Low Carb Age - Latest Comments

Re: Update: The Truth about Beef

Mdcfarms — Fri, 25 Nov 2011 02:14:56 -0000

Frank, while our cattle is grass feed for most of their lives, the beef is still better tasting to us if the cattle are fed at least some grain, the grain gives you the marbling that gives you the flavor you desire. Trust me, you don't find the flavor of home butchered beef at Cosco. It's like comparing home grown tomatoes to those hard pink things they sell in the stores in December. DC

Re: Update: The Truth about Beef

Frank Hagan — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 19:12:45 -0000

I'm just north of Los Angeles so I know the feedlot well. I'm not sure how long the cows are in that feedlot. Time is money, and they want them to get fat quickly. But the smell is unbelievable!

The weird thing is that the normal bovine smell in a pasture is nothing like that feed lot.

Re: Update: The Truth about Beef

Janknitz — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 16:22:07 -0000

Thanks, I appreciate this sane, balanced approach!

We are fortunate to have an economical source of grass fed, organic beef, so my husband and I try to eat that whenever possible. But the supply is limited, and we also eat some grain fed beef. So I'm glad to be relieved of some of the "burden" of doing so. ;o)

On a personal note, as Northern Californians, when we drive down Interstate 5 on our way to Los Angeles we have to pass the very crowded feeding lots for Harris Ranch near Kettleman City. The stench is inescapable and overwhelming, and it's sad to see hundreds of cattle crowded into feeding pens, standing in their own excrement. This is a good reminder why we choose that grass fed, pastured beef whenever possible.

Re: Personal Pumpkin Pies, Oh My

Frank Hagan — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 09:08:02 -0000

Each little 5" pie has 10 grams of net carbs. I find that half of one of these is about equal to a slice of regular pie.

Re: Personal Pumpkin Pies, Oh My

snows — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 03:52:53 -0000

Since I would be doing this for a diabetic; what are the carb count? TY!

Re: Update: The Truth about Beef

Frank Hagan — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 13:01:13 -0000

Thanks, Steve. I think there's a natural progression we take to make simple things complex. I'm actually seeing people get a lot of the benefit of going low carb when they just eliminate wheat. They typically try to replace wheat based foods with horrible alternatives, but still reduce carbs quite a bit with that one change.

Paleo/primal provides a philosophical framework for changing your eating habits, but I don't think it is any better than a simple LCHF diet; just limiting carbohydrates to 40 to 100 grams per day is all that most people need. When you get "permission" to eat as much other food as you want it is liberating. For serial dieters, removing the idea of calorie restriction is often the change in mindset that makes a LCHF way of eating successful.

Its simple, but we want to make it complex.

Re: Update: The Truth about Beef

Steve — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 22:47:09 -0000

Thank you for the excellent post! It lines up with my opinions of all the Paleo/Primal etc versions of what should really be a simple change! To be honest, reading many Paleo/Primal blogs it starts to feel like you're being preached to, as though they have found religion.

I don't begrudge them their right to do as they please. I do though get bored with the profiteering/preaching that goes on with LCHF variations and reading some people attempts to follow some extreem version. Their difficulty in doing so is disheartening, when it should be so simple.

Again, thanks for a excellent, to the point post!

Steve

Re: Lies, Damn Lies and Statistics

Frank Hagan — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 16:02:13 -0000

Hi Geoff, in my link categories, "Researchers" are those with advanced degrees but without medical degrees. Dr. Ellis holds a PhD from Temple University School of Medicine’s Department of Physiology, and has been at this for a number of years (not sure where you got the idea that he recently "jumped on board", as his domain has been registered for 8 years). I don't personally agree with all of his conclusions, but his credentials and message are certainly worth evaluating, and each reader should be exposed to the widest number of opinions as they search for their own solutions.

Re: Lies, Damn Lies and Statistics

Geoff Broughton — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 14:58:20 -0000

Really good article, your web site impressing me as a real find after 11 months of study after having 2 stents fitted and eventually getting my health back, but only after calling to a halt to all 5 tablets from the docs (including Lipi whats it - no free advert here). Total change in diet and going low carb meant bye bye to 5 years of eczema, 2 years of very painful haemorrhoids, lower breathing rate, heart rate and losing 28 lbs into the bargain - just one little issue - the bye bye carbs man is typical of those that jump on board and thoroughly mess it all up - and effectively send thousands more to an early grave.
Sorry Frank, really do like all I have found so far apart from that dreadful link - and under no less than researcher!!??
Geoff

Re: Update: The Truth about Beef

Frank Hagan — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 09:40:51 -0000

Thanks, Hmcid. I think keeping things in perspective, and realizing that not everyone will share your passion for all the intricacies is important when talking to people considering going low carb.

That's one advantage of farming: you do get closer to the source! When I was researching the original article on beef, I learned a lot from family about how its really done. I was prompted by someone who thought that "corn silage" meant they fed the cows corn instead of foraging materials (as you know, silage is the entire corn plant, including stalk and whatever corn is growing on it at the time it is chopped up).

