The lemon boosts your metabolism, stabilizes your blood sugar levels, and acts as a natural dietetic.
The ginger is for bloating and water retention, and it boosts your metabolism. Ginger is also great for any kind of stomach or digestive issues.
Cucumbers are natural diuretics, help to curb sugar cravings and flush out toxins.
Mint helps to suppress your appetite, helps to detoxify and helps to get rid of flatulence. It also makes you sweat because it is a natural diaphoretic.
However, even if all that was not true, this is an excellent way to jazz up your water. When you get tired of drinking plain water, it helps you to drink more - because the flavor is amazing!
Other ideas to add: strawberries, berries, pineapple, tangerine, lemon balm, bee balm, lavender.
NOTE: Use fresh ginger.... keep it in the freezer to make it easy to grate and easy to clean up. It will keep longer that way.
Servings - makes eight 8-oz glassesPrep Time: 10 minutes
Net Carbs: 0 carbs
Potential Allergens: citrus
Free of Wheat, Gluten, Soy, Sugar, Nuts, Tomato, dairy, egg, meat
Ingredients:
one lemon, sliced
one cucumber, medium
1 tsp fresh ginger, grated
10-12 mint leaves
8 cups of water
2-4 green tea bags
Preparation:The night before, boil 8 cups of water, add the green tea bags, let steep. Once it is cooled, pour into a large glass pitcher and add remaining ingredients.
Stir, and put it in the fridge overnight, leaving all ingredients in the picture, including the tea bags.
The next day, simply pour yourself a glass and drink throughout the day. They say to drink one pitcher's worth each day for maximum results.
Nutritional Data:
Per 8-oz - 8g calories, 0g fat, 0g carbs, 0 fiber, 0g protein
Estimated Glycemic Load - 1
Inflammation Factor - 19
Nutrition Facts and Analysis for Sassy Water
Photo credit: Catherine McDiarmid-Watt
All rights reserved
Shopping List:
• lemon
• cucumber
• fresh ginger
• mint leaves
• green tea
Which Diet Is Right for You?
- Are you thinking about starting a diet? Take this quiz to find out which fits your personality!TODAY'S BOOK SUGGESTION:
Flat Belly Diet! Cookbook-- Belly fat is not only unsightly, it's deadly; it has been linked to a long list of adverse health conditions, including heart disease, diabetes, and breast cancer.
Prevention's Flat Belly Diet, a revolutionary plan that's already helped more than one million people lose weight around their middles, may help target dangerous belly fat with monounsaturated fats (better known as MUFAs)—found in delicious foods like nuts and seeds, vegetable oils, olives, avocados, and dark chocolate.
"The food...tastes so good, and there's so much of it!"
On the Flat Belly Diet, it's important to enjoy these foods, in the right amounts, with every meal. The Flat Belly Diet! Cookbook makes that easy.
All of the recipes were carefully developed to make sure every meal includes just the right amount of MUFAs and meets the plan's 400-calorie guideline, so readers can mix and match meals to suit their taste. And there's no need to count calories. All the work has already been done!
Click to read more
I came across this recipe on Pinterest, and I am in love!
I found several versions - kalynskitchen.com, snackinginthekitchen.com, and cheeseslave.com.
So, as usual, I had to play with the recipe - of course I made some changes. I tried it first in regular muffin pans with muffin papers - don't do it!
The muffins stick to the muffin papers and are impossible to remove. So next I tried them in large silicone muffin pans and they popped out beautifully!
Servings - makes six large muffins
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Net Carbs: 3.4g carbs per muffin
Potential Allergens: dairy, egg
Free of Wheat, Gluten, Soy, Sugar, Nuts, Tomato
Ingredients:2 cups of Cheddar Cheese, shredded
1 TBSP Parmesan Cheese, grated
1/3 cup Heavy Whipping Cream
4 slices Bacon - reduced salt
6 TBSP Peppers, yellow, red, green, chopped
6 large eggs
1 tsp baking powder, gluten-free
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp pepper, black
Preparation:
Cut up bacon into small pieces and fry till well-cooked.
Distribute evenly in muffin cups.
Chop peppers and put 1 TBSP in each muffin cup.
Distribute the cheddar cheese in the muffin cups.
Mix eggs, cream, baking powder and spices together. pour into muffin cups, about 3/4 full. Stir lightly.
