Eating well deliciously!
I recently reviewed the Low Karb Keto Bread Mix, so this review will be specific to Low Karb’s low-carb Keto flour. As you may know by now, I follow a keto-ish lifestyle and, I am always on the lookout for keto-friendly, low-carb flour. I Read more
I have been baking low-carb bread ever since I started living the low-carb lifestyle. As described in my article on low-carb flour substitutes, there are a variety of options when it comes to low-carb baking. However, as pointed out in that post, these substitutes don’t Read more
In my weight loss journey, I have tried several diets and meal plans in my efforts to lose weight. Out of all the diets, I have tried, the only one that works and that I can easily sustain is the low-carb diet. I came to this conclusion after following several diets including the Six-Week Body Makeover, the Whole 30 Diet, the Mediterranean Diet, the Vegan Diet, The Gabriel Method, the Paleo Diet, and finally the Keto Diet.
I lost very little weight after following most of these diets, and I came to realize that my body is sensitive to sugar and carbohydrates. This is to say that my body quickly converts carb-rich foods into sugar and then into fat. The first diet that allowed me to lose inches but not weight was the Keto diet.
I was onto something with the Keto diet, but following the Keto diet long-term is not sustainable nor, in my opinion, advisable. So, what’s the difference between a low-carb diet and the keto diet? Don’t they both call for eating very few carbs? Well, yes and no. In this post, I’ll detail the difference between the two and how you can eat low-carb for effective and sustained weight loss.
A low carb diet entails adjusting daily dietary macro-nutrients by drastically cutting the amount of carbohydrates while simultaneously increasing the amount of fats. Proteins are consumed in moderation on a low carb diet. The Atkins Diet is a classic example of a low carb diet that starts out extremely low carb and gradually increases the levels of carbohydrates as weight-loss goals are achieved.
The Keto Diet also drastically cuts the levels of carbs but where it differs from Atkins is that in the keto diet, carbs are never increased and fats are used as the primary source of energy. So how many carbs are we talking about when we low carb? Dietary guidelines recommend between 45% to 65% of our calories be from carbohydrates. This means that a person on a 2,000 calorie diet would consume between 225 to 325 grams of carbs each day.
On a low carb diet, you would cut down the amount of daily carbohydrates to between a low of 50 grams to no more than 150 grams of total calories. On a commercial diet like Atkins, the recommendation is to start at 20 grams for two weeks before gradually increasing the amount until you reach a maintenance stage where you know how many carbs you should eat and not gain weight.
The keto diet recommends you eat only up to 20 grams of carbs per day. Maintaining a diet with this amount of carbs enables you to achieve and stay in ketosis (using fat for energy) for the rest of your life. Many people have found success with keto and some have even been cured of disease like epilepsy and type 2 diabetes. However, I’ve come to believe that it’s not healthy to stay on the keto diet on a long term basis.
Instead, I follow my own version of a low carb diet and allow myself up to 50 grams of carbs each day. I find this works well for me but you should tweak your levels to see what works for you. Next up, preparing to start a low carb diet.
The first thing you need to do when trying to go low carb is to prepare for the plan by cleaning out your pantry and fridge of all high-carb foods. This means you have to remove bread, chips, crackers, muffins, potatoes, sugar and all other high carb foods and sweets. Once this is done, you will have a clean slate to restock with suitable foods to eat on a low carb diet.
Keep in mind that you may have some withdrawal symptoms at the beginning of going low carb and you will be sure to have cravings for high carb foods. There are ways to ameliorate the suffering so fear not. The first thing you will need to do is to restock your pantry and fridge with low-carb replacements and substitutes for high-carb foods like flour, honey, sugar and high carb vegetables like potatoes, beets, and rice. Luckily there are lots of healthy substitutes available in your local supermarket or online, and if you don’t have time or don’t like to cook, you can try a meal prep service like bistromd.
I go into the various types of low carb flours you can try in my post on low carb flour substitutes, but I’ll just mention a few here to get you started. Keep in mind that you will have to search for recipes using these alternative flours and your results will not be exactly the same as using traditional wheat flour unless you use einkorn flour. Some low carb flour substitutes you can use to create bread, flatbread, rolls, muffins, cookies, and other baked goods include:
You can find tons of recipes online and on this blog that use these products to recreate high-carb baked goods. Keep in mind that you’ll also have to find substitutes for sugar, syrups, honey, and other sweets. My post on sugar alternatives for diabetics offers a great list for sugar/sweet substitutes.
Using this combination of flour and sugar substitutes makes low carbing much easier and bearable. The next step involves adjusting other macronutrients like fats and proteins to make up for the drastic lowering of carbohydrates. I’ll first discuss the role of fats in the low carb diet.
