Month: July 2011

6 Bizarre Fad Diets

Here at Linda’s Diet Delight we encourage healthy eating as a way of weight loss.  Following both low carb and low calorie diets are both effective and healthy ways of losing weight and changing the way you eat food forever.   However, every now and again some very strange and weird diets do the circuit, usually with supposed celebrity endorsement.   We look at some of the most bizarre diets that have been around in recent years.

Cabbage Soup Diet

Obviously a diet that consists of only eating just one thing is going to get very boring, very quickly.  However, this diet will probably have you losing friends quickly as well, not only will your house smell disgusting, but imagine the windy effect that consuming that much cabbage will have.

Cayenne Pepper Diet

Also known as the Master Cleanse Diet it’s reportedly backed by many an A-list celebrity, this concoction of maple syrup, lemon juice and cayenne pepper must leave you absolutely ravenous.  Sure, you’ll lose some weight, I mean, there isn’t any actual solid food in this diet, but you’ll probably lose the will to live by day 2.

Twinkie Diet

A diet that consists of eating cake certainly has its appeal, but we rather suspect that it wanes rather rapidly.  Severely lacking in anything remotely healthy, we can only imagine this diet regime would have you feeling very ill.

Baby Food Diet

Regress and embrace your inner infant by going out and buying some jars of baby food.  Instead of eating your regular meals, have a jar of pureed mush instead.   Quite besides how hideous they probably taste to an adult, the lack of being able to chew, the loss of any texture (except for mush), and the minute portions will have you falling off this wagon quicker than you can say goo-goo gaa-gaa.

Tapeworm Diet

This diet consists of digesting beef tapeworm eggs and then allowing the tapeworms to grow in your intestines.  The tapeworms will then eat all the excess food in your system so that you are free to eat as you like, which is about as medieval as it gets.   You don’t get to keep the tapeworms forever though; as soon as you’ve reached your goal weight you can take some medicine to kill the parasites.  Side effects from this bizarre diet include vomiting, diarrhea, malnutrition, squashed internal organs and possible death. Nice!

The Air Diet

The principal behind this diet is that we don’t change the foods we eat or embark on a vigorous exercise regime, no this diet apparently works by simply breathing.   Allegedly the more air you breathe, the more weight you lose.  A big selling point to this diet is that you can do it anywhere, breathe that is, just in case you weren’t doing it before!

When you think about how the mischaracterization of the low carb diet as a “bizarre fad diet” has endured ever since Vogue Magazine published Dr. Atkins’ Diet Revolution in the late 1960s, you can see how unfair it is for diet and nutrition world to equate the restriction of carbs in one’s diet to one of these completely unfounded diets. While there is no doubt that the restriction of calories is the most obvious approach to weight loss, the restriction of carbs has clearly been proven to be just as viable and effective, and certainly deserving of a better moniker from the mainstream health organizations just a “fad diet.”

Low Carb Alternatives to Bread

As one of the mainstays of the western diet bread is often incorporated into at least one meal a day, and many people consume bread with breakfast, lunch and dinner.  Finding low carb alternatives to bread can be major hurdle for those on a low carb diet, but we’ve come up with some tips that you will find useful whether you are on the Atkins diet or just following a Low GI regime.

Lettuce Leaves

Believe it or not some sturdy iceburg or romaine lettuce leaves can hold most sandwich fillings and you can do away with burger buns if you really don’t want to go down a low carb alternative route.  Obviously you will need to let hot food cool down a bit if you attempt to eat it as hand-held food.

Egg Plant

Two slices of broiled egg plant make a delicious and healthy alternative to a regular sandwich, you can have a hot filling as well, try mozzerella, tomato & basil drizzled with olive oil for a truely Mediterranean lunch.

Tortilla Wraps

A standard white tortilla has a GI of 30 so is still much better for you than regular bread, however these wholemeal tortillas have only 3g of net carbs in each tortilla, so a delicious and healthy alternative to your lunchtime sandwich.

La Tortilla Factory Low Carb Wraps

Pita Bread

Compare the Gyclemic Index of a regular white pita of 57 to a baguette that’s 95 and you’ll immediately see the sense in switching, however these zero net carb pitas are just the thing if you’re following a stricter low carb diet.  Pita bread also makes a great alternative to pizza bases, just pile all your favorite low carb toppings on and you’re good to go.

Healthwise Bakery Zero Net Carb Pitas

Crisp Breads

Crisps Bread are great alternatives for both toast and sandwiches alike.  You can spread anything you want on them and they are excellent for snacks to keep you going between meals.   They are usually very high in fibre and these GG Scandinavian Crispsbreads have just 7g of carbohydrates per cracker.  They can even be used crushed up instead of breadcrumbs.
Low Carb Bread
There are many low carb breads on the market and we at Linda’s Diet Delites have a fantastic range to choose from with different levels of net carbs and of course, different tastes and flavors.  This Healthwise Bakery loaf has just 2g net carbs per slice so your breakfast toast may not have to be a thing of the past.
Healthwise Bakery Rich & Hearty Multigrain Bread

Bagels

Again, thanks to the popularity of low carb diets there are now many types of low carb bagels available.  These ThinSlim Foods Low Carb Bagels have just 3g net carbs and 50 calories per bagel.

