More things that I love! Food food food!

I'm not going to sit here and tell you that eating no sugar/low carbohydrate is fun. Most of us grew up with a carb-laden, sugar coated lifestyle. I'm from mid-Michigan myself, which means that we grew up on packaged goods and fast food (it's cheap, and when you have to drive an hour to get anywhere, it's quite convenient). My parents also made great home cooked meals which I won't leave out, but it was typical American food. Meat and potatoes. Pasta. The works.

If you are one of those people that never liked sweets, always ate healthy, grew up on organic and unprocessed foods....then good for you. *slow clap*   Just kidding, but seriously, what planet are you from?

Doing this high fat/low carbohydrate diet has been very revealing. Not only is my body snapping back into shape, but the most noticeable thing for me is steady energy. No more fatigue and wanting to crawl under my desk at work for a quick nap. I still do get rather hungry, I feel like I eat a lot and plow through meals that are much larger than I'm used to eating. For instance, at our favorite shabu-shabu place, I went through two plates of meat and my entire plate of leafy vegetables and tofu!

Well I don't need to go into detail. I just wanted to post some of the new things I've discovered either on my own, or through informative podcasts from nutritionists and dietitians (mainly Ben Greenfield, and Dr. Tamsin Lewis since I've been binge listening to Endurance Planet podcasts).

First up is a new pricey obsession of mine. I used to love the GT Chia kombucha drinks, but they were slightly higher in sugar than I wanted, so I found these guys instead. MAN are they delicious! The only downside that I see about them (other than the insane $2.99 price) is that they use Organic Stevia Leaf Extract. I just don't like sugar substitutes in general, but I think I am just a little scarred from my Diet Coke addiction (that I thankfully kicked hard in the butt about two years ago). I'll drink these in moderation, as a treat for myself.

This beverage is divine though. I have only tried these two flavors so far, but they are both SO GOOD, and full of probiotics! There is a wonderful aftertaste of coconut, kind of like drinking a piña colada, but a fizzy one. If only they didn't make such a dent in my wallet, my fridge would be stocked full of them. Be sure to check the labels though because there are so many flavors and the nutrition facts can vary widely between them.

You should be aware that it's common for people going on a high fat/low carb diet to need to up their sodium, so I have learned to solve this with Himalayan Sea Salt. I bought a grinder of the stuff and it is so good! It isn't bleached out and has tons of minerals for your body. I also discovered this incredible salt called Omnivore Salt. It's expensive but oh-so-good! I don't know about the health benefits there, I just like the taste. I am seriously contemplating getting a bunch of these for Christmas presents, I like it that much.

Next up, I found that one of the best sources of Omega 3 Fatty Acids and Vitamin A & D are from Cod Liver Oil. Since I don't like to take pills, I opted for the liquid version (I also think it will be better absorbed that way). I'm not going to lie. It is kind of gross, but I think most of it is mental. It really barely has any flavor at all, and would probably be fine tossed on a salad, I'm just a big baby.

Another thing I've been eating are Brazil nuts. I can't help but think of that scene in Best in Show when I eat them. Anyway, I freeze them since they will go rancid, and I also buy them in the shell. Pretty tasty too, and gives you a good dose of selenium and vitamin E. Do not consume more than two a day though, because you can get too much selenium which can cause brittle hair or nails (or even hair loss).

Last on the list for today is roasted seaweed! I don't know if it's my Korean blood or what, but I love seaweed! This brand is my favorite, but can be quite pricey. I barely buy them but they used to have them where I worked. I now eat a Kirkland brand pack, which actually packs about 5x's more sheets of seaweed, but they're often soaked in oil and it puts me off. I don't mind oil, but I prefer them to be not soaking my hands in the stuff. The benefits of seaweed is that not only is it low in carbs (about 1 gram per serving), but it gives you a little extra sodium and also is a great source of antioxidants and iodine. They also are a great alternative if you're a regular potato chip eater.

 Well, I hope that helps ease the pain a bit. It's a good time to experiment and get creative! Eat plenty of vegetables, and don't be afraid of carbs. Especially if you are doing harder efforts, you should adjust your diet for that. A rough guideline that I found is HERE. Lastly, HERE is a great article from Ben Greenfield for supplements that will help you perform on a low carbohydrate diet. Be smart!