DaleE

Thanks for that ... not what I wanted to hear ... but probably true Rooibos tea for a week starting now and we'll see how it goes! Dale (wondering what I'm going to put my coconut oil in)

One Americano with cream for breakfast, another mid morning and mid afternoon and sometimes a little espresso at night. If I know food will be scarce during the day (eg a day travelling to JHB or similar), then I'll add coconut oil in the morning cup. A word of caution though ... I have hit a serious fat loss plateau and am starting to think it may be the coffee Having regulated the alcohol and food intake carefully already, coffee is the last option on the list.

It really depends on what your concern is. For me, cardiac health is the primary driver for LCHF. Weight loss and improved athletic performance are beneficial side effects. So, if cardiac health is your concern, then I would (and do) test the following: Triglycerides - this is the suff of heart attacks Ultra sensitive CRP - a measure of inflammation in the body HbA1c - average blood sugar levels for 3 months or so VitD - good indicator of heart health Apo-lipo A1 & B - cholesterol related test, see below You could also do stuff like insulin resistance and sensitivity tests if you used to eat lots of sugar or have diabetes in your family but the HbA1c will give you a 3 month average value, so only do the insulin if that one is high. Be careful with 'regular' Cholesterol testing. I realise it is the standard test for 99% of GP's, but having had a heart attack with a S-cholesterol value of 5 (which is not considered high), I'm of the opinion that total cholesterol (also called serum cholesterol) is a lousy indicator of anything. Now, that's not to say that cholesterol is a total myth, but dont focus on the total value. IF you really want a cholesterol picture go get a Apo-lipo A1 and Apo-lipo B tests done. Go to pathcare, request the tests specifically. They take around 8 days for the results. This will give you a picture of the size and amount of cholesterol which is a far better view. This post is from my cardiologist an it explains the issue quite well. http://cardiologydoc.wordpress.com go to the May15th entry. You will see that he is somewhat at odds with Noake's view, but explains cholesterol and lipoproteins quite nicely. Lastly, be aware that every test from a lab comes back with a 'reference range'. In other words the 'normal' range for the test. IMHO, those reference ranges are BS. They are based on an unhealthy American population.

Hi Guys, Still here, just diluted to lurking status for a while. To cut a loong story short, too much work and a month in Oz has put the LCHF research / participation a bit on the back foot since early June, but training again and eating right since mid July.

Cod liver oil ..... ..... remember that stuff your grandmother used to give you?? Every kid seems to hate it, just the mere thought of it used to keep cold and flu away .... but is anyone here using it? Google will produce millions of results of folk who swear by it for curing everything from pimples to cancer, but was looking for some personal experiences if there are any. Also, why do you take it as opposed to Salmon/Omega3 oil.

No, not if you're happy for your ketone levels to fluctuate. I recorded mine everyday for 4 months (just for kicks) and found that they range anywhere between 0.1 and 6, highly dependant on carbs, fasting, exercise, alcohol and protein. Because I'm just doing it as part of a 'normal' LCHF diet, it's really no big deal to me if in ketosis or not. Usually felt a bit more 'on a buzz' when ketones >5, but otherwise felt the same. Also weight loss not affected by range, anything over 1 seems to do the trick. However ... for folk that are using the keto diet for medical reasons (usually epilepsy), often keeping ketones in a narrow band is the answer. To do this requires timing meals correctly so blood glucose is stable (remember there is an inverse relationship between glucose and ketones) and then making sure that those meals have the correct macro-nutrient ratio. As mentioned before - this is a mission!

To add my 2c here ... Paleo, Keto and LCHF are similar, but they have significant differences. Paleo (as mentioned by Dave) = choose real / whole foods the kind of stuff that the caveman ate. If you cant identify it as food it's not on the list. Paleo is usually (not always) lower in carbs than a standard modern diet, but certainly has carbs in it ... sometimes as much as 100g per day. There's little talk of macronutrient ratios in the Paleo world ... its more a thought of "listen to your body, eat caveman food, eat when hungry, exercise like a caveman" Paleo could be LCHF, but does not have to be. LCHF's defining characteristic is that carbs are kept below 50g per day. More thought given to macronutrients than with Paleo, but less thought as to if the food is 'modern' or 'traditional'. By definition, is high in fat, low in carb, moderate in protein. You may achieve some level of ketosis with this, but ketosis is not a requirement. No guidelines on exercise, this is just diet stuff. Keto is where you are trying deliberately to get the body into a state of ketosis (generally described as blood ketones between 1 and 7. Too close to 10 and you're nearing ketoacidosis) - and hold it there. This usually for some medical reason (seizure control, etc) or to promote rapid weight loss. Here carbs are even more strictly controlled, including the timing and macronutrient ratio of each and every meal, sources of fats, supplements, etc. Also, its not unusual for keto diets to be monitored by a doc or dietician to ensure that ketosis stays at an optimal level. I heard of a kid yesterday who is seizure free with blood ketones between 3 and 6, but above or below that and the seizures start again .... ask anyone who has been in ketosis .... THAT's not easy to control. My personal experience is that a true keto diet is damn hard. Any fool can get to ketosis in 2-3 weeks, staying there permanently is not for the feint hearted! I guess that most folk here are somewhere between Paleo and LCHF. From the posts here, there is general consensus that sugar and processed foods are bad, whole foods are good, and carb restriction helps with a plethora of medical conditions. Also LCHF and Paleo allow some room for 'treats' (I prefer the term treats to cheats) ... keto does not.

