Table of contents for Vol 38 in LOSE IT! The Handbook

1. You must not use the content in LOSE IT! as a substitute for medical advice from a healthcare professional. You should seek medical advice from a qualified professional before starting any weight-loss programme. 2. LOSE IT! magazine (which we sometimes refer to as LOSE IT!) provides educational information on weight-loss management and is intended to assist users in weight loss. LOSE IT! is not a medical organisation and cannot give medical advice or a diagnosis. 3. The information and material in LOSE IT! are intended as a general guide to assist weight loss and do not take into account individual circumstances. LOSE IT! will not provide any form of assistance or support in individual cases, nor feedback on any information you submit to the magazine. 4. You use LOSE…

‘I’ve been dealing with depression my entire life,’ says 35-year-old Jess Ornellas-Brand. ‘And with depression comes either a lack of appetite or bouts of comfort eating and, sadly, it was the latter for me. I’ve done a lot of yo-yo dieting, losing weight and gaining it again, because I’m an emotional eater. I got into a cycle of losing a good amount of weight, then putting it back on – with a bit extra. It was just so frustrating!’ A more agonising concern for Jess was the constant stomach pain she experienced, and doctors were unable to tell her what the problem was. Following a string of hospital visits and medical procedures with no solution forthcoming, Jess found herself in a dark place. ‘Every single thing I ate hurt me,’…

Q You’ve both long advocated low-carb living and co-authored Lore of Nutrition and Real Food on Trial. Why did you feel the need for another book? TIM We wanted to write a book to highlight the importance of dietary-determined metabolic health for improved immunity and reduced risk of Covid-19 infection. I would be very happy to focus on Covid if we also addressed the other issues at the same time, which in my opinion are a bigger problem. My position is that if governments were really concerned about your health, they would be addressing Type 2 diabetes and all the other diseases that are causing people to die at this moment too. I want people to focus on what they can do for themselves: reduce visceral fat, because that is…

‘Within two weeks, my mental clarity had improved.’ ‘There was just no time,’ says mother of two Odette as she reflects on the past 10 years. ‘I got married in 2012 and fell pregnant three years later. I had always been quite fit, but somewhere in between studies, working and starting a family it just kind of stopped.’ Odette was victim to the classic (and exhausting) trap many women fall into: Superwoman Syndrome. She was doing it all: working full time, building a family, being the perfect wife, making sure the house was in tip-top shape, and ensuring everyone was fed and happy. The only one who was left unhappy was Odette herself. ‘I got the baby blues like crazy,’ she says. ‘I was down because my body wasn’t where…

LOW-CARB KORMA CURRY SAUCE SERVES 4 15ml (1 tbsp) coconut oil 1 medium onion, chopped roughly 4 garlic cloves, chopped finely 1 red chilli, chopped finely 5cm-piece of fresh ginger, peeled and grated10ml (2 tsp) curry powder1.2ml (¼ tsp) salt30ml (2 tbsp) tomato purée45ml (3 tbsp) ground almonds 1 x 400ml tin reduced-fat coconut milk KEEP ON TRACK per serving FAT 14G CARBS 3G PROTEIN 3G 1. Heat coconut oil in a pan over medium heat and add onion, garlic, chilli and ginger. Cook for 2 minutes or until softened. 2. Stir in curry powder and salt, and continue to cook for a further 4 minutes. 3. Add tomato purée, ground almonds and coconut milk. Bring to a simmer, then remove from the heat. 4. Use a stick blender in…

SOUTHERN SOUL THE RESTLES SLEEPER contains a combination of calming essential oils: lavender ylang-ylang, chamomile, tea tree, rosemary and eucalyptus. Rub a little of the salve on your temples and allow the soothing scents to calm your mind so you can drift off to sleep. About R70 (58g tin); Faithful to Nature LE CREUSET HAS INTRODUCED A NEW SHADE CALLED NECTAR, described as ‘a ray of sunshine swirled with honey and a hint of caramel’. Enamelled cast-iron cookware and oven-to-table stoneware are available in the sunny new colour. lecreuset.co.za/nectar BE.BARE, founded by two young South Africans, offers a range of shampoo and conditioner bars that are subtly scented with essential oils. Their mission is to produce effective products that are vegan, cruelty-free, kind to the planet, and free of parabens…

The adidas Ultraboost 21 (an update on the popular adidas Ultraboost running shoes) features the latest in performance technology combined with a bold neon palette. The core development is the redesign of the shoe’s torsion system. The sole features patented technology that provides a 15% increase in forefoot bending stiffness for a more responsive stride. This works alongside adidas’ proprietary midsole boost technology, which offers 6% more boost to the heel curve. The range is available in various colourways. R3 599; shop.adidas.co.za…

