Hi all

I tell this, my cautionary tale, in the hopes that other low carbers won’t make the same mistake!

I suppose pride comes before a fall, but I was planning to have a lower carb Christmas (as I have done the past two years), but still to make and eat higher carb foods than I usually do – my own homemade 70% chocolate nuts, Christmas muffins made with lc mincemeat and ground almonds, etc. So I have found myself over the past few weeks eating more carbs than usual and really completely ignoring my body’s signals of being full (Yes I hear you Jeanette!). Last night I was at a friends’ house where I overate sausages and drank two glasses of red wine (twice as much as I normally can drink). I went to bed feeling a bit snuffly and hoarse, but took my vitamin C to help with that. I proceeded to have a terrible night – waking every hour because my nose was running and my head ached. Good time to get the beginnings of a cold/flu, huh? 5 days before Christmas, with a family Christmas to organize and guests to stay over New Year?

I should also point out that I normally sleep like the proverbial log – knowing nothing from dozing off until the alarm goes in the morning. I also very rarely get ill – I have had no colds or coughs at all this Autumn – the last time I was ill was a horrible virulent flu bug I had in February. I put all my general good health down to low carbing and the avoidance of sugars, starches and of course hydrogenated and other bad fats. I have also noticed recently that my skin is breaking out all over – something else I have not had to cope with so much since low carbing. (Good timing there also – in the season of parties when you want to look your best!) So I know that the reason I have come down with this at this time is because I have overdosed on carbs and suppressed my usually robust immune system – I have only myself to blame.

So the moral of this story is – try not to succumb to the “I’ll treat myself over Christmas and pick up the pieces in January” idea. Like me you might regret it sooner than you think!

Katy