Sprinkle Parmesan cheese on top and bake at 350 F for 30-35 minutes - until muffins have risen and are lightly browned and set.
Nutritional Data:
Per muffin - 432g calories, 37.3g fat, 3.6 carbs, 0.2 fiber, 21.1g protein
Estimated Glycemic Load - 1
Inflammation Factor - 0
Nutrition Facts and Analysis for Low Carb Egg Muffins
Photo credit: Catherine McDiarmid-Watt
All rights reserved
Shopping List:
• Eggs
• Heavy Whipping Cream
• Red, yellow, green peppers
• Cheddar Cheese
• Comal County Bacon
• Grated Parmesan Cheese
• Baking Powder, Gluten Free, Sodium Free
• Garlic Powder
• Onion Powder
• Ground Black Pepper
TODAY'S BOOK SUGGESTION:
1,001 Low-Carb Recipes: Hundreds of Delicious Recipes from Dinner to Dessert That Let You Live Your Low-Carb Lifestyle and Never Look Back-- This tasty collection draws on the best 1,001 recipes from Dana Carpender’s bestselling books including 500 Low-Carb Recipes, 15-Minute Low-Carb Recipes, 500 More Low-Carb Recipes, 200 Low-Carb Slow Cooker Recipes, The Low-Carb Barbeque Book, and Low-Carb Smoothies.
You’ll find delicious and varied options including recipes for "high-carb" foods you thought you had to give up forever such as Cinnamon Raisin Bread and Mocha Chocolate Cheesecake.
Staying the low-carb course will be easy with choices from barbecue to slow-cooker to internationally-inspired dishes.
Click to read more
Two months into my low carb/high fat diet.My weight loss for this month is another 6 lbs (2.72 kg)!
Which means I have lost a total of 23.2 lbs (10.52 kg) since New Year's Day.
The first month was kind of hard, but I am getting into the groove now, and with all the great recipes I have been finding, I am really enjoying my meals.
My husband is getting a bit jealous, because I give him a taste of what I make for myself, and he wants more! Now if I could just find the time to write down all my recipes for you!
How are you doing - how much weight have you lost so far?
An Update:
I started a low calorie/low fat diet (1,400-1,600 calories/day) right after New Year's, and in three month's time, I lost 8 pounds (3.63 kg). An average of 2.67 pounds (1.21 kg)/month.
On March 22nd, I started the Low Carb / High Fat diet (1,800-2,000 calories/day, 20-30g carbs). In just one month's time, I lost an additional 9.6 pounds (4.35 kg)!
Stock Photo credit: Gastonmag
Modified by Catherine McDiarmid-Watt
All rights reserved
Ozeri Touch Digital Bathroom Scale-- With the ability to provide instant weight measurements and calculate body fat, hydration, muscle mass and bone measurements, the Ozeri Touch 440 lb Digital Bathroom Scale is one of the most advanced bathroom scales.
With embedded StepOn technology, it automatically powers on upon contact. No more tapping needed to activate the scale. It features 3 Touch Sensitive Buttons for easy operation, and 4 icons that automatically illuminate on the screen for Body Fat, Hydration, Muscle and Bone measurements.
The Ozeri Touch includes built-in memory for up to 8 user profiles. Each profile stores weight, gender, height, and age data so that your family members can each track their progress. The Ozeri Touch Digital Bathroom Scale combines advanced algorithms with bioelectrical impedance analysis (BI), incorporating a person's age, height, gender and weight to accurately calculate advanced measurements.
Click to read more
Yesterday was my birthday, and so I was looking around online for a low carb birthday cake.While I did find a few, they all used artificial sweeteners and since I am still experiencing a headache from the Yogurt Bites I made the other day with yogurt sweetened with Splenda - I thought I would pass.
But I did come across a recipe for Low Carb Pancakes, so I thought I would make a treat for my lunch!
Mine didn't come out as pretty as her's, but they still tasted good!
1/4 cup (56ml) cream cheese
2 large eggs
1 tsp (2ml) date palm sugar (optional)
1/2 tsp (1ml) cinnamon (optional)
1 tbsp (15ml) butter
Preparation:
Blend all ingredients in a blender, until smooth. Heat butter at medium in frying pan. Pour 1/4 of the batter into a hot pan. Cook for two minutes until golden, flip and cook one more minute on the other side. Repeat with the rest of the batter.You can serve this with sugar free syrup (or any syrup of your choice) and fresh berries. If you do, you don't need to add the palm sugar, it is sweet enough with the syrup.
