast, along with some satsumas (tangerines) I picked up at the store last night, in addition to some chicken thighs for some chicken-veggie soup I'll make later today. In a couple of hours, I am off to the Farmer's Market in my neighborhood, to stock up on meats and local, organic greens.

I would like to mention something: I discovered a couple of months ago that I have a hormone imbalance. This might have been the lynchpin as to why I struggle so much with weight loss. I will admit, though - at 5'5" and 150 lb, I could look a lot worse than I do. A lot of that weight is muscle. Yet I hold fat around my upper body (belly, some in the back), and the layer of fat around my body prevents any actual muscle definition from showing through.

I go to a naturopathic doctor who specializes in bioidentical hormones on Tuesday, to see if they can help me! I'm pretty excited. This could also "miraculously" cure my monthly onset of cystic acne.

***

May Your New Year Be Filled With Light, Love, Health, and Fitness.

And May Your Deadlift PR Increase by 20%. :)

Hot Links: Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Star Anise, Ginger & Lime

Sweet potatoes aren't bad for you, and they are tasty.

There's no additional sugar in here, just spices, salt & pepper, olive oil, and some lime. Yum!

Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Star Anise, Ginger and Lime (courtesy of TheKitchn)

Chili

My original plan today was to grill some meat this morning. As I was preparing to preheat my gas grill, I received a call from a person whose bike I was interested in buying off Craigslist, so instead of cooking, I hightailed it out of my house to meet them.

The bike was a bust, but I was wonderfully exposed to the fall weather. Glad I had brought a wool hat and fingerless gloves, in addition to dressing in a thermal shirt, t-shirt, and vest, I wandered about in the sunny, brisk morning.

After arriving back home this afternoon, I flipped on PBS, and watched someone cooking a pot of chili. He used two varieties of canned beans - red kidneys and refried beans.

I recalled that I had not only some ground beef that needed cooking, but I also possessed a can of black beans and a can of refried beans in my cupboard. Canned Gold!

I threw my ground beef (grass-finished, thankyouverymuch) into my cute yellow Dutch oven, to brown and sizzle away while I prepared other ingredients.


I opened the cans of beans, and retrieved several items out of my spice cabinet:



After the meat was almost completely cooked, I added the two cans of beans to the pot, as well as kosher salt, molasses, a good squirt of tomato paste, half of a leftover beer, and a couple of tablespoons' worth of Mole Ole! seasoning that I had freshly ground in my blade coffee grinder.

I also added several crushed cloves of garlic...


... and a whole small onion, chopped.

Then I set it to a low simmer:


I left it a little too long, ,because there was a layer of burned-on beans at the bottom when I went to retrieve the chili off the stove, but it smells amazing and I am looking forward to a few bowls of hearty warming chili!

NOTE: No, this is Not Paleo; according to the tenets of the Paleo diet, beans are not an encouraged food (not to mention the beer!) There's also not a ton of vegetables in this, so you definitely want to augment it to balance out your food choices. :)

Health Effects of (Ch)eating

I thought I would do a post on what happens to me when I choose to eat things that are not good for me.

DISCLAIMER: If you are grossed out by the mention of bodily functions, er, you may want to skip this post. I am not a doctor, and don't play one on TV. Reliable, solid information can be found at a library, or by asking a physician you trust.

Now, then.

I shall list what symptoms I can come up with, and/ or events, and then tell you what causes them. Hopefully that may help some of you untangle cause-and-effect of certain physical manifestations, like acne or loose bowels, etc.

You might think that I am a perfect mess, listing all these health troubles, but I feel that I am lucky that a) foods manifest their evils in me so quickly, and b) I get feedback (hah) and now really know what to avoid to make myself feel strong, fit, and healthy!!! I hope that more people will choose to start to listen to their bodies telling them what they do and do not need for healthy living.

As an anecdotal example, I have a friend who claims to suffer from IBS, but really I think he needs to a) de-stress, and b) eat better; that is, No Grains, No Alcohol for a few months, and re-evaluate his health! So many people choose to use Western drugs and pills, when all they really need is to learn to avoid certain foods that make them ill. But, no, the pills are easier!!! (SIGH!)

***

ACNE: Usually caused by too many fried foods, grains, milk chocolate, any soda (fizzy water, like Crystal Geyser, is OK). I get huge, cystic zits that take days to clear out, even with spot use of benzoyl peroxide, salycilic acid, and a sulfur topical application.

