Learn why a controversial new “Frankenwheat” could making you sicker and fatter than ever.

I am so happy that Dr. Oz is talking about this!  Dr. Oz tested some women and found that a slice of whole wheat bread can make blood sugar go up more than a candy bar!

And for you thyroid patients, it is  often found that eliminating gluten helps us feel better.

Could you be addicted to wheat?  Has food processing spawned a new age of products containing the modified version of wheat, called “Frankenwheat?”

Could eliminating wheat help you lose 15 pounds in 30 days?

Dr. Oz talks to a doctor who thinks so!

http://www.doctoroz.com/episode/are-you-addicted-wheat?video=15895

Dr. Mehmet Oz explored those issues and more on his Dec. 3 talk show dedicated to issues regarding wheat addiction (from belly bloat to headaches to digestive woes).  His guest: Dr. William Davis, who says that today’s wheat, called “Frankenwheat” by some practitioners, is the result of genetics manipulations designed to produce more wheat per acre. The result, based on Dr. Davis’ holistic nutrition studies:

Eliminating “Frankenwheat” grains from the diet can result in dramatic weight loss, reduced risk of heart disease, improved mood, corrected cholesterol problems and even relief from arthritis.

To help you kick the wheat habit, Dr. Davis has authored two books, “Wheat Belly: Lose the Wheat, Lose the Weight, and Find Your Path Back to Health” and “Wheat Belly Cookbook: 150 Recipes to Help You Lose the Wheat, Lose the Weight, and Find Your Path Back to Health.”

The hardest challenge for a wheat-free diet: Kicking the habit. From your morning muffin to your dessert donut to your bedtime bagel, wheat seems to prevail in almost all of our favorite foods! Try these wheat-free swaps for fabulous flavor and fat-blasting results:

Breakfast:  Eggs, Julian Bakery Gluten Free, Wheat free breads made from coconut milk or almond meal.  (Julianbakery.com), Oatmeal, turkey and bacon sausages.

Lunch:  Salad with meat, cheese, gluten-free salad dressings, kabobs, meat, fruits and vegetables and again, Gluten-free, wheat-free bread

Dinner:  Same choices as lunch.  I made delicious low carb chicken masala the other night and it is gluten-free and delicious.  I poured it on riced cauliflower (tastes like rice) and it was awesome.

Please read my blog posts and future blog posts for recipes that include no wheat choices.   I have been living low-carb for a year now and it is rare for me to have wheat.  The hard part is giving it up, but after a week or two, it gets easier.  The problem is that we are addicted to it and it is KILLING us.  Fight the addiction.  Save yourself!

In the United States, 1 in 3 people will have Type 2 diabetes by 2050 if current trends continue, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Currently, 1 in 10 Americans has Type 2 diabetes. But if new cases develop as projected, it could double or triple over the next 40 years, said Ann Albright, director of the Division of Diabetes Translation at the CDC.

Type 2 diabetes is the most common form of diabetes, and is triggered by a combination of unchangeable factors, such as family history and race, and controllable factors, such as obesity and inactivity, according to the Mayo Clinic.

It’s also the seventh leading cause of death in the United States, according to 2007 data, and is the leading cause of leg and foot amputations, kidney failure and new cases of blindness in adults under age 75, according to the CDC.

“We’re living longer, but Type 2 diabetes does get more prevalent as you age,” she said. “The body’s ability to use insulin does gradually decline, but that can be slowed by maintenance, diet and regular physical activity.”

Right now, about 60 million people in the United States have pre-diabetes — a stage of insulin resistance before full-blown diabetes. If these people don’t change their exercise and eating habits  now, they will develop diabetes in the next three to six years, Albright said.

It will take a combination of personal decisions and policy changes to turn the diabetes rate around.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/39798848/ns/health-diabetes/t/cdc-americans-will-have-diabetes/

Check out this website from the Mayo Clinic on portion sizes and see how you do.  My next blog will be about portion control and things you probably don’t know!

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/portion-control/NU00267

Any time you try to change something in your life, you are changing the way things happen–and that is when homeostasis is affected (regulation), but in social life, homeostasis is also an issue.