ThinSlim Foods Low Carb Bagels

Burger and Hot Dog Buns

If you really can’t face that family BBQ get together without your burgers being in a proper bread bun then consider our low carb burger buns and low carb hot dog buns. These Healthwise Bakery Zero Net Carb Burger Buns currently have 25% off.

Healthwise Bakery Zero Net Carb Burger Buns

6 Reasons to Start a Low Carb Diet Now

Have you been thinking of beginning a low carb diet? If so, you are not alone. Many people begin living the low carb lifestyle for a variety of reasons. Below are six of the main reasons to start a low carb diet today:

To Lose Weight

This is one of the most common reasons to begin a low carb diet, and there’s a reason. Low Carb/High Protein diets have been found time and time again to be a very efficient diet to help you lose weight and keep weight off, and many tests have proven low carb diets to have better results in weight loss than low calorie diets.

There are many different low carb diets that differ vastly in their strictness in carbs, from Atkins to Dukin, Low GI to South Beach. Before beginning a low carb diet, be sure to learn about the different types so you can pick a diet that will best suit your lifestyle and be easier to stick with long-term.

It’s Summer Time

Summer is the best time of year to start any diet plan and a low carb diet is no exception. This is a common reason to start a low carb diet, simply because the heat often lessens our appetite. High carbohydrate foods tend to make you feel really full, but for a short period of time. In addition, our bodies tend to naturally crave more water during the hottest months of the year. With such an abundance of fresh fruits and vegetables that are high in water content during the summer, it makes it much easier to increase intake of healthy low carb foods.

Family History of Heart Disease

Low carb diets increase good cholesterol (HDL) and decrease triglyceride levels, essentials for heart health. A recently-disclosed ten year study has shown that glycemic load is the biggest factor in the effects of carbs on heart health- those with higher glycemic load diets had nearly twice the incidence of heart disease compared to those with the lowest glycemic load diets. Not only that, but low carb diets have also been found to lower the saturated fatty acids in blood.

Continue reading 6 Reasons to Start a Low Carb Diet Now

The Vegetarian Low Carb Diet

Because of the health benefits of a high protein/low carb diet a lot of vegetarians are now choosing this diet as a way of life. In a traditional high protein/low carb diet a person would tend to eat a lot amount of meat or fish to obtain their protein, obviously vegetarians need to find alternative sources of protein that are not animal derived.

We’ve compiled a list of high protein food sources that will enable vegetarians to reap all the benefits of a healthy low carb diet.

Tofu

Tofu is commonly used as a meat substitute for vegetarians, and it can also be used as a high protein food source that can replaces other traditional vegetarian mainstays that are high in carbohydrates such as legumes or beans.

Tofu Shirataki Noodles

Tofu has a unique texture that soaks up flavors making it an extremely useful food to use in marinades, casseroles and with sauces. It is extremely versatile and can be cooked in many ways, fried, scrambled, mashed, sliced, diced… you name it. Whatever you can do with meat, you can do with tofu.

A 3oz serving of tofu contains 2 net grams of carbohydrates.

Tempeh

Tempeh is made from fermented whole soya beans, it’s great used in stir fries, casseroles and other dishes where you would traditionally use meat. Whilst tempeh isn’t as low carb as tofu – cooked tempeh has 9 grams of carbs per 3oz serving, it does have a low glycemic index score.

Quorn

Quorn is a mycoprotein extracted from a fungus called fusarium venenatum, related to the mushroom family. It is usually sold in a ground or diced form and it’s also available as various convenience foods such as sausages and burgers. Its carb count varies depending on the product so you need to check the labels of any Quorn product you buy. Quorn does contain egg whites so is not suitable for vegans.

Dairy

Cheese, yogurt, cream and milk are all excellent sources of protein, as well as other vital nutrients such as calcium, magnesium and zinc. Vegans can use soy variations of traditional dairy products which are high in protein.

Different low carb diets advocate different types of fats, the Dukin diet for instance would promote the eating of low fat dairy products and no more than 4 eggs a weeks, whereas the Atkins diet would allow full fat versions of dairy products and an unlimited amount of eggs.

Eggs

Eggs are an incredibly versatile protein source and an excellent meat alternative. A whole egg contains 0.5 grams of carbohydrates. A light meal can be made very quickly with eggs, and eggs are a great breakfast food for those steering clear of high carb cereals.

Most of the fat and cholesterol are found in the egg yolk, so if you are on a diet that restricts your fat intake you may need to limit the number of egg yolks you eat in a week. You can however, eat as many egg whites as you like.

Vegetables

Some low carb diets are stricter than others when it comes to the types of vegetables you consume. However, the less starchy a vegetable the lower the carb count. Eat a variety of vegetables that takes in different colors and textures to ensure that you are getting a wide range of vitamins and minerals

Berries

Again some diets are strict about which fruits you can eat as a lot of fruits are quite high in carbohydrates. Berries, however, are an excellent choice, most fall into the superfoods category and are full of antioxidants, vitamins and other essential nutrients, and most importantly low in carbs. A ¾ cup of strawberries has just 9 grams of carbs compared to 21 grams in a medium sized orange.

