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TRANSCRIPT
Introduction: Whether you are starting low carb / Banting for the purpose of managing a medical condition, losing weight or for maintaining overall health and wellbeing, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed about how to actually get started. Some of the questions you might find yourself asking are “what do I eat; what do I not eat; what’s good, what’s bad; what are some hidden sources of carbohydrates and sugars that I should avoid; and are there any “good” sources of carbs or “bad” ones to avoid?”. This e-‐book contains an outline of the six key things that you can implement at your own pace, starting immediately, in order to begin a low carb lifestyle, and start your journey from illness to wellness. The six keys are actions that you need to take in order to claim back your health. Each key outlined is followed by a suggestion on how to make it work in an easy manner that enables you to start your Banting journey.
Key 1: Eliminate sugars from your diet This is one of the most important things you can do for the benefit of your health in general. Refined sugars serve only to clog your digestive system with junk that adds unhealthy toxins to your body. There’s nothing good about them. Especially not the sweet taste you’ve grown accustomed to, which is actually an addiction! Recalibrating your sweet tooth to a more savoury palate will give you untold health benefits. It might be tough in the beginning, but once you’re over this hump, it only gets better from there. Without sounding too much like a science textbook, you need to know that saccharide is another word for carbohydrates, and sugars are forms of saccharides (thus carbohydrates). There are mainly two categories of sugars that you need to be concerned about: Monosaccharides and Disaccharides. Monosaccharides are simple sugars (mono = one) that serve as the base building blocks for more complex carbohydrate forms. Because they are made up of only one sugar unit, monosaccharides are directly absorbed into your bloodstream upon consumption. Since they don’t require being broken down during digestion, they quickly get into your bloodstream and increase your blood sugar levels, and shortly thereafter, your body will experience an abrupt drop in both sugar levels and energy. This is very bad for you and if sustained over extended periods, can lead to conditions such as type 2 diabetes with its associated complications. Examples of monosaccharides are glucose and fructose (sugar that naturally occurs in fruit). Disaccharides contain two monosaccharides (di = two) bonded together and they require some digestion to break them into two one-‐sugar units for absorption. Like monosaccharides, their frequent consumption can lead to extreme blood-‐sugar fluctuations and thus their consumption should be controlled. Examples of disaccharides include sucrose (table sugars), maltose (sugars formed from the breakdown of starch) and lactose (milk sugars). To start, you want to significantly reduce your consumption of both mono and disaccharides by eliminating all varieties of table sugars, icing and confectioners sugars, packaged sweets, chocolates, cordials, agave, and artificial sweeteners such as saccharin, aspartame and sucralose, from your diet. You then want to significantly reduce your intake of “natural” sweeteners such as honey, syrups of any kind and fruit like dates and grapes – which are very high in fructose. This is especially important if you are starting a Banting lifestyle on account of diabetes, insulin resistance or impaired glucose tolerance. This is because although natural sweeteners are sometimes considered “better” than refined sugars, they still have a very high glycaemic index and can easily send your blood sugars, and insulin, soaring.
Fructose, which is a fruit sugar, can be one of the primary causes of people battling to control their blood sugar levels, therefore limit your intake of fruit overall. This especially includes fruit juices, which have a high concentration of fructose and are often an overlooked source of excess sugar in one’s diet. Needless to say that “lite, zero or diet” drinks of any kind, have no place in your low carb lifestyle either. Generally steer clear of carbonated commercial drinks and sodas, over an above fruit juices. If this is leaving you with a gaping mouth thinking “oh my goodness, I could never live like this”, take heart, there are options that you can still keep in your diet as well as alternatives that you can introduce, to more than adequately satisfy your taste buds. Key Suggestions for replacing sugar: 1. Stevia This is a plant based natural sweetener derived from the leaves of the stevia plant. It is a great zero calorie, zero carbohydrate and zero GI alternative to traditional sugar. It is known to be up to 200 times sweeter than sugar, therefore much smaller quantities can be consumed at a time. It can safely be used in baking, teas and coffees in place of traditional