Table of contents for Volume 25 -May-18 in LOSE IT! The Handbook

Want to beat the blues this winter? Then eat the right foods: even mainstream publications like the Wall Street Journal are beginning to acknowledge that research over the past decade has shown that a diet high in processed and refined foods increases the risk of depression in everyone, including children and teens. In an April article, they said a bad diet has a terrible effect on your microbiome, the state of which seriously affects your mood. The trillions of microorganisms that live in our gut, said neuroscientist Lisa Mosconi, can alter the production of serotonin. A good diet can’t replace therapy for everyone, but it will go a long way to improving your mood – and mood balance. Good news for us low-carbers – it means we’re well on the…

‘During my teen years I suffered from anorexia and was hospitalised on several occasions. By my early twenties I had stabilised and regained the weight; I thought I was on the road to recovery.’ At that stage Ruth was exercising regularly and following what she thought was a ‘healthy’ diet, but her health was still deteriorating rapidly. ‘I was at a normal weight but getting sicker and sicker; I was diagnosed with a host of autoimmune diseases, including diabetes. It was a combination of genetic predisposition and the fact that my body had gone through so much – your organs start to shut down when you’re severely underweight.’ In 2014, Ruth needed to have a liver biopsy. ‘That’s when I realised that the fat-free, high-carb lifestyle wasn’t working,’ she says.…

‘I grew up a chubby kid in a family of fat women,’ Sam says. ‘Body image and femininity were never important. Every occasion was celebrated with food; every eina was made better with a treat. Every lunch box included “something nice”. You always had to clear your plate because “there are hungry children in China”. In lean times we craved food and in better times we made up for it by overeating.’ Sam went on her first diet at 12. Her weight fluctuated between 70kg and 80kg from her teenage years through to her twenties and she never had a normal BMI. Her weight issues increased after she become a mother at 30. ‘My weight crept up to just under 100kg during the pregnancy and I lost very little after…

4 ingredients Chicken breast fillets Coriander leaves Double cream yoghurt Red onions ON TRACK per serving fat 25g carbs 7g protein 29g MARINATED CHICKEN KEBABS SERVES 4 • 4 chicken breast fillets, cubed• Himalayan salt and black pepper• 1½ cups double cream yoghurt• 1½ tbsp curry powder• 1½ red onions• 3 tbsp coconut oil, melted• 7g coriander leaves, plus extra, to garnish• 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, to serve• 1 lemon, cut into wedges, to serve 1. Place the chicken cubes in a bowl and season them. Mix 1 cup of yoghurt and the curry powder and pour this over the chicken. Let it stand for 15 minutes. 2. Preheat the oven grill. Cut 1 red onion into chunks and thread them onto kebab sticks along with the chicken cubes.…

ON TRACK per serving fat 109g carbs 5g protein 77g PICANHA STEAK WITH MIXED PICKLED SLAW SERVES 4–6 • 1 carrot, finely sliced• ½ baby red cabbage, shredded• 1 cup pickling liquid• 5g fresh coriander, chopped FOR THE STEAK • 1.5kg picanha steak• 1 tsp paprika• juice of 1 lemon• 2 garlic cloves, crushed• ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil• Himalayan salt and black pepper TO SERVE • 2 avocados• ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil• 1 large kale leaf, to garnish 1. Place the carrots and cabbage in a bowl, add the pickling liquid and let it stand for 15 minutes. Add the coriander and stir. 2. For the steak: Place the steak paprika, lemon juice, garlic and olive oil in a large, shallow bowl. Season it well and let it…

