I just saw this link in another thread and had to post it here: "WHY LOW-CARB DIETS MUST BE HIGH-FAT, NOT HIGH-PROTEIN" http://www.second-opinions.co.uk/fat-not-protein.html

Here's the thread the link came from, which is also very interesting: http://forum.lowcarber.org/showthread.php?t=269247

The fermentation reduces carbs debate has occurred here many times in the past. I believe this is the best thread about it. This one is also worth reading.

Thanks, Taming! Even considering the full carb count, my daily intake of 6 oz of h&h yogurt amounts to 8 carbs. Before I started the yogurt, I was on a stall, and still am, so am just waiting this out to see if I start going down again!

I have gotten the gist of the threads posted, but I'm still optimistic. Here's a quote from a Diabetes Update review of the "Four Corners Diet" written by Drs. Goldberg & O'Mara:

I have no reason to believe that Goldberg's contention that he tested this in his own lab and confirmed the lower carbs is not true.

It seems to be a matter of choosing which side of the debate you want to believe...

I've been eating yogurt for awhile now, and although I never incorporated as much as you currently enjoy into my active weight loss eating, my sense is that it is contributing to my GI health, and is serving me well now. I had not eaten yogurt for a long time. The "new improved" fruit and fat free stuff just didn't taste as good to me as I remembered yogurt being when I was younger. The plain yogurt I eat now, which is organic with 3.5% mf, tastes wonderful to me.

For any Canadians reading this, it is President's Choice brand.

Folks on this thread may be interested in reading the book Eat Fat & Grow Slim by Richard Mackarness, M.B.,B.S. (1958). It's posted in its entirety at: http://www.ourcivilisation.com/fat/index.htm

Thanks Coolwater. I just ordered and received a used copy I bought. I didn't know it was online. I am looking forward to reading it.

The last two days I have increased my fat intake. (Sunday, I had 117 grams of fat to 68 grams of protein. Monday, I had 125 grams of fat to 61 grams of protein.) My carbs were under 20 grams both days (or less if I do the net carb thing).

Not only was it filling and satisfying, I'm feeling more energy, my mood is more balanced, I slept sounder, and slept less. AND, I dropped a pound overnight! I've been on a stall forever, so this is very exciting!! I feel like I've stoked the metabolism fires to a new level.

I'm looking forward to seeing where this takes me. I just made some jerky. I think I'm going to thaw out some bison fat and make pemmican out of it! Never made this before, so I hope it turns out ok!

I'm starting to feel like an Inuit or something! (I'm part Native American, so maybe my indigenous nature is starting to emerge! )

Jennifer, what recipe did you use for your Jerky and what are you eating to get the fat in? I'm going to check you journal for menus, but any guidance would be appreciated. Any other recipes for the VCO?

I upped my eggs to 3/day and fry or poach them in ghee, eating all the drippings, and usually eat 2 strips of bacon/day. I upped my CO to 3 T/day. Don't have any new recipes, though. I just melt it, add 2 T. flaxseeds, 1-2 T. almond butter, 1 t. cinnamon, and a shake of stevia. I freeze this into a cookie. This usually suffices for my lunch, which I eat late due to the eggs/bacon/yogurt in the morning.

On my yogurt, it's made from 1/2 & 1/2, so it's already pretty fatty. Last night I put some yogurt in a coffee filter to drain, so I have kind of a cream cheese to eat at some point this morning. I eat my homemade mayo liberally with chicken, fish, roast beef slices. I eat skin from chicken, fat from meat, etc. That's about it. Once I try my hand at pemmican, I'll have something more to choose from!

Jerky Marinade: I use Braggs Apple Cider Vinegar, some walnut oil, a little stevia, some celtic sea salt, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, Mexican oregano, and whatever other herbs seem right. I don't measure anything. I like the ACV instead of soy sauce or Worst. sauce, as I don't want the sugar, soy, additives, or 'fake' fermentation (which is really just pasteurization).

I could use more ideas, too, for adding good fat if anyone has them.

Jennifer, you have mentioned cinnamon a few times so I wanted to share an article I saved a long time ago. Hope you enjoy and people find it useful.