sugar. It does take some time to get used to the taste of Stevia as it can leave an aftertaste, so some experimenting with trial and error should be expected when you first start using it. 2. Xylitol This is an alcohol sugar with a very low glycaemic index and approximately 40% less calories than traditional sugar. Xylitol has the same look and feel as white sugar, and can easily replace sugar on a 1:1 basis. It has the added benefit of contributing to dental health by preventing tooth decay and dry mouth. It is, however, known to have detrimental effects on dogs, so if you have four-‐legged friends, be sure to keep is far out of reach for them. Something else to note is that xylitol is not fully absorbed by the body, which has been known to cause forms of digestive discomforts in some. This does pass after allowing your body an opportunity to adjust, but you would need to be aware of this potential side effect non-‐the-‐less. 3. Erythritol Like xylitol, erythritol is also an alcohol sugar (neither alcohol nor sugar, only named so due to their chemical structure). Xylitol and erythritol are both polyols, which means they are:
• non-‐cariogenic (won’t cause cavities) • low-‐glycaemic (helpful in managing diabetes and cardiovascular disease)
• low-‐digestible (might be helpful in the colon) • osmotic (colon-‐hydrating, laxative, and purifying)
Both xylitol and erythritol are very low-‐glycaemic with xylitol measuring a very low 7 on the glycaemic index, and erythritol measuring 0. While both contain 4g of carbs per teaspoon, the body fully absorbs erythritol (unlike xylitol) but can’t break it down, so it provides virtually no calories and does not produce a glycaemic response. Xylitol has the same degree of sweetness as sugar, so it is easier to use when making the change to a healthier lifestyle. Erythritol, on the other hand, is around 70% as sweet as sugar, so for every 2/3 cup of sugar you’ll need a full cup of erythritol. If you find you’re one of the few people who have trouble consuming xylitol, erythritol may be an ideal substitute. It is known to be the mildest of all polyols. Low Fructose Fruit Fruits that can remain in your diet include berries (of any kind) since they are relatively low in fructose, and you can also have some granny-‐smith green apples and grapefruit to satisfy your fruit cravings. A word of warning though, is that these are permissible in very small quantities and only as an occasional treat, so don’t gorge on an entire bowl of berries and expect that it wont produce an insulin spiking response. Lemons and limes are excellent inclusions in a low carb diet, and can be added to water to enhance detoxification.
Key 2: Eliminate refined carbohydrates from your diet Although carbohydrates provide some cells in your body with their primary source of energy, eating too many carbohydrates leads to the excess quickly being stored as fat. Start by eliminating all grains, which includes wheat, oats, barley, rye, amaranth, quinoa and buckwheat to name a few. Also stop using anything made with grain flours such as wheat flour, barley flour, pea flour, rice flour, spelt flour and the like. Corn, is also a grain, and all corn and corn products should also be eliminated from your diet (i.e. corn flour, corn thins, corn flakes, pop corn, corn syrup etc). Most commercially made, processed or fast food items contain corn products, over and above their already high carbohydrate content, so be vigilant! Another major source of carbohydrates is starches like pasta, noodles, rice, millet, sorghum, bread and bread products, donuts, cakes and cookies, pastries and pies, crackers and cracker breads and everything else you can think of that is made with wheat flours. Also avoid “bread-‐coated” foods like schnitzels, nuggets, coated fish etc. The rule of thumb to apply here is that the food you eat must look as close as possible to its natural state. For example, a chicken schnitzel looks nothing like its natural state, but a piece of uncoated chicken fillet looks pretty close to natural – opt to eat the chicken fillet over the schnitzel. Key Suggestions for replacing carbohydrates: Replace Rice with Cauliflower Rice Rice is a staple on most people’s dinner plate as it makes a great accompaniment to almost anything. Cauliflower rice is a great alternative to rice on your carbless plate. It’s made by taking a head of cauliflower, either grating it or running it through a food processor, then steaming it with a little salt for about 5 minutes. This is not only simple and quick to make, but also very tasty and makes for a great alternative to traditional rice that won't load you with carbohydrates. Replace Pasta with Zoodles Haven’t heard the term zoodles before? It’s a hybrid between the words zucchini and noodles. Zucchini (also called courgette or baby marrow), makes a great pasta replacement for spaghetti and its variations (e.g. fettuccini) as well as lasagne. Simply run it through a spiraliser to get zoodles, or cut it lengthways to get “lasagne” type sheets.
