banting guru february 2016

The inside scoop on LCHF ice-cream 2

Dr Jeans explains why xylitol is fine for humans, but not for animals Page 16

Six more delicious Bantingrecipes Pages 22 to 27

Issue: 1 Volume: 2 February 2016

All you need to know about the LCHF lifestyle TM

Photo: Dylan Swart

2 Banting Guru February 2016

The information contained in Banting Guru should not be consid-ered as medical advice. The articles and any information is meant as a guide and anyone following the suggested eating plan, or recipes contained herein is advised to seek the opinion of a medical professional before embarking on this or any new eating plan or diet. Shiva Media (which publishes Banting Guru), its affiliates, employees and clients will not be held liable for the use of any information contained in this magazine and will not be held responsible for the views expressed in this magazine.

All information contained in the Banting Guru magazine is subject to copyright protection and may not be duplicated by any individual or company without written permission from Shiva Media.The bloggers, freelance journalists, photographers, contributors and any individuals or businesses featured in this magazine are also protected by copyright laws.Unless otherwise stated in writing, no replication, in part or whole, of anything featured in this magazine is permitted.

Disclaimer Copyright

CONTENTSWhy xylitol is not safe for animals Pages 16-19

The green, orange and red lists will tell you which foods to eat and which ones to avoid at all costs Pages 26-28

Paul’s Homemade Ice-Cream Pages 12-15

Two readers take us on their Banting journeys Pages 6 and 20

The last word: Why so serious? 9

Six yummy Banting recipes Pages 22 to 27

Banting Guru February 2016 3

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Banting Guru is produced and published by Shiva Media. For editorial and advertising queries, please email [email protected] and your email will be directed to the relevant person. All information contained in the Banting Guru magazine is accurate at the time of publication. Shiva Media, its employees, clients and affiliates will not be held responsible for any inaccuracies.

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Thanks to my mother be-ing an open-minded, smart woman (don’t tell her I said that), my sib-

lings and I were aware of different religions and cultures from an early age.

When we were old enough to properly understand these differ-ences, she gave us the option of reading whatever religious books we wanted to. As Hindus, the Bhagavad Gita was required read-ing, but she also had a Bible, which she encouraged us to be familiar with and she told us she would acquire whatever other religious books we wanted to read so that we could have an understanding of the major religions.

Despite us being raised dur-ing apartheid, our family had an unusually diverse set of friends and relatives, and this contributed to us never feeling particularly attached to, or pedantic about, our own or any other religion or culture.

The only thing we took issue with was the behaviour of the

recently converted, which we believed to be in bad taste because they would inevitably slag off whatever religion they were leaving behind.

So, why am I rabbiting on about the very sensitive topic of reli-gion and beliefs? Because I have never felt like converting anyone to any way of life and it makes me queasy when I hear myself getting evangelical about the low-carb high-fat Banting lifestyle.

I find that I sometimes sound like one of those recently converted people who don’t let you get a word in edgeways; who

have a slightly crazed look in their eyes; and who usually go on inter-minably about their new obses-sion whenever they get a chance.

Does this behaviour sound familiar, dear “Banters”? Does it sound like someone you know?

In short, I’ve become insufferable, but like most personal problems, one has to admit to the problem before working on a solution.

Now that I’m aware of my short-comings, I’ve stepped off the Bant-

ing pulpit and calmed down a little. I’ve also realised that, dare I say

it, you can’t educate those who aren’t interested. Sometimes, people are happy to accept their ailments as chance occurrences that will forever need pharmaceu-tical support. They put it down to bad luck, or bad genes. They don’t want to see the link between their diets and their diseases because if they do, they will be forced to make dramatic changes to their lifestyles and many peo-ple just don’t want to make any changes, even if it benefits them. They would rather take chronic medication for a lifetime than attempt to fix whatever ails them.

It’s sad, but it’s out of our hands. So, when people quote

half-baked websites awash with dodgy research findings to back up how bad Banting is, calm down. Don’t take the bait. Don’t end up frothing like a rabid dog as you try to explain why you believe in this lifestyle.

Listen to The Beatles and Let It Be.Banting Guru Editor, Sukasha Singh (@banting_guru)

Don’t preach what you practice

Title: That Sugar FilmDirector: Damon GameauAvailable through: Netflix DVD rental or any good DVD rental store

That Sugar Film is an engaging documentary about Damon Gameau’s journey into the effect of a 60-day sugar-laden diet, but the important thing about his experiment on

himself is that he doesn’t eat junk food for the duration of filming.

Gameau is an Australian actor and film-maker who takes a Morgan Spurlock-type Super-Size Me approach to sugar, but for the duration of this documentary, Gameau eats what is considered to be healthy food.

He chooses fruit juices, smoothies, breakfast cereals, low-fat meals and all the foods that are labelled “healthy” or “natural” and he does this to show us how much hidden sugar there is in these products that we were led to believe are good for us.

Gameau has a medical team monitoring the effects the sugar has on him on a physiological level and the results are difficult to ignore.

He maintains the same level of exercise that he would normally do on any given day and his experiment is honest and watchable.

It’s a playful take on a very serious subject and it’s replete with cool graphics and entertaining cameos by famous actors such as Hugh Jackman and Stephen Fry.

Among Gameau’s findings are many scary facts, particularly about how sugar influences behaviour and also about how much sugar there is in packaged food made for children.

That Sugar Film is a must-watch movie, even if you’re not into Banting, because consumers need to understand how detrimental sugar is to their health and they also need to know that big food companies, aided and abetted by many governments, have been making outlandish claims about the benefits of their so-called “healthy” products. n

Watch this movie



1 The most important rule about Banting is to eat real food, not pre-packaged, food-like

substances kept fresh by preservatives.

2 Embrace fat, especially good, healthy fats such as butter, olive oil, avocados and lard.

3 Banting is not a high-protein diet. It’s high in good fats and veggies with a moderate amount

of protein and it’s very low on carbs.

4 Understand the difference between good carbs (such as carb-rich vegetables like sweet potatoes

and pumpkin) and bad carbs (such as potatoes and processed foods like bread, pasta and white flour). And don’t eat grains or seed oils.

5 Dairy products are good as long as they are full-fat. However, understand that all food contains

some amount of carbs and high-fat dairy is especially carb-rich, so if your goal is to lose weight, limit your

dairy intake.

6 Do not drink fruit juices, fruit concentrates and fizzy soft drinks such as Coke.

7 If you’re reluctant about some of the rules, the one rule to follow is to stop eating sugar and to

educate yourself about hidden sugar in low-fat prod-ucts and ubiquitous items such as bread.