I didn't have any, and I am not going to try artificial sweeteners again, so I always add the palm sugar and cinnamon. I have tried both a dollop of butter on top of my panckaes - or - I add a teaspoon of Cinnamon Spread (2.4g carbs) to my plate and eat a bit of it with each bite of pancakes.
Nutritional Data:
Per pancake - 122g calories, 11.2g fat, 2.3 carbs, 0.3 fiber, 4.1g protein
Estimated Glycemic Load - 1
Inflammation Factor - 0
Nutrition Facts and Analysis for Low Carb Gluten-Free Pancakes
Photo credit: Catherine McDiarmid-Watt
All rights reserved
Shopping List:
• Eggs
• Cream Cheese
• Cinnamon
• Organic Coconut Palm Sugar
• Bertolli Extra Virgin Olive Oil
TODAY'S BOOK SUGGESTION:
1,001 Low-Carb Recipes: Hundreds of Delicious Recipes from Dinner to Dessert That Let You Live Your Low-Carb Lifestyle and Never Look Back-- This tasty collection draws on the best 1,001 recipes from Dana Carpender’s bestselling books including 500 Low-Carb Recipes, 15-Minute Low-Carb Recipes, 500 More Low-Carb Recipes, 200 Low-Carb Slow Cooker Recipes, The Low-Carb Barbeque Book, and Low-Carb Smoothies.
You’ll find delicious and varied options including recipes for "high-carb" foods you thought you had to give up forever such as Cinnamon Raisin Bread and Mocha Chocolate Cheesecake.
Staying the low-carb course will be easy with choices from barbecue to slow-cooker to internationally-inspired dishes.
Click to read more
I was looking for something to make with chicken soup and the low carb cracker recipe I found on DiabetesForum.com used Almonds, which I cannot due to an allergy.
So I played with it a bit and made some no-carb crackers - and they taste great! The only thing is, I did not measure the cheese I grated - I did 16 strokes on the grater and guessed that was 2 ounces? I will have to measure it next time. But no matter how much cheese, it was still no carb.
Servings - makes 5 crackers
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Net Carbs: 0g carbs per cracker
Potential Allergens: dairy
Free of Wheat, Gluten, Egg, Soy, Sugar, Nuts, meat.
Ingredients:
5 tbsp Mozzarella cheese, whole milk, whole fat
5 - 1/4 tsp Parmesan cheese, grated
Garlic Salt (optional)
Preparation:
I used a small plastic cutting board and covered it with parchment/baking paper - so the cheese didn't stick. You could also use a plate.
Don't use waxed paper, it will stick and be a mess!
Grate any cheese of your choice, sprinkle 5 piles (about 1 tbsp each) on baking sheet.
Sprinkle 1/4 tsp of Parmesan cheese on on each pile.
Shake a tiny amount of garlic salt on each pile. (Or any herb/spice mix you would like)Place cutting board or plate with the cheese piles in microwave, for 1 minute. Let cool.
Nutritional Data:
Per cracker - 36g calories, 3g fat, 0 carbs, 0 fiber, 3g protein
Estimated Glycemic Load - 0
Inflammation Factor - (-6)
Nutrition Facts and Analysis for No Carb Cheese Crackers
Photo credit: Catherine McDiarmid-Watt
All rights reserved
Shopping List:
• Fresh Mozzarella (BelGioioso)
• Kraft 100% Real Parmesan Cheese
• Garlic Salt
• Wilton Parchment Paper
TODAY'S BOOK SUGGESTION
300 15-Minute Low-Carb RecipesHundreds of Delicious Meals That Let You Live Your Low-Carb Lifestyle and Never Look Back
-- Eat well, stay fit, and maintain your low-carb diet with these 300 delicious and easy recipes that can be made in 15 minutes or less from start to finish. Simple and speedy cooking methods will lead you to a fabulous finished product every time.
Studies show that low-carbohydrate dieting works to take weight off and improve cholesterol. But 300 15-Minute Low-Carb Recipes proves that low-carb doesn't mean you have to sacrifice flavor and taste. All of these low-carb recipes by bestselling author Dana Carpender will provide you and your family with delicious, nutritious, and filling meals that will keep you feeling healthy and leave your stomach stuffed.
