Why do critics say the Paleo diet lacks carbohydrates and is therefore unhealthy, when a key part of the diet is eating fruits and vegetables which are carbohydrate sources?
You're right to point out that this criticism of the Paleo diet does not hold water. Unfortunately, I can't begin to answer why people make this criticism... However, I can write a little bit about why the criticism is baseless. Consider the following.1. Paleo isn't necessarily a low (in absolute terms) carbohydrate diet (think of carbs from sweet potatoes, fruits, etc...), but it certainly is a low (in relative terms) carbohydrate diet when compared to a standard diet that includes bread, pasta, sugared drinks, etc...2. There are no nutrients you would get from eating carbohydrate sources that you cannot get from other sources (fruits, vegetables, meat, etc...). Since you'll have to eat way more fruits and vegetables to replace the carbs you are cutting out, and since fruits and vegetables are generally more nutritionally dense anyways, I'd say you're actually better off cutting out the carbs. 3. Your body has the capacity to make carbohydrates from other energy sources (fat and protein). As long as you're eating enough you're good. In fact, eating less carbohydrates will result in less weight gain because. Quick digestion of carbohydrates (even complex carbohydrates) triggers the body to store the incoming energy glut as fat. Since carbohydrates are not satiating you become hungry again soon after eating and end up eating more carbohydrates - this cycle results in weight gain. Contrast this with slow digestion of proteins and fats. These don't provide an energy high like carbohydrates. Instead, they provide a slow and steady amount of energy over a longer period of time. Your body ends up using up this energy instead of storing it. You will also end up consuming fewer calories because proteing and fats are more satiating (fewer calories of protein/fat will keep you full longer than a larger amount of calories from carbohydrates.).
What paleo cooking oils goes well with Chinese cuisine?
If you’re doing your cooking on your stove top at home, it’s not really high heat cooking. Not in the sense that wok cooking at a Chinese take out place is high heat cooking anyhow. Your stove can’t generate the kind of heat that your local Panda Express wok can. I would just use pure olive oil, not extra virgin. Pure olive oil is acceptable to your diet constrictions, isn’t so flavorful that it will overpower the Asian flavors in your stir fry, and its smoke point is high enough to use in a stove top wok. This is what I do when I use my wok on the stove top. The secret to successful wok cooking at home isn’t having the right oil or enough heat, because you’ll never have that, it is cooking your food in stages and then bringing it all together at the end with your sauce. For example, let’s say we are making a simple chicken and vegetable stir fry. Ingredients wise I would use ginger, garlic, green onions, yellow onions, red and green peppers, a couple of Thai chilis, mushrooms, zucchini and peanuts. For my sauce I mix about two parts oyster sauce, half part soy sauce, one quarter part tomato ketchup, and sriracha and sesame oil to taste. First, I would cut up my chicken and vegetables into pieces about 1/2″ and mince the ginger, garlic and chili peppers. Toss the chicken in corn starch and cook it all in a couple of batches in a hot wok. Take the chicken out and put it aside. Now cook the onions, peppers and mushrooms until they are tender and set them aside. Next heat a little more oil and add the garlic, ginger, scallions and chilis. Cook these for about 30 seconds and add the zucchini. Cook for about one minute more. Now add all of the vegetables and chicken back into the pot and toss to blend all of the flavors together. Finally pour in your sauce and peanuts and toss until everything is coated in the sauce. It seems like a lot of work but it is the best way to make stir fry on the stove top. If you throw it all in the wok like they do at your favorite Chinese restaurant, it will cool down the pan really quickly and all of your ingredients will just boil in their own juices. That’s not what you want.
Macedonian bread....keeflee?
Hello, I had this bread a long time ago and loved it. I have been searching the web to try to find a recipe, and to no avail. Can someone give me a link or a recipe on how to prepare this wonderful bread. Also, I am looking for another recipe, I dont know the name of it. It is pilo with spinach and I think cheese. I think it is made in a cake pan. If anyone can help me, I would be thankful.
What types of paleo diets are there?