People want to keep things the “status quo”.  When others are stuck in the way things are going in their own life, it is hard for them to be happy when you are making changes for the better.  So, in weight loss or any other life changes, you would like to think that people would support you and be happy for your healthier life style change.  However, there are those who actually try to (consciously or unconsciously)  cause you to fail at something like weight loss, by undermining your success.  These are Weight Loss Saboteurs!

It can be the person you least expect who attempts to sabotage your weight loss —

*your spouse,

*a sibling,

*co-worker,

*your best friend

*or even someone who works out where you work out.

While this situation can happen for different reasons, it is quite likely that the “saboteur” finds themselves threatened by your efforts to lose weight.  It could be that they are reacting to your changes because of their own fears or insecurities.

EXAMPLES OF SCENARIOS:

• Friends may think you want to change your life in other ways and not want them around anymore.
• A friend may feel your weight loss makes her extra weight seem more noticeable to others and he/she feels bad about him/herself.
• Your spouse may be jealous of the  attention you are getting from other people or won’t want them anymore.
• A family member may resent the time you spend exercising or preparing healthy foods (particularly if they themselves partake of neither) and think you are being selfish or don’t spend more time with them.
• A friend may feel guilty about continuing to eat your formerly favorite foods while you eat lighter fare. Or she may miss her “partner in crime” if you frequently ate bad foods together or shared together.  My hairdresser used to try to offer me her chocolates all of the time, despite her knowing about my change of lifestyle diet. I knew it was because I had lost more weight than her and it was annoying her.  The more she did it, the more I enjoyed saying ‘NO!”

WHAT DO WEIGHT LOSS SABOTEURS SAY?:

• Urge you to eat sweet or fattening foods.
• Undermine your efforts by making negative comments, such as: “No one ever keeps the weight off!” or “You’ll never make your goal weight. You always quit.”  “You are no fun anymore.”  “You are going overboard.”  “You have gone too far.” “We will see if this new way sticks!”
• Continually offer you second helpings of food despite the fact that you say you are no longer hungry.
• Keep a watchful eye on everything you eat, make snide comments, or check the fridge or food packages to see if you have eaten “bad” foods in their absence.
• Be overly critical of your weight loss methods. “You have a weird relationship with food.”
• Discourage you from getting regular physical activity. “You go too much.”  “You don’t spend enough time with me.”
• Belittle or make fun of you.  I had a friend who said that my not ordering the Awesome Blossom onion rings with her anymore made me boring.  I told her, “I would rather be boring than have fat thighs anymore.”

You might find that someone in your life fits these characteristics, therefore, it is likely you are dealing with someone who (consciously or unconsciously) does not want your weight loss efforts to work.

It is important to recognize if someone is making your weight loss efforts harder rather than easier, you need to acknowledge or it will only lead to failure and resentment in your relationship.  You need to have an honest talk with this person, explaining the importance of what you are doing and how what they are doing exists and how it makes you feel.  Use “I” statements, without blaming “you” statements.

Here are some COPING ideas:

• “When you prepare a meal for us, I would prefer it if you didn’t fill up my whole plate or offer me seconds. Please don’t take offense when I say no.”
• “When you bring snacks or fast food into the house, please try to eat them in another room or at least, don’t offer me any of yours or eat in front of me.  These are problem foods for me and hard to resist them.”
• “I feel more likely to stick to my walking routine if you /biking/exercise routine if join me every now and again. It’s something we can do together.
• “I am carefully watching what I do and don’t eat. If I do slip now and again, believe me, I am aware of it. I don’t need you to point it out.
• “Please don’t take me to restaurants where I can’t order something good and healthy.”

In turn, ask your loved one to tell you about their feelings. You may be surprised at what comes to light.   Ask them what you can do to help them adjust to your new lifestyle.  (If your friend, for example, feels threatened you’ll leave her behind for a “new crowd,” a simple heart-to-heart may be all it takes for her to put those feelings of fear and resentment behind her.)

My recommendation is to find a support team of people who back what you are doing to change your life.  A weight loss group, people at the gym or a work-out class, a friend who is also doing this change, people at the weight loss clinic, etc.  It is important to find support.  It is like Alcoholics Anonymous–people go for the support and sponsors.  You need this for any change in your life.  Find others who are like-minded.