8 Don’t eat too much fruit, especially fruit high in sugar. Occasionally, you can have low-carb, low-

sugar fruit such as strawberries, blueberries, goose-berries and other similar fruit.

9 Don’t be dismayed if you’re not losing weight as quickly as others. Take it at your own pace.

10 Try not to snack. Eat until you’re full and don’t eat if you’re not hungry. If you’re

getting enough fat with your meals, you won’t need more than three meals a day.

10 things about Banting

Photo: Stuart Webster


My Banting When did you start Banting and why? How did you learn the rules about Banting?I started Banting on 14 Septem-ber 2015. My family decided that we would all go onto this diet — a new lifestyle due to our un-healthy ways. My mother was the one who convinced me to partici-pate in this lifestyle, She told me about how successful it had been for many individuals. I then knew I had to do this for myself as my weight was really affecting me and how I felt about myself, both emotionally and physically. I learnt about Banting by doing research on the internet.

What was your initial experience of Banting? Did you find it easy or difficult to stick to?The first few days were difficult of course. Having to adjust to not eating bread, rice or potatoes was my biggest challenge. The shop-ping aspect was slightly tricky at first. As weeks went by, it became easier and more familiar. A Bant-ing group on Facebook definitely contributed to my success. Once I noticed that my clothing started hanging slightly looser, I knew this diet was perfect for me. I didn’t even have to exercise.

How many other diets did you try before Banting and what was your experience with those

other diets?I had tried plenty of diets, but I just never seemed to be able to stick to them. They all required exercising and strict eating plans and that is why I believe Banting was so well-suited to me due to the fact that I ate until I was no longer hungry and the fact that exercise was not essential.

Take us through your meals for the day and the week. What do you normally have for breakfast, lunch and supper?For breakfast:, I have coffee (no

milk or sugar, two eggs and bacon made in coconut oil. I would also have cheddar cheese, cucumber, lettuce and tomato. I drank green tea, Rooibos tea and lots of water. I often skip lunch, but if I am hun-gry, I have avo with salt or double-cream yoghurt with strawberries, or a green salad of Feta, lettuce, cucumber, avo and tomato. For supper, I would have cabbage, cauliflower, spinach or gem squash with mince or chicken. The veg-etables sometimes have melted cheese.

Before Banting: For breakfast,

Dannean Albertyn tells us how she shed 12kg

Dannean Albertyn before (left) Banting and after (right).


journey

I would have had coffee with sugar and milk, an apple, or a slice of bread. For lunch, I would have three slices of white bread, or crackers with polony, ham, cheese or tuna with mayonnaise and margarine. I would have snacked on popcorn, suckers, sushi, chips, sweets, biscuits, fizzy drinks and juice. For supper, I would have had pasta with white sauce, or rice with potatoes and processed foods such as fish fingers. I would also have rotis with curry or chips made in sunflower oil.

Did you incorporate dairy products into your diet? If so, how much?I did incorporate dairy products into my diet. I often have cheddar cheese sprinkled over my break-fast eggs or even have Feta in my green salads.

What treats do you allow your-self and how often?I treat myself to biltong to snack on during the days. Now and then if I am really desperate for something sweet, I have half a banana.

Did you experience any medical benefits to the low-carb high-fat lifestyle? Did you notice any changes to your body in addition to the weight loss?My skin improved, my pimples and blemishes disappeared. I experi-enced less gas due to consuming all this fresh foods and I felt more energetic. Come to think of it, I haven’t been sick since I started Banting, which is amazing. I would usually get the flu every three months.

How long have you been Banting and how much weight/centimetres have you lost in that time?I have lost a total of 12kg in two months. I started at a waist circumference of 91cm and I am currently at 83cm. My hip circumference was 103cm when I started Banting, but it’s now 93cm.

Do you exercise? If so, what do you do and why?I do not exercise, however I was able to successfully complete a 10km race.

What advice would you give fellow Banters who aren’t losing weight?Keep at it. In the end, you will see a difference, not just in losing the weight, but within yourself, you will feel a sense of self-worth and you will be proud of yourself. n

Dannean lost 12kg in two months. Photos: Supplied


changebad habits

Five ways to

Where would we be with-out mod-ern

neuroscience to both explain and change our bad habits? If you are like me, 2016 has brought many a habit that needs to be thoroughly shed.

It is small comfort to know that 40% of any day is spent in habit driven activities — some good and some bad. It’s time to change this microchip. Just between us, on my 2016 wish list for others who should be changing bad habits is Donald Trump. He who must always be the centre of attention will immediately desist from racist, gender-biased remarks and convert from a state of terminal textbook narcissism to genuine community concern and empathy.

Okay, so we can’t change Trump as he tries to bumble his way to the Republican vote with foot-in-mouth disease. A global diet of Trump is bad news. We can, how-ever, change our own bad eating habits, which resist change.

The human brain can be reprogrammed by the mind to want a healthy lifestyle. Here is the very latest on the bad to good habit story.

Neuroscience has provided us with insights on how habits are formed and therefore how they can be changed. The same insights give us an easy five-step formula for positive changes: Record your habits and plan; identify a hot button; give your brain rewards, create a neuro-based craving and let the craving power the habit.

It’s time to revisit your habits and face them head on. In the past, they may have been good for you, but with time, they can become destructive. Here is what the gurus have to say about change.

Make lists for insightful planning Information is power. Find a place of few distractions and draw up a daily list of all your habits, includ-ing dietary ones. Select the few you wish to shed. Use all your senses to cement the change you seek. I discovered that my 60km drive to and from work engaged an identical route every day with the constant stress of negotiating heavy duty trucks, taxis and bad driving. A quick Google search showed me that an alternative route saved me time, stress and

To break bad habits, celebrate small wins. Photo: Austin Schmid


Dr Denise Bjorkman is a neuroscience field researcher with special interests in nutrition. Post-doctoral studies in neuroscience have focused her attention on health, longevity, education, memory and political behaviour.

She currently lectures in 16 countries on neuroscience and Prof Candace Pert’s research on neuro peptides and Molecules of Emotion. She also does neuroscience-related commentary on political elections for global broadcasting networks.

Her work includes forensic profiling in major criminal trials and global terrorism on which she is an authority. She is a co-owner of a Wellness Clinic specialising in mental health.

money. I could now fit in an exhilarating walk on my farm with my beloved dogs. Sensory engage-ment included touch (paper to pen), the visual pleasure of ex-traordinary scenery on the new route, exercise with my pets and Pavarotti charming me en route.

