Since half the population is
dieting, myself included, I thought we might enjoy some tips on avoiding
carbohydrates, since that has been the focus of many successful dieting
programs.
The carbohydrate diets range from extreme to moderate. There is a list of
reference
books at theend for those interested. My doctor recommended Sugar Busters
and it works
fairly well if youfollow it, which is not overly difficult.
For me, following a strict diet makes me nuts so I just alter it to fit my
needs. My first
anti-carbodecision was to just cut out bread and potatoes.
I feel lighter already.
I still will have cream of
wheat or oatmeal or pasta. Just no
bread or potatoes and I LOVE bread and
potatoes.
What helps me is to have on hand
things to snack on or have for meals that help me
avoid asandwich or cookies. I always have in the fridge to help the cravings and
these work:
Tejava:
This is a wonderful iced tea that is just plain. It is the best I
have ever tried and it
helps keep me hydrated also. I sweeten it with a sugar substitute and
drink 8 oz. if I start
getting hungry. This is expensive in the stores and they rarely have
coupons. If you have
a
Trader Joe's
near you, they carry Tejava for the best price. In our area it is .99 per
liter.
Red Bull They now have a sugar free
version that is only 10 calories and is full of B
vitamins also. It does
have caffeine for those sensitive. I love this, it banishes my
afternoon
haze.
At their site you can get some free screensavers if you like.
Beef Jerky
I have beef and other types of jerky on order from jerky direct and I just love
this for a savory snack.
Sugar-Free Gelatin: I either
make some sugar free gelatin or I buy the little cups that have
sugar free gelatin in them. These make a quick snack when you get a sugar
craving.
You can add sugar-free whipped cream if you really want an indulgence and kid's
like this
also.
Sugar-Free Jelly Belly
This is a new product and bless them. I just love the Jelly Belly
jelly beans first made famous by Ronald Reagan, who loved them. The
sugar-free kind
just came out and I can't tell the difference. If you go to their site you
might get lucky and
be there at the right time to get a free sample. They send samples to the
US and Canada
every day.
Fat-Free Cottage Cheese: I
have this for breakfast and as a quick snack. It is nutritionally
dense and filling. I know everyone doesn't love this one, but I like it so
it is an easy fit.
Recent medical news has said that those who have low-cal dairy in their diet
lose weight
at a better rate than those that cut it out. I still don't think it was a
license to eat lots of
ice cream (rats!).
Sugar Free Root Beer Float:
When you gotta have dessert. There is sugar and fat-free
ice cream available everywhere now. Dreyers and Healthy Choice both make a
variety.
But truthfully, they are awful. However the good news is, when you mix
them with a
good sugar-free root beer for a shake or float they are really indistinguishable
from the
real thing. Use good root beer not generic to make this a palatable treat.
I have recently
tried Boylan Soda's when I did a merchandising job for them. They make
outstanding
diet sodas. The root beer was fabulous, but try the diet crème, and diet
black cherry.
They are made with Splenda and don't have that tinny aftertaste. They have
a really
creamy body and you don't feel deprived at all. They are difficult to
find, check at a
local Beverages and More.
If you really
would like a dessert that is totally satisfying you have got to try the white
stilton with fruit. These come in several flavors but the
pineapple, lemon
and mango with ginger are not to be believed. I worked as a
cheese demonstrator
for
iGourmet and I can tell you these cheeses are always the
biggest hit. They
are like
GREAT adult cheesecake. And don't worry, there
are no blue veins in these.
Just click the link above for white stilton
with fruit. The prices are also very
reasonable.
Just recently I
did a demo job for Amber Lyn Chocolates. They are all sugar free and very
low carb. There are over 20 flavors of dark, milk and white chocolate,
they are so good
you would never know they are sugar free. They are hard to find in retail
locations. They
are at road shows for Costco now and again. Get these on-line at Amber Lyn Chocolates.
Soup and Salad: I have this
for lunch or dinner mostly. You can be endlessly creative
and
just leave out bread or potatoes. There are tons of good canned soups or
make
a good one
and keep the pot in the fridge to have your bowl of soup ready. Bagged
salad mixes make
this an easy task and I add Healthy Choice cold cuts, grated cheese
and a good
low fat and
low sugar dressing or make a vinaigrette myself.
Make some hard
boiled eggs. High in protein, high in nutrients, a hard boiled egg makes
a good snack. If you are ambitious, make some deviled eggs with sugar free
mayo and
you have an appetizer that is on everyone's favorite list.
Have a carbo tip? We would
love to hear it. Just send an
e-mail and we will add your tip.
Here is a tip
for a no carb root beer float from one of our readers-thanks:
In a blender
pour in about half a cup of heavy whipping cream and mix until a little stiff
then pour in about 10-12 oz of diet rootbeer and
pulse to mix together! Very good!
I have also added ice and crushed it for
that frothy texture.
Just in case: I am not a doctor. This is just what I do.
Atkins has a learning center with classes,
discussion boards and tons of
advice, all free Click Here.
Baking Low
Carb Since many of you
love to bake. This is helpful so you can keep on making
some desserts and still be low-carb. You will need to buy some new pantry
ingredients that
are common in good grocery stores or health food stores.