Hopefully, you can either get your saboteur to come around or to at least stop the toxic negative talk.  Sometimes relationships end over this kind of thing.  I recommend trying counseling for important relationships.  But, keep in mind that your changes and your health should come first.  I can’t plead with you more to put yourself first.

Keeping a journal sometimes helps too. Often, dealing with these types of toxic influences comes down to avoiding them, ignoring them, or giving yourself the positive self-talk that undoes the damage caused by your loved one’s negative influence.

You can do things to avoid uncomfortable social situations. Try planning non-food activities with friends and family as often as possible. If you’re used to drinks and appetizers with friends, get together to a gun range, bowling, golfing, tennis, a run/walk, a movie instead; instead of going to your Mom’s for dessert, ask her to just coffee or a walk!  I have a friend who meets weekly with a walking group.  They walk and talk.

Try to get the saboteur to shop with you and learn about what you are doing and don’ t fall for buying what they like to eat.

The worst case scenario is that you’ll have to distance yourself from the person who is causing your weight loss efforts to suffer. Sometimes a breather from a relationship is a good thing. Don’t look at it as break up; remember that when you feel stronger or once you’ve met your weight loss goal, you could see them again.

 Remember this is YOUR WEIGHT LOSS JOURNEY.  And in any journey, there are twists and turns.  Most things worthwhile are NOT easy.  Remember, no one is able to make you eat or do/not do anything you set you mind to doing. It is your body and your health at stake and you have to take charge of it … and you are the one who has to live with your health issues, your body and you are the one who has to shop for clothes and deal with the ramifications of how it makes you feel!!

What is the missing puzzle piece that keeps me from losing weight?  It is Homeostasis!

Your body has a regulator that gets alerted when you throw off by messing up the usual balance.  The regulator is called, “homeostasis.”

DEFINITION (then solution):

“Homeostasis is what your body is trying to do when it can’t lose weight…”

Your metabolism has a regulator. Because we live active lives and are subject to random events, imbalances occur. Another way of saying this is excess and deficiencies occur within the body.

Your body, its metabolism and the various systems are constantly trying to attain the highest level of living they can. There are complex and sophisticated systems that help it do that, so there is no one diet that works for everyone. To lose weight by losing fat, you have to be able to look at what is current state of imbalance and move towards an optimum.

The body’s ability to adapt to changing external and internal changes and imbalances, your nutritional needs will change and so will your physical needs to maintain optimal physical health.

No matter what commercial diet you chose or what commercial exercise your chose, there will always be a point where it will stop working because your body has adapted through homeostasis to that environment.

Also, it also explains why some diets and exercise plans to not work for others at all.

SOLUTION:

So, you have to help this regulator, by allowing it to do its job.  So, the reason that you need to:

1.  Eat small balanced meals every 3-4 with enough protein and veggies is to keep the body happily regulating, but still allowing your body to lose weight from lower carb content. (50g to 100g a day)

2.  Keep up regular exercise and do different varieties to keep the body working hard to lose the weight.  Walking, light weights, muscle conditioning and core work.

My lovely sister-in-law had a request for a Trader Joe”s specific shopping list.  SO, I will do one, and many of these things have substitutions at other stores, but this one will be specifically about Trader Joes.

There are plenty of carb UNFRIENDLY things at Trader Joe’s, albeit most of them are healthier choices, and certainly more affordable items.

Low-carb shopping list at Trader Joe’s…

1.  SALAD:  The salad mixes are all very nice.  I like the more designer ones.  They also have pre-made salads, which are very good, but most are HIGH in carbs.  Look for ones that have mostly meat and egg and less beans, corns and chips.

2.  PROTEIN:  Protein bars.  Power Crunch is my favorite.  Protein shakes, all good.

3. CHEESE:  Great choices.  Try for low fat, but there are so many delicious choices.  Mini Baby bells and string cheese are great snacks. The Havarti is so good with meat or just to snack!