Cinnamon Helps Type 2 Diabetes: Also Helps Cholesterol -- But More Than A Sprinkle Required

By Jeanie Lerche Davis WebMD Medical News Reviewed By Brunilda Nazario, MD on Friday, December 05, 2003

Dec. 5, 2003 -- A spicy tip: Cinnamon can improve glucose and cholesterol levels in the blood. For people with type 2 diabetes, and those fighting high cholesterol, it's important information.

Researchers have long speculated that foods, especially spices, could help treat diabetes. In lab studies, cinnamon, cloves, bay leaves, and turmeric have all shown promise in enhancing insulin's action, writes researcher Alam Khan, PhD, with the NWFP Agricultural University in Peshawar, Pakistan. His study appears in the December issue of Diabetes Care.

Botanicals such as cinnamon can improve glucose metabolism and the overall condition of individuals with diabetes -- improving cholesterol metabolism, removing artery-damaging free radicals from the blood, and improving function of small blood vessels, he explains. Onions, garlic, Korean ginseng, and flaxseed have the same effect.

In fact, studies with rabbits and rats show that fenugreek, curry, mustard seeds, and coriander have cholesterol-improving effects.

But this is the first study to actually pin down the effects of cinnamon, writes Kahn. Studies have shown that cinnamon extracts can increase glucose metabolism, triggering insulin release -- which also affects cholesterol metabolism. Researchers speculated that cinnamon might improve both cholesterol and glucose. And it did!

The 60 men and women in Khan's study had a diagnosis of type 2 diabetes for an average of 6 1-2 years but were not yet taking insulin. The participants in his study had been on antidiabetic drugs that cause an increase in the release of insulin. Each took either wheat-flour placebo capsules or 500 milligram cinnamon capsules.

• Group 1 took 1 gram (two capsules equaling about one-quarter of a teaspoon) for 20 days.
• Group 2 took 3 grams (six capsules, equaling a little less than one teaspoon) for 20 days.
• Group 3 took 6 grams (12 capsules, equaling about one and three-quarters teaspoons) for 20 days.

Blood samples were taken at each level of the study. Cinnamon made a difference! Twenty days after the cinnamon was stopped, there were significant reductions in blood glucose levels in all three groups that took cinnamon, ranging from 18 to 29%.

But these was one peculiar finding that researchers don't understand at this point. Only the group that consumed the lowest level of cinnamon continued with significantly improved glucose levels -- group 1. The placebo groups didn't get any significant differences.

Taking more cinnamon seems to improve the blood levels of fats called triglycerides. All the patients had better triglyceride levels in their 40-day tests -- between 23% to 30% reductions. Those taking the most cinnamon had the best levels. In groups taking cinnamon pills, blood cholesterol levels also went down, ranging from 13% to 26%; LDL cholesterol also known as "bad" cholesterol went down by 10% to 24% in only the 3- and 6-gram groups after 40 days. Effects on HDL ("good cholesterol") were minor.

Cinnamon should be part of our daily diet -- whether we have type 2 diabetes or not, writes Kahn. However, for the best effects, just a sprinkle isn't enough. ________________________________________
SOURCE: Kahn, A. Diabetes Care. December 2003; vol 26: pp 3215-3218.

Here is another cinnamon article I had saved..

Glucose-Lowering Cinnamon Tea
Excerpted from Diabetes: Prevention and Cure, by C. Leigh Broadhurst, PhD, Kensington Books, New York, 1999, pp. 192-193

“In the laboratory where I work at the US Department of Agriculture, we have investigated over 60 plant extracts in a special cell culture test that determines how much a particular compound stimulates the uptake and utilization of glucose. While these tests are no substitute for human or animal studies, they are important because they identify safe compounds that act directly on cell metabolism. Plenty of plants and individual phytochemicals can lower blood sugar, but many accomplish this by imposing toxic effects on the body. Cinnamon was by far the most active compound in our assay, so we focused on it.

From an extract of commercial cinnamon, we identified new phytochemicals called chalcone polymers that increase glucose metabolism in the cells twentyfold or more. In addition, cinnamon contains anthocyanins of the type thought to improve capillary function, and an extract similar to ours has been shown to inhibit the formation of ulcers and increase blood flow to the stomach in rats. As chalcone polymers strongly inhibit the formation of reactive oxygen species in activated blood platelets, we also know them as antioxidants.