Length: 360 pages
Click to read more
I tried out a Low Carb Bagel recipe given to me by JWag on the DiabetesForum.com and I am so proud of how these turned out! And they do taste delicious with butter!
Flaxseed - Some call this seed one of the most powerful plant foods on the planet. It may help reduce your risk of heart disease, cancer, stroke, and diabetes.
Chia Seeds are superior to other plant and marine sources of essential omega-3 oils. It is also high in antioxidants and fiber. It is high in protein and lipids, low in sodium, and has fewer net carbs than most other grains.
Servings: 6
Prep Time: 22 minutes
Net Carbs - 2.3 per bagel
Potential Allergens: egg
Free of Wheat, Gluten, Dairy, Soy, Sugar, Nuts, meat, no added salt.
Ingredients:
6 tbsp (90 ml) Golden Flaxseed, ground
4 tbsp (60 ml) Chia Seeds
2 tbsp (30 ml) Coconut Oil
2 large eggs
2 tsp (6 ml) Coconut Flour
1/2 tsp (3 ml) Baking powder
Preparation
I melted the coconut oil in the microwave for 20 seconds.
Then I added in the ground flaxseed, chia seeds, baking powder, and coconut flour.
Stir everything together, add eggs and mix with dry ingredients.Then I poured the batter into a donut pan, and baked in a 350 F oven for 20 minutes.
You can add all sorts of things to this, I have to remember to buy some poppy seeds, I love poppy seed bagels!
Great with cream cheese too!
Nutritional Information:Net Carbs - 2.3
Per bagel - 184g calories, 14.9g fat, 10.5g carbs, 8.2g fiber, 7.3g protein
Estimated Glycemic Load - 1
Inflammation Factor - 0
For more information:
Nutrition Facts and Analysis for Low Carb/Gluten-Free Bagels
Photo credit: Catherine McDiarmid-Watt
All rights reserved
Shopping list:
• Bob's Red Mill Organic Golden Flaxseed
• Health Warrior Premium Chia Seeds
• Nature's Way Coconut Oil
• Bob's Red Mill Organic Coconut Flour
• Baking Powder, Gluten Free, Sodium Free
• Wilton Nonstick 6-Cavity Donut Pan
TODAY'S BOOK SUGGESTION:
500 Low-Carb Recipes: 500 Recipes from Snacks to Dessert, That the Whole Family Will Love-- One of the toughest challenges of any diet is having enough variety and choices to keep the dieter from losing interest. The most common reason that people abandon their diet is boredom but 500 LOW CARB RECIPES: 500 Recipes, From Snacks to Dessert, That the Whole Family Will Love by Dana Carpender has more than enough recipes to keep even the most finicky dieter on track.
With recipes for everything including hors oeuvres, snacks, breads, muffins, side dishes, entrees, cookies, cakes and much more, this is an endless supply for creating meals for the whole family night after night. Whether everyone in the family is on a diet or not, these recipes are proven winners with adults and kids alike.
Click to read more
I tried to make Low Carb/Gluten-Free Pizza last night for dinner - it worked OK, but I think it still needs work.I used the recipe from "Low Carb and Gluten Free Comfort Foods" with a few changes.
To make the crust, the recipe says to fry 1 cup of shredded cheese in 1 tsp of olive oil in a large frying pan.
I think frying the "crust" in oil is too greasy, no matter what oil you use. Next time, I am going to try in the oven and then in the microwave and see what works best.
In the past I have made some wonderful "Taco Shells" out of cheese in the microwave, but that might be too crispy for pizza crust? I will keep you updated on this experiment!NOTE: I used too much meat this time - the recipe called for much more than I needed. This time I used 2 strips of bacon and an 11" (28 cm) pepperoni stick.
Next time I will use half that and it will be plenty.
Random Activities That Burn Calories
- There's really no substitute for working out. Check out how many calories you burn doing random things like skydiving!Serves: 4
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Net Carbs - 1.5 per slice
Potential Allergens: Meat, dairy, tomato
Free of Wheat, Gluten, Eggs, Soy, Sugar, Nuts, no added salt.