Focus on small winsDon’t throw the bad habit book at yourself! Focus on one car-dinal change or small wins, and not the dozens that overwhelm you. The brain withdraws from information overload with a sense of powerlessness. In one study, people were allowed to choose a handful of loose chocolates in a bag, or a pack of six, neatly boxed.

They chose the boxed six as it represented order. A primitive part of the brain loves the disci-pline of focus as it compounds feelings of security, certainty and control. The confidence that comes with focus is likely to have a knock-on effect. You will find that other habits will change for the better too. And the good news is that self-discipline on one issue has a far greater effect on

personal achievement than IQ. The most brilliant people with

great inventions have often failed to capitalise on their creativity: “Full many a flower is born to blush unseen and waste their sweetness on the desert air” as Thomas Gray described it in his poem, Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard. Alexander Bain got his emotional fix from inventing the fax machine in 1843, but lacked a plan and the discipline to take it to mar-ket. Imagine how it could have changed the world.

Don’t confuse your brain. The brain automatically prunes down too many options with informa-tion overload. So why leave it to the brain’s autopilot to decide what is pruned? Sylvia, a patient of mine, recalls her life-changing

journey. “When I realised that I would reduce a number of seri-ous surgical risks just by losing weight, I made the wakeup call and I have never looked back. My whole career has benefited from the self-discipline I gained.”

Consciously choosing the right, powerful trigger for change is important. Don’t leave your primi-tive brain in charge as it has its own agenda of survival at all costs. As neuroscientists, we have seen this rule apply to memory. The brain eliminates what it consid-ers irrelevant. That often leaves us with false memories of events as every public prosecutor and any harassed and embarrassed court witness will tell you, and we wonder why bad men walk free.

Study people with good habitsYour brain has extraordinary equipment called mirror neurons. These little wonders delight in copying behaviour around you, which is why you should associate with positive and successful people.

Modelling yourself on others To Page 10

The message is a simple one.Let your mind rule your brain and you can refashion your brain. Emotions are the thread throughout this journey.


From Page 9who live lives of inspiring habits is more than a good idea. Mir-ror neurons have a remarkable ability to super charge copy-cat behaviour. The greatest spin bowlers will tell you that by watching the classic moves of the heroes before them, they learnt to hone their own skills. Neuro-marketer Charles Duhigg waxes lyrical about what the original Pepsodent toothpaste advertise-

ment did to the dental health of American citizens. “Legendary adman, Claude Hopkins, took advantage of a quirk in the neu-rology of habits instinctively when he was introduced to a frothy mint toothpaste. This was long before we had MRI testing labo-ratories to confirm our theories. Today, we can create and change habits almost like flipping a switch by getting people to copy others. Remember the classic jingle: ‘You’ll

wonder where the yellow went when you brush your teeth with Pepsodent?’ When Shirley Temple and Clarke Gable paraded their Pepsodent smiles, mirror neu-rons fired in unison and an iconic brand was born,” said Duhigg.

Other manufacturers grasped the message and the birth of Close Up toothpaste sealed the habit. Palmolive soap burst on to the beauty stage because we were told “Cleopatra used it”. How

Mirrors in clothing stores aren’t always the best, so why not consider buying a neuro-mirror that reflects a perfectly toned body? Photo: Clark Street Mercantile


gullible we were.Seeing the change you want to

be also helps with altered mirrors. Yolanda Nel, a physiotherapist and personal trainer, imports special neuro-mirrors which every re-tailer ought to buy.

“Nothing is more off putting than the grossly distorting cheap mirrors that garment and under-wear retailers install in change rooms. This neuro-mirror re-flects a perfectly toned, svelte and healthy body, which is inspira-tional. My clients see and believe what can be. The mirror sells physical potential and the mind says I can achieve this.”

So work those neurons as your own role model. Famous psychia-trist and hypnotherapist, Milton Erickson recorded a patient’s measurable growth in breast size after “selling growth” to her mind.

Create a craving with a rewardDo something you love each day: Dancing, painting, reading, hiking, playing with your beloved pets or singing. Chase the dream you gave up on as a child. I know an artist who started painting at 80 and her works now sell for small fortunes. It gave her a zest for life and reduced her aches and pains. Let those reward chemicals in the brain flood you with positive emotions and give you the drive you need.

Unfortunately, research has uncovered a little-known fact. We are motivated by what we want rather than what we need. “Wants” fire on all cylinders in the brain because the reward is

greatest. That partly explains drug addiction.

We can, however, exploit this “want” aspect of our brains. In what is now a famous Pepsi ver-sus Coke study, a group of people were asked to taste soft drinks blindfolded. They preferred the taste of one, which turned out to be Pepsi. On being told what they were drinking, Coke won the loyalty round. The Coke brand heritage is powerful with its red colour and bottle shape promising greater reward than the “like” of a sweet Pepsi taste.

Needs versus wants have always caused us problems. We don’t need a two storey Downton Ab-bey home with park-like grounds and a Bentley as well. We need functional, low-maintenance, safe and secure homes with ease of access to schools, work, shopping centres and health services. But estate agents know that we want the Tuscany lookalikes despite the overloaded mortgage and related expenses, which we cannot afford.

The want drives the motivation. We buy the dream and debt.

Processed food gives us approxi-mately 23 spoons of sugar a day evened out by the textured glue of gluten. Brain centres light up as if they have been fed cocaine when we reach for these items,

rewarding us with the brain’s chemical dopamine fix.

Time to reprogramme. Did you know that a swirl of mouthwash or a pickled gherkin can take away the craving? Manufacturers lay on the sugar because they know how it seduces the mind and body with instant reward. We fail to see that visceral fat lasts longer than sugary flavours. The reward is everything.

Good craving powers good habitsLet your emotions drive change in your life. Nanita, a young friend, wants to study medicine so badly that she has identified and given up on all daily time wasters in order to get the 10 distinctions she needs for entry. At 17, she spends her weekends researching community nutrition needs and writing articles to lobby for hu-man rights. For her, it’s not work, but fulfilment of a passion.

Her research will open medi-cal school doors. Her insights changed her eating habits. A col-league changed her carbo-loading habits to fit into her wedding dress and now the love affair with good nutrition has remained.

The message is a simple one. Let your mind rule your brain and you can refashion your brain. Emotions are the thread through-out this journey. Fire your mind with powerful and rewarding emotions as you take baby steps to a new you. The emotions will become the cement and not the murderous gluten. When all else fails, I attest to Dave Asprey’s bulletproof coffee as an infallible bridge to another kilogram lost. n

Consciously choosing the right, powerful trigger for change is important. Don’t leave your primitive brain in charge as it has its own agenda of survival at all costs.