If you’ve done any research on how we process foods, then you know that carbohydrates are the preferred energy source for our bodies. Carbohydrates are broken down or processed rather quickly starting in our mouths where salivary amylase starts the digestion process. The process is very efficient and our bodies are very good at breaking down and storing carbohydrates.
The problem comes in because we consume entirely too many carbs in the typical American diet. We start our days with carb-laden breakfasts containing foods like bagels, donuts, muffins, toast, home-fries – you get the idea! Then we follow up with lunch, snacks, and dinner that also contain high levels of carbohydrates. The over-abundance of carbs forces our bodies to store this excess energy as fat.
Nonetheless, we use fats in the low carb diet to replace these carbs and force the body to use fat as the preferred energy source. The main concept behind using fats when low carbing is that fat is energy-dense and keeps us feeling full for longer. Eating high levels of fat makes you feel full but still lets you be calorie-deficient. Being calorie-deficient means your body needs more energy but because you’re full, you won’t eat more. This, in turn, forces your body to burn body-fat to make up for the calories you’re not eating. Ingenious isn’t it?
Commercial diets like Atkins and Keto advise eating high levels of fats – between 45% to 75% of calories or up to 167 grams per day. They encourage any and all fat sources including lard, fatty foods like bacon, cheese, eggs, steak, burgers, etc. In other words, a hefty amount of saturated fats. I faithfully followed the keto diet for 9 weeks, but in the end, I came to one conclusion regarding fats.
I now believe that we should strive to eat high levels of good fats like the mono and unsaturated fats found in foods like avocados, MCT oil, fatty fish, nuts, etc. I’d also advise against eating many of the foods advocated by commercial diets including lots of butter, lard, and other foods containing high levels of saturated fats. Too much saturated fat causes inflammation which in turn causes other nasty health conditions like auto-immune diseases and cancer.
The final important macro-nutrient we’ll discuss is protein and how it helps us in weight loss while on a low carb diet.
Protein is the second most important macro-nutrient when it comes to following a low carb diet. Protein’s role is dual: it helps to keep us full for longer periods and it helps us to maintain and build muscle. The last point is especially important for anyone on a weight-loss diet. This is because many of us tend to lose muscle instead of fat when we maintain a calorie deficit and exercise while dieting. Protein helps to stave off this phenomenon.
Moderate amounts of protein is recommended for anyone following a low carb diet. This means that a person should eat .7 to .9 grams of protein for every pound of body weight. By adding adequate amounts of protein we can boost the effectiveness of our weight-loss regimen by maintaining and growing the muscle needed for continued fat-burning. Too much protein can stop ketosis and ultimately be converted to glucose (sugar). Moderation is the key.
As mentioned, commercial diets recommend sourcing protein from foods like burgers, steak, bacon, and pork. These are fine, but I recommend looking for cleaner sources of protein like grass-fed bison/beef, cage-free eggs, wild-caught salmon, and free-range poultry.
The last component to eating low carb is to incorporate low carb and nutrient-dense vegetables into your diet. Read my post on the best foods for weight loss for ideas of some great ideas on the types of vegetables to eat. Just to mention a few, make sure you include green leafy vegetables, asparagus, bell pepper, tomatoes, cucumbers and green beans and fruits/berries like strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, avocados, coconut, cantaloupe, watermelon, lemons, and peaches.
As long as you prepare in advance with the right pantry and fridge items you will be well on your way to effectively following a low carb diet. Determine where you want to start in terms of daily carb intake and make sure to track your calories and macros by using apps like cronometer or myfitnesspal.
Follow these tips and you can safely lose up to 2 pounds each week – a sustainable level that is good for you and will not stress or shock your system. You might not believe just how easy this weight loss thing can be! Try it out and let me know in the comments how it works for you. Until next time, Happy Eating!
As long as we are eating the right kinds, food is the cure for much of what ails us health-wise. When it comes to losing weight, we might feel that eating less food will help us in our quest. However, not eating enough is Read more
If you’ve been following along with this blog, you know that I’ve been on all sorts of diets and eating plans to lose weight. Over time, I’ve learned that my body type responds most effectively to low-carb diets. Low-carb diets like Atkins and Keto are Read more
It’s been a minute since I’ve posted any recipes for this blog so today I’m going to discuss one of my favorite and versatile foods, the flatbread. There are many types of flatbread (also known as tortillas) and they may be leavened or unleavened depending on the cuisine and ingredients used. This variety is useful for creating flatbreads that are tasty and suitable for various ways of eating.