Ingredients:
1 cup (250 ml) shredded cheese (for crust)1 tbsp (15 ml) olive oil
3 tbsp (45 ml) of Bruschetta (instead of pizza sauce)
1 gluten-free pepperoni stick (5.5 inches - 14 cm)
1 strip of bacon, cooked
1/3 cup (84 ml) shredded cheese for topping
For a total of 6 carbs for the whole pizza!
Preparation:
Warm up oil on medium heat. Add 1 cup of shredded cheese. Cook till edges are hard and crisp. Spread on Bruschetta and top with meat and remaining cheese. Continue cooking till cheese topping begins to melt.
It tasted great - just very oily.
Nutritional Data:
One slice - 199 calories, 18.4g fat, 1.5g carbs, 0g fiber, 7.4g protein
Estimated Glycemic Load - 0
Inflammation Factor - 0
For more information:
Nutrition Facts and Analysis for Low Carb Pizza
Shopping List:
• Miller's Fancy Shredded Mozzarella/Cheddar Cheese
• Pepperoni Snack Sticks
• Comal County Bacon
• Don Pomodoro Bruschetta Tomato Topping
• DaVinci Extra Virgin Olive Oil
TODAY'S BOOK SUGGESTION
Low Carb and Gluten Free Comfort Foods-- Numerous studies show that people can lose significant weight when eating low carb, even when they do not cut back on the number of calories!
Of course, as always people will debate this as they will debate anything that has to do with the human diet; but, the fact remains that it appears that you can eat more calories on a low carb diet and lose the same amount of weight.
So, if your aim is to simply lose weight without starving yourself, a low carb diet may be a good choice for you.
Like eating low carb, one of the major benefits of a gluten free diet is that it has been shown to help people lose weight; but, that is overshadowed by the massive benefits that can be had by removing the gluten. Gluten is a protein that is toxic to many of us and because it is toxic to our systems it can have many different harmful effects.
Length: 49 pages (estimated)
Click to read more
Some days you just need a quick snack and even a few minutes preparing is a few minutes too long!So it's good to have some quick low carb snacks on hand.
I was looking around our local supermarket, when I found these pepperoni sticks - one stick is only 2g carbs each, gluten-free and lactose-free!
Each stick is about 11.5 inches (4.5 cm) long, so I cut them in half, and now each 5.25 inch (2.0 cm) stick is only 1g carb per stick!
However, these pepperoni sticks do include sugar, so you will need to test with your blood glucose meter to see how your body tolerates them. I found that eating one stick did not affect my blood sugar level at all.
If you are looking for this particular brand, I found them in The Real Canadian Superstore, here in Southern Ontario, Canada, near the deli section.
Ingredients:
Pork, water, glucose, salt, mustard seed, spices, sugar, sodium, erythorbate, dextrose, lactic acid starter culture, sodium nitrate, smoke.
Nutrition Facts:
per 1 stick (23g)
Calories: 105
Fat: 9.0 g
Carbs: 1.0 g
Protein: 5.0 g
DOES NOT contain: wheat, gluten, eggs, dairy, soy, peanuts, tree nuts.
Snack:
TOTAL NET CARBS: 1 gram
TOTAL FAT: 9 grams
Stock Photo Credit: Catherine McDiarmid-Watt
All Rights Reserved
Low Carb Snacks Shopping List:
• Pepperoni Snack Sticks
• Just The Cheese Snacks
• Seapoint Farms Dry Roasted Edamame
• Lowrey's Bacon Curls Microwave Pork Rinds
TODAY'S BOOK SUGGESTION:
500 Low-Carb Recipes: 500 Recipes from Snacks to Dessert, That the Whole Family Will Love-- One of the toughest challenges of any diet is having enough variety and choices to keep the dieter from losing interest. The most common reason that people abandon their diet is boredom but 500 LOW CARB RECIPES: 500 Recipes, From Snacks to Dessert, That the Whole Family Will Love by Dana Carpender has more than enough recipes to keep even the most finicky dieter on track.
With recipes for everything including hors oeuvres, snacks, breads, muffins, side dishes, entrees, cookies, cakes and much more, this is an endless supply for creating meals for the whole family night after night. Whether everyone in the family is on a diet or not, these recipes are proven winners with adults and kids alike.
Click to read more
If you go on the Low Carb diet, you will have to give up chocolate, right?What if I told you that not only could you still eat chocolate, but it is even really good for you??