Photo: Dylan Swart


chilledTaking a

approach to ice-cream

I was surprised when Paul Ballen, co-creator of Paul’s Homemade Ice-Cream, said that he takes a “chilled approach” to making gourmet ice-cream, not

for the obvious pun, but more so because the small ice-cream factory in Orange Grove, Johan-nesburg is a hive of activity.

In about two years, the business went from Ballen making ice-cream in his parents’ kitchen to having 15 full-time employees as well as a newly opened ice-cream shop at the trendy Zone in Rosebank.

So what is the reason for such phenomenal growth in hand-crafted ice-cream?

Real ingredients, no synthetic additives and no preservatives.

Ballen (26) makes ice-cream the old-fashioned way and he’s under-standably proud of his products, which are amassing fans all over South Africa.

The business started to grow after Ballen partnered with Josh Amoils. They realised there was a market for good quality ice-cream and there was already significant interest in the ice-cream that Ballen had been making part-time.

“We were encouraged by the feedback we were getting from the public. Many businesses start

off and grow in this way,” said Ballen.

To Page 14

“Ice-Cream King” Paul Ballen, co-creator of Paul’s Homemade Ice-Cream.


From Page 13“Ice-cream is also an amazing thing. There’s a huge amount of creativity in creating something in terms of the flavours and tex-tures. There are a million different ways you can tweak a recipe, so it’s very creative process.”

Ballen started off with recipes he found on the net, but which he tweaked as he developed the range of ice-cream.

“It’s an ongoing process. Ice-cream is a very scientific thing. Little things can make big differ-ences. A small amount of extra sugar can make your ice-cream melt faster and adding more eggs can make it a thicker mixture … It’s a very fine art,” said Ballen as he showed off his knowledge and passion for this traditional sweet treat.

After receiving their first major order in March 2014 from

Thrupps in Illovo, Amoils and Ballen realised the potential of the business and started investing more time and money in expanding the availability of their products.

Paul’s Homemade Ice-Cream will also take on special projects for customers who would like to have a specific ice-cream made for them. The company has made a few alcoholic ice-creams and was recently tasked with making an ice-cream that resembled con-crete for a cement company.

“Many of the flavour requests we receive [via social media] are bizarre, but it’s the best part of

the business. We always rise to the challenge and we enjoy those quirky, fun suggestions.” said marketing and media manager, Danya Amoils.

“This is what makes us special as a business and when we do develop a flavour suggested by people, they really go mad for it,” said Amoils.

“Sometimes, we don’t think a flavour is going to work out so well, but then it does. We recently did a chilli ginger and it is spectac-ular. Everyone who tastes it thinks it’s perfect,” said Amoils.

Of course, the custom-made ice-cream comes at a fee because there’s a great deal of testing, experimenting and fine-tuning that goes into the process.

The Banting range (made from cream, eggs and xylitol) came about because Ballen and the Amoils are quite health conscious

Included in the Banting range is a vanilla Banting ice-cream cake. Photo: Curtis Gallon

“We’re trying to create an ice-cream culture in South Africa, to create an apprecia-tion of quality.”


and decided to try making an ice-cream with xylitol. They kept it simple with two flavours — a health cocoa and a vanilla option — because they were happy with the quality of the ice-cream and so are their customers.

The Banting range has now expanded in collaboration with Caralishious — a brand created by health blogger Cara-Lisa Sham — to include four vegan, non-dairy, coconut milk ice-creams.

Overall, the six Banting ice-creams, including the vegan range, account for roughly 30% to 40% of sales.

Ballen and his team are work-ing on expanding the two dairy Banting options, but they have discovered that this isn’t going to be easy because they can’t simply add cookies or caramel to an ice-cream because this will mean that it’s no longer a Banting ice-cream. There are also two Banting ice-cream cakes available.

Ballen, who used to be an avid “Crossfitter”, describes himself as more of a paleo eater than a “Banter”, but he adds that he has always eaten real food and steers clear of processed food.

Ballen and the team are wary of expanding too fast too soon. They would like to master the model of retail with the shop that was recently opened in Rosebank before considering opening other shops in other parts of the country. “We need to think care-fully before expanding. We don’t want to lose our brand identity or the culture we’re creating with our quality,” said Ballen.

At the heart of the operation is an underlying belief in a healthy lifestyle and quality food. The team will quickly tell you about preserv-atives and vegetable oils in popular ice-creams, which they believe aren’t worthy of their popularity.

“We’re trying to create an ice-cream culture in South Africa, to create an appreciation of qual-ity,” said Ballen.

Paul’s Homemade Ice-Cream is available at certain shops in and around Johannesburg and in a few locations in Cape Town. They are hoping to expand to Pretoria, and to other parts of Gauteng and Durban this year.

If you’re in Joburg, you can also enjoy the homemade ice-cream on the last Sunday of every month in Bramley at an Ice-Cream Sun-day event. n For more information, fol-low the brand on twitter @ice_cream_king or check out their website www.paulshomemade.com or their Facebook page facebook.com/paulshomemadeicecream

Paul’s Homemade Ice-Cream now has a shop at The Zone in Rosebank.


What you need to know

Since one of the questions this month is about xylitol, a non-sugar sweetener (also called non-nutritive sweeteners), I

thought it would be a good op-portunity to address the issues surrounding the use of sweeten-ers, specifically their relevance

to a low-carb programme, their drawbacks and associated health safety issues.

We broadly categorise non-sugar sweeteners into natural sweeteners and synthetic (or artificial sweeteners). Commonly used “natural” sweeteners are stevia, xylitol and erythritol. The chemically manufactured, syn-thetic sweeteners in common use

are aspartame, acesulfame K, su-cralose, saccharin and cyclamate. Because of their nil or low calorie content and the fact that they do not elevate blood sugar or stimu-late an insulin response in the body, non-sugar sweeteners have been advocated for use in diets for weight control and diabetes for many years.

The current thinking in the low-

about xylitol

Photo: RGB Stock


carb science world is that people who are significantly overweight and/or diabetic ultimately need to decrease their sense of, and craving for, sweetness in order to fully reverse their metabolic dysfunction. Therefore, in these patients, excessive use of non- nutritive sweeteners can be counter-productive. Having said that, sweeteners are still bet-ter than consuming sugar. They provide a mechanism to sweeten baked goods and hot beverages, offering the opportunity for an enjoyable variety of foods to be prepared the low-carb way.

