Table of contents for Vol 14 - 2016 in LOSE IT! The Handbook

It’s a disgrace to see that, in the face of overwhelming evidence to the contrary, the latest UK government Eatwell Guide advises people to follow a high-carb, low-fat diet. In fact the guide, released in March this year, recommends that daily intake of starchy foods rises from 33 percent to 38 percent, and that daily fruit intake increases from 33 percent to 40 percent. It also advises people to drop their dairy intake from 15 percent to 8 percent. Fortunately, the health benefits of the low-carb lifestyle are so clear, and so many studies point to a causal relationship between Eatwell’s so-called guidelines and the increase in obesity and type 2 diabetes, that proponents of the low-carb lifestyle are fighting back. Dr Zoë Harcombe stated that the guide was ‘formulated…

The best class for your posture, barre none If you’ve always wanted to do ballet or you’re sorry you gave it up, and if you’re a Virgin Active member, now’s your chance to get your exercise routine on point – or should we say en pointe? The new Barre180 class is a combo of ballet, Pilates and yoga set to the latest upbeat music, and lasts 55 minutes. The, er, point of it all is to improve your posture, coordination, agility, reflexes, muscle strength, fitness and endurance. Ticks all the boxes. Pure H2O In her article on hormones and fibre on page 30, Nicky Perks advises you to filter your water. One option is the Brita Marella water filter jug with Maxtra filtration technology (R394 for the 2.4L jug on…

Stephanie first came across the ketogenic diet when her mother was diagnosed with an aggressive glioblastoma brain tumour and was given three to six months to live. Stephanie did some research and learned that cutting out sugars and starches while upping necessary dietary fat, might slow down or stop her mother’s cancer growth. Eight years later her mother is alive, in remission and doing very well, and her remarkable recovery played an integral role in Stephanie’s decision to become a ketogenic diet consultant: she’s driven by the desire to teach people that food is medicine, and that feeling sick or constantly tired is NOT normal. Now considered to be one of the top keto experts in the world, Stephanie is strict in her application – but she gets results. She…

Q: Have you always struggled with your weight and health? A: I’ve never been really slim. Even when my weight was within the normal range for my height, I was very heavy around the core area. I can’t tell you how many times I was driven to tears by the ‘balanced diets’ I tried. I’d lose a little, but as soon as I ate ‘normally’ again, I would gain – with interest. And even though I was always reasonably active, my weight loss was very slow. The real problem was that I was a ‘foodie’. I loved trying new recipes, making my own pasta and baking my own bread. Going out with friends and family meant eating somewhere and having lovely wines with our meal. Q: How did you start…

• BUY ORGANIC fruit and veggies, and grass-fed dairy and meat products. • FILTER YOUR WATER. • AVOID COSMETICS that contain parabens and phthalates. • CHOOSE GLASS OR CERAMIC FOOD AND DRINK CONTAINERS OVER PLASTIC. If you use a microwave, always heat the food in glass or ceramic. Store leftovers in glass containers and avoid direct contact between food and plastic wrap. • CLEAN YOUR HOME WITH NATURAL PRODUCTS like spirit vinegar and bicarbonate of soda, rather than using manufactured chemicals. It’s also advisable to AVOID ALCOHOL, GIVE UP SOY PRODUCTS and QUIT SMOKING. EXERCISE REGULARLY, as this will help to reduce your stress and oestrogen levels, and try to go to SLEEP BY 10PM since this will provide you with an optimal level of melatonin, which also helps to…

