August 2011 – Linda's Diet Delites Blog

Low Carb Muffins and Brownies from ThinSlim — A New Level of Low Carb Flavor

Low Carb Muffins and Brownies from ThinSlim

Whilst most of us can live without sugary cakes and cookies in our diet, it is nice every now and then to treat ourselves to something sweet without having to worry about jeopardizing our low carb diet.

Thankfully, there are a number of companies around that make low carb alternatives to muffins, cookie and cakes, but sadly a lot don’t quite achieve the same texture or taste of their high-carb, high sugar counterparts. Many people complain of a ‘too spongy’ texture or that their cakes are too dry and crumbly.

The fantastic people at ThinSlim bake some fabulous low carb muffins and low carb brownies that are so delicious we have added our own taste guarantee. Their recipes produce muffins and brownies that are deliciously moist, denser and less spongy than other low carb baked goods.

Not only this, but they are also 50% lower in calories than traditional high carb muffins and brownies, 80% lower in net carbs and have 50% more fiber and protein.

ThinSlim use erythritol to sweeten their products instead of alternatives such as maltitol and splenda, which have a tendency to leave an aftertaste and create rises in blood sugar levels.

Erythritol is the only sweetener that doesn’t cause GI distress, as it is absorbed into the bloodstream in the small intestine and then passed through the body in its original state via the urine. Because erythritol is usually absorbed before it gets to the large intestine it shouldn’t cause any laxative side effects that other sweeteners such as xylitol or maltitol can.

Thinslim brownies come in individual packs and are one of our best sellers here at Linda’s Diet Delites. Each 2oz brownie contains just 45 calories, 2g net carbs, 8g of fiber and 6g of protein. They also have a zero diet count.

The brownies can be kept in the fridge for up to a week or frozen to save for a special occasion and are delicious served hot or cold.

ThinSlim Brownie

Thinslim muffins come in packs of 4 and are only 40 calories per muffin and have just 2g net carbs each. They come in 3 fantastic flavors: chocolate, blueberry and vanilla, so you are bound to find a flavor that you absolutely love. They are a real hit with our customers

ThinSlim Muffins

Thinslim also make wonderful sugar-free, low carb bagels that have the calories of the leading low calorie bagel brand and biscotti low carb cookies that come in 3 great flavors.

ThinSlim Bagels

Low Carb Cookies That Fool Even the Sweetest Tooth

Everybody loves cookies. Kids like them with milk, the British take theirs with tea (although they call them biscuits), but low carb dieters have to go without!

But hang on, just because you’re on a low carb diet it doesn’t mean you have to forgo all your favorite sweet treats. There are lots of recipes for low carb cookies, low carb cakes and other baked goods on the internet, but if you’re short on time or are somewhat domestically challenged when it comes to home-baking, fear not, there is now a fantastic range of low carb cookies and other low carb treats on the market today that will help you stay on course with your low carb eating plan while still being able to indulge every now and again.

Supermarkets may have aisles full of wonderful cookies to choose from but sadly very little in the way of sugar free or low carb cookies. Lucky for you that online low carb stores stock an array of tasty low carb cookies so that you can enjoy them with your milk, tea or just on their own.

Dixie Diner Everyday Gourmet Good Low Carb Cookies

These Everyday Gourmet cookies from Dixie’s Diner are ready to eat and have only 2 net grams of carbs for 2 cookies. They are gluten free, contain no sugar alcohols or polydextrose and are made with totally natural ingredients. They also come in 7 delicious flavors for you to choose from.

These Atkins Low Carb Cookies come in either double chocolate chunk or chewy peanut butter flavors. With only 5 net carbs per pack of 5 and just 3 diet counts these can be a tasty snack that won’t derail your diet.

ThinSlim Foods Low Carb Low Fat Biscotti

Biscottis are great eaten either on their own or served up with a low carb dessert such as yogurt, mousse or low carb cheese cake. These biscottis from ThinSlim have been sweetened using erythritol instead of maltitol or splenda which means that there is no bitter aftertaste. They have also been manufactured so they don’t produce a spike in blood sugar so are great for low carb dieters and diabetics alike.

