Tuesday 25 June 2013

Post 8: General Post

It's been awhile since I've blogged, however I have still been reading many articles on low carb high fat lifestyles and I find all this research fascinating, the effect on the body is overwhelming
My scientific knowledge is fairly new in human biology but I understand enough to make informed choices about my diet. I do find it difficult to make the right choices when out and about as almost every food establishment in town offers chips/potato/pasta and variations of with most meals. This did get me thinking though that not only is the food and issue, but what about how it is prepared and/or cooked?


The gym is going well, I had a personal training plan devised yesterday and I so feel it today! but I find it better to follow that than go aimlessly from one piece of equipment to the next and not really doing anything constructive with my time there. 








Sunday 16 June 2013

Post 7: My Big Fat Diet

More supporting evidence for a low carb high fat diet comes from the TV programme 'My Big Fat Diet' (2008, Bare Bones Productions Inc) 
I saw the programmed shared amongst various pages/sites online and watched the programme in parts via YouTube My Big Fat Diet

The programme follows a fishing community from Alert Bay in Canada. Dr Jay Wortman MD asks members of the community to partake in a year long study which requires them to eat a low carb high fat diet.The study is supported by a nurse who had frequent contact with all the participants taking measurements, weights etc. 

Results from the study show that weight loss was not the only benefit from following this type of eating plan.

If you get chance it really is worth the watch. There are other films from the series as well on YouTube.

Post 6: Cereal Killers

I have seen this video clip posted on several pages on Facebook over the last few days and initially dismissed it.... How wrong was I.

When I finally watched it a couple of days ago the message really hit me emotionally.... the concept, the message, the aim.

After watching it several times I looked further at the project information.

The film asks striking questions such as 'Does fat make you fat'? and 'is sugar toxic'? 

In the film Donal follows a high fat food plan for 28 days under the strict guidance of Professor Tim Noakes et al. Donal undertakes this food plan to see if he can 'hack' his genes. His father Kevin developed heart disease despite being slim and healthy.... The film asks 'Could Donal be next?'

You can watch the videos and look at the project information Cereal Killers: The Movie

The project is now in the post production stage and needs funding to get the message out there. If you back the project (depending on amount) there are a range of gifts for supporters such as mention in the movie credits for £27!

With 25 days to go (at time of posting) there is still time to back the project as much as you can and it will go to a great cause which has a strong message to deliver. 

Also please share this video wherever you can and help them to reach their target and share an important message!!


If you can please support them.... I will be.
As the Cape Crusaders say 'Let's Start A Storm'

You can follow Cereal Killers for updates and information here: @CerealKillers13 



Post 5: Smash The Fat 21 Day Experiment

Whilst browsing Twitter for information, research articles and support for LCHF I came across Sam Feltham who is the owner of Smash The Fat
One of his tweets directed me to a study he conducted on himself on consuming a high fat low carb diet for 21 days.


You can read the article in full here: Why I Didn’t Get Fat From Eating 5,000 Calories A Day 

An overview is that Sam ate 5000 calories per day for 21 days.Yes 5000! You can see his calories intake Here

As by conventional advice - which is 'low fat, high carbs' it is right to have expected Sam to gain weight, roughly around 7.3kg which is approx 16lbs due to consuming so much fat.

....However this was not the case... yes he did put on weight - 1.3kg which is approx. 2.8lbs, not a lot at all.

You can read the full article for more information, including Sam's conclusion and theory on how the Low Carb High Fat lifestyle works. It is a fascinating experiment and well worth the read to show that our current guidelines on food are wrong. Yes this may be a bold statement but there are many more studies like Sam's that support the low carb high fat lifestyle. 

To what cost will the current 'healthy' guidelines be? We know there is an increase in cardiovascular disease, obesity, strokes and the use of long term medication. 

Is this a result of eating less fat, more carbs?

You can follow Sam Feltham on Twitter @samfeltham








Saturday 15 June 2013

Post 4 : Random Ramblings

As I've mentioned in some recent posts that I'm new to LCHF and I must admit that sometimes I get confused by it.

Low carbohydrates High fat and as I understand it Moderate amounts of protein.

This is ok, until you go shopping where every food label is geared towards the conventional nutritional advice. Today I must have been in my Sainbury's local a good hour pouring over food labels. 

This is something I need to read on, or make a list beforehand maybe. As much as I like eggs there are getting a bit much for every meal!! it also doesn't help maybe that I'm rather particular about what I eat. 

This lifestyle is simple to maintain.... I just need a little more practice, or make rules when I go shopping.... not a bad idea.

In other news......

The fitness side is going ok, 3rd workout and 2nd run session completed to date. I'm a little sore and tired but its going well, a bit more motivation was needed for this morning but I smashed it. 















Friday 14 June 2013

Post 3 - My Dad

Carrying on from the previous post about my dad's hate for anything processed.

As you can imagine times change, attitudes to food change and shopping habits change. As we grew up there became more prepacked everything. When I was younger you couldn't get pre-grated cheese.

Along with these changes it's fair to say my dad ate more than he would like of processed food.

My dad was slim generally with a slight belly. 

He died in his sleep almost 4 years ago from a heart attack. He was 61.

Yes he smoked and the implications of smoking are well known and not an area that I am looking at here.

Thinking back, as you do, he had test after test for cholesterol, different medications and diet advice. 

I remember not long after he died I told my health visitor who was sympathetic and she said something along the lines of ' you better watch your cholesterol levels' at the time I had no idea what she meant. Maybe I do a little more now.

Is it right to assume there is a link in my dads diet with his high cholesterol? was smoking more of a factor than I have credited? Overall he was slim, not overweight/obese.... is it correct to only associate heart disease with overweight people? He had a very active lifestyle.... 2 collies that he walked for miles as well as his other outdoor hobbies. Does exercise make that much of a difference if you have a poor diet? 


So many questions.... maybe not all are answerable and it won't change that my dad is no longer here. But could a change in diet change any heart disease risk for me and other members of my family? 

I don't smoke and only rarely drink, my only vice really is processed foods......


Which have made me 'fat' and pushing me towards developing cardiovascular disease...







Post 2 - My Childhood

I'm not going to bore you with memories of Christmas's gone by or embarrassing pictures of a younger me. However thinking about this blog and it's aim it got me thinking of the relationship I had with food as a child.


My dad RIP. was very traditional. We grew our own veg, potatoes, tomatoes etc every year. I remember spending many a summer evening watering the onions... I digress. He was very anti processed foods and also foreign food (I never had my first curry until I was around 14) we cooked from scratch and baked, or at least attempt to bake most things. Bread that was better used as a door stop was interesting!

Everyone goes to McDonalds and the like these days, it seems 'normal' yet I didn't until I was again around 14, and only then we went as a relative took us. My dad wouldn't spend his money on that muck as he called it. Now a McDs visit is commonplace for us. 

I always thought back then that he was harsh, tight etc. I know now that he was giving us the best start he could and he wasn't being mean not letting us go to McDs and eat fast foods.

He was very anti the big supermarkets selling quick, easy processed foods. Like cake mixes bought in a packet that needed only an egg and a quick mix, which when baked were relatively flat and heavy (because there was no air incorporated into the mix by whisking ,which makes them light and fluffy) Many a heated discussion was heard between him and my mum over processed versus fresh/natural.... and he detested margarine. 


When I was on my 3rd supersized (it was back then. Now equivalent to a 500ml bottle) can of Pepsi in a day that I bought with my YTS wages, he didn't hesitate to pour down the sink.

It just shows how attitudes to food have changed, which leads to my next post.