BLOAT (with or without gas): Usually caused by drinking beer or eating most types of fermented food. My mom thinks, and I am with her on this, that since beer is fermented and fizzy (and acts like bread rising), that when you drink it, you also become bloated and "rise". Sounds hippie-dippie, but it made more sense to me the first time I noticed it.

EXCESSIVE URINE: Caused when I drink too much caffeine (usually in coffee form). I become thirsty after drinking coffee, and consume extra water to make up for the diuretic effect of caffeine.... but still, I am peeing every 20 minutes for a couple of hours after consuming a cup of coffee. ("A cup of coffee" to me, means a single shot of espresso or approx 8 oz of drip coffee + usually enough cream to fill a 12 oz cup).

JOINT PAIN: Usually caused by eating grains, but may be exacerbated by nightshades (e.g. potatoes, eggplants, tomatoes, bell peppers, etc.), which are a known inflammatory for some people.

PSORIASIS FLARE-UPS (including DANDRUFF): Usually caused by eating grains. I haven't pinpointed what, exactly, is causing some of the flare-ups. I did notice that my psoriasis greatly healed in the month I was at my parents' house, and I also know that I ate really, really cleanly while I was over there, so I am sure it has some tie-in.

STOMACHACHE, leading to GAS, LOOSE STOOLS: Caused by eating grains and/or gluten, processed foods, too many fried foods, too much alcohol, food that wasn't at the peak of freshness (whether it's too old or too young, like unripe fruit). Pretty much when I eat anything that isn't good for me, I get a reliable reminder within an hour or two of my digression- my stomach feels like it's twisting and burbling, and I can get anything from a lot of gas to a few trips to the bathroom to let it all out. Thankfully, upsets from food never result in vomiting!!

Welcome!

Hello, World!

I thought I'd take a moment to introduce myself.

My name is Mel, and I'm an engineer. I work with airplane engines during the day. Well, not with the actual engines, I just poke around on their computerized models and get them to do my bidding. After work, I head to Crossfit most every day, and then I come home. I plan to talk briefly about Crossfit and why I love it so much in later posts.

In the meantime? I eat. I love eating! I always have. A pleasant day off for me includes a few hours spent foraging at a farmer's market, local "hippie" co-op, or a high-quality grocery store, like Whole Foods or Nugget or Town & Country here in Seattle.

In the last several years, I stopped eating certain things. I discovered that any type of dark soda or milk chocolate contributed to a horrible acne problem. I also figured out that I was lactose intolerant. I tried to get around these issues by using stronger and stronger acne medication, and taking supplements like Lactaid so I could enjoy my ice cream.

What was worse, I was fat. I am 5'5", and in college I got pretty close to pushing 180 lb. I would not have considered myself attractive, and although I had nice legs, that was about all I liked about myself. I had chronic knee pain, due to weak muscles around my knee joints, and running or doing many physical things were out of the question for me. Ugh! What a horrible way to live!

After college, I moved to Maryland from California for a job, and lost about 20 lb, probably by just eating better quality food. I was no longer completely, overwhelmingly tempted by the Dairy Queen that was a half block from my apartment, nor the countless vending machines and fast food areas in and around campus. It also helped that my new friends in Maryland weren't overweight, either. It is my estimation that misery loves company (or else there wouldn't be an aphorism for it!), and the fact that I was friends with a lot of fat people in college wasn't helping me get anywhere with my body.

Still, I was stuck at around 160 lb. Still, UGH! I ate out a lot in Maryland, and we tended to eat out at places like Subway, or Panera Bread. I could, and would, eat a loaf of artisanal bread with some cheese and salami for my day's food. Krispy Kreme and Dunkin' Donuts made regular appearances.

***

Then, I moved to Seattle. And I became a food snob. I really think this is what saved me.

No more fast food, period. By now, sodas had become a distant memory. No more processed foods. Gradually, foods began to drop off my "Acceptable Eating" list:

- High fructose corn syrup (HFCS)
- Partially hydrogenated, or fully hydrogenated, oils (usually soybean or corn)
- Caffeine
- Dairy
- Foods billed as "low" or "non" fat (when companies make low or no-fat substitutes, they often increase the amount of sugar and / or salt in a food to make up for "mouth feel" and the lack of taste associated with the loss of fat).

Okay... I was doing better. I was building up my physical fitness slowly. I started with two pilates classes a week (they were free in my apartment building in a Seattle neighborhood called Belltown), then I amped that up, then discovered spinning (biking) classes and kickboxing at a local gym chain (and made my friend go with me).

Still, things were not right. The acne had subsided a lot, but was still not completely eradicated. I was still using ProActiv twice a day (a product that I can actually highly recommend, though it isn't "natural").