KEEP ON TRACK PER SERVING Fat 57g Carbs 8g Protein 11g HOMEMADE VANILLA CUSTARD MAKES 2 CUPS • 5 jumbo egg yolks • 50g xylitol • pinch himalayan salt • 1 cup milk • 1 cup cream • 1 tsp vanilla extract 1. Place the egg yolks, xylitol and salt in a bowl and whisk with an electric beater until pale and thickened, then set aside. 2. In a small pot, heat the milk, cream and vanilla extract until fairly warm but not boiling, remove from the heat and slowly pour the warm liquid into the egg yolk mixture, whisking constantly while pouring. 3. Return the custard to the pot and cook over a low heat, stirring constantly, for 5–7 minutes, or until the custard has thickened. 4. To serve:…

store cupboard 80% dark chocolate Almond flour Almond nut butter Almonds, ground and whole, skin on Baking powder Black olives Black sesame seeds Capers Cocoa powder Coconut cream Coconut flour Coconut milk Desiccated coconut Dijon mustard English mustard powder Fish sauce Goji berries Grain mustard Low-carb wraps Macadamia nuts Mixed nuts (hazelnuts, brazil nuts, almonds) Passata (preferably homemade) Pecan nuts Pumpkin seeds Pumpkin tagliatelle Red curry paste Red wine Sesame seeds Sunflower seeds Superlite Shirataki Noodles Tinned cherry tomatoes Tinned chopped tomatoes Tinned whole tomatoes Tomato paste Walnuts Xylitol Xylitol syrup Yellow curry paste fresh fruit, veg & herbs Asparagus Avocado Baby pak choi Baby spinach Basil Bay leaves Blueberries Butternut Carrot Cauliflower Celery Chillies, red and green jalapeño Coriander Cos lettuce Courgettes, zoodled Fennel bulbs, large and baby Flat-leaf…

KEEP ON TRACK PER SERVING Fat 51g Carbs 13g Protein 22g BUTTERNUT, BACON AND FETA QUICHE SERVES 4–6 • 7 eggs • 11/4 cups cream • 5g flat-leaf parsley, chopped • 2 tsp dijon mustard • himalayan salt and black pepper • 100g bacon, cooked and chopped • 60g feta cheese, crumbled • 350g butternut, peeled and finely sliced lengthways with a peeler • wild rocket, to serve 1. Preheat the oven to 180ºC. Place eggs, cream, parsley and mustard in a jug and whisk to combine. Season to taste. 2. Place bacon and feta in the base of a greased, round 22cm-diameter tin, add the butternut on its edge in rings in the tin and pour in the liquid. Bake for 30–40 minutes, or until firm. 3. To serve:…

KEEP ON TRACK PER SERVING Fat 47g Carbs 27g Protein 46g CURRIED CHICKEN AND PUMPKIN SOUP SERVES 4 • 1.5L basic chicken broth • 2 tbsp ghee • 2 onions, finely chopped • 3 cloves garlic, minced • 2 tsp fresh ginger, minced • 300g pumpkin, peeled and finely cubed • 2 tsp ground coriander • 1 tbsp garam masala • 1 tbsp medium curry powder • pinch chilli powder • 5g fresh coriander, chopped • himalayan salt and black pepper TO SERVE • double cream yoghurt • 1 red chilli, sliced • ¼ red onion, chopped • fresh oregano 1. Place the basic chicken broth in a large pot and set aside. 2. Heat the ghee in a pan, add the onion, garlic and ginger and sauté over a…

SOMETIMES ALCOHOL • Brandy • Champagne • Dry red wine • Dry white wine • Rum • Sparkling wine • Tequila • Vodka • Whisky SWEET THINGS • Dark chocolate (80% and above cocoa content – and only very occasionally) • Honey (no more than 1 tsp at a time, very occasionally – use honey strictly for cooking, otherwise it will seduce you back into sugar cravings in no time! NUTS • Cashews FRUIT • All fruit other than berries VEGGIES • Beetroot • Butternut • Carrots • Sweet potato DAIRY • Milk (only full cream and only very occasionally) NEVER ALCOHOL • Anything labelled ‘lite’ • Beer • Cider • Cocktails • Sugary liqueurs VEGGIES & PULSES • Beans • Chickpeas • Dried beans • Lentils • Parsnips •…