Re: Update: The Truth about Beef

Hmcid — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 21:41:53 -0000

Very common sense post...thank you! I'm a low-carber, but have been reading about the paleo concept. I agree (loved the way you put it) that these things aren't sacraments and aren't essential. (BTW, we raise cattle and most of the beef we eat happens to be grass fed, because we get to butcher the animals with broken legs and other problems that wouldn't affect the quality of the meat! I feel very fortunate to not have to buy beef in the store, but probably would not go out of my way to buy grass fed.)

Re: Update: The Truth about Beef

Frank Hagan — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 09:45:04 -0000

Hi Dr. Parker,
I also eat supermarket beef (usually, its Costco's UDSA Prime, which can be less expensive than ungraded beef at the supermarket). I have cousins who raise beef, and they prefer the taste of grass fed. That's what they've eaten for most of their lives, from their own stock. I like the taste of both, but not enough to spend the money for grass fed!

Re: Update: The Truth about Beef

Steve Parker, M.D. — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 08:14:16 -0000

Hi, Frank.
I never had time to look into the grass-fed, pastured beef issue.
My family just eats the beef we can get at a reasonable price at the local supermarket.
Your post convinces me to keep the grass-fed, pastured beef issue on my back burner.

-Steve

Re: Low Carb Poses No Arterial Health Risks

Frank Hagan — Sat, 03 Sep 2011 13:25:22 -0000

Ancel Keys managed the starvation study, and I have notes on it somewhere, but I didn't know about the link with gout. I do remember my early days of low carbing, and some very strange things that happened in the first 6 - 8 weeks. Rashes and nasal congestion primarily, and a few people told me it could be due to the release of the toxins stored in fat tissue. The Drs. Eades mention that in their opinion, giving blood during this time is an excellent idea, as it helps the body rid itself of the toxins.

I don't have the same sensitivity to veggie oils, but have worked to eliminate them when possible. You can request the eggs be cooked in butter at Denny's, and they nod and off they go to the kitchen ... but do they really cook them in butter? And I'm sure that even if they do, they don't clean the grill before doing so, and some of the "canola" oil is still there (Dr. Mike Eades broke down the content of commercial canola oil used in even high end restaurants, and it is partially hydrogenated oil.)

I'm currently reading a copy of Dr. Davis' "Wheat Belly" to review here on the site, and finding a lot of confirmation about what I call "hidden sensitivity" to wheat among those of us who don't have outright allergies. It does bring back my GERD with a vengeance even at 20 - 30 grams a day, so I have mostly eliminated it.

Are you blogging anywhere? I think your experience is compelling.

Re: Low Carb Poses No Arterial Health Risks

James Howell — Sat, 03 Sep 2011 12:49:08 -0000

Frank,

I am now recovering from a minor attack of gout. I blame the high carb content of the pancake breakfast.

You may be familiar with Dr. Robert H. Lustig's rather long youtube video called "Sugar: The Bitter Truth" ( http://youtu.be/dBnniua6-oM). In it he lays gout attacks directly at the feet of High Fructose Corn Syrup as well as the high intake of refined sugar. If you haven't watched it, set aside an hour and a half to view it. The video is most enlightening.

I don't remember the details but shortly after World War II a study was done about the effects of semi-starvation suffered by POWs. Some of the test subjects, after rapid weight loss, started having gout attacks; even those that had never had gout. The study was discontinued at that point, the scientists postulating the rapid weight loss caused stored toxins to be released into the system faster than the body could get rid of them.

I have gone through this same situation. If I lose more than, say, 5 pounds in a week, one of my ankles or a toe joint will be sore for a couple of days. I don't get a full blown attack but the offended joint lets me know it is definitely unhappy.

Eating out is indeed a challenge. Fajitas are my favorite "mexican" food so I just eat the meat, sauteed veggies, and guacamole, abstaining from the flour tortillas and the so-called sour cream most restaurants use. Cheeseburgers are my all time favorite food; I can tell you all the places for a really good cheeseburger within a hundred miles of my house. Today I order a "double," avoid the bun, forego the french fries and, sadly, the cheese. (Real cheese that is. I cannot abide the chemical stuff known as American Cheese. A "dairy" product not requiring refrigeration is evil.) I had considered Denny's "Build Your Own..." breakfast but the eggs are no doubt cooked in the cheapest vegetable/seed oil available. As a former foodie, I consider such probably rancid oils an abomination, not to mention their deleterious effect on my health. Generally, in a restaurant, I eat only those foods cooked over an open flame such as steaks, ground beef, etc. Bacon or sausage cooked on a griddle is acceptable since cheap oil is not used in the cooking process.

As of this morning I weigh 249 pounds, a loss of 39 pounds.

Re: Low Carb Poses No Arterial Health Risks

Frank Hagan — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 16:59:25 -0000

Great progress, James! Interesting about the gout too; one of the "concerns" about low carb dieting is that people with gout may not be able to do it due to the acid in red meat. But I've often wondered if gout, like GERD and so many other problems, are related more to inflammation (which is exacerbated by eating carbs, especially wheat).