4.  MEAT:  Turkey burgers and their organic roasting chickens are heavenly.  Their sliced meats and hot dogs are low in carbs and really good, fresh.  ALSO, they have little hamburger patties that are so lean and so delicious, that when we grill them, they taste like filet mignon.  Totally recommend them!

5.  MULTI-CULTURE:  Their enchilada sauce and pizza sauces are really good for the cauliflower based pizza and the Taco Bell-esq burrito concoction I have written about.  Low-carb tortilla there is very low in carbs.  Decent pasta sauce for Miracle Noodles or my low-carb chicken parm.

6  FRUIT:  Fruits are good.  Strawberries, tomatoes, oranges.

7.  VEGGIES:  Veggies are delish.  All of them.  Stay away from corn, potatoes and starchy things.  The mixes for salads are great and convenient.

8.  SALAD DRESSINGS:  TJ’s salad dressings are good.  They have a great balsamic vinagrette.  Great oils and such too.

9.  MILKY ITEMS:  Great low-carb Greek Yogurt choices and organic milk.  The larger container of Dannon Fit and Lite at Costco is more cost efficient.  They have good butter spread made of yogurt.  My husband uses one called, Earth Balance.

10.  EGGS:  Boiled eggs in a bag!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  I use these daily.  Also their regular eggs are good, as are egg white cartons.

11.  NUTS/SEEDS: They have a great selection of nuts and seeds there.  Although, I think the containers at Costco are more cost efficient.  Great peanut and other butters.

12.  FROZEN MEAT:  In the freezer section.  Sometimes they have great fish choices to keep in your fridge for protein and quick fix items.  Turkey burgers too.

13.  DOGS:  Their peanut butter treats are heavenly and actually made by the Blue Dog Bakery.  My dogs love them.  And they are natural.

14.  PRE-MADE MEALS: Great pre-made meals, but check out the carb content on the packaging.  If you go over 25g of carbs for your own dinner, you might be getting a little too high.  I work to keep my numbers between 50g and 100g and the closer to 50f, the happier I am.

15,  WATER:  A lot of choices.  No or low carbs….

THE RECIPE OF THE DAY IS TO AVOID CERTAIN THINGS AT THE MARKET:

I stay away from bread and rice, but they do have one ok bread, their TJ California Protein bread at 15g a slice.  However, Sara Lee’s 45 calorie wheat bread is about 7g per slice, so I prefer that and that is not sold at TJ.  It is less than $3 at Target and just under $5 at the other markets.  They have great mixes for brownies and banana bread, but those are not low-carb.  Beware.  There are so many wonderful choices, so just stay away from the bad stuff.

I talked to a lady today who is trying to follow the diet and she seemed upset because she was busy over the holiday and then didn’t have time to shop or prep for what she needed for the diet.

Ok, so I am going to dedicate today’s blog to her.

Everyone falls off of the wagon.  There just are those times!  What do you do when you fall off?  You get right back on!  Sometimes stress triggers it, self-esteem issues, dining out with people, special holidays, eating on the go, craving sweets, etc.  But, even so, never give up!

But, this time you have to be more prepared, so you can immediately get back on the wagon– and there are easy ways to do that!

I wrote a blog awhile ago about what proteins you could eat so you wouldn’t get bored with your food choices.   You need to keep things that you can eat in the house and your drawer at work,  so that if you do fall off of the wagon, you can get back on.  But, if you really want to follow your diet, you need to work hard to prepare yourself in advance of an event or holiday.  You also should have food items to bring  with you when you leave the house or have at home,  if you can’t leave the house.

BLOGS YOU SHOULD READ TO HELP YOU AND YOUR WAGON:

1.  Fast food that you can eat out.  https://skinny-rules.com/2012/10/16/6fastfoodchoices/

2.  Low-carb food fixes for a sweet tooth.  https://skinny-rules.com/2012/10/09/10-sweet-tooth-fixes/

3.  My ideas on the dangers of being unprepared for your next day:  https://skinny-rules.com/2012/10/06/prepping-for-your-next-day-with-the-low-carb-food-pyramid/

4. Top 20 protein ideas to keep in the house.   https://skinny-rules.com/2012/09/29/top20snacks/

YOU MUST BE PREPARED AT ALL TIMES IN A DIET!