Nuts & Seeds

Woodstock Farm Organic Almonds

Nuts are a fantastic source of protein as well as magnesium, potassium, iron, calcium, zinc, copper and B and E vitamins. Whilst they are regarded as very high in fat they are full of the unsaturated kind that helps lower cholesterol and keeps your heart healthy.

Nuts and seeds can be used instead of breadcrumbs for crunchy coatings, sprinkled on your berries and yogurt in the morning or simply eaten on their own as a snack. Nuts and seeds are a must for a healthy low carb diet.

Low Carb Alternatives

Obviously low carb diets are big news and thankfully there are many products on the market that allow vegetarians and meat eaters alike to eat some of the foods that they love without spiking their blood sugar levels.

Linda’s Diet Delights has a great range of low carb foods, which covers low carb breads, low carb pastas, low carb muffins, low carb cereals and low carb candy to ensure that you stay in ketosis and keep yourself healthy and trim.

Sugar Substitutions in Low Carb Candy & Foods: What You Need To Know


Sticking to a low carb diet can be dull, whilst we know we can’t have a regular candies thankfully there are plenty of low carb candy that can satisfy ourneed for something sweet whilst still keeping us in ketosis.

Low carb candy and other low carb food products use sugar substitutes to achieve a sweet taste. Different sugar substitutes do different things and whilst some are completely carb and calorie free, we have to be careful about the quantities we consume of others as they are often bulked out with agents that are not quite so low carb.

Most of the low carb candy products or other sweet products that you’ll find at Linda’s Diet Delights will have one of the following ingredients:

Sucralose

Also known as Splenda, sucralose is 600 times sweeter than regular sugar. In its pure form it has no calories or carbs.It is mainly used in baked goods or products that require a long shelf life.

Splenda is derived from regular sugar and has much the same properties as sugar; it remains stable in heat making it a perfect substitute for home baking.However if you buy the granulated splenda it will have been bulked out with Maltodextrin which contains 24 net carbs per cup.

There is a concentrated liquid form of sucralose available called Sweetzfree which isn’t bulked so contains zero net carbs and calories.One drop of this is the equivalent sweetness of 1 ½ teaspoons of regular sugar.

Sucralose is approved by the Atkins Diet.

Dixie Diner Boston Cream Pie



Sugar Alcohols

Sugar alcohols, or polyols as they are also called, are used quite a lot in low carb candy bars and other low carb treats.The most common ones you’ll see on food labels are Maltitol, Mannitol and Sorbitol.They tend to have between ½ and ¾ of the calorie count of regular sugar, but perform differently in the body so that they do not get completely absorbed into the small intestine; they are also absorbed a lot slower than regular sugar.This slower absorption means and much slower rise in blood sugars, therefore less insulin is produced.

Some type 1 diabetics say they have a sugar rush after consuming foods that contain sugar alcohols, whilst others have no problems at all and stay in ketosis after eating foods containing sugar alcohols. Maltitol is particular is sometimes blamed for carb cravings and slower weight loss.

Consuming too much sugar alcohols can leave people feeling gassy and may have a laxative effect on some people.Sorbitol and Mannitol tend to be more prone to this, Maltitol much less so.Newer sugar alcohols are now being used that do not cause a laxative effect:Erthritol, Inulin, Isomalt and HSH (Hydrolyzed Starch Hydrolysis)—often labelled as Maltitol syrup.

As the different sugar alcohols have different properties they are used in different types of food. Sorbitol produces a clear candy that remains hard and dry under any condition.It doesn’t crystalize which makes it perfect to use in low carb ice cream as it helps the product to stay creamy.

Mannitol can absorb a lot of moisture before going damp or sticky so it is used to dust sticks of sugar-free gum or candies.

Carb Krunchers Low Carb Brownies
Maltitol and Erythritol are used as bulking agents for low carb chocolates and soft candies to give a creamy consistency.

Xylitol is often seen in sugar-free gum and mints, particularly as it actively restricts oral bacteria as well as being zero calories.

To stay in ketosis with these sugar alcohols you will need to watch your intake and you should avoid them during the Induction Phase on the Atkins diet.

Stevia


Stevia is generally regarded as the best sugar replacement.  It has been used for centuries by Guarani Indian tribes in Paraguay to sweeten drinks. Stevia is derived from the leaves of the Stevia Rebaudiana plant which is a member of the Chrysanthemum family and grows in Paraguay and Brazil.

Steviva Stevia Powder

It is 300 times sweeter than table sugar but has a negligible effect on blood glucose levels yet it has no calories, no carbs and a zero glycemic index.

Currently Stevia has not been approved by the FDA as a food additive and can only be used in diet products.

Stevia is reported to have health benefits for the pancreas and helps to maintain normal blood sugar levels.It has also been shown to reduce the level of tooth plague.

Stevia can be used in baking but is primarily used as a sweetner.