NUTRITIONAL THERAPIST RUTH MARCUS has a Bachelor’s degree in clinical nutrition and a Master’s in obesity and weight management. ‘Eating low carb is the best way to find food freedom!’ DR GERHARD SCHOONBEE, GP, has over 40 years’ medical experience, and personal experience of living the low-carb lifestyle. He also has a deep scientific and medical interest in the subject. BLOG AUTHOR NICKY PERKS (WWW.PRIMALPERKS.COM) is the co-founder of Banting Buddies, which offers personalised coaching to those wanting to lose weight and get healthy. Please share your success stories, recipes, Banting restaurant reviews, tips, questions and concerns with us via info@loseit.co.za, @loseitmag (Twitter and Instagram) and facebook.com/Loseitmag. We look forward to hearing your insights and experiences!…

‘THE REALITY IS THAT WE’RE NOT OUTSIDE ALL THAT MUCH ANY LONGER. AND WHEN WE DO GET SOME SUN, WE EITHER GET TOO LITTLE (DUE TO THE TIME OF YEAR) OR TOO MUCH, SO THAT WE BURN.’ There’s been an enormous amount of research into vitamin D over the past decade or so, and with good reason. In fact, it has emerged as the nutrient of the decade. The ‘sunshine vitamin’ has plenty of health benefits that we cannot ignore, especially when it comes to reducing the risk of serious disease: from bone diseases, diabetes, bacterial and viral infectious diseases, many types of cancer and autoimmune diseases to multiple sclerosis and cognitive and neurological diseases. One of the most exciting findings concerning vitamin D is the effect it has on…

‘I’ve been eating LCHF for a while now but am battling to lose weight! What am I doing wrong?’ AND 2 OTHER READER QUESTIONS FOR NUTRITIONAL THERAPIST RUTH MARCUS Q: I like to have a glass or two of wine over the weekend. Should I drink red or white? A: Most of us have heard that red wine is better for us than white because of its health benefits, and that’s partially right. The skin of a red grape contains resveratrol, a powerful antioxidant effective in inhibiting the activities of enzymes that stimulate the growth of cancer cells. Red wine also contains polyphenols, another group of anti oxidants that actively improve immune function. The skins are discarded in the making of white wine, so it loses out on these benefits.…

‘I have been diagnosed with osteoarthritis – will a low-carb diet be helpful?’ AND 2 OTHER READER QUESTIONS FOR DR SCHOONBEE Q: Since I started eating low-carb I find that I’m seldom hungry and can go for longer without eating. Why is that? A: When you were eating a standard diet, your blood sugar fluctuated continuously from too low to too high. A typical breakfast of cereal, toast and orange juice would cause your blood glucose to spike suddenly, and trigger the release of insulin to lower the blood glucose level. That, in turn, causes a sudden drop in your blood sugar level: within two to three hours after breakfast, you crave a snack to raise your blood glucose level again, forcing a continuous cycle of hunger and eating. When…

Through the years I’ve come to realise that many people don’t share my taste preferences so sharing my favourite low-carb recipes with them is usually of no help. This difference in predilection can be traced to a ‘condition’ called ‘acquired taste’, which also explains why some people would kill for a plate of tripe, yet others would refuse to eat it even if threatened on pain of death! MANY FACTORS CAN CONTRIBUTE TO ACQUIRED TASTE: 1. Childhood memories and associations: I love sour milk, for example; it reminds me of when my dad and I would enjoy a glass together. Childhood associations with food are very strong: I often ask young people what their favourite food is. One girl told me chicken was her favourite. When I asked her how…

ON TRACK per tart fat 283g carbs 206g protein 71g APPLE & ALMOND TART MAKES 1X 22CM TART FOR THE BASE • 50g desiccated coconut• 1 egg white, beaten• 2 tbsp coconut oil, melted• 2 tsp psyllium-husk powder FOR THE FILLING • 200g ground almonds• 2 tbsp honey• 1 tsp ground cinnamon• 2 tbsp ghee, melted• 2 tbsp almond flour• 1 egg, beaten• 1 egg yolk• ¼ tsp baking powder FOR THE TOPPING • 3 red apples, cored and finely sliced• 2 tsp ghee, melted• 2 tsp honey, melted TO SERVE • whipped coconut cream• raspberries• fresh mint leaves, to garnish 1. For the base: Preheat the oven to 160°C. Stir all the ingredients well in a bowl. Grease a 22cm loose bottomed tart tin and press the mixture into…

