The great diet debate

Zdice, Beroun District, Central Bohemian Region, the Czech Republic. A weight scale in the train station. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

If you've been reading the headliners on the home pages of Google, etc..you may have run across articles talking about diets and which ones are the best. Well, naturally I saw a lot of comments on the subject and one from someone who was advising everyone how to eat that had admittedly never even had a weight problem.

 Sigh..these commenters bother me the most because unless you've been overweight and have successfully kept the weight off for  a significant period of time I am not convinced that you aren't just genetically blessed with a good metabolism.

This commenter said no one in their family was overweight, and assumed it was their perfectly healthy eating habits that were the credit and so felt they could school everyone on how to lose weight. How do you tell others how to lose weight, when you've never ever had to lose any?

 If you've never been overweight, chances are you have inherited the right genes over dieting practices. We've all known skinny people that could eat everything and not gain a pound. So for those that have never had a weight problem to tackle, please, stop telling others how to lose weight. I'm sure you don't want a fat person telling you how to stay thin, right? Ok with that being said, I will say that most of the articles again pointed to low carb as being the most successful diet.

English: A pile of Wheat Thins crackers, made by Nabisco. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I like doing low carb, but I follow a loose version of it, focusing primarily on portion control and limiting my overall in take of food. Is it easy? Not really. Some nights I just want to head down stairs and go raid my fridge. Other nights, I fall asleep and then wake up and do it.

Cross section of celery stalk, showing vascular bundles, which include both phloem and xylem. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

What helps is opting for something healthy when I get the munchies. I will eat a few pieces of cheese, a stalk or two of celery and some salad dressing for dipping. I make sure to have a few Wheat thins too..All in a tiny bowl. The crunch of the celery and wheat thins, and the decadent-feels like Im cheating of the cheese and salad dressing..somehow do the trick. I also always drink a bottle of water too. This helps with making me feel full.

whitneyinchicago.wordpress.com/2009/07/11/summery-salads-... (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The bottom line is no diet works if you can't or wont follow it. Find one that you can stick to.

Low carb tuna burgers

Tuna Fish cuisine of the Mahl people. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Makes 4 servings
Ingredients:

    1 cup tuna flaked cooked
    2 tablespoons  minced celery                                      
    1 tablespoon sweet pickles chopped or pickle relish            
    1 tablespoon onions minced                                     
    1/2 teaspoon lemon juice fresh or to taste                     
    Freshly ground pepper to taste                                 
    2 to 3 tablespoons mayonnaise real                             
    Butter or margarine                                            
    2 slices of low carb bread or whole wheat high fiber hamburger buns         
    4 slices bacon                                                 
    4 slices American cheese or cheese of your choice              

Combine fish, celery, sweet pickle or relish, onion, lemon juice, pepper, and enough mayonnaise to moisten. Lightly toast and butter bun or English muffin halves and spread with fish mixture. Cut bacon slices in half and partially fry to remove most of fat. Top each fish mixture with a slice of cheese and 2 bacon strips. Broil 5 inches from heat for 4 minutes or until cheese melts and bacon crisps.

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Broccoli and Cheese soup

If you love broccoli and cheese you'll love this creamy low carb soup that is great for lunch time in the Spring. Try adding in different cheeses and spices to get a different flavor for your soup.
This recipe serves about 8. The carb count is around 10 grams per serving.


Ingredients:
    1/4 cup onions coarsely chopped                
    1 tablespoon margarine
    3 cups chicken bouillon                       
    2 cups iceberg lettuce chopped                
    1 10-ounce package frozen chopped broccoli  (you can use fresh too)
    1 cup of sharp shredded cheddar cheese        
    1/8 teaspoon black pepper                     
     Seasonings (your choice, see suggestions)
                                                     

In a 3-quart saucepan over medium heat, sauté onion in margarine for a few minutes until the onions become translucent and soft.

Add chicken bouillon, lettuce, broccoli and pepper. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for around 10 minutes or until broccoli is tender.

Add in shredded cheese and stir until melted.

Using a blender, take half of your batch and blend at the highest speed on your blender so that soup is pureed. Repeat with the remaining half.
You may need to reheat this soup once it has been blended.

Serving suggestions:
Add your choice of spices and herbs. Goes well with minced parsley, garlic powder, chives, and low carb bread croutons. A dash of red pepper flakes will give it a kick if added while cooking  the broccoli.

More recipes:

• Squash Casserole
• Homemade chicken soup
• Ham bone soup
• Carne Picada with brown and wild rice

How to Bake Lower Carb Macaroni and Cheese

Image via Wikipedia

How to Bake Easiest Lower Carb Macaroni and Cheese

I love Mac and Cheese baked in the oven the old fashioned way..but I like it really easy too. This is an easily converted low carb recipe too, which I will share with you in the instructions ;o)

Things You'll Need:
8 cups Elbow Macaroni
4 cups sharp shredded cheese
2-3 eggs beaten
1 cup sour cream
6-8 tbs butter
1 cup of milk
1/4 finely minced onion,or scallions

Step 1
PreHeat your Oven to 350 degrees

Step 2
Butter one 9 X 13 inch casserole dish, this makes a big casserole for a family of 4-6.

Step 3
In large dutch oven boil your elbow macaroni add several tbsps. of salt to boiling water once cooked, drain.
For a healthier low carb version, use a low carb pasta like Dreamfields brand, and low fat sour cream.

Step 4
Place hot macaroni in a large mixing bowl and add in your cheese and allow it to melt through out as you mix. Add sour cream and onions (optional, you can also replace or add bacon bits for a real yummy taste)
Macaroni should be pretty cool by now and it is safe to add milk and eggs. Stir together thoroughly, and add salt and pepper. I prefer white pepper. Use your own judgment as to how much salt to use. I like to add it to the pasta water, but after that, wait until its on my plate. This way you control the amount of sodium you have.

Step 5
Pour mixture into greased 9 X 13 pan. Place several pats of butter all over the top.I like to sprinkle additional cheese (you cant have too much of this can you?lol) on the top of the mixture right before I bake it along with adding a sprinkle or two of Paprika for color and mild smoky flavor.
Bake for 35-45 minutes depending on the efficiency of your oven. I like to start peeking at it in the oven after 30 minutes

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