1 LCHF/banting isn’t a high-protein diet – it’s a healthy fat, medium protein, low-carb way of eating. 2 CHOOSE REAL FOODS that look like what they are, and cook them from scratch. 3 NO SUGAR – it’s best to go cold turkey. But if you need to make a transition, use stevia, xylitol or erythritol – NOT artificial sweeteners. 4 NO GRAINS – of any kind. 5 HEALTHY FAT is not the enemy. Enjoy it! 6 STOP SNACKING You won’t need to – it’s just a habit. 7 EAT ONLY when you are hungry; eat until you are satisfied – then stop. 8 EAT EGGS – they’re healthy, satisfying and very good for you. 9 NO (or very, very little) FRUIT Think of it as a sweet rather than as…

Gelatine offers numerous health benefits, among them improving hair, skin and nail growth, and treating osteoporosis. Translucent and flavourless, it’s largely composed of the amino acids glycine, proline, hydroxyproline and glutamic acid, which are produced when the collagen in the skin, bones and tissue of cattle, chicken and pigs is broken down. Gelatine can be bought in the form of plastic-looking sheets or as a powder, and it’s the gelling agent commonly found in foods like marshmallows and jelly, as well as some ice creams, dips and yoghurts. But there are ways to include it in an LCHF diet too – in soups, sauces and stews, for instance – so you can enjoy the health benefits. Here are just 10 of this nutrient-dense food’s benefits: 1 Gelatine helps heal wounds,…

Q: I read somewhere that eating very low carb for an extended period of time can cause your gut flora to become unbalanced and less diverse. Is this true? A: A professor once corrected me and said that ‘flora’ refers to flowers and that I should rather talk about ‘microbiota’, so this is the term I’ve used here. The microbiota in your body are made up of more than a hundred trillion bacteria, fungi, viruses and other organisms. They outnumber the cells in your body by a ratio of 10:1. The microbiota play an important role in your health by assisting your immune system and by fighting harmful bacteria or viruses. Their composition is determined by what you eat and they are therefore unique to each individual. If you eat…

Strong teeth and bones – that’s what we associate with calcium. But it does so much more. For starters, it controls the release of neurotransmitters in the brain, and it helps your muscles contract in response to nerve stimulation. Calcium affects blood sugar levels by controlling the secretion of insulin, and calcium-signalling is vital, to control the constriction and relaxation of blood vessels and to regulate blood pressure (calcium supplements can even prevent pre-eclampsia). So apart from being one of many minerals and co-factors involved in bone building, calcium is important for our general health. TEAM PLAYER Calcium doesn’t operate alone, however – it needs magnesium, vitamin K2, vitamin D, phosphorous and other nutrients and co-factors in order to function optimally. In fact, calcium is a bit like a rebellious…

A cheeseboard is a great option for low-carb entertaining, as long as you don’t have a problem with dairy. Plus, the right cheeses also pack a good nutritional punch, as they contain both fat and protein. Go for quality cheeses without too many added flavours and choose ones that are high in fat but fairly low in carbs. It’s best to get your cheese from local artisan producers and farms, as they will use quality ingredients – like grass-fed dairy. Their cheese will probably taste better too! Have a mixture of hard and soft cheeses and take them out of the fridge about two hours before serving to improve their taste and texture. Serve with banting crackers, seasonal berries and a garnish of herbs, and add olives and pickles if…

KEEP ON TRACK PER SERVING Fat 22g Carbs 9g Protein 40g STUFFED CALAMARI SERVES 4 • 800g calamari tubes, cleaned FOR THE STUFFING • 100g chorizo, finely chopped • 100g ricotta, crumbled • 10g flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped • 10g fresh basil, finely chopped • juice of ½ lemon • 2 tbsp coconut oil, melted • himalayan salt • black pepper • extra lemon wedges, to serve 1. Place the calamari tubes on a board. 2. For the stuffing: Mix all the ingredients together and season the mixture well. 3. Pack the stuffing into the calamari tubes and secure each with a toothpick that’s been soaked in water. 4. Cook on the braai grid over medium coals for about 5 minutes per side, or until nicely browned. 5. To serve:…