Replace wheat flours with nut flours
Banting certainly does not mean that you stop eating baked goods, but rather that you choose those foods that are baked using low carb flour substitutes such as almond flour, coconut flour, and flaxseed flour, in place of wheat based flours. There are a multitude of recipes available online (including some at www.bantingfoodie.com) that you can use to bake your own low carb staples and treats such as breads, muffins and cakes. Low carb flours are increasingly becoming more and more accessible and for the most part, anything you could make with wheat flours, can be made with low carb flour substitutes. Key 3: Increase the amounts of fats in your diet Previously, you might have believed that fat is the enemy of good health. Overwhelming research indicates that our bodies actually need fat to nourish our organs and maintain good health. Triglycerides, cholesterol and other essential fatty acids (i.e. fats that you body can’t make on its own), serve to conserve energy, insulate us and protect our vital organs. Fat acts as a messenger that helps protein to do its job properly and they also start a chemical reaction to help immune function, reproduction and other aspects of our metabolism. Fat is good! Increasing fats in your diet should coincide with the reduction of carbohydrates and sugars. Your body will always either, use carbohydrates or fats as a fuel source, and the presence of both in your system at the same time, results in the body choosing one over the other and the excess is then safely tucked away as stored excess body fat, resulting in weight gain (particularly around the mid-‐section). When you reduce the amount of carbs in your diet, you effectively instruct your body to use fat as your fuel source, so upping your intake of fat will serve to energise you and keep your body functioning optimally. Key Suggestions for increasing dietary fats:
Ø Eat chicken with the skin on Ø Eat the fat on the side of your steak Ø Indulge in bacon and other pork products (like crackle) Ø Cook with butter, ghee and coconut oil Ø Shallow fry your food in the above oils instead of boiling of steaming Ø Snack on unsalted nuts, cheese and avocado (albeit in limited quantities)
Key 4: Increase green leafy vegetables in your diet Not all vegetables are created equal. Starchy vegetables – typically roots, bulbs or kernels such as potatoes, parsnips, peas, corn, carrots etc. -‐ have a very high carbohydrate content, especially compared to their leafy counterparts such as lettuce, kale, cabbage, spinach and broccoli. Not only do green leafy vegetables contain essential minerals such as calcium for bone health, anti-‐oxidants, fibre, and disease-‐fighting phytochemicals, they also help to lower cholesterol and blood pressure, as well as contribute to the repair of the body’s tissues. A huge misconception is that you don’t get full eating leafy vegetables. This is false and a side of leafy vegetables or a salad served with a protein and healthy fat, will keep you feeling fuller for much longer than a carb-‐rich meal will. Carbohydrates and carb rich vegetables have the effect of quickly spiking your blood sugar levels, followed by a massive drop that makes you feel hungry soon after. The result is you eat more and more yet constantly feel hungry. Key Suggestions for increasing green leafy vegetables It is good practice to look over every plate you are about to eat and check the proportions of the food you have on it. Green leafy vegetables should make up 50% of your plate, protein 25% and fat making up the remaining 25% (this includes any fat you might have used to cook your vegetables and protein). Keeping your Banting plate balanced in these proportions will ensure that you receive your filling of nutrients without crazy cravings, and feel fuller for longer.
Key 5: Drink more water! Here’s an interesting fact: approximately 70% of our bodies are water, and intake of liquids (particularly water) is imperative for the distribution and absorption of nutrients and minerals into our systems, as well as transport waste out of our systems. We need a certain amount of water a day in order to survive, and lack of water results in dehydration, which in its severe form can be life threatening. Water not only hydrates you, but also offers benefits such as clearing skin, aiding bowel function by flushing waste through your system, aiding circulation of nutrients in your body and relieving fatigue, to name a few. A great trick to increase the feeling of satiation or “fullness” with every meal, is to drink a tall glass of water before you start eating, and drink another one immediately after you finish eating. The body’s cues for thirst often manifest as feelings of hunger, so drinking a tall glass (about 400ml’s) of water in response to hunger pangs, just might do the trick of eradicating your hunger pangs, and therefore help you to eat less overall. It’s instinctive for us to sip on liquids throughout the day and most people have a “go to” beverage. You know, that one drink you just have to have more than one of in a day. For some, (or most) its coffee, for others it’s a carbonated soda drink. Some others drink fruit juices, alcohol, teas, energy drinks and so forth. All of these are very poor (and some even toxic) substitutes for the water your body is really asking for when you feel thirsty. Key Suggestion for drinking more water Here’s a challenge: after you’ve had your first cup / glass of your go-‐to beverage, try drinking water for every other time you feel like drinking that beverage. And if you are only used to drinking only one cup a day, try replacing that one cup with a glass of water, at least a few days a week. Also, keep a bottle of water next to you at your desk while you work, as well as another one in your car for when you drive. Seeing water close by will make it easier for you to drink more water because the visual cue will remind you to. Another great idea is to keep a bottle of water next to your bedside and make it a habit to drink the whole bottle first thing when you wake up in the morning.