ON TRACK per muffin fat 28g carbs 5g protein 5g PALEO FLAXSEED, BANANA & COCOA MUFFINS MAKES 8 (OR 10 SMALL) • 50g flaxseeds• 150g macadamia nut meal• 1½ tbsp cocoa powder, plus extra, for dusting• 1½ tsp baking powder• 2 jumbo eggs• ⅓ cup macadamia nut oil • 1 large banana, chopped 1. Preheat the oven to 170°C. Line an 8-hole muffin tin with paper cases. Mix the flaxseeds, nut meal, cocoa powder and baking powder in a bowl. 2. Blitz the eggs, macadamia nut oil and banana pieces in a blender until it is completely smooth and well combined. Pour this mixture into the dry ingredients and stir well to combine. 3. Spoon the mixture into the muffin cases and bake the muffins for 20 minutes. 4. To…

ON TRACK per cup fat 197g carbs 1g protein 5g MAYONNAISE MAKES 1¼ CUPS • 2 fresh egg yolks, at room temperature• Himalayan salt and black pepper• 1 cup avocado oil• 1 tsp English mustard powder• 2 tsp apple cider vinegar Step 1: Place the egg yolks in a bowl and season them. Whisk until the yolks are pale in colour and light in consistency. Step 2: Very slowly – drop by drop – add the oil, whisking constantly with an electric beater until the mixture starts to emulsify. Step 3: Once the mixture begins to thicken start adding the oil a little faster – in a thin, steady stream. Whisk constantly until all the oil has been used and the mixture is thick and pale. Step 4: Add the…

Yes MEAT As far as possible, choose grass-fed or organic meat. Enjoy the fat and the skin! • Bacon (Try to find charcuterie bacon, without nitrates and nitrites, and with the lowest carb content – which means the least sugar.)• Beef• Biltong (for powdered, grind your own)• Chicken• Duck• Game• Home-cured meat (if buying cured meat, avoid those with sugar and strange chemicals)• Lamb• Offal• Pork• Sausages containing only meat and spices (no MSG or fillers such as gluten, rusk, soy, sugar and so on)• Turkey FRUIT* • Avocado• Berries• Coconut SWEET THINGS • Erythritol• Stevia• Xylitol (good quality) SEAFOOD The oilier the better! (To check the sustainability status of the seafood you choose, SMS the species name (e.g. mackerel) to FishMS 079 499 8795.) • Anchovies• Angelfish• Calamari (squid)•…

LIFE IN THE FAST LANE There’s no standard duration for a fast, says Dr Jason Fung. They can range from 12 hours to a month or more. (The world record for fasting, he says, is 382 days – and the patient was completely fine!) It used to be normal for all of us to fast 12 hours a day, eating nothing between dinner and breakfast, but very few people still do this. And given the 21st-century diet, a 12-hour daily fast is probably no longer enough to protect us from insulin resistance anyway. Some advocate fasting from 7pm each night to 11am each day (so you eat all your daily meals within an eight-hour period), while others report results with a 20-hour daily fast – you eat for only four…

Rooibos Rooibos is our most popular herbal infusion, and the one that has gained the most traction internationally. It’s mainly grown in the Cederberg and is fermented (oxidised) to produce the little brown leaves we all recognise. Interestingly, unoxidised/unfermented green rooibos is actually healthier because the fermentation process lowers its antioxidant capacity, but it’s expensive because it has a more complicated production process. Rooibos is very low in tannins and has no caffeine, which makes it a great afternoon or bedtime drink if you suffer from insomnia. It contains a number of flavonols including quercetin, which has antioxidant properties and is known to scavenge for free radicals. One (admittedly tiny) human study showed that unoxidised rooibos produced a 28% higher antioxidant potential in plasma than normal rooibos did. Like black,…