Non-nutritive sweeteners are not all created equal. Most health professionals would concur that the “natural” sweeteners (stevia, xylitol and erythritol) are bet-ter for you than their synthetic, chemical counterparts, although the term “natural” simply in-dicates that stevia, xylitol and erythritol do occur naturally (in plants, fruits and vegetables) but for commercial use they are

industrially produced. Stevia is an extract from a South Ameri-can plant called Stevia rebaudiana and has been used by humans for hundreds of years. Xylitol and erythritol are categorised as polyalcohols or sugar alcohols. Excess xylitol ingestion can have a laxative effect in some individu-als, causing bloating, flatulence and diarrhoea.

Chemically synthesised arti-ficial sweeteners such as as-partame do not have such a healthy reputation. Studies have associated their use with weight gain, hunger, altered gut flora, interrupted leptin-insulin signal-ling, altered brain chemistry and increased cancer risk. Weight gain is a feature, especially with a regular intake of artificially sweetened “zero” rated fizzy drinks (diet sodas).

A 2009 study published in Diabetes Care showed a daily consumption of fizzy diet drinks was associated with significantly greater risks of abdominal fat ac-

cumulation, metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes.

In summary, infrequent to moderate use of stevia, xylitol or erythritol is considered safe for people in the early transitional stages of a low-carb programme. Over time, however, it is best advised to gradually reduce the demand or requirement for sweetened things if you want to curb cravings and achieve success-ful weight loss.

Question 1Quite a few people I know are following the blood-type diet and have lost a lot of weight and are generally healthy. What do you think about this diet? Is it possible to do the bloody-type diet and Banting at the same time? — Chantelle Cloete.

AnswerChantelle, I am often asked this question about the blood type or blood group diet. A link between

To Page 18

Dr Austin Jeans is a medical doctor specialising in sport and exercise medicine and is currently based in Harare, Zimbabwe, where he has practised medicine for 30 years. He graduated from the Godfrey Huggins School of Medicine in Harare and did his postgraduate degree in sports medicine at the University of Cape Town. He is the Medical Director of the Rolf Valley Sports Medicine Centre and the Innovate High Performance Centre.

He has introduced lifestyle and nutrition programmes for health as an integral part of these centre’s activities in recent years. He has been the chief medical officer to three Olympic teams, three Africa Games teams, national cricket, rugby, judo and hockey teams, and consults for several of Zimbabwe’s national sports federations. He is a member of the Zimbabwe Olympic Committee’s Medical Commission and sits on World Rugby’s Developing Nations Medical Sub-committee.

He has written many press articles and given lectures on subjects relating to low-carb, high-fat nutrition, health and activity over the past three years. He is a former competitive swimmer and has written a book, soon to be published, on low-carb nutrition, health and sport. Ph

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From Page 17ABO blood group (the major human blood group system) and diet was proposed by naturopath Peter D’Adamo in his 1996 book Eat Right 4 Your Type, which sold over seven million copies.

The blood-type diets have certainly generated widespread public interest and numerous anecdotal reports of success.

The theory postulated by D’Adamo was that a person’s ABO blood group correlates with a specific diet based on our ancestors dietary habits and the blood-type diet advises individu-als to eat according to their ABO blood group to improve their health and decrease the risk of chronic diseases such as cardio-vascular disease.

Based on this blood-type theory,

the optimal diet proposed for blood group O is a one high in animal protein; for those with group A, it is a vegetarian diet; for blood group B, it’s a high dairy intake; and for individuals with an AB blood group, the recommend-ed diet is a combination of dairy and vegetarian (lacto-vegetarian).

The anecdotal reports of, for example, successful weight loss by your friends are explainable by the fact that all the blood-type diets are fairly prudent, healthy diets and if they are lower in calories or carbs compared with an individual’s prior diet, then they are likely to experience positive health outcomes.

The scientific evidence says that these health outcomes are independent of the person’s blood type, hence research

findings do not support the blood-type diet hypothesis. This was the conclusion reached in a large Canadian study carried out on 1,455 subjects published in 2014 in PloS One (“ABO Genotype, ‘Blood Type’ Diet and Cardiometabolic Risk Factors”, Jingzhou Wang et al). In 2013, a paper by Cusack et al in the American Journal of Clinical Nu-trition, which was a systematic review of published studies, concluded that “No evidence currently exists to validate the purported health benefits of blood type diets”.

You ask whether it is possible to do the blood type diet and Bant-ing at the same time. The answer to your question is yes because if you are blood group O, it is a “paleo” diet rich in meat and

Xylitol is fine for humans, but it is toxic for dogs.


animal fats ie: it is a low-carb diet. This would benefit most people who are overweight independent of their blood type.

Question 2My friends told me that if I fol-lowed the Banting lifestyle it would cure my high blood pres-sure and migraines, but I still get migraines. Okay, I do cheat a little, but surely the cheating doesn’t make such a big difference? Why do I still get migraines if I’m Bant-ing? — Sandy Moodley

AnswerSandy, the information you were given about a Banting diet cur-ing your hypertension and mi-graines may have been misleading. Certainly, current research does support significant improvements in blood pressure in individu-als following a low-carb diet, but the evidence is not as strong for migraines.

This is most likely because mi-graines can be a complex problem with multiple triggers, some of which, but not all of which, may

be diet-related. You may simply be continuing to suffer migraines be-cause they are unrelated to blood pressure or diet.

I would advise you to seek further assessment and advice on this from your doctor or an ap-propriate specialist.

On the point of whether “cheat-ing” on a Banting diet makes a difference, my comment is that for someone who has endured the transition to “fat-burning metabolism” from “carb-burning”, it is a mistake to cheat by eating sugar or refined carbs because you may set back your metabo-lism to “carb-burning” for up to three to five days with the return of hunger, cravings and fatigue, so it’s really not worth it, if you are trying to keep on track to an end goal.

Question 3Our vet recently warned us against giving our dogs anything with xylitol in it. He said he treated a dog that became very sick after having cake that had xylitol in it. What I want to know

is, if xylitol is toxic for dogs, how can it be safe for people? — Andy Stewart

AnswerAndy, you have asked a really good question and one that peo-ple with pets need to take note of. Indeed, xylitol is very toxic for dogs and often fatal, especially if the animal ingests more than 100mg/kg body weight of xylitol.

The reason it is safe for us is that xylitol in humans has no ef-fect on blood insulin, blood sugar or on our livers.

In dogs, however, xylitol has a profound insulin-stimulating effect on the pancreas causing low blood sugar (hypoglycaemia) within 10 to 60 minutes, which can be life-threatening for a pet. The signs of hypoglycaemia are loss of coordination, vomiting, weakness, abnormal behaviour (depression or lethargy), collaps-ing and seizures. Higher doses of xylitol can even poison the dog’s liver, causing liver failure.