There are a few types of paleo diets out there. Actually one of the cool things about paleo is that it’s actually pretty flexible.There are some principles that paleo people follow but over time you can adjust your specific diet to your needs and goals.The most common styles that I know of are:Paleo (normal or “strict”): The basic paleo diet eliminates dairy, soy, grains, and processed and refined foods from your diet. With basic paleo, you eat meat, fish, eggs, fruit, vegetables nuts, seeds.Primal: The primal diet is similar to normal paleo but more flexible with the foods list. They both include lots of veggies, protein, and healthy fats while eliminating gluten and artificial sweeteners. But some primal dieters eat raw dairy, white rice, and the occasional legumes.Autoimmune Paleo: If you are suffering from a chronic condition (for example, IBS, Crone’s disease, eczema, or arthritis) you may find that entirely eliminating certain foods reduces inflammation. With the autoimmune paleo diet (AIP), you get rid of certain foods that create inflammatory responses. By eliminating one or more of the common inflammatory foods, such as nightshade vegetables, fruits, nuts, and eggs, those on AIP may see improvement in digestion or other symptoms.80/20 Paleo (or paleo-ish): This is the way I aim to eat. With 80/20, you eat clean paleo foods about 80-90% of the time and then allow yourself to indulge in non-paleo foods around 10-20 percent of the time. Of course, this is not the best for someone who’s figuring out food allergies or needs to lose large amounts of weight, but it’s really good for long-term maintenance. With 80/20, you want to make sure to take a reasonable approach to non-paleo foods and avoid serious binges. Of course, you can have a piece of cake on your birthday. No, you can’t have a birthday party twice a week.Here is some more information on the different types and styles of paleo if you want to look into it more.Hope that helps!-Brice
How long will it take to see the benefits of switching to a Paleo diet?
I personally lost 3.5 kg (7 lbs 11 oz) within the first month of starting paleo, back in 2011. I actually did a modified paleo in which I allowed myself full fat dairy as well (not milk, but butter, heavy cream, cheese, and Strained yogurt). Some of that weight must be water weight as I was barely eating any starch/sugar, which retain water. It did translate to about 1.5 inches (or maybe 1.25) lost around my waist, so it was quite noticeable, and I could feel it too.After 4 months on the paleo diet, I lost 4.5 kg (10 lbs), and 2 inches off my waist. Starting at around 67 kg (148 lb) at a height of 170 cm (5' 7") I didn't have much to lose, but I tend to store some fat around my midsection, which is what I wanted to lose, and I lost more than half of it.The best change, however, was in my blood lipid profile. I had a blood test just before starting, and then after 4 months. Here is what happened:Cholesterol: 247 ---> 222LDL: 179 ---> 160VLDL: 28 ---> 10HDL: 40 ---> 52LDL/HDL: 4.5 ---> 3.1Chol/HDL: 6.2 ---> 4.3Triglycerides: 141 ---> 52!!!I was so shocked by the drop in the triglycerides that when I picked up my results, I thought to myself the lab must have mixed up values and put the HDL value there by mistake. But then it made sense to me that since I was using fat as a fuel source, I had very little circulating fat in my bloodstream.I took statins for 6 months the year before, and had my blood tested just before and after then as well.The 4-month paleo did a much better job at decreasing triglycerides, increasing HDL, and decreasing VLDL than the 6-month statins. Statins significantly beat out the paleo on reducing total cholesterol and LDL. As for the improvement in the LDL/HDL ratio and the Chol/HDL ratio, the 4-month paleo did just as well a job as the 6-month statins!!!
Tempted to start the Atkins diet but i'm a picky eater... quick/easy/cheap Recipe suggestions?
if a 6 year old would pick at it, i probably would too...my roommate is a vegetarian so I AM learning to like new things with her help, just slowly. i looked up Atkins acceptable foods and it looks like a lot of meat, egg, salad, & soup basics. Plus a lot of the suggested recipes have things i don't like, thus making my options limited. Just looking for easy/cheap/creative ways to make that stuff not get old after a while. (i want to stick actually to the diet!) any suggestions for someone who loves to eat like a kid? *please note, i only want recipe's & the like, no criticism, or pointless comments please! and yes i'm working out too!
Can you take diet pills while taking herbalife?
I started herbalife for the second time on Monday. I didn't see any results the first time but thought i'd give it another shot. I was wondering though, is it safe to take diet pills as well? I've not actually done that but wondering if its safe?