A number of antioxidant phytochemicals have already been identified in cinnamon, so that cinnamon may have all three of the beneficial actions mentioned previously. Since the first published results that identify cinnamon as a potential therapy for diabetes, we have heard from hundreds of people who found that it works. Since cinnamon is very safe, there is little harm in trying it yourself.

To use cinnamon to help lower blood sugar and broadly improve Types I and II diabetes, put 3 rounded tablespoons of ground cinnamon and 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of baking soda (use a lesser amount if sodium is a problem for you) in a 32-ounce (quart) canning jar. Fill the jar with boiling water and let steep at room temperature until cool. Strain or decant the liquid and discard the grounds, and then put a lid on the jar and refrigerate.

Drink 1 cup (8 ounces) of the tea 4 times per day. After 1-3 weeks, drop to 1-2 cups per day or use as needed. For those with Type I diabetes, start with only 1-2 cups per day and increase by 1 cup per week, monitoring blood sugar closely. Buying cinnamon in bulk is cost-effective and highly recommended....”
.... I WOULD HAVE TO GUESS AT THE REASON FOR THE BAKING SODA IN THE RECIPE; SINCE BOTH POWDERS ARE ALKALINE, I DOUBT THE SODA IS ADDED TO PROTECT THE LIPS FROM IRRITATION. FOR THAT, I'D SUGGEST SIPPING THE TEA THROUGH A STRAW. BUT GIVEN THE AUTHOR'S CREDENTIALS, I AM NOT INCLINED TO QUESTION THAT SHE HAS A SOUND PURPOSE FOR THIS. MY GUESS WOULD BE THAT THE BAKING SODA EXTRACTS THE ACTIVE INGREDIENTS INTO THE WATER MORE EFFECTIVELY AND TAKES OUT SOME OF THE MORE QUESTIONABLE COMPONENTS.

This beverage is easily portable. If pre-chilled, it will stay fresh and palatable enough for a few hours (as long as you are not in a high temperature environment). Or of course you can carry it in some kind of cold pack and keep it fresh all day. To put the tea into a carry-along plastic water bottle, be sure to allow it to cool down at least until lukewarm before you pour.

Regarding cleanup: Cinnamon can be difficult to launder out of fabrics, so avoid dripping this tea onto anything of value. The only other thing of note is that the sludge actually does not clog the drain. The strainer and the jar or teapot can be rinsed out and hand-washed normally. I wouldn't put a cinnamon sludge-filled item in a dishwasher, though... rinse it first.

AT FIRST I WAS CONCERNED THAT THE TEA MIGHT STAIN TEETH, SINCE ITS COLOR IS SO DARK. THIS HAS NOT MATERIALIZED.

Thanks Jennifer for the recipes

jen,
i have never given my son goat milk. i am not sure if there is casein in it. He does drink soy milk, almond milk and rice milk though. Maybe i could try making the almond milk yogurt for him, or maybe i will just keep giving him his probiotics and forget the yogurt..lol
karen

Karen,

Would your son eat raw cultured vegetables? They are also excellent as probiotics. According to the Body Ecology Diet and also Nourishing Traditions, raw cultured veggies are a super nutrient, and they re-culture the intestinal flora in a most healthy way.

There's a brand at the health food store called "Rejuvenative Foods." I love the Kim Chee. It's like sauerkraut. Just like the ghee, it is also very expensive. I usually eat half a cup per day or less. These are the only veggies I ever eat. These are excellent with any type of protein.

Most commercial sauerkrauts and pickled products are not raw and truly cultured; they are heated or pasteurized. Basically, they're dead and only serve to feed candida. You have to get the 'real deal' or make it yourself. The Rejuvenative Foods brand is the 'real deal.' There may be others.

On probiotics, there's a thread on the General Health forum started by Nancy LC, where she is testing refrigerated probiotics from the health food store and finding them to be dead. It's titled something like "Probiotics are a rip-off." Very interesting!!

Jen,
unfortunately my son has some sensory issues and wont eat many foods. he hates anything soft or squishy..i actually have a nutritionist coming to my house tomorrow to evaluate him and she will probably start coming every few weeks to work with him on his sensory issues to try to get him to try more foods. So, no the cultured veggies isnt something he would eat, he wont eat any veggies at all.
karen