CUBAN-STYLE ROASTED PORK SHOULDER SERVES 6–8 FOR THE MARINADE • 3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil • 1 tbsp orange zest • ½ cup lime juice • ½ cup lemon juice • 2 tbsp xylitol • 1 cup cold homemade vegetable stock • 20g fresh coriander, finely chopped • 5g fresh mint, finely chopped • 8 cloves garlic, crushed • 1 tbsp dried oregano • 3 tsp ground cumin • 2kg boneless pork shoulder, in one piece • himalayan salt and black pepper FOR THE SALSA • 2 large tomatoes, diced • ½ red onion, finely chopped • fresh coriander leaves, to garnish 1. For the marinade: Place all the ingredients in a large bowl and stir to combine. Add the pork shoulder and marinate for at least 2 hours,…

GOOGLE FIT Price: Free What is it? Google Fit is a brandnew platform and probably has better Android support than most apps. It tracks your day-to-day activity and measures steps taken, calories burned and distance covered. When you’re exercising, it logs pedal rate, calories burned, wheel speed and time spent. This data is shown on handy charts, and your activity info is stored in your Google account. You can also set personal goals. Bottom line: Google Fit allows you to do just about anything you need to – it’s more basic than many apps, but still perfectly effective. Navigation: It has a clean, straightforward interface and a clear display with no cluttered charts. Historical data can be customised. Great feature: You can pair it up with third-party apps like Strava,…

‘It all began when my mom needed a hip replacement. When I went with her to the orthopaedic surgeon, we were both told that we were heavily overweight and her surgery would only be possible if she lost 40kg. In our family, “us girls” often do things together, so my mother, sister and I – all at our heaviest ever – decided it was time to take losing weight seriously. I felt like there were no options left. I had tried the shakes, the cleanses, the liquid diets, highprotein diets, injecting myself with substances – awful things that left me feeling absolutely exhausted and constantly hungry. So when the orthopaedic surgeon told me he had been eating fat to lose fat, I practically laughed in his face. I thought he…

Q: I don’t understand why I’m not losing weight. I don’t eat any grain-based food, only low-carb bread and cakes. A: This is a common problem. Even if you buy or make bread or cake that is low carb, this doesn’t give you a free pass to eat as much of it as you like. While seed and nut flours are lower in carbs than grain flours, their carb content is still fairly high. The real secret to low-carb eating is to get used to living without bread and sweet treats in any form. You need to reach the stage where you’re only interested in real, whole, single-ingredient food. Q: I’ve been banting for six months and have lost half the weight I need to lose. Now I don’t seem…

Check out the list below to see if your meds are hindering your weight loss, and if there’s something you could take in their place. STEROIDS (CORTISONE): Steroids are used in the treatment of inflammatory diseases, asthma, allergies and chronic skin diseases, as well as to reduce brain swelling after surgery. Taking steroids causes an increase in insulin resistance, however, resulting in raised insulin levels, fat storage and fluid retention. It also takes months for the body to recover from the effects of long-term cortisone use. DIABETES MEDICATION: Treating type 2 diabetes with insulin usually leads to weight gain, as insulin prevents the break down of body fat and promotes storage of excess glucose in the fat cells. Some oral antidiabetic meds, like sulfonylureas and thiazolidin-ediones, are worse for this…

Popping a pill for menstrual cramps or drinking caffeine all day to stay awake are just two of the quick fixes we turn to when our hormones are out of whack. Unfortunately, they don’t solve the underlying problem, which could be oestrogen dominance. Both men and women have oestrogen; it’s when the ratio of oestrogen to progesterone or testosterone changes that health problems can arise. What is oestrogen dominance? To some extent, oestrogen dominance is a natural effect of ageing. From the age of 35, a woman’s progesterone levels start to drop and the ratio of oestrogen to progesterone in her body changes. Raised oestrogen levels cause an increase in body fat and make weight loss very challenging. Oestrogen dominance causes fat to be stored around the waist, hips and…

MYTH #1 CARBS ARE AN ESSENTIAL NUTRIENT An essential nutrient is one that your body needs to function and cannot make itself, so it has to be part of your diet. We need essential amino acids from protein, as well as essential fatty acids from fats. But we don’t actually need carbohydrates, because our bodies are able to make glucose themselves. There isn’t a single nutrition textbook that says carbs are an essential nutrient. Your liver can make all the glucose it needs from glycogen stores. If necessary, it can also make glucose from the protein in your food, through a process called gluconeogenesis. Just think about the Inuit of Alaska, who live without carbohydrates for long periods of time, eating only fat and protein. Another argument is that our…