KETO PIZZA CRUST MAKES 8 SLICES This coconut-flour crust needs to be prebaked or it will get soft and soggy. KEEP ON TRACK per slice (crust only) FAT 9G CARBS 3G PROTEIN 8G 180g (1½ cups) mozzarella, shredded30 ml (2 tbsp) medium-fat cream cheese, cubed2 large eggs, beaten40g coconut flour 1. Preheat the oven to 220ºC. Line a baking sheet or pizza pan with baking paper. 2. Combine mozzarella and cream cheese in a large bowl. Microwave for 45 seconds and stir. Microwave for another 45 seconds and stir again until well incorporated. Alternatively, melt cheeses over a double boiler on the stovetop. 3. Stir egg and coconut flour into the melted cheese. Knead the mixture with your hands until a dough forms. If the dough becomes too stiff before fully…

The lifestyle diseases plaguing the planet are multifactorial, and also from choice. What you choose to eat and drink either reduces or increases your risk of developing those diseases. Chief among them are obesity, T2D [Type 2 diabetes] and heart disease, but also increasingly cancer and dementia diseases, such as Alzheimer’s. And by now you know that the real pandemic you should be worrying about is insulin resistance. Actually, ‘worrying’ is not the right word. We want you to face it not with worry or fear in your heart, but with hope. Hope is the first step on the journey of taking back responsibility for your health. It means working with doctors and other health professionals when you are ill, questioning them and understanding that they don’t have all the…

KEEP ON TRACK per serving FAT 67G CARBS 0G PROTEIN 38G PORK BELLY SERVES 4 1kg pork belly22.5ml (1½ tbsp) salt5ml (1 tsp) black peppercorns, freshly ground5ml (1 tsp) coriander seeds, toasted and ground5ml (1 tsp) mustard seeds, toasted and ground 1. Preheat the oven to 150°C. 2. With a sharp knife, score the skin at 1cm intervals without cutting into the meat (or ask your butcher to do it). 3. Mix the salt, pepper, coriander seeds and mustard seeds, and rub it all over the meat. Place the meat in a roasting dish and roast in the oven for 3 hours. 4. To crisp the skin, grill on medium for 10–15 minutes. 5. Slice the meat and serve with brown mushrooms roasted in the oven with butter and garlic…

Note The sweetener erythritol is a type of sugar alcohol (not the intoxicating kind) that is not metabolised by the body and has little impact on blood sugar levels. So even though it has a high total carb count, the net count is zero. SEEDED RUSKS MAKES 24 KEEP ON TRACK per rusk FAT 17G CARBS 6G PROTEIN 1G DRY INGREDIENTS 375ml (1½ cups) almond flour125ml (½ cup) desiccated coconut125ml (½ cup) mixed ground seeds (grind a mix of seeds like pumpkin, sesame and sunflower roughly in a food processor)125ml (½ cup) mixed seeds, like pumpkin, sesame and sunflower60ml (¼ cup) coconut flour60ml (¼ cup) whey powder125ml (½ cup) erythritol20ml (4 tsp) baking powder5ml (1 tsp) salt WET INGREDIENTS 200g butter, melted250ml (1 cup) buttermilk 2 eggs FOR THE TOPPING…

ORANGE AND CARDAMOM CAKE SERVES 10–12 KEEP ON TRACK per serving FAT 18G CARBS 16G PROTEIN 13G 2 oranges, scrubbe 6 green cardamom pods, crushed and husks discarded; keep only the black seeds125ml (½ cup) erythritol 6 large eggs at room temperature 275g ground almonds or almond flour15ml (1 tbsp) baking powder5ml (1 tsp) salt TO SERVE 1 orange, sliced into rounds30ml (2 tbsp) butter60ml (¼ cup) pomegranate rubies fresh mintGreek yoghurt or cream, to serve 1. Place the whole oranges in a medium saucepan, cover with water and boil, covered, for 1 hour or until a knife easily pierces them. If the oranges won’t stay under the water, place a small saucepan lid directly on top to keep them submerged. Remove the oranges from the water and leave to…