[ Skip to recipe ]
The three main ingredients of this recipe are:
Dark Chocolate contains antioxidants (nearly 8 times the number found in strawberries), helps to lower your blood pressure and balance certain hormones in your body, has also been shown to reduce LDL cholesterol (the bad cholesterol) by up to 10 percent, and has been shown to decrease the formation of blood clots by reducing platelet activation.
Date Palm Sugar has great benefits for weight control and improving glucose and lipid levels for those with diabetes (type 1 and type 2). It demands less insulin in order for your body to maintain homeostasis. It is a healthy alternative sweetener that has a lower glycemic index (GI35). It is especially high in minerals including potassium, magnesium and zinc, as well as vitamins B2, B3 and B6.
Coconut Oil - the high fat content of coconut oil can paradoxically help you lose weight. It boosts your metabolism, gives you energy, makes you feel more full and improves your thyroid function. The type of fatty acid in coconut oil is a healthy one, and your body will quickly burn it for energy.
It is suggested you eat as much as 3 tablespoons of pure coconut oil a day - what better way then by eating chocolate fudge?? Go ahead - it's good for you!
Reasons Eating Is Better Than Dieting
- Do you get a lot of trouble about eating junk food? Check out these 6 reasons why eating is better than starving yourself!Coconut Oil Chocolate Fudge Recipe
Serves: 30 piecesPrep Time: 10 minutes
Net Carbs: 1.0 carb/piece
Potential Allergens: coconut
Free of Wheat, Gluten, Dairy, Soy, Eggs, Nuts, Meat, no added salt.
Ingredients:
1/4 cup (63ml) Baking Cocoa Powder
1/4 cup (63ml) Coconut Oil
2 tbsp (30ml) Date Palm Sugar
1/2 tsp (3ml) Vanilla extract
Preparation:
Using a plastic square container, melt the coconut oil for 30 seconds in the microwave.Add in the sugar, cocoa and vanilla. Mix well.
Place the container in your freezer for 10 minutes.
Cut into 30 pieces and enjoy!
For my picture at the top of my post, I wanted to used a candy mold I had on hand.
It made such beautiful chocolate fudge pieces, but I managed to spill it on the counter, on the floor and even in the freezer!
Nutritional Data:
23 calories per piece, 2.2g fat, 1.5g carbs, 0.5g fiber, 0.4g protein
Estimated Glycemic Load - 1
Inflammation Factor - 0
For more information:
Nutrition Facts and Analysis for Coconut Oil Chocolate Fudge
Photo credit: Catherine McDiarmid-Watt
All rights reserved
Shopping List:
• Nature's Way Coconut Oil- Extra Virgin
• Ramstadt-Breda Rich Dark Cocoa
• Organic Coconut Palm Sugar
• Wilton Clear Vanilla
TODAY'S BOOK SUGGESTION:
The Dieter's Chocolate Cookbook: Low fat, low carb, low calorie, sugar free but all CHOCOLATE!-- contains low fat, low carbohydrate, low calorie and sugar free recipes. This cookbook is perfect for anyone following one of these diets but still craving chocolate.
Each recipe lists the nutritional data for each serving, and shows for which diets the recipe is suitable. The cookbook contains over 75 delicious original recipes, including baking, candies, desserts, drinks, ice cream, sauces and even savory.
Delicious recipes include Chocolate Cheesecake Brownies, Wasabi Chocolate Truffles, Mint Chocolate Cocktail, Chocolate Barbecue Sauce, Chocolate Sorbet, Mexican Hot Chocolate, Chocolate Biscotti, Chocolate Crepes and Chocolate Frozen Yogurt.
“With these recipes you can eat delicious desserts and truly not feel guilty. Making healthier versions of favorite foods is key in weight control and The Dieter's Chocolate Cookbook helps us do just that.”
Click to read more
This blueberry muffin takes about 5 minutes to make, even quicker if you prepare several dry ingredients batches ahead of time, like I do.This is a light and moist muffin - yet very filling and calorie dense. So I would have this with a pepperoni stick for lunch and feel satisfied and full till dinner.
Serves: 1
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Net Carbs: 6.4 carbs
Potential Allergens: egg, coconut
Free of Wheat, Gluten, Dairy, Soy, Sugar, Nuts, Meat, no added salt.