Xylitol is extremely toxic for dogs. n

Advertise in Banting GuruAnd expose your brand to readers who:– Care about making healthy choices; are well-informed, educated and interested in good food; and want to live a better quality of life. Email [email protected] for our Stats and Advert Rates Card.


My Banting

When did you start Banting and why? How did you learn the rules about Banting?I started on 21 September 2015 because of my health and weight. It took me five months to start, thinking it was not for me. I found Banting information on Facebook. There were food lists and meal plans with the rules about Banting.

What was your initial experience of Banting? Did you find it easy or difficult to stick to?

It was difficult in the first few weeks but, later on, I enjoyed every moment.

How many other diets did you try before Banting and what was your experience with those other diets?I tried two diets, but the challenge was that I was starving myself and not eating at all.

Take us through your meals for the day and the week. What do you normally have for

breakfast, lunch and supper?For breakfast, I have two eggs, three rashers of streaky bacon, avo and mushrooms. Sometimes, I have chicken livers. For dinner, I have a piece of chicken or fish or beef or pork with steamed broccoli or spinach or any other green veg. I don’t have lunch. I just have water and Rooibos tea. Before I started Banting, I used to eat lot of starch such as rice and bread. I was addicted to chocolate and I wouldn’t go a day without eating a slab. After

Hlumela Mlondobozi tells us how she shed 13kg

Hlumela Mlondobozi before (left) Banting and after (right).


journey

every meal I would feel like des-sert and have chocolate. I would eat even when I wasn’t hungry, hungry.

Do you incorporate dairy prod-ucts into your diet? If so, how much?I have a little bit of Feta cheese in my salad and I once tried Greek yoghurt with berries.

What treats do you allow your-self and how often?I once craved chocolate and

bought Lindt, but only once.

Did you experience any medical benefits to the low-carb high-fat lifestyle? Did you notice any changes to your body in addition to the weight loss?Before I started Banting, my sugar level was about 11 or 12 and now it’s never more than four or five.

How long have you been Banting and how much weight/centimetres have you lost in

that time?After Banting for two months and two weeks, I lost 13kg and 30cm.

Do you exercise? If so, what do you do and why?I don’t exercise at all.

What advice would you give fellow Banters who aren’t losing weight?Be patient and stick to the green list in the first few weeks. Prepare your own food and avoid take aways. And don’t cheat! n

Hlumela lost 13kg in just over two months. Photos: Supplied


Recipes These recipes are courtesy of Dalene Crafford of The Banting Warehouse. Check the site (www.bantingwarehouse.com) for more content

Strawberry and lemon jamI developed this effortless low-carb strawberry and lemon jam for Banters. My recipe only makes a , a small amount of jam, but put it to the test and see how little you actually need. During the jam-making process, the strawberries are reduced and become very concentrated.With the lemon juice and rind, the jam has a tart freshness slightly similar to a marmalade.

What you will need:– 1 and a 1/2 cups sliced, fresh strawberries– 1/4 cup water– 2 tablespoons xylitol– 1/4 teaspoon lemon juice– 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon rind

Instructions:1. Add the strawberries, wa-ter, xylitol and lemon juice to a medium-sized pot. (I use a 20cm diameter pot. If you are using a smaller pot, the cooking time will be longer.) Stir. Simmer uncov-ered over medium heat for 12 to 15 minutes, or until reduced and thick. Stir occasionally during the first 10 minutes. From 10 minutes on, as the jam starts to thicken, it is very important to stir con-stantly to prevent the jam from burning.2. Remove from the heat and stir in the lemon rind. Allow to cool. Store in a sealed container in the fridge.

Dalene’s tips:– Any fresh or frozen berries can

be used to make this jam. If you use small berries such as blueber-ries or raspberries, there is no need to slice them – leave them whole. I’ve just made this recipe using 1 cup of frozen blueberries and 1/2 cup of frozen raspber-ries as I had these in my freezer. The result? A gorgeous-looking, deep, dark berry jam with intense flavours.– This jam partners very well with cheeses like Gouda, Camembert, Brie and blue cheese. I make up a platter of Banting crackers, but-ter, cheeses, this jam, salami or chorizo, thinly sliced radishes and rocket leaves.– For a lovely mini Banting treat, scoop mascarpone or cream cheese onto a teaspoon. Top with a little jam.


Lemon yoghurt creamOften, Banters tell me that they’ve run out of ideas for treats and desserts, especially when they invite friends over, or when they throw a party.

They are tired of munching on blocks of 90% cocoa dark choco-late, or dishing up fresh berries and cream. They need some excitement.

Low-carb high-fat eating should never become boring. That is when one could easily fall back into the old carbohydrate and sugar eating patterns. So, to bring a bit of excitement to the low-carb treats front, I am sharing this recipe. I love lemon and lime flavours, so I made this rich, indul-gent lemon yoghurt-cream. If you

want to use limes, do so.This lemon yoghurt-cream

works excellently for breakfast or dessert. Because of the added cream (and thus added fat), it will keep you fuller for longer than ordinary double-cream yoghurt.

You can also successfully serve it as a first course at a brunch party. I suggest alternating it parfait-style (in layers) in a glass with fresh berries and my No-bake Crunchy Choco-late Granola (on my website). Once again, stick to small portions.

I hope you’ll try this recipe and that you’ll like it as much as I do. And, of course, that you’ll add it to your LCHF recipe repertoire. Enjoy!

What you will need:

– 1/2 cup cream– 4 to 5 teaspoons xylitol– 1 and a 1/4 cup double-cream yoghurt– 3 teaspoons lemon juice– 2 teaspoons finely grated lemon rind– a little more finely grated lemon rind to decorate

Instructions:1. Whip the cream and xylitol together. Lightly fold the yoghurt, lemon juice and lemon rind into the cream.2. Spoon into a fancy bowl, sprin-kle with the extra grated lemon rind and serve.

If preferred, chill the yoghurt-cream for an hour or two before serving.


Gem squash with Greek mince fillingGem squash halves have their own built-in bowls, making them such wonderful organic contain-ers for all kinds of fillings.

Here, I have decided to make a Greek-style filling for the gem squash, using beef or lamb mince, grated baby marrows (courgettes/zucchini) and Feta cheese. The mince filling is richly seasoned with garlic, paprika, coriander, cinnamon and rosemary. These Greek gems make a very satisfy-ing main or light meal.