In this post, I’ll share flatbread recipes that are suitable for different diets like keto, paleo, gluten-free, nut-free, etc. There will be something for everyone, guaranteed. Before I continue, however, I must make clear that some of these flatbread recipes will produce flatbread or tortillas of various textures and fold-ability.
For example, the gluten-free version will be more brittle and not fold easily or as well as the einkorn version. Outcomes and textures depend on the flour base used to create the flatbread. The ultimate goal is to create a delicious flatbread and I believe I have with these recipes. I’ll begin the list with my favorite recipe that is easy, all-purpose, and yummy the einkorn tortilla.
Einkorn Flour is the most ancient grain of wheat that is non-GMO and has never been hybridized. This means it has less of the proteins (like gluten) found in modern hybridized wheat that cause allergies, intolerances, and inflammatory diseases like celiac.
Einkorn flour is highly nutritious, containing high levels of protein, fiber, vitamins, phosphorus, and iron. Anything made with this wonderful flour comes out a lovely golden yellow due to the high levels of carotenoids found in Einkorn wheat berries. Moreover, flatbread, rolls, and bread come out with a delicate, soft crumb that is absolutely delicious!
This Einkorn Flour Tortilla recipe couldn’t be simpler: All you need is Einkorn flour, vegan spread (or butter), water, and optional salt. You can find the complete recipe here:
Pro-tip: if you don’t have a tortilla press, just cut the zipper off a Ziploc bag and cut down the sides. Place a tortilla ball in between the open sides of the bag and press down in the middle with a bowl. Alternatively, you can use the bowl to press the dough ball between two squares of parchment paper. Voila! Tortillas!
This recipe for keto flatbread is made with my version of the THM Baking Blend. This flatbread is very quick and easy to make because it’s made with a few simple ingredients that are low-carb and won’t wreck your progress. I made this flatbread almost every week of the month when I was exclusively keto and it really saved my diet and my sanity.
To make this quick keto flatbread you’ll need the THM Baking Blend I discuss in my article on low-carb flour substitutes, avocado oil, baking powder, and water. That’s it! Combine these ingredients into a dough, form and roll out four flatbreads, and fry on a medium-hot skillet. You can check out the full recipe and directions here:
Even though it looks fragile, this keto flatbread holds up well with whatever you choose all for only 2 g carbs per serving!
These days, many people are turning to gluten-free grains, flour, and baked goods. Some people do this out of necessity because they’re gluten-intolerant or they have Celiac disease. Other people are choosing to go gluten-free because they think eating less gluten will be beneficial for their health. Whatever the reason for going gluten-free, it’s essential that people find a suitable all-purpose gluten-free flour.
I sometimes bake and cook for my vegan cousin who’s a fitness trainer and follows a very austere eating regimen. He recently requested gluten-free tortillas and I went on the hunt for a suitable flour. After trial and error with various grain-free flour mixes, I settled upon the King Arthur all-purpose gluten-free flour. This gluten-free flour when used with a bit of xanthan gum, makes tasty breads, scones, cakes, and tortillas.
I ended up creating a gluten-free flatbread for him using King Arthur gluten-free flour with a bit of almond flour. You can see the recipe here:
This gluten-free tortilla does not quite have the same texture as a regular tortilla made with wheat flour, but it holds its own as a vehicle for delicious fillings and toppings.
The paleo diet is the most stringent way of eating when it comes to bread or anything resembling bread. Paleo encourages the dieter to eat meat, fish, eggs, nuts, seeds, vegetables, and healthy oils; however, processed foods, grains, or sugar are not allowed.
As you can imagine cutting bread out of our diet is very challenging for many of us. Think about it, we eat grains for almost every meal – cereal or toast for breakfast, rice or a wrap for lunch, and pasta or pizza for dinner. Grains are everywhere! These factors made following the paleo diet very difficult for me personally.
As always, I searched for ways to circumvent the no-grain rule and create a palatable bread substitute. I turned to flatbread instead of loaf bread because it’s such an all-purpose food. I can make wraps, quesadillas, and desserts using flatbread as the base. To create my paleo flatbread, I had to use ingredients that were permissible on the diet. I came up with this recipe:
I love the simplicity of this recipe. It’s easy to make with easily available ingredients and it holds up well to any topping.
I love making flatbread. They are quick and easy to make and I can enjoy them with any meal. Flatbreads are so versatile, they can be used for any course like breakfast burrito wraps, or to sop up stews/curries and even make a savory quesadilla or dessert chocolate roll-up! The possibilities are limited only to your imagination.
I hope I’ve proven with these flatbread recipes that you can still enjoy flatbread and tortillas while on a keto, paleo, or gluten-free diet. Do you like flatbread? What’s, your favorite? Let me know in the comments. Until then: Happy Eating!