Found this. Nice summary of folk in the Paleo / LCHF community http://bert-hubert.blogspot.com/2013/05/the-new-nutritional-consensus-key.html Also, first keto forum I have seen http://www.reddit.com/r/keto

Not in teenagers, my daughter was 8 when we tried it. It did not work terribly well for her - just a small reduction in seizures - but please don't take that as a reason not to try. I have heard enough anecdotal stories of it working for others. I assume you re already found 'matthewsfreinds' and 'thecharliefoundation'. Also there is a dietician in Cape Town specializing in kids and keto diets Cath McGaw. They are busy planning a keto clinic in CT and having an open day of sorts shortly. My wife is involved so can get more info if you want, alternatively ask Cath. 3 other thoughts.... You may get opposition from your regular doctor that this is an unhealthy way for kids to eat... You will have to do lots of LCHF educational! I don't know what your kid is like on anti seizure meds, mine has terrible mood swings (and she's only 9!!). My personal belief that LCHF is right for me (and my kids) stems from the reading I did when researching this topic. Most folk look to LCHF for weight loss ... But it's the health benefits that changed my mind ... Weight loss is a side effect

Yes. especially noticeable when exercising in the first 2-3 months of LCHF. It will settle down - or at least mine did

What a classic expression!! pretty much sums it up perfectly.

I think Dave is on the right track here ... just to add one more thought ... The issue of what's possible without refuelling for me is a question of intensity. For endurance events where I am operating at <80% of max HR for most of the time, it seems (from literature and personal experience) that I can go for 5-6 hrs on water only - so presumably the body is burning fat? However .... as soon as the intensity goes up (think things like Argus where it's cruise-sprint-cruise-hill-cruise-sprint), then some carbs (ucan) do seem to make a difference. This difference also seems to b getting less over time, so perhaps fat adaption is improving? There was a table showing carb and fat usage at different rates of intensity a while back - think it was from Volak, but can't find it now.

Shew .... will take lots of patience to follow Mr Allens advice!! I cant imagine training below 140bpm ... seem to hit that on every incline ..... and there's not a lot of flat roads round here On the other hand, that's about 75% of my HR max, and I recall there was an RER table someplace showing fat vs carb burn and carb burn only really kicked in at around that level.

Try biltong. Around 60% protein by weight. ie 100g biltong = 60g pure protein so you don't have to eat a lot to get the protein you're looking for.

Ok, some thoughts for you. 1. What you are feeling is NORMAL. I went through it and know of 2 others who did the same. Some folk adapt quicker than others, my real power only came back after around 4 months. It's a seriously frustrating period !! 2. In the meantime, stay away from gels, chocolates, beer and anything 'high GI' - rather get hold of some UCAN, it;s a slow release carb. Drink it ALL 30min before the start of the race and then stay on water for the rest of the race. I find one UCAN is good for 2-3 hrs for high intensity, then may need another after that. Also, try taking some hi-carb nuts (cashews) with you if you like to snack on the bike. A few of those wont kick you out of ketosis if take while riding. Hang in there .... it WILL get better

Carb Free (<2g carbs) Pancake recipe: 40g egg 30g heavy cream 15g Mayonnaise - Hellman's is best 12g Ricotta Cheese 1g baking powder ... ok, recipe says 1g, I just sprinkle a bit on. 10g butter Directions: Mix all ingredients excl butter melt butter in a pan on medium heat pour batter into pan to form a thin pancake cook on medium heat, flip over like a normal pancake. sprinkle some cinnamon on it or wrap it around a sausage .... or just eat plain.