Like you, I'm very low carb to lose or maintain weight. I looked at the 4HB plan, but most of the focus I see is on the "cheat days". I can't really handle that. Part of it might be my age too; I'm 55, so a lot of what I used to be able to get away with is no longer possible. Men, like women, have a harder time with diet and that sort of thing in their 50's.

The carbs I get are from nuts and berries, and cheese. I do like broccoli, green beans, cauliflower and salads, so I have more variety in my menu. I have discovered a few low carb veggies that I like; I just tried making a meat sauce and using spaghetti squash for "noodles"; I actually liked them. Not much taste (like pasta), but with a bit of a crunch almost like Chinese noodles.

Eating out is a challenge; even steaks are sometimes loaded with sugar (things like TGI Friday's Jack Daniels Steak have a very sweet sauce). Eggs at iHOP have pancake batter in them. In a pinch, I've found that Denny's "Build Your Own Grand Slam" works ... I get two eggs, four bacon, and two sausages for my 4 choices. Certainly not gourmet, but edible, and it does satisfy.

Re: Low Carb Poses No Arterial Health Risks

James Howell — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 16:10:32 -0000

"Abandoning the low carb way of eating after reaching your weight goal is a prescription for disaster..."

Man, you got that right. I have been obese for most of my adult life. It's taken me a bit more than a year to lose 35 pounds, with about 60 pounds to go, using a pretty much carb-free menu.

I've read on a couple of blogs that people with seriously abused metabolisms, such as mine, should probably plan to be very low-carb for the rest of their life. I've experimented with a high carb meal, re: Tim Ferriss's "The 4-Hour Body," and everytime I do it I am sick for a week and gain 4 to 7 pounds just from the one meal. My third, and last, experiment was four days ago: I ate a stack of pancakes and blueberry syrup. I'm still experiencing some negative effects.

I am through with the experiments and I am through with carbs. I eat meat, eggs, butter, bacon, etc. I don't do a lot of vegetables because I don't like them, never have, and they cause, um, intestinal distress. Being carb-free has caused my blood pressure to drop dramatically, I am no longer "pre-diabetic" with blood glucose readings ranging from 78 to 95, and I haven't had a gout attack in over a year. If I can't get a meal that is not, at most, very-low carb, I just fast until I can get a carb-free meal. Carb-free is now my mantra. (Heh, given my moderate obsessive personality, it's easy to do.)

Re: RD Turn-About: Fat Not So Bad

SaVanna Sims — Sun, 21 Aug 2011 22:49:28 -0000

Sounds great, and thanks!

Re: RD Turn-About: Fat Not So Bad

Frank Hagan — Sun, 21 Aug 2011 22:41:19 -0000

Hi SaVanna, I'll add your blog to my RSS reader to follow your progress. Some people have really fast responses, and others take a few weeks, so give it at least 3 - 4 before you bail out on it.

Can I add your blog to our low carb news aggregator Low Carb Daily at http://lowcarbdaily.com ?

Re: RD Turn-About: Fat Not So Bad

SaVanna Sims — Sun, 21 Aug 2011 22:33:32 -0000

I'm a nutrition student in my final year of undergrad, and my goal is to become a registered dietitian. I actually just recently was turned on to low-carb after hearing Gary Taubes speak about his book "Why We Get Fat." Really eye opening stuff, and completely contradictory to what I've been learning in classes. Hopefully once I'm an RD I can help turn this around. :)

I've written a blog post about it if anyone's interested in reading, here: http://savannasims.weebly.com/...

Re: MegaSearch

Frank Hagan — Thu, 28 Jul 2011 09:00:44 -0000

Disqus generic email templateDelete

Re: Salt is the New Scapegoat

Frank Hagan — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 12:35:50 -0000

Yep, its become a "common wisdom" thing now. People routinely say its "common sense" to reduce salt consumption, but there's no evidence of a benefit. And there are no scientific studies showing what happens if you eliminate salt. For all we know, it could be very harmful.

I resent being a human guinea pig for public health advocates!

Re: Salt is the New Scapegoat

Joe Lindley — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 11:07:03 -0000

I agree! I read about this issue in one of Gary Taubes's articles or books. According to the study he quoted, excess salt raises your blood pressure just a few points but no more. So the cost vs benefit situation is pretty simple: stay on a low-salt diet for the rest of your life (and suffer through NOT enjoying your food) and you'll live a month or two longer if you live into your 80's or 90's. NO THANKS - give me the salt!

Re: Salt is the New Scapegoat

Website Designer Riyadh — Fri, 22 Jul 2011 05:30:46 -0000

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Re: Mass Media Acceptance

Frank Hagan — Wed, 22 Jun 2011 14:30:01 -0000

It does seem slow, doesn't it? But science is often like that, with theories often not winning out on the basis of how much evidence there is, but on how readily they are accepted by the younger generation. There's a great book that illustrates this in another area ... theoretical physics ... titled "Big Bang" by Simon Singh. Prejudices and entrenched beliefs, buttressed by where the money was flowing, prevented the idea of the Big Bang from gaining acceptance until background radiation was discovered (and that was an accident; the radio astronomers thought there might be bird poop in their antenna array).