Of all of my suggestions, here are 9 food items (proteins) that you can buy and store in your house or work that will keep for awhile.

1.  Nature Valley Protein Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter bar is low carb and high protein.  I have seen them at Costco, Smart and Final and Target and even Amazon.  THEY ARE DELISH!

2.  Power Cruch Protein bar, all flavors.  High protein and low carb.  I have seen them sold cheaper on Vitacost.com.  But, they are at Smart and Final and Trader Joes.

3.  Other bars of your choice that are low carb, high protein.  Even Lindora.com has some good ones.

4.  Low carb protein drinks.  My favorite is at Trader Joes.  They are low in carbs, high in protein.

5.  Nuts and (sunflower) seeds, although you need to measure them out because you can only have so many.

6.  Peanut or other butter.  2 tablespoons should do it at 8g of carbs.

7.  If necessary, a small cup or less of oatmeal.  (watch the carb content)

FRIDGE ITEMS:

8.  Some low carb chocolate pudding snack packs keep in the fridge a long time.  Some greek yogurts too.

9.  Already boiled hard-boiled eggs that are sold in sealed bags, like at Trader Joes.

GET SHOPPING.  PREPARE LIKE YOU WOULD FOR A DISASTER!

I just bought some more low-carb protein bars (my favorite), Power Crunch at Vitacost.com.  All flavors!

They are already cheaper by the box, at under $15,  but you get more off up until midnight tonight (11/26) with the promo code of SAVEBIG.  I just saved about $5 a box.  If you buy anything over $49, the shipping is free.

They also have low-carb baking products and gluten-free too.

I missed french toast.  Regular french toast is carbilicious!  ONE thin slice of it has about 18g of  carbs, and a thick piece has about 23g of carbs.  JUST ONE PIECE.

Then, there is the syrup.  Regular maple syrup has over 50g of carbs per 2 tablespoons.  DID YOU READ THAT RIGHT?  for only 2 tablespoons, it has more carbs than you should have in a meal!  Some are a little less, some are a little more…but that is insanity!  No wonder why I had a weight problem.  Then, there was the french toast too!

ONE SECRET TO HAVING LOW CARB FRENCH TOAST:  THE SYRUP CHOICE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The lighter syrups all vary.  They go by the quarter cup.  Some of them are over 20g of carbs per quarter cup…which is better, but it isn’t great when there are some that vary between 8g and 12g per quarter cup.  Some of the better ones are the Maple Farms Sugar Free Maple Syrup (available at Ralphs and other markets) , Mrs. Buttersworth Sugar Free Maple Syrup at places like Walmart, and Cary’s Sugar Free at Target, Smart and Final, and other stores.  My sister-in-law got me IHOP’s Sugar Free Maple Syrup, which is on Amazon.com and it is only 6g of carbs per quarter cup–which is outstanding.  They all taste good and not as sickenly sweet and going to put you into some diabetic spell if you eat them regularly.

SECOND SECRET TO HAVING LOW CARB FRENCH TOAST:  THE BREAD CHOICE!!!!

Then, there is the French Toast.  I feel there are two ways to go.  If you had regular bread, you are going to have at least 15g of carbs per slice.  However, you could either:

1.  Use Sara Lee 45 Calorie Bread and dip it in one egg or egg white batter and put some Splenda and cinnamon on it (1 slice is only 8g of carbs).

2. Use the Paleo Bread by Julian Bakery (available online at JulianBakery.com or find it at a specialty store near you), which is NET ZERO carbs and there is no gluten or wheat. Splenda/cinnamon.

MY CHOICES:

I wound up making egg-white Paleo Bread, with Sugar Free syrup and 2 chicken sausages.

It was totally delicious (No way I use a quarter cup of syrup) and less than 5g of carbs for the whole thing.  Regular French toast with syrup would have been about 75g of carbs for only one slice.  (and you know you have had more than one slice before!)  If I had splurged and had 2 piecese, it would have been less than 10g for the whole thing.  It tasted good and I was full.

I recommend trying this.  This way you don’t get bored with your eggs everyday.