KEEP ON TRACK PER SERVING Fat 64g Carbs 9g Protein 10g JEANETTE AURET’S STICKY TOFFEE PUDDINGS MAKES 4 FOR THE PUDDINGS • 100g almond flour • pinch himalayan salt • ¾ tsp baking powder • 40g xylitol icing (or regular xylitol, finely ground in a grinder) • 1 jumbo egg • 3 tbsp melted butter • ¼ cup single cream or full fat milk • 1 tsp vanilla extract FOR THE TOFFEE SAUCE • 1 cup single cream • 6 tbsp xylitol • 120g butter • 2 tsp vanilla extract • extra cream, to serve 1. Preheat the oven to 180ºC. Grease 4 small ramekins or a 4-hole silicone muffin pan. 2. For the puddings: Mix the dry ingredients together in a bowl. 3. In a separate bowl, whisk egg,…

KEEP ON TRACK PER SERVING Fat 68g Carbs 17g Protein 46g ALMOND AND SESAME MINI BURGERS SERVES 4 FOR THE BUNS • 5 jumbo eggs, separated • 180g cream cheese, at room temperature • ½ cup almond flour • 1 tsp baking powder FOR THE BURGER PATTIES • 500g beef or lamb mince • ½ red onion, grated • 2 cloves garlic, minced • ¼–½ tsp cayenne pepper • 100g almonds in the skin, chopped • 2 tbsp sesame seeds, toasted • himalayan salt and black pepper • 2 tbsp coconut oil TO SERVE • 30g rocket leaves • 1–2 tomatoes, sliced • ½ red onion, sliced and pickled 1. For the buns: Preheat the oven to 170ºC and grease a large 8-hole muffin pan. 2. Place the egg yolks…

KEEP ON TRACK PER SERVING Fat 27g Carbs 11g Protein 72g STICKY 5-SPICE PORK TROTTERS SERVES 4 • 4 pork trotters, sliced into rounds • himalayan salt and black pepper • 1 tbsp pork lard • 1 tbsp coconut oil • 1 onion, finely chopped • 2 tsp freshly grated ginger • 2 cloves garlic, crushed • 2 tbsp tomato paste • 1 tbsp chinese 5-spice powder • 2 tbsp xylitol syrup • 1 cup homemade beef stock • 1 cup homemade passata • 3 star anise • steamed baby pak choi, to serve • sliced red chilli and spring onion, to garnish 1. Place the pork trotters on a board and season well. Heat the lard in a pan and brown the trotters on all sides. Remove from the…

YES MEAT As far as possible, choose grass-fed or organic meats. Enjoy the fat and the skin! • Bacon (try to find charcuterie bacon, if possible 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 meats (if buying cured meats, avoid sugar and strange chemicals) • Lamb • Offal • Pork • Sausages containing only meat and spices (no MSG or fillers like gluten, rusk, soy, sugar and so on) • Turkey EGGS Any way you like, for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Real organic eggs are definitely best, if you can find them. FRUIT* • Avocado • Berries • Coconut FISH/SEAFOOD (on the SASSI green list,…

PERIODIC FASTING BY ANNCHEN WEIDEMANN & ANNARET BRAND (STRUIK LIFESTYLE) Intermittent fasting, or the 5:2 diet, is about eating normally (but healthily!) for five days, and cutting back for two. Studies show that this approach works better than trying to keep up a diet all the time. It’s a bit tricky to do it without guidance (do you just eat nothing on the fast days? does it matter what you eat, as long as you cut the calorie count?) but the authors, two local dieticians who have plenty of experience in dealing with obesity and insulin resistance in their practice, show you how to do it in this book. And there are plenty of recipes and meal plans to keep you on track. THE GOOD GUT BY JUSTIN & ERICA…