What you will need:– 3 gem squash, cut in half (re-move the seeds, if preferred)– 6 teaspoons butter– 1 tablespoon olive oil– 1/4 medium onion, chopped– 1/4 red pepper, chopped– 125 g beef or lamb mince– 1 teaspoon paprika– 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander– 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon– 1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary (or 1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary)– 1 cup coarsely grated baby mar-rows (courgettes/zucchini)– 1 teaspoon crushed garlic– 1/4 cup crumbled Feta cheese (plain)– milled black pepper or white pepper to taste– salt to taste– sprigs of rosemary to garnish (optional)

Instructions:1. Boil the gem squash. Drain well and place the six halves (cut side facing up) on a baking tray. Place a teaspoon of butter in each half. Set aside.2. Prepare the filling: Heat the oil in a non-stick frying pan or wok. Sauté the onion and red pepper for a few minutes. Add the mince,

paprika, coriander, cinnamon and rosemary. Stir-fry until just cooked. Add the grated baby mar-rows (courgettes/zucchini) and garlic. Stir-fry for 2 to 3 minutes over medium high heat until the baby marrow is just cooked. Remove from the heat. Stir in the Feta cheese. The Feta should not melt completely — pieces of Feta should still be visible. Season with pepper. Taste and add salt if necessary (the feta cheese is salty, so you might not need to add any salt).3. Preheat the grill to medium hot. Spoon the mince mixture into the squash halves. Pop under the grill until heated through. Watch closely because the mince might burn quickly. If it happens, turn the grill setting down and/or move

the baking tray to a lower oven rack. Alternatively, you could bake the gems in a preheated oven at 180ºC until just heated through. Take care not to overbake.4. Garnish the gem squash with rosemary sprigs and serve with stir-fried green beans, a crisp gar-den salad and black olives.

Dalene’s tips:– This is a very versatile Greek mince recipe. If you do not use it to fill gem squash, then you could serve it with cauliflower rice or cauliflower mash.– Top roasted eggplant slices with the Greek mince.– Toast Banting bread and brush with olive oil. Top with thickly sliced tomato, thinly sliced red onion and finally the Greek mince.


Marinated zoodlesIn a previous life, before low-carb eating, no one knew about “zoodles” or “courgettini”. Now, Banters can barely live without them and what fun they are to make and eat.

The sales of spiralisers (also called spiral slicers) have gone through the roof as low-carbers are making their own noodles using zucchini (baby marrows/courgettes). Usually these zoodles (zucchini noodles) or courgettini (courgette spaghetti) are stir-fried or blanched, but I also love serv-ing them raw. My secret? I mari-nate them.

I suspect, once you start making my super-easy marinated zoodles, you’ll become as hooked as I am. Kids can do it on their own. No measuring required. No cooking involved.

Marinated zoodles are in fact so simple that I can write the whole recipe in just three sentences. I use my German Gefu Spirelli (a nifty hand-held spiraliser that works like a pencil sharpener) to make the zoodles. Then, I add a splash of my best olive oil, a

little salt and a generous grind of black pepper. I give the zoodles a stir, cover them and leave them to marinate for half an hour (or longer). That’s really all there is to it.

Marinated zoodles offer endless possibilities, so let the creative juices flow.

Now for the proper recipe.

What you will need:– zucchini (baby marrows/cour-gettes) — use as many as you require– a splash of extra-virgin cold extracted olive oil– salt to taste– freshly ground black pepper to taste

Instructions:1. Use a spiraliser to make zuc-chini (baby marrow/courgette) noodles. Place in a bowl.2. Splash the zoodles with some olive oil — not too much, you can always add more later. Season with just a little salt and black pepper. Stir through. (I use my fingers to stir the zoodles and to ensure that all of them are coated

with olive oil.) If you wish, you can leave them to marinate for several hours.3. Use the marinated zoodles in whatever way you like.

Dalene’s tips:– Use the marinated zoodles in a salad or twirl on top of a salad. They make a statement, especially when twirled like little nests. They are also the ideal staple for mak-ing lovely salads and light meals for lunchboxes and picnic baskets.– They make perfect noodles for a cold “pasta”. Lightly mix homemade green or red pesto, flaked canned tuna, halved baby tomatoes, thinly sliced red on-ion, chopped black olives and a squeeze of lemon juice through the marinated zoodles. Sprinkle with finely grated lemon zest.– For a filling lunchbox meal, add strips of ham and/or chopped salami, quartered hard-boiled egg, cubes of cheddar cheese, charred red pepper strips and chopped chives to the marinated zoodles. You may want to add more olive oil and a knifepoint of crushed garlic.


Recipes These recipes are courtesy of The Banting Chef. Check the site (www.thebantingchef.co.za) for more content

Parmesan zucchini rounds

Preparation time: 15 minsBaking time: 20 minsPosted by: Sam GoncalvesOriginally by: ViancePhoto by: Viance

Ingredients– 2 medium zucchini or 8 large baby arrows– 1/4 cup Parmesan, grated– To flavour: garlic salt

– To flavour: black pepper

Method1. Preheat the oven to 220oC.2. Line a baking tray with foil (lightly misted with cooking spray) or baking paper.3. Wash and dry the zucchini/mar-rows and cut into 6.5mm thick slices, then arrange the rounds on the prepared pan, with little to no space between them. If desired, lightly sprinkle with garlic salt and

freshly ground black pepper.4. Use a small spoon to spread a thin layer of Parmesan cheese on each slice of zucchini/marrow. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the Parmesan turns a light golden brown.5. Watch them closely the first time you make them and pull them out of the oven early if the Parmesan is golden before 15 minutes. Serve immediately as a side dish or on top of salad.


Basil and lemon-roasted chicken

Preparation time: 15 minsCooking time: 18minsServes: 4Posted by: Sam GoncalvesOriginally by: DailyDishPhoto by: DailyDish

Ingredients– 20g fresh basil– 2 lemons– 4 cloves garlic– 8 Tbsp olive oil– 6 chicken breasts

– 8 courgettes– 400g cherry tomatoes– To season: Himalayan salt

Method1. Preheat oven to 220°C. 2. Tear the basil leaves into pieces, slice the courgettes lengthways and crush the garlic.3. Grate the peel (only the yellow/green peel not the white part) off the lemons (to create lemon zest) and then cut the lemons into wedges.4. Place the lemon zest, garlic, olive oil and half the basil into a

bowl and mix together. 5. Place the courgette slices onto a baking tray and then place the chicken on top. Spoon over the basil mixture. Sprinkle with coarsely ground salt. Roast for 10 minutes. Add the tomatoes and roast for a further 8 minutes or until the chicken is cooked. 6. To serve, divide the chicken, courgette slices and cherry toma-toes between the plates. Top with the remaining fresh basil leaves and add lemon wedges on the side. Squeeze a little lemon over the chicken.