I had substituted a lot of things to comfort me. Soy and rice - milk ice creams marched in. Dark chocolate didn't cause acne.

Then, at the suggestion of my parents, I tried eliminating all grains. WHAT?, you may ask?? How do people LIVE without grains???

Very Well, actually.

Let's get one thing clear. No Grains means NO GRAINS. No corn, rice, wheat, barley, oats, quinoa, etcetera. And you know what? My knees felt better! And what's more, I could eat dairy! I literally could eat a bowl of ice cream and not suffer in the bathroom a couple of hours later!

Then I discovered something called Crossfit. It had been at the urging of my old gymnastics coach, actually. He thought I would like it. I needed something because the gym I had been going to was moving and would no longer be anywhere convenient for me to attend.

I tried Crossfit. IT WAS HARD. OH MY GOD, IT WAS HARD. Squats? Deadlifts? Seriously!!!??? I had trouble getting out of bed the following days.


Seriously.


After I started Crossfit for a few months, I started hearing talk of the "Paleo" diet (Google it for more information).

Basically, the Paleo diet consists of eating as would a Paleolithic person. Essentially, the diet restricts you to the following foods: meats, vegetables, fruits, nuts. That's it. Sound crappy? It's not.

I feel great eating on this diet! And believe me, there is PLENTY to eat. I can hear people murmuring, saying that they are vegetarian or vegan because they do not want to harm animals. OK, but hear me out.

The best meat for you is grass-finished meat. This means the animal has grown up eating grass, a food that is natural for it. It eats grass until the day it is slaughtered. When cows in corporate feedlots grow up, they eat corn their entire lives. Cows are not meant to eat corn, and this creates a whole host of other problems like needing prophylactic antibiotics because their stomachs are now at an acidic pH when they are naturally supposed to be at a neutral pH (reference Michael Pollan's book "The Omnivore's Dilemma". He does a great job citing sources for this information).

For those of you that eat "fake meat", as I call it (soy burgers or Tofu Pups or Sei-tan, or Chik'un, etcetera), I wonder if you really know what is going into those foods. Probably lots of salt, for one thing (to add flavor). Possibly corn syrup or some type of sugar. Preservatives. Chemicals to make them look, feel, and taste like the meats which you so righteously turn your noses up at. Check out what's in a Tofu Pup. (While you're there, read what's in the Hebrew National hot dog! EW on both counts!). I am always curious about vegetarians and vegans... Are you eating meat because a) you don't like the taste, b) your religion calls for you to not eat animals, c) you don't want animals to die for you, d) you think you're eating "cleaner" by not eating meat? I can understand all those reasons, though I may not agree with all of them. In fact, I always wonder why these meat-replacement products were created in the first place. If you choose to not eat the real meats, why would you choose to eat a chemical-ridden facsimile? (the same query I put to those who choose to eat low quality foods of any type, actually!)

So here's the deal. I buy my meat from a local farmer, north of Seattle. He farms cattle, pigs, sheep, and he might have chickens now. If he doesn't, I know two other farms who do. It ain't cheap. I buy my (organic) vegetables and fruits mostly from a CSA (community supported agriculture), or the farmer's market, or, if I really can't get them anywhere else, the local high-quality grocery store. That ain't cheap, either. But I look at it as Preventive Maintenance on my body. There is a computer saying: Crap In, Crap Out. That's how I look at my body and food now.

Oh, I still eat out. But I try to go to high quality restaurants that aren't serving weird amalgamations of pre-processed items.

Anyway, the whole point about Crossfit. I lost a little more weight. I am still intent on losing a little more weight. These days I hover around 150 lb. But you know what? I can deadlift 75 kg (165 lb) for 3 reps. I can do 45 kg (99 lb) backsquats for 15 reps. I can run! I can squat! My knees don't hurt! I can ski (though I ski badly)! It is AMAZING the changes I have seen in myself. And I have found a whole new community of friends, people who are committed to living and eating well, enjoying life and getting outdoors.

My physical ideal used to be Latin female actresses and singers - rounded, beautiful, not too thin, and sassy. These days, my female physical ideal circles around women who can do 10 dead-hang pullups, who have muscular shoulders, women who can snatch a 24 kg kettlebell, with hands with callouses from gripping various barbells or pullup bars, six-pack abs, thighs that barely jiggle and calves like hamhocks, and still manage to look like a woman. A very strong, confidant woman... who could kick your ass if she wanted to. And they are right next to me, sweating and grunting just as furiously, as we both strive to improve ourselves one harrowing class after another!



Stand by, the dietribe will continue...