Dry Ingredients:3 tbsp (45ml) ground flaxseed
1/2 tsp (3ml) baking powder
1 tsp (5ml) cinnamon
Wet Ingredients:
1 large egg
1 tbsp (15ml) coconut oil
1/2 tsp (3ml) vanilla
1 tbsp (15ml) blueberries
Preparation:
Mix the dry ingredients together. Melt the coconut oil in a large coffee mug in the microwave for 20 seconds. Add the dry ingredients to the melted oil in the coffee cup. Add in vanilla, egg and blueberries. Mix well.
Microwave the mixture in the coffee mug for 99 seconds. If you watch the muffin cooking in the microwave, you will see it rise up past the cup, but it will settle back down once it is cooked.
Your muffin should pop out of the mug easily. Slice muffin into 5-6 slices, and spread with butter or desired filling/spread.
To make this up even quicker, I usually prepare five batches of the dry ingredients at once ahead of time, and store the remaining four dry mixtures in the fridge - in small Rubbermaid storage containers.Then I can just dump in the dry ingredients quickly - and lunch is ready in just moments!
Nutritional Data:
434 calories per muffin, 34.3g fat, 20.6g carbs, 14.2g fiber, 15.4g protein
Estimated Glycemic Load -2
Inflammation Factor - 0
For more information:
Nutrition Facts and Analysis for Blueberry Muffin
Photo credit: Catherine McDiarmid-Watt
All rights reserved
Shopping List:
• Bob's Red Mill Ground Golden Flaxseed Meal
• Baking Powder, Gluten Free, Sodium Free
• Extra Select Korintje Cassia Cinnamon
• Bob's Red Mill Organic Coconut Flour
• Extra Virgin Coconut Oil by Garden of Life
• Wilton Clear Vanilla
TODAY'S BOOK SUGGESTION:
500 Low-Carb Recipes: 500 Recipes from Snacks to Dessert, That the Whole Family Will Love-- One of the toughest challenges of any diet is having enough variety and choices to keep the dieter from losing interest. The most common reason that people abandon their diet is boredom but 500 LOW CARB RECIPES: 500 Recipes, From Snacks to Dessert, That the Whole Family Will Love by Dana Carpender has more than enough recipes to keep even the most finicky dieter on track.
With recipes for everything including hors oeuvres, snacks, breads, muffins, side dishes, entrees, cookies, cakes and much more, this is an endless supply for creating meals for the whole family night after night. Whether everyone in the family is on a diet or not, these recipes are proven winners with adults and kids alike.
Click to read more
I was reading some great low carb chocolate recipes this morning - so I thought I would try making a Five Minute Chocolate Muffin for lunch.DID YOU KNOW?
Dark Chocolate contains antioxidants (nearly 8 times the number found in strawberries). Dark Chocolate helps to lower your blood pressure and balance certain hormones in the body.
Dark Chocolate has also been shown to reduce LDL cholesterol (the bad cholesterol) by up to 10 percent.
Dark Chocolate has been shown to decrease the formation of blood clots by reducing platelet activation. But the key, of course is moderation.
I used the Five Minute Blueberry Muffin and adapted it for chocolate.
After letting it cool enough to handle, I sliced and buttered (0 g carbs/11 g fat) the Chocolate Muffin (7.8g carbs/37.7g fat), added a gluten-free pepperoni stick (1 g carbs/9 g fat), and two slices of Genoa Salami (0 g carbs/4 g fat) to make my lunch.
So my lunch today came in at a total of 8.8 grams of Net Carbs and 61.7 grams of fat. Well under my 10 carbs per meal limit! Oh, and the muffin was delicious and filling!
Lunch:
TOTAL NET CARBS: 8.8 grams
TOTAL FAT: 61.7 grams
Stock Photo Credit: Catherine McDiarmid-Watt
All Rights Reserved
TODAY'S BOOK SUGGESTION:
The Dieter's Chocolate Cookbook: Low fat, low carb, low calorie, sugar free but all CHOCOLATE!-- contains low fat, low carbohydrate, low calorie and sugar free recipes. This cookbook is perfect for anyone following one of these diets but still craving chocolate.
Each recipe lists the nutritional data for each serving, and shows for which diets the recipe is suitable. The cookbook contains over 75 delicious original recipes, including baking, candies, desserts, drinks, ice cream, sauces and even savory.