Green listGreen is an all-you-can-eat list — you choose anything you like without worrying about the carbohydrate content as all the foods will be between 0 to 5g/100g.

It will be almost impossible to overdo your carbohydrate intake by sticking to this group of foods. Overeating protein is not recommended, so eat a moderate amount of animal protein at

each meal. Include as much fat as you are com-fortable with, bearing in mind that Banting is high in fat.

Caution: even though these are all-you-can-eat foods, only eat when hungry, stop when full and do not overeat. The size and thickness of your palm without fingers is a good measure for a serving of animal protein.

ANIMAL PROTEIN (unless these have a rating, they are all 0g/100g)n All eggsn All meats, poultry and gamen All natural and cured meats (pancetta, parma ham, coppa etc)n All natural and cured sau-sages (salami, chorizo etc)n All offaln All seafood (except sword-fish and tilefish - high mercury content)n Broths

DAIRY n Cottage cheesen Creamn Cream cheesen Full-cream Greek yoghurtn Full-cream milkn Hard cheesesn Soft cheeses

FATSn Any rendered animal fatn Avocado oiln Buttern Cheese - firm, natural, full-fat, aged cheeses (not processed)n Coconut oiln Duck fatn Ghee

n Lardn Macadamia oiln Mayonnaise, full fat only (not from seeds oils)n Olive oil

FLAVOURINGS AND CONDIMENTSAll flavourings and condiments are okay, provided they do not contain sugars and preservatives or vegetable (seed) oils.

NUTS AND SEEDSn Almondsn Flaxseeds (watch out for pre-ground flaxseeds, they go rancid quickly and become toxic)n Macadamia nutsn Pecan nutsn Pine nutsn Pumpkin seeds

n Sunflower seedsn Walnuts

SWEETENERSn Erythritol granulesn Stevia powdern Xylitol granules

VEGETABLESn All green leafy vegetables (spinach, cabbage, lettuces etc)n Any other vegetables grown above the ground (except but-ternut)n Artichoke heartsn Asparagusn Auberginesn Avocadosn Broccolin Brussel sproutsn Cabbagen Cauliflowern Celeryn Courgettesn Leeksn Mushroomsn Olivesn Onionsn Peppersn Pumpkinn Radishesn Sauerkrautn Spring onionsn Tomatoes


Orange listOrange is made up of ingredients containing be-tween 6g and 25g of carbs per 100g (6% - 25%).

Chart your carbohydrates without getting obsessive and still obtain an excellent outcome. If you are endeavouring to go into ketosis, this list

will assist you to stay under a total of 50g carbs for the day.

These are all net carbs and they are all 23 to 25g per indicated amount. Ingredients are all fresh unless otherwise indicated.

FRUITSn Apples 1.5n Bananas 1 smalln Blackberries 3.5 Cn Blueberries 1.5 Cn Cherries (sweet) 1 Cn Clementines 3n Figs 3 smalln Gooseberries 1.5 Cn Grapes (green) under 1 Cn Guavas 2n Kiwi fruits 3n Litchis 18n Mangos, sliced, under 1 Cn Nectarines 2n Oranges 2n Pawpaw 1n Peaches 2n Pears (Bartlett) 1n Pineapple, sliced, 1 Cn Plums 4n Pomegranate ½n Prickly pears 4n Quinces 2n Raspberries 2 Cn Strawberries 25n Watermelon 2 C

NUTSn Cashews, raw, 6 Tn Chestnuts, raw, 1 C

SWEETENERSn Honey 1 t

VEGETABLESn Butternut 1.5 C

n Carrots 5n Sweet potato 0.5 C

KEY C = cups per dayT = tablespoons per dayt = teaspoons per day

g = grams per dayFor example: 1.5 apples are all the carbs you can have off the orange list for the day (if you want to go into ketosis and make sure you are under 50g total carbs for the day).


Red listRed will contain all the foods to avoid as they will be either toxic (eg: seed oils, soya) or high-carbo-hydrate foods (eg: potatoes, rice).

We strongly suggest you avoid all the items on

this list, or, at best, eat them very occasionally and restrict the amount when you do. They will do nothing to help you in your attempt to reach your goal.

BAKED GOODSn All flours from grains - wheat flour, cornflour, rye flour, barley flour, pea flour, rice flour etcn All forms of breadn All grains - wheat, oats, barley, rye, amaranth, quinoa, teff etcn Beans (dried)n “Breaded” or battered foodsn Bransn Breakfast cereals, muesli, granola of any kindn Buckwheatn Cakes, biscuits, con-fectionaryn Corn products - popcorn, polenta, corn thins, maizen Couscousn Crackers, cracker breadsn Milletn Pastas, noodlesn Ricen Rice cakesn Sorghumn Speltn Thickening agents such as gravy powder, maize starch or stock cubes

BEVERAGESn Beer, cidern Fizzy drinks (sodas) of any description other than carbon-ated watern Lite, zero, diet drinks of any

description

DAIRY / DAIRY-RELATEDn Cheese spreads, commercial spreadsn Coffee creamersn Commercial almond milkn Condensed milkn Fat-free anythingn Ice cream

n Puddingsn Reduced-fat cow’s milkn Rice milkn Soy milk

FATSn All seed oils (safflow-er, sunflower, canola,

grapeseed, cottonseed, corn)n Chocolaten Commercial sauces, mari-nades and salad dressingsn Hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils including mar-garine, vegetable oils, vegetable fats

FRUITS AND VEGETABLESn Fruit juice of any kindn Vegetable juices (other than home-made with Green list vegetables)

GENERAL

n All fast foodn All processed foodn Any food with added sugar such as glucose, dextrose etc

MEATn All unfermented soya (veg-etarian “protein”)n Meats cured with excessive sugarn Vienna sausages, luncheon meats

STARCHY VEGETABLESn Beetrootsn Legumesn Parsnipsn Peanutsn Peasn Potatoes (regular)

SWEETENERSn Agave anythingn Artificial sweeteners (aspar-tame, acesulfame K, saccharin, sucralose, splenda)n Cordialsn Dried fruitn Fructosen Honey (except for 1t on orange list)n Maltn Sugarn Sugared or commercially pickled foods with sugarn Sweetsn Syrups of any kind


Photo: RGB Stock/Joseph Barrientos

The last wordDon’t take this lifestyle too seriously

Yes, your health is important and you have to take it seriously. However, you don’t need to convince everyone to be on the same path as you because some people are almost violently opposed to Banting and there’s no point getting into a fight about your chosen lifestyle.

Trying to badger people into submission with medical research that most will not understand is not going to work. Just walk the talk and be the annoyingly healthy, energetic proof of the pudding, so to speak.

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