Alright, so everybody’s Banting (even me). So let’s talk about Banting and why there are so many people who do not succeed on a LCHF (low carb high fat) diet. It’s because people are reluctant to make a change – I mean a complete change ….. unravel …. simplify ….. get back to raw, basic and recognisable ingredients which require no labels. People want to continue on a parallel path alongside the beaten track of that to which they have become accustomed (conventional wisdom). We try to emulate the foods and recipes we have always used. I did the same thing when I switched over from a low fat diet; I spent hours adapting recipes to incorporate “Banting friendly” ingredients. I would supplement wheat flour with almond flour, sugar with xylitol and margarine with butter – and it worked during the transition phase when I grappled with food choices and preparation. Within the first few months it became apparent that baking should be kept to a minimum and reserved for special occasions. This discovery provided relief in many areas of my physical and mental state – and jeez, not to mention the cost!
I couldn’t afford to eat this way!
In the early stages of cutting carbs my condition declined as I suffered withdrawal symptoms, carb flu is well documented and I came to realise, first hand, that my body had been dependent on sugar. I became skinny and gaunt – and boy did everybody mention it! So I got dressed until it passed. Every day I would get up and get dressed without looking in the mirror. I knew I was on the track to better health and I did not doubt my decision once. Will power is a separate matter – at times I still succumb to life’s temptations – but LCHF was the way forward for me and my family. It was after a short three weeks that I started to notice improvements in my physique as I started to fill out again and become more muscular.
Preparing food is something to which I am well accustomed. I have always been highly conscious of my health and have always made time to cook for my family. Even so, the transition to LCHF was a difficult one and I found it challenging to keep up with all the food prep. An example of this is that previously I would not have hesitated to throw in a tin of ready prepared tomatoes with herbs, now I will only consider using fresh tomatoes and fresh herbs.
I am puzzled by this question? And I get asked it a lot. People’s perception is that children have different nutritional requirements to adults. For me, my children have always been fed exactly the same foods that I have prepared for myself – if there’s one thing I do not have time for, it’s to prepare two separate meals at every meal time ….. and I’m damned if I am going to prepare a good wholesome meal for myself and then poison them with hotdogs because they’d rather eat them.
I care every bit as much about those precious little bodies as I do for my own.
Yeah, some do. For me it’s not about living for longer, it’s about living better.
“Die biting the throat” J Stanton
It’s about getting through life with good body composition and about being stronger and more useful. It’s about making time for living and having fun. It’s about living a life without medication and down time for illness. It’s about making it through the Winter without a box of tissues.
“Strong people are harder to kill than weak people and more useful in general.” Mark Rippetoe.