Delicious recipes include Chocolate Cheesecake Brownies, Wasabi Chocolate Truffles, Mint Chocolate Cocktail, Chocolate Barbecue Sauce, Chocolate Sorbet, Mexican Hot Chocolate, Chocolate Biscotti, Chocolate Crepes and Chocolate Frozen Yogurt.
“With these recipes you can eat delicious desserts and truly not feel guilty. Making healthier versions of favorite foods is key in weight control and The Dieter's Chocolate Cookbook helps us do just that.”
Click to read more
My New Year's Resolution this year was to lose weight, and so I started dieting right after New Year's day.I went on my usual low calorie / low fat diet with an average of 1,400 to 1,600 calories per day. By March 22nd I had lost 8 pounds (3.63 kg) - it took almost 3 months.
I lost an average of 2.67 pounds (1.21 kg) per month on my usual low calorie / low fat diet.
Then on March 22nd, I started the Low Carb / High Fat diet, with an average of 1,800 to 2,000 calories per day.
Just ONE MONTH later, I have lost an additional 9.6 pounds (4.35 kg)!
I ate more calories, had a faster weight loss and the food tasted much better too! Can you believe it!?
So my weigh-in for 4 months is a total of 17.6 pounds (7.98 kg).
How are you doing - how much weight have you lost so far?
Stock Photo credit: Gastonmag
Modified by Catherine McDiarmid-Watt
All rights reserved
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This is the simplest, easiest recipe you will ever make. I was reading this Low Carb Cracker recipe. It is so simple, you just take a cheese slice, cut it up into small pieces and microwave!This would be a great idea when you get the munchies - you get 16 chips out of just one slice of cheese! Even if you ate all 16 crackers in one sitting, that is still just a 2g carbs snack!
I make a batch of these each morning, (if I am out of crackers) and eat a few of them with my salad, with soup or when I need a quick snack.
Serves: 1
Prep Time: 1 minute
Net Carbs - 0.1 carbs /per cracker
Potential Allergens: dairy
Free of Wheat, Gluten, Soy, Eggs, Sugar, Nuts, Meat, no added salt.
Preparation:I cut one mozzarella cheese slice in half, in half again, in half again - until I had 16 small pieces.
Then I placed the cheese pieces in a circle on parchment paper (do not use wax paper, it will melt to the cheese). Do not put one piece in the middle because it will cook faster than the rest, and burn.
Cook in the microwave for 45 seconds. The pieces will puff up and brown slightly.
Take out and let cool.Peel off paper (paper can be reused) and store the cheese crackers in a container.
You could also add any seasoning you liked. In one experiment, I sprinkled some garlic salt on a slice of cheese, then cut it up. Delicious!
Nutritional Data:
For 1 cracker: 4 calories, 0.2 g fat, 0.1 g carbs, 0 g fiber, 0.2 g protein
For all 16 crackers: 60 calories, 4.0 g fat, 2.0 g carbs, 0 g fiber, 4.0 g protein
Estimated Glycemic Load - 0
Inflammation Factor - 0
For more information:
Nutrition Facts and Analysis for Cheese Puff Crackers
Photo credit: Catherine McDiarmid-Watt
All rights reserved
Shopping List:
• Miller's Sliced Natural Mozzarella Cheese
• Wilton Parchment Paper
TODAY'S BOOK SUGGESTION:
Eating Stella Style: Low-Carb Recipes for Healthy Living-- Eating Stella Style is really about mouthwatering recipes: How does a Hot Ham and Cheese Egg Roll sound for breakfast?
Or Strawberry and Mascarpone Cream Crêpes, Stella Style Baked Eggs Benedict, or Coconut Macaroon Muffins?
For lunch or dinner, choose Grilled Portabella and Montrachet Salad, Wood-Grilled Oysters with Dill Butter, Kim's Stuffed Chicken Breasts with Lemony White Wine Sauce, Shaved Zucchini Parmesan Salad, or Spaghetti Squash with Clams Provençal Sauce.
Satisfy your snack cravings with Better Cheddar Cheese Crisps, Devilish Deviled Eggs with Tuna, or Cheesy Pecan Cookies. And for dessert, try Pumpkin Pound Cake, Lemon Meringue Pie, Honeydew and Blackberry Granita, or Chocolate Pecan Truffles.
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