Grammys Girl Shortbread Low Carb Cookies

If you prefer a more buttery cookie then these Grammy Girls Shortbread are just the thing for you. They are deliciously crumbly and buttery and come in a range of six different flavors for you to try.

Macaroons make a delicous coconut snack or treat and these Jennie’s Macaroons are zero carb! Not only that but they are 100% natural and free from soy, wheat, sulfites, lactose and transfats.

Take a look at our full range of low carb cookies and other low carb foods at our www.lindasdietdelites.com website.

Low-Carb Diets May Improve Acne

We all know that a low-carb diet is good for our waist-line, and that it has also recently been proven to be good at reducing cancer risk and type 2 diabetes, but now a new study has shown that a low-carb diet could be great for our skin too.

With over 15 million teenage sufferers of acne in the USA, could a simple change of diet help?

A report published by the Department of Dermatology at SUNY Downstate Medical Center in New York, has shown that some people who have the skin complaint, acne, could be suffering from a disorder called ‘hyperinsulinemia’. Hyperinsulinemia is an excess of insulin in the blood, and acne sufferers could benefit from reducing the amount of carbs they eat to reduce the overload of insulin.

The MD of the department of dermatology, Dr. Alan R Shalita, said: “Foods that are low in the glycemic index (GI) may contribute to the hormonal control of acne. I would encourage patients with acne to moderate the amount of carbs that they eat and not to overdo diary.” (Which has also been proven to aggravate acne).

Consuming foods which are at the low end of the glycemic index will ensure that a person will avoid the blood sugar level spikes that occur with processed, starchy foods such as white rice, flour, bread, pasta, sugary foods etc. A diet rich in fresh foods such as non-starchy fruit and vegetables, and plenty of proteins will keep insulin levels under control and the acne condition should improve.

Dr. Shalita was also keen to debunk some myths about acne causes and pleased chocolate lovers everywhere by stressing that it was unlikely that chocolate was to blame for outbreaks of acne, citing that it would be more likely the fault of the fat and sugar in candy bars rather than the cocoa.

“One study that compared Hershey chocolate bars with carob bars found no difference in acne risk,” Shalita says. “There is sugar and fat in both, so for people that do react to chocolate, it has more to do with the sugar than the cocoa.”

low carb chocolate 1 — CarbRite SugarFree Chocolate Bar

Great news for fans of our low carb chocolate bars and cookies.

Dr. Shalita did stress that if a low carb diet didn’t show a significant improvement in patients’ acne condition, then they should see a dermatologist for further medical treatments.

The Low Carb Lunch Conundrum: How Low Carb Bread Can Make Lunch Enjoyable on a Low Carb Diet

Healthwise Bakery FlavorRich Zero Net Carb Hamburger Buns

Lunch on a low carb diet can be the most difficult meal to traverse. But better tasting low carb bread products are helping to make low carb lunches more enjoyable.

When it comes to lunch — and this is particularly true in the U.S. — going low carb can be quite difficult. Whereas the typical American breakfasts and dinners feature proteins like eggs, breakfast meats, steak, chicken, and fish, and only require a low carb dieter to take breads and carby side-dishes out of the equation, lunch foods tend to center around bread. Hamburgers, hot dogs, sandwiches — all of which are built around bread — just don’t retain their tastiness when you take bread out of the equation. And because most Americans have neither the time nor patience to sit down to a dinner-like lunch, many low carb dieters often skip lunch, thus leading to hunger — the biggest diet killer of them all.

Fortunately for low carb dieters, a wide array of low carb breads have hit the market that feature much-improved taste and texture, allowing lunch items like hot dogs, hamburgers, and sandwiches to stay on the menu.

