Healthy Diet at Home

Now that I no longer work for Suite 101 and they've taken down my articles, I've been giving my Facebook Author Page a lot of thought lately. With the range that page covers so large -- low-carb, PSMF, gluten-free, gluten-free dairy-free, moderate carb, freelance writing, autism, plus my miscellaneous articles at Info Barrel -- I've found it difficult to target the needs of each of those groups with a single page. Plus, when people post to that page, I have no idea which group they belong to. Hence, I've been neglecting it completely. So to remedy the situation, I created a Kickin' Carb Clutter Facebook Page this morning where I can post items of interest to those specifically on a low-carb diet. If you have a minute, please drop by and " Like " my new FB page, so you'll start getting my low-carb updates, links, pictures, and other items. Thanks so much for your support. Kickin' Carb Clutter Facebook Page

Not Losing Weight  After Atkins Induction? (Photo Twenty Four Students   CC BY-SA 2.0 ) Have you recently gone through Atkins Induction?  If so, then your motivation and excitement level is probably still quite high. Although most of the weight loss experienced at the beginning of a low-carb diet comes from using up your liver glycogen (the body's carbohydrate stores) and extra water needed to process that glycogen, seeing the numbers easily drop on the scale can encourage you to keep moving forward with the diet’s restrictions and demanding lifestyle changes. For some individuals, the weight loss experienced during the first few days of Atkins Induction can cause your body to put on the breaks.  When that happens: Weight loss can slow down or completely stop as you move past the initial two-week Induction period.  For newbies and returnees alike, that adaption can feel frustrating. I know. I've been there myself. I only lost 2 pounds the entire first month I spent on the Atkin...

What do you do if your cholesterol doesn’t improve on a low-carb diet? What do you do if it gets worse? Many low carbers will tell you that you don’t really have to worry about high numbers. But is that true? Low-Carb Bacon and Eggs Breakfast Should you just ignore your high cholesterol tests? What does Dr. Atkins say about elevated cholesterol levels? Insurance Companies Keep Track of Your Cholesterol Numbers For many of us, ignoring our cholesterol tests is no longer possible because health insurance companies are beginning to tie health insurance rates, as well as eligibility of insurability, to your cholesterol levels, smoking habits, and other health markers. In my own situation, we have to take a yearly physical that includes cholesterol tests, and input that information at Cigna’s website. If we choose not to do that, at the present time, our insurance rates will increase by 20 percent. If you smoke, they will add an additional 10. Although this was the first year that participa...

I’ve recently had a few readers ask me about the potential cardiovascular risks that might be associated with the Atkins Diet . Since that seems to be a common question among those who are new to low carbing or those who haven’t had cholesterol problems before, I thought I’d address some of the issues surrounding High-Density Lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol that I didn’t talk about in my latest post on LDL Cholesterol and Blood Clots . If you haven’t read that post, you might want to do so. It discusses the coronary artery disease pathway, how getting your insulin levels under control can slow down the heart disease process, and how a low-carb diet can actually reverse plaque buildup in some individuals. In addition, blood clots and potential strokes have nothing to do with dietary fats, so you might want to check out that information too, especially if you have a family history of stroke or blood clots. Is the Atkins Diet Dangerous? For years, the prevailing view among medical authoriti...

This morning as I was taking a quick glance at my email, I noticed that I had received a link to a post made by Angela England at her popular website, Untrained Housewife . Angela is a professional writer and author. She used to write for Suite 101 when I was there, but like me, she is currently focusing her writing and editing efforts elsewhere. Untrained Housewife focuses on teaching the lost art of self-sufficiency. Angela does that by showing you how you can start moving in that direction regardless of your current living situation and lifestyle. Her specialty is teaching the lost art of homemaking, gardening, taking care of animals, and cooking with whole foods. But recently, she received an email attacking her for sharing space on her website with other authors, and not being completely self-sufficient and off the grid. They even went so far as to call her a fraud because she wrote a book on homesteading while she was living within her city’s limits. I couldn’t help but think ho...

There’s a thread over at Low-Carb Friends specifically devoted to those who have decided to return to a low-carb diet. It isn’t really about anything. It’s just a place to announce your intention of trying again. In a way, it’s a spot where you can declare your New Year’s Resolution to return home to where you know you belong. To return home to where you know you can shed the weight you’ve regained over the past few months or years. The problem is that achieving success with a low-carb or moderate-carb diet often takes more than just a choice to return to carbohydrate restriction. Only a strong nutritional foundation can convert a low-carb diet into a lifestyle. Yet, most of these individuals have returned wearing their dieting mindset on their sleeve. They believe that this time things will be different. This time they will do better. This time they won’t stray. If that’s your attitude as well, you might want to reconsider what you’re doing, and why. Weight Loss Success as Taug...