1 MARINATED MUSHROOM AND BLUE CHEESE SALAD SALAD SERVES 4/MARINATED MUSHROOM RECIPE MAKES ENOUGH TO FILL A 500ML CONTAINER KEEP ON TRACK per serving FAT 32G CARBS 7G PROTEIN 10G FOR THE MARINADE 250ml (1 cup) olive oil60ml (¼ cup) red wine vinegar10ml (2 tsp) erythritol (optional)1 small onion, chopped finely2 garlic cloves, chopped finely4 thyme sprigs2 rosemary sprigs2 bay leaves salt and freshly ground black pepper 400g portobello mushrooms, cleaned1 x 500ml glass container with a tight-fitting lid FOR THE SALAD 50g mixed salad leaves, washed125g blue cheese, crumbled50g walnuts, toasted100g marinated mushrooms 1. Combine the ingredients for the marinade in a saucepan and heat over medium heat. Season with salt and black pepper. 2. Lower the heat and add the mushrooms. Cook for 7–10 minutes. The mushrooms will…

If you’re looking for a great workout companion, Huawei FreeBuds 4i will be your best bud. They’re super-light and ergonomically designed for a snug fit. Features include sensors that detect and reduce ambient noise. The dual-mic system comes with a slit-duct design to effectively reduce wind noise. The design is stylish, the sound is remarkably balanced, the bass is punchy and the battery life is excellent – what more do you need in a set of earbuds? R1 499; consumer.huawei.com/za…

Q Since I started LCHF I’ve been struggling with headaches. Could this be a result of my dietary changes? A Headaches can occur for a variety of reasons, making it difficult to pinpoint an exact cause, but it’s not uncommon to experience headaches when starting to follow LCHF. There are a few reasons: • Your body changes its fuel source. It begins to rely on ketone bodies instead of glucose, which can cause your blood sugar levels to drop. In turn, this may lead to low blood glucose levels. This transition into ketosis may place stress on your brain, which could result in headaches. • Many people experience mild to moderate dehydration at the beginning of their LCHF transition, because they tend to urinate more frequently as their bodies shift…

JAMIE LEE’S YUMMY CHIA PUDDING SERVES 1 KEEP ON TRACK per serving FAT 23G CARBS 23G PROTEIN 13G 45ml (4 tbsp) whole chia seeds250ml (1 cup) almond milk5ml (1 tsp) honey, maple syrup or any other sweetener of your choice1.2ml (¼ tsp) vanilla extract toppings of your choice, such as berries or other fresh fruit STEP 1. In a small mixing bowl or jar, combine chia seeds and almond milk. STEP 2. Add honey and vanilla extract. Stir to mix. Let it sit for 5 minutes, then give it another stir to break up any clumps of chia seeds. Cover the bowl or jar, and put it in the fridge for the mixture to ‘set’ for 1–2 hours or overnight. STEP 3. The chia pudding should be nice and thick,…

What we in South Africa call flapjacks are the same as thick, fluffy American pancakes, usually eaten for breakfast. In England and Australia, however, flapjacks are thick, gooey oat biscuits. If you're craving comfort food, look no further than these low-carb pancakes with ham and cheese. STRAWBERRY BREAKFAST FLAPJACKS MAKES 12 KEEP ON TRACK per flapjack FAT 9G CARBS 5G PROTEIN 5G 120g medium-fat cream cheese 3 large eggs30ml (2 tbsp) erythritol5ml (1 tsp) vanilla extract grated zest of 1 lemon125ml (½ cup) chopped strawberries250ml (1 cup) almond flour15ml (1 tbsp) coconut flour5ml (1 tsp) baking powder2.5ml (½ tsp) salt30ml (2 tbsp) melted butter, for frying TO SERVE 150g fresh strawberries125ml (½ cup) double-thick Greek yoghurt 1. Place cream cheese, eggs, erythritol, vanilla extract, lemon zest and strawberries in the…

SPINACH AND WALNUT PESTO WITH BABY MARROW NOODLES SERVES 4 KEEP ON TRACK per serving FAT 63G CARBS 8G PROTEIN 15G 100g baby spinach leaves50g basil leaves50g Parmesan, grated finely 1 garlic clove125ml (½ cup) extra-virgin olive oil50g walnuts salt and freshly ground blackpepper30ml (2 tbsp) olive oil, for frying30g butter, for frying400g baby marrow noodles TO SERVE Parmesan shavingsfresh basil50g walnuts 1. Place the spinach, basil, grated Parmesan, garlic, oil and walnuts in the bowl of a food processor and process until smooth. Season to taste. 2. Heat the oil and butter in a medium pan over medium heat. Add the baby marrow noodles and toss gently. Season with salt. Shake the pan a few times until the noodles are just cooked but not mushy. Toss the pesto through…