Key 6: Plan your meals in advance Too often we find ourselves swirling through the throws of life, barely managing to take a breather during the day. Between working 8 or 9 hour days (if we’re lucky), getting the kids ready for school, dealing with a million emails, walking the dog, doing the laundry, attending ballet recitals, soccer games or swimming lessons, spending time with our partners, eating and sleeping, and everything else that has to be done in a day, it becomes really easy to grab a croissant from the street baker or drive through a fast food joint on your way to somewhere. It tends to be convenience that derails our best intentions clean up our diets, so a plan to make it easier for yourself to stick with your new lifestyle will go a long way. Meal planning is a great tool that will set you up for success and make it easy for you to respond to temptations as you go through the day. Weekly meal planning involves taking some time (usually over a weekend) to write out the meals you plan to eat in the coming week, writing up a grocery list in accordance with that, then stocking your fridge and pantry appropriately, as well as cooking and storing what you can, ahead of time. It sounds like more work than it actually is, but is an investment in the success of your new habits. Daily meal prepping is a further extension to that, and involves preparing and packing the next day’s meals the night before, and equipping yourself to respond to temptations. For example, if you know that every day at about 3pm you do your daily walk of shame to the office vending machine make sure you pack snacks to nibble on at that time, that are a healthy and delicious alternative. Also, plan to avoid walking past that part of the office when you can feel the urge coming on, and instead whip out a filling treat from your pre-‐packed lunch box. Suggestions for meal planning
• Have a look through your pantry, grocery cupboard and fridge and get rid of any items that you know shouldn’t be there!
• Write out your planned meals for the coming week, for your entire family, and for all three meals of the day
• See where you can benefit from re-‐purposing meals – for example if you plan on a having a roast chicken the one night, then include the leftovers in a chicken salad for the next day’s lunch
• Write a grocery list of everything you will need and go stock up accordingly
• Spend 30 minutes at the end of each night pre-‐cooking what you can, packing what you can and planning your response to temptations -‐ like the smell of freshly baked goods from the baker down the road. This could involve planning to take a different route or packing a tasty treat to nibble on as an alternative.
Bonus Key: Be more active! This is one you’ve most probably heard before, but it really cannot be emphasised enough. Regular moderate exercise has been found to increase energy and stamina, control weight, reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases, strengthen bones and muscles, as well as increase your chances of living longer – go figure! It is known to yield positive outcomes on your body composition (body fat to muscle ratio), posture, strength and flexibility, with the outcome of disease prevention and reducing the likelihood of sustaining injuries. You don’t need to spend money on an expensive gym membership or even spend a cent on home workout programs or DVD’s. Staying active is about finding opportunities in you daily routine, to increase the amount of activity you do. For example, next time you go to the mall, find the parking spot furtherest away from the entrance and take the opportunity to extend your walk. I know! It’s completely against what we would ordinarily do (which is to find the spot as close as possible to the entrance) but by doing that you deny yourself a great opportunity to get active. Another one is to take the stairs instead of the alevator. Try to carry your children instead of wheeling them around in a stroller/pram. Opt to stand at your desk instead of sitting all the time by trying out a standing workstation. There are a number of opportunities in your everyday life that you could use to get more active. All you need is a willingness to explore them and get a little creative at times. Incorporating some exercise into your lifestyle will help you get the most benefit form the Banting / Low Carb lifestyle and will catapult you into great health.
To summarise: Banting is about healing your body and promoting good health through the food you eat and the lifestyle you lead. It’s important to constantly be aware that everything you consume, induces a response from your body’s organs and systems. Making a habit of eating whole, nutrient dense foods, not only benefits you in the short term (through increases concentration and weight loss) but more importantly in the long term (by averting, reversing or placing in remission chronic conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, heart diseases etc.). Banting is an investment on your health and a method through which you can nurture and strengthen your body’s resilience through food, and through a healthier lifestyle. Here’s a reminder of the six keys to keep in mind to get started and stay on track with a low carb Banting lifestyle: 1. Significantly reduce / eliminate refined sugars Recalibrate your sweet tooth to a more savoury palate
2. Significantly reduce / eliminate refined carbohydrates Learn about and use carb replacements in your daily meals
3. Increase the amounts of fats you consume Fat doesn’t make you fat, sugar and carbs do! With a reduction on your carbohydrate intake, fat will serve as your fuel source so increase intake to adequately fuel your body.
4. Increase the amount of green leafy vegetables Every meal should include some leafy green vegetables
5. Drink water Drink a glass before and a glass after meals to feel more satiated
6. Preparation is key Failing to prepare it preparing to fail. Take an hour out of your weekend to plan your meals for the coming week, and take 15 minutes every night preparing your meals for the next day.
7. Be active Find opportunities in your daily routine to be more active!