Some of the biggest innovations in low carb bread are coming from HealthWise Bakery, who have long since been leaders in the best low carb breads on the market. Their new line of FlavorRich hot dog and hamburger rolls leverage high levels of fiber to offset carb counts for a zero net carb effect. Ingredients like natural oat fiber, natural wheat protein isolate, chicory roots, organic wheat bran/ corn bran all supply the fiber needed to counteract the carbs. HealthWise has added the use of olive oil and other flavors to greatly improve the moistness and texture of these low carb breads, so that now you can enjoy and hamburger or hot dog with a bun.

low carb bread hot dog buns — HealthWise Bakery FlavorRich Zero Net Carb Hot Dog Buns

When it comes to sandwiches, HealthWise has a sliced low carb bread that delivers on taste and zero net carbs as their FlavorRich line of hamburger and hot dog buns. The HealthWise low carb bread is slightly springy, with a very light weight texture and great taste, all while netting out at zero carbs. It also toasts well for both lunchtime sandwiches and breakfast.

Of course, the introduction of a few carbs usually improves all low carb breads, which is why HealthWise also offers a low carb bread alternative to their zero net carb loaf. The FiberRich option of low carbs breads from HealthWise features just 3 grams of net carbs per slice, but also ups the ante on flavor as well.

From a dieter’s perspective, these two versions of low carb bread offer a perfect two-stage approach to keeping bread on the menu at lunchtime. The zero net carb bread option guarantees that it will not affect blodd sugar levels, thus preserving ketosis for those on an Atkins version of the low carb diet, whereas the FiberRich option is a perfect stage-two alternative.

Whatever HealthWise low carb bread product you choose, you can be assured that it will not lead to loathing lunchtime.

Thanks for reading our article! Did you know that Linda’s Diet Delites carries all of the HealthWise low carb bread products discussed in this article? Take a look here!

Extra Low Calorie, Low Carb Diet found Successful at Reversing Type 2 Diabetes

A British University study has found that patients with Type 2 diabetes were able to completely reverse the disorder through diet alone. The Newcastle University ran a study with just 11 patients and put them on a low carb and 600 calorie a day diet for eight weeks.

The research found that the extremely low calorie diet removed fat from the pancreas which then allowed normal insulin levels to be secreted. The researchers at the Northern England based university also discovered that 7 of the 11 patients remained free from diabetes 3 months after the diet had finished.

The diet consisted mainly of non-starchy vegetables and diet drinks, and over the eight week period the volunteers had the amount of fat in their livers monitored, along with the insulin in their pancreas. These results were then compared to a group of individuals who did not suffer from diabetes.

The results were astonishing; with pre-breakfast blood sugar levels at normal after just one week of the trial. MRI scans showed that the fat levels in the pancreas had dropped, allowing the organ to produce more insulin.

Professor Rob Taylor, who led the trial, said: “To have people free of diabetes after years with the condition is remarkable – and all because of an eight week diet.”

Professor Taylor, who is director of Newcastle Magnetic Resonance Centre, continued:
“We believe this shows that type 2 diabetes is all about energy balance in the body. If you are eating more than you burn, then the excess is stored in the liver and pancreas as fat, which can lead to type 2 diabetes in some people. What we need to examine further is why some people are more susceptible to developing diabetes than others.”

The disease, also referred to as adult-onset diabetes, develops when the pancreas cannot make enough insulin to regulate the blood sugar levels and fat metabolism. It differs from Type 1 diabetes (juvenile diabetes), which is an autoimmune disease where the immune system attacks the cells that produce insulin.

Gordon Parmley from Newcastle, was one of the patients on the trial, the 67 year old ate only vegetables and salads and drank 3 diet shakes a day. He said that he found the diet incredibly difficult: “At first the hunger was quite severe and I had to distract myself with something else – walking the dog, playing golf – or doing anything to occupy myself and take my mind off food. But I lost an astounding amount of weight in a short space of time … after six years, I no longer needed my diabetes tablets.”

Indeed Professor Taylor himself warned that only a minority of people, perhaps 5% or 10%, would be able to stick to the harsh diet necessary to get rid of diabetes, and that diabetes sufferers should not undergo such a drastic diet without full medical support from their doctor.
Scientists at Diabetes UK, who commissioned the study said that although the trial was with a very small number of people they were looking forward to future results. Particularly if those results showed that diabetes could be completely reversed in the long term.