‘I’m working with a food scientist, who says that on a protein level there’s no big difference between animals fed on grass and those fed on grain, but on the fat level – that’s where the big difference is. The omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids in a grass-fed animal are in perfect balance, but in a feedlot animal there’s way too much omega-6,’ says Angus. That’s really significant if you’re following a low-carb, healthy fat lifestyle and eating animal fat. Angus runs a 100% grass-fed operation (producing beef, chicken and pork products) partly for this reason. But the other reason is the ecologically devastating effect that current mainstream farming methods have on the environment – and the animals. ‘The feedlots work like this: the animal is raised to nine(ish) months,…

‘I am lucky to have learnt the truth about healthy eating at a young age. I don’t need to fall ill or become obese before making a drastic change. I love that I can teach my son to make healthy food choices from the start. I realise that as a wife and mother I am responsible for the health of my family and recipes like these inspire me to keep our food interesting.’ ON TRACK per portion fat 3g carbs 1g protein 2g CARLA NELL’S BROCCOLI TOTS MAKES 30 PORTIONS • coconut oil, to grease• 2 cups broccoli, steamed• ½ cup almond flour• 1 tsp psyllium-husk powder• 1 cup Cheddar cheese, grated• ¼ cup onion, finely chopped• 2 eggs• ½ tsp salt• 1ml black pepper• pinch of cayenne pepper• 2…

BOLD gym was founded in 2014 by German-born Irene Scholz, with the vision of creating an inclusive space where people felt empowered to be the best version of themselves. It has since been taken over by Vicky Polydorou, who met Irene in the early stages of BOLD and joined as a coach soon after. ‘The mission is simple but significant,’ says Vicky. ‘We offer challenging, fun, varied, affordable group training and personal training to help you beat your own limits, get fit and enjoy exercising. ‘Irene and I met while we were both doing personal training at other gyms. We got along so well we thought, “Why don’t we do something together?” She had her clients; I had mine, and our idea was to run group classes and start a…

ON TRACK per pie fat 77g carbs 25g protein 37g BEEF & BACON PIE MAKES 4 PIES FOR THE PASTRY • 100g coconut flour• 50g desiccated coconut• 1 tsp dried oregano• 50g almond flour• 50g pecorino cheese, grated• 1 tbsp psyllium-husk powder• Himalayan salt and black pepper, to taste• 110g butter, cubed• 1 jumbo egg, beaten FOR THE FILLING • 2 tbsp coconut oil• 250g beef cubes• 150g bacon, chopped• 1 onion, chopped• 1 small carrot chopped• 2 celery stalks, chopped• 100g exotic mushrooms, roughly chopped• 2 tbsp tomato paste• ⅓ cup white wine• 1 cup home-made beef stock• 1 egg, beaten • fresh thyme sprigs, to serve 1. For the pastry: Blitz to combine the coconut flour, desiccated coconut, oregano, almond flour, pecorino cheese, psyllium-husk powder, salt and pepper…

ON TRACK per serving fat 31g carbs 9g protein 27g SHIMEJI MUSHROOM OPEN OMELETTE SERVES 4 • ¼ cup ghee• 300g shimeji mushrooms• Himalayan salt and black pepper• 12 jumbo eggs• 2 spring onions, finely chopped• 100g baby pak choi, blanched• spring onion leaves, sliced thinly, to garnish 1. Heat 2 tbsp ghee in a pan. Sauté the mushrooms until they have just softened and are golden. Season them, set them aside and keep them warm. 2. Place the eggs in a bowl and season them. Add the chopped spring onion and whisk to combine. 3. Heat a little ghee in a pan and add ¼ of the egg mixture. Swirl it around the pan and cook it until it has set. Top the omelette with ¼ of the mushrooms…