Woolworths also been out of stock here in CT for a month or so. Look for Roastwell in PnP, or Montague brand.

Ummmmm, I hate to burst your bubble, but I think you need to get a new nutritionalist if he/she is telling you those are low carb. Total macro-nutrients for your mixture (as calculated from MyNetDiary) are: Carbs: 103g Protein: 28g Fat: 30g Total calories = 770 Have got a proper low carb pancake recipe someplace ... will dig it out this evening for you. Screen Shot 2013-05-26 at 12.59.08 PM.PDF

My 2c worth .... 1. Diet studies are 2 a penny at the moment. For every one that proves X, there's another one that disproves it. At the end of the day, look at who funded the study, the methodology, the size of the sample group, and the real details behind what they ate - I read a study a while ago headlined as "lo carb", but they were eating 100g of carbs per day!! 2. Many of these studies are observational. In other words the researchers asked the patients what they ate over a period of time. Most folk can't remember what they had for supper 2 days ago .... And if they had seconds of pudding they are likely to lie about it. If you can find a study that was done in a controlled environment, then it's worth something. 3. I'm always amused at "controlled calorie" studies. In other words they restricted the amount people ate. IMHO this is totally unsustainable. As soon as the the diet study is over, those folk will go back to eating more because they get hungry. BTDT. 4. This article refers to high protein. LCHF is NOT high protein ... It's high fat! Reporters seem to be unable to comprehend this concept ... i often wonder if they actually read and question the studies they report on or just look for the sensational bits in the summaries. The downsides of too much protein have been well documented, and few will argue about it. 5. Finally, The only study that really has any impact on ME is n=1. I know what my markers were before starting and I measure them each 2 months, they have consistently gotten better so I'm happy. I'm not suggesting that my way of eating is for everyone - I have friends who eat loads of carbs, are great athletes and slender as a 16 year olds .... I'm happy to share my experience and chat about it, but am not interested in trying to convert them if they are happy. It's different strokes for different folks - use what works for you.

Thanks for the roasting ideas - getting hungry already. Also try brazil and pecans - both high in fat and low in carbs. Interestingly, the lowest carb count I have found on any nuts are Woolworths Macadamias Roasted and Salted. 7g carb, 80g fat per 100g .... Their raw macadamias are 15g carbs, 67g fat, so either some carbs get destroyed in the roasting process .... .... or they have got another label wrong

The issue with roasted is that generally nuts are roasted with a hydrogenated oil, not dry roasted. It's the oil that is a problem. Have a look at roasted and salted nuts ... the salt only sticks to the nuts if there's oil around As Htone said, Dry roast them yourself and you're good to go.

Remember the confusion with Woolworth's Mackerel? I sent them a mail and got the following response. I still can't figure out how they managed to get so many carbs in the mackerel - is it possible that it's farmed not wild and fed grain / pellets / etc? would that make a difference? Every other source I can find lists Mackerel carbs at 0-2 carbs per 100g. Guess I'll just have to stick to prawns and salmon Thank you for bringing your concern regarding the Lightly Smoked Mackerel to our attention. Responding to customer needs is Woolworths' first priority, and we appreciate it when customers take the trouble to let us know their needs or concerns. You may be assured that your comments have discussed with our technologist who has informed me that the nutri results from the lab were drawn and double checked. We use SANAS accredited labs and the nutri on this report was in fact 16g/100g which is in fact what is on the packaging. We wash the fish in a light salt and water brine and then smoke it with a light smoke cycle with real oak chips, so we do not add anything during the smoking process. If we can be of assistance to you in the future, please do not hesitate to contact us as follows, call us on 0860 022 002, email custserv@woolworths.co.za or contact us online www.woolworths.co.za. Yours sincerely

I find the frozen ones a are bit mushy once defrosted .... but they are GREAT for making smoothies: Woolworths double cream greek yoghurt Fresh cream Little honey or mollasses frozen berries some almonds to make it a bit crunchy dump it all in the blender for one minute ... pour into tall glass ... garnish with sprinkle of nomu chocolate and a leaf of mint .... and serve to your guests for desert

OOOOPS!!! yes ... cured ! will edit post.

Hi Stefan, Congrats - it's always lekker when a change results in positive outcome. My knowledge of spastic colon is limited, but iirc, its very similar to irritable bowel syndrome. Perhaps do a search for LCHF and IBS, I remember reading about treatment of ibs using LCHF - just cant remember where I read it. Also at a talk by Noakes he stated that leaky gut syndrome can be very effectively cured by LCHF and ensuring that you dont take antibiotics. Edit: typo.