Lowcarbfriend

How does for ex Stevia affect you? I’m thinking mainly about cravings, not weight loss effect. My thinking now is to avoid any kind of sugar (sugar, honey, maple syrup, dried fruit etc) except raw fruit. I’ve never used artificial sweeteners and never would (hey, health obsessed vegetarian for ten years ). For baking I just use cocoa, cream, vanilla powder or raw fruit. It’s not the real thing but it satisfies my longing for festiveness without me starting to binge. Is Stevia a good choice or does it set off cravings for you? I’ve never tried it so I know very little of its effects and now is not really a good time for me to experiment having just come out of the sugar daze.

And what about sprouted grain products, like sprouted bread? Do any of you eat sprouted grains and how does it affect you?

The reason I’m asking is that I’m sensing eating no sugar and no grains like bread is going to give me a "hollow" feeling at times like something is missing from my eating (it already has), and if there are foods that brighten up your eating experience without leading to binges, they might be worth trying.

I tried making oopsies yesterday and though they looked lovely mine tasted more like mini-omelettes than bread. Good yes, but still omelettish.

I read the excerpts and see the PP is not that different from South Beach, but I got confused when I read that grains and legumes are to be avoided. Do you not eat any bread/oatmeals, or beans? I am thinking of moving over more to the PP side as grains have always set a hypoglycemic episode for me – even on the South Beach. The most I can have is a thin cracker and I have to be sure to pair it with tuna salad or some other protein. I am supposed to get the book from the library today, but we had a snow delay that is throwing everything off. I also recently got diagnosed as hypothryoid, so I’ sure some of the weight I’ve gained can be attributed to that. I have only gained 10lbs, but this last year south beach was not working for me.
Thanks!

Ya know, I have never technically lost the last 10-15 lbs. I mean-in a healthy way. In an unhealthy way, yes. But it just wasn’t realistic.

And now that I’ve taken on the challenge of eating no sugar or grains and not starving myself down to a specific number, I’m interested in knowing where I’ll end up. I mean-I’m not looking to lose anymore weight. But I figured-something might come off if I stick with this. And I’ll just get on the scale every 6 weeks anyway.

So I decided to give myself-instead of just 6 weeks…a whole year. Yep. A whole year of no sugar or grains. I’ve decided a year will get me wherever I am supposed to be. I’m in no hurry. I’m just going to enjoy the ride.

Dyan

Sorry, it’s supposed to say "can’t" in the title. I’ve recently transitioned into a low carb paleo diet, due to difficulties digesting dairy products and grains. Does anyone have some recipes that I can make? I’ve basically been eating fish and vegetables for the last couple months and I really need some variety and excitement. Fat and caloreis is not an issue, just as long it is low-carb! I’d love recipes for anything really, including desserts!

Thanks,
-Cass

Ok so did it–> went out and bought: Vital Wheat Gluten, soy flour,almond meal,flax seed meal,guar gum, and the likes. But how and when do I use these ?

Does anyone have info ???? Pleeeez

Grains & Sugars Can Contribute to Cataracts

Aside from weight loss, limiting consumption of carbohydrates holds many profound health benefits. For example, it seems early cortical cataracts, the second most common kind that occurs in the cortex of the lens of the eye, are spurred by the quantity of carbohydrates one consumes, not the quality.

Three principal forms of age-related cataracts exist: Nuclear and cortical opacities affect the center and adjacent peripheral tissue of the lens, respectively, while posterior subcapsular (PSC) opacities affect the posterior aspect of the lens.

And while few published human studies have evaluated associations between carbohydrates and lens opacification, one study set out to test the hypothesis that long-term carbohydrate intake and dietary glycemic index are linked to the odds of early lens opacities.

Quantity, Not Quality

The study involved 417 middle-aged female patients; dietary data was based on an average of semiquantitative food-frequency questionnaires collected over a time span of 14 years. (Opacities were assessed by using the Lens Opacity Classification System III.) Based on the information collected, researchers found:

Those who ate the most carbs were almost 2.5 times more likely to suffer from cortical cataracts.

High carb intake was not associated with nuclear cataracts — the most common kind of cataract.

Dietary glycemic index did not relate to risk of either cortical or nuclear opacity.

Moreover, during the course of the study — in which the average patient was about age 60 and had a body mass index of 24 — scientists found the daily intake of more than 200 grams of carbohydrates nearly doubled a woman’s risk of cortical cataracts.

American Journal of Clinical